5 USEFUL TIPS FOR BRANDING YOUR CORPORATE WEBSITE

We live in an age when you must have a digital footprint to compete favourably. The advent of technology has bolstered the way we communicate. 

As communication practitioners, we keep exploring avenues for which to pass our messages to our target audiences. They include: employees, management, other businesses, or clients. For us to perform effectively, we need a well-established communication channel that will facilitate our communication endeavours.

Image Credit | OneFire Media

On that note: websites are part of the channels we use for communication. In all corporations, websites are the core channels or need to be (if not already) used for communication. Well, apart from emails. Corporate websites tell the world who you are and most importantly, what you do. However, not all these websites meet this goal.

Most people looking for a product and or service start by firing up their browsers and googling. Depending on what the search engine spits out, they then pick it up from there. The only factor that will drive this potential client from a website visitor to a walk-in is how your website will make them feel, at that very moment.

That cumulative feeling, as a result of how your corporate colours are mixed to match, logo placement, navigability all these ladies and gentlemen is what we call branding. For a moment, loosen your academic understanding of the term branding. A term people often associate with logos, colours, taglines etc. And substitute it with a feeling.

Branding is the mood; the feeling, the impression that is left on anyone who comes to your website. As they say, first impressions count. If the first impression is one of a lack of professionalism, potential clients will flee. However, if the impression is friendly and professional then you have a client for life.

If you fall on the side of the fence that has not been paying close attention to branding your corporate website-here are basics that you need to know. Allison Wright- branding strategist, website designer, and owner of Dapper Fox shares five basic website branding best practices, which I highlight.

Identify and master the purpose of the corporation and thus your website: What is it that you do? What is your mission? Due to time and distance constraints, the website is the pathway to the corporate soul. If the website can succinctly tell the whole world what your company does from the onset is a great way to accommodate your would-be client.

For example, simply saying, “My website is about health and fitness” will not cut it. With so many subcategories under health and fitness, you need to figure out exactly whom you are targeting. Is it the vegan crowd? Body builders? Paleo fanatics? Your goal is to get people to associate that category with you. {Sic}

If it is a real estate company, are you in buying, selling, rentals, property management and in what area are you specialized in. Make it clear for your target audience.

Taglines: What is your most memorable tagline? If you are in Kenya, Safaricom’s The better option is by far the best that we have. Here's a little vignette of how the tagline was birthed.

Michael Joseph the then CEO, while Safaricom was still in its early stages called upon his members to come up with a tagline. However, every time they would convene to assess progress, he would send them back by simply saying ‘that is not the better option.’ This went on and on and it seemed like an exercise in futility. One day, as they were about to toss around ideas, before he could utter his magic word, one creative paused and said that he had the tagline all along. He suggested they use ‘the better option’ as their tagline. Interesting, right.

This tagline is short and to the point, allowing my potential readers to understand the mission of Dapper Fox Design. Your tagline is not something that you should be changing up from time to time. Choose a solid tagline that accurately represents your mission, and stick to it. Your tagline becomes part of your brand, so maintaining consistency will reinforce this brand to your audience. {Sic}

Create an about page that speaks to your audience: Let us do an exercise. Go to your website and load your about page. Got it. (Waiting). Read it and get the feeling. Is it speaking to you? The about page is supposed to shake the hands and introduce your client to your corporation. As we know in business and the networking world, a firm-handshake is always a winner. So, does your page give a firm and steady handshake: or it is weak and ‘dead’?

Having a well-written 'About' page and bio will give readers an opportunity to feel as if they know you, giving insight into your background, credibility and personality. Since you cannot personally explain your objectives, goals and offerings to each individual that visits your website, make sure your branding does it for you. {Sic}

In his TED talk, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, says, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room.” Give them something great to talk about.

Create harmony in your visuals: In this section, consider these all your visuals. Your favicons, images and fonts. A favicon is that little icon at the top of your browser next to the title of the web page. Using a custom favicon allows viewers to see a bit of your brand even when they are in a different browser tab. It is seen alongside your title and URL, as well as when readers bookmark your site.

About fonts: Maintain a consistent brand feeling throughout your website by using no more than two or three fonts. Specify which fonts will be used for headers, paragraphs, and accents and stick with it. Colour choices should be decided upon before you begin the website design so that the mood and consistency of your site is maintained throughout new pages and blog posts.

Have the design match your content: This is more like dressing. What are you wearing to the party? If you are invited to a ball, bow ties are the thing. If you decide to be in a fire-fighters suit, nobody will judge you only that you will be in the right costume but in the wrong party. The same applies to branding a corporate website.

The colours, font choices, and overall look and feeling of your design needs to match the content you are offering. {Sic} For instance, if you are a real estate corporation, choose a property like theme.

Identify who your target market will be. What will appeal to them? Younger crowds tend to appreciate bolder, brighter visuals, while older populations and professional fields lean toward a calmer, muted palette. Merge this insight about your ideal audience with elements from your own personality to create an effective brand identity. {Sic}

Using this as a checklist, on a scale of 1-10, how do you fair? Let me know.