Marketers often talk a lot brand identity. What does this actually mean? It is one of those things you just don’t notice if it’s working. It’s only when it’s not there that you can really see it. It is about how your business presents to potential and current customers.
Many brands spend many years creating their brand identity. For example, Etsy smoothies. Their quirky and lighthearted brand identity is what makes them so famous. This suits their business model, and it is evident in all their advertising and small print.
A call center business may have a more professional approach. It may also include conforming to international business standards, which is appreciated by the industry. Marketing has been about branding. It’s equally important in ecommerce.
ecommerce, relative to other business structures, is still relatively new. Potential audiences are naturally much larger. This is not only because of the increased competition. It can be difficult to create a strong brand identity that makes an impact on ecommerce businesses.
There are some proven ways to help you build a strong ecommerce brand image.
First steps
This article will cover all aspects of ecommerce branding. You should have reviewed the following checklist before you begin. Clear planning will give you direction and will guide you and your team.
Establish values and identity
Before you can build the specific features of your ecommerce site, it is important to identify what these features are. You should think about the values that will be the foundation of your ecommerce website, both morally and pragmatically. What are the things your company offers and what do they stand for?
Research Competitors
It is crucial to build a strong ecommerce brand. However, you will not know how your product will perform in comparison with what’s on the market. To get an understanding of the market, you need to first research. Once you have a good understanding of other brands, you will be able to determine where your brand fits in the market and create a strategy to increase your brand’s conversion rate.
Find out what makes your ecommerce store stand out from others. Highlight those differences (or perhaps you offer something different) and create the brand around these unique traits.
Create a tone of voice
Once you have established your brand identity for your ecommerce store, you will want to reflect that identity through a tone. This applies to any written material that is part of your company.
Your website copy, emails and text, as well as promotional materials and social media posts, will have a significant impact on your results. There are many creative ways to use your voice, even when you’re reminding people of empty carts.
To convey a consistent brand, your tone of voice must be heard at all levels of communication. Your research will be the most important factor in establishing a tone of voice. How are you perceived by your customers? What tone should they respond to?
Do you prefer a casual, friendly tone or something more professional and formal? It all depends on who you are targeting.
Dialpad is a cloud-based communication platform. You can use their many communication tools, including video conferencing, call centers and call recording. Their slogan, “Get More out of Every Conversation,” is a perfect reflection of their commitment to communication.
Because they do, it’s clear, concise, and conversational.
Create an Aesthetic
When it comes to branding your brand, many of the same principles apply. It should be distinctive, attractive, and relevant to your brand’s identity. Consistency is the cornerstone, just like your voice. After you have decided on a look it should be consistent across all aspects of your business.
It all comes down to brand recognition. People should be able to see who you are from a glance. Consider Starbucks. A Starbucks coffee cup is easily identifiable from a distance. Because it is emblazoned on everything associated with them, they are immediately recognisable.
Prioritize customer experience
Branding is all about the public perception. This is how your customers perceive your business. Customer experience should be at center of all decisions you make.
This could include everything from client onboarding to promotions. These questions should be asked before you make any major decisions.
“How can this benefit the customer?”
“How will the public respond to this decision?”
“Is it consistent with our core brand identity?”
This sounds much simpler than it actually is. You need to be able to identify customer needs and maintain integrity. You should also set up a customer service department. This is vital as they will be your human voice communicating with customers.
A solid marketing strategy is essential
How your store is used is a major part of building its brand. You will need a solid and well-planned marketing strategy. Consider the channels you have and how you intend to use them.
Social Media
Social media is an invaluable marketing tool that’s only growing. Your brand’s social media presence should be built by emphasizing customer service and engagement. Your store will be remembered if you encourage customer interaction and answer queries.
Social media marketing has the greatest advantage because of how interconnected all platforms are. The majority of people have multiple social media accounts, so content is shared constantly. They are also more focused on their own interests. Information is shared among individuals so it has many of the same benefits as word of mouth but on a larger scale.
Word of mouth
Marketing campaigns, no matter how well they may try, will not be trusted as much as word-of-mouth. If your friend tells you about your online store, people are more likely to visit it.
Good customer service is essential. Customer service is important, regardless of whether they call an inbound phone center or reach out via social media. If they are satisfied with the experience and the support, they will share it and tell others.
Businesses can also encourage word of mouth through promotions and discount codes that they offer to friends who recommend your store.
Email Marketing
Email marketing has been around for some time, but it’s still one of the most effective forms of marketing. It offers a high Return on Investment (ROI) and is constantly evolving with new and innovative strategies.
Although it may seem simple, there are many more aspects to this process than simply spamming potential customers. Effective messaging and finding subscribers are key components of your email marketing strategy. This can be overwhelming, so contact an email marketing agency for help.
Consistency across All Channels
Your brand’s tone and visual identity are essential for success. You will need to make sure your brand is consistent across all channels. This can be difficult because there are many ways your brand can be presented. This means that every email, blog post, and social media post communicates the same brand identity.
Training and quality control are the best ways to make sure this happens. Every new employee should be familiar with the tone, design and core values of your ecommerce store so they can effectively represent it in their day to day operations. Ensure that your staff is able to guide and monitor employees until they are proficient. It will soon become second nature after a while.
Looking forward
Your brand should be prepared for whatever the future brings.
Let’s now discuss some strategies that will ensure your ecommerce brand thrives in any type of transition or development.
Customer Research and Marketing
Your ecommerce brand identity should control how customers perceive you. You will need to understand how your customers perceive your brand.
This can be done by conducting customer research that is systematic and insightful. This can be done through online polls and focus groups. Your loyal customers and potential customers should be a part of the brand building process. Show them that you value their opinion.
Keep one ear to the ground
To avoid making changes that are too abrupt, you should make them incrementally. McDonald’s is an ecommerce company, but they have done this well over the years. McDonald’s used to be more child-focused in its marketing, emphasizing happy meals and play areas.
They gradually moved away from this image as time passed. Their ads now have a sophisticated tone that emphasizes their reliability, low prices and availability.
McDonald’s is praised for its transparency, affordability, and openness. It was once a brand that was only for children, but the kids who grew up with it are now adults. It is well-recognized and trusted. McDonald’s capitalized on this trust by shifting its brand identity with its customers.
To conclude
David Meerman Scott, a marketing expert who is always aware of the latest news and industry trends, wrote the book “The New Rules of Marketing and Public Relations” in 2007 to address the changes in these areas as the internet grew. In 2011, David created the concept of Newsjacking as a way to analyze the relationship between brands and consumers in the digital environment.It is a continuous process to build a brand. This includes the design, sound and behavior of your ecommerce store . It may take some time to fully realize the potential of Shopify. However, it is possible to build a strong brand for your ecommerce store if you have a solid foundation and are willing to adapt.