Branding plays a vital role in company identity and recognition. This is evident when thinking about some of the biggest companies in today’s market. Google, Apple, and Amazon are three top companies that take their overall branding and website brand incorporation seriously. Their logos are recognized by a vast audience and they’ve thoughtfully incorporated their branding throughout their websites, apps, and products.
At first, incorporating branding into your website might seem like a straightforward task. Still, there are many subtle ways that branding can, and should, be incorporated into your company’s website that might not immediately come to mind. Carrying your brand effectively throughout your website not only ensures your customers can easily visualize your brand but also creates a visually aesthetic browsing experience for your customers each and every time they visit your site.
Color Scheme and Logo Integration
The first step to take when incorporating your company’s brand into your website in an impactful way is to assess your logo and chosen color scheme. Important things to consider are:
- What colors are used in your company logo? Does your logo consist of one color? If so, is there a color palette that compliments your logo that can be carried throughout your website?
- What fonts are used in your company logo and can those fonts be utilized in areas of your website such as headings, graphics, or body text? Are there fonts that balance the text in your company logo that also convey your brand’s aesthetic?
- What is the overall style of your logo? Is it modern, classic, traditional, or unique? Conveying your company’s style on your website is an important part of creating a cohesive brand image.
The Importance of Developing a Brand Narrative
Once you have identified ways to incorporate your company’s color scheme and logo fonts into your website you should next consider how you will craft your brand’s narrative. Telling a visual story will help your audience connect with your brand in a memorable way. Take Nike, for example. Nike’s website utilizes a clean black-and-white color scheme while allowing their use of dynamic imagery to tell a story. The photos used on their website showcase products in a way that appeals to their target audience. Product logos are prominently displayed in each image. Action shots are a key aspect of their website’s design and make it clear who the brand seeks to connect with – athletes in search of gear that will meet their performance needs. Whether your company sells products, or services, or is in the non-profit sector, there is always a story to be told. Using imagery to create a brand narrative is an important consideration when looking to communicate your brand through your online presence. Engaging photographs draw customers in while telling a story, visually. It is also important to use thoughtfully written text to further reinforce your brand narrative. Including your company’s purpose, mission, and ethos throughout your site allows visitors to have a comprehensive understanding of your brand and your brand’s values. Building a strong brand narrative with both imagery and impactful text is an integral part of website branding.
Utilizing Design Strategies
Think about your favorite websites for a moment. These sites likely share certain design strategies, such as prominent logo placement or a recognizable navigation scheme. It may not be immediately apparent when visiting various sites, but leading brands and organizations utilize design strategies that dynamically incorporate their branding to increase user engagement. Well-thought-out websites that have cohesive designs pull visitors in and encourage them to spend time browsing content, which is exactly what you want! Repetitive logo use is one way that your company can establish brand trust with both current and potential customers. However, utilizing your logo effectively doesn’t simply mean displaying it prominently at the top of your website. Of course, you always want your company’s logo to be the first thing a user sees when visiting your site, but there are many subtle ways to incorporate your logo that reinforce brand recognition and encourage user engagement.
- Don’t forget the footer! Including your company’s logo in the footer of your website further reinforces your brand’s identity when a user scrolls to the bottom of a page.
- Assign your logo or a recognizable, simplified version of your logo as your website’s favicon. Not only does this add another layer of brand identity, but it also allows users to easily navigate to your page when they have multiple browser tabs open.
- Are there details in your logo that can be used as stand-alone design elements throughout your website? This is a great way to create visual recognition and prompts users to subconsciously recognize imagery that is similar to your logo when they don’t have your website in front of them.
- Consider using a single-color version of your logo with increased transparency as a design element on your website. This isn’t the best practice in every circumstance, but this subtle design choice can have a big impact when used appropriately.
Communicating Your Brand, AI-assisted illustration
Communicating the Unique Value of Your Brand
While impactful logo incorporation is important, branding should not be limited to logo placement and color scheme. You recognize how valuable your business is in your target market, but is your website effectively communicating these unique values in a way that allows you to stand out in a sea of similar companies or organizations? It can be very useful to spend some time doing market research. Familiarize yourself with your competitors’ websites. Look for specific things that your organization offers that a potential customer or client might not find in your competitors. Does your brand pride itself on superb customer service? If so, highlight this in a notable location on your website. Does your organization offer a unique product or service that your competitors might not offer? Make sure visitors to your site are easily able to identify these unique traits that make your organization the very best choice. The internet is full of websites with interesting content and unique value perspectives. It is your job to convince visitors of your company’s value – and the sooner they realize what makes your company stand out, the better.
Branding and User-Generated Content
An often overlooked aspect of branding is the intentional inclusion of user-generated content. Whether your site incorporates user-generated content via social media integration and links, testimonials, or customer reviews, your dedicated customers and clients are an important asset when it comes to communicating your brand’s value to site visitors. People are proof-driven by nature, and when your customers serve as proof of your brand’s value, the integrity of your site content increases. Visitors are drawn to real life examples of how your brand can impact them personally. It is undeniable that your customers and clients are a large part of your company’s brand identity. Without them, your business would not be what it is! Highlighting customer reviews and testimonials on your website conveys brand trust. Social media integration is another way to highlight customer feedback. Website visitors who navigate to your social media outlets via links on your website will have the privilege of seeing other customers respond and interact with your brand in real time – creating a personal feel that makes your brand value increase. We are living in a social media age, so it is important to use these platforms to communicate your brand identity and establish greater brand trust. Your social media platforms are just a continuation of your website branding in a more interactive and personal setting. Don’t forget to promote your website on your social media outlets, too! Online branding integration works both ways!
There are many ways to promote the creation of user-generated content to use on both your website and your social media platforms:
- Create a brand or campaign hashtag. Encourage customers and clients to use this hashtag when posting about your company on social media outlets.
- Encourage customers and clients to discuss your brand online while linking back to your website. Blogs, podcasts, and forums (such as Quora or Reddit) can prove to be valuable assets in promoting brand trust.
- Consider starting a company blog that is associated with your website. Doing so allows you to link to other relevant articles and information that will further convey your brand and brand identity outside of the reach of your website. You can also invite clients and customers to participate in your blog as guest writers, detailing their own personal takes on the value and importance of your brand.
- Encourage client and customer interaction by running contests and targeted campaigns that allow your customers to actively engage in brand recognition and promotion.
- Encourage your clients to leave reviews online about your brand and products/services you offer.
Embracing user-generated content can have a huge impact on your company brand as a whole, but make sure to always ask for permission before incorporating a user’s content into your website. More than likely your clients and customers will be thrilled at the opportunity to have their user-generated content featured on your website!
Don’t Know Where to Start? Consider Hiring a Web Design Professional!
When thinking about how to incorporate your brand into your new or existing website, it can be helpful to consult a professional web developer/designer. Professional web developers and designers are experienced in website brand incorporation. They have the tools and knowledge to ensure your website communicates your brand effectively to your customers and target audience. We know cohesive website branding can be an overwhelming task and we are here to help. Our team of talented developers and designers will be a valuable partner, ensuring your website is communicating your brand and brand ethos in the most effective and impactful way. With 28 years of experience in the web design industry, Webii is well versed in website branding and brand integration. If you would like assistance with your website branding, Contact us today!