Five Must-Have's for Your Business Website

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Brand authenticity is an essential factor for 86% of consumers, often determining the brand they end up working with and supporting. 😲

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Numbers this large are hard to ignore for any company. So branding should be a central part of your company's website design if you're going to have a chance of standing out in the marketplace.

However, figuring out how to position your brand isn’t always easy. There are numerous things to consider, and something that works in one situation might be the wrong choice in another.

With that in mind, let’s look at some of the key branding aspects you should think about when designing your company site.

1. Domain Name

Even though your domain name might not be the first thing you consider when putting together your brand image, it’s actually something that matters a lot in the online business world.

A brand’s domain name is one of the first things people interact with when they are first exposed to your business. Having a catchy, professional, and relevant domain name can go a long way in setting up expectations and positioning your brand before the prospect even comes to your site.

The good news is that finding a cheap domain name and web host is now easier than ever – you can choose from millions of potential names, as well as dozens of unique extensions that can help reflect your brand. (We recommend GoDaddy.com to secure a domain name. However, we do not recommend it to build your website.)

Think about the primary purpose of your website and your company. How do you plan on helping people? And what makes you different from your competitors?

The answers to these questions can give you some ideas for a catchy and unique name that gets to the very core of what you’re offering. But if you can’t think of something super creative, don’t get stuck; just make a list of names, think about how they might help with other branding elements, and choose one!

2. Logo

Once you have a domain name bought and secured, you’ll need to think about the visuals that appear once people click through to your website.

One of the most defining visual aspects of your website is your logo. Your logo is not only a prominently displayed image but also a representation of what your business is all about.

Even if the image itself doesn’t portray the meaning behind your company, the colors and fonts you use will play a role in how you’re perceived. Just look at the logos of companies like FedEx, Cisco, or NBC if you want to better understand how companies convey powerful identity ideas through visual elements.

One of the primary purposes of a logo is to ingrain imagery into your audience’s minds that associate the service or product that you offer with your company. Your logo can also use symbols and visual subtext to emphasize the main qualities of your company that you want to be known for.

3. Typography

Fonts are not always easy to pick. Most people don’t have enough expertise to objectively judge which fonts look good or which fonts are suitable for different situations, but they are still an integral part of a successful web design branding.

So, with thousands of font schemes to choose from, how can you pick one that will represent your website and your brand?

Well, even though it isn’t easy, since typography is essential to your branding, taking the time to understand how different types of font schemes could work with your website is definitely worth it. First, think about what your brand personality is like – look at your brand name and logo to get ideas. Then, consider which fonts might help emphasize the general mood and feeling.

But in addition to matching your brand, the font scheme should also be convenient for your readers. That means it has to be easy to read, look good on all devices, and also be consistent throughout your website.

4. Colors

It’s impossible to imagine a website without colors. Even the sleekest black and white designs make a statement with the lack of variety in their designs, which is why it’s always better to make deliberate choices that match up with what you’re going for.

The thing that makes colors so powerful is the impact that they have on our emotions. Color psychology is an entire field dedicated to figuring out how colors impact our buying decisions, which says a lot on its own about how much of a difference they can make.

For example, red is associated with excitement, blue symbolizes trust, and bright yellow can mean optimism. Knowing what your brand stands for and how you want to emphasize its mood with colors is essential. You should also educate yourself about color combinations since not all colors go together or complement each other well.

Looking at some of the world-famous brands is a good way to familiarize yourself with how they use colors in their branding. Analyze your competition to identify dominating themes as well; that can give you an idea of what’s working in your field.

5. Images

The last piece of the puzzle when it comes to branding elements on your site are the images. Many novice online marketers look at them as an afterthought, but the imagery that goes on your site will either complement or damage the overall brand feel that you’re going for, so they do matter a lot.

For one thing, you should strive for visual consistency. Whether it’s for your pages or blogs, having a consistent image theme will help make your website more appealing and enhance the visual elements you’re using.

First, that means that your images should have consistent formatting, size, and framing. You don’t want your blog and pages to be all over the place with different sized photos.

The same goes for the image content. They should have a similar style that complements the overall brand feel that you’re going for.

Final Words

Branding plays a vital role in the success of your online business. Because of that, you should have a clear plan of how you want your brand to be represented on your website.

• Choose a domain name that represents your brand and is easy to associate with what you do.

• Create a logo that emphasizes your company’s values and ambitions

• Have a consistent color scheme that blends with your logo and also evokes the right emotions in your audience.

• Have consistent images on your website that don’t clash with other visual elements.
  

Article edited by Creative Instinct. Original article by Dave Schneider - Just Creative