When you’re feeling the buzz of starting a new business, you may be excited to get a website up and running. I get it—having a shiny digital storefront is cool.
But let me spill the beans here: You don’t need a website. You need a brand.
The Rush for a Website
I've seen it happen. Clients rush in, visions of a sleek website dancing in their heads. They want it pronto—yesterday if possible. And while the enthusiasm is infectious, I've learned to hit the brakes and ask for a peek at their brand strategy and guidelines first.
Imagine a website without a brand strategy. That’s like a puzzle missing half its pieces, a book with blank pages. Even if it looks pretty, does it resonate? Does it speak to your audience? Without a strategic brand in place, your website will be just another drop in the vast ocean of unbranded DIY template sites.
Your brand is the glue that holds everything together and drives ALL of your marketing (not just your website). Brand consistency breeds trust, and trust is the golden ticket to customer loyalty. Lack of cohesion can alienate potential customers faster than you can say "bounce rate."
Finding Your Voice
Your brand is your unique voice in the crowded marketplace. It's how you communicate, connect, and resonate with your audience. Without a distinct voice, your website becomes forgettable. I've seen clients struggle to define their voice after the website is up, and it's like trying to put toothpaste back into the tube—messy and frustrating.
In a world saturated with options, differentiation is the name of the game. Your brand is the secret sauce that makes you stand out. Clients often underestimate the power of differentiation until they find themselves lost in the sea of sameness.
The No-Brand Odyssey
I've been on the rollercoaster with clients who put the website beauty before the brand brains. We end up backtracking, redesigning, and rewording, all because the foundation wasn't solid.
The reality is that the entire brand concept lives inside YOUR head. So one way or another, you’ll need to clarify, articulate and distribute all those ideas - your mission, values, beliefs, guiding words and images - in order for any trusted marketing pro to do their work.
The bottom line here is that working without a well-conceived and documented brand will slow everything down and cost you money. I’ve turned down website requests because the client had not sufficiently invested in developing a strategic brand first. I just know it’s a losing formula.
The Brand-Website Symbiosis
Your brand informs the website, and the website amplifies the brand. It's a symbiotic relationship that, when done right, creates a powerhouse of resonance and recognition. If you start with a weak brand, and your website becomes a solo dancer without a partner.
Some essential building blocks of a strategic brand
Know Thyself: Define your brand values, mission, and vision. Understand and articulate what makes you unique.
Understand Your Audience: Identify your ideal customer. What are their pain points? How can your brand solve their problems? Without this knowledge, your website is a shot in the dark.
The Pareto Principle, aka the 80/20 rule, is your guiding light. It says 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Apply this to your brand, and you'll realize that understanding your ideal customer—the vital 20%—can drive 80% of your success.
Consistent Messaging: Develop a clear and consistent brand message that resonates with your audience. Remember, you are not the hero of your business. Your customer is. Your brand messaging should consistently reflect that.
Visual Identity: Create a cohesive visual identity driven by #1, #2 and #3 above – from logo to typography to color palette. Consistency breeds recognition. Inconsistent visual presentation is just plain confusing.
For a more comprehensive checklist for building your brand, check out this Toolbox resource. https://www.cynthiaberg.net/toolbox/branding-checklist
So, before you dive headfirst into the website rabbit hole, take a breath. Invest time in crafting a brand that speaks, resonates, and stands out. It's not the website but the brand that makes the your business memorable. Trust me, your future self will thank you for it.