Nowadays, business owners everywhere are confronted with the reality that the Internet is simply the place everyone goes for anything, from looking up their next purchase to booking the best restaurant in their area. Whatever you sell, the Internet can grant you access to thousands of potential customers. So, just having a website simply doesn’t cut it anymore. A well-designed website is the first step to reaching your business goals, but there are many more aspects to keep in mind when planning out its development process, like branding. In this article, we’ll explore branding and website design go hand in hand.
What is the importance of a strong brand identity in web design?
When your customer thinks of your brand, what do you want them to envision? Do you want them to think of your brand as bold and daring, or as down-to-earth and relatable? Is it inspirational or educational? Your brand identity should be the visual, emotional, and psychological representation of your company’s values. Through design elements like logos, custom fonts, colour schemes, and typography, as well as other factors like your name, messaging, and packaging, you can create a consistent and memorable brand image that will differentiate you from your competitors. So, creating a strong brand identity requires many web design elements. No wonder, then, that many businesses consider web design to be paramount in boosting the overall brand.
Here are some reasons why you should prioritise branding in your website’s design:
To maintain consistency
Any design expert knows the importance of brand consistency across all avenues, be it websites or other digital channels. And while some businesses might attract more customers through their marketing efforts on social media platforms, their website also needs to reflect the same image to preserve brand equity.
To make your brand recognisable and credible
It is said that, on average, it takes a person seven interactions with a brand to convert into a customer. So, you want to keep your branding consistent across all your platforms. Consistent and recognisable branding is a measure of success in digital marketing strategies, as it creates brand recall across a larger audience. So, your website has to reflect the same messaging and imagery as the rest of your digital marketing assets. Moreover, a well-crafted brand identity that is consistent, authentic, and engaging will build trust and credibility. Cohesive imagery and messaging across your website and social channels help create reliability and authenticity that will result in positive relationships with your customers.
To create a positive experience for online visitors
A brand that is trustworthy and credible, as well as consistent in its aesthetic and messaging across platforms, will ultimately create a positive user experience. To give your online visitors instant gratification, your brand needs to appeal to your target audience. Thus, to delight customers, your website design process needs to be backed by informed decisions based on your brand identity.
To differentiate your website
In the past few years, web design has become increasingly homogeneous in order to prioritise UX and UI, with many web developers focusing on mobile use and responsive environments. Backed by research on user behaviour, many web developers focus on maximising their website’s performance. As a result, many websites now have similar layouts, image sizes, and headers, making it difficult for brands to differentiate themselves. This is where a strong brand identity comes in. Through visual elements like logo, typography, and especially colour palette, you can create a unique user experience that will differentiate your website from your competitors’.
Clarity, consistency, and leadership in brand identity
At Dusted, we believe that the three key tenets of a strong brand identity are clarity, consistency and leadership. Through these core pillars, you can establish a strong and distinctive brand identity that resonates with customers and the industry alike. They can lead to increased customer loyalty, brand recognition, and ultimately, business success:
Clarity
When the brand’s message and value proposition are clear and easy to understand, customers better grasp what the brand represents and has to offer.
Consistency
When the brand’s messaging, visual identity, and overall experience are consistent across all touchpoints, it reinforces the brand’s identity and builds recognition and recall among customers.
Leadership
Through innovation, thought-provoking content, and a clear and distinct perspective, a brand can become a thought leader, establishing authority in its industry/market.
Implemented properly, these three pillars help increase trust and loyalty among customers, as they feel that they are part of a community of like-minded individuals who share their values and interests, proving the importance of a strong brand identity in web design. Here are some effective design practices that apply these principles.
Effective design practices to create a strong brand identity
Visualise your brand’s personality
Brands that have a strong personality are often the most memorable. Think about the personality traits that you want your brand to embody and find ways to infuse those traits into your design elements. Some creative types start by using mood boards to conceptualise the website’s visual content.
Appeal to your target audience
Before jumping into the design process, you need to understand who you are addressing in order to create a brand that resonates with them. A thorough grasp of their preferences, needs, and values should inform your design decisions.
Cater your messaging
Copies and imagery that appeal to your audience and elicit an emotional response are the backbone of content marketing, but many forget that the same messaging should be carried over across all digital products. Good and targeted messaging can create an emotional connection with your customers, which is key to building brand loyalty. When customers feel that a brand understands their needs and values, they are more likely to commit.
Don’t forget the typography
While the content of your written messaging is important, have you thought of how it looks? Typography doesn’t just improve the readability of a brand’s messaging but also conveys its personality and tone. Do you want your brand to be perceived as modern, playful or daring? These traits will come across through both your text and your font choices. Moreover, typography also plays an important role in making content accessible to all individuals, including those with visual impairments or other accessibility issues. Clear, legible fonts, appropriate colour contrast, and font sizes can raise your website’s accessibility standard and provide all your users with a positive experience.
Use a strong logo
A strong logo should be a universal design practice. It’s an effective form of building brand recognition, as it adds a professional touch to a website and gives the impression that the brand is established and trustworthy. Remember that a logo isn’t just an image – it communicates the brand’s personality and values. So, your design team should pay extra attention to creating a powerful logo.
In conclusion
Having a well-designed website is crucial for any business looking to break into the online space. However, it’s no longer enough to simply have a website. A strong brand identity is necessary to build credibility, improve user experience, boost search engine optimisation, and differentiate yourself from competitors by making your brand recognisable. This way, you’re sure to improve the overall success of your website, showing the importance of a strong brand identity in web design.
Work with us
Applying appropriate web design practices to make your brand identity shine through can be a daunting task. If you need expert help, Dusted is here for you. We are brand specialists providing web development services to clients across tech, finance, and professional services.
At Dusted, we are committed to raising the bar by offering high-quality products that maximise your website’s chances of success:
- Learn more about our branding resources
- Check our branding portfolio
- Explore our other brand-related posts
Get in touch to arrange a call about your branding and discuss your web design requirements.