Whether it’s apparel, electronics, books, or baby products, modern-day customers shop from eCommerce stores now more than ever, which presents an exceptional opportunity for savvy eCommerce entrepreneurs. Since many consumers only buy from widely recognized brand names and ignore the rest, it’s utterly essential to build a recognizable eCommerce brand to get a piece of the cake.
With so many eCommerce stores on the web nowadays, buyers now have dozens of options in any given niche, so your business’s branding is that one thing that can compel them to choose you over your fierce competition. Branding is now more critical than it ever was.
Not that long ago, eCommerce branding was all about picking a business’s name, creating a logo, design, packaging, and messaging. Well, it’s not that easy anymore. As eCommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce made it so simple that anyone with basic computer skills can start an online store, eCommerce branding is so much more complicated nowadays.
It’s about how people perceive and talk about your business. It’s the impression left on people once they’ve interacted with an eCommerce company, directly or indirectly. It’s that unique personality of the business, the very first thing that comes to people’s minds when they hear your business’s name.
Establishing a funky tagline, and picking a catchy domain name from the sea of cheap domain names is now just a part of the equation for successful eCommerce branding. So, what else should you do to stand out? As branding is a crucial step in order for your business to grow, here are five important steps on how to successfully brand your eCommerce business and feel the positive effects on your annual turnover.
Develop A Brand Identity
The brand identity is how you present yourself to the outside world and includes elements of the design like your logo, branding guide, and unique selling proposition (USP) for your products or services.
Even if it seems like the most natural thing in the world, developing a practical and straightforward logo can be a truly daunting process. Work with a reliable design studio, or a highly-skilled freelance graphic designer to develop the logo and other initial brand graphics.
The branding guide defines the typography, color palette, and overall style and theme that you’ll use in your marketing materials, both on your website and on social media. Always develop these elements based on the logo of your business.
Strive to integrate your USP into your brand identity. The USP dictates how you talk to your target audience, and how your products and services make you differentiate your brand from the others on the market.
Develop A Brand Story
The brand story should represent the narrative that perfectly describes the essence of your eCommerce business, such as business mission or goals, vision, and core values. A profound brand story will allow your customers to connect to the purpose of your online business behind the products and services you offer. All successful companies in the world have weighty stories behind them that infuse a sense of more significant meaning and purpose to what they do.
Thoughtfully develop your brand story, and always remember to articulate why you started your eCommerce business and what it means. Consistently show your audience what your business is genuinely about. Opt for an ongoing, long-term story arc, rather than a short one. Try to form an ongoing relationship with your audience, because you want them coming back again and again. Ensure that your brand story is authentic and consistent. Continuously talk about your passion and your mission, and how they influence the way your business operates.
Establish A Strong Social Media Presence
You should utilize the most popular social media platforms to gain free access to a broad audience and showcase your eCommerce brand. Pick the most suitable platforms for your needs and establish a strong social media presence. One of the best to use is Instagram. Not only is it a very popular platform, it is also reasonably easy to boost your account by using one of the many Instagram growth companies available. There are plenty to choose between, so this Growthoid vs Mr Insta comparison should help you to make a decision. Remember to remain consistent between platforms i.e., using the same language, logo, and color palette. The brand guide is quite helpful when it comes to managing multiple social media accounts. Social media platforms are among the most potent forms of word-of-mouth advertising and a focal part of any savvy marketing campaign. Engage in developing a real rapport with your market and showcase your brand personality through your social media efforts.
Speaking of savvy marketing campaigns, by being both user-friendly and free, social media has emerged as one of the go-to channels for affiliate marketing. Coupon codes from influencer promos, recommending products in various blog posts, or merely sharing referral links between family and friends – social media affiliate marketing makes it easy to promote your eCommerce brand online like no other.
Offer Personalized Customer Experience
According to recent research conducted by Epsilon Marketing, 80% of the customers are more likely to shop from a company that provides a personalized customer experience. Even though personalized customer service might not immediately come to mind when speaking of successful branding, providing a personalized and unique customer experience can go a long way in establishing your eCommerce business brand. From the start of your business venture, consider how to personalize the customer experience in a manner that loudly speaks about your brand goals, mission, and overall brand identity.
For instance, contemplate using branded packaging experience to create a more memorable unboxing for your customers. Besides offering a positive first impression of your brand, branded packaging is also potentially shareable via social media. Even though it costs more to produce, this kind of personalized customer experience provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity with your customers who might decide to share this nice gesture with their friends, family, and social media followers.
Content Is Key
Create original content in all forms to stay relevant and front-of-mind for the customer, including graphics, videos, and blog posts. Once you’ve created the content, it’s vital that you promote it among all your channels to build a brand known for providing value, and not just selling.
For example, if you are starting an eCommerce apparel business, you can undoubtedly help shape the brand identity and narrative by sharing various outfits, sourcing information, and even showing what a day in your office looks like. You can come up with an eBook full of fashion tips, how-to videos, and other value-adding content that your customers will find engaging, valuable, and would make them appreciate your brand more.
Final Words
A brand is no longer what we tell our clients it is, but what clients tell each other about what your business is. Developing a brand is a way to nurture an emotional connection with your clients through your business’s visuals, messaging, core values, and more. Creating a profound long-term branding strategy and following it through thick and thin is extremely important for creating a sustainable business trusted by its customers.
