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E-BRANDING 1: BUILDING YOUR BRAND’S WEBSITE
For your online branding to work, stick to the same principles as all your other work. Remind yourself of your values and your identity. Back in the 90s, when less than 1% of the UK population had access to the Internet, there were some dreadful websites built, even for well known brands. Back then things were different. Now, there’s no excuse. Your website should add extra layers of what your brand stands for, and reflect your values. If it contradicts them, then change it. If your brand depends on its reputation for great customer service, then make sure that you reply to emails straight away, and make it easy to contact you.
The idea The fantastic thing about websites is that you can change them every minute if you need to, and if you can afford it; you can also make masses of information available at very little extra cost. That’s the biggest advantage over a printed paper brochure or catalogue, but it doesn’t necessarily replace them. Browsing through pages you can see things you weren’t looking for, but might like; with most websites you have to know what you’re looking for then search for it. At its most basic, a website is like the online version of your business card; it shows that you really are who you say you are. We all know that online we can choose the identity we want, but with
80 • 100 GREAT BRANDING IDEAS
100 Great Branding Ideas 14dec.indd 80
12/14/11 11:14 AM
