The idea of opening an online store may be the best thing you can think of. This idea changed the lives of many ambitious people and helped them achieve their financial stability and freedom.
Apple, Nike, Sony – these are examples of brands that are firmly on the minds of almost all consumers around the world. Small online stores can also create a brand that customers will remember and pass on their own identity.
Let us first see the definition of the term “brand”. According to Wikipedia, in marketing, this means “sign capable of graphic representation used to distinguish the products or services of a natural or legal person”.
First of all, you must define the offer of your shop and the values that define it. What position does it occupy in the market and how does it stand out from the competition? Once you have identified the essence of your store and your products, you can create its identity. Pay close attention to what you sell, to whom you sell it, and to the benefits, you bring to your customers. What are the rational and emotional reasons to buy from you?
The answers to these questions are the foundation for successfully building your store brand.
The character of your brand
A brand must convey a feeling. We all have faith and values that make us who we are. And this also applies to your brand. When creating your brand, think about the beliefs, values, and thoughts you want to convey. Once you have gathered this information, it will be much easier for you to define the character of your brand.
The voice of your business has a special meaning. This determines how you address your customers. For example, should the tone be courteous, professional, funny or provocative? Or all of these qualifiers? Like the other aspects of your brand, the tone of the business should be perfectly aligned with the brand identity.
The brand message
Have you ever developed an Elevator Pitch for your brand and store? Behind this term hides a simple concept: imagine that you meet an influential person in an elevator to whom you want to present your brand. However, you only have a few seconds to do it, so you need to focus on the basics. How would you describe your brand in seconds? You can create your brand message from the elevator pitch, with which you can define in a few words what is the heart of your brand.
Competitors’ brands
It is worth investing time in competitive analysis. For the same, pay attention to the following aspects:
- What makes the store and the brand unique?
- What emotions are conveyed by the brands of your competitors?
- What role does the name of the company play for the brand?
- What are the specifics of the visual identity?
- How is the logo designed?
Of course, the goal is not to imitate your competitors. Instead, it makes sense to let yourself be inspired and, at least in some ways, to consciously differentiate yourself from your competitors.
The right logo
All major brands are immediately recognizable by their logo. Think of M from McDonald’s or Apple bitten apple, for example. This is why the logo is perhaps the aspect of your brand that has the most impact on your customers. It visually represents the values and beliefs of your brand and must, therefore, be well thought out. It is usually a good idea to create a logo that matches your products. So customers can see at a glance what you are selling.
After creating your logo, it must be integrated everywhere: in your shop, on your business cards, on your advertising material, etc. Each of these measures increases the chances that your customers will remember your brand.
Beware of change
Imagine McDonald’s changing its logo to a big red D or an apple using an unbitten apple as the logo. Confusion among customers would be great. Therefore, the brand identity must be maintained permanently so that customers will remember it for years to come. Changes such as redesigning your logo should always be done with care.
Now, it is your turn!
Do you already have some initial ideas to present your brand convincingly? So the real work begins now. Remember: creating a brand takes time. So don’t be demotivated if your brand is not recognized on the market after only a few months. But if you persevere, your brand has a good chance of success!
Author Bio
Raunak is a Mechanical Engineer by qualification & Marketer by passion. He is the founder of Maiden Stride, a leading digital marketing agency that provides world-class search engine marketing services and website & application development.