A brand name and image that has been carefully created help your products achieve success effortlessly and also give them a powerful reach. But good branding is not a walk in the garden, especially for eCommerce branding. It goes way beyond crafting a tagline or a logo creation. According to Jeff Bezos, your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.
In other words, your brand is what people feel about your products or services. There is an emotive connection that fosters a high level of trust.
Branding indicates the action taken to bring a brand to life and create a visual identity.
Elements of a Powerful eCommerce Branding Strategy
No brand can be built overnight. It takes lots and time and effort to develop. Regardless of whether you are creating a brand from scratch or redeveloping your existing branding strategy, there are a few indispensable elements involved.
Brand Purpose
You must have a clear purpose to give your brand a different identity. It usually revolves around delivering what your customers want.
Example:
Izzy Wheels touched many hearts by decorating wheelchairs for fun. Izzy, the founder of the company, was born with a spinal issue. She viewed her wheelchair as her gateway to freedom. The company now helps other wheelchair users empower themselves by creating wheel covers that express their individuality.
Mission And Vision
Your eCommerce brand must have a powerful mission statement that captures the immediate impact you want on people. Your vision statement must capture the big picture for the future and chart the roadmap for the coming years.
Example:
An athletic wear brand from California, Love Her, states its vision that every woman deserves the right to reach their full potential. This is followed by the mission statement. The company’s mission is to make high-quality athleisure wear for everyday use that can help improve performance.
Values
Brand values symbolize your business process’s what, why, and how. They reflect the company’s culture and help attract customers and employees that share the same beliefs. So, defining a brand’s values can help create a community of consumers who prefer to invest in brands that reflect their principles.
Example:
An Australian retailer dealing in swimwear and accessories demonstrated how adhering to core values can lead to branding success. The retailer was committed to ethical production and sustainable fashion. They have created a community that resonates with their values and beliefs.
Visual Identity
Your product’s visual identity helps draw the most attention and is the most obvious aspect of branding. It combines everything – logo to colors, website design, and product packaging.
Example:
The eCommerce website of a Georgia-based artist selling apparel, home décor, and art has her signature style. All the images in this online store have the same unique shapes, colors, and lines specific to her style as an artist.
Target market
For every eCommerce business, identifying the target market is crucial for giving shape to a brand. It needs completed in a manner that resonates with the business and its buyers. This also helps put yourself in your customer’s shoes and think from their perspective. Likewise, you can study the specific traits of your customer and cater to their needs.
Example:
A Utah-based manufacturer of vertical bike racks chooses its targeted market carefully. They look for adventure-seeking cyclists by tailoring the content on their site towards this specific audience category. The target market is laser-focused and narrow, which helps them create bikes that will echo the needs of adventure cyclists.
Positioning
In a competitive online business world, your eCommerce website must stand apart to make an impact. You must find out what can make your products or eCommerce business stand out from others in your niche. So, brand positioning is the answer to success. Moreover, it details the USPs of your products and services and draws the attention of your buyers to your brand.
Example:
Agavus — known for selling one-of-a-kind products online. Their USP is the artisan watches handcrafted in Mexico. Their website attributes their commitment to the Mexican heritage and states that their kind of products will not be available anywhere.
Authenticity
Your customers expect honesty and authenticity from your brand. Most online buyers go for repeat purchases when they feel that a brand is authentic. If your brand displays authenticity, it helps create a connection with the customers and builds confidence in your products. Make sure you list your return and refund policies clearly. Be transparent and use reviews and comments generated by users as it is to create trust.
Example:
A UK-based hair and beauty brand called Cordina Hair has been building brand authenticity by including Instagram reviews on its homepage. This helps boosts their social audience and also drives sales.
Conclusion
Branding for eCommerce is crucial for the success of your online store. Without a powerful branding strategy, your store will be among other also-rans. Good branding can change that and help provide excellent customer buying experiences. Strategic branding is about more than just bringing in more customers. When done right, it can create a community of brand evangelists.
