There are countless avenues to marketing a business on the internet today. Believe me, I’ve been doing this internet and website thing for almost near 20 years now. However, one of the biggest things that I noticed, even today, is that when starting at the beginning stages of designing a client’s website, I ask them the very same question that I ask all my graphic design and website development clients, “So… what do you want your customers to see you as?”
This is a very important question. because websites are mainly faceless vehicles that people use to market themselves or their businesses. And when you’re faceless, it is crucial to your visitors (and yourself) what they see you as the first time they pop into your website. And that’s one of the hardest questions a new business owner has to answer. Once you get over this hurdle, you’re pretty much clear on the website branding front.
Let’s assume that you’re selling antique stuff on your website. What kind of antique store owner do you want the visitors to see? Or rather, what kind of first impression do you want to give your potential customers? Do you want them to come into your website and see you as an exuberant website with loads of new affordable products? Do you want them to hop in and see you as an old-school, yet reliable website and business owner – that you make no bones about the fancy stuff, but rather, you focus on quality (which equals high prices, I am assuming)? Do you want your customers to think of you a new-age antique store owner selling affordable, charming and stuff that appeal to young home owners as well? The lists can go on and on.
As you can see, there are many ways to appeal to the right customers through your website. But it will not work if you are being too general about it. And many website owners struggle with this even as they are developing their websites, logos, content and products/services. It pays for you, as a new website and business owner to pay a little bit more attention to the initial branding of your website.
Another thing that I always do when beginning the relationship with a client, is to give them a to-do list. I instruct them to do searches throughout the internet and literally take notes of websites that really caught their attention. The object of this is not to duplicate what they see. But instead, to have them take close notice as a visitor to the things that attraction them most about those sites. This is the same type of reactions that potential visitors to their own sites would have. And from there, use those point elements towards the developing process of their own sites. After all, it is your personality that attracted to those things in the first place.
What I find extremely useful is to use my imagination, or rather, prompt my client to use his or her imagination. This goes beyond just trying to imagine what the website will look like when it’s done. But it’s more like… imagine if your website is a new friend. What kind of person would this person be wearing? What kind of personality traits would you imagine your website albeit new friend would have? How do you think this website will try to sell you stuff – persistent, grunge, gentle, new-age, funky, chic, crazy, sexy, cool, smooth, bold, patient, endearing, classy?
If my client is able to give me an image like that, it would make life easier (and his or hers, as well) when it comes to developing his/her website. Time is not wasted and we hit the hammer double-whammy to deliver the right message right from the start.