Web Site Branding Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes I see with a webiste is lack of identity, something that the visitor can recognize as your brand whether it is a definable logo; tag line; or color theme; be sure to carry that identifier through the whole sales process.

Let me explain, to many times I’ve seen an optin page (the page a visitor comes to on first visit to give name and email) that either was pretty basic or had one look and feel and then after the visitor opted in have yet another look and feel, only to be followed up by the shopping cart or order page that yet was a total disconnect from the previous two pages.

I know in some cases it is hard to customize your shopping cart page to look exactly like your web site but in most cases you can upload or use a secure link for your logo. You can also customize some or all of the color settings to make those match you’r optin, sales and thank you pages.

Be sure to be consistant with your tag line or catch phrase as well as the email address you send out for communications with your visitors, this too is all part of the branding.

While cleaning out my in box recently I sorted the email on the “From” field and I received so many emails from the same marketers that are not conistent with their “from” line or even their email address.

Please understand that I’m not pointing fingers at all marketers just stating the fact that I think some forget this rule. It is so hard enough to get emails delivered consistently why make it more difficult by changing the way your name is formated or the email address you use to send it from? There needs to be a certain identity carried through the whole process from the web site and back to the web site for follow ups.

If you visit any of my web sites you will see some type of carry through to all of my sites. Most will have my “That One” logo somewhere on the page and will either be Orange with Blue accent or Blue with Orange accent. And most if not all will have in the copyright section either “That One Corporation” or “That One Web Guy”.  Also when sending out email, autoresponders, newsletters or promotions all of my email comes from Frank – That One Web Guy! Unless it is from one of my Joint ventures with a partner and we generally have a set email we use for communications for that partnership such as a support address or an info address.

Look around you, you will see branding all around you there are certain companies you will imediately recognise either because of the color, font or logo and you immediately are reassured that is the company that you’ve learned to know like and trust over your relationship with that company.

You should follow the lead of the corporate giants even on a small scale this can be done. Think about your brand ability and stick with it.