EC - Building a Brand in E-Commerce [LESSON]

Building a Brand in E-Commerce

Web Design Reminders

You have learned a lot since the start of this course as it relates to designing websites. As you design websites that are responsive, do not forget the tips and guidelines we shared about browser compatibility, connection speeds, device, and operating system issues, as well as download time. Many of the tips and guidelines were shared in the first half of the course. In case you are enrolled in the second half of the course, and do not have access to content in those modules, take note of the following reminders.

Building a Brand in E-Commerce

If a company started as a brick-and-mortar business and then decided to build a website, then they already have a brand image and color scheme. However, if a business is new or online only, then part of the process is building the brand for the company.

A brand is the identity of the business, it includes many things such as your company mission, company values, brand personality, logo, color scheme, font choices, etc. The brand is what makes the business stand out to the public. The mission is a statement of what the company is about, why it exists, the products/services provided, and the goal of the business. The company values are the guiding principles of the business. The values guide leadership in building relationships, determining policies, and how customers are treated. The brand personality identifies how the business feels. Sometimes when you go into a shop and it is warm and inviting, maybe the colors throughout are warm colors, the furniture is comfortable, and you get a homey feeling. Sometimes you go into a business and the color scheme is bright, everything makes you feel energetic. This is why the design principles we learned earlier in the course are so important. Your online store or business need to have the same personality as you'd have in a brick-and-mortar store. The business needs to be instantly identifiable. Most people think the brand is the logo, which is a large part, but it isn't the whole thing. The logo needs to communicate the mission, values, and personality. Choosing your color palette and fonts also helps to round out your business' brand identity. 

Ease of Use and User Experience

When building an e-commerce site, you especially need to be aware of how easy it is for your customers to use your site. They shouldn't have to search all over for common elements, such as contact information, returns, finding products, etc. Have you ever gone to a site, and you cannot find the area of the site you need? Sometimes that is because it is not obvious, but sometimes it is because when you look at a site on the phone some of the common items will be lost. For instance, you could have a dashboard that disappears on the phone but is viewable on a monitor. You need to always double-check your site on different devices and using different browsers. You want your customers to like your site and feel comfortable using it. If it is difficult to use the site or it just doesn't feel good to your viewers, you can lose them; and in e-commerce, that is money because you are losing money if you lose customers.

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