With all the branding going on by huge corporations online, it can sometimes seem an uphill climb to try to do something that can make what you and your company represent stand out.
Depending on how far along in your online business you are, branding becomes an extremely important part of your online strategy - especially on your home page.
Think of two things when it comes to viewers of your web site: You get those you stumble onto it or those that are looking for it. With those that are looking for it, you should already be branded in their minds. In the case of those that stumble 
upon your home page, you need to have whatever you represent as a company presented to the people that quickly view the page.
The viewer needs to encounter an experience that pretty much yells out at them what you represent, even if they only view or read a little of what's there. They should know if what they are looking for is represented by what they've found. A well-designed home page will answer that question.
If you serve customers that will be looking at high-end services or products, your home page needs to strongly reflect that type of quality. On the other hand if you're offering discount items, the last thing you want to do is present the idea that what people will find is out of their price range.
As Jack Aaronson mentioned on Clickz recently concerning branding on a home page, "...your home page must not only reflect your brand (you do have one, right?) in aesthetic ways, but also explicitly promote your brand differentiators. Why is your company better? Do you have better quality products and services? Do your customer reps have more expertise than the competition's? Do you have the most satisfied customers in the industry? Do you have customer testimonials that will make new users feel at ease using your company? All these elements help inform new users about your company, your brand, and what makes you a better option than the next guy."
So the way the site looks aesthetically is important for first impressions and will definitely communicate who you are to the viewer. At the same time it is important to have text that backs up what you've created through imagery to say. the aesthetics will communicate if the people are on the right web site, the text will draw them in to spend time searching for what they're looking for.
The text should explain who you are and what you represent and why people should be doing business with you. Those are the branding questions that need to be answered on home pages. Do it and you'll find those customers and fans you're looking for.
Comment Preview