This one-of-a-kind benchmark not only rates your digital performance as a whole, but gives you a detailed look into every aspect of your online branding. Providing you a Digital BrandScore™ for measurable growth.
Your brand identity is where everything starts. It’s a set of creative elements that encompass your message, ideals and purpose. It should reflect what your company does and believes, and speak to directly to your customers’ needs. Think of your brand identity as the overall look, feel and tone of your company. Whether that’s modern and minimalist or fun and playful, it should remain consistent across all your online platforms to help build brand recognition and trust.
Your company website serves as one of your most important digital branding tools. It works around the clock to demonstrate your abilities, purpose and products as a professional business. Think of it as an automated storefront that can answer customer questions, complete sales and reinforce your brand identity all at the same time. It also has the added benefit of reducing redundant work for your staff. Effective websites should provide simple, easy-to-browse information that is organized around your customers’ needs.
Common webpages that can help cover your bases are a homepage, about page, product directory, product detail pages and a contact page. Within this structure, it’s easy for customers learn about your business and make a purchase, ultimately generating increased revenue. Your website should also be optimized for a mobile platform so it can be easily viewed on any smart phone. Research shows that 61% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a business if they have a mobile-friendly site (Source: HubSpot Marketing Statistics). That means a great mobile experience is vital as it’s the gateway to more customers and better customer relationships.
Almost everyone has at least one social media profile. So what better way to reach your audience than on the platforms they’re consuming every day like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. But keep in mind, tons of posts are created daily and no one accesses their social media looking to buy your product or service.
The key is to employ the right strategies to get the most of out of your social media. Create a posting schedule, engage with commenters and always respond to direct messages. There’s also the potential benefit of “going viral.” This is when you create a social post that’s so compelling that it’s shared, re-posted and liked in record time, expanding your exposure exponentially with no extra effort by you.
Search Engine Optimization ensures your business will be found quickly and easily on search engines, so make sure you have effective SEO in place. Over the years, search engines have identified and refined different metrics to give users the best answers to their online queries. Luckily, you can use these metrics to your advantage and boost your company’s ranking using smart SEO practices.
For instance, your business will rank higher in searches if you have the right keywords used throughout your website copy. Simply use a keyword search tool to find the most frequently searched words and phrases in your category, then use those words or phrases in your website copy. But just don’t stuff keywords in excessively. Google will lower your ranking if you do, so use keywords in a natural and user-friendly way.
At its core, digital branding fosters communication between you and your customers, helping you connect with your target audience. This is especially true of automated marketing channels such as email, chatbots and text that keep customers engaged and informed, building a stronger community for your brand.
With email blasts, you can share information with current customers and new prospects. Email lists can be generated from sign-ups from your online advertising, website or from in-store. Just make sure each email has a specific objective and is targeted to the right audience. The tone, look and feel should match your brand identity, and you can include photos and videos to boost engagement. Chatbots and text messages have the added benefit of giving customers quick answers right away – and when customers know you’re at their fingertips, they’re more likely to stay engaged. These channels are also useful for follow-ups and purchase confirmations to streamline processes and reduce the burden on your staff.
