Online Business BrandingDeveloping a brand strategy for your online business follows the same process as branding any business. That’s because in an online selling environment—especially in today’s overcrowded online selling environment—your potential customers need to be able to distinguish you from every other option out there. 
You could offer the best products or services at the best price and pride yourself on stellar customer service, but if you don’t know who your are targeting, and why; if you don’t know what your product focus is, and why; if you don’t know what really makes you different from the hundreds or thousands of other online businesses that either directly compete with you or are perceived as competition, you'll be lost in a sea of internet anonymity.Here is the How-to-Branding.com process that I would recommend following for your online business. If you have not already walked through these steps, make it the first item on your branding to-do list.
Define and position your brand. Find your focus with a Unique Selling Proposition. Develop a logo and tagline (if necessary). Surround yourself with a story worth telling. Live your brand through every customer touchpoint. Following this process will give you clarity and with it, you’ll build credibility. Credibility will give you more influence in the marketplace and plant a desire within prospects to become customers and customers to become loyal word-of-mouth evangelists for your business. You should now know enough about your business to move on to the next step…
Your first task is to zoom out; to walk through the How-to-Branding.com process outlined above. And then, when you can quickly (almost intuitively) and confidently fill in the following blanks, you’ll be well on your way to online business branding success. Who: ________________________________________________ What: ________________________________________________ For whom: ______________________________________________ What need: ______________________________________________ Against whom: ___________________________________________ What’s different: ______________________________________ So: ________________________________________________ Vision: ________________________________________________ Mission: ________________________________________________ Below, I’ve filled in the online business branding positioning construct with information about this web-based business—How-to-Branding, an example of how you can position your own online business. Who: How-to-Branding.com… What: is the ONLY step-by-step, do-it-yourself affordable branding resource… For whom: for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and marketing executives… What need: that want to improve their marketing and communications results through a more clear and focused brand platform. Against whom: Unlike traditional consultants or agencies who “do it all for you” and deliver a brand that may not convey the results you expected… What’s different: How-to-Branding.com believes that no one knows your brand better than you. So we offer brand workshops and other tools, plus a website packed with tips, techniques, and ideas to grow your brand—and your business… So: so your company can arrive at an actionable brand strategy more efficiently and effectively and so you can increase revenues for your business. Vision: To be the leading provider of branding workshops and DIY tools and techniques to help grow small businesses. Mission: To assist businesses in the development of an authentic, relevant, and differentiated brand through proven and highly effective workshops, tools, and techniques. With this vital and strategic foundation, I can now go about building and branding my online business to align with the principles set forth in this simple construct. It serves as a branding roadmap of sorts; one that I will continue to refer to as I add content, develop new tools and offerings, and refine my online presence.
Is there a pent-up demand for the products or services your business offers? Find out by using this
keyword suggestion tool.
By typing in key terms you can see how often your product or service is searched for on the Internet.
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