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January 23, 2008
Keepin' it Real, Simple
I recently finished a great book on branding titled, Brand Simple, written by Allen P. Adamson, a leading expert on branding. The book outlines the elements that make up a successful brand, many of which I feel are often overlooked - especially when it comes to a company's Web site. According to Adamson, a successful brand is created by being simple, different and relevant. In addition to these criteria, he also discuses the importance of sending powerful "branding signals" (e.g. product packaging, logos, etc) that people can associate with and store in their "mental file folders." I think this, too, applies to a company's Web site.
Nowadays, Web sites are one of the first points of contact customers have with your brand, meaning your Web site is arguably your most powerful branding signal. If a customer's first impression of your company is visually unappealing, confusing (in its navigational structure) and crowded with information (such as sticking it all on the homepage), customers will most likely associate this confusion as a reflection of your entire brand and wind up deleting it from their mental file. Keeping your site simple, different and relevant will maintain a positive image with your target audience and keep them coming back for more. Even the largest sites in the world, with far more information than any others, have found ways to apply this concept with a bit of success. See Google.
Posted by Jason Swartz at January 23, 2008 11:18 AM
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Comments
I couldn't agree more Jason. I like to think of the website in regards to branding and identity as the "tie that binds."
Posted by: Chris at January 31, 2008 11:41 AM