What comes first, creating a website or brand styles for your new business? It can be hard to know when you first start your business, where do you start? This blog post was created to give you the information you need to know about both.
I have seen posts debating whether investing in a business brand or a website, is the most important tool for new business owners. And all of these posts seem to have a skewed opinion to whichever industry they’re in.
But I am a small business owner too, and remember well how overwhelming it is when you first start your business.
You’re told you should be doing X, Y and Z to get noticed by your audience, but you barely have the money to pay the bills some months, so you have to strategically choose one thing at a time.
I don’t want to give you a biased opinion so I’m going to talk about the benefits for both website and brand creation. With the hope that by the end of this post, you’re able to make the best decision for your business on which you should invest in first.
Website or brand styles?
So let’s jump right in! Why is a website, and creating a brand for your business important?
Well, both of these elements represent your business and are able to show your business professionally, personality, and offering to your audience. Both are just as critical as each other because they create the know, like, and trust factor you want to gain with your ideal client.
So which should you invest in first? It’s kinda like asking “Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?” Legit! Which will create connection and sales for your business? …Well, both do.
It’s actually a silly thing to compare because I truly believe they’re both crucial to the success of your business! Because a website without branding can feel impersonal, but a branded business without a website won’t create trust and ease of sales as much as businesses who have websites.
What is a brand anyway?
Most people see brand styles as having a good company logo, but I believe branding is so much more than a pretty little icon. When you get business branding done correctly, it’s magic!
Great branding evokes emotion when you come into contact with a company. If you don’t believe me, think of Coca Cola for a moment, what do you instantly think of? Can you see the bright red can, or clear glass bottle? The bubbly brown soda, the sweet, fizzy delicious taste…
How does it make you feel? Happy? energetic? Cool? Does it bring back memories of your childhood or a hot summers days? Does it make you feel like you’re a part of a cool group of friends and a part of something?
Coca Cola did all that by creating an iconic brand! They want their customers to feel a certain way, and celebrate moments in life with a Coca Cola.
Now try this, think about your favourite company. What is it about them that makes you like them? Ethics, style, popularity? Now think about how do you feel when you think of them? Do you see the power of branding?
This is what I want your audience to think and feel when they interact with your brand.
Use the DIY Website Design Checklist to feel prepared as you begin your website design process. Visit the online store to purchase.
Why does a website designer care about branding?
This is simple, because being online and having a brand go hand in hand. Good branding shows your company’s personality and style.
As a website shows customers how, what, where customers can find information about your business and understand exactly what you can offer them, from products to services.
If I break it down, a website without a brand can still be beautiful, SEO optimised and be a professional platform for your customers to visit.
On the other hand, if you do decide to invest in getting brand marketing first, you can create beautifully-styled marketing materials & graphics for your social media, while creating a specific voice that connects with your audience.
What to do now?
If you’re at a crossroads because you can’t choose one over the other, all I can advise is to start saving what you can so when you do have the money you’re able to invest in one or the other element.
It’s important to ensure both online and offline marketing is consistent in its style and messaging. Otherwise, your customers will become super confused, and see you as being disorganised. If this happens they’ll end up taking their money elsewhere, which is not the outcome we want!
If you can’t invest in a graphic designer just yet, check out Canva. They have many resources to get you started on your businesses brand journey, and allow you to save your colours so all you marketing can stay consistent.
Alternatively, if you want to get online but don’t have much of a budget there are some great platforms such as Wix, Weebly, WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify and many others that can get you started online for a small monthly fee. Check them out and review which suit your budget and your businesses requirements.
In summary, building a brand is great. Having a website is great too. You just have to prioritise which is most important to your business and your customers at this moment in time.
After reading this I’m sure you can see that both branding and having a website are just as important as each other. What are your thoughts on branding verse being online?
If you liked this blog post please share this with others who may enjoy it. You may also enjoy this post on the 3 things to have on your website to get your audiences attention.
I’ve also made this moodboard board that will make the process of creating your website’s moodboard much easier! Here’s the FREE Moodboard Board to get you started.
If you want more tips or advice follow me on Instagram or on most other social media channels via @nataliefaithwebdesigns – I share research, tips and client wins for online businesses so they can grow their business and attract more clients.
