A Website or Blog is Worth a Thousand Brochures

The minute you print a brochure, it is out of date. Production is expensive. Distribution is expensive.

A website or blog is a powerful way to create a dynamic brand identity and a community of loyal brand fans. A website is the ultimate branding. It can build a powerful visual and verbal identity quickly and affordably for you and your business. It can reach everyone you want to target and create a brand community. A website allows you to display your own brand personality and always be up-to-date and relevant. It allows you to be accessible to your customers or audience.

You always need to approach the web site design as powerful packaging and advertising for you, your business or your ideas. Here are the first five principles for developing a great website or blog from my new book, U R A BRAND, How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success:

1. Get a Great Domain Name. Get the best, most memorable URL you can. It’s got to be easy to remember and spell. Make it as short as possible. Think of domain availability when choosing your business name if you are a new entrepreneur. Even if you’re part of a hosting weblog, choose a url for your blog that imparts your point of view or personality. Originally, the name of my new book was going to be, You Are a Brand, but we switched text messaging because of the availability of www.urabrand.com. You should always buy your own name. (Buy your kid’s names for the future.)

2. Have a Clear Focus. Obvious? Maybe, but maybe not given the challenge many websites present in figuring out what they are selling or promoting. View the top of the home page as the headline on an ad. Make sure you include an identifying phrase or tagline so visitors will know immediately what the site is about. And choose all the possibly relevant meta tags so that your site will turn up on web searches.

3. Have a Distinct Brand Look. You have just seconds to make a first impression, so make sure your site has a great look. Don’t use a template design. You’ll look like everybody else – like a generic not a brand. To get inspiration for your web designer, cruise around the web for sites that appeal to you. Develop a distinct brand look but keep it simple and uncluttered.

4. Have a Different Message. Use short, pithy copy, but say something. Too many website are full of jargon or don’t say anything at all. You website is your chance to sell, so sell your USP – a different idea than what everyone else is saying.

5. Convey a Brand Personality. Use color, design, imagery, graphics and verbal messages to create a brand personality. Bring your personal DNA into the equation by writing in a personal not impersonal style that engages visitors and builds a web community.

A Website or Blog is Worth a Thousand Brochures - To learn more about this author, visit Catherine Kaputa's Website.

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