| Business has changed over the last 20 years. If you | | | | business. When people search for a product or |
| were a small business owner you used to have to | | | | service, they want to be able to identify who they |
| only worry about your local area or at most your | | | | are dealing with. If you have a strong brand identity |
| region of your home state. With the advent of the | | | | it will be clear who you are and what you offer. How |
| internet, the rules have changed. Now any business, | | | | quickly do you decide which link to click on in a |
| large or small, can compete in a global market. Even if | | | | search and once you are on the page how long does |
| you are a mom and pop bakery you can have | | | | it take you to decide to stay or bounce out? Not |
| customers find you from all over the world. This is | | | | very long. Grab your visitor's attention and get them |
| why a strong and powerful brand image is so | | | | to stay on your page and take advantage of what |
| important. | | | | you are offering. |
| A brand is more than you logo. A logo is just the | | | | What is one way you can develop a brand identity? |
| beginning. A brand is a representation of who you | | | | Consistent design of your website pages and a logo |
| are, what you are about and what makes you unique | | | | that relates to both your business and your site is |
| from the other millions of businesses vying for | | | | important. You don't have to be a graphics expert or |
| customers business. You brand should be | | | | web designer to do this. You can hire someone to do |
| comprehensive and incorporate your physical | | | | it or with a bit or research you can learn to do it on |
| business, your web presence, your advertisement | | | | your own. A professional knows the colors and |
| and anything else associated with your business. Even | | | | layouts that are the most pleasing and will work with |
| if you are an internet business with no physical | | | | you to develop a brand identity that reflects your |
| address, you still need a consistent image. | | | | taste and specific business. You want to capture |
| Think of it this way, there are only so many names | | | | your visitors attention and make them remember |
| of businesses available. Even if you use your own | | | | you. A strong consistent brand identity can be a |
| name, someone out there in the world is using the | | | | powerful tool for customer conversion and retention. |
| very same name or some variation of it for their | | | | |