5 Steps to Branding Online Store: Expert Advice

In today’s world, where virtual space has become the main platform for sales, branding an online store can be a key success factor. So, what do you need to know to create a successful e-commerce store that will be able to compete with the world’s leading brands? For comments, we turned to Alla Petrychenko, the co-founder of the Ukrainian online store development platform Shop-Express.

1. Understanding the brand

Branding is the process of creating and positioning a brand, which includes all aspects of a business, from design to marketing and advertising. In the case of a digital store, branding means creating a unique and recognizable visual style and brand identity that allows customers to easily recognize your brand and creates a positive image of your online business.

«A brand is more than just a logo and the name of your company,» says Alla Petrychenko. «A brand is what sets your company apart from others and demonstrates its values, advantages, and positioning.»

Another essential component of a brand is the uniqueness of your product. It should have the ability to differentiate itself from other products available on the market. Even if it has similar characteristics with competitors and the same functionality, you can find a deeper meaning of your product that will be remembered by the customer. For example, competitors sell sportswear, and you sell freedom of expression or the value of a healthy lifestyle.

Brand building is a process that takes time and effort. However, if you understand your target audience and company positioning, you can create a great e-commerce brand that will be loyal to your customers.

2. Design and logo

The design of your e-commerce store should match your brand and its values. Together with your brand persona, visual elements

A color palette is a very important aspect of an effective e-commerce branding strategy because colors can convey the mood and emotion of your brand. Choose a primary color that will be used on all brand materials, and add some secondary colors as well. Remember that the colors should be compatible and reflect the core values of your brand.

«Although the design is important, the store must be easy to use for customers. It must be simple to navigate. The customer must immediately understand how to buy products on your website,»

notes Alla Petrychenko.

In addition, users should be able to quickly find the product they need, learn about its features and price, as well as place an order without any hassles.

To ensure this effect, Shop-Express has flexible design themes and a built-in editor that allows you to customize the color scheme and design of the digital store pages. With this editor, you can present the website in your style, make customers recognize it, and also add useful functions that will deliver a convenient customer experience. But in Shop-Express, it’s possible not only to choose one of the suggested themes but also to create a completely unique design for the store without using themes and templates. This option is often in demand precisely because e-commerce brands strive for originality.

A logo is an important part of creating a brand. It is a symbol that reflects the values and style of your e-commerce business. The captivating logo should be easy to remember and stand out from other brands.

The main elements of the brand logo:

• Font. The choice of font can help convey the specifics of your e-commerce brand. For example, the use of a bold font hints at the strength and reliability of your brand, while a thin, soft font can show its sensuality and gentleness.
• Colors. The color palette of the logo reflects your brand values and style. For example, red can show energy and passion, green — health and environmental friendliness, and blue — calmness and trust.
• Graphics. A graphic element of a logo can help your brand be remembered. Visually, your business name will be associated by customers with the values and messages you communicate.
• Uniqueness. A good logo must be unique, not similar to other brands. This will help increase your brand recognition and differentiate you from your competitors. One good example is the Apple logo. It is quite simple, but it is one of the most recognizable in the world.

The platform’s capabilities allow you to choose the font, color palette, and graphic element of the logo of your choice. Also, you can order the creation of logo design from Shop-Express specialists who will take into account all your wants and needs.

3. Content

Content is one of the most important elements of a successful e-commerce branding strategy for your online shelves. It’s your brand’s voice. It allows you to attract the attention of customers, talk about your products and create a positive brand image. But a prerequisite: the content must be unique.

One of the most important content elements is the product description. E-commerce brands should prioritize creating engaging and informative product descriptions to provide users with a comprehensive understanding of your product. This directly affects the purchase decision and increases the profit of the digital store.

The list of important content for an online store includes articles and blogs about products and their use. This allows you to tell customers about the features and benefits of your products, share useful information and demonstrate your expertise in the area where your e-commerce business operates.

Another important element of content strategy is product photos and videos. High-quality images allow target customers to familiarize themselves with your products, see their details, and make sure of their product quality. Video, in particular, allows you to demonstrate your product in action, which will help the customer better understand its functionality.

«You should provide your customers with more than just products. For example, a blog where they can learn interesting information about your products, tips, and recommendations for use or information about your company — all this works to create a great brand and customer loyalty,»  advises Alla Petrychenko.

4. Communications and promotion of the online store

It is important to provide a convenient and fast way to communicate with buyers, for example, through online chat on the website or by e-mail. You also need to offer customers convenient payment and delivery methods.

«One of the important elements of creating a branded online store is the selection of convenient ways to communicate with your customers. For example, at Shop-Express, we offer the opportunity to install an online chat on the website, which will allow customers to get prompt answers to their questions, — explains Alla Petrychenko. «We also can set up various payment and delivery methods to ensure the convenience of online shopping for customers.»

One way to effectively communicate with consumers is through email. Newsletters may contain information about new products and services, discounts, and promotions. It is necessary to remember that the number of mailings should be optimal so as not to clog users’ mailboxes.

Social media is also a powerful promotion tool to enhance your brand presence. It is important for a branded digital store to maintain pages on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others. And it is not necessary to be present on all platforms. Conduct an analysis, find out where your target audience is the most, and direct your efforts to the selected social networks. You can also use various social networks to attract influencers who recommend your products and services to their followers.

Use online marketing tools. For example, contextual advertising allows you to attract the attention of potential customers who are looking for the necessary products or services themselves. The Shop-Express platform has built-in functions that help organize advertising campaigns and monitor their effectiveness.

5. Ensuring high-quality customer service

The last but no less important aspect of creating a branded online store is ensuring high-quality customer service. Provide your customers with a convenient way to contact you, quick answers to questions, and solutions to problems that may arise when ordering products. Then, the emotional customer satisfaction of buying and communicating with you will be associated with your product. This fosters brand loyalty and helps keep customers coming back.

Finally, it is important to pay attention to the reputation of your brand. A negative review can quickly spread on social networks and impact your brand’s ranking. Therefore, it is important to actively cooperate with your customers, solve problems quickly and efficiently, and provide prompt feedback.

Read the article on how to quickly create a simple online store to learn more.

«Creating a brand is a continuous process, so it is important not to rest on your laurels. Branding of a digital platform is not just a design element but is an important component of e-commerce business success. It allows you to strengthen the uniqueness of the product and provide a competitive advantage on the target market,» Alla Petrychenko sums up.

Creating a branded online store is a complex and creative process that requires a lot of effort and knowledge from the entrepreneur. However, it can be an important step for e-commerce business development and increased profits. With the help of an e-commerce branding strategy, a creative approach to design, and establishing effective communication, you will be able to create a successful brand that will be remembered by customers with pleasant emotions and ensure stable business growth. Remember that it’s the brand story that you create, so focus on your goals and create the best branded online store.