After you have determined the way prospects will perceive your brand, and you have all elements in place that can shape their perception of your brand, you should implement visual branding strategies.
1. Use consistency in colours and typography
Most people do not buy products immediately after discovering them. In fact, according to research, it takes on average eight touches to convert a consumer from awareness to purchase. The B2B buyers’ journey can be longer.
You need to create a visually recognisable brand identity, and use it consistently on all platforms. You can do this easily by using typography and colours. Your organisation can be instantly associated with the right font and palette. For advice on Web Design Gloucester, consult with https://www.absolutecreativemarketing.co.uk/web-design/web-design-gloucester/
This visual branding strategy will work for you even if you are not an international business or have a logo that is recognised around the globe. To benefit from brand recognition, you only need to choose a visual theme and stick with it.
2. Use visuals that are authentic and revolve around a specific topic
Visuals are a powerful way to convey messages. If you use illustrations or images to convey your unique value proposition you are more likely to convert your audience than if only text is used.
Avoid generic stock photos if you’re looking to grow your brand and influence audience perception. Choose visuals that are relevant to the brand, create an emotional connection with the viewer and add authenticity to your web presence.
Related: What makes a great website?
First impressions and the feelings design creates
Visitors decide very quickly whether a website is worth their time, and one that looks dated or careless can lose them before they read a word. That is why visual branding has to work on your website above all. Design does more than make a site look attractive; it influences how people feel about a business and what they do next. Dark colours and classic serif type tend to signal seriousness and professionalism, while bright colours and playful lettering suggest energy and fun.
A clean, simple layout keeps people on the page for longer, which gives them more chance to understand what you offer and to get in touch. Colour, type and layout together tell visitors who you are and what you stand for, and when they match your other materials they build trust. Good design also has practical foundations underneath: a site needs to work properly on phones and tablets, load quickly and be built so search engines can understand it, otherwise even the best-looking brand will struggle to be seen.
Keeping visuals on brand with a style guide
Consistent visuals are much easier to maintain once a website has a written style guide behind it. Designers and developers need to understand the brand before they can represent it, so the guide should spell out typography, imagery and any illustration or infographic styles, along with forms, buttons and spacing. Spacing is often overlooked, yet grid layouts that set the gap between elements do a lot to create a sense of the brand.
Keep the colour palette minimal and drawn from the brand guidelines. Secondary and tertiary colours can support the primary palette, but a sign-off process stops visuals drifting off-brand. Pre-coded templates help with consistency too.
Tone of voice belongs in the guide as well, from headline copy right down to error messages, with examples of good writing and a list of words to use and avoid. A short set of FAQs showing good and bad practice, with visuals, helps anyone new get to grips with what is expected.