This Simple Ecommerce Strategy Will Unify All Your Sales Channels Building a memorable brand in the hyper-competitive ecommerce landscape has never been more challenging. This article offers actionable advice on how brands can rise above the ecommerce noise and stand out from their competition.
By Nick Heethuis •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Ecommerce competition has accelerated significantly in recent years. Unlike the early days of online shopping when competitors were few and far between, today every category of ecommerce is packed with sophisticated brands vying for market share. Additionally, the emergence of several important digital marketplaces and social media platforms have created a disjointed digital landscape that many brands struggle to keep up with.
The way to set your brand apart from the ecommerce noise is to use consistent brand patterns across all your ecommerce channels. From Amazon to your website to your social media channels, consistent brand patterns will make your brand memorable in a competitive landscape.
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What are consistent brand patterns?
Every digital platform is different and serves a distinct purpose. From social media to Amazon to your own website, each of these platforms represents an opportunity to market your brand in a unique way. But while each platform serves a different purpose (and perhaps even a different audience), your brand should look, sound, and feel the same on every platform you use.
Consistency is key to establishing brand recognition and creating a unified brand message. This means from your latest post on social media to your website's "About Us" section, any customer should be able to tell that it's your distinct brand they're reading about.
Here are a few of the elements that should be consistent in your ecommerce branding:
Colors. Use a consistent color scheme for all logos, content, and branding.
Copy (tone). Is your brand serious or silly? Casual or professional? No matter what tone you choose, make sure all your copy is consistent.
Font. From your brand's logo to the content you publish, make sure you use the same tone and style to all your typography.
Style of images. Your images should also have a similar theme.
Graphic Assets. These complement your logos with additional creative artwork and visuals and should match the rest of your branding.
Related: How to Optimize Your Branding
How do you build them?
Building brand patterns requires you to refine your brand strategy. Here are a few of the fundamental components to consider when building or rebuilding your brand strategy:
Target Audience. Who are your customers? Who are you trying to reach? The better you know your target audience, the easier you'll be able to develop brand patterns that resonate with them.
Mission. What is your company's mission? To leave behind a better planet? To promote healthy eating? Focus on why you're in the business. A clear purpose is the centerpiece of an effective brand strategy.
Vision. What does the future of your company look like? Do you have goals for growth? A clear and defined vision for your brand's future allows you to market your brand in a way that reflects its true potential.
Image. When a shopper sees one of your ads or social media posts, what message do you want to convey? Is it one of luxury or affordability? Health-consciousness or celebration? Overly broad is ineffective, so choose the market you want to capture (refining your target audience and your mission will help with this) and then build your branding around that image.
Related: These 5 Branding Factors Will Take Your Business to the Next Level
How will using consistent brand patterns help your brand?
Developing and implementing consistent brand patterns will help your brand in all of the following ways.
Increase Customer Trust. Ecommerce is built on trust and reputation. When a company has inconsistent or sloppy branding, it's difficult for shoppers to trust the quality of the product or service.
Boost Brand Recognition. Improving brand recognition is like building a personal relationship with shoppers. The consistency with which your brand shows up over time is how you set yourself apart from the noise.
Go From Disjointed To Unified. Shoppers today are everywhere: social media, Amazon (and other online marketplaces), blogs, websites, etc. Unify your brand's digital footprint and make it easy for shoppers to recognize your brand no matter where they find you.
Take the time to implement this simple ecommerce strategy and your brand recognition and sales will increase.
