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Being Naked… and Other Secrets of Branding Online

If you develop a brand online, expect some ogling. Once your name and image are out there on the web, you're exposed- naked, if you will – to the prying eyes of your customers more than ever before. While honesty is usually the best policy in any situation, today's online search environment, in which corporate secrets are harder to keep, truth is almost a necessity.

To brand your company effectively online, David Miller, a partner at Seattle's Stoke Strategy, says the first thing you have to do is drop the idea that the web is some sort of "new medium". Forget all the strange corporate names and the weird grammar. Those are mainly the result of well-paid consultants developing corporate titles that are aspirational in nature, relate to the companies in some way, are easy to remember and haven't been registered yet as unique domain names.

Miller say that online branding should be though of as an extension of all the other branding experiences out there, such as print and broadcast media, retail environments and packaging.

The rules remain the same: A brand is still a promise you make to your customers. What has changed is the technology to communicate that promise. According to Worktank, Seattle-based brand specialists who help corporate clients develop relevant websites, the following steps can be taken by any sized company to enhance their branding presence online and offline, and to improve their customer satisfaction as well:

1. DEVELOP A "BRAND PERSONALITY". Examine what message you are trying to get across to your customers, and develop specific words that best embody that message. Is your company trustworthy? Rooted in tradition? Innovative? Use these terms to help develop characteristics for your brand.
2. KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER. Define who you want your customer to be as specifically as possible. One exercise is to create your ideal customer. Develop a persona for your target audience. Give him or her a name, style of dress, occupation, etc. Explore what that customer is looking for in a website. Then style your online product to meet that person's needs.
3. INTERACT WITH YOUR CUSTOMER. Find ways to create an online dialogue. Websites shouldn't be brochures or advertisements, but tools for creating conversations. Give customers the information they're looking for, but also encourage them to communicate with you. Your site is a cost-effective way to find out what your customers think of your company.
4. PAY ATTENTION TO THE USER EXPERIENCE. Make sure time and attention are spent analyzing the customer's experience. Retail stores will spend small fortunes on store layouts. The same level of attention to detail should be spent on a company's website to enhance a customer's experience.
5. ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE "NAKED". Be honest and open about things that go right and, more importantly, about things that go wrong at your company. If there is a problem anywhere in your operations, your customers will probably find out. So, tell them first and you will probably earn their loyalty forever.