As a small business, we have the ability (and the curse) of being flexible with our brand. I’m not talking about your logo – I’m talking about your brand.
We can easily make changes to our business, and visual identity that can massively shift the way consumers see our brands.
But is this ok?
Not really.
Here’s why.
As a new brand in the market, you’re already competing against multimillion dollar budgeted brands to stand out. Therefore, consistency is key.
You may only have a few seconds a day, if lucky, to showcase your brand proposition to target consumers.
Think about it. A consumer sees maybe an image, or a post from you among hundreds of messages they see every day. How are you memorable?
The second you start mixing things up too soon, you may start confusing consumers and decreasing your memorability factor. This is creating the beginnings of a brand identity crisis.
3 Signs You’re Having a Brand Identity Crisis
1. Every day a new font emerges.
A telltale sign of a brand identity is tied to your visual output. Do you have 3 or more fonts on your website? Do you use a different font in graphics every week? Visual cues play a huge role in subconscious brand messaging. Be consistent.
2. You have NO idea what to post on your blog Staring at your blank blog screen is an everyday challenge.
I posted about how to get 10 blog ideas in 10 minutes earlier this week, however lack of clarity of content is also a symptom of brand identity confusion. A clear brand knows exactly what they will (and won’t) write about on their blog. A confused brand, writes anything they feel like.
3. Your collection or product assortment is not cohesive.
Just because you have an idea to create a product, doesn’t mean anyone will buy it. Or conversely that you should sell it. This includes developing products and collections that fit in the brand that you’re offering. For example, if you’re selling ethically made jewelry, adding made in wherever sweatshop t-shirts isn’t a good idea even if you think you can make money. Over time, decisions like this erode your brand value.
If someone can’t land on your website, and immediately know, what you stand for, and what you’re selling and why. It’s not good.
Do you think you’re having a brand identity crisis? Post your website below!
I’m happy to take a few minutes to look at your website and provide some input on the message you are putting out online to the world.
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Happy selling!
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Comments
Theany
Hi Kristi,
wow, you are so god. You have so much knowledge !
Can you take a look at my online shoe store and let me know what you think?
theanytiny.com
I want to do a facelift to my website (logo, change the look of the website, add videos (vlog)…)
I also want to add a social mission : empower women to embrace their dreams, feel confident and love themselves.
Thanks for your input !!!
Theany
April 24, 2014
Kristi
Donna,
Thanks for sharing your website (Thatgirlknitz.com). I had a look at your website. Here’s my initial impression.
I don’t know what you sell.
When I land on your website, I see a woman (above the fold—aka above the part that is cut by the first screen, where you need to scroll) wearing a hooded scarf that’s knitted. My first assumption is that this is a knitting blog BUT I see up top in your opt-in, flash sales. So, it’s a shop.
Your logo, the font is hard to read, and it’s on top of a corset photo. So, now I’m more confused. Are you selling period pieces?
I see you have a bit more info below that photo on your business which is great! My suggestion is to make your header image (the one with the girl with the knitted hood), to include text (like the photos on retailbliss.ca on our main slider).
An example;
Photo (text to the side “Welcome to Thatgirlthatknitz.com – Trendy, Knitted accessories for you and your family” (or whatever your value proposition is!). Your etsy site has some stuff in the header description that you can leverage. Try to keep it to 4-5 words/sentence that describes what you do & why!
I’d also suggest having a look at your assortment and pricing. I get the knitting but then there are boiled wool clogs, and upcycled neckties… doesn’t seem cohesive as well your pricing is quite disparate. I.e. your knit cowl is $28 but a hat is $38. I’d almost expect it to be the other way around.
Your navigation is simple but would suggest firming up the language to simplify and changing the order. If the goal of the website is conversion, your SHOP should be the first item. BOUTIQUE vs. SHOP. Shop is an action word. I often recommend this then go for ABOUT, BLOG, TESTIMONIALS, and … portfolio to me is a mystery. Is this a showcase of your best knitting work? Is this needed? Also, you’re missing a privacy policy. :)
Lastly, your opt-in. Awesome that you have hello! Bar. Are flash sales the best way to get people to opt-in? Have you thought about something related to your target customer — which I’m assuming are avid knitters like yourself. Tips on knitting? Free knitting pattern (Is that a thing?)? Try to make your opt-in more value than transaction based.
Seems like you have a loyal following, so with a few tweaks you can hopefully improve your conversion!
Feel free to reach out with any questions or clarification. Hope this is helpful!
Best,
Kristi
Retailbliss.ca
April 08, 2014
Kristi
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for checking out the article!
Cheers,
Kristi
April 08, 2014
Donna
Would love your input on what I am doing!
thatgirlknitz.com
thank you!
Donna
April 07, 2014
Lynn
Great article, Kristi! Thanks so much for sharing your insight.
April 04, 2014
Kristi
Hi Eimee!
Alright! I had a look at your website. Beautiful colours!
Immediately on landing, I was trying to figure out what “Derisecyclingbin” is. I thought it was something eco (and just realized that’s your last name melded with another word). Can you tell me more about your site and who you are targeting?
Are you targeting an eco customer? To me, it looks like styling ideas for women for their body shape. If so, I would look at changing your company name to something more intuitive AND buying a domain without wordpress in it to reaffirm your branding.
Your About Page
I love how you describe yourself but adding a photo would really help bring you to life on your blog
Dead links – this link does not work…
http://derisecyclingbin.wordpress.com/category/services/
Lastly, have you considered switching to wordpress.org? A lot more flexibility to customize than .com!
April 03, 2014
Kristi
Hi Eimee!
Thanks for reading the blog. I’ll pop onto your website today and send you some feedback :)
With gratitude,
Kristi
Retailbilss.ca
April 03, 2014
Eimee
Would love your input on message I am bringing to the world.
http://derisecyclingbin.wordpress.com
Thank you!
Eimee DeRise
April 02, 2014
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