Each day when we get up we come across dozens or even hundreds of products, services or brands which compete against each other for our attention. When we just open our eyes we are bombarded with company logotypes, colourful and beautiful packages or sophisticated shapes. Very often we even don’t realize how many commercial stimuli come act on us. Think – how many logotypes can you notice just after getting up? A logo on a toothpaste, toothbrush, shower gel, shampoo, hairdryer, t-shirt...and this is only the beginning!
Have you ever thought why you chose exactly those products? Why did you buy exclusive and expensive perfumes, not different ones? In the case of perfumes the important thing is, of course, the personal aspect – their smell but certainly, you could find cheaper ones which you like as much. Here the brand image comes into play and all its characteristics. A beautiful and elegant bottle. Perfectly chosen colour scheme and modern shape of packaging. The well-known logo which you saw in print and tv commercials. These all things create in your head an image of a luxury product which is highly desirable by you despite the fact this fragrance may even be less lasting than the other ones...
First impression
Our senses are very important for each of us. One of the most important senses is seeing. The research shows that thanks to it we can receive from 80 to 90% of the information from the surrounding environment. Looking at something we immediately assess the person or thing we see. For example, when we meet someone after just a few seconds we label that person as nice or not. Of course, we do it mainly basing on our visual observation and this rate may be heavily projected on our future relations. It is very similar to our shopping choices. When buying very often we are affected by the look of the product and we choose these which seem more attractive even though they might not be better.
The same product, two different packages
Brands in the digital world
We can notice a very similar mechanism when talking about the online brands for which the natural environment is the Internet. It is even more complicated because we have too much information which we can reach very easily and quickly. Users of the Internet scan websites looking for something which grabs their attention and only then they are willing to stay a while longer and take a closer look. We can assume that an average user needs 10 seconds to assess if this particular website is something they are looking for. If you don’t get their attention at this time most probably they will leave and continue their search further, maybe on your competitor’s site.
Obviously, it might just be a simplification. In the case of websites idea, content, user experience or technology are equally important.
Content
Although the look is significant and can help us keep the visitor on the website what is very important is content. Sometimes we decide to stay on some ugly website just because it has perfect content. If you have an idea for a product which is unique or has huge value for your potential users you will most likely succeed.
User experience (UX)
Even if your website is pretty and has nice content it may happen that browsing it is very inconvenient and irritating. If you can’t find desirable information in a few clicks, most probably you will fail.
Technology
We shouldn’t forget about the technology as well. Although most users don’t know too much about the Internet technologies but they are able to feel the effects of the bad code. Errors appearing during browsing, problems with displaying in different browsers, time of loading or responsiveness on mobile devices are the things we all can experience.
But if the above elements are good enough and we visit the website the first time then the look of it may be the factor which gives us the advantage over the competition. Here we have come to the role of the digital image which includes:
Branding
Branding and brand awareness is all that can build your brand image, starting from the logotype, through company colours, fonts and images used in promotional materials to the website itself. A company which cares about their image sticks to some consistent visual guidelines.
Works by: Milena Włodarczyk
User interface (UI)
A representation of good branding on the Internet is a well-designed website (or app) which with good user experience (UX) create a complete product. Obviously, its look should be consistent with the brand image of the business and used in other channels of communication.
Example: if you would like to invest a huge amount of money in a safe place which bank would you choose?
Is it worth to have a good website?
As we agreed the key to success is a result of a few factors combined:
Good product = Content + Technology + Look (Branding / UX / UI)
However, if we have very similar products then the look may be the key element which can decide about our success or failure. A company which takes care about their website and online presence shows good prospects for reliable business because most likely it is able to take care of us in the same, good way and it builds our trust.
Nowadays, Internet products become very important tools which can help us make money directly or indirectly. It is good to have a well-designed website which will make our potential clients interested. Appropriate brand image of our business alongside a solid website will surely help us generate strong sales.
