Branding for startups, small businesses and Entrepreneurs…

Some “branding experts” are saying that you should spend thousands of dollars on branding. Don’t believe them.

First, I must explain, that there may be a valid reason for some companies to spend thousands, even millions, of dollars on branding, however, these are typically large corporations and other well-established companies – the ones that can afford to spend this kind of money on a brand.

Why would you spend thousands of dollars on branding when you may not even know who your target-market is? Or maybe you haven’t even made any profit yet? If that’s you – you still don’t know if what you’re getting into is going to work. Take things one step at a time.

What should you do now?

It might still be a good idea to spend some money on a logo, a nicely designed website and promotional materials…. but don’t overdo it. You probably won’t need to spend more than $300 on a nice logo and could realistically get a website (with a branded design based on your logo) for less than $1000.

Everyone needs a website, it’s an essential marketing tool for your business… but don’t be fooled into spending thousands of dollars when it’s not necessary. It might be necessary depending on what you want to do with your website, but honestly, most businesses don’t need that much to get a great start. Seriously, you might really never need to spend thousands of dollars on these things – take it step by step and see how things go.

One of the first things you should do, before branding, is BRAND IDENTITY… this is the process of figuring out what your target market is, what you are best at, and where you want to put your focus. Your target market should not be everyone. You should specifically define your target market and focus your business on that. That doesn’t mean all of your clients/customers are going to fit into your definition, but it means you’re more likely to enjoy what you’re doing.

1. Be prepared
2. Create a flow chart
3. Create some content
4. Have a design in mind

As a web designer it makes for a very smooth process when my clients are already prepared with what they want on their website. While this is not required it does help. If you know you want a website (because every business needs a website ) but have no clue as to where to start, no worries, here are some ideas.

Be Prepared

Most of you already have a business going when you get to the point of wanting a website. Now you’ve got to figure out what you can do to use a website to make your business even better. Being prepared will make it possible for your web designer to complete your site faster and for less money.

First, come up with a domain name, or multiple, and get it registered. I recommend 1and1.com for that.

http://www.1and1.com/?k_id=7144699

Second, think of what you want to use your website for. Will it be a way to generate leads? Are you going to sell something online? Do you want to use it to provide valuable information to potential client? Or do you just want it to add some extra credibility to your business? The possibilities are endless.

Create a Flow Chart

Now that you’ve got an idea of what the purpose of your website is, create a flow chart. Think of what pages you’ll be including on the site. Is it going to be a one-page site? or multiple. A common example is: Home, Services, About Us, Contact Us. Depending on your intention, other pages might be Shop, Downloads, Portfolio, Blog, Events, Calendar, Register, Links, etc. Your flow chart might also include sub-categories, with drop-down menus. Shop might drop down to the different types of products being sold.

Once you’ve got your flow chart, it’s time to think of what your going to fill all those pages with.

Create Some Content

What statement do you want to make on your home page? This is the most important part of your site because it’s the first thing people see. Sometimes the shorter it is the better. Regardless of what is on the front page it’s important to make it clear and defining. Make it easy for your potential client to figure out where to go from here. What is your call to action? If you want them to buy something, make that clear. If you want them to contact you, make it obvious, and give them a compelling reason to want to contact you. There is no right and wrong to what you should do with your website, just make your intentions clear to your visitors.

Now, moving on to creating content. Using your flow chart as an outline come up with content for each page. Create an “about us” or “mission statement” for the site. Write up a description of the services you offer. Put together some images to go into your portfolio, etc.

If you don’t know what to put on each page, that’s okay. You can consult with your web designer, marketer, brander or even business associates for ideas. You may not have the time or desire to come up with all this content, that’s okay too, find someone else.

Have a Design in Mind

What do you want your website to look like? What colors do you want to use? Do you want a 1, 2, or 3-column layout, or something completely different? It’s often helpful to look around at other websites and come up with a list of websites that have a design and look similar to what you want your website to look like. You want may even want to draw up a quick sketch of what you have in mind.

The most important reason why you should be prepared for your website is so that your are happy with the finished product. A web designer can easily create what he/she feels is a great website, but what if you don’t like it? The more prepared you are the easier it is for your web designer to create a website you’ll love. This doesn’t mean that your web designer should sit back and leave all the creative thinking to you, but when you come in with a plan, your designer can look it over and provide suggestions and build upon your ideas to make the site even better.

How to Create a “Favicon.ico” File

There are multiple ways to create a favicon. One method is via www.favicon.cc. I prefer a different method:

1. Create an image 16X16 or 32X32 pixels in size. I find it easiest to take an existing image and resize it.
2. Save the image as an ICO file (named “favicon.ico”, of course). If all you’ve got is MS Paint, that’s fine. You can save it as favicon.bmp and then rename it favicon.ico.
3. Upload it to your website. Put the favicon in your root directory and the web browsers that support favicons will locate it eventually. You can also upload it into your images directory, but you will need to modify your web pages if you do.

Help the Browser Locate the favicon.ico file

If you have placed your favicon.ico file in a location other than the current web directory (relative to your web page) or the root directory, you have to help your visitors’ browser locate the favicon file by specifying it with a tag like the following in the <head> section of your web page.

You should replace “/favicon.ico” in the above example with the actual location of your favicon.ico file, for example, “/images/favicon.ico” if you have placed it in your “/images/” directory.

This step is optional if you have put your “favicon.ico” file in the standard locations, that is, in the same directory as the web page or in the root directory of your website. Otherwise you will need to modify all your existing web pages to take advantage of the “favicon.ico” facility.

Once you’ve got your favicon online, check your website to see if it appears. If you don’t see it you may need to delete the cache or temporary internet files on your browser.

While a favicon is not essential to your website it does add to the professionalism of your site.