Why quality branding is essential for your business

I get it - starting a business is hard work. And costly. There’s the sleepless nights of planning, the constant hurdles and setbacks, exhausting admin, and the expensive new office equipment. The last thing you want to do is spend money on ‘branding’. You're probably thinking "I just need a logo, right? I can whip one up in Word. Or maybe find one online for a few bucks..."

Please, for the love of coffee, don't do it!

Before I get into the 'why’s', let me just clarify something. Branding is so much more than a logo. Yes, a logo is important, but it is just the starting point for a unique and successful brand. A well designed brand identity will use consistent fonts, colours, imagery and materials to communicate to customers the essence of your brand... What does your brand stand for? How do you want your customers to feel? What is your brand personality? It is important to be aware of your entire brand experience. A lot of small businesses and start-ups don't realise the importance of this step, and the impact it has on the success of their business.

Here are my top five reasons for why quality branding is essential for your business:

01 First impressions count. In this fast-paced, visually saturated world you have only a few seconds to make a good first impression. And, like walking into a room with toilet paper stuck to your shoe, poor branding is hard to take seriously. So whether it’s an email signature or a website, make sure it looks it’s best.

02 Tell your story. I touched on it earlier - your full brand experience, from the visual elements like your business card to how you answer your phones, tell your customer about the kind of company that you are. Take a step back and review, is every aspect of your business telling the right story? 

03 Stand out from the crowd. Chances are, there are other companies out there that offer similar services or products to you - so what makes your brand stand out? What's your point of difference? Hint: It’s not that logo you whipped up in Word... It’s much more likely to be a unique, creative design.

04 Good design converts. Quite often when I tell people I’m a Graphic Designer, I get the response “oh, so you get to draw pretty pictures all day”… Ha, not quite. Granted, I want everything I design to be visually appealing, but successful design goes well beyond that. Does your branding attract new customers or increase sales? If the answer is no, your branding could be working a lot harder for you. 

05 Saves you money. Last but not least - spending money on quality design in the beginning will save your pocket in the long run. Rather than having to pay for mediocre design multiple times, invest in great design and it will pay you back in dividends.