Do you know how many eCommerce websites are present in the world?
There are 12 million to 24 million eCommerce stores worldwide...
People rely on eCommerce stores to buy everything from electronics to baby diapers. It offers convenience to people and saves them time.
So… I am curious…
Where do you buy your clothes from?
Do you buy it from any store that comes across the internet?
Or do you buy from selected websites?
Many people give their money to brands they trust and repeatedly buy from them. And won’t think about buying from someone else.
Repeat customers are great, aren’t they?
They spend 67% more than new customers. According to a report, repeat customers generate over 50% of the company’s revenue.
So, don’t you want to have a loyal customer base that’ll shop only from you?
If yes, then branding your eCommerce store is your answer.
In today’s article, I will talk about:
- What is eCommerce branding?
- Guide to eCommerce Branding in 2024
Ready to brand your eCommerce business?
Let’s go…
What Is An Ecommerce Brand?
Many people think branding means a company’s name, logo, and tagline.
But… that’s not what branding is.
Ecommerce branding is your company’s personality. It’s what people think about you. For example, what comes to your mind when you come across the brand Apple?
It immediately shows images of high-end electronic goods. Its customers feel extraordinary when using its products.
Another example is Coca-Cola. It reminds us of happiness, sharing happiness, family, etc.
So, are you getting my point?
Branding connects people with the business. So, decide how you are going to brand your business. It’ll help you connect with the right prospects.
Now, let’s move on to eCommerce branding strategies to brand your eCommerce business.
1. Differentiate Your Brand
If your store sells unique products that no one sells, congratulations! You can flaunt your amazing products in the market to brand your e-commerce business.
But what if you're selling the same product that many other businesses are selling?
Don’t worry; even then, you can brand your business. All you have to do is:
Differentiate your products from the rest… yes, that’s it.
Let’s suppose you are a t-shirt seller in the market.
You need to convince people that your products are not like other brands in the market. And this is how you can differentiate your business:
i) Target Hyper-Focused Market
Let’s continue the example of t-shirts from above…
Instead of targeting the male audience, you can focus on selling to middle-aged men. Or people who prefer comfort over fashion.
You can also target plus-size people as they face problems finding their size.
Once you've locked in your target, create...
ii) A Catchy Tagline
- I’m Lovin’ it
- Just Do It
- Finger-lickin' good
- Because you are worth it
Did you identify the brands by reading their taglines?
Thus, if you want people NOT to forget you, come up with a unique and memorable tagline.
Now that you have a memorable tagline, it's time to have a...
iii) Memorable Logo
Want people to identify your brand amongst the masses? A well-designed logo can help you with that. Design a memorable logo that makes it easy for people to think of you.
Talking about people brings us to…
2. Understand Your Target Audience
If you want people to love your business, you first have to understand them.
It will enable you to develop a brand personality that your audience can connect with.
If you overlook understanding your audience, you’ll have a problem growing in the market. So, analyze what your customers want, and they’ll be happy to spend their money on your products.
Consider the following points to study your audience:
i) Who Are They?
Focus not only on their gender, age, location, etc. Instead, dig a little deeper, and find the audience’s problems and solutions.
For example, luxury brands like Gucci, Chanel, and ZARA sell expensive products. Their target market is people who love designer brands. And they can give any price the designers ask for.
These brands understood their audience well. Thus, their brand personality reflects superiority and luxury.
… and, of course, High Prices.
But, there are some bargain brands such as T.J. Maxx, Ross, etc. Unlike luxury brands, they do the opposite.
Their target audience is people who don’t want to break the bank for looking good. Thus, they promote the idea of not spending crazily on clothes.
So, you see?
Brands have distinct personalities according to their audience.
Aside from knowing who your audience is, you also need to know...
ii) Where Are They?
Are your prospects on Instagram or Snapchat?
Are they youngsters who use TikTok?
Or are they old-school people who use Facebook?
Make sure you know the demographics of your audience. It’ll help you find out which channel they use. And then… you can jump on the same track to market your brand.
Hmm… marketing your brand…
Any clue how you are going to do it?
3. Closely Focus On One IDEA
Doesn’t it sound amazing to sell thousands of products in your online store?
You will have a large audience and an enormous amount in your bank account.
But… it can be dangerous for your branding.
Why?
Let’s consider an example...
You want to hire a plumber for your office. There are 2 candidates:
- One is an all-rounder. He’s a plumber, electrician, roofer, etc.
- The other one is just a plumber.
Who will you select? The all-rounder or the other one?
I would select the other one. Because plumbing is all that the second candidate does. Thus, he’ll be more specialized.
Similar is the case with brands.
The more products, or niches you add, your branding will turn weak. People will select someone more specialized in their field.
Still, confused?
Let's look at Barry's, as an example. They sell teacups and mugs and brand themselves as "The Mug Experts." Eventually, they also sell trays, teapots, and kettles.
So, do you think the branding, ‘The Mug Experts,’ is still valid or not? It is still valid, but it is somewhat weakened.
Does it mean that Barry was wrong to expand his product range?
Nope! Not at all…
But with the expansion in products, the focus of their branding should expand.
So, ‘The Mug Experts,’ should use an umbrella term to define themselves. Like, ‘The teatime Partner.’
So, if you're increasing your product range, be careful. Make sure that your new products connect with your previous products.
Now, imagine if Barry’s starts selling car engine parts. Then it adds toiletries to its product range… how do you think it will brand its store?
Hence, if you add products, ensure that they belong to one category.
Phew… it was a lot to take in, right?
Let’s move on to the next strategy…
4. Deliver A Clear Message
Have you seen KFC, the famous fast-food joint, promoting health and nutrition?
Its marketing or brand message is obvious: it sells delicious fries, burgers, nuggets, etc.
Hence, KFC’s products aren’t for health-conscious people and fitness enthusiasts, right?
Likewise, the famous Disney doesn’t create horror movies. It only makes light and happy movies.
And then there is Debutify. It's an all-in-one ecommerce theme for conversions.
It doesn’t sell social media automation tools. Nor does it offer content marketing to its audience.
Thus, be very clear about what your brand offers to the audience.
Up next is…
5. Share A Gripping Story
So, what’s your story?
I mean… your brand’s story??
Strong eCommerce brands have a catchy story to connect people with them.
For example, the story of Adidas and Puma is interesting for people. 2 brothers own the rival brands.
Likewise, the story of the drugstore makeup brand, Maybelline is quite interesting. The website has a separate page that shares how the company started. How did it get its name?
Thus, you need a story for powerful branding.
Develop your brand’s story by answering the following questions:
How Did Your Business Start?
Share the ‘Once Upon A Time’ of your company.
What’s The Story Behind Your Company’s Name?
Explain why you selected the name. What was the idea behind it?
Is Your Company Involved In Community Work?
- Are you related to any charitable organization?
- Does your brand contribute to social work, etc.?
Once you have an interesting story, it’s time to share it…
i) About Us Page
Turn this boring page interesting by sharing your juicy brand story.
ii) Packaging
Your product packaging should also convey your brand story.
For instance, if you advocate recycling, you can package your goods using newspapers. Or something that involves little to no plastic.
iii) Go Social
Share your story on different platforms. Like, go on podcasts, interviews, etc.
Over To You…
Branding an eCommerce store is important for success. In the absence of good branding, a business will soon turn into a store that nobody remembers.
But… good branding can change that picture. It can turn your business from nobody to somebody…
Thus, use the power of branding to make your business desirable and memorable.
We hope that the top tactics for branding shared above will help you build a strong brand.
Good Luck!
