12.02 – How to Create a Digital Identity
In addition to being the hub of consumer engagement online, your website is the mothership of your brand identity. Your digital assets, such as posts and ads on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms, point customers back to the hub. Here, they can engage with your messaging, learn more about your brand story and products, and decide whether to embark on a journey with your brand.
Your web identity is the sum of your messaging and persona across digital channels like your website, blogs, social media, search engine listings, product review sites, and other third-party pages. Maintaining consistent value statements, personas, iconology, colours, and content is essential to building a brand that people believe in, understand, and trust. Without this consistency, consumers can become confused about your identity, which diminishes their trust and interest in doing business with you.
The following sections discuss how to build a web identity that projects a valuable and powerful presence for your brand while meeting customer expectations. Managing and controlling this identity is a continuous process that should always be a top priority.
Managing Your Web Identity by Association
Part of managing your web identity involves being selective about the company you keep. Just as people often judge you by your friends in the real world, they will judge your brand by the websites on which your logo, messaging, and promotions appear. If you don’t want to be seen as a brand that supports unhealthy living, don’t advertise on a site that promotes unhealthy lifestyles.
Simply appearing on a website implies that your values align. Don’t take your web identity lightly unless you want to tackle the daunting task of reputation management. The same principle applies to having logos of other brands on your website that may contradict your values and promises. Beyond advertising on sites that support your identity, link only to sites that uphold your values and commitments.
Aligning with Customer Expectations
Perception is everything when it comes to your web identity, and expectations are everything when it comes to keeping people engaged on your website. Consumers expect certain elements on websites that help them quickly get information about products, offers, pricing, values, and a brand’s credibility.
To meet expectations and increase dwell time, follow these guidelines:
- Lead with clarity about your offerings and value. Ensure that a headline clearly states what you offer and what it means for customers. This clarity is crucial for keeping people on your site.
- Include sufficient product detail. Provide detailed product information so visitors know exactly what to expect from each product and how your specifications compare to others. Use simple, outcome-oriented bullet points rather than long sentences or paragraphs.
- Present your company leadership team. Include short bios for executive team members on your About Us page to showcase the minds driving your company. This information is especially important in the B2B sector.
- Include testimonials from satisfied customers. Testimonials help prospects see who your customers are, who they can call to ask questions, and what kind of outcomes they can expect if they choose your brand.
- Communicate your corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. Consumers care about what brands are doing to give back to communities and the environment. Showcasing your CSR commitments and contributions can win their support.
- List your policies, FAQs, and terms. Ensure easy access to your return policy, shipping methods and costs, customer service processes, sizing guides, and so on.
- Showcase transaction efficiency. Make it easy to find what they want quickly on e-commerce sites and check out as easily as possible. The longer it takes to check out, the more likely they are to leave.
The quicker people find what they want, the longer they’ll stay on your site, increasing your chances of closing the sale. Dwell time, or how long a person stays on your site before leaving, is a key metric for the success of your website and something you can easily measure with web analytics.
Expanding Your Web Imprint
Identifying and purchasing a list of URL names that define what you do will help expand your digital footprint. For example, if your business is a pet boarding facility called Five Star Lodging for Pets, consider purchasing categorical URLs that reflect your services.
If another brand has a categorical name that reflects what you do, consider adding words like “best,” “leading,” or “popular” to the beginning of your URL to tap into traffic that may be going to a competitor.
Take the time to register all possible URLs and nicknames for your brand before someone else does and tries to sell them to you at an inflated price. If you’re a consultant, register your personal name and your brand name. URLs can be purchased affordably in most cases.
Register all possible suffixes and brand references as well. For example, a healthcare organization might own various versions of its domain names across different suffixes. Purchasing and redirecting all potential URLs drives more people to your site while protecting your identity. If you own the .com version of your URL and someone else owns the .biz version, you can easily get caught up in a case of mistaken identity.
Ensure that your domain name doesn’t violate another company’s trademark. Check website addresses against a database of trademarks. For more complex trademark issues, you can hire a lawyer to conduct a detailed analysis.
When purchasing your domain URL and registering your website, you will likely be offered additional options and bundles. These may include email packages, domain protection (to cover you from others buying your name if you forget to renew on time), and various versions of your URL. Domain name brokers often buy up a lot of URLs to resell them, and some people wait for a site to expire so they can quickly purchase it and sell it back to you.
