What’s at the center of your online strategy? Top 5 reasons why it should not be your website.
If you run a small- to medium-sized business (SMB), you need to keep your brand top-of-mind, specifically during strategic planning phases.
I participated in a recent poll a friend conducted for his SMB network. The question, “Is your website at the center of your online strategy?” was the basis of the poll. Curious about his results, I called him back a week later. Almost everyone said yes, their website was at the center of their online universe. His feedback has been nagging me ever since.
As you embark on planning your online strategy, let me give you my top five reasons why your brand needs to be at the center, and not your website:
- Your website is not the face of your business, your brand is.
- Your website is an extension of your brand, not the other way around.
- Your website is a communication tool; tools should never be at the core of your strategy.
- Your brand is a promise; your website is supposed to communicate that promise.
- Your brand can survive without an online strategy, but your online strategy won’t survive without your brand.
Keep your own brand top-of-mind at all times, because attached to every business is an image and attached to every image is a perception. The way you communicate your company’s image determines how you are perceived by your market. Your website alone won’t convert leads, but when your brand experience strikes a chord, you will see an increase in conversions.
So, do you keep your brand at the core of all your business strategies? Share your thoughts below.
Recommended further reading:
The Importance of Branding Your New Business – NYTimes
Audi: a lesson in brand investment
