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No.21 What is Website Branding? (May 2, 2003)
In this column, we will be considering what makes a website with a truly strong brand.
 Brand = beautiful design?
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The other day, I was talking to the president of a certain design company who said "Our website may be the worst anywhere in terms of usability, but our business is successful because we emphasize our brand image." Of course he said this humbly, but I often hear similar comments.
So, what on earth is website brand? If the goal is to build brand value, is it okay if usability is low?
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Brand is born out of the user experience
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Branding on a website is determined by the type of experience a user has on that site. In other words, it is not simply the design of a site that determines brand, but rather whether or not overall high quality service is provided.
This arises from the fact that users visit a website with a goal in mind.
Television commercials or posters on the street must first catch a user's attention in order to build awareness. This requires some sort of unusual design or other tactic. However, since with websites there is a high likelihood that users will visit a site they already have an interest in, what is important is providing information and services that meet the user's demands.
If you forget this fact and needlessly focus on getting noticed, your design will prevent users from obtaining information and end up providing lowering quality of service overall.
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Requisites for brand building
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Here is a list of elements essential to brand building that will provide a good user experience:
- Convey an image of design (design sense)
- Provide information and services desired by users (essential content)
- Add value by providing information or conveniences that exceed user expectations (added value content)
- Make the information easy to find and use (usability)
A website that truly has a strong brand is not one that merely has a good design, nor one that is simply usable. Rather, websites that have a strong brand are ones that have all of the elements listed above, and that provide users with a good experience. |
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