eCommerce Branding: Create an Online Identity
Branding… The word that signifies the marketing force that could ruin or make your business. Chances are you’ve heard it before, but do you truly understand its meaning and its impact on your eCommerce store?
At the heart of things, eCommerce branding resides in the crafting process of constructing a unique, memorable identity for your online business. It can give you an edge within a sea of competitors and build deeper customer connections.
Your store’s personality — the vibe, vibes, looks, looks, and voice; makes people say, “Oh yeah, that's them!” when they see your ads on a billboard or website. Branding isn't just a logo and some colours. It's the total experience you create for shoppers from start to finish.
And in the fast-paced world of eCommerce—where attention spans are shorter than a gnome's temper—nailing down that brand identity is now more crucial than ever.
Why Branding Matters When it Comes to eCommerce
Imagine you’re shopping online for new shoes. You stumble across two stores selling nearly identical sneakers at the same price. One site looks sleek and modern with a fun, relatable brand voice—and then there’s another one that’s plain and generic.
Which store are you more likely to buy from? The one that connects with you on a personal level? That's why significant branding matters; it has this kind of power.
But branding goes way beyond just making sales. It can also:
- Build Trust — A professional, cohesive brand makes you look legit and reassures shoppers they can feel safe purchasing from you.
- Differentiate Your Business — With so many eCommerce options today, effective branding allows you to stand out and avoid being considered another commodity.
- Develop Customer Loyalty — Folks develop emotional connections to brands they vibe with. With solid branding, you turn one-time buyers into raving, lifelong fans.
- Give You Premium Positioning — An incredible brand experience allows you to charge higher prices because you're selling more than just products — you're selling an identity.
ECommerce branding shapes how the world perceives your business. With a strong brand, you aren’t just selling stuff; you’re selling an experience, a lifestyle—a vibe that customers want to buy into.
The Key Components of an eCommerce Brand
So, what exactly goes into cultivating a killer eCommerce brand? Here are the core components:
Brand Personality
Your brand should feel like a living thing with its personality and values. Is it fun and witty, or sophisticated and minimalist?
Honing in on your brand personality influences everything from your:
- Visual aesthetic (colours, fonts, photography style)
- Brand voice and tone (how you communicate with customers)
- Core value propositions (what you stand for beyond your products)
For example, Cotopaxi's outdoor clothing brand has a bright, adventurous personality that oozes positivity and wanderlust. Their whimsical designs, upbeat copy, and commitment to social causes embody who they are as a company.
Name and Tagline
While first impressions aren’t always everything—they matter regarding this topic. Your brand’s name and tagline are often the first things that contact your potential customers as they begin their buyer journey.
An excellent eCommerce brand name is:
- Memorable (but avoid anything too long or complicated)
- Be suggestive of what you sell or your brand personality.
- Steer clear of names that are already trademarked or limit your future growth.
As for taglines, these short descriptions can quickly clarify your brand positioning and Core Value Proposition.
“Just Do It” (Nike), “Think Small” (Volkswagen), and “The Fresh Company” (Subway) are all great examples of simple taglines that instantly communicate each brand's essence.
Visual Identity
Your visual elements, like the logo, colour palette, typography, photography style, patterns, etc., bring your brand personality to life in an eye-catching and recognisable way.
Logos are the most critical piece here. They're the symbol of your brand that should be visible across all your eCommerce branding efforts. Think website, packaging, ads, merch — everywhere!
But visual identity goes beyond just logos. The whole aesthetic creates recognition and resonates with your target audience.
Brand Voice
Every interaction a customer has with your brand — website copy, marketing emails, social posts… you name it! — should drip with your unique communication style, AKA voice.
Are you conversational and casual, like you’re chatting with a friend? Or more formal and buttoned-up? Quirky and funny, or straightforward and no-nonsense?
Think about the tone you want to set and which emotions you want to evoke through language. Your eComm brand's personality should shine through in every written word.
Customer Experience
Today’s shoppers expect (demand!) a cohesive brand experience online and offline. Everything from how easy it is to use your website to how smooth returns go shapes their perception of your biz.
Ask yourself: How do you want customers to feel when interacting with anything related to your business? Excited? Understood? Delighted? Then work those positive sentiments into every single touchpoint.
Brand Story
Every great brand has an origin story: its “why.” It explains their Core Value Proposition and hints at more significant ideals beyond profits. What inspired your brand’s creation? What problems do you solve? What values drive your mission?
Sharing your authentic brand story is emotionally compelling and helps forge connections with customers who resonate with your “why.” Because folks want to buy from brands they can genuinely believe in.
Pointers for Crafting a Killer eCommerce Brand Identity
Ready to start branding? Here's some advice for solidifying each of those key brand elements:
Nail Down Your Brand Personality
First things first: Clearly define your brand personality and promise. What vibe are you going for? Which adjectives best describe what you’re about?
A simple exercise: Imagine your brand is a person walking into a room. How would that person act, speak, dress, and carry themselves? The more specific you can get, the better.
Next, identify your Core Value Proposition and overarching mission behind selling products. Are you all about making life more convenient? Sparking joy? Being eco-friendly? Lock that down.
Then, think about your ideal customers and what resonates with them. Your brand personality should align with their values, lifestyles, buying motivations — everything!
Once you have a solid brand identity, let it shape every branding decision.
Get original with your name and tagline.
Go absolutely bonkers when coming up with a catchy name if the name is meaningful or tied to your brand story. Consider combining cool-sounding words or playing with puns.
When brainstorming a tagline, ask yourself:
- What are some pain points or struggles that your customers could have?
- How do you want people to feel when they engage with your brand?
- What underpins your brand mission statement?
Your final product should be at least five words.
Develop a unique visual identity system.
You’ll need to hire a designer or branding agency for this one. Make sure the visual checks these boxes:
- Logo Design: Easy to read at any size, simple but memorable, suggestive of the brand personality, avoids trendy styles that might look dated in the future.
- Colour Palette: On-brand colours that align with the vibe of your company (e.g., bright and vibrant vs muted and earthy). Pop in a couple of quirky accent colours as well. Don’t go overboard.
- Typography: Clean fonts that are easy to read. Pair an eye-catching display font with a simple supporting font for contrast. Avoid thin script text that’s hard to read.
- Graphics & Photography: A cohesive visual style for illustrations, patterns, iconography, and product/lifestyle shots will help build brand recognition and align with your brand personality.
Consistent voice on-brand
Define your ideal voice by referencing your overall brand personality — Is it casual? Playful? Sophisticated? From there, develop specific guidelines for writing like:
- Don’t vs dos
- Humour parameters
- Point of view
The goal is to create a comprehensive guide so anyone can nail down your unique style every time they write something.
Once the base guide is established, use it everywhere: on websites, emails, ads, social media, or whatever else you use. A consistent voice builds trust.
Design a World-Class Customer Experience
When it comes to your ideal customer experience, these are some areas you should optimise:
- Website Experience: Beyond visual branding, consider how your brand personality can come through in product copy, UX microcopy and order tracking communications.
- Shipping & Packaging: Use every part of the shipping process to reinforce your brand story and personality.
- Customer Support: Ensure the tone and overall service model reflect your brand identity.
- Post-Purchase Nurturing: Engage with customers after they buy through email sequences, loyalty programs, and communities — this allows you to foster long-term relationships around your brand.
It’s all about being unique from start to finish. Start by identifying your potential customer touchpoints and optimise them, each uniquely. This will create an overall customer experience when using your product or service.
Authentic Storytelling
Regarding your brand's roots, vision, values, and Aha! Moments, don't be afraid to get personal. Share embarrassing early failures of you or your team members, or give a behind-the-scenes peek at what goes on in the business.
Those raw, human stories create natural emotional resonance and help customers invest in your brand beyond just the products.
You can share those tales through your website, ads, emails and social content. You can expand on your origin story through longer-form content like blog posts or multimedia like branded videos or podcasts.
The more transparent and relatable you can be about why you do what you do and the passion that drives you and your brand forward, the more likely you will attract customers who genuinely vibe with your identity and mission.
Inspiring eCommerce Branding Examples
Enough talking — here are some rad real-life examples of eCommerce brands knocking it out of the park:
Chubbies
These cheeky apparel folks have built an instantly recognisable brand around their fun, retro-inspired aesthetic and hysterical, irreverent brand voice.
Their branding hits all the marks, from the vintage name and logo to vibrant colours and patterns to witty banter-filled copy that makes you feel like chatting with a sassy buddy. It's playful, it's clever …it's 100% smile-inducing.
Native Deodorant
For a no-frills product like deodorant Native, it could’ve played it safe. But nope – instead, they crafted a thoughtful, purpose-driven identity around being simple yet effective — “uncomplicated products that work.”
They reinforce that mission through pared-down branding that's all about warm minimalism. Clean typography, earthy colours, and cheerful lifestyle photography combine for a fresh aesthetic.
Their copy's straightforward (like their products) but still charming and relatable. The brand persona is your calm, down-to-earth friend who's got it all figured out and always smells amazing.
Untamed Menstrual
Founded by two badass feminists, this period care brand was created to battle stigma and “unmake the cult of perfect womanhood.” Their branding is bold, vibrant, and infused with tasteful humour, as seen through playful product names like “Cat Period” tampons.
They also totally nail the balance between comforting relatability and sassy empowerment in their communication. Untamed's vibe is equal parts: “Hey girl, we got you” and “Down with the patriarchy!”
It’s branding that doesn’t just destigmatise periods but celebrates them proudly. It's one of the more unapologetic, conversation-starting eCommerce brand identities.
Why Authenticity is Key for Powerful eCommerce Branding
Building a standout eCommerce brand identity boils down to being unmistakably, unapologetically YOU.
Forget following trends or trying to be something you're not — today's savvy online shoppers can sniff out inauthenticity from a mile away, instantly killing trust.
So be bold! Dig deep to discover and embrace your authentic brand story, voice, and aesthetic without holding back. Being 100% true to yourself will make you magnetic and unforgettable to your perfect customers.
Developing that Crystal Clear brand identity will take some extra elbow grease. But look, I promise you — dedicating the time and energy to establish a seamless, deep-rooted brand experience from end to end is worth its weight in pure marketing gold.
Look at it this way: Your products might be the first thing that brings customers through those virtual doors. But an exceptional brand is what will keep them coming back again and again as loyal superfans, riding the growth train with you all the way.
So ditch the ordinary, give it your all to build up a rich eCommerce brand, and get ready to form a passionate following that profoundly resonates with your vision personally.
That’s what eCommerce branding is really about.
FAQs on eCommerce Branding
How much should I budget to brand my eCommerce business?
There is a vague figure since branding needs can vary drastically based on factors like whether you hire agencies vs. freelancers or how extensive your brand assets need to be—and, of course, dependant on the size of your business and more. However, many experts recommend setting aside 5-15% of your projected annual revenue for solid branding and identity work. For example, If you anticipate $500K in revenue Year 1, you might want to divvy $25K-$75K for this purpose. The critical thing is viewing it as an investment rather than an expense.
Should I trademark my eCommerce brand name and logo?
Absolutely! Trademarks offer protection against infringement or misuse by competitors when it comes to your name and other brand assets. This helps safeguard the brand identity that took so much sweat, blood and tears (and probably money, too) to create in the first place. Depending on your route during the process, expect to pay between a few hundred bucks to thousands for federal trademarks.
How can I ensure brand consistency across all my channels?
Develop an extensive set of brand guidelines that centralise and document all core brand elements, such as your mission, voice/tone, visual identity system, etc. Share these guidelines with departments or other entities executing your brand. You can also use digital asset management tools to access approved brand assets easily.
When should I consider rebranding or refreshing my eCommerce brand?
If your current branding no longer aligns with your business vision, feels irrelevant to your audience or is too limiting for your growth plans – a total rebrand is in order. More minor refreshes every 2-5 years can keep your identity modern and impactful. Look out for tell-tale signs like outdated visuals, misalignment between brand and product/service mix…or new targeting of audiences.
Can I DIY my eCommerce branding or hire professionals?
For a truly standout, polished brand identity system, it’s wise to seek the help of professional branding/design experts (at least when it comes to fundamental factors, e.g. logos/brands). However, smaller brands don't have to do everything themselves before getting outside help further down the line. The good news is that many affordable print-on-demand services and design tools are available today!
