Brand consistency is often not fully understood by companies, with many assuming that their brand simply means their name and logo. However, branding goes much deeper than that, right down to the colour, typography, language, and tone your brand uses.

Brand consistency on your website 101

Branding and your website

Your website is an integral part of your brand, and the key to getting more leads, and ultimately getting more customers, is brand consistency on your website. Your website is a key brand touchpoint, an extension of your business card. Its purpose is to sell the company’s products, generate more leads and get more customers, so the website needs to represent you and your company in the best possible light. How many people would do business with a company without first looking on their website? Not many.

Communicating your company ideals

Visitors to your website need to know instantly what kind of company you are. Are you a professional consulting company, or a hen party specialist? These two companies will have a very different corporate identity and brand voice, due to their very different target audiences. These might be extreme examples, but the principle is the same whatever your company does.

From the moment a potential lead clicks onto your website you need to show them who you are and what your brand is. Your brand, and therefore your website, should have a consistent corporate identity so it is easily recognisable. Recognition builds familiarity with your customers, who are more likely to buy from a brand they recognise and trust.

Brand guidelines will help your marketing team and any service providers to maintain brand consistency on your website. Include the details for the font size and colour that should be used in each section of the website, and gather together a stockpile of images with a similar look and feel to maintain that consistency. Remember though, that brand consistency doesn’t mean that all your communication has to be exactly the same, rather that the tone, personality and overall look and feel of your communication is consistent across your marketing mediums.

Maintaining this brand consistency on your website develops and strengthens your brand, builds trust and confidence and so helps you to get more customers. Think of South African brands that do this well like Kulula.com, Woolworths and Spur.