How to brand your business and launch your brand online . . . without losing your money or your mind

A great idea can hit you anywhere. It can wake you at 2:00 a.m., so compelling that you jump out of bed, put on a pot of coffee, and begin outlining your business plan.

Remember, though, in the heady rush of dreaming up the business, to build a launching pad for it. In other words, a presence on the World wide web. Because in this day’s buzzword search-engine climate, a website is the most powerful marketing and sales tool available to any company, big or small, cottage industry or inspired solopreneur.

You do not need to be a cyber-genius to go on the internet and get results. But unless you have a clear business objective and message, you could waste a lot of time and money without accomplishing much. Here are seven steps to guide you in developing your website. Use this system as a clear roadmap, so you don’t find yourself wandering in circles. Don’t lose your mind — just grab a grande latte, sit down and think things through; ask yourself questions you probably already know the answers to.

Step 1: Strategize

Speak strategy with your website designer — clarify how your business goals and objectives translate to a website. You can’t create an effective website design if you don’t know what you want the website to do for you.

Step 2: Define Your Target Market and Niche

What overall customer base do you serve? — that’s your target market. Who are they? Any particular field or industry? What characteristics, interests, or needs do they have in common? Within that customer base, find a smaller group that is a more specific fit for your product or service, and which might not be served by your competitors; or both — that is your niche. If your target market is people in job search, for instance, your niche might be people in job search, over 50, who do not just want to change jobs, they want to change careers.

Why do you need to define your target market and niche? Because: (1) you cannot be all things to all people; (2) you and your customer base need to find one another; and (3) the more specific you get, the more your niche will feel you understand them and can serve their specific needs.

Step 3: Position Yourself

If you have done your homework, then you’ve researched the competition. Who are they? What sets you apart in terms of customer base, quality, service, and other aspects? What makes you very special? Look for gaps in the market that aren’t being served - those gaps will help you position yourself and define your niche. Plus, it’ll help you hone your offerings, making you the expert who is sought out for your know-how.

Step 4: Describe “What” and “How”

Whether you’re selling a product or a service, what you’re offering has to solve something or offer something for your customers. How it does that is key to making them select you — delivering the goods. If you can’t describe the “what” element, your customers will not know you have a product or service that might benefit them. If you cannot describe the “how” element, your customers will not be clear that it is doable, usable, and of value. The “how” element also gives, in precise terms, the ways in which the product or service will provide the results customers want. It is a descriptive roadmap from Point A (their need or want) to Point B (the results or benefits).

Step 5: Brand Yourself

Let’s say you have already named your business. Now you need images, words, feelings, to make it distinctive. To make it a brand. Branding involves several elements:

* Perception — How do you want your customers/clients to think about your business? How would your customers describe you and your business? What value do your products/services provide, and how do you want the world to perceive that value?

* Logo — Clarify your message based upon the perception you want your customers to have about your business, your niche, and how you want to position yourself. Distill that into an image that will be the visual representation of your company: your logo.

* Tagline — Then translate that into a powerful, compelling tagline. Keep it brief (3-7 words). Make it memorable. Be sure it fits your business. The ideal taglines are evocative, meaning they conjure images, thoughts, and feelings.

* Graphics — Select visuals that ideal express and integrate with your logo and tagline. Support your message with each visible aspect: colors, typeface, styles, and other graphic elements.

Step 6: Create Your Website

The nature of your business will drive and designate your website by topic — e.g., content, features, directions, contact info, blogs, links, biography, pictures, itineraries. Then start writing your copy, making sure its tone fits the website design. Say the key benefits clients will receive, the key values you deliver, the key concerns you share.

What topics your does website needs to cover? — use that list to create your website pages. For example, a lecturer or public speaker may need a:

* Home page

* About page

* Who We Serve page

* Presentations/Keynotes page

* Workshops, Classes, and/or Retreats page

* Products (books, CDs, DVDs) page; Shopping Cart

* Meeting Planners page; Contact page

* Blog page; Resources page; E-zine; Special Reports

* Media page/Press room

Design and develop your site using your visual brand elements (logo, color). Review and test it before going live, to make sure everything works, error-free. Offer a free report or e-zine that provides value to website visitors, while building your list at the same time.

Subscribe to an auto-responder program, to make it simple to follow up with prospects and send out broadcasts to your clients. Then go live and do a final testing to ensure accuracy on all platforms.

Step 7: Optimize, Market, and Network

First, identify your search engine optimization (SEO) goals and your return on investment targets. Hire a specialist to do foundational search engine optimization with meta-tags and images. With your specialist, set up monthly, robust search engine optimization strategies, driven by your specific goals.

Next, establish search engine marketing (SEM). Set up pages on and participate in social networking sites. Post comments on blogs that relate to your business, customer base, and overall market. Write and publish articles offline and on the web for inbound links.

These seven steps aren’t easy, and they take work, but they generate results and this year you just might watch your business take off. With a powerful brand, backed up by a website that delivers.

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Article Source: Content for Reprint

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