According to research, 38% of online users will stop engaging in the brand content if they feel that the website layout is unrealistic. It also claims that when you get to know what is visual identity, you will understand that its consistency leads to 3.5 times improved brand visibility. Apart from communication and brand voice, this factor is important in the consistency of business presentation.
In a world with many online businesses, we can see that brand visuals are keeping up with them. As a business owner, you shouldn’t be out there in the market just trying to make a name for your brand or business. You must have higher expectations and look to make a statement. One of the ways you can do that is by creating visual designs that define your brand and create a limelight between you and your competitors.
Difference Between Visual and Brand Identity
The difference between visual and brand identity can be explained by the example of a book. If you have a book, you can label the cover of your book as the brand visual, whereas the storyline or the plot will be considered the brand identity. Brand identity refers to the internal aspect of your business, such as the mission statement, brand story, and philosophy. It can be defined as the building blocks of your business.
On the other hand, brand visuals refer to the elements representing your brand identity.
The elements of visual identity include logo, fonts, typography, color schemes, and all other visual elements connected with your business. By going through your brand visuals, your customers must remember your website name or logo so that they can find it easier to come back to your business website again.
Elements of Visual Identity for Brands
1. Logo
A logo is defined as a graphic representation of your brand or online business. If you are in the process of creating a logo for your brand, you must include imagery that can be easily identifiable and remains in the minds of those who have used it. It is one of the elements of visual identity that evolves as your online business grows. It may contain various elements, such as its color, typeface, and graphic design components. If you want to invest time in making a brand logo, you must know that it requires a visual presence that results in visual consistency for your business.
Image taken from Strikingly
To design a website logo, there are numerous online software and logo design templates that you can find on Strikingly. Logos created by the correct logo maker can bring positive results to your business. Strikingly recommends that once you create your logo, you must upload it through the navigation menu. With this approach, your logo will be in place when you scroll through your website. This will make your logo more identifiable within the eyes of your website visitors.
2. Color Palette
A study claims that for 90% of online customers, brand color plays a huge role in determining their buying decisions. In understanding visual identity, you will come across the color schemes of a website at some point. The color scheme that you choose must coincide with the message or emotion that your brand is trying to give. For example, you can choose silver, black, or gold if you sell luxury items. Color schemes are highly influential because they ensure that your brand stands out from the rest of your competitors.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website.
In an ever-growing community on Strikingly, you can find numerous websites where website owners have selected some recognizable color schemes. According to one research, a color palette ensures that your brand recognition increases by 80%. Therefore, you simply cannot disregard the importance of color schemes to make your brand competitive in the market.
3. Fonts and Typography
The importance of visual identity can be seen by the fact that it has a considerable say in recognizing your brand. Two of the factors that ensure this recognition are fonts and typography. Some of the best brands in the world try to bring simplicity in their fonts, whereas others try to embrace the emotions that typefaces are trying to give. The typography style, line spaces, and curvatures play a massive role in determining the brand’s personality.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
When it comes to fonts and typography, you don’t need to look further than Strikingly. Strikingly provides you with features to edit and include typography. When you add this element, you will be impressed by the number of typefaces and font colors that you can consider. Moreover, Strikingly allows you to manipulate spaces around your typography and generate effective texts that look pleasing to the eye.
Best Strategies to Create a Visual Identity
1. Understand Your Audience
When understanding visual identity, you will come to know that your brand visuals directly speak with your audience. By learning everything about your audience and their pain points, objectives and personality will help you to create brand visuals that are relatable. By doing customer research, you will get to know several factors that play a role in their decision to buy your products or services.
Moreover, you can do a competitor analysis and investigate how your audience responds to your competitors. If you want to determine the right audience for your brand’s message, make sure you consider the following attributes:
- Age
- Occupation
- Gender
- Lifestyle
- Interests
- Values
2. Define Brand’s Purpose
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/B-sWFbf4tXbpSpSQWajvzDGyIbd0jSQNpWAh5DJnY1fdMyl14rKcZAVfY-zPvQLHRoM56c2lS4HmndC9P-ow71OiC9B5qGHGS6LBfOBEgtthJEbyRJ_oA_IvOoPARqYBKP2bdbww "define mission statement" =602x245)
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
When you are trying to establish a good visual identity, you need to go back to square one and think about why you established your brand. What are the benefits that your brand can bring to your customers? By defining your brand’s roadmap and long-term objectives, you can elaborate on all the essential qualities that your brand possesses. While explaining your brand’s purpose, make sure that you consider the following factors:
- Services you are providing
- Brand’s short-term and long-term objectives
- Solutions your brand provides to the customers
- Mission statement associated with your brand
- Visual elements, such as colors, images, and typography
If we talk about fonts, certain options create certain brand personalities. For example, bold and sans-serif fonts bring modernity and suit IT corporations. Apart from that, quick handwritten fonts indicate a more personal nature of business.
3. Create Emotions Through Your Brand Story
The importance of visual identity can be justified because it communicates the background, values, and evolution of your business that can be related to your audience. One way to bring the audience closer to you is visual storytelling. Visual storytelling can prove to be an asset that helps you evoke an emotional appeal with your clients and create standards for your brand visuals and imagery. It enables you to connect with your customers in a way that becomes beneficial to them and valuable to you.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
When you are defining your brand story that creates a base for your brand identity, make sure that you consider the following factors:
- Brand story and its connection with the customers
- Feeling of clients after going through your brand story
- How you can apply your brand story and customers’ response to it with your identity strategies
4. Define Purposes and Roles
When you are trying to develop a good visual identity for your brand, you must know that it covers a wide range of certain platforms that have specific demands according to the website design. The brand visuals apply and can encompass, but aren’t limited to:
- Advertisements
- Packages
- Brochures
- Corporate identities
- Presentations
- Websites
- Digital tasks
- Artwork
Depending on the type of your website’s brand identity, you may have to assign different roles for different platforms. For example, a graphic designer will work on brand identity, such as packages, digital projects, ads, etc. The visual designer will be responsible for making designs related to games and movies.
Conclusion
If you are willing to create brand visuals for your website, you are in for many benefits. It will play a huge role in the overall branding of your business and will be one of the first factors that will catch the attention of your potential customers. If you want to create strong brand visuals for your website, make sure that they are unique, consistent, and have no ambiguity issues. If your visuals are clean, they will help recognize your brand.
Just like you and your business objectives, a good visual identity can be pivotal in the number of your eCommerce sales and the overall industry. Your strategies will enable you to have a stronghold in the market. It allows you to accomplish all the goals associated with eCommerce and entrepreneurship. Strikingly is one of those platforms that can also play a role in accomplishing your eCommerce objectives. If you intend to create your website on Strikingly today and ensure that your brand visuals have a long-lasting impact on your business.
