5 Ways to Create a Strong Ecommerce Branding Strategy

A well-known brand is one of the biggest assets for online businesses. Branding helps retailers build a distinctive identity in the market. A strong brand can increase both sales and profitability. And it provides the foundation for ecommerce success.

At ShipStation, we talk about branding a lot. It’s because we want to make it easy to get your brand in front of your customers at every stage of the buying process. That’s why we offer branded tracking pages, branded packing slips, branded shipping labels, and branded emails.

But what exactly is ecommerce branding? Why do we put such a heavy focus on it? Well, we’ll tell you.

Why You Should Care About Ecommerce Branding

Ecommerce branding is all about creating a consistent visual identity for customers and prospects. But it also extends beyond your external audience to your sales and marketing teams. Branding is your store’s logo, slogan, website, social media pages, and emails. In other words, every potential touchpoint with your customers.

On a deeper level, branding can shape the entire customer experience. Do you offer exceptional service and product guarantees? Do you provide multiple shipping and delivery options and a generous return policy?

This broader view of branding builds positive relationships based on trust. It leads to repeat sales, greater loyalty, and enhanced customer lifetime value (CLV).

Ecommerce branding also involves telling your story. This includes your history, mission, values, and contributions to your community. Your story allows customers to identify with your store, so you don’t have to compete on price alone. It encourages customers to buy more from you because they know you stand behind your products.

Here are five powerful suggestions for developing a successful ecommerce brand.

Build on your store’s history.

Why did you establish an online business? And what did you hope to achieve? Going back to your roots can help you craft your story — even if your store has evolved since its founding.

Create an emotional connection.

Give your customers a great experience that makes them want to buy from you again. Branding is the key to fostering that powerful personal connection to your store.

Understand your customers.

Know who’s buying your products and who your best prospects are. Offer them a brand that has solutions to their challenges. Use the kind of language that speaks to them on a personal level. For instance, one group might be drawn to “affordable home furnishings”. But another might jump at the opportunity to shop for “unique hand-woven tapestries for the home.”

Make your store matter.

Think about what’s important to your customers beyond their purchases. Incorporate that into your branding. Become an advocate for an important cause your customers care about. This approach can help individuals and communities, as well as your store.

Deliver a clear, consistent message.

Once you have determined your ecommerce branding strategy, stick with it. Consistency is necessary to build awareness and increase trust. Keep your message as clear and simple as possible.

The Takeaway

Branding is the key to creating powerful emotional connections that keep customers coming back to your store. It’s what draws shoppers to you, rather than the competition. Make your store more about the experience to entice customers. If you tell your story well, customers will not only return, but they can also become your brands (un)official affiliates and evangelists. Customers trust other customers, so use that to your advantage!