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E-commerce industry is a burgeoning sector. A new e-entrepreneur enters the market and introduces a brand that claims to be unique. While it’s good news for customers who have a huge array of sites to pick and choose from, it has to be remembered that message is the medium. E-commerce sites need to do the right research for taking their brand to desired customers. Astro strategist has the right plan of action to ensure that your business stands apart from other competitors
It’s a sentiment, it’s an emotion – it’s a brand. A brand has its own standing amidst hoards of competitors. Which is why building a brand name is of utmost importance for a company, firm or organisation. Bigger the brand, wider the reach and stringent are the rules that drive the brand forward.
Let’s consider the emerging market of e-commerce sector. On the face of it, it appears as a disorganised sector with new start-ups popping up in various corners of the world. Here, one has to distinguish between brands that are more localised to brands that wish and strive to get a foothold in the world market.
E-commerce is a sector that is all set to explode with some experts saying that a day would come when everything from a safety pin to an aeroplane would be sold via e-commerce. For now, that seems a bit too far-stretched, but the way things are moving in the sector, it may not be too far away.
As a scattered or disorganised e-commerce sector could be, it survives on its brand identity. Both localised brands and international brands need to promote themselves from the word go and constant branding is indispensable for them to reach out to their target audience in all nooks and corners.
Since e-commerce is a relatively nascent sector, branding acquires lots of importance as they have to compete in the digital space to be seen and heard. One wrong step can attract an unwanted audience to the site and this could mean no business.
Consider this, we as people have brands too. We have a face, style, unique way of communicating, etc. Similarly, businesses have a name, logo, colours, fonts, voices and reputations to manage that make up who they are and affect how they are perceived.
Consistency is of prime importance and maintaining it is a significant part of consistency. However, it is equally important what consistency you want to evoke, both in short term and long term.
One has to keep in mind the following guidelines while branding
1) Do a good research of the target audience and competitors.
2) Pick your focus and personality.
3) Choose your business name with great care, as it makes or breaks your image.
4) Come up with a great slogan or tagline.
5) Choose the look of your brand, the colours and fonts with great precision.
6) Spend time and effort in designing your logo.
7) Apply branding across your e-commerce business and evolve it as you grow.
How branding helps an e-commerce site or sites
■ Find and develop your brand identity: Brand identity is about how you project your product or service to the world. Your logo, branding guide and unique selling proposition (USP) are what makes your brand stand out. Let’s check out a few tips as to how an e-commerce site can develop during the initial stages:
a) Logo: Though one does not realise it, creating a logo that is ‘different’ is a daunting task. The idea is to sit with freelancers to get what you want or go with suggestions. Once done, it is also important to develop brand collateral.
b) Branding guide: This includes the colour palette, typography and overall theme and style that you will go ahead and use in marketing materials on your website and social media. Of course, you can take the services of a designer if you are a new e-commerce site, or go the DIY route, if you have been around for a while and understand the rules of the game.
c) USP: Your unique selling proposition must integrate with your brand identity. It is your USP through which you talk to your audience online, on website and social media. It is also how you present your products and how you differentiate your brand from others in the market.
■ Develop a brand story: It is extremely important to develop an interesting and exciting brand story. Bland stories do not bond with potential customers. The more interesting your story is, the more do customers connect with your brand.
Almost all big e-commerce sites have big stories to begin with. Think Amazon. The amazing story of Jeff Bezos resonates with many aspiring entrepreneurs and customers. That is a game half won. So is the case with smaller and more localised e-commerce sites. Stories about where and how they source their products or services can immediately create a connection with buyers and surfers. Eventually, surfers turn into customers.
To develop one’s brand story, it is important to remember and articulate why you started your business and what it means.
■ Have a social media presence on relevant channels or platforms that matter: Social media platforms provide the best platform to reach out to a broader audience and showcase your e-commerce brand. The whole idea is to maintain consistency in terms of logo, language, colours. One important aspect of brand development is to spend time and energy in places where your potential customers are. It helps to do some research to figure out where your potential customers hang out.
For example, it has been found that Facebook is more popular with baby boomers and instagram users follow brand accounts. Plus it drives people to your products and it is a good place to spend your time as an e-commerce business.
■ Ensure to personalise the customer experience: Customer service is key to keep your customers coming back to you. Personalised experiences help customers connect with an e-commerce brand and return to it from time to time. Even packaging and delivery response make a hell lot of a difference from a site that means long-term business and those that come and go. It is said 80 percent of the customers connect with brands that provide personalised experiences.
Let’s consider the example of e-commerce sites like Good Earth, mybageecha.com, jaypore.com, etc which make sure the customer satisfaction comes first. There are a number of e-commerce sites that send personalised notes or little gifts along with the product to keep the customer hooked.
■ Create content continuously: E-commerce brands must make sure to engage with their customers constantly. They must stay relevant and keep posting blogs, graphics, videos, customer reviews to provide some go-to information for customers.
Once the content is created, it has to be shared on various channels, depending on the channel to make sure the value of the brand is known.
Let’s take the example of an e-commerce site like gaatha.com. Apart from having an online shop, it provides detailed information of how the clothing and materials are sourced. What goes into making each product, where each product is made, etc. If one is a fashion brand, then fashion tips, how-to-videos, advice on using certain products, can help draw customers. Think of anything that the customer could find interesting vis-a-vis your brand and simply put it up. Like traditional brick and mortar stores, word of mouth publicity can also help an e-commerce site to pick up business, so do not neglect it.
■ Ensure your brand e-commerce business successfully: New owners can find branding of an ecommerce business overwhelming. However, be focused, start slow and take time to develop a brand strategy that will drive sales and sets you apart from other businesses.
A brand could be local or targeted at a world audience. Or you could be a brand looking to reinvest itself, following the initial launch. Astro strategist Hirav Shah has a well-thought out plan of action for your branding and rebranding:
For good business growth and future prospects, astro strategist Hirav Shah says it is important to have the necessary ‘luck’ in the personal chart of an individual. However, apart from that, there are a variety of factors that push forth ‘luck’ in business. The name of the business, its logo, the partner’s luck, etc, all determine the success of a business, he shares.
Hirav Shah insists that whatever hard work one puts in or whatever talents one uses to put in smart work by strategizing and implementing those strategies in terms of advertising, marketing, sales, HR, production or service… things have to move smoothly and seamlessly.
According to astro strategist Hirav Shah, that is called the ‘luck’ of the company. So, if the structure of the company or organisation is proper, it helps in utilizing your potential and growth in a productive and positive manner.
Consider this
How does a sweet taste without the right amount of sugar?
How does one feel wearing ill-fitted shoes?
How can a formula One racer ace the race without a proper track?
Similarly, in business, if the structure of the organization is great (ie, business name, great partners, correct registered and administrative address, logo, web-print-digital presence, brand name, etc), by seeking the help of an astro strategist, a business can make and execute decisions within a perfectly timed framework to maximise success.
Here are the 7 factors that astro strategist Hirav Shah considers before giving a road map for branding and rebranding
1. Name of the organisation: What’s in a name? — said the world famous bard Shakespeare. However, when it comes to branding, it’s all in the name. Astro strategist Hirav Shah will help you name your organisation or brand or product in sync with numerological and astrological calculations. Look at brands like Amazon, ebay, Alibaba, etc – they bring out ads or social media inputs that directly target buyers almost on a daily basis. They reach out to customers through various platforms, but the message is unique and consistent.
2. Correct partners: Checking the compatibility, strengths and weaknesses of all partners and administrators is crucial as one weak campaign can mean loss of valuable customers for e-commerce sites, which operate amidst high competition.
3. Percentage of shares of all partners: Hirav Shah ensures that each partner share is correctly balanced, so there are no disputes or disagreements in the long run.
4. Registered address and administrative address: They should be astrologically compatible with the name of the organization and key people in the company.
5. Logo of the organisation: We have already seen how important the logo of an e-commerce company is in the case of international brands like amazon, e-bay, etsy, Versace, Chanel, etc and local brands such as gaatha, jaypore, myntra, ajio, evara jewels, etc. Hirav Shah helps you create and finalize the right logo that reflects your values and attracts the right kind of energy.
6. Web, print and digital presence: In today’s world, where one needs to be seen and heard on various media platforms, Hirav Shah ensures that your digital, print and marketing collaterals are aligned and in harmony with your brand’s purpose and vision.
7. Brand: Last, but surely not the least, astro strategist Hirav Shah makes sure that your brand assets are auspicious for the company and have a positive impact on team morale.
7 signature step approaches for e-commerce industry branding is the new trend, concludes Hirav Shah.
