Branding to Reduce Risk
Brendan Sinclair, Editor of Sitepoint’s Tribune explains why he finds branding to be one of the most misunderstood aspects of marketing.
A friend and I recently flew 1,000 kilometres to Sydney for the first day of a 6-day cricket match. We stayed in a hotel about 1.5 kilometres from the city centre, and had great seats at the game.
What has all this got to do with Web development or your Web business? Everything, I say. Let me take you through the marketing influences that affected Greg and I as we made these purchases.
We flew with Virgin Blue airlines because we’ve both flown with them before and know how quick and easy it is to book flights on their website. They’re also safe (in our minds) and we’d never had a problem with them. Greg chose the hotel we stayed in because its listing on a website said it had 3 .5 stars, was located in the central business district, and had the word “Boutique” in its name (he therefore assumed that the hotel would be stylish and elegant!).
We booked the seats in the grandstand because a friend told us that this was the best place to sit.
Everything we did was influenced by our perception of risk: we chose a safe airline, a hotel that looked to be good value, and our friend had visited the cricket ground many times before and (we thought) he knew what he was talking about.
In business, everything affects your brand. The wording you use on your website, the way you answer the telephone, how you dress, your business name, what sort of envelopes you use, the intonation of your voice, how quickly you return your calls, what sort of on-hold message you have, how you demonstrate your expertise… the list goes on.
This reality certainly holds true if you run an online business. It definitely applies if you run a Web development business. It holds true if you’re looking for a job. It even holds true if you’re looking for a partner!
Give your branding the utmost consideration. People “buy” (products, services, employees, etc.) based on the perception of risk they associate with that purchase. Develop every part of your business to reduce the perception of risk.