It’s Not Website Design – It’s Website Branding!

It’s Not Website Design – It’s Website Branding!

If you’re in the process of building or completely revamping your company’s image, there is a very good chance you have heard the terms “website design” and “website branding” at least a few times. In fact, you may even hear them used (or use them yourself) interchangeably. The truth is that there is a great deal of difference between website design and branding and understanding the difference between the two can help put you on the path to success.

Branding vs. Design – The Basics

Think about taking a trip to the market for ingredients to cook a gourmet meal at home. You can buy the most expensive cheese on the market, but if you do not know how to make an alfredo sauce, it will probably be mediocre, at best. However, if you know how to make the sauce, then buying the very best ingredients is sure to make that sauce even better.

The very same principle applies to website design and website branding. Think of design like the ingredients and the branding like the finished product. You can have an excellent design, but that does not necessarily mean the branding is as excellent as it could be. Along those same lines, wherever you see excellent branding, there’s likely amazing design behind it.

Branding is More than Website Design

Many website designers are incredibly talented people. They can start with a blank canvas and use their knowledge to create a unique site that is easy to use and pleasing to the eye. However, one thing that many designers skip is branding. Your company’s brand is more than just it’s website. A brand encompasses everything that associated with your company in every imaginable location.

For example, while your website is important to your brand, it is only one facet. Other important parts of a brand may include things like product packaging, shipping labels, social media posts, blogs, press releases, community contributions, conferences, mailers, flyers, and other things that help to create (and make known) a very real personality behind your business. When the very sight of your logo or the mention of your name elicits an emotion, that emotion is the very basis of your company’s brand.

Choosing the Right Branding Partner

When it comes to choosing an agency to help you with website design and branding, it’s important that you choose a company that focuses on the branding side of things. Think of it like hiring a contractor to build a house where your website represents your house and your brand represents the entire property. If you hire a company that focuses only on your house, it may look amazing, and your visitors might be impressed, if only for a while.  

Without the branding behind it, there is no foundation, no landscaping, no driveway – nothing else at all on the property that supports your house. That is the importance of your brand. It is the foundation of your company and the property upon which everything else is built. Developing it well and maintaining it will keep everything else running smoothly throughout the years.

Statistics have shown that consistent brand presentation across multiple platforms – including a website – can increase revenue by up to 23%. What’s more, according to the same source, 64% of consumers reported that shared values are important to them when it comes to building trust with a brand and company. Keep these things in mind when hiring a company to design or redesign your website. Your brand is how your company makes consumers feel, and that feeling should be a positive one.

What People Say

    Grand Marketing Solutions is among the very best for creative ideas and insightful marketing strategies to change your business. The team at Grand Marketing Solutions have taken creative marketing and a solutions driven strategy to a new level. They have helped me re-define our firms focus and strategies. The team at Grand Marketing Solutions is among the very best to help small and mid-market companies. Karl Hofmeier and the team at Grand Marketing Solutions are a tremendous resource for companies that are seeking to grow their revenues and increase profits. Simply, an excellent company that delivers value to your business.
    - Berk
    I have called upon Grand Marketing Solutions to provide various web and design based services to several of my clients. In every instance, I have found Grand Marketing Solutions to be client focused, extremely responsive and cost and value conscious. I am happy to recommend Grand Marketing Solutions to my clients as a valuable resource and extension of the strategic services I provide.
    - Dennis
    Grand Marketing Solutions has been very effective for us. They are the right size firm with the right mix of talents. They spruced up our logo, redesigned our web site, printed new literature, and worked smoothly with our people.
    - Bill
    Before starting Business Image Magazine, I met with dozens of graphic designers/printers and worked with a couple before I met Karl Hofmeier of Grand Marketing Solutions. I heard Karl speak at a networking event and was impressed with his expertise. Since then, Grand Marketing Solutions has become my one stop shop for marketing advice, graphic design, printing, website design and maintenance. The service is second to none and I am happy to refer all my clients and prospects to him.
    - Tom
    We are proud to be partners with GMS. As an entrepreneur and small business owner, I value a relationship with a partner who is cut from the same mold. Grand Marketing Solutions understands what it takes to keep our company competitive in a ever changing market. They ask the right questions and treat our business as it was their own. With Grand Marketing Solutions as our partner we can focus on our core business while they execute on our marketing strategy. We've been with a handful of marketing firms over the years. Some were large, some were small, but none of them have had the impact that Grand Marketing Solutions has.
    - Rob
    It has been a pleasure working with GMS. They are knowledgeable, professional and prompt. I will continue to use their services and recommend them to clients, associates and friends.
    - Bryan
    We are proud to be partners with GMS. As an entrepreneur and small business owner, I value a relationship with a partner who is cut from the same mold. Grand Marketing Solutions understands what it takes to keep our company competitive in a ever changing market. They ask the right questions and treat our business as it was their own. With Grand Marketing Solutions as our partner we can focus on our core business while they execute on our marketing strategy. We have been with a handful of marketing firms over the years. Some were large, some were small, but none of them have had the impact that Grand Marketing Solutions has.
    - Rob

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