[cs_content][cs_element_section _id="1" ][cs_element_layout_row _id="2" ][cs_element_layout_column _id="3" ][cs_text] How do you stand out and show your online shop customers that you are the whole package?  By having a strong brand. That’s not just your logo as many think! Your approach, values, imagery, tone of voice, and how customers see you - that's all part of your brand.   Businesses don't sell, brands do. Customers notice a good brand; they remember it; and if you hold up to the values that your brand stands for, they recommend it. So how do you strengthen your brand? If you set your own rules by which your business operates and is seen, and maintain those standards, customers will get to know you and like you for that. We humans, are, after all, creatures of habit!

1. Set Standards for your Imagery

In your online shop, your product images are the life and breath of your business, so treat them as such! Set standards for how you photograph your products and never dip beneath them. For example, set aside a place where you take your pictures for a consistent feel in your products. Take your time and give your photos the attention they deserve, because even top quality products in the wrong environment or bad lighting will look shabby.  To some, this will sound obvious, but many shop owners don't realise the impact that this has on their assumed product quality.

2. Get to know your Target Audience!

As an online shop selling a variety of products, you might say "But my target audience is everyone!" Not so. If you can think of an audience that would not be interested in your product, then you have a target audience who would. To appeal to customers, you must think about what makes them tick, and what kind of offers would most likely interest them.  Check what other similar sellers are doing to pull in their audiences, and use social media to get feedback on your ideas. In short, be the CSI profiler of your product buyers!

3. Define your Brand Colours and stick to them  

If you don't yet have a brand logo, it's the perfect time to consider the whole shebang. Your style, font and imagery are all super important as it's the first thing that many will see on your shop links. Make a list of words that describe your brand -  feminine? (eg., pastels) reliable and professional? (eg., dark/strong colours) quiet and understated? (muted colours). These colours should be reflected across your page providing you with a solid look and feel that customers will recognise at a glance. Use your brand colours, font and imagery consistently, to create a seamless feel to your shop. Customers will recognise your brand instantly when they see it.

4. Decide on your 'tone of voice' 

Those who are right at the beginning of their journey can sometimes be a little too informal or unsure in their online engagement.  Whilst social media platforms are all about engagement, do remember when you're posting that this shop is going to be seen by strangers who don't know you. From the outset, decide on whether you are going for 'relaxed and friendly', 'professional and formal' etc, and stick with it! That includes all interactions, right down to your autoresponder messages. If your brand voice is personable and warm, a message with 'Thank you for your interest. We will respond shortly.' will seem jarringly aloof.

5. Make your Tagline count! 

If you had five or six words to tell someone about what you sell, what would they be? This should be your tagline. Taglines are important as they define your business immediately. Be creative! Try to stay away from bland and overused words like 'beautiful', 'professional', 'lovely' etc. Customers will assume quality or professionalism if your online shop brand reflects those qualities!  To make a tagline truly effective, think of the benefits to your customer in buying your product or service and have it in your tagline. What emotions does your product evoke? What need does it fulfil? 'Subtly Scented Candles to awaken the Senses' is better (you may disagree!) than 'Beautiful Candles made in Dorset'. So include your product and a benefit. Job done.

6. Check your spelling. Then check again! 

Check your copy! It's so important! As a copywriter, when I see words spelt wrongly, I can't help myself. I post a quick message to let them know and hope they don't bite my head off! And I always welcome it in my own content. I do this because I know how hard it is to put yourself out there, and typos can be catastrophic to how professional a business is perceived. That said, they are so easy to miss. We all do it! So get someone else to read over your sales copy and leave nothing to chance.

7. Promote your Values 

What does this have to do with branding? Your values are the things that you will not compromise on when it comes to your business. Common ones are quality, customer service and reliability, but you may have others hidden in your psyche that you don't realise! Do you always put a little 'something extra' into your packages? A little confetti, a small card or a freebie? Sounds like you really care that your customers are not just satisfied, but genuinely delighted when they receive your package! These values create the backbone of your brand ethos. It's what your customers are told they can expect - and this creates trust in your brand. What are your values? How can you relay these to your customers?

8. Keep up with your Changes

Many online shops grow organically and change a lot as time goes on. Perhaps you decide to focus on a different product, change your prices or update your branding. When building your shop, make a list of areas that will need to be changed when you make any significant alterations. This could be your tagline, images, website, prices, branding, opening times. Over time, this information leaks into many parts of your page, including your automatic responder, your 'about' page - and any related website pages. When you make a significant change, you then have a list to check off, to ensure that you miss nothing. This maintains consistency across your online shop brand, and avoids mixed messages, wrongly priced products and dead links.

9. Make the Most of your Posts!

Taking all of these things into consideration, apply them to your posts, old and new! Whether they're on Facebook, Insta, Etsy or your own website, your posts are your way into your customers' hearts and minds. Use them to put across your key messages as well as your products, and think of your customers' interests when writing your social posts - it's all about connection! To keep your posts branded, try Canva.com (it's free and easy to use). Simply create a quick post template and insert your logo. It makes a huge difference to your brand imagery and adds professional consistency. However, it also tells your visitors that you care about the small things, and that's always a good place to start from!

10. Set your own Rules of Engagement 

Being disciplined in your approach will improve how you engage with your customers. Regular posts will tell customers that you work every day in your shop. Offers and competitions will get your customers engaging and checking back regularly. Fast responses will show customers that you care. Whilst these might sit under the umbrella of marketing or customer service, all of them really help to boost your online shop brand. Use platforms like Hootsuite to create and schedule your content, check your competitors for ideas and make a plan that will fit with your commitments and make your customers happy! All of these things will really help you to boost your online shop brand, making your business professional, reliable and memorable to your customers. So make the most of this amazing opportunity you've created for yourself! It takes real courage to start up a business - make sure it's the best it can be!  We're all in this together:) If you found this helpful, please like and share to help other online shops like you! [DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS] [/cs_text][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]