A company’s brand is one of its most important assets, if not the most important. Company websites need to be designed with brand maximization in mind. Your website should have a voice that conveys what the company is all about.
Create Content that Fits Your Mission
Whatever line of work your business is in, your company website should offer high-quality content that fits and reflects your business mission. For example, Walmart has a Tips and Ideas section to help consumers with DIY projects, back-to-school basics for teachers and students and craft storage ideas. Other companies offer podcasts, interviews and instructional guides. This approach draws customers to you, rather than leaving you out searching for them.
Present content that is clean and smart; avoid crammed, busy visuals. Leave plenty of space between text paragraphs, and use bullets, subheadings and photos. Your users should know at a glance if a piece of content is an article, as opposed to a video or podcast.
Design Your Calls to Action
Whatever approach you take with calls to action, such as asking customers to subscribe to an email newsletter or sign up for a free product trial, put thought and care into their design. Leave space around the call to action, and keep it simple and consistent. This is not the place to interject exclamation marks or a rainbow of colors.
Use Your Logo Wisely
The company logo should be on each and every page of your site, but it should not overpower or distract. Combine it with discreet, stylish design. For example, Nike’s logo, as of 2015, is near the top left of its pages; it serves as a subtle reminder of its brand and message. Walmart’s logo is also at the top left of its website pages.
Choose Colors and Fonts Carefully
Match your fonts and colors to your brand and mission. For example, if your business is gardening, you might want to use a variation of greens combined with an earth tone. If you do corporate security, you’re probably better off with darker background colors such as black, navy blue or gray, with white or off-white text.
Stick with no more than two font families for your website to give it a consistent look and to help it load faster. Size your font to at least 11 points, and follow best practices for readability. Aim for sharp contrast between text and background. Follow the same brand principles for your website as you do for your marketing materials, so that your website has the same color scheme and feel as your print materials.
Sources:
http://www.wix.com/blog/2013/02/create-a-website-that-maximizes-your-brand-identity/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/r-kay-green/online-brand-presence_b_3140951.html
http://www.medianovak.com/web-design-made-easy/
http://blog.usabilla.com/8-guidelines-for-better-readability-on-the-web/
