A design checklist every startup business needs
Branding is one of the most important aspects of any aspiring company, large or small, retail or B2B.
During the process of launching a new business, your logo and branding ideas are possibly the most important concepts. The base of your brand is your logo, your website, packaging, and promotional materials. Everything on this startup design checklist should integrate your logo and communicate your brand.
Read on for the design checklist that every startup business needs.
Define your brand
Your brand is your guarantee to your customers, it tells them what they can expect from everything you do for them. It needs to reflect who you are, who you want to be and how people perceive you!
The secret to branding is that it can be used creatively without further explanation. If you want to come across as a bitcoin pro or a marketing expert your branding is paramount.
There is a lot of decisions to make when building a brand. As a starting point we recommend you spend some time devising ideas. Investigating your competitors is a good way to start your journey and will give you a rough idea of your likes and dislikes. Ask yourself, ‘What qualities do you want associated with your company?’
A brilliant logo
A high-quality logo will go a long way and unless you are able to create your own professional looking logo, it is advised that you should hire a professional in this field.
Some key factors to consider when embarking on your logo design are:
Functionality: Will it work on various promotional materials like, your business card, a large poster as well as online?
Originality: Create something that is original. Your branding is the face of your company and you want to stand out from the crowd. Don’t settle for stock art, it will be immediately obvious.
Simple: The last thing you want to do is confuse customers, a complex drawing with obscure references is a no-no. Keep the art clean and simple.
Timeless: It can be hard to judge, but create a logo that will still work into the next decade, and beyond.
Develop a tagline!
Your tagline needs to be short and sweet, something you can say in a single breath. If you can capture the right phrase it will stick in the minds of your clients. A tagline can remind them consciously and unconsciously of the essence of your brand.
Your website
Your website is one of the most valuable business investments you will ever make. The worst thing you can do is to Jump into a design. Not planning your web build is likely to result in regret and possible loss of sales and time. Your customers need a website that incorporates numerous elements and ties together seamlessly.
As a starting point you need to consider your product offerings, brand, business model and your short and long-term marketing strategies.
From the initial design stage it is best to sketch out a wireframe and then incorporate elements one at a time before launching into the actual creation of the site. Of course, you will want your site to look fantastic, be functional and to feature your incredible new branding, but there are many other choices to be made before embarking on a web build.
Content marketing
High quality content tailored to your target audience is vital to get your message across. It has a double benefit of helping with your website’s SEO rankings. Publishing articles on your site that tie into your brand will also engage your visitors and keep them coming back. Well written content will also boost your authority and enhance your online presence.
Social media
Using social media and linking to your website is a cost-effective way of promoting a new business. Blogging, Tweeting and using Facebook shares more targeted content enhances customer trust and increases brand awareness.
Be responsive
In the modern age we expect to have a good digital experience when visiting pages, no matter what device we are viewing it on. To put it into perspective, 78% of the media-using population is multi-screen?
eCommerce
Post-COVID, eCommerce has evolved to be the preferable way to purchase goods. Countless number of businesses reach new heights with eCommerce, and take advantage of using the platform the internet provides. With building an eCommerce site you will need to consider payment gateways, delivery options and customer feedback channels.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading our design checklist that every startup needs. Remember that hiring experienced professionals will be your best bet to get a quality product. With the insights of your company and their experience in the digital field, the collaboration will yield stand-out results.
