A uniform visual theme may help to increase sales
By: Mark HaslanApril 20th, 2010
When a small business owner is trying to design a visual theme for their company, it may be in their best interest to make sure that that look is represented across all aspects of the marketing campaign. This is especially important when a marketing message is trying to encourage potential customers to go to a website. In a recent article for BtoBOnline, Carissa Newton, the director of marketing at Delivra, suggests that business owners can do that by reusing design elements to make visual connections.
Newton stresses that it is extremely important for a small business owner to reuse a business’ colors, art, and logos on its various marketing messages. When all the design elements match, it helps reduce customer skepticism, she says.
When it comes time to rebrand, Newton advises that a small business owner make sure that all the different outlets of the business receive the same design changes simultaneously. While she acknowledges that it may be beneficial to keep some of the old elements intact to enhance customer recognition, she emphasizes the importance of making sure that the transformation is done uniformly across the board. Customers may think they are at the wrong website if the designs are radically different, she says.
"If there is a disconnect because the email doesn’t look like the Web site, your subscribers may think your email is spam," says Newton. "Carrying a similar look throughout all these customer touch points makes customers comfortable with your brand, which in turn makes them comfortable pulling out their wallets."
Though Newton’s article primarily deals with making sure email messages match the company’s websites, small business owners can adapt this to their direct mail marketing campaigns as well. The colors, art, and logos used in the direct mail marketing campaign should be the same as what is used on the website and in emails. If a business’ brand colors are blue and yellow, then the brochure should make heavy use of blue and yellow. If a company has a logo, it should be on the website as well as the envelope of the marketing materials. By ensuring that all of a business’ marketing outreaches share a uniform look, a small business owner may be able to reduce customer skepticism and encourage sales.
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