The Foundry House

small business

When does a prototype need a brand identity?

When does a prototype or beta version of a product need a brand identity?

I had a debate recently with a start up team who are developing what sounds like a useful sports training app called Rowe.rs. They have a beta version and a community of athletes ready to put the app through its paces. Like many entrepreneurs they are all over their product but they lack experience in communications and wanted a sounding board. Among other questions, they were questioning how important branding was at their early stage of development.

Brand identity now or later?

As product developers, two out of three of them wanted to prove the product with a qualified test group before investing in branding, which I think they saw as ‘fluffy’ stuff (my words, not theirs)! As a comms person I instinctively wanted them to nail the product name and logo and tie the URL in so it all made sense to their user community.

I quickly realised we were approaching the question from different angles.

Two approaches to market readiness

1. Brand identity first

Few start ups are likely to invest in a comprehensive branding exercise but if you’re testing a product, a clear and consistent visual brand with strong messaging can help to inspire confidence. This applies to your potential customers as well as investors.

2. Prove the concept first

The flip side says get the product working well and prove it, then worry about the brand and its personality. This keeps the team focused on what it knows and keeps costs down. Also, users can be more forgiving of beta versions so there is a case for keeping a few rough edges.

The answer to the question depends on a number of factors including the aspirations of the founder team, money and the state of the market. If there is competition out there or expected to emerge, the race is on to win support. In my view, a logo with a URL that ties in with the product name and strong messaging are minimum requirements. The case for a website is strong too but beware, it will chew up the founders’ time.

The Rowe.rs team has made great progress with their product in the last few months and I’m pleased to say they saw the value in developing a coherent brand identity 🙂 It will be interesting to see how they grow the user community, capture feedback and keep in touch as things progress. Early adopters are often the biggest advocates so it’s worth having systems in place!

Your website is an investment not a cost

Some SMEs are missing a trick when it comes to digital marketing because they can’t seem to see that their website is an investment not a cost.

The majority of our business comes from word of mouth so I’m not sure I see the value in updating our website.

This is, pretty much word for word, something I hear a lot from small businesses, particularly service providers.

For companies selling product off the page, a well designed and maintained website is a given, but service-led businesses operate differently because the majority of their new business leads come from word of mouth recommendations and networking. That’s where this misconception arises.

I’m the first to accept that selling services is all about people, relationships and track record but a potential customer’s first step after the initial intro is likely to take them to your website. They need it to tell them what you offer, why you’re better or different, who you work with etc. It needs to inspire confidence so they feel compelled to pick up the phone. If their Googling takes them to a dated site with little or none of the messaging, professionalism and endorsement that came out in the initial discussion or recommendation, the competitive advantage that accompanied the referral will go up in a puff of smoke.

This makes your website an important validation tool.

Where’s the ROI?

The main stumbling block in this debate is ROI. Quite simply the sceptics see an improved or new website as a cost rather than an investment. Some perhaps think of it as a fluffy design exercise rather than something that could focus minds and deliver strategic benefit. Either way, even if they view it more positively, they want to see the ROI. And that’s where you need an open mind.

If you’re selling a product, it will be easy to measure the return on investment; with the right web strategy and analytics, leads and sales can be tracked. But pinning down the ROI of a website for a service business needs a broader perspective because it is often less a sales channel and more a shop window or a validation tool.

In truth it can be hard (though not impossible) to nail the ROI of a new or updated website for a service-led business because it’s less about numbers. I encourage people instead to think more in terms of business benefits.  Even with the most passive approach to promoting your business, these include:

  • You’ll be surprised how good it feels to be able to signpost new business prospects to your site, confident in the knowledge that it is an accurate reflection of your business and the work you are doing
  • It can really help telephone conversations if you can point people to your web content as you talk
  • A good quality website will make it easier for your happy customers to forward the link and recommend you
  • A professional looking, search engine friendly site will inspire pride in your staff who are (or should be!) among your best advocates
  • If you get the messaging, content and SEO right, you will improve your chances of picking up referrals via search engines
  • You will no longer get that sinking feeling when someone asks you to forward a link to your website

If you ‘get’ this rationale, then think of the even greater value your website could add if it is placed at the heart of a properly integrated digital communications plan.

Your website is a vital expression of your brand – why shouldn’t its look and feel, functionality, site architecture and performance in search engines be every bit as good as the service you provide?