How To Create an eCommerce Brand that Feels Authentic

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How To Create an eCommerce Brand that Feels Authentic

Whether you’re in the process of creating a new brand or you’re keen to spice up an existing one, it’s worth bearing in mind that a strong brand is more than just a name, a logo, and a company color scheme. Creating a recognizable eCommerce brand that consumers view as real and trustworthy is a serious undertaking – but one that reaps plentiful rewards if done well. Ask yourself, what makes your business compelling? How would your customers pick you out of a crowd? Building a successful eCommerce brand is as much about the human aspects of listening, storytelling, and finding a purpose as it is about having the perfect font. So how will you create an e-commerce brand that feels authentic to your customers in 2022?

No one is as deaf as the man who will not listen.

Trust begins with listening. This applies to all kinds of human relationships, including between a customer and a business owner. Would you trust a merchant who doesn’t answer your queries or concerns? Would you spend money with them? Likely not. All successful eCommerce business owners understand that they need to be available to their customers, whether that’s by phone, by email, or through live chat. If you can answer a visitor’s query while still in mind to buy, you are much more likely to convert them.

Customer service is a biggie, and it says as much (if not more) about your brand as it looks and feels. People appreciate being listened to and having their customer journey easy for them. If you want your eCommerce brand to come across as authentic, be there for your customers when they need you. Word of mouth travels fast, and if customers know you can be relied upon, they will return to you time after time – and likely recommend your business to friends and family too.

Marketing is about the stories you tell.

In business and marketing (and indeed life), stories are one of the most powerful persuasive tools at your disposal. Today’s consumers have no time for boring, faceless brands. Stories give your brand personality, and even more importantly, they foster trust. In the game of eCommerce, gaining the trust of your target audience is everything.

Humans are born storytellers, and our brains respond to stories in deeply affecting ways. They offer much more than a simple ad or sales pitch – they connect to our values and emotions. So consider the story of your brand. Why does your brand exist? In the answer lies your story – and through your story, you connect with your audience. But here’s a tip: any old story will not do. Your story must be told with a flair and personality that aligns with your brand identity. For best results, keep it simple. Simple stories are shareable and more likely to stick in the reader’s mind.

TOMS is an example of a business with a winning brand story. Created by Blake Mycoskie, an altruistic entrepreneur, its business model is based on one simple idea: for every pair of shoes purchased, another pair goes to a child in need. It’s not difficult to understand, and the outcome is positive. Even better, when a customer buys from TOMS, they become a part of that story.

TOMS is an example of a business with a winning brand story.
TOMS is an example of a business with a winning brand story.

Find your purpose to give your brand meaning.

The best and quickest way to get to the root of your brand is all about is to ask yourself: what is your purpose? What are you trying to change, and what needs are you trying to meet? An authentic brand knows what it’s fighting for – or against. You are more likely to inspire others to adopt your mindset with a compelling mission. If your purpose as a business is nothing more than making a profit, this doesn’t give you much to work with when making brand decisions. A robust eCommerce brand embraces its beliefs and wears them on its sleeve.

Find your purpose to give your brand meaning
Find your purpose to give your brand meaning.

Let’s take a brand most of us have heard of Innocent Smoothies. Their whole deal – their ethos – is sustainability. From their ingredients to their packaging, their mission is to do business to benefit society and the environment. But let me guess, you already knew that? That’s because their brand is doing its job.

So ask yourself, what is the purpose of your brand? And how can this factor into your branding decisions so that your customers get what you’re all about?

Consistency is essential

Which of your friends do you trust more? The level-headed friend who you can always count on, or the flaky friend who is constantly reinventing themselves? It’s a leading question – we already know the answer. In life and business, consistency forms an essential foundation of trust. So on some level, we already understand who our real friends are.

As your customers come to know you and your store better, they will start to anticipate how your business will behave based on their previous experiences. If a customer has a positive experience shopping with you and comes back a second time, they will expect the same positive experience. And if they don’t get it? You’re deflating their expectations of you. With so many flaky brands out there, consumers value those that live up to (and exceed) their needs.

Consistency is also about recognition. So at the outset of creating your brand, think about how you want to position yourself – and stick to it. This applies to everything from how you respond to customer service requests to your tone of voice, the imagery you use, and how quickly you handle the order fulfillment.

  • Keep your tone consistent across your website content, from your about page to your product descriptions. If you’re cheeky, be cheeky. If you’re geeky, be geeky. Don’t give your website a split personality.
  • Use complementary imagery that sticks to a theme. For example, if you like your product images on a white background, have them all on a white background. Keep camera angles in sync and create a signature style in your photography. If in doubt, keep it simple – it’s easy to overengineer your imagery.
  • Do your product photos accurately represent your products? This is very important – it’s akin to using a 10-year-old photo of yourself on a dating site – the risk of disappointment is high. Make sure that when your customers receive their purchase from you, it looks and feels as they would expect

Commit to content marketing

People instantly feel a closer bond with websites that provide quality content. Why? Its apparent great content acts as proof that your store knows its industry. The benefits of content marketing are varied and numerous, but many eCommerce store owners find committing to a content strategy offputting since it requires a substantial investment of time.

The thing is, if you’re serious about creating an authentic, authoritative eCommerce brand that people trust and want to talk about, then content marketing is essential. It offers far more customer value than traditional marketing methods (which are also more expensive in the long run). You still reap all the benefits of social sharing, better SEO, and increased networking opportunities. What’s more, you can turn users’ tendency to research products before buying to your advantage – by being the research source, they find in the first place. Good content marketing enhances the authenticity of your brand in almost every way.

Let’s look at the example of Gilt, a fashion website created using Shopify. Gilt is an eCommerce store, but it markets itself (very effectively) with its sister site GiltMANual – a content-led site that provides a resource for men who want to develop their style. As a result, GiltMANual has become a media outlet and fashion authority in its own right, which is a considerable advantage when promoting Gilt menswear.

Commit to content marketing
Commit to content marketing

 

So how to create an authentic eCommerce brand? First, you can’t fake it. Consumers are intelligent, and they are conditioned to know whether a store is a genuine article or not. For the best chance of success, you need to embody your brand. Tell a compelling story, act by your values and maintain a consistent, responsive image that your audience will grow to know and trust. Which of these elements is your brand missing right now?


Patrick Foster: eCommerce writer & business coach
Patrick Foster: eCommerce writer & business coach

Patrick Foster: eCommerce writer & business coach

I’m hugely passionate about all things eCommerce, from strategy and website builds to branding and marketing. I write for Ecommerce Tips, as well as for various guest publications worldwide.

How To Create an Ecommerce Brand that Feels Authentic

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