What makes your business unmistakable online

Customers recognise a business by a few things: the colour, the typeface, the images and the way you write. Together these things are your digital identity. It decides whether someone who saw your ad later recognises your website as the same company.

This post shows what a recognisable presence consists of, how to check your existing presence and where to start when your time is limited.

Recognition comes from consistency

Choose fixed colours, fixed typefaces and a fitting visual style. Use them consistently on the website, on social networks and in ads. What matters is not how elaborate the individual parts are, but that they stay the same everywhere.

Write the decisions down, even if it is only one page: two colours with their colour values, one typeface for headings, one for body text, three sentences on visual style and the spelling of your company name. This page is the template for everyone who designs something for you later.

Example

Start with what already exists

First check your existing presence. What still fits, what is missing? New photos or consistent templates are often enough instead of a complete restart. A business that has used a logo for years loses recognition if it replaces it without reason.

A short inventory is useful: which profiles exist, who has access to them, which logo is there, which phone number is listed. This often turns up old profiles that nobody maintains any more. These should be either updated or deleted.

Each channel has its own job

Social media sparks interest, the Google Business Profile helps with local search, the website leads to the enquiry. This division of tasks spares you the question of whether you have to post the same thing everywhere. You do not.

Keep your details up to date everywhere. Wrong opening hours in the search profile cost you more customers than an old-fashioned logo.

Example

Start small and stay consistent

Start where your customers are. A well-kept profile and an understandable website form the basis. Further channels can follow later, once you know who looks after them.

A consistent presence on two channels comes across as more reliable than an incomplete one on six. This applies especially to businesses where the same person writes offers, looks after customers and plans the posts in the evening.

How to check your presence in half an hour

Open your website, your most important social network and your search profile one after another, ideally on your phone. Check five points:

1. Is the same company name used everywhere, spelled the same way?
2. Is the same logo stored in good quality?
3. Are address, phone number and opening hours correct?
4. Does every channel lead to the website, and does the website lead to a simple way to get in touch?
5. Do the images look like the same business?

What you find is your task list. Usually these are small things that can be done in an hour. If you notice along the way that the website itself is the weakest link, continue with What a website has to do for a small business.