Brand Building 101: Website Design

In today’s digitally dominated world, it’s surprising how often we encounter poorly designed websites—the restaurant site with no menu page, the salon with no booking button, the shop with a cookie-cutter pre-built template, or the business that dazzles with great imagery but leaves you wondering, What do they even do?

Your website is often your business’s first impression, it's a 24/7 storefront, so if it doesn’t function seamlessly, doesn’t reflect your brand, or still looks like it was built in the early 2000’s (complete with a dancing GIF or two) then it’s likely hurting your business.

It takes about 50 milliseconds—literally the blink of an eye—for someone to form an opinion of your website, and according to a 2023 Zippia poll, 94% of those opinions are design-related.

Some other key takeaways from the same poll showcase just how important web design is as an extension of your brand:

• 75% of people will judge your business’s credibility and professionalism based solely on your website
• 76% of people will jump ship and head to a competitor site if the website has a poor user experience
• 85% of customers will visit your website before engaging with your business, even if they plan to make a purchase or do business in person

All these numbers boil down to one simple fact—a well-designed website isn’t just an aesthetic luxury, it’s a cornerstone of your brand experience. It establishes credibility, offers a customized and branded experience for your customers, and seamlessly integrates with your other marketing efforts. Plus, it allows your brand to stay dynamic, adapting to changing priorities and customer preferences over time.

Before you dive into building (or rebuilding) your website, it's essential to have a solid brand strategy and visual identity in place. Keep reading to learn about the pillars of good web design and how to leverage your website to make it one of your most effective brand tools.

Strategy first

Jumping into building a website without a defined brand strategy is like trying to bake a cake without knowing the recipe. You need to first understand your audience and competition, as well as have a clear visual identity, messaging, tone, and voice. A website isn’t just a visual representation of your brand—it’s an extension of it. For your website to be effective, it needs to be branded intentionally, not just designed to look like your brand. It should feel like your brand, down to the smallest detail.

At Quill, “strategy-first” is the core ethos at the center of any brand design project we work on. That’s because if you don’t have a solid brand strategy in place, all branded elements of your business (including your website) will reflect that—plain and simple. And since your website is often the first touchpoint for potential customers, a lack of strategy can be the difference between someone sticking around to explore more or bouncing after a brief glance at your homepage. 

Luckily, if you’re already thinking about building a new website, it’s the perfect time to consider a brand refresh. A brand refresh offers a great opportunity to step back and assess where your brand stands and use that insight to develop a fresh strategy and identity. This process allows you to create a website that’s more than just an online presence—it becomes a powerful tool that reinforces your brand’s message, engages your audience, and keeps you competitive in a constantly evolving digital landscape.

What are the most important elements of a branded website?

Consistent Brand Identity

Before you even think about website design, ensure you have a consistent brand identity in place. This includes tone, voice, colors, fonts, and visuals. If you’re missing any of these, you’re not ready for a website. Instead, first work with a branding agency that can establish a strategy and identity for your brand. Your website should be a seamless extension of your brand—not just a digital billboard.

Customer Experience

If your site looks outdated or is hard to use, it will kill interest instantly. A well-designed site not only looks good but also creates an experience for your audience that reflects your brand.

Start by understanding your customers—remember, strategy first. Once you know who they are and what they need, you can map out their journey. Test your website’s design from the customer’s point of view: Does it address their needs? Does it show them you’re the right solution? Is it easy for them to engage with your content and find what they’re looking for? A website that guides users through a clear path while reinforcing your brand promise along the way will create a positive, lasting impression.

Structure

Time to perform the Caveman Test! Could a caveman tell what your business is about just by looking at your homepage? If not, it’s time to rethink your site’s content and structure. Your website should not feel like a digital maze. Visitors should be able to figure out what you do and where to go next without any confusion. To achieve this, leverage design principles like visual hierarchy, which involves the arrangement, size, color, and contrast of elements to guide users naturally through your site. A clean, uncluttered design is key—avoid overwhelming visitors with complex features like excessive tabs, or multiple accordions. Use visual cues to subtly direct customers where you want them to go. This might include intentionally placed call-to-action buttons, strategic use of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors for key sections, or well-defined imagery that helps users quickly understand the content.

Each design choice should not only align with your brand’s visual identity but also enhance the user experience by making navigation intuitive and straightforward. That’s why it’s crucial to establish brand strategy and visual identity first. A brand design agency can juggle all of these elements and make sure that your website’s structure supports your brand identity and includes design elements that give users an optimal experience.

Content

Your website needs to speak directly to your audience. Of course, you need content that makes it clear what your business is, but you also need content that engages your customers and shows them exactly who your brand is, reinforcing that your brand aligns with their needs and values.

For example, if you’re a boutique coffee shop that prides itself on sustainable sourcing, your website shouldn’t just list your coffee offerings—it should also highlight stories about the local farmers you partner with and feature a page about your sustainability efforts. 

In case visitors aren’t ready to engage directly with your business right away, your site should also provide them with opportunities for action throughout the site. Offer a newsletter sign-up, case studies, downloadable white papers, or other useful information that once again reinforces your brand's core essential values and mission. And don’t be afraid to share valuable information upfront! By demonstrating your expertise, you build trust and increase the chances customers will come back.

SEO & Analytics

SEO and analytics are fundamental pillars of a successful website, working hand in hand to boost your site’s visibility and performance. Understanding SEO involves researching relevant keywords, optimizing content for search engines, and keeping up with best practices so that your site ranks well and attracts the right audience. Regularly updated content and strategic use of keywords help your website stay relevant and accessible to potential customers.

Analytics provide invaluable insights into how users interact with your site. Tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel track visitor behavior, showing you which pages are performing well and which aren’t. This data helps you understand user preferences, identify any issues in the user journey, and spot opportunities for improvement.

So what does that have to do with design? SEO and analytics allow you to be proactive with web design changes. By analyzing how users engage with your site and which search terms drive traffic, you can make informed decisions about design adjustments that may enhance performance. For example, if analytics reveal that users are consistently dropping off on a specific page, you would want to look at that page to assess what design elements may be negatively affecting the customer experience.

Brand agencies like Quill that offer continued brand management can look at the insights you gain from SEO research and analytics and determine which web design elements should be refined or leveraged.

Do you need a brand designer or website developer?

When a company is ready for a new website, they often put the cart before the horse and go straight to a website developer. But doing so without a solid brand strategy is like building a house without a blueprint. If you don’t have a clear understanding of your brand’s identity, values, and messaging, you’re setting yourself up for a website that lacks direction and coherence.

Before you can effectively guide a web developer, you need to have your brand strategy and visual identity fully fleshed out. Once you’ve got your brand strategy and visual identity in place, you can then bring in other specialists—like a web developer to build out functionality, SEO experts to optimize your site, and copywriters to craft compelling content. 

In short, start with a brand designer to lay the groundwork. With a strong brand strategy and identity, you’ll be able to provide clear direction and ensure that every aspect of your website aligns with your brand’s core values and goals. This approach will set you up for success and make the subsequent steps—like developing functionality and optimizing for SEO—much smoother and more impactful.

Is it time for a website upgrade?

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re contemplating whether your website could use a makeover.

Quill can help create the framework you need to build a website that brings your brand to life. From developing a cohesive visual identity to creating a design structure that engages users and sets up a positive experience, our team can set the stage for a website that is truly an extension of your brand. 

If you’re ready to take your website to the next level, let’s chat!