Mistakes in branding can seriously undermine a business’ credibility, and can cause potential customers to walk away before you’ve even managed to talk to them.
It’s not enough to be armed with one of the best logo makers and best graphic design software if you don’t know the rules of design, as small errors that may seem minor to the uninitiated can have a big impact.
“I frequently encounter business owners who don’t realise how quickly customers form judgments based on visual cues,” explains Jacob Kettner, founder of First Rank, a SEO and digital marketing company. “Even with an excellent product or service, poor branding choices can make customers question your professionalism.”
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Below, we go back to basics as Jacob explains the eight branding mistakes that will make your business seem amateur.
01. Inconsistent visual identity
As the winners of the Brand Impact Awards know, consistency is key. In fact, consistency across touchpoints is one of the pillars that the judges are asked to consider when making their decisions.
“Visual consistency builds trust,” says Jacob. “When elements like colours, fonts, and spacing vary across your marketing materials, it creates cognitive dissonance for customers – they may not identify exactly what’s wrong, but something feels off.”
How can you fix it? A simple brand style guide should showcase your brand’s colours, fonts, logo usage rules and image styles. Make sure this document is shared with anyone who might be using your brand, including freelancers.
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02. Poor typography choices
Choosing a font can be tricky, and it’s easy to make mistakes with font pairing or opting for a serif vs sans serif. You’ll probably be safe with using one of the most iconic fonts created, though not all fonts will be right for every situation.
How can you fix it? Use two-three complementary fonts – one header font, one for body text and perhaps another accent for special elements. Investing in typography that fits in with your brand will be worth it.
03. Low-quality photography
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Using photos that are poorly lit, blurry or obviously stock imagery can affect quality and negatively impact on your brand, making it look mediocre, or worse, cheap.
“People process images faster than text,” says Jacob. “Low-quality photos send a signal that you cut corners in other areas of your business too.”
How can you fix it? Add professional photography into your budget from the start. If you need to use stock images, try and choose photos that don’t look too generic. For product photography, make sure you are using consistent backgrounds and lighting to give your images a cohesive feel.
04. Cluttered design elements
Crowding your website, flyers or business cards with too much information can overwhelm potential customers and project a bad image.
How can you fix it? Embrace white space. Remove unnecessary information and think about what matters most. Simplify as much as you can.
05. Misaligned brand voice
This is another area where having a style guide is really important. Mixing your tone of voice between formal and casual creates confusion about who your brand is. Using different tones of voices on different platforms can also cause disconnect.
How can you fix it? Develop clear brand voice guidelines and add them to your style guide. Make sure they are applied consistently across all touchpoints.
06. DIY logo design
(Image credit: Getty Images)
If you’re not a designer, it can be tempting to try and make your own logo using a basic software program. But this is not recommended, these programmes should just be used for ideation before hiring a designer to create a logo for you.
“Your logo is the face of your brand,” says Jacob. “A poorly designed logo signals that you’re either new, temporary, or not invested in quality.”
How can you fix it? View your logo as an investment rather than an expense and work with a professional designer who will know how to create a logo that will last, and work properly across applications.
It can be tricky to keep up with social media (see our best social media platforms for designers for advice on which ones to use), but abandoned platforms and mismatched profile images can project an image of disorganisation. A wildly different posting style between platforms can also cause issues.
How can you fix it? Maintain consistent profile images, bios and cover images across platforms. If you do decide to stop updating a platform, it’s better to deactivate it than leave it outdated, says Jacob.
08. Neglected website experience
There are several signals that a website has been neglected. Broken links, outdated years, slow loading and non-responsive times all signal that you’re not prioritising your site, which doesn’t send a good message.
“Your website is often the first substantial interaction customers have with your brand,” says Jacob. “Technical issues create immediate credibility problems that are difficult to overcome.”
How can you fix it? Conduct regular website audits to identify and fix broken links, outdated information, and performance issues. Ensure your site looks professional on all devices, particularly mobile.
Jacob Kettner
CEO, First Rank
Jacob Kettner, CEO of First Rank Inc. in Winnipeg, specialises in search engine marketing. A University of Manitoba Commerce graduate, he founded First Rank to help businesses grow. With expertise in digital marketing, he has served diverse industries across Canada and the U.S., including legal, beauty, repair and printing services.
For branding inspiration, see our best rebrands of the decade series.
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