How to Build Your Brand Identity with Landing Page Design and Optimization

Even more important than driving recognition is the fact that branding contributes to the authenticity of your business. And, when you consider that 86% of consumers make purchasing decisions based on brand originality, you want to stand out from the competition.

But what do landing pages have to do with building your brand identity?

Being a digital asset that you use in your marketing campaigns, landing pages hold the potential of capturing and holding on to audience attention. And, if you design and optimize them to build and support your brand identity, they can be a leading contributor to better campaign ROI, higher conversion rates and a more positive brand association among your target audience.

So what do you need to do in terms of design? And are there any optimization hacks that support landing page performance for branding? Here are a few tricks that are sure to benefit your business.

1. Construct messages that resonate with your audience

The best way to build your brand identity with landing page design is to take a closer look at the messages that you communicate with your audience. Not only will your branding depend on what you want to say, but it will also be determined by how you say it.

Get it right, and you're bound to see great results in terms of brand strength. But get it wrong, and you risk coming off as the wrong choice for your target audience.

On the whole, there are a few things you should pay attention to when designing the verbal aspect of your landing pages intended to build brand identity.

Address and highlight audience needs

When designing for brand identity, you need to make sure that you leave an impactful first impression. One of the best ways to do that is to create a hero section that resonates with your audience.

To do this, you'll have to coin the perfect unique value proposition and nail your brand voice. But, you'll also have to find a way to make these messages stand out.

Check out how Mixam does it, for example.

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Knowing that one of the first places web visitors are likely to look is the logo, the design team behind this brand decided to make it the most prominent element on its landing page. Then, it enriched it with a catchy tagline – "the smart way to print" – aiming to position Mixam as an authority in the printing industry and the absolute best choice for consumers looking for this type of solution.

For another instance of how words and design can collaborate to build your brand identity, take a look at the Ember homepage.

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This company's strategy for branding was to identify a common user problem. Then, they created a unique value proposition that would connect with its audience by directly addressing that problem. The phrase "say goodbye to cold coffee" doesn't just grab attention. Thanks to the choice of typography, it stands out visually, all the while leaving an impression of offering a sleek but effective solution.

Don't underestimate the importance of microcopy

In addition to making your messages stand out with visual design, don't forget to employ UX text to further strengthen your brand identity. The way you use and present microcopy, not just in CTA buttons but in all areas of your site, will determine the impression web visitors walk away with.

For example, check out how Rain or Shine Golf utilizes UX text design to appeal to its audience.

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Instead of employing a standard newsletter subscription button, this brand's design team recognized an opportunity to communicate its passion for golf with microcopy. So, it uses the phrase "get the inside stroke," subtly but impactfully contributing to a brand image that is all about dedication to golf.

2. Use visual design to improve brand recognition

It's no secret that color palettes and website layouts contribute to consumers' impressions of brands. That's why industry-leading companies like DJI are so committed to their visual choices.

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As you can see, each of this brand's landing pages is designed in a minimalistic way, favoring a neutral color palette, using white typography and highlighting a product. The result is a uniform impression that web visitors walk away with. When leaving the landing page, audiences understand that DJI creates high-quality video equipment for professionals. Even more, they know that the brand offers to-the-point solutions instead of using bells and whistles to overpromise, then underdeliver.

Present crucial information visually

Of course, not all brands can build their identity on stunning product photography. But that doesn't mean they can't use visual information to underline their core values.

Check out the Mannequin Mall homepage, for example.

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Being a company that carries thousands of products (none of which come off as too exciting, to be honest), this brand chose to build its brand identity with visuals but with a twist. The marketers behind Mannequin Mall's branding strategy knew that the most impactful aspects of the company's identity include trustworthiness, authority, and experience. So, they created a social proof section that highlights all of these by showing off some of the brand's most notable customers.

Consider using video

In 2020, as many as 54% of companies included videos on their landing pages. And, considering that consumers are spending more and more time interacting with this content format, it might not be a bad idea to consider the branding benefits offered by video.

First and foremost, videos are considerably more attention-grabbing and engaging than static images or text. Secondly, they are capable of effectively conveying a greater amount of information than other formats. Finally, video allows you to effectively build brand identity without losing focus from your products.

If you check out this short explainer from MindNode, you'll see how effectively the brand combines identity building with feature descriptions thanks to video.

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Sure, you can do something more elaborate, like Tissot. But remember that your landing pages don't have to be complicated. They just have to be effective at appealing to your audience and successfully conveying your main message.

3. Don't forget about technical optimization

Finally, as you look for ways to help your landing pages build brand identity better, don't forget that the way these assets perform will impact the way your web visitors see your business.

If your pages are hard to navigate, slow to load, or poorly designed, then the impression you leave won't be positive. But, if they're crisp, user-friendly and perform well on mobile devices, then the positive response is sure to affect the way your target audience sees your company.

Summing up

First impressions make up a huge part of a brand's potential success, which is why building the perfect landing page is so crucial. After all, if you're sending traffic (paid or organic) to these digital spaces, you want them to be 100% optimized to get you conversions.

So, before you publish a landing page, make sure to evaluate the message it sends about your brand. Does it contribute to your company coming off as dependable, trendy, user-oriented? Or does it make you look sloppy and dated?

Don't be afraid to re-evaluate your visual and copywriting choices. After all, building brand identity is not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of job. It's a continuous process that'll go on as long as your brand is in business. And hopefully, that's for decades to come.