You’ve had a great idea for a new company. You’ve done your market research and you’ve got a solid plan.

So when it comes to marketing your business, what’s more important – building your website or designing your logo and branding?

Simple. Logo and branding first, website design second.

Yes, the first port of call for people checking out your new business will usually be your website. So I can see the (flawed) logic behind making this the priority.

But my argument is that branding should always come first.

Getting it right from the very start

It still surprises me when clients get in touch to say they already have a website (or one is being built) but now they need a logo.

These new businesses go straight to a web design company rather than a branding designer or agency who specialise in building brands. Then they often regret it, because website design and brand design are two very different disciplines.

To me, building your logo and brand identity before your website is really important for several reasons:

It defines your personality.

Branding is key to how others perceive you. It’s how you’ll engage with your target market and how they will recognise you. It’s how you build trust and reputation, and how you’ll stand out from your competitors.

It gives you a solid foundation.

Having a strong brand from the start means you can build on it consistently and effectively. Your website can be designed around a clear set of values, so it reflects your identity clearly.

It saves you time and money.

Having a clear identity before you build your website will make the design and build a lot easier for a web designer, incurring fewer costs.

It touches every part of your business.

Having a clear set of design guidelines, including your logo, brand fonts and a colour palette, will not only give you a real presence online. It will also make your identity consistent in lots of other ways too. Think stationery, marketing collateral, packaging, social media, signage, uniforms and livery.

Ask yourself some questions

My advice is pretty straightforward. If you’re thinking of starting a new business, ask yourself a few simple questions before you even think about building your website:

Have I got a brand identity and logo?

Is my logo or branding right for the target audience?

Am I happy with it?

Does it stand out from my competitors?

If the answer is no to any of the questions above, then give me a call. I’d love to help you get it right.