Can you believe Spring is approaching already? With March upon us, spring is just around the corner. The change in season is a perfect time to reflect on your goals, your progress during the new year so far, and make any changes to help you reach those goals. This is your reminder to set some time aside to spring clean your brand and make sure it’s working as hard as possible for your business!
There are three ways you can make sure your brand is sparkling clean, from your website to your social media and visual brand identity. A clean design and clean layout can significantly enhance user experience and brand representation. We’re going to walk you through why each is important and how you can elevate your brand. We’re going to cover…
- Make sure your website it optimized for mobile view
- Clean up your email list
- Check your website analytics and refresh your SEO
Make sure your website is optimized for mobile view
Mobile optimization matters more now than ever before. Not only do three out of four consumers judge the credibility of your website based on its design (crowdspring.com), but mobile devices are generating over 50% of all website traffic nowadays (blog.hubspot.com), making mobile design almost more important than the desktop version of your website. A clean website is crucial for mobile users, as it enhances user experience and brand representation.
Intuitive navigation is essential for mobile users, guiding them easily through your site and ensuring they can find what they need without frustration.
How can you make sure visiting your website is a pleasant experience for everyone, no matter what device they’re on?
First things first, break out your phone and tablet and look up your website. Take some time to scroll through, checking the following things:
- Is all the text on your website displaying correctly?
- Can you see all the essential elements – pictures, text, buttons, etc?
- Do all the buttons work?
- Are sections displaying the correct order?
- Are there any large, blank spaces that shouldn’t be there?
Strategic use of white space can enhance readability and improve user experience by allowing key content to stand out.
Next, you’ll want to make sure your website page load time is as quick as possible. 88.5% of website users in one study said that they will leave a website because it doesn’t load fast enough (goodfirms.co), so we suggest optimizing your website to load in 1-2 seconds.
People viewing websites are short on time. Typically, they’re also distracted and trying to multi-task. Make sure that the first information people see on your website tells them what you do, who you do it for, and how you can help them.
Try to redesign any pop-ups (like email list opt-ins or cookie disclosures) to fit politely on the screen and give people a clear out if they don’t want to subscribe. Alternatively, you can just remove promotional pop-ups from your mobile design.
Make sure all the links in your mobile navigation work and it’s easy to understand. Your navigation system on your desktop site probably won’t work on a small screen, so we suggest designing an alternative hamburger-style menu that a visitor can click and expand.
Related: 9 Tips to Instantly Improve Your Website
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Clean inactive subscribers out of your email list
It’s not just your website we’re going to be looking at today, but the parts of your brand that aren’t as visible to the outside world. When your internal business operations are organized, you’ll be able to focus your brainpower on what really matters and not get distracted by your surroundings. Take some time this spring to clean up your email list so the next time you go in to send a newsletter to your audience, you’ll be confident that all your segments, sequences, and subscribers are updated and ready to go!
Here are three tips to clean up your email marketing efforts:
- Remove subscribers that have been inactive for three or more months
- Add a double opt-in to your email list to avoid spam subscribers
- Use automation to tell new subscribers about who you are, what you do, and get them used to hear from you
- Ask your audience to set their email preferences so they can decide how often they want to hear from you and what they want to learn from you
Pro tip: Your efforts to avoid inactive and spam subscribers can be applied to social media too! Clean up your followers on Instagram and remove any bot accounts that are negatively impacting your engagement rates.
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Check your website analytics and refresh your SEO
Numbers don’t lie! Your website analytics will tell you where your website traffic is coming from, how long they’re staying on your site, and where they’re spending the most of their time. By analyzing these metrics, you can make informed decisions to improve the overall user experience.
One of the best ways to increase your website traffic is to make sure you’re using your website to the best of your ability by directing attention to your own site instead of a third-party service. You can do this by adding a social media landing page to your website instead of using something like Linktree. You can also embed forms, meeting schedulers, and other services directly onto your website instead of just adding links that go elsewhere. The longer a visitor stays on your website, the better your website becomes in the eyes of SEO robots. A consistent color palette is crucial in maintaining a clean and professional appearance.
Take a look at what SEO keywords your website is ranking for and use a tool like Ubersuggest to find out what other websites you have the potential to rank for on search engines.
The website analytics you’ll want to pay the most attention to are…
- Website traffic – how many people are visiting your website
- Bounce rate – how many people leave your website after looking at only one page
- Session duration – how long potential customers are staying
- Top traffic sources – where your website traffic is coming from
- Top devices – how people are viewing your website
Placing important elements in highly visible locations within a consistent layout can significantly enhance user experience.
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Set time aside for spring cleaning your clean website!
Just like cleaning your house can take a lot of time – especially to get those details we tend to miss, making sure your brand stays presentable is also time-consuming. But there is one truth between cleaning your house and cleaning up your brand, they’re both super satisfying! Now you can sit back and relax while potential customers interact with your brand and come to you for help! A clean website design enhances user experience by emphasizing simplicity, thoughtful color choices, and ample white space, making navigation intuitive and engaging.
A consistent color scheme is crucial in creating a professional appearance, enhancing brand identity, and improving overall website aesthetics.
But don’t worry, if you don’t have time to add both spring cleaning your home and spring cleaning your brand to your to-do list, we can take one of them off your hands with our design days! Design Days give you quality deliverables in just 24 hours and trust us, we can get a lot done! From helping to optimize your website for a mobile view to creating a website game plan that takes into consideration the current habits of website visitors and your analytics, we can help with anything design-related for your brand! You can click here to learn more about Design Days. A perfect example of a well-designed website that embodies these principles is one that effectively reflects brand identity and user-friendly principles, standing out in the digital landscape.
FAQ’s
How do you clean up a brand?
Cleaning up your brand is like decluttering your closet. Start by identifying what’s no longer working – outdated visuals, inconsistent messaging, or unclear values. Then, refine your brand identity, ensuring it aligns with your target audience and business goals.
What makes a brand clean?
A clean brand is like a well-organized home. It’s clear, consistent, and easy to understand. There’s no clutter or confusion. It has a strong foundation of values and promises, and it delivers on those promises.
How can I make my brand stronger?
Focus on building genuine connections with your customers. Understand their needs and desires, and deliver exceptional experiences. Stay true to your brand’s core values and personality, and consistently deliver on your promises.