A corporate brand is an intangible business asset. It's the personification of the organisation, its products and services. The image and reputation that a brand conveys attracts new customers and generates loyalty that helps retain existing customers. The same is true of corporate internet branding.

Since 2004, corporate internet branding has become a board level issue as the web had become a maturing channel to market and many companies have begun developing online brand promotion for the first time. With its multimedia capabilities the internet is unique, offering a vast array of information at the touch of a button. For most people, the way they use the internet is strongly influenced by search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Search engines act as the main highways through which information passes, so any corporate internet branding strategy needs to include some degree of search engine optimisation.

User Experience - The heart of Corporate Internet Branding

Corporate branding for the internet involves many of the fundamentals of traditional branding. Clients define their target market, the essential truths about their brand and what image or message they want to portray. A visually appealing design, intuitive navigation, compelling and meaningful content, search engine optimisation and special interactive features can combine to create an effective corporate Internet branding strategy. Consistency is a key element in creating a successful branding strategy. The visual image you have online should mirror the image you have offline in print material and print ads.

Corporations with an offline tradition face many challenges when transferring their brand values and experience to the web. The internet has its own standards, culture and conventions. Responsiveness is key - customers expect instant acknowledgement of enquiries and purchases. They want web sites that are easy to navigate and which enable them to find what they want quickly and easily - they want to feel in control. The extent to which a brand fosters and enables this sense of control largely defines how successful it will be on the internet. Every customer interaction on the web needs to live up to what the corporate brand promises - a corporate internet brand, just like any other, is only as strong as the weakest link in its chain.

At Deckchair, our corporate Internet branding services are affordably priced, and complement other services including logo and brochure design. This means that you can integrate your branding through one creative team. Deckchair can provide every aspect of corporate internet branding from custom design, to content development, to print design, to advice and help with search engine optimisation and marketing strategies. Working closely with corporate clients, we aim to apply our web expertise to clearly and creatively extend a company's branding onto the internet.