It’s a familiar situation for many web developers: a client needs a new website, but they haven’t done any work on their brand identity or positioning. They might have a basic logo and a brand colour — sometimes not even that. So where does the web developer start? Ideally, by pointing them in the direction of a brand strategist.

“Isn’t that overkill?” you might think. In reality, brand strategy should be the foundation of every marketing effort, including website creation. Skip this step, and the web developer is steering a rudderless ship.

A strong brand feels cohesive and consistent. It’s relevant to both your ideal customers and your internal team. It’s easy for potential customers to recall at the right moment, and it’s clearly differentiated from competitors.

A brand strategist helps lay these foundations. They guide you through the process of uncovering the who, the why and the how of your business, helping you develop a brand story that resonates with your target audience (and often clarifying exactly who that audience is). They’ll define the core message you want your brand to communicate. From there, a copywriter and brand identity designer shape how your brand looks, feels and sounds.

Elements like colours, shapes and fonts send subtle signals about your brand — often without people consciously realising it. Word choice plays a role too, influencing whether your brand feels young, fresh, innovative, trustworthy, experienced, caring, inspiring, exciting...

Once your brand identity is in place, you have the tools to present your brand consistently — on your website, across social media, on flyers, business cards, vans, packaging and even invoices. This consistency builds trust. It shows you’re not a fly-by-night operation, but a solid business people can rely on. It also makes your brand far more memorable than if it looks and sounds different every time someone encounters it.

Rush into building a website without this foundation, and you’ll likely end up with a generic site that doesn’t tell your brand’s story to the people who need to hear it. In short, it won’t connect — and it won’t achieve its goals. Cutting corners on branding often turns out to be a false economy.