Better Marketing and, the important part, better “Sales” all start with “Branding”. Are you happy with your business brand? Do you think your brand rocks or will it just do? Do you think branding is important?
What is good branding, and while thinking about it, what is forgettable branding? In this month’s columb, we will discuss the 3 main reasons new businesses need to get their brand right, how to name it at the start of trading and why more established companies may consider rebranding their trading title for a renewable future.
Attracting customers
Google’s Benefits
Selling your business
Attracting customers
In an industry full of businesses trading under a business title named after its founder or including the industry description of “plumbing & heating,” it is common to see vans driving around with something similar to “Taylor Plumbing & Heating” accompanying the flame logo with an acronym “TPH” down the side of the van.
Now, this made-up example may explain that this business offers plumbing and heating services, but the name alone does little to stand out and attract customers’ interest in learning more about the business or its services.
Branding is much more than brand colours, logo design, smart workwear, and a tidy, shiny new van. It also includes the styling guidelines of the images you share on social media, the way the words read on your website, and the explainer videos attached to your quote.
Great branding improves “perceived value.” That is what “value” your customers “perceive” when looking at your business brand, which can lead to higher-paying jobs, better long-term customers, and referrals to their friends and family.
Google's Benefits
“Pssst!” Read this part very slowly so you fully understand its importance. Although Google cannot appreciate what your brand colours are, your logo, or how impressive your tidy, shiny van is, Google can read your Google Business Profile, every word on your website, and everything you put out on social media.
The name of a business is one of the most important factors in how Google prioritises the top 3 businesses to be included in the map pack. Keyword volume and keyword density are other metrics used by the Google algorithm to determine how “relevant” a website or a webpage is for any customer’s search. Businesses named after the town, city, or region have more opportunities to include those keywords when sharing information on their website. It’s much easier and quicker to write a short blog about what your business has been doing this month than to write an informative news article relevant to your industry. Over time you will find your website and your Google Business Profile start to dominate Google Maps and the organic positions, driving more customer leads directly to your business profits.
Let me summarise this. If you name your business Bristol Boiler Experts, not only will you have an advantage on Google Maps, but you will also have an advantage in ranking higher for customers searching for “Bristol Boiler Replacement, Bristol Boiler Service, Bristol Boiler Repair, Ect Ect Ect.
Selling your business
Setting your brand up for success will pay for many years, but what about the exit strategy? What about when it’s time to slow down, retire or sell up?
One of the main reasons trade businesses do not sell is that the sale company is named after the owner. If the business is doing OK, with profits on the books, but named “Taylor Plumbing & Heating,” it would be more difficult to find a buyer than another business for sale, “Telford Plumbing & Heating.” A well-branded business is easier to absorb into another business. If you lived in the Telford area, would you rather acquire a profitable business named Taylor or Telford?
Putting recent company accounts to one side and the value of the vans & tools that you can cash in, consider the value of the business’s digital assets. I recently spoke to a chap who sold his well-branded website to a competitor across town for £8,000 when he decided to leave the industry.
Summary
Building your business to sell may seem like a long ball game, but understanding how Google works will also give you an advantage in the very near future and for years after.
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Tom Lee-Zmuda
Hey buddy. My name is Tom, a former heating engineer turned marketing Jedi. My team and I specialise in helping local HVAC and Solar business owners dominate Google and sell their most profitable services. We are committed to building the best ROI through local SEO, kick-ass websites & sales communications that attract, sell and keep your best five-star customers.
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