E-commerce branding solutions. (E-commerce).

In the vast sea of e-commerce, consumers and businesses are faced with more choices than ever before about whom to do business with. In this increasingly crowded, confusing and noisy world, brands can provide customers with guideposts that help them make their purchasing decisions.

With the enormous range of choice and information available in the e-world, few consumers have the time or inclination to search out every alternative when seeking a product. Instead, whether it be a business procuring parts for manufacturing or computers for the office, they turn to brands.

One of the factors that makes branding an important element in the world of Cyber BIZ is consumer confidence. American online publication The E-commerce Guide quotes a recent study which showed that a whopping 67 per cent of e-consumers abandoned virtual shopping carts before closing purchases due to a lack of confidence in revealing such information as credit card and phone numbers.

Even in the business-to-business (B2B) world, buying is based on brands. Company purchasing agents want to be sure their purchases will be approved and a powerful brand can make this possible.

In fact, companies with well-established and trusted brands are already at a distinct advantage when taking their businesses online.

How does a lesser-known CyberBIZ succeed in the world of e-commerce branding? Most marketers favour a blend of online and offline advertising.

Integrating a company's Internet strategy with conventional off-line branding techniques is called brand spiralling. With brand spiralling, companies use conventional broadcast and print media to attract customers to their online sites.

They advertise their Web location on everything from billboards to shopping bags, driving traffice to their sites and boosting brand recognition.

Branding experience is also being carried out through Web sites. Simplicity is key to building a Web site around a popular brand that will attract repeat online visitors. Research shows Internet users will not tolerate surfing on slow or overly complicated sites. Customers do not want to be overwhelmed with too many branded product sites. Simplicity is the key.

Article provided by the Business Development Bank of Canada.