Put it on repeat: Brand Codes & The Importance Of Consistency

Webflow: Scalable, Flexible, and Fully Managed

Webflow is a powerful platform for businesses looking for a fast, scalable, and cost-efficient solution. It’s a no-code tool, which means – in theory – you don’t need a developer on hand to make day-to-day updates or build new pages once it's been built. Webflow also provides everything in one place – hosting, security, and performance monitoring – with built-in features like automatic updates, SSL certificates, and backups, making it an excellent and secure all-in-one solution. Its fully managed hosting also removes the stress of maintaining third-party tools, and the need for ongoing maintenance fees.

One of the most powerful things we love is that sites built on Webflow can be easily created as component-based systems, where every element – from hero sections to calls-to-action – is modular. This means once your website is built, your marketing team can easily create new pages or adapt existing ones by dragging and dropping pre-built components, all without needing further technical input. This can of course be done in WordPress too, however as with most WordPress features, you'd need to use a third-party plugin.

Setting up a CMS for multiple types of posts in Webflow is incredibly straight-forward too – unlike WordPress where a new post type requires development, Webflow allows you to add new types of posts, and build post templates with minimal hassle, as and when they're needed. What's more, even without a dedicated CMS, all static content can be edited by content managers via a front-end editor, without the need to dive into a backend CMS. And if you to lock it down further, you can choose to remove editing ability only for specific content. What's not to love?

For all these reasons and more, for marketing teams looking for simplicity, scalability, and independence, Webflow is our go-to platform.

All static content can be edited by content managers via a front-end editor, without the need to dive into a backend CMS

WordPress: Tailored Solutions for Complex Needs

For larger organisations with unique requirements or complex technical needs, WordPress is often the better choice. With a huge amount of plugins, themes, and integrations available, WordPress can be tailored to deliver advanced workflows, complex e-commerce platforms, or custom features that aren’t as easily achieved in Webflow. One of the main reasons larger companies opt for WordPress is that it requires separate hosting – something that allows for more choice and control. This is a positive for many, however, for others, the ongoing maintenance and upkeep required are also some of the biggest pains.

As with Webflow, WordPress can also be built with a modular approach, so new pages can be created using a drag and drop system of components. We use Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) for this to ensure our clients' internal teams can manage their content efficiently and scale their sites with ease, post-launch.

However, it's worth considering WordPress isn't an all-in-one package, and does come with more moving – particularly third-party – parts. All these things make it a significantly larger beast. And while hosting, security, and functionality often rely on third-party platforms and plugins, WordPress sites need regular updates and careful management to avoid vulnerabilities. Many of these things add a great deal of flexibility, however they also introduce a requirement for far more oversight and ongoing maintenance to ensure everything continues to work seamlessly.

All this considered though, WordPress is still ideal for businesses with complex integration requirements, or custom technical workflows, provided there’s a plan in place to manage the additional overhead.

Why do you engage with one brand over another? Most probably because you trust that brand, and trust is something that’s cultivated very carefully through a number of things. The most subtle of which is its brand voice. Creating your brand’s voice is all about aligning yourself with your audience: literally speaking directly to them. The way tabloids speak to their readers is very different to the way the broadsheets write, for example. Similarly, McDonald’s are always “Lovin’ it” – they’d never be “Loving it”, while the way messages are verbally presented to children in advertising is miles away from those pitched at Saga holiday clients. Here are a few things to think about when creating your brand voice.

Who are you?

You can’t possibly know who you’re talking to if you don’t know your own product. Take time to think about who you are, what you do, who you’re aiming at and why you’re different to your competitors. If you don’t know what it is that makes you special, then you won’t be able to communicate that to your audience in their language, and they in turn won’t trust you. It’s impossible to build rapport with your clients if they are in any doubt over who you are, and who you think you are.

If you don’t know what it is that makes you special, then you won’t be able to communicate that to your audience in their language

Consistently ask yourself, “Is this something they’d say? Is this something they’d like? Is this something they’d read/use?”

Who are your audience?

Likewise, if you don’t know who will be buying or using your product, it’s tricky to pitch yourself properly. It helps to build a picture of your audience in your mind – either someone you know if that fits, or you can create a fictional person yourself. Make more than one person if your product is more universal. What is their name? Age? What do they look like? What things do they like? What do they do in their spare time? Where do they shop? What other (rival) brands do they use (and why?) Write this all down if it helps to make this person as colourful and real in your mind as possible. Always have them in mind when you’re thinking about your brand, and consistently ask yourself, “Is this something they’d say? Is this something they’d like? Is this something they’d read/use?”

Moodboards

If it helps, make moodboards for the things that your character likes. Rip pages out of magazines, or use Pinterest for visual clues that will help spark ideas. Have this moodboard where you and your team can see it, so your audience are always at the forefront of what you do – you’ll engage with them more successfully, which will have them coming back for more.

Who are your competitors?

Investigate your rivals. Read what words they use, and dissect how and why they speak to their users in the way they do. Be objective – what do they do well? What do they need to work on? Why is this? Can you do better? How? Who is their ‘character’? Would they like or use this product? Would they like yours? How are you different? How are you the same? Is that a good thing?

What keywords and phrases do you use?

Create a dictionary of keywords and phrases your character uses. This not only helps to keep you on-message with them, but it’s also good to keep handy for if (and when) writer’s block strikes. Keep a list of words not to use too. It really helps build a picture of your character, and keeps you consistent in your brand message. It’s also the most direct way of building rapport with your audience – using their language disarms them and suggests familiarity from the off. How can they not engage with you if they’re already so disarmed?

How are these words presented?

Think about how you’ll present your words. Shorter, punchier sentences are better used to inject energy into a piece. Using capital letters and exclamation marks is more suitable for young people. Think about your word count – keep it low for children, for example.

If all else fails…

If you know exactly what your point is, but are stuck for how best to present it, the best thing to do is imagine you’re at a coffee shop with your friend, and you’re explaining whatever it is to them. Write it down in its simplest forms, in layman terms, as if you’re explaining it to someone you know. Then go back and tweak the words, add bits of explanation or backstory here and there according to how your character communicates, and build from there.