Brand your website the Apple way

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Gary Chow | No Comments » | Trackback URL

The other day I wandered into the new Apple computer store which recently opened in the Brisbane suburb of Chermside.

I’ve got to tell you, the first impression you get is ‘wow!’

There are Apple stores all over the world, at last count 283 including 6 in Australia. So I guess there are many just like this one, and some even more impressive. But this one certainly tickled my fancy.

Everything about the Apple store is geared towards customer needs. The emphasis is squarely on service.

The moment you walk through the door you are greeted by a ‘concierge’ who finds out what you are seeking and directs you to a ‘specialist’ who is trained to answer all your preliminary questions about any of the products. I got the feeling that the Apple staff know what they are talking about. If they don’t, they endeavour to find out by consulting with a colleague. Unlike staffers in other computer stores, they don’t try and bluff their way though your queries.

Just by spending a short time in the Apple store you’ll get a fairly good idea why Apple is so successful. Sure they design and make great computers and Ipods and the rest, but without doubt the cornerstone of their spectacular success has to be marketing. To say the company is one of the world’s best marketers would be a gross understatement.

Everything about the Apple store delivers a powerful consistent message:

• We offer superior product quality
• We provide customer service second to none
• We’ll help you every step of the way.

The look and feel of the store is understated, stylish and purposeful. Everything is clearly sign-posted. The space between display tables are well spaced out and walkways are wide and easy to navigate. It is everything a lot of computer and electronic stores just aren’t. There is no mind-numbing music, no flashing lights, no boxes to trip over, no bargain bins and, best of all, no high pressure salespeople.

The experience you get in the store is much like you get when using one of Apple’s computers – easy, pleasurable and intuitive.

The same goes for Apple’s website. For anyone seeking to develop a site or to improve their website I’d recommend they head to the Apple site and pick up some useful ideas. In fact, there are few better, more user-friendly and informative sites than Apple’s, and here are some reasons why:

• The site structure makes sense to the user; the purpose is clear and everything is where you’d expect to find them
• The site addresses user needs but at the same it keeps faith to the goals of the company
• Navigation is consistent and intuitive; it’s easy to find what you want and hard to get lost
• Sections are clearly and conventionally labelled
• Information is logically organised and categorised
• Content is meaningful and engaging
• There are plenty of support services onsite including how-to videos, detailed explanations, downloads and community discussion forums
• Visual design is stylish, modern, crisp and consistent with the Apple brand
• Content throughout the site including the high resolution images, the videos, colours, fonts, themes, etc are attractive and also reinforces the brand image
• The writing is precise and succinct, using an active tone of voice
• Explanations and descriptions are written in plain English and easy to follow.

The one thing that stands out on the Apple site is there is very little product flogging. What ‘selling’ there is is done in the form of gentle persuasion based on sharing information.

Apple does such a good job at building a distinctive and consistent brand image across all of its marketing that it’s worth using as a benchmark. If you have to copy, copy from the best.