Branding Design Mistakes That Are Turning Away Your Target Customers

If you’re trying to attract a specific type of customer (and turn them into a loyal, return customer), your branding is likely going to play a big role in that. Branding and design is often the first big impression that a customer notices about a business. It can be the deciding factor in whether they pick your product up off a shelf or not. But what if you’re unintentionally doing something that turns them away? In this blog post, we’re breaking down some of the most common design mistakes that you should avoid and make sure your branding is a client magnet, not the other way around. ↓

Mistake No. 01 / Copying another brand that you admire.

We know that there are probably some amazing brands that you look up to. Competitors that have paved the way and are doing the exact things that you dream of doing some day. But there’s a big difference between inspiration and imitation. If you find yourself using the same colors and fonts as another brand (especially a competitor), TAKE A PAUSE. Ask yourself – Do these decisions really make sense for the brand that I’m building? Do they show what makes me unique? Are they specifically meant to connect with my customer? If your answer to any of those questions is no, it’s time to rethink your approach.

A successful brand carves it’s own unique path and leans into their own story. It doesn’t copy the choices of someone else.

Mistake No. 02 / Inconsistency

Take a look across all the different areas that you are connecting with your customers. (Social media, website, email, packaging, etc.) Is the look and vibe across all of these different touch points cohesive? Or does it feel a bit disconnected? If you are using different fonts, colors and photography styles across your brand experience, it’s probably going to make things feel confusing to the customer. It might make them question what you’re really about or who your products are for since the vibe seems to always be changing.

We see this mistake on social media a lot! When brands are using different pre-made Canva templates for their social content, it can start to feel a bit random. One post uses bold fonts and bright colors. The next uses neutrals and handwritten text. It’s all over the place and makes your business more difficult to remember. Instead, you want to have a strong visual identity with a set of brand fonts, colors and logos that you use consistently across every touch point. When you are more consistent visually, it makes your business more recognizable. Customers will start to know your signature brand color or logo and instantly realize it’s you when your post pops up in their feed!

A successful brand is consistent and recognizable. It isn’t wishy-washy and constantly changing its look.

Mistake No. 03 / Prioritizing your personal preferences over what your target customer will be the most drawn to.

This is something that we often have to work through with our clients. As the founder, of course you want to love your branding. And you should! BUT sometimes it’s important to recognize that your personal preferences might not always align with the design choices that are most strategic for your business. Here’s an example of what we mean:

One of our clients was building a baby tech product and when we were pitching possible color palettes for her brand, we suggested yellow being their signature color. She immediately said no because she didn’t personally like the color yellow and said she would never paint a room in her house yellow. But from our designer perspective, we knew that yellow made a lot of sense for her brand. She wanted the brand to be joyful, happy and inspiring and all of those emotions are psychologically associated with the color yellow. So we chatted it out and eventually, she accepted that yellow was the right choice. Even if it wasn’t her favorite, her target customer was really going to be drawn to that color and enjoy how it made them feel. And with branding, that’s the entire goal. Now, she loves the yellow!

A successful brand makes strategic design choices and focus on what will connect the best with their target customer. It doesn’t get caught up in personal preferences that don’t align with their big picture goals.

As the founder, it’s your job to make smart decisions and set your brand up to be successful. And sometimes it takes an outside perspective and guidance from a team of designers (like us 👋🏼) to help you make sure you’re doing it well. We hope that these tips have been helpful and if you’re eager to work with us on bringing your brand and product experience to live, download our pricing guide and get in touch about your project!