Top 4 Traits of A Successful Brand

After being in the handmade industry for several years now, I’ve noticed a pattern among the successful businesses and the ones who don’t make it. Starting a new business can be overwhelming and when I started my second business, The Sassy Creative, there were a few things that I knew I had to have in place if I wanted it to be as successful as my first one. So, today I thought I’d share those top five things with you.  

Let’s get started.

1. Quality product

While it may seem obvious, the number one thing you need is a quality product. A quality product can mean a lot of things. Most of all, it means a product that is well-made and in demand. This requires good craftsmanship and market research. You want to be sure that you are creating a product that meets industry standards and trend demands.

2. Great customer service

Customers expect to be treated well. They want their orders shipped on time, emails answered, and problems resolved courteously. If you fail to this, word will get around and quickly. Top notch customer service is a must if you expect to stay in business. A bah-humbug attitude where you refuse to ever work with customers to resolve issues will not build a long-term business. What does this mean? Treat customers how you would like to be treated. Develop fair and reasonable policies and stick to them.

3. Cohesive brand identity

A focused brand helps your customers to feel confident in their purchase. It positions you as an expert in your niche or industry. What do you want your brand to be known for? By focusing on one product type, you are also better able to target a specific audience and hone in your marketing efforts.

4. Consistency

There is already a theme in having a quality product, great customer service, and a cohesive brand – consistency.  Consistency is key. When customers see this consistency, you are also seen as dependable and trustworthy. All of this priceless to online shoppers when worries of being scammed are high. You are decreasing that worry by showing them you are a legitimate brand with expert experience.

I encourage you to take some time offer the next few days and look at your handmade shop. Is there room for improvement in any of these areas in your shop – product quality, customer service, brand identity, or overall consistency? Look, no one’s perfect. We all have things to improve and running a business is a constant evolution of progress. Depending on where you’re at in the process, you may just have a little more to work on. Improvement in any of the areas will have an overall positive effect on your shop.