Why Branding Matters for Hosted Service Providers?
“Your business is the body. Your brand is the soul.” What noted business coach Ashley Chymiy said for businesses in general could be said for Hosted Service Providers (HSPs).
Branding is extremely critical for HSPs. That’s because HSPs with top brand value command a lion share of the market. As per HostAdvice’s data as of July 2023, the top ten hosting companies around the world comprise 56.4 percent of the global web hosting market.
To put it simply, branding is the first step towards survival. As Sir Richard Branson famously said, “The way a company brands itself is everything–it will ultimately decide whether a business survives.”
And, you don’t need to be a serial entrepreneur and one of the most successful tycoons of all time to realize that!
For HSPs, showcasing their brand identity and clearly communicating what their brand stands for is extremely crucial for long-term success.
At HoduSoft, we have helped many HSPs showcase their brand identity and value to their clients and resellers in the most engaging manner.
In this blog post we will discuss why branding is important for HSPs, key components of branding for HSPs, and ways by which HSPs can showcase their brand.
If you are an HSP or you work as a senior professional in one, then this blog post is just for you! So, without further ado let’s dive right into it and understand why branding is indispensable for HSPs. Read on and you will be glad to do so!
Why Is Branding Important for HSPs?
Branding is important for every organization. However, it’s much more important for professional service providers such as HSPs for a wide array of reasons such as:
1. To Stand Out From Competition
As per renowned author and branding professional Dan Schawbel, who is also a partner and research director at Future Workplace and the managing partner of Millennial Branding, when a business brands itself properly, the competition becomes irrelevant.
The competition in the hosted service space is intense. One of the best ways HSPs can gain a competitive edge is by bolstering their brand identity.
2. To Assert Quality
Just imagine you came across a newly innovative product or a novel service. Would you purchase the former or try out the latter if you don’t have the faintest idea about the brand that sells it? Chances are, you wouldn’t.
That’s because a strong brand name promises quality! It’s much like what Muhtar Kent, the former CEO of Coca Cola, said: “A brand is a promise. A good brand is a promise kept.”
3. To Command the Right Price
Noted marketing guru Philp Kotler rightly said, “If you are not a brand, you are a commodity. Then the price is everything and the low-cost producer is the only winner.”
But when a service provider creates a strong brand identity then it can command the price it deserves. And its clients won’t shy away from paying a premium. Instead of the price tag, the brand value empowers the HSP to ensure growth and dominance!
4. To Enjoy High ROI
Would it surprise you to know that when HSPs invest on branding they are poised to get an extremely high return on their investments? You absolutely shouldn’t!
If you still have doubts, you should keep the famous quote of Steve Forbes, the chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media, in mind: “Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.”
5. To Sell More Efficiently
American marketing professional and author Alfred Paul Ries, who penned several bestsellers such as Positioning, Focus, Immutable Laws of Branding, Marketing Warfare, and more, asserted “Branding is simply a more efficient way to sell things.”
He couldn’t be more apt! What he said doesn’t just apply to businesses but also professional service providers such as MSPs, ISPs, and of course, HSPs.
6. To Establish Credibility
Effective branding succeeds in creating a positive impression in the minds of people. As Amazon’s founder and the second richest person in the world Jeff Bezos said, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
When HSPs invest in right branding strategies, the collective impression, beliefs, feelings, and expectations people have of the brand is positive and favorable.
7. To Define Organization’s Story
Every organization has a story to tell. And branding enables organizations to tell their stories in the most engaging manner possible.
In this context, HSPs must keep the words of David Brier, an award-winning branding, design, and brand strategy professional in mind: “If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.”
Key Components of Branding for HSPs
There are some key components and elements that work together to bolster robust branding for all types of businesses, including HSPs. Here are some of those:
1. Design
This refers to the visual aspect of a brand that shapes its identity. Noted American graphic designer and art director Paul Rand said, “Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” That’s so true.
As the saying goes, first impressions last long. Design is the first thing customers see the very first moment they come across a brand. It encompasses logo, colors, layout, font and typography.
2. Messaging
The next key component is the brand messaging. It is the value propositions, tone, and subtle messages your brand communicates.
It’s also the benefits, unique selling propositions (USPs), and key differentiators your brand promises.
3. Voice and Personality
This is extremely important. How a business communicates with customers makes all the difference to its brand value and identity.
To put it in the form of an analogy, if a business’s product is a souvenir, then its brand is its voice.
4. Customer Experience
Last but not the least, customer experience is just as important as the above mentioned components.
As Tony Hsieh, former CEO of Zappos, said: “Your brand is not what you sell; it’s the experience you deliver.”
Exploring the World of IP PBX for Hosted Service Providers
How Can HSPs Showcase their Brand?
When it comes to showcasing their brands, some companies have it easier than others. The mega corporations can shell out thousands (even millions) of dollars at the drop of hat for their branding activities. They can rope in well-known personalities and celebrities for clout and credibility. But smaller companies and professional service providers cannot do that. Thankfully, there are several ways for HSPs to showcase their brand to their clients without breaking the bank. Here are some of those:
1. Adding All Branding Components
HSPs can showcase their brand identity to their clients by adding all the key branding components to their app and website. Whether it’s their logo, brand name, favicon, design, color, about us, fonts and typography, or any other branding aspect, they must add all key elements to align with their brand’s visual identity.
2. Maintaining Consistency Across All Touch Points
“Your brand is a story unfolding across all customer touch points.” What well-known American storyteller, writer, designer and entrepreneur Jonah Sachs said for brands in the context of customer touch points is so apt. HSPs must keep the quote in mind and must make sure that they maintain consistency across touchpoints from web interfaces to customer support.
3. Be Device and Platform Agnostic
While branding their apps and websites, HSPs must be device and platform agnostic. This means that they must not undertake branding activities keeping any one device and platform in mind. HSPs must make sure that they optimize for mobile devices as well as for tablets, laptops, and desktop applications. The branding needs to be prominent across all apps and extensions such as Android, IoS, Chrome Extension, Mac App, Linux App, and Windows App.
4. Explore Plugins
It’s not uncommon for HSPs to provide their bouquet of services in other service providers’ marketplace. Some examples are Zoho CRM or other service providers’ telephony marketplace. In that case, HSPs can explore if there is a possibility that they can showcase their brand name, logo, and icon in the service provider’s marketplace.
Effective Strategies for HSPs to Bolster Branding
When it comes to taking their branding initiatives to the next level, HSPs can adopt a wide array of effective strategies to do that. Here are some of those:
1. Handpick the Right Tech Stack
First and the most important step that HSPs can take is to handpick the right tech stack. By “tech stack” we mean all the solutions the clients of HSPs use on an everyday basis.
Whether it’s the multi-tenant IP PBX software or omnichannel CX suite, HSPs must ensure that they look for the right solutions in an already crowded market and choose the best one as per their budget and requirements.
2. Focus on Exceptional UX
HSPs need to make sure that they provide exceptional user experience (UX) to their clients. When HSPs focus on UX and CX, they communicate a clear message to users.
The sure-shot way to ensure high-quality CX and UX boils down to joining hands with the right solution provider. After all, it is the expertise and track record of a solution provider that separates great UX and CX from the average ones.
3. Provision for Resellers
It’s not uncommon for HSPs to partner with multiple resellers. The latter are third-party organizations that resell formers’ services to their own clients.
When HSPs use the right solutions, they can empower their resellers to upload their logo, brand name, information about us, favicon, and many other branding components.
4. Consistency Over Intensity
If you know who Simon Sinek is, you must be aware about his laser-like focus on consistency. The celebrated speaker and author of “Start with Why” speaks about consistency on several occasions.
Another popular figure Gary Vaynerchuk, who is a well-known social media influencer as well as serial entrepreneur, speaker, investor, and author, remarked: “The best way to build a brand is to be consistent.” Brands must keep that in mind whenever they are working on messaging or any other branding aspect.
Taking Everything Into Consideration,
Tesla’s founder and the world’s richest person Elon Musk rightly said, “Brand is just a perception and perception will match reality over time.”
HSPs need to take branding extremely seriously. That’s because without the right branding, they will struggle to survive in the competitive market, let alone thrive in it.
At HoduSoft, we know what it takes to build a strong brand identity and value. Since our inception, we have empowered many HSPs to showcase their brand name, logo, and several other attributes to their clients.
As an HSP, if you are looking to take your branding initiatives to the next level, we happen to have just the right solutions to help you achieve that. For more information, contact our team today.