By: William Jones

Whether a product- or service-based business, founders often encounter unique challenges when faced with the headache of optimizing their online presence. As a website is practically a prerequisite to any business that wants to succeed today, managing digital messaging is a crucial and increasingly complex factor in how far an organization can reach into the ether. Regardless of how robust their in-person customer base may be, businesses can face challenges if their online presence doesn’t stand out from the 27 million other small business websites. And, this ‘presence’, as the founder of HOKU Design Group, KyAlea Monma proposes, is largely defined in a business’s brand.

Intangible assets like brands are among the key ways to evaluate a company’s worth. Although it can seem like a waste of resources to pour into building a cohesive brand when a company has other things to do, like providing its product or service, a strong brand can significantly influence the success of a business. A ‘brand’ is not merely what a business provides to the world; it’s what distinguishes it from the others.

“The power of a strong brand is in its ability to simplify the work for a business. When an authentic connection is built with a business’s audience, they no longer need to prove or defend themselves. With a strong brand, businesses can simply focus on expanding their capacity for all the people that come to them,” says founder KyAlea Monma.

Whatever a business’s value is, whatever industry they are in, there is likely an audience that needs what they provide. However, if that audience can’t find what they need, then no one benefits. This can be due to a lack of clarity, authenticity, or connection with a customer base. Even when people do find what they need in one’s business online, if it doesn’t instantly evoke that sense of trust, then a company is taking a risk with their success with their ideal client.

Instead of flashy keywords and core values splashed across a webpage, KyAlea emphasizes the importance of transparency and integrity. She says, “By demonstrating who you are, what you stand for, and how your values align with the people you’re meant to serve, your potential clients can meet you before they actually meet you. People tend to trust you when they truly know who you are, so you don’t need to convince them why they need you. They will have already shown up.”

This may be clear enough, but businesses still often struggle to build a good brand around themselves. For instance, KyAlea’s brand consultancy company, HOKU Design, has experienced its fair share of clients at a loss for what to do next. While many companies are aware of a problem in their branding, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how to progress. KyAlea explains, “After our discovery process, many times, I find that the problem lies in the fact that companies feel they need to present themselves a certain way for their audience to respect them. This inclination ultimately undermines who they are.”

While tools like AI can be hugely fruitful in facilitating a business’s success, it is not the sole answer for good branding. “AI is incredible. It can rapidly create a lot of content. But if it isn’t speaking on brand, or if you’re feeding it an ineffective message, then all that content is unlikely to hit the mark. You are just creating more noise in the market, and it’s going to do more harm than good,” KyAlea explains.

An unsuccessful brand can potentially lead to a downward spiral for both companies and their leaders. It can place significant stress on their budgets, where increasing amounts of money are poured into a hole of AI, SEO, conversion tools, and content that doesn’t connect because they are broadcasting the wrong message. “They are not showing up for the right people because the right people are not hearing the message,” adds KyAlea. Working without resolution to convince people of their credibility can eventually lead leaders to lose confidence and pride in what they offer to the world. It can even result in stagnation as teams settle for their existing brands.

The beauty of a strong brand is that it can tell the story of a business with clarity, authenticity, and connection. As is the founding principle of HOKU Design, KyAlea illuminates, “Make sure that your brand is following your lead, not the other way around. Your brand should allow your business to put its energy into refining its processes and serving the people you’re meant to serve. A good brand lets you stop worrying about how to find them.” Additionally, a good brand humanizes a business and its leaders. It helps companies find confidence in their operations and the impact they have on their clients.

As has been hinted, impactful storytelling is the most important part of building a good brand. And, it’s what KyAlea and HOKU Design excel in. With KyAlea’s years of knowledge and expertise in rebuilding brands for success in government sectors, private companies, non-profit organizations, and tech startups, HOKU’s two-step process of discovery and implementation has greatly benefited numerous small businesses. By first mapping a client’s Brand DNA Blueprint with in-depth interviews and market research, then assembling it into a fully constructed Master Brand website, HOKU reflects the story of a brand for its clients and their audiences. Consistent, clear, and engaging messaging across a striking website can substantially aid in conversion for a client.

For instance, one of HOKU’s more challenging projects was a pair of founders who had crafted two distinct brands united by a shared purpose to support seniors in assisted living. KyAlea was brought on as a strategic partner to build two powerful brands that stood apart but aligned with each other under their shared principles. By uncovering the heart of both companies through the Brand DNA Blueprint, KyAlea crafted two Master Brands that stayed authentic to the founders and resonated deeply with their clients. The finished results of two user-friendly, emotionally impactful, and authentically unique brands that shared the same destination enabled the companies to clearly communicate to their respective audiences the impact they sought to deliver.

By marrying purposeful design with a business’s authentic story, the chances of a brand’s success are greatly improved. As KyAlea states, “I show clients how to reflect on what got them here and where they want to go. When we imagine what’s possible, we allow ourselves to believe it can come because the evidence of that truth is all around us. All you need to do now is find your message and share it with the world.”