Vistaprint reveals small businesses struggle with identity
UK tradesmen are struggling to differentiate themselves according to new research released by Vistaprint. The study revealing that 37%[1] of small businesses in the building, plumbing and roofing trade may be guilty of not branding themselves effectively, leaving them exposed to missed business opportunities.
Based on analysis of 1,000 UK business websites, this study has uncovered the most common mistakes businesses make when branding themselves including; playing it safe with colours and using clichéd objectives to describe their offering.
By failing to differentiate, these small business owners are at risk of lacking identity and losing out on sales opportunities, according to Vistaprint.
The top branding pitfalls identified in the construction sector are:
Cliched / Overused Adjectives:
37% of small businesses in the trade sector used clichéd adjectives to describe themselves
This is compared to a UK average of 33%
The most commonly used descriptors used by tradesmen are: Experienced, Specialist and Family Run
By using the same language, businesses risk merging in to one and need to consider better ways to stand out from competition
Lacking colour confidence:
36% of small businesses in the trade sector use the same colour in their branding, of which blue is the most popular in this sector
In comparison, the most popular branding colour UK-wide is blue, used by 46% of small businesses
Colours send important messages to customers and help communicate personality. By using similar colours, businesses risk losing personality
This new research, released in the Vistaprint Small Business Uniqueness Report has become a catalyst in encouraging small businesses in the trade sector to celebrate their individuality and to put personal branding on top of their to do list.
Jake Amos Head of UK Marketing at Vistaprint said: “There are so many brilliant creative and individual small businesses the trades sector, however there can be a disconnect in how many of them communicate that individuality to their customers. It can be overwhelming for small business owners when first starting out. Finding the best way to brand and market their business is an important step in their journey towards success. These businesses possess immense individuality, but they sometimes need a helping hand in how to communicate it.’
To download a copy of the SME Uniqueness Report containing analysis and the full findings, please visit:
http://news.vistaprint.com/vistaprint-small-business-uniqueness-report.
[1] Based on highest percentage of businesses in region / sector guilty of branding pitfulls, July 2018
