Article at a glance:

Building digital brands

Lots of marketers talk about "managing the customer experience." On the Internet, however, this must be more than a slogan; the user experience is real, immediate, and decisive in turning (or failing to turn) one-time visitors into customers. Yet many retailers lack the practical and conceptual tools for building their brands on-line. Effective brand builders identify the distinctive value proposition or promise that will attract customers—a promise of convenience, achievement, belonging, fun, or self-expression. Then, of course, they deliver on that promise, design a satisfying Web experience, and develop the right economic model.

The take-away

On the Web, the experience is the brand. Consumers care about the process and the relationship a company provides on-line, not just the attributes of the product itself. To compete successfully, e-tailers must meet these new and fuller customer expectations.