How to build a brand identity for your online store

When Dan Oliver launched his healthy seasoning company, he traveled around the US, selling spices at markets and trade shows and sharing unscripted recipe videos on TikTok. He had no brand strategy or production budget, just a cutting board, strong opinions about food, and a dream. Today, Dan-O Seasonings has a loyal fan base that calls itself the “Dan-O Fan-Os.”

Customer loyalty like that doesn’t happen by accident. The key is for independent brands to decide early on who they are and stick with it. They don’t blend into a generic voice; they stay true to themselves.

Since AI began generating text, polished but shallow writing is everywhere. Consumers notice this and often ignore it. In this environment, a founder who appears unscripted and genuine in the kitchen is not just making a style choice; it’s a real advantage.

What is branding exactly? It’s the process of crafting a distinct identity for your company. It shapes how people perceive your business and helps you come to mind first when customers need your products or services.

Before you work on your brand’s visuals and identity, figure out exactly who your core customers are. 

Go beyond assumptions by gathering direct insights: interview real customers, run short surveys, or follow customer conversations about your category online. Seeing your audience as real people, not just broad groups, helps you position your brand more precisely. You can repeat this process for each unique audience group.

A helpful method is to write a sentence that a real customer would read and think, “That’s me.” For example: “people who read labels at the grocery store and feel quietly smug about it.” Be as specific as possible.

To refine your customer profiles, answer a few questions:

• How would they describe their problem to a friend — before they found you?
• How would they describe your product to a friend after buying it?
• What do they read, watch, or follow that’s relevant to this purchase?

A mission statement is a practical tool for setting clear boundaries for your brand. It helps guide decisions about which customers to focus on and where your brand fits in the market. For example:

Nike’s mission is “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” This works because “every athlete in the world” is a real commitment. It means Nike would refuse to make gear only for elite runners.

Google’s mission, “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” means they would not keep search results private or create products that hide information.

Write your mission in one sentence and test it with a real decision. For example, if your mission is to make healthy eating accessible to busy parents, imagine you are offered a partnership with a luxury food brand that targets gourmet chefs. Does accepting fit your mission, or would you turn it down? If your mission helps you choose yes or no, it’s working. If it doesn’t, it’s just a tagline, not a true mission.

Make sure your brand identity is consistent and specific. This helps people recognize your brand and also helps AI systems categorize it correctly. If your brand descriptions change across different channels, automated systems may have trouble classifying and recommending your brand.

To maintain this consistency, set aside time each month for a quick audit across your main channels. Create a simple checklist covering website copy, social media bios, email templates, and order confirmations. Look for outdated phrases, off-brand messages, or mismatched tones. By regularly reviewing these touchpoints, you can spot and fix small inconsistencies before they become bigger problems.

Dan-O’s Seasonings: The founder is the brand

Dan Oliver stayed as the unscripted face of the brand in the kitchen as Dan-O’s grew. The brand kept the warmth and directness of its first TikTok videos, which helped build strong fan loyalty.

This approach means the brand avoids polished production, celebrity partnerships, or anything that would separate Dan from the product.

Learn more about Dan-O’s story

Brodo: One strong commitment

Marco Canora launched Brodo by selling cups of broth from a window in New York City. He was committed to offering real food without shortcuts. Now, Brodo’s products are sold nationwide at Whole Foods, and the brand still shows that commitment with earthy colors, simple packaging, and only ingredients you can pronounce.

This decision meant Brodo avoided adding new products that would compromise quality or use exaggerated marketing claims.

Read more of Brodo’s story

Offerman Woodshop: Voice as execution

Nick Offerman’s Woodshop chose a warm voice, sometimes with a touch of Ron Swanson’s style. Here’s their product description for a whiskey box:

“Built for tipples and treasures, this box stylishly hides your prized bottle from the harmful rays of the sun and the covetous eyes of your guests. But if the well runs dry, you’ll find it’s a handsome vessel for your fishing tackle, bobble head collection, or stash of dried oregano.”

This style is used in everything they write, so none of their product descriptions sound generic.

Read more of Offerman Woodshop’s story

Once you know your audience and what your brand stands for, your visual identity will come naturally. Start by asking yourself what design best fits your brand. Only choose modern or trendy designs if they match your brand’s personality.

Brodo’s clean, simple design fits their commitment to wholesome simplicity. Dan-O’s uses bold colors and a lively style, just like Dan Offerman. Offerman Workshop mixes warmth, simplicity, and humor while still showing its passion for woodworking.

Gather your choices for the logo, colors, typography, imagery style, and voice guidelines into a brand document your team can use. This way, anyone writing a product description, email subject line, blog post, or social caption will follow the same approach.

An internal brand document is only useful if it helps your team handle the less exciting parts of your store.

Test your most basic customer touchpoints for consistency. Check your automated order confirmation emails, 404 error pages, and standard checkout fields. If the writing sounds like a generic template, you’ve found an area to improve.

Look for simple, specific ways to add your brand personality to these messages. For example, instead of a basic confirmation email that says, “Your order has been received,” a playful brand might write, “We’re whipping up your order and will have it on the way soon!” For a 404 page, instead of “Page not found,” you could use “Oops — looks like this page wandered off the menu,” to match your brand’s tone. These small changes help every interaction feel personal and distinct.

Want a little inspiration? Get an in-depth look at the process of creating the new WooCommerce brand.

About

Christina Bevitori

Christina Bevitori is a content strategist with 15 years of experience helping brands connect with their audiences. She currently works at Woo, focusing on editorial storytelling, SEO, AEO, and AI-assisted content creation. Outside of work, she enjoys relaxing with her cat, Snacks, kayaking, and collecting rock records.