Frequently, when I ask newly minted business small business owners what they do, I’m left wishing I didn’t even ask in the first place.

But once I remember I was once a new business owner, I cut them some slack. When I first started my business, Synergetic Business Solutions (SBS), several years ago, I thought we were going to offer a variety of different business services. However, as time passed, SBS’ broad service offerings became more focused and gravitated towards a niche of digital marketing.

While it seems more disillusioning than liberating, my clients owned my brand and derived a positive brand experience with digital marketing. From there, this began a process of rebranding the business to align with customer objectives, a process that is still in the works.

On a more personal note, as some of you know, I recently updated my personal website. Prior to the update, the following image was prominently displayed on my homepage:

I created the original www.coreyaxelrod.com website two years ago, and this image was a fixture from day one. However, as time passed, I’ve focused on pursuing a number of different passions of mine, including presenting about the challenges of growing up bilingual and between the Deaf and Hearing cultures. As a result, I’ve updated my website to ensure content is fresh and aligns appropriately with my ‘personal brand.’

The moral of the story: sometimes you may not know upfront exactly what your brand may stand for, but that’s perfectly okay as long as you have focused passion and ambition. The important thing is for small business owners to be flexible with the brand, and to communicate clearly to customers what the brand stands for.

With this in mind, your website is often your customers’ first experience with your brand, and as a result, it is important to design your website correctly to ensure you answer their questions and effectively promote your products and services. I realize not all small business owners are savvy when it comes to building or updating websites, but it is important to remember there are plenty of resources available and a commitment of time and money in communicating your brand effectively can generate thousands of dollars in potential revenue.