We are being reminded multiple times a day of how tough times are and how much tougher they will get. Unemployment is expected to rise even into the double digits during 2009. The Auto Industry is in an unimaginable mess. Our banking and financial systems are dysfunctional, not even trusting each other to lend between themselves. The federal government seems to lack planning, direction or even the understanding of how to deal with and address these issues effectively. Talk of recession, the worst one since the Great Depression, and even talk of another Great Depression are all part of the daily discussion. For business owners, large and small, marketing executives and managers , sales executives and representatives, these are formidable forces to be reckoned with and are the everyday challenges being faced in conducting business, particularly in the areas of planning and execution with precious sales and marketing budgets.

Creating an online brand is no easy task. It requires a well-structured strategy and a good game plan. Since the competition is so great in the online marketplace, there’s a thin line between making and losing money. Therefore, any brand should carry certain characteristics.

If I had to pick just one, it would be substance. When I refer to style, I am limiting the definition to items such as logo, name and title, public relations, advertising. While these and more are all important factors in creating a look and feel for your online visitors, they are all clearly secondary to substance.

So what do we mean when we speak of substance? Substance, in its essence, refers to those elements that create a lasting impression, a unique and lasting “user experience.” In the real world of bricks and mortar, we can all quickly name scores of successful brands. They all have one thing in common … a distinctive and easily recognizable customer experience that is repeatable interaction after interaction, transaction after transaction.