Let’s face it, rebranding a site is a BIG deal. Anyone who has gone through the rebranding process can attest to the pressure and stress associated with making such a drastic change. You ask yourself, is site traffic going to take a dip? How will the rebranding affect my hard-earned SEO positioning that took years to accomplish? Is it the right time to go for a site rebranding, or should I just stick with what I have?
These questions naturally pop up any time a person or business considers a website overhaul. Rebranding could give your site a huge traffic boost, or it could confuse your customers and bring purchases to a halt. Rebranding certainly requires taking a risk, but there are ways to survive and thrive if you have a well-planned rebranding strategy.
When to Rebrand
Before you jump into rebranding your site, sit back for a minute, and consider if your site truly needs a rebranding. Here are some genuine issues that call for a website rebrand:
- Is it difficult to navigate your website? Are you losing out on sales because of a glitch in the shopping cart? If you have major technical or navigation problems, definitely consider a rebrand.
- Has your business evolved over the years and is no longer properly represented by your site? A rebranding exercise can help you tell your brand story and readjust to the new demands of your business.
- Today, most people access websites on the go. According to Statista, websites receive over 52 percent of traffic from mobile devices. While once a luxury, having a highly responsive, mobile-friendly website is now a necessity if you want to remain relevant.
- Have you added a new line of business or service that needs to attract a new set of target customers? In this case, a site rebranding is surely a way forward.
- Do any recent trends cause alarm? Frequent customer complaints about your website, major drops in leads, and new threats from competition all indicate that your business could benefit from a site rebrand.
Time to Change
If two or more of these circumstances apply to you, you should seriously but carefully consider rebranding. Once you make the decision and commit to a major change, you need to start planning to ensure your rebrand doesn’t lead you astray.
Start with competitor research to understand how other businesses have improved their sites. Take note of how fast their sites load, ease of navigation, and usability. Next, you should revisit your business or organization’s values and brand positioning. A successful rebrand will make your mission clear to first-time visitors within seconds of landing on your site.
Finally, define a clear call to action (CTA) for your site. What do you want your visitors to do once they land on your homepage? For CTA inspiration, take a look at other well-designed websites, including non-competitors. Consider what you find appealing about certain websites and how you could employ the same strategy. You can also find landing page layouts and examples here.
Finding the Right Designer
Once you know what you hope to accomplish with a rebrand, you can start searching for the right designer. This person can give shape to your plans and bring your vision to reality. Before trusting someone with your site rebrand, get to know each of your potential designers. To help inform your decision, here are a few questions you can ask:
- What specific design experience do you have? Can you describe a successful project you completed?
- Do you have a design portfolio that showcases your skills?
- Other than designing, what other services do you offer? For example, do you offer content marketing to help generate leads?
When it comes to rebranding, you can’t over-prepare. Redesigning a website puts a lot at stake, so it is imperative to plan your rebrand meticulously. If done right, a rebrand can make all the difference for your customer experience and bring your business to the next level.
