A company’s brand is more than just a name. It encompasses reputation, recognition, and so much more. Good branding can help a business achieve exponential growth. However, this takes time and strategic planning. If your company is looking to freshen up its image, it is important to consider a rebranding strategy that is calculated and makes the best use of every tool in your arsenal. Efficient use of a website is one of the most important tools and things to think about when rebranding.
What is rebranding?
Rebranding happens when a company or any entity attempts to change their appearance to the public. It is done in an effort to look more appealing and attract future business. Company rebranding can encompass changes in logos, color schemes, style, etc. The level of rebranding that is done depends on your goals, budget, and ultimate strategy. Some changes may be small, while others may be drastic. Consistency and continuity are key in the rebranding process. The company’s new image needs to be represented the same on all platforms. The ultimate goal is to stand out in a positive and fresh way that drives more business in a professional and inviting way.
Why is online presence important in rebranding?
Websites are a crucial component of any business in today’s culture. Consumers always have access to the internet. Smartphones and computers provide a gateway for the public to gain access to virtually any type of information they desire. More and more consumers research a company online before deciding to pay for their goods or services. This means that your website is often the first thing potential customers see, and it is vital to leave a good first impression. Your website doesn’t need to just look good, but it should work well for potential clients and it should also work well for you. It needs to show up in as many search engines as possible, and it should be as close to the top of the list of website suggestions as it can be.
An efficient rebranding strategy utilizes this information to create a website that functions well for users and provides you with vital information that can be used to maximize business results. Search engines, such as Google, scan websites for key pieces of information that help increase their rankings in search results. Customizing a website to meet these criteria is called search-engine optimization, or SEO. A good rebranding strategy will keep SEO in mind and aim to maximize your online presence by using your website. Keywords, links, and many other items need to be strategically included in a website for it to stand out among the immense competition on the internet. A quality web design will take into account the technical aspects as well as the aesthetic ones.
Keep it mobile-friendly
We already stated that efficient website design involves far more than color schemes and logos. It is more technical than that. SEO is only one aspect of it. Your website needs to look good and be compatible across all electronic platforms. While some may look at it from a desktop computer, the increasing majority of consumers use a mobile device. The formats are different, and good web designers understand this thoroughly. Their rebranding strategy will account for this diversity and use specialized codes and other tactics to create a customized and congruent site that responds according to the medium being used to access it.
Consumers want to find the information they are looking for quickly. The more a person must zoom in and out, change screen orientations, and click through countless dropdown menus, the more likely they are to leave the site and look for something more user-friendly. Assume your consumer is impatient. Your website needs to move quickly and seamlessly on all platforms, all while maintaining brand continuity.
Know your audience
Knowing your audience is crucial in any business endeavor, especially a company rebranding. Some design rules and guidelines might apply to all applications. However, your rebranding strategy needs to be focused on drawing in your target client base. Your website design needs to follow suit with this theme. For instance, if your business sells products or services targeted at younger children, you probably don’t want to make the website look overly mature. While the children may not be the ones browsing your site or making purchases, you can bet that they will be looking right over the shoulder of the adult they are trying to convince to get it for them. That said, you want to use bright colors and images that will make those kids excited to visit your site and check out what you have to offer. Likewise, if you sell wine, you might want to maintain more of a refined theme. These are just a couple examples, but the general idea is to keep your audience in mind, and create from their perspective.
Use well-written content that is consistently updated
A website needs to have more than just a phone number and pictures. Content is key to attract viewers, and keeping it consistently fresh drives continual traffic. A quality rebranding strategy will keep this in mind with the design. Search engines look for keywords and other information that is embedded in the content of websites. Many web designers and marketing firms hire professional content writers for this purpose. They can strategically include keywords and topics within articles and blogs that help to raise SEO rankings. Professional writers know how to write in ways that are easy to read, flow smoothly, and include the needed material to optimize the efficiency and returns from your website. They write new material on a regular basis, which saves you time and increases web traffic.
Track data and adjust as needed
When considering a rebranding strategy for your company, be sure to include professional monitoring and maintenance of your new website. What does this mean exactly? Analytical data can be tracked that reveals how many times your site is visited, how many times items are clicked on, and how often your website appears in related internet searches. These are just a few data points that can be tracked. This data reveals a plethora of information about your online audience. You can learn what attracts more attention and what does not. Then, you can adjust in your business, as needed, to continue driving more traffic.
Having the website data at your fingertips won’t do any good unless you are willing to learn and respond to that information accordingly. This means a company may have to look beyond design and personal preferences in order to keep traffic on the rise. Setting up the infrastructure to maintain and monitor your newly developed website is one of the greatest pieces of advice for a company rebranding. This will ensure it grows with you and produces results you can quantify.
How to get started
The rebranding process can be intense. There is a lot to think about. If you are looking to rebrand, refresh your online presence, or even start from scratch, consider partnering with us. David Taylor Digital is a full-service web design firm with a track record for creating websites that perform and produce results. Contact us to see how we can help grow your business.