If a rebrand is on the horizon for your business, congrats! It means that exciting times are ahead. A lot goes into crafting a successful rebranding strategy, and your website is no exception. As the first point of contact for your business, your site is the face you show to the world because clients form their first impressions of a site based entirely on its visual appeal.
What this means for you: no matter how remarkable your products, services, or team members, if your site isn’t up to par, visitors will abandon your page in droves. That’s why website design is so important! Aside from being easy to use and intuitive, a business site should express the essence of your brand identity in a creative and compelling way.
So, how can you find a website rebranding agency that can convey the soul of your brand on your site? It might sound hokey, but it’s a little bit like meeting your ideal partner: when you find the right agency, you’ll know. From their striking portfolio to how attentively they listen to your expectations, they’ll be great to work with from the get-go. It will just feel right. To make this collaborative magic more likely to happen, we share what to look for in the perfect agency.
Rebranding Begins with Finding Yourself
Maybe your business has grown and changed. Maybe you have new products or services. Or maybe your brand seems dated and out of touch, so you’ve decided it’s time for a creative redirection. Sketching out how to rebrand a website starts with getting in touch with your core identity. Whatever journey your business has taken, rebranding implies a re-evaluation of who you are as a company, where you stand, and where you’re going. That’s a big deal and should be approached thoughtfully.
The right website rebranding agency will be interested in your evolution as a company and will work closely with you to ensure that your updated site expresses your brand essence in elements like website hierarchy, logo positioning, color templates, calls to action, and typography. As you dive into the process of branding a website to match your new identity, consider the following:
What are your values?
A company’s values should aim for more than just consistently delivering stellar products—although that’s an integral part of who you are! When reconsidering your mission, especially when branding a website, cast your net of values a little wider to include your purpose. How does your company help people live happier, more meaningful lives?
What differentiates you from the crowd?
The answer to this question is the bread and butter of successful branding since it’s what motivates customers to choose your company over another. How do you stand out from competitors and what makes your business unique?
Who is your ideal customer?
Developing a detailed customer persona is an integral part of branding a website. For example, are you zeroing in on a niche market, or is your audience widespread?
How does it feel to browse your site?
Exploring a website, and the emotions associated with that process, are a major component of a company’s brand. The best website rebranding agency will help you figure out what emotions, thoughts, and memories you hope your customers will take away from interacting with your site.
Tips for Hiring a Stellar Website Rebranding Agency
Now that you’ve taken the time to reflect on your company’s future, your values, and what makes your business unique, it’s time to start searching for a rebranding agency that can turn all that info into a beautiful site that’s both fun and easy to use. Agencies that perform full-scale site rebrands often specialize in website development and design since rebranding typically involves a website refresh to make sure that everything is functioning smoothly.
Here are our tips for hiring a website rebranding agency that’s the best of the best:
Evaluate Their Portfolio
This might be an obvious one but evaluating an agency’s portfolio is the first place to start your research. Consider how many projects they’ve worked on—if all they have is one or two projects to show, move on. After all, you want to work with experts, not novices!
As you check out their work, try to get a feel for their style. Of course, each one will be unique, but a solid website rebranding agency will have its own unique “take” on what makes a brand stand out. Think about their choice of color, where they place icons, and how they organize each page. Is it intuitive, smooth, and clean? Does each website have a mood and a voice?
Snoop Around Sites They Have Built
A curated portfolio of website screenshots is one thing, a live website is another. Ask for examples of business sites your prospective website rebranding agency has built for its clients. Then visit them!
Scroll around. Click on stuff. How are the menus designed? Are the images interesting and relevant? Is information easy to find? Is the websites’ hero section compelling? Imagine your ideal customer using the site and try to get a feel for the mood it creates.
If the visuals are impressive, it’s time to consider the functionality. After all, successfully branding a website isn’t just about a site that looks beautiful—it has to perform beautifully, too. Think about the following:
- How quickly does each page load? If it takes longer than 3 seconds, your busy customers won’t wait around.
- Is it responsive? Grab a mobile device and visit the site from your smartphone or tablet or navigate to the site from another browser. That will help you make sure that the agency builds responsive sites, which means that a website will automatically scale to look great on all screen sizes, devices, and browsers.
- How are the links? Check out the footer at the bottom of each page and explore the links and hyperlinks there. If they’re broken or don’t make sense (ie it takes you to the FAQs when you’re trying to find a product page), that’s a red flag.
- What content management system (CMS) do they use? A website rebranding agency that cares about its customers won’t leave you high and dry to manage your own website on a CMS that has a huge learning curve. Unless you’re tech savvy, make sure that the CMS your chosen agency works with lets you effortlessly update your page—Wordpress, for instance, is a popular and reliable choice.
Ask Good Questions
If you’re happy with the way your prospective website rebranding agency has handled past projects, it’s time to chat with their team. To get a feel for their passion and expertise, ask the following questions:
Will the work be done in-house or outsourced?
While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with an agency that invites outside talent, it’s something they should be transparent about, especially if a team’s specific skills or workflows are important to you.
How’s their schedule?
Some agencies swiftly churn our project after project, promising quick turnaround times. Other agencies really take the time to take a deep dive into your brand identity so that they can guarantee exceptional work that resonates strongly with your audien. Ask yourself if it’s worth it to you to wait an extra week or two to have a more expertly designed site.
What support do they offer?
Your business is sure to continue growing and evolving, and your website should grow along with it. If you want help managing or updating your site after your rebrand is complete, ask the prospective agency what sort of ongoing support services are available.
Who’s the point of contact?
Communication with a website rebranding agency should be straightforward and efficient, and you should be able to get the answers you need from a central point of contact without having to send follow-up emails to different team members.
Rebrand Your Site With Experts that Understand Your Vision
As you address each of the above points with your prospective website rebranding agency, pay attention to whether their team is really hearing you. If they’re true experts, they will take the time to listen carefully to your needs and patiently walk you through your options. If they rush you, push you, or seem uninterested, don’t feel bad about taking a pass.
A team should be great to work with from beginning to end, period. That’s why here at Buddy Web Development and Design, we pride ourselves on helping brands express their unique voice through expertly designed business websites that people love to use. If you’re ready to discuss rebranding or refreshing your site, give us a shout here or explore our work here.
