Your brand and website are essentially the face of your business. For any prospective new clients, this can help them make an immediate decision whether to use your services or go to a competitor.
Your brand and website are not just about making your business look good; it is about making it work more effectively.
For new customers without first-hand experience of the services and products your company offer, your website and brand are doing all the talking. Therefore it is essential your website and brand live up to the standards set by your products.
Even if your products blow the competitors out the water, you could be losing prospective customers and market share by simply not having an online presence that reflects your company vision and goals.
It is essential to ensure your brand and website keep up to date with industry and market changes, whilst also showcasing your USP and why a customer should choose you over a competitor.
Here are a few elements to consider when thinking about refreshing your brand and website…
Company Strategy and Growth
Since your last website was built, your brand may have undergone significant change, either in the form of growth, market positioning or strategic planning. Your existing brand and online presence may have been highly effective at the time, however, it may be restricting your brand moving forward into new markets, or to reach new audiences.
A refresh of your website and brand may help consolidate a wide product portfolio with fragmented audiences into an effective brand strategy that will help your brand stand out in a competitive marketplace.
As companies develop, it is only natural for them to outgrow their original branding, and a re-brand should be seen as an opportunity to push your company to the next level.
Products/Services Provided Have Changed
Over time your product and services may have grown or changed to target a specific gap in the market. Your existing brand may have been built around your old product offerings, and therefore a re-brand may be more suited at moving your company forward.
Out-Dated
When your company first started out it could be that it started as a small independent business, with branding and a website that at the time was suitable for a start-up company. But as your company has grown it may be that you have outgrown your existing brand and website, and it no longer reflects the stage that your business is at, and could actually be holding you back.
Market Position
You may need to refresh your brand to help differentiate your brand within a competitive market. It could be that you need to do something different to stand out from the crowd, where competitors may have a similar brand style or colour. Or it could be to align with a strategic vision that repositions your brand to focus on a specific sector or audience, which requires a different visual style and tone of voice.
Innovation
It is important to keep up to date with modern trends, in particular with technological advances. There is always going to be an upcoming brand with a fresh and innovative idea trying to break into the market, and it is vital your brand keeps up to speed.
If your brand fails to reflect a level of innovation and modernity, it is easy for customers to bypass your products and assume your brand is not out-dated. This could result in competitors, who portray themselves in a more modern way, stealing your potential customers. In some cases, this could even result in competitors outperforming your brand in both reputation and profitability, even if they don’t offer the same strengths and quality that your brand does.
