Spring is here, and this temperate season typically marks the start of renewal and rebirth. For marketers, it’s also time to do some spring cleaning, and that includes our websites. Anyone else happen to notice quite a few businesses rebranding and updating their websites? I’ve had quite a lot of experience in rebranding – creating new logos, rebranding, and updating websites to help align sales and marketing efforts. As thoughts of spring creep in, it’s natural for companies to think about refreshing their website or their logo, or sometimes both! Some things to consider when rebranding…
1. Take it from the top down
Once you’ve gone through the grueling task of creating a logo, be sure to update it EVERYWHERE! Customers receive and see tons of correspondence from us – proposals, e-newsletters, social media, and invoices are just some of the places your logo is seen. So be sure to update it on everything that goes out. All departments, and every division will need to review their correspondence and make those updates across the board. I can recall at a prior job after a rebrand, sitting with the President of the company, and front and center of his desk were the old business cards. Really? Those of you who know me, those cards were there for exactly another 2 seconds, then pitched! Having a consistent brand is one of my hard-and-fast rules.
2. Goals and Gains
When you start to consider rebranding, start with the “why’s and “what’s”. As in, “why are we considering this? Why do we need this? What is our goal/mission? What is our value proposition? And what are the factors that differentiate us from our competition? If you start by answering these, building your website and brand strategy around it is a cinch. These questions will help crystallize your values and ultimately formulate what type of site, thematic choices, and direction you will take. But why go through the process of rebranding? Here are some interesting stats on why web development is critical for maximizing a consumers first impression.
Stats:
- 21% of Americans state that unattractive or hard-to-navigate websites are frustrating when buying online. (Big Commerce)
- When asked about the extent to which digital permeates their marketing activities, 13% of retailers described themselves as “digital-first.” (Adobe)
- 51% of Americans prefer to shop online (Big Commerce)
- 73% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product or service if they can watch a video explaining it beforehand. (Animoto)
Staggering facts to consider as you try to gain lifelong raving customers of your products/services.
3. Colors and Consistency
In an industry where wearing all black is considered the norm, I am a gal that loves color. In college I paid for my business degree by working as a florist. I’ve styled a number of bridal bouquets and celebrations in my day, and the thing I loved the most – endless color combinations. When it comes to designing logos and websites, I can spend hours on Adobe’s Color website selecting the perfect color combos. What I’ve learned it that color evokes emotions. What do you want your customers to “feel” when they are on your website? Do you want them to get a sense of stability, cutting-edge, inspiration, security? Whatever that feeling is, it’s your marketers job to create a palate of colors that draws upon those emotions.
It’s also equally important to remain consistent. Ever seen a display shoot-out and one display’s colors are horribly off? Imagine you’re that customer… how does that make you look seeing your brand misrepresented? Creating a brand style guide helps tremendously. Note the specific Pantone colors represented in your logo, and other complimentary colors used. The same info with regards to your font hierarchy should be noted as well. When people in your organization choose a comic sans font versus your very cutting-edge Roboto font, what does that convey? Creating a consistent voice, visual style, and a concise guide helps others to stay within the lines.
In closing, these tips are by no means a total guide to rebranding, but rather some tricks of the trade that came to mind as the flowers start blooming. So get out, and enjoy this glorious weather, and call me if I can help with your website refresh.
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