How a Successful Website Rebrand is a Second Chance at Happiness!
Does the thought of redesigning your company’s website feel daunting especially if it’s been several years? Perhaps your last experience working with a web design firm was initially great but then fizzled out.
In this blog post, we’ll cover the Top 7 Essential Steps to Establishing a Successful Web Design Relationship and how to maintain a long-term, profitable partnership once your website goes live!
If your company website is outdated, lacks desired features, or even basic functionalities like scheduling and payment, reads awkwardly on mobile or tablet devices, or most importantly, doesn't represent what your business currently does, it’s time to rebrand.
It’s us, no really.
Often the reason a business has allowed its website to get to the stage of near obsolescence is that the relationship between the original designer/web developer who created the site changed.
Businesses are always pivoting and it’s no different in the web design world. It could be that the original design firm no longer does web design or has switched the kind of web design clients or platforms they work with and your account didn’t make the cut. They may have reached out to suggest an alternative web provider but the trust wasn’t there to follow up.
Sometimes designers/developers ghost their clients. If that happened to you… sorry. Hopefully, you’re at least able to log in. We’ve had clients who’ve never logged into their websites and/or don’t know how and have no idea who did the site in the first place.
Um, actually, it’s you.
Another reason is you, the client. Let’s be real, running a business is unrelenting, and marketing takes a backseat to billable client work. We all do it. We put off working on our own stuff because we don’t have the outside pressure.
But that comes at a cost eventually. If you don’t maintain your online presence, your business doesn’t look trustworthy to potential clients and you’re not building credibility or domain authority. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a lot like the power of compound interest. The more quality industry-specific content you create consistently, the more Google will love you back with authority and higher rank.
True story: I wanted to purchase a gift certificate to a really nice restaurant for a dear friend who did me a huge favor. She doesn’t live locally so I had to rely on reviews and websites.
Two places in her city got a lot of good reviews but one restaurant had a seriously antiquated website. It was at least 10 years old and the photos of the food and establishment looked small and dank despite all the glowing reviews.
I bought a gift certificate from the other restaurant whose website showed its dishes were beautifully prepared and the interior atmosphere was inviting and luxurious. It gave me the confidence that my friend would have a better experience and meal.
Step 1. Awkward eye contact, are we right for each other?
Design Powers has been in business since 1996 and we’ve worked with a lot of types of clients including non-profits, local government, small to medium-sized businesses, retail stores, restaurants and solopreneurs.
We currently work primarily with small-medium-sized professional services firms that need to make meaningful online connections with their potential clients using case studies, past projects, industry validation, and of course, their hard-won expertise.
Once you share your needs, goals, and preferences, we’ll understand what you want out of the relationship…and if we can provide that.
Some of the open-ended questions we ask to see if we should go further or set you up with our best friend!
Why are you looking to create a new website?
What problems are you trying to overcome?
What opportunities are you currently missing out on?
What functionalities are important for the website?
What's your experience working with designers in the past?
What does the perfect outcome look like?
We also expect that you’ll have questions for us. We wrote a blog post The 25 Questions to Ask Us Before Hiring Us for this exact reason. We know every business is looking for the perfect partner and sadly, we may not be yours. For example, we do not build e-commerce websites so that would automatically eliminate us.
If we are good for you, the next step is to schedule a discovery meeting or what we call the Power Plan.
Step 2. First date jitters, relax, it’s just the power plan.
Discovery is a bit like an earnest first date, where we discuss all your online hopes and dreams! You share your company's goals, clients, current business services, functionality preferences, and what’s been working.
We also dig into what isn’t working and share our insights and past strategic client successes if it’s applicable. We ask a lot of in-depth questions… 90 minutes worth. Here is a small sampling:
What challenges is your business facing right now?
What is the most common question asked by prospects?
Where do your clients typically come from?
Do you like the type of client you work with?
Do you have a sales process and/or use CRM software?
Does your website accurately depict your services?
How does your business compare to your top two competitors?
How will you evaluate the success of this relationship?
After the Power Plan call, we do industry keyword and competitor research. We then send you a website wireframe, homepage messaging strategy, a schedule, a quote and a contract.
“SEO is a lot like the power of compound interest. The more quality industry-specific content you consistently create, the more Google will love you back with authority.”
Step 3. It’s official, communication is key.
After you review the Power Plan, this is when you decide whether you’re going to “put a ring on it” and make our partnership official. Rebranding and redesigning a website is a lot like getting remarried. You’ve been through this before, maybe more than once so you know the highs and the lows. We want our relationship to not only work but to last.
We begin by setting up a project board in Asana where we assign roles, track projects, meet deadlines, and communicate tasks in a centralized location, rather than relying on email. You can see progress in real-time and stay updated.
We use Google for emails, calendars, sharing, and working in Docs and Sheets. Most of our communication tools are common within the industry and super easy to use.
Step 4. The Ex, legacy content in your website rebrand.
One of the first things we do when we start a rebrand, is to document what you have on your current website. Even if your business hasn’t added anything recently to the current website, there’s bound to be something worth keeping. If your blog has a lot of relevant evergreen content we don’t want all that legacy knowledge to disappear.
Another thing we take into consideration is the Founder(s) of the company. They may have retired but often there is historical interest that we can bring into your new website to round out the story of the company and it’s roots.
Step 5. Su casa, mi casa.
After we import all the content from your current website we also collect any and all written and visual content you have in hand. We also ask for your brand guidelines unless we’re (re)creating that too. “Content Is King” so that’s where we start. Yes, a designer just said that.
Sidebar: Before the internet, when I was a wee designer lass and everything was printed, visuals commanded most of the high-dollar attention. But now because of the aforementioned SEO, and all mighty Google, the written word is the driver.
Video, photography, and illustration are still important but for different reasons; to build trust, validate, and tell a brand story that backs up what is being written as it applies to professional services businesses.
Step 6. Planning the big event…may I suggest “Open Bar!”
Redoing your website can almost feel like planning a wedding. If we’re doing custom brand photography that requires hiring a photographer, and usually getting hair, makeup and styling, and in some cases, models to be stand-ins for clients. And let’s not forget about location, location, location. After a full day of smiling for the camera and being asked to look “10% happier”, there’s a good chance you’ll need a c/mocktail! Read about our custom photo shoot, it was really fun but exhausting.
Then there’s the content writer, keyword research, meta descriptions, selecting and retouching the photography, the alt tags, then designing the mockups, and the actual site then building the website. Finally, the guest, I mean email lists so that you can let your clients, colleagues and friends know when you’re ready to launch.
Fortunately, this is what we LOVE to do and take full ownership of. We want you to be delighted when all is said and done with no regrets for years to come.
Step 7. Happily ever after, how to get ROI from your new website.
Rebranding isn’t inexpensive, especially if you do everything strategically and custom. So you want to be sure to make the investment pays off. How do you do that? By continuing to put authoritative, quality content on your blog, news, case studies, and/or past projects. We know that it’s ongoing and unrelenting. (See paragraph 5 at the beginning). It’s why we have a client membership for after the launch…to hold you accountable and to be here for you to continue marketing your business.
We never want you to feel like you did when you first decided to get into a relationship with us…defeated and embarrassed by your current website. We want you to feel pride in giving out your URL to prospects, future hires and even your industry competitors!
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
FAQS
-
To determine if it's time to rebrand your company's website, you should evaluate if it lacks desired features, functionalities, or mobile compatibility, and if it no longer accurately represents your business.
Additionally, consider if your website is outdated or if it reads awkwardly on mobile or tablet devices. These factors indicate the need for a rebranding effort to maintain trustworthiness and credibility with potential clients.
-
Establishing a successful web design relationship with a design firm involves several essential steps. First, you need to assess if the design firm aligns with your business goals and preferences. This involves asking questions about your needs, goals, previous experiences with designers, and desired outcomes.
Then, scheduling a discovery meeting or "Power Plan" to discuss your company's goals, clients, services, and challenges. This meeting helps both parties understand each other's expectations and sets the stage for a productive partnership. Afterward, the design firm conducts industry research, develops a website wireframe, and presents a proposal with a quote and contract for approval.
-
To ensure that your investment in website rebranding pays off in the long term, focus on consistently creating authoritative, quality content for your website. This includes blogs, news updates, case studies, and past projects that showcase your expertise and industry knowledge.
Additionally, maintain communication with your design firm post-launch to address any updates or changes needed. By continuing to market your business effectively online, you can maximize the return on investment from your new website and build pride in its representation of your brand.
