It’s Official! 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 since you launched it? 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 new website goes live!
Quick Links
1. Awkward Eye Contact: Are We Right For Each Other?
2. First Date Jitters, Relax, It’s Just the Power Plan.
3. It’s Official, Communication is Key.
4. The Ex, Legacy Content in Your Website Rebrand.
6. Planning the Big Event…May I Suggest “Open Bar!”
7. Happily Ever After, How to Get ROI From Your New Website.
If your firm's website is outdated, lacks desired features or basic functionalities, reads awkwardly on mobile or tablet devices, doesn't showcase your projects and expertise, or, most importantly, doesn't represent what your firm currently does, it's time to rebrand.
It’s Us, No Really.
Often, the reason a business has allowed its website to reach near-obsolescence is that its relationship with the original designer or web developer has changed.
Businesses are always pivoting, and the web design world is no different. It could be that the original design firm no longer does web design, or has shifted the kinds of web design clients or platforms they work with, and your account didn't make the cut. Perhaps they may have reached out to suggest an alternative web provider, but the trust wasn't there to follow up.
We recently niched, marketing mostly to Engineering and Construction firms, and we wrote about it candidly and let our clients know how we would be doing business moving forward.
Sometimes web 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 in to their websites/or don't know how, and have no idea who built the site in the first place.
Um, actually, it’s you.
Another reason is you, the client. Let's be real: running a business can be unrelenting, and marketing takes a back seat to billable 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 company won't appear trustworthy to potential clients, selection committees, or future hires, and you won't build 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 LLMs (Large Language Models aka AI) and Google will love you back with authority and higher rank. (New to SEO? Start with our guide to organic SEO and 5 easy steps to get started.)
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 restaurants in her city got a lot of positive reviews, but one had a seriously outdated 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 said its dishes were beautifully prepared and its interior atmosphere was inviting and luxurious. It gave me confidence that my friend would have a better experience and a better meal.
The same thing happens when a project owner or selection committee compares your firm's website to your competitors'. The firm that looks credible online gets the shortlist.
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Step 1. Awkward Eye Contact: Are We Right For Each Other?
Design Powers has been in business since 1996, and over the past 30 years, we've worked with a wide range of clients, including non-profits, local government, small to medium-sized businesses, retail stores, restaurants and solopreneurs.
We currently work primarily with small- to medium-sized professional services firms with a focus on engineering and construction 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 from the relationship… and whether we can provide it.
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 titled "25 Questions to Ask Your Website Designer Before Hiring" for this exact reason. We know every business is looking for the perfect partner and sadly, we may not be yours. For example, since we work primarily with professional services, if you're a boutique retailer or an e-commerce brand, that would automatically rule us out. (We'd still happily point you in the right direction, including whether DIY or professional web design makes sense for you.)
If we are good for you, the next step is to schedule a discovery meeting, which we call The Power Plan.
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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! Before we propose anything, we need to understand everything. The Power Plan is a 90-minute working session where you share your firm's goals, ideal clients, current services, existing platforms and integrations, and what's been working.
We also dig into what isn't working and share our insights and past strategic client successes, where applicable. We ask a lot of in-depth questions. Here is a small sampling:
What challenges is your firm 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 firm compare to your top two competitors?
Who are the decision-makers and what do they need to see?
How will you evaluate the success of this relationship?
After the Power Plan session, we do up to 8 hours of independent research on industry keywords, competitors, your existing content, and any legal requirements, such as accessibility and privacy compliance. We then come back to you with a complete project scope, a proposed timeline, and a fixed-price proposal. No surprises. No inflated quotes to cover uncertainty. And when you decide to move forward with The Foundation, the full Power Plan fee is applied toward your website project.
“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.”
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Step 3. It’s Official: Communication is Key.
After you review the Power Plan proposal, this is when you decide whether you're going to "put a ring on it" and make our partnership official with The Foundation, our core engagement. 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.
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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 firm hasn't added anything to the current website recently, there's bound to be something worth keeping. If your blog, news, or past projects section has a lot of relevant evergreen content we don't want all that legacy knowledge to disappear.
We create a detailed spreadsheet of all your current URLs and implement 301 redirects that map old URLs to their new locations, so you keep the search rankings and authority you've already earned. (Curious why URLs matter so much? Read our URL structure best practices.)
Another thing we consider is the firm's Founder(s). They may have retired, but there is often historical interest we can bring to your new website to round out the story of the firm and its roots.
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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: existing bios, project descriptions, capabilities statements, professional headshots, project photography, association logos, and certification badges. We also ask for your brand guidelines, unless we're (re)creating them as well. "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 ubiquitous AI that answers your prospects' questions, structured content is more important than ever.
Video, photography, and illustration are still necessary, of course, but for different reasons: to build trust, validate, and tell a brand story that supports what is being written. For a deeper look at what makes it all work together, read 5 Critical Elements for Optimizing Your AEC Firm's Website Design.
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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 coordinating with a photographer in your area, developing a comprehensive shot list and photography guide, 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, which for AEC firms can mean job-site permissions, hard hats and safety vests. 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 cocktail! Read The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Professional Brand Photoshoot for more information about our process.
Then there's the content writer, keyword research, meta descriptions, selecting and retouching the photography, alt tags, designing the mockups and the actual site, building the website, and setting up your legal policies and cookie consent. Finally, the guest er… 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.
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Step 7. Happily Ever After: How to Get ROI From Your New Website.
Rebranding ain’t cheap, especially if you do everything strategically and custom. So you want to make sure the investment pays off. How do you do that? By continuing to put authoritative, quality content on your blog, news, and past projects, and by collecting online reviews that validate your expertise. We know that it's ongoing and unrelenting. It's why your launch isn't the finish line.
It’s why we have a client membership after the launch… to hold our clients accountable and to be here for you as you continue marketing your business.
We never want you to feel the way 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 proud sharing your URL with prospects, future hires and even your industry competitors!
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
FAQS
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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.
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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.
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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.
