Website Redesign vs. Rebranding: Which Is Best For Your Business?
Whether you choose website rebranding, a website redesign, or a simple website refresh, it’s an investment of time and money. So, you want to get it right.
Technology and design trends evolve rapidly, and your business does too.
Most of my clients see radical changes in their business every few years, but often their website and brand haven’t kept up. They need a solution.
If your website isn't keeping pace with the changes in your business, it could affect how people see your brand, their experience on your site, and eventually, your sales. It's so important to keep everything up-to-date and user-friendly. Here are my web design packages, if you’d like to take a look.
The Power of a First Impression
In today’s digital reality, a compelling website is often the first impression potential clients or customers have of your brand. It's a vital storefront, a platform to showcase your offerings, and a space to connect with your audience.
However, even the best websites can decline or feel outdated with time. Clients often come to me after making do with their old website, knowing it’s no longer working for them. They’ve outgrown it. It’s served its purpose.
So, what happens when your website starts to feel, well, a little off? A bit tired? Is it time to invest in a total rebranding, or can a website redesign breathe new life into your online presence? Or, will a web refresh do the trick? Read on…
The Average Lifespan Of a Website
The consensus is that a website can last between 2-5 years before it needs to be redesigned, or even less if it’s DIY (check out why a pro website is a great idea). In design terms, this can be shorter to keep up with industry changes.
“Nearly 94% of first impressions are based on design alone.”
Key Distinctions: Rebranding vs. Website Redesign
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same.
Understanding the difference between website rebranding and a website redesign is crucial.
Let's delve into the key distinctions to help you decide what's right for your business and website.
The Rebranding Revolution
Imagine a complete transformation. Rebranding is a major strategic shift that revamps your website's core identity.
Often, clients tell me that their business has grown, expanded, evolved, and pivoted so much that they need help. Their business (or industry) is fast changing direction, and this is when we go back to the drawing board with a rebranding. Without this, your brand might be limiting you and holding you back.
A redesign will give you a new website that looks the part, but a rebranding leaves no stone unturned, resulting in a more effective, purposeful, and thoughtful brand experience.
If you worked with a reputable designer and did a lot of strategy and planning previously, this foundation should hold. If you just went straight into the design, a rebrand might be more in order.
How can a redesign or rebranding make your website more engaging, attract potential customers, and encourage them to stick with your brand?
Redesign
I worked with Ian from The Insight Space, a much-respected educator, author and homeopathist. Ian had a working brand but needed an engaging and user-friendly website. He needed to bring all of his offerings from two websites, onto Squarespace 7.1 with a website redesign.
Our time together saw us create a new colour and font palette, and design an easy-to-navigate website to enhance its aesthetic appeal and usability, making it more engaging for visitors and students.
The redesigned website made Ian’s online offerings more accessible and inviting for new students.
Old website
New redesigned website
Rebranding
With Anne-Marie of URUniQ, a well-respected coach and hypnotherapist, her rebranding journey began with a six-week deep dive into understanding the brand’s offerings, target audience, and vision. This process allowed for a strategic website design catering to the brand’s needs and goals. Aligning the website’s design and content with her dream client’s needs made for a website that speaks to more potential clients.
Her clients remarked that the website helped them feel seen and understood. It felt holistic, modern, and colourful. Just what the client was after. In this case, a redesign wouldn’t have checked the boxes.
Old website
After working together, Anne-Marie came away with a new brand and Squarespace 7.1 website.
You Might Need A Rebrand If…
Has your target audience changed?
Has your goals, vision, offerings, budgets, or brand perception changed significantly?
Does your brand feel out of sync with modern design and trends?
Is your messaging and/or visual identity inconsistent across platforms (website, email signature, business cards, etc)?
Signs You Need a Rebranding
Difficulty attracting new clients/customers.
High Bounce Rate. As mentioned earlier, a high bounce rate (visitors leaving after one page) may indicate people aren't finding what they need or the site is difficult to navigate.
Negative customer feedback about the website's look or functionality.
Confusion about your brand message or value proposition.
Rebranding Might Involve
A New Visual Identity: This includes a fresh logo, colour palette, typography, and imagery that reflects your brand’s evolution.
Shifting Messaging: Your brand voice and tone may change to better connect with your target audience.
A Revamped Value Proposition aka your unique point of difference: Are you offering new services? Targeting a different market? Your website should reflect these changes.
When to Consider Rebranding
Your Brand Identity No Longer Aligns With Your Vision: Does your website feel outdated or fail to reflect your current brand identity, values, or offerings? Rebranding can bridge the gap.
You’re Looking To Move Platform: Maybe you are moving from WordPress because of editing issues. Or, you want to move over to Squarespace from Weebly or Wix. Most often, it’s best to start afresh.
You're Targeting a New Audience, or Lost Touch With Your Existing One: Have your ideal customers changed? Or, are you not clear on your target audience? Rebranding helps you connect with the right people.
You're Losing Market Share - The Competition Looks Better and Are Gaining Ground: Is your website falling behind competitors? A refresh won't be enough. Rebranding can help you stand out.
Low Click-Through Rates: Are your calls to action (CTAs) getting ignored? Low click-through rates suggest your website isn't effectively guiding visitors towards your desired actions.
Confusing Brand Identity - You No Longer Stand Out From Your Competitors: Does your website's message and visuals contradict your brand's overall identity and values? Or, do you look too much like your competitors?
The Website Redesign Rejuvenation
If your brand hasn’t undergone major changes, a redesign might be enough. This could involve updating your colour palette, photos, graphics, services, adding new pages, checking for broken links, etc.
Think of a redesign as a rejuvenation - a thorough spring clean 🌼. It focuses on preserving your core brand identity while sprucing up your website if it’s become cluttered and difficult to navigate.
It’s NOT a deep dive into your brand. If you’ve previously worked with a reputable designer and done a lot of strategy and planning, you should be fine for a redesign. However, if you went straight into the design without a brand deep-dive, a rebrand might be more in order.
Benefits of a Website Redesign:
Updated Design Elements: A new colour scheme, refreshed fonts, or high-quality images can breathe new life into your website.
Content Feels Stale: Refreshing content keeps your website informative, engaging and relevant for your audience.
Security Vulnerabilities: Outdated websites are more susceptible to security breaches.
Improved Functionality: Enhancing website speed, mobile responsiveness, and user experience can significantly improve user engagement.
Signs You Need a Redesign:
Outdated Design - You Are Embarrassed By It: If your website is dated and clunky.
Website Redesign: Functionality, user experience (UX), and user interface (UI) all get a complete overhaul to create a modern and engaging online experience.
Negative Customer Feedback: Are you getting complaints about your website's design, navigation, or functionality? Take customer feedback seriously, as it can point to areas needing improvement.
Looks Stuck in the Past: Does your website have a dated design with an awkward navigation? Visitors to your site expect a clean, and visually appealing site.
Non-Responsive Design: In today's mobile world, a website that doesn't adapt seamlessly to smartphones is a major turnoff.
Poor Navigation and Difficulty Finding Information: A dated design with awkward navigation can deter visitors. It needs to have a clear, well-organised structure for a better user experience.
Broken Links and Functionality: Non-functional elements like broken links or forms create a frustrating user experience.
Competitors’ Modern Websites: When competitors have sleek, user-friendly websites, it might be time to upgrade.
Limited Time Spent on Site: If visitors spend very little time on your site, they might be confused or uninterested.
Slow Loading Times: Nobody likes a slow website! If it takes ages for pages to load, visitors will get frustrated and leave which leads to higher bounce rates.
Can I Make Do With a Refresh?
If the majority of your site looks great, your offerings and the bare bones of your site are staying the same, you might just need a refresh without a complete overhaul.
This is ideal for a few tweaks on specific pages. You could consider my 90-Minute Squarespace Help Call, or if there’s a little more scope for your project, go for a VIP Web Design Day.
The Takeaway: Website Rebranding vs Website Redesign?
Really, the decision depends on your specific needs. Here’s a quick guideline:
Rebranding: A major shift of your brand identity, including logo, messaging, visuals, and website. Targets a new audience or positions your brand differently.
Redesign: Updates outdated or specific elements of your website's design or content, or a technical improvement to maintain a modern look and improve user experience.
Refresh: A tidy-up on a specific page, or pages whilst maintaining the brand identity.
Remember, investing in a well-executed rebranding, website redesign, or refresh can significantly impact your business. It can help you to attract new customers, boost conversions, and solidify your brand's position in your industry. By understanding your goals and choosing the right approach, you can ensure your website remains a powerful tool for success.
What To Do Now?
If you’re curious 🧐 if a rebranding, redesign, or new website is a good fit for your business, schedule a Free discovery call, or email me with any questions.
Hi there! I'm Jane 🙋♀️ I'm a Brand Strategist & Web Design Guru who creates compelling Squarespace websites for heart-centred small businesses worldwide.
I'd be thrilled to collaborate on your web design project.
I have four Squarespace Web Design packages ranging from £950 for a One-Page website, to £4,500+ for the Full Remedy, Platinum Package. This includes my full Brand Strategy service, SEO optimisation, branding, web copy, a custom design tailored to your business, video tutorials, and blog/eCommerce/booking functionality if needed.
I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks 🌟 for being here, and if you’d like more tips, tools, and tricks [without the overwhelm], to help YOU grow your small business, I’d love to have you join my twice-monthly HeartBiz 💌 Letter.
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