Creating a brand is one of the most important things that businesses of all sizes can do. Creating a brand that is consistent across all platforms is one of the major ways to identify yourself and display a unified vision to the customer. That vision and brand not only tell a very important story about the type of company that you’re running, but they also create memories from your customer that are imperative to your success. When the time comes to update your website, one of the most important things to consider is whether or not your brand has changed over time.

Branding is an emotional experience. It creates a story that your target audience identifies with, agrees with and wants to naturally learn more about. Think about some of the most popular companies in the world. Apple Electronics, for example, has a clear and consistent brand across all mediums. Anytime you see the Apple logo, images fill your head of their products and services. They’ve created an army of lifelong dedicated fans. They’ve done all of this through amazingly successful branding. This is what you should be striving for.

Rebranding involves one of two basic concepts depending on the situation. You can either go for a brand refresh or a full rebrand. A brand refresh involves making sure that all of your various marketing channels reflect the story that you’re trying to tell. You may consider a website redesign after a brand refresh to help make sure that it falls in line with those goals.

A full rebrand, however, may be necessary if your company has dramatically changed or evolved. An extreme example would be if your company used to sell electronics of all types and now it exclusively sells vacuum cleaners. You would need a full rebrand to reflect this, which would naturally include a website redesign.

Rebrands come often with content changes. Keep in mind that branding is not just a color change and a new logo – it is a major overhaul of a website from the ground up. When visitors access your page, the message should be clear and concise and visually appealing. Think about Apple’s website and the way it reflects their brand.

If you’re ready for a rebrand, you’re ready for a website redesign. You should have already identified your buyer personas, should have content prepared and should be finding the absolute best agency to accomplish both tasks to help the work live up to its fullest potential.

One of the major keys to branding involves making sure that you’re creating a consistent display of that brand across all possible channels. Remember that your business’ website is essentially the digital version of a business card – it is the first impression that many consumers will get of your organization. If your website is not consistent with your brand, even after an extensive redesign, you run the risk of alienating a large segment of both existing and potential customers in the process.