5 Questions you must be able to answer before you rebrand.

 

The decision to rebrand is a big one for most businesses.

New name potentially, new logo, new website and marketing materials.

It’s a big investment and one that I see so many people get wrong.

But it really is pretty simple, do your homework first, take some time to answer these 5 questions so you can ensure that you get a real return on your investment.

Even if you decide to just build a new website, launch a new product or target a new audience these questions can help you to ensure you’re not going to make costly mistakes.

 

1.Who is my ideal customer?

This question is a common one, but I am always surprised by how little companies really know about their customers.

Often I hear “ they are male aged 21 – 45 “ or “My customers are mainly mums”

 

You really need to ask yourself some more probing questions to really get the answers you need.

It is not about their age, status or sex; it is about their values, needs and wants.

 

“What does my ideal customer need from me in order to make a purchase?”

“Why should my customer work with me?”

“What makes my customers feel happy?”

“What drives my customers? Money? Time? Process? “

“Who are my customers’ friends and how do they interact with each other”

 

In today’s changing times, finding customers who want to be an advocate of your brand, a follower, someone who becomes you’re champion and will share your product, service or story is what many companies really want.

 

And for this to happen you have to dig deeper, it’s about finding out how you build an emotional connection with your customers and what they need from you, not what you sell to them.

 

2.What are my businesses values?

 

Finding your values and more importantly, the values of your customer’s are important.

 

We have all heard it before – people buy from people they like and trust.

Customers like to do business with companies they respect and relate to.

 

The principles by which you operate your business are what attract the right customers.

 

If you are rebranding you want your values to shine through. It is the essence of your business, it is the feeling someone will get after looking at your website, speaking to you on the phone or seeing your logo on your business card at a networking event.

 

It is an unsaid value, but once you have established your business values it is what you should stand by and follow in every element of your business.

This will give you a consistent brand.

 

 

3. What is my main objective – what do I want my customer to do?

 

Seems a simple question doesn’t it.

Well if your answer is to buy something be it a physical product or service that chance of them buying something from your website as soon as they arrive is pretty slim.

 

There is a figure I heard a while back, no evidence that this is correct but I am sure it is a good rule to go by, that people need to be exposed to a brand 9 times before they take action. Now that could be, see a Google Ad, see 2 – 3 FB posts, come to your website twice, etc.

 

So think carefully when you build your new website, what else are you doing in your marketing, where else can your customers see you and is it realistic to expect them to purchase immediately.

 

Building trust is now an important element, so look at what you can give them to help them build trust and establish a connection with your brand.

Gaining their details is important so you can continue to build a connection, so the main objective for most websites this should be at the top of your list.

 

 

4. Who are my main competitors? And how can I show my differences.

 

Getting a good point of difference or at least understanding where you specialize is important.

I always remember this quote” there is enough space in business for everyone” and it is so true.

BUT you still have to be different and grow your own tribe of followers.

 

Do some research, understand where you stand in the marketplace, and don’t be a follower, there is a customer our there that needs your unique offering, find it and shout about it.

 

 

 

5. How will I track my success? Am I prepared to track, review and tweak?

It may seem as if this is a little early in the process to be thinking about this question. But often asking yourself this question before you start your rebrand, helps you to build the processes you need from the outset.

 

Being able to look at the data and make educated decisions about what you are doing based on the actions of your customers is a must.

 

Gone are the days when you build a website and leave it, well many people still do this, but they won’t be the successful ones.

You now need to look at your data and constantly assess it, tweak and try again.

 

I have recently been using mouse flow https://mouseflow.com this allows you to record the sessions of people on your website, and to actually see where they go and how long they stay for, it has heat maps and recordings.

The standard is, of course, Google Analytics, which gives some great data.

 

An exercise I am currently doing with a client is customer personas and interviews, this is not a quick process but the data they are getting in order to decide if they want to sell online is invaluable.

 

So make these decisions early on and you will be tracked for success.

 

When you invest in a rebrand ask yourself these questions to ensure that you get a return on your investment.

 

We offer a 4 step brand audit for all customers who are thinking about rebranding or redesigning their website.

Always through this process, the brief changes and we can see the mistakes that would have been made if we had just jumped straight in.

 

Check out our brand workshop here

 

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