Rebranding: does your website need a full redesign?

Key takeaways

A visual rebrand of logo, colours and fonts can often be applied to a sound website as a reskin. A rebrand that changes positioning, audience or name usually needs a redesign, because the message, structure and possibly the domain change too. A domain change is a site move and needs a full redirect plan.

• Logo and colours only: a reskin is often enough.
• New positioning or audience: redesign the message and structure.
• New name and domain: plan a site move with 301 redirects.
• Launch the website and the rebrand together, not months apart.

Does a rebrand mean a new website?

Not always. It depends on what the rebrand changes. A refreshed visual identity can often be applied to a sound site by updating the logo, colours, typography and imagery. A rebrand that changes who you serve, what you stand for or what you are called changes the message and structure, which is a redesign.

• Signs your business needs a new website

What is the difference between a reskin and a redesign?

A reskin applies a new visual identity to the existing structure and content: new logo, colours, fonts, buttons and images, same pages and URLs. A redesign reworks structure and content as well. A reskin suits visual rebrands; a redesign suits strategic ones.

• Reskin: typically a fraction of redesign cost, low SEO risk.
• Redesign: typically £3,000 to £12,000 in the UK market.
• Rebuild with domain change: redesign cost plus a site move plan.

• Website redesign versus rebuild

What if the business name and domain change?

Then it is a site move. Google's guidance on site moves with URL changes sets out the process: map every old URL to its new equivalent, add 301 redirects, verify the new domain in Search Console and use the Change of Address tool, and keep the old domain and redirects in place long term.

• Website migration SEO checklist
• Who owns your website, domain and content?

How should the rebrand and website be sequenced?

Finish the brand decisions first, then design the website, then launch both together. A site designed before the brand is settled gets redone. A rebrand launched months before the website leaves buyers seeing two identities and wondering which is current.

• When is the best time to redesign a website?

What else needs updating at launch?

Everywhere the old brand appears online. Missed listings keep the old name in circulation for years.

• Google Business Profile name, logo and photos.
• Social profiles, bios and cover images.
• Directory listings and review sites.
• Email signatures, invoices and proposal templates.
• Legal company details on the website if the registered name changed.

• Inconsistent branding across your website and channels

When should you not redesign for a rebrand?

When the rebrand is small, such as a logo refinement, and the site is performing. Changing the logo file and the accent colour is enough. Redesigning a converting site because of a minor visual change risks what already works.

What should the website brief say about the new brand?

It should explain what changed and why, not just supply the new logo. A supplier who understands that the rebrand is about moving upmarket, reaching a new sector or combining two firms will make better decisions about structure, content and imagery than one who only has the brand guidelines.

Include the brand guidelines, logo files in web formats, colour codes, fonts with web licences, photography style, tone of voice notes and any messaging that has been agreed. Check that the chosen fonts can be used on the web and that the colours meet contrast requirements for accessibility.

• Explain the reasons behind the rebrand.
• Supply logo files in web formats and colour codes.
• Confirm web licences for brand fonts.
• Check colour contrast for accessibility.

• A website brief template agencies can quote from

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern in UK professional services: two firms merge under a new name and domain. The website is rebuilt around the combined services, every old URL from both sites is mapped and redirected, and the Change of Address tool is used. Rankings for the old names carry across because the redirects and content were planned before launch.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Rebrand website checklist

Use this to scope the website side of a rebrand.

• Decide whether the rebrand is visual, strategic or a name change.
• Choose reskin, redesign or site move accordingly.
• Finish brand decisions before website design starts.
• Map and redirect every URL if the domain changes.
• Update listings, profiles and legal details at launch.
• Launch the brand and website together.

Next step

If you are planning a rebrand, we will scope the website work with you in 30 minutes, including whether a reskin will do.