If it’s time to rebrand your SaaS startup, don’t panic. Take in some tips from this helpful guide to make the transition smooth.

Don’t Panic If It’s Time To Rebrand

When it comes to a SaaS startup, strong digital branding is an absolute must. It is what creates a recognizable identity in a competitive marketplace. It is key to building a relationship with customers and helping them recognize you and understand your products or services.

However, the marketplace changes quickly, and the most successful brands know when it’s time to change with it. If you know it’s time to make big changes, you may have some concerns.

Don’t worry. Keep these things in mind as your brand evolves.

Why Should You Rebrand?

Rebranding can seem scary, but in certain circumstances, it can be necessary for keeping a business alive. Ask yourself these questions. If the answer is yes to any of them, your business may benefit from rebranding.

• Have your company’s offerings changed drastically since it started?
• Have you outgrown your name or visual branding?
• Does your current branding not reflect company values accurately?

If it’s time for a rebrand, follow these steps.

SEE ALSO: When To Consider A Digital Rebrand

1. Figure Out Your Core Values

Even if it is not something you see all the time for every brand, all brands have a strong list of core values at the base of their marketing strategy. These values define both:

• How your team presents and relates to your product
• How customers will think about and interact with your company

There are numerous values you can choose from. For example:

• Integrity
• Passion
• Loyalty
• Honesty
• Rebellion
• Compassion

Whatever values you choose, make sure that they are both positive and inform your brand. From here, you can truly redefine your brand. Next comes the changes customers will find most obvious.

2. The Name Game

As a small startup, a strong brand and name are absolutely essential to get recognized in a crowded market.

A strong name must appeal to the right target market, help inform customers of your services, and sound good. It must be pleasant to read and say and easy to remember.

Be sure to choose a unique name. This means that there should be no local businesses around you with a similar name, and no businesses in your market either. This can lead to confusion.

3. Take Your Time

After choosing your name and values, you may want to immediately get to work on the rebrand. After all, time is often short in saas startups, and making decisions at breakneck speed can be a given. However, it is important not to rush into rebranding.

Depending on the specifics of your company, there may be many moving parts. It is important that thought and care are given to your rebrand. The more strategically it is executed, the more smoothly things will go. Don’t just do these steps, but know why you are doing each and what it means for the strength of your business.

SEE ALSO: How to Digital Rebrand Your Small Business

4. Focus on Visuals

Once you have your name and values pinned down, it is time to tackle the look and feel of your saas startup. In the age of digital branding, this is incredibly important. Your logo, website, and social media presence can either win or lose you a whole world of customers. In fact, 75% of customers admit that they judge the credibility of an entire brand on how it’s website looks alone.

It is very important that you take a look at competitors in your market. First, see what they are doing to communicate with consumers, what is working, and what you think you can do better. Consider their visuals as well.

Depending on the depth of your rebrand, you may want to update certain visual aspects of it. For example, things like:

• A new logo
• A signature font
• A signature color

SEE ALSO: 9 Things Logo Designers Wish Clients Knew

Versatility is Key

All of it should tie into the values of your saas startup and what you want to express visually. Also, Everything you choose should look appropriate in different situations. It needs to work on your desktop site, on your mobile site or app, and when printed in real life applications.

Remember, just because something looks good on a laptop screen does not mean it will look the same or translate well to other areas. The versatility of your design is key. It is estimated that mobile will account for 72% of all digital ad spend by 2019. Is your brand ready for the mobile takeover?

5. Do Things. Tell Others.

Firstly, For your rebrand to land correctly, it is critical that you communicate it both internally and externally. In order for your company to pull off a rebrand, it must be consistent. This means that your team needs to know and understand why you are rebranding, how you are rebranding, and what exactly is expected of them.

You may even want to dedicate a specific presentation to the ins and outs of your rebrand. It is Equally important that you check in with your team and make sure they understand everything.

Without this communication, you may have team members lagging behind, which can result in customers getting mixed messages about your brand. This looks unprofessional and can cause confusion for both team members and customers.

SEE ALSO: 10 Reasons Why You Need a Digital Strategy

Tackling Change Together

When your team is on board, however, they can play a big part in making sure that your brand change is communicated well to customers. This is key in customers feeling like they are a part of the journey, rather than confused or alienated by your rebrand.

When the startup Receiptful successfully rebranded to Conversio to reflect company growth, brand founder Adii Pienaar explained their success in this way:

“The monetary or marketing success of our rebrand is however very much a byproduct of us doing something very simple: Do Things. Tell Others.”

Are You Ready To Take The Plunge?

If you are nervous about rebranding because you think it will entail a massive overhaul, take a breath. In actuality, this is usually not the case at all. While sometimes brands must perform massive overhauls, more often than not rebranding can involve something less intimidating, such as updating a logo.

Finally, There is also no rule that any changes you see fit to make need to occur all at once. Even making minor visual changes usually does not happen overnight. Therefore, take time to think about what could really improve your saas startup, and make those steps incrementally.

However, whatever you decide to do to improve your company’s branding, be sure to keep communication open at every level.  Also, make sure that these changes align with your company values.

What aspects of a rebrand do you think are the most difficult to undertake? Comment below…