5 ways to tell if your B2B brand needs a refresh

Change is good, right? Without it, you’d be stuck in silos, putting out the same messaging and visuals you’ve put out since you started. The stats check out too, with research suggesting that 94% of first impressions relate to a website’s design.

To ensure you’re clearly communicating your B2B brand and standing out in a competitive market, we wanted to share five signs your B2B might need a refresh.

1. The market (and your customer) has changed

A lot can change in a year. So far in 2023, Apple announced its Apple Vision Pro spatial computer, ChatGPT elevated AI to a place that has us questioning productivity and creativity, and inflation and market uncertainty have been volatile.

Go back even further, and those changes will be more pronounced. Today, over 50% of B2B salespeople think it’s harder to get in front of potential customers compared to five years ago, and over 70% of B2B buying decisions are made by millennials who want the B2C personalized shopping experiences they’re familiar with.

The point is, markets change, customers change, and it’s your job to keep up with those shifts so you can adapt accordingly. If your website is falling behind in terms of UX/accessibility, you aren't embracing or at least investigating new tech, or your content doesn't address current market needs, it’s probably time to take a step back and reassess.

2. Your brand’s looking outdated

In the same way markets change, so do visuals and standards around web design, like accessibility. According to a recent WebAim study of one million homepages, there was an average of 50 accessibility errors per page, which means a lot more needs to be done.

With visuals too, trends change what resonates with users, and you’ve likely seen some of your favourite brands lean into the simplified logo trend because of that.

Rather than still looking (and feeling) like your site has just walked out of the 90s, you want it to look like it’s offering products that are on the cutting-edge of innovation, talking about them on an online space that’s welcome to all.

3. Your brand’s not looking cohesive

As your brand grows, it's easy to add new case studies, product pages, or resources to your website without thinking about how it fits into the overarching visual identity of your brand, how someone might navigate to and from that page, or how the tone and voice of those pages compare to pages written five years prior.

As your B2B brings on more talent, it’s easy for inconsistencies to creep in, particularly if you have guidelines that aren’t being properly followed.

A brand refresh offers a great opportunity to take stock of where your brand’s at and bring everybody together on the same page. In fact, consistency matters so much that doing it well has been said to lead to a 23% increase in revenue.

4. Your brand is changing direction

Remember, a refresh isn’t just for external use. It’s also tied to what’s happening internally.

Perhaps you’ve doubled down on a service or want to better emphasize a particular brand value. Perhaps you’re rethinking your value proposition and positioning.

If change is afoot and things are shifting internally, refreshing your logo, website, or manifesto is a great way to showcase those changes to the outside world and mark a fresh start for a new direction.

5. Your customers have questions about what you do

If you find customers have questions about what you do or they’re unclear on the services you provide, there’s a clear disconnect between what they’re reading about you and what you actually offer.

According to WB Research, B2B buyers complete up to 70% of their buying research before contacting sales, so it's important the research they’re doing independently offers the answers they need to understand how you can solve their specific problems.

Make sure you’re taking the time to navigate and engage with your B2B through the eyes of your customer. Navigate the site as they would, try and find answers to pressing questions they may have, and see if you’re left with any gaps that need addressing.