10 Steps For Easily Rebranding YOUR SITE In 2021

Among the questions that I see showing up among fellow bloggers on Facebook groups is: “How can you change your site niche? Or how do you change my blog categories? How can you go about rebranding your site easily and quickly, without losing blog traffic and followers?”

Whether you have outgrown your site, have a new audience, desire to develop a money-making blog or made a blunder in selecting a defined, narrow niche, the very good news is you could rebrand your site anytime.

It just takes a little bit of thoughtful planning and time for implementation to reach your goals.

The question is, where can you start? Do you know the steps? How long does it take?

I've answers to these questions. I transformed my blog from the travel and outdoor lifestyle blog to an over-all lifestyle and art of blogging blog. I’m sharing my tips and learnings in order that it can be easier for you yourself to change your site niche and rebrand!

We’ll review all of the key tips for rebranding your site in 2021.

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Why DO YOU WISH TO Rebrand YOUR SITE?

The question to consider is, why do I wish to rebrand?

What's my end goal?

It could be because you’ve outgrown your site niche. Or you intend to take your site to a fresh level and monetize it.

Perhaps it’s as you have new ideas to tell others.

Maybe you’re coping with blogger burnout, require a break and a brand new start with a fresh direction.

Regardless of the reason, think about the objective.

Ultimately you need people reading your site, sharing posts and returning for more.

Because of this, it needs to check professional and up-to-date. This is also true in order to attract brands and PR professionals for sponsored campaigns.

Why I Rebranded Suburban Tourist

In 2016, I became a mom to just a little boy. My Suburban Tourist blog, had a need to evolve from the travel and outdoor lifestyle blog into different things.

I started Suburban Tourist this year 2010, also it was definitely no more fitting my focus or my new audience.

Travel and outdoor adventures were going for a back seat to new topics on motherhood, babies and diaper disasters!

Beauty and interior decor topics also interested me and my readers. Parenthood may take a toll on skin as well as your home decorating budget (diapers are costly!).

So, I had a need to change my blog niche into something broader, encompassing several lifestyle topics.

I didn’t eliminate my outdoor and travel posts, since they still could live beneath the lifestyle umbrella. Furthermore, I included posts on blogging as my readers were other lifestyle/parenting bloggers seeking tips.

Rebranding YOUR SITE IS REALLY A Process

With many of these new topics, Suburban Tourist needed a large makeover and change in direction. And I did so it! What you see now could be a long way off from where things were at pre-2016.

This is my blog on February 20, 2016 :

It could take a good year . 5 before I'd make the big change. I made many mistakes on the way, so I’m sharing some invaluable tips that I wish I had known about!

In early 2018, I changed up the theme, created a fresh logo and changed up the About Me write-up. It had been looking similar to a lifestyle blog.

Nonetheless it was still not 100% there yet.

When I finally found the proper look, the proper branding, and the proper focus for my blog, everything clicked.

Everything you see now, is what I’m pleased with for my Suburban Tourist lifestyle blog. Take the time to pop in to the blog to check on it out.

Moreover, it’s now a far more successful blog with an increase of traffic and income!

Key Steps To Rebranding YOUR SITE

When you want to improve your site niche, there are many steps you will need to take before you do the big “relaunch”.

I skipped several steps also it certainly made things a little more difficult. So don’t do what I did so.

Instead, consider following these steps.

1. Choose your new blog nicheand when you need to change your URL
2. Assess what must be changed and make an action plan
3. Revise your site mission and About Me page
4. Take the steps to migrate your site to a fresh domain name (It is advisable to hire a professional to assist you with one of these steps)
5. Update your theme
6. Update the logo and brand colours
7. Review and update social media marketing accounts, Google, Affiliate sites and Brand Partnership sites
8. Brainstorm new post ideas and update content calendars
9. Update all pins, replacing together with your new logo
10. Announce your rebrand to your followers

Let’s begin!

You might want to download this handy “Blog Brand Standards Master” printable since it helps you make a note of details for the new blog brand.

1. Choosing YOUR BRAND-NEW Blog Niche & IF YOU WANT A Name Change

When you’re thinking about rebranding your site, don’t rush the procedure!

The first thing to take into account is whether you’re changing your site niche and what that entails. If it’s a totally different blog niche (for instance from the food blog to a fashion blog), it’s probably far better just take up a new blog.

If it’s moving niches inside a category (for instance, a recipe site for busy university students to 1 for busy young professionals) you will get away with a little rebrand that works for both topics

Don’t Rush Things – Think Things Through!

It requires time to find out if you want to execute a complete rebrand or in case you are OK using what you’ve got with several tweaks. If your site is really a big one, with many posts, updating it could seem like a intimidating task.

Rushing into selecting a new blog name can be something you don’t wish to accomplish. There’s some thinking that must be done first!

Consider all of the effects of a blog name change. Is it possible to live with the existing name, or you don't have to change the name?

I’m pointing this out since it will affect so a lot of things in the rebranding process. It'll definitely make it a far more complicated and longer process for several reasons:

• The time had a need to think of a new name and research domain URLs, social media marketing name availability
• Enough time to set up a fresh domain
• The potential have to hire somebody to greatly help with the technicalities around migration in one domain to a fresh one.
• Redirects which means you don’t lose your SEO link juice
• A fresh batch of pins together with your new logo
• Updates to all or any of our social media marketing accounts, Pinterest and affiliate partnerships

There are various articles on the market on migrating in one domain to some other. We won’t enter this here, because frankly, it’s too technical for me personally. I’d just hire a specialist to greatly help out!

I made a decision to keep Suburban Tourist since it was a well-established blog. Aswell, I possibly could easily modify it right into a lifestyle blog.

Consider your new direction: what topics do you wish to write about?

How will you organize them into new categories? Is there general “topic buckets” such as for example Lifestyle, Parenting, Adventure, etc., that you could organize your sub-topics around?

Much like any good planning, jot down all your ideas because they come. I came across this very useful in gathering my thoughts prior to going in to the next stage. Planning!

2. CREATE A Plan To Rebrand YOUR SITE The Right Way

It is possible to jump right into creating a change to your site niche, when i did. However, I would recommend having a plan set up first.

As you can plainly see from my blog journey, the procedure took time and I made changes without really considering my audience, my blog mission and goals. I had to return and re-do them once more.

I don’t want one to make my mistakes!

Will have a plan to do something as a guideline when you’re rebranding your site.

To generate your plan:

• Think it through from begin to finish.
• Find out what steps you’ll have to take so when to take them to find the best impact.
• Decide what tools you should make your rebranded blog a stylish destination for the community.
• Write it out just like you were doing a arrange for litigant or boss – you’ll make certain you’ve got everything covered.
• Develop a timeline or perhaps a work-back schedule. Create the steps you will need to take, line by line, and present yourself a deadline concerning once you get each done. It'll keep you on the right track.

You might want to consider it as setting blog goals, doing activities in chunks. Utilize the SMART method to your current goal of rebranding your site. It will keep you on the right track and organized to attain your goal.

3. Revise YOUR SITE Mission Statement And About Me Page

The hardest thing that can be done when rebranding your site is to find out your brand-new blog mission, your market and what you’ll be sharing.

However, I'd argue, it’s also a significant exercise to do as quickly as possible.

It fine-tunes your brand-new blog as a brandname, and can help you with content generation continue.

Once you write your mission statement, you’re reminded as to the reasons you are blogging to begin with! You find out your site purpose. Are you currently informing, persuading or entertaining your readers? And that are your readers anyway?

Know YOUR SITE Audience

You also find out your audience. That are they? What exactly are their interests? Do you know the problems they turn to solve every day?

Look at your present reader demographics. Consider how your site readership will change in the event that you start writing on mom and parenting-related topics.

You might have more Millennial moms reading your lifestyle/parenting blog than your previous audience of Gen-X and Baby Boomer weekend warriors seeking travel stories.

With a fresh mission statement, you also think about what forms of questions you’ll answer for the readers.

That is also the time if you want to select your brand voice and personality.

Will you be funny and personal? Or simply you’ll become more on the professional side? Can be your blog fun and filled with light commentary having an infusion of one's personality?

If you have your brand-new mission statement ready, update your About Me page to add this messaging. It’s the initial place people look to find out more about your site.

4. If You’re Updating YOUR SITE Name & Domain URL

So you’ve made a decision to change your site niche, as well as your old blog name doesn’t use your brand-new direction. You’ll require a new blog name and blog domain URL.

CREATING A Blog Name Change

First, don’t rush selecting a new blog name. In the end, you need to keep it for the future.

A few points to consider whenever choosing a fresh blog name:

• You need to make sure your blog name will continue to work five to a decade from now.
• Ensure it is simple and broad in scope, then one that doesn’t identify your role (e.g. Mom, parenting, job-related,etc.).
• Stay away from a name that’s much like a trademarked name.
• Determine if your selected blog name comes with an available blog URL – .com is most beneficial.
• Determine if your chosen domain hasn’t been flagged for spam.

I’ve shared more tips about how to find the appropriate blog name in my own post on starting a blog that you might find useful.

Redirects To YOUR BRAND-NEW Blog URL

If you’re rebranding your site but you desire to keep old post content, you don’t desire to lose links once you change your domain name!

Postpone on changing from your own current blog URL to your brand-new one until you do that one essential step. Keep your backlinks and organic traffic by implementing a 301 redirect.

In the past, when I went from using Blogger and a blogspot.com URL to my very own Suburbantourist.ca URL, I made the mistake of failing to have the redirect set up. My traffic dropped to 0. You don’t want this to occur!

A 301 redirect has any existing links get redirected automatically to your brand-new URL.

For those who have some technical background, it is possible to walk through the 301 redirect changes with handy tutorials. Most website hosting providers have their own tips about how to get this to change via their C-Panel and available services.

I take advantage of Bluehost and also have sought help from their tech staff with any changes with redirects. It never hurts to ask. Some can help out. In the event that you don’t have any help from your own web hosting provider, you might have to employ an SEO specialist who is able to assist you with this particular.

5. Update Your Theme

Probably the most fun parts of rebranding your site is getting a new look with a brand new theme.

However, selecting the most appropriate theme could be tricky, and costly. So picking wisely is key.

If it’s been some time as your last theme change, you might be tempted to consider a nice-looking, popular theme. You go through the live previews and think, wow, that one is actually nice!

However, I would recommend you carefully browse the details for each theme you prefer. You may end up getting a blog theme that’s too complicated to set-up. Or you might choose a completely new one which has many bugs inside it. New isn’t always better.

Listed below are things to consider when buying new theme:

• When you’re rebranding your site, the theme needs to use your current brand. If you’re attractive to a women-heavy audience, look at feminine blog themes. There are plenty of on the market including CreativeMarket.com. , Bluchic, and Themeforest (Evanto)
• Search for themes that are functional however, not overstuffed with extra features. Most of these end up slowing down your website, which is harmful to SEO.
• Select a blog theme that’s fairly new but has taken enough time out there for users to check it out for bugs.
• Search for a theme that's easily customizable. It could really make the distinction when you're able to tweak the keeping call-to-action boxes, or transformation a colour with a click on of a button. A blog site where you can shift the font helps as well, as many of them have super-small fonts that are challenging to read.

I love blog themes that have a number of different blog look choices.

NOTE: In the event that you haven’t updated your site theme in quite a while, you’ll notice styles for Genesis Framework, Divi, etc.

They are frameworks that use particular coding for a schedule for themes you can buy. There are restrictions to each one of these frameworks, and just people that have good coding skills could make custom tweaks.

Therefore it’s best to adhere to easily customizable standalone designs if you don’t desire to be frustrated.

6. Update Your Logo And Brand name Colours

The temptation will there be to keep what you’ve obtained. It’s worked during the past, and it’s what you’re utilized to.

However, designs in blog page logos change. Consider websites from five to eight years back. A lot of had logos with illustrations, seriously embellished with imagery. Numerous look outdated now.

So rather than keeping the same search for your visual brand resources, why not execute a complete makeover?

Once you change your site niche, plan to switch the look of one's logo and brand colours aswell.

Rebranding your site with new visuals could be stressful. After all, you would like to keep your logo design and colour pallette around for quite some time.

Choose a classic method of crafting your brand-new logo. What doesn’t walk out style is really a simple phrase logo design with a font that works for the sort of blog site you have.

However, you can include some embellishments to create it stick out. A leaf, a little bit of clipart, or perhaps a paintbrush stroke to highlight the title are basic and classy.

Once more, look to websites such as for example Creative Market. It has several pre-made logo templates and beautiful fonts that you could purchase for a distinctive logo.

Click on the image to look at my favourites!

Exactly the same applies to the color scheme. Consider what different colors represent with regards to branding also to whom they charm.

7. Update Your SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING Accounts, Google and Affiliate Websites

Let your supporters and potential followers find out about your blog’s fresh focus. That's where you take your objective statement and pare it right down to the nitty-gritty.

Apart from transforming your username to your brand-new blog name, there’s the user profile to update.

Invest some time crafting an ideal profile blurb. It’s likely that you’ll create the profile rather than be constant in your messaging. Not forgetting, it will consider you a lot of period writing each out individually.

Write a brief, concise blurb (150 words roughly) which you can use across multiple social media stations – from Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You might have to tweak it a little if some user profile sections require fewer character types.

Here’s what I did so for my Twitter accounts:

A great way of doing this will be to get a short, one-line sentence accompanied by keywords separated by way of a symbol. I utilized the “|” since it created a good visual.

Search engines Analytics & Google Search Gaming console

With both Search engines Analytics and Google Search System you will have to update the domain modification by adding a new home with the up-to-date URL. It’s virtually like placing them up from scratch. You'll get a fresh tracking code for Search engines Analytics.

Additionally, you will have to request the address change through the previous version of Google Search Gaming console. This is actually the last action!

Affiliate Sites And Brand name Partnership Site Updates

That is pretty straight forward! All of your partnered affiliate systems and brand partnership sites should be updated together with your new URL. You might have to connect with your affiliate marketer contacts and reps to tell them of the change and have for instructions on how best to upgrade the URL.

8. Create Fresh Content material And An Editorial Calendar

Switching gears once you rebrand your site isn't easy.

You’re familiar with writing on certain subjects and suddenly, you’ve opened yourself around new posts to talk about. It’s simply like starting a fresh blog – so thrilling!

In my own case, I made a blunder when I made a big change to my blog specialized niche. I began by churning out a lot of posts on new subjects.

Scribbling down post ideas on a bit of document or on my take note app on my telephone, I had been disorganized. I finished up posting several articles in my new categories, and got writer’s block!

What I will did is have a brainstorm program where I would have a broad topic, then split it down into smaller post ideas.

Secondly, considering Facebook Groups along with other forums to questions individuals ask will be key in discovering fresh articles.

The simplest way to develop fresh ideas would be to notice what other folks are asking. When you can come up with a remedy, VOILA… you’ve got a post that will be of curiosity to your readers.

Lastly, I should have taken most of these concepts and arranged a blog editorial calendar. Whether it’s on a calendar or an Excel sheet, a post and promotion plan keeps you on the right track.

When you change your site niche, take your period to gather your opinions and organize them. Analysis to create valuable blog posts that folks would want to read!

9. Upgrade Your Pinterest Pins

We’ve discussed a blog palette and logo design transformation when you’re rebranding your site.

However, one thing to take into account is all those pins you’ve designed for your posts!

Whether you’ve produced a blog page name change or not really, you will probably desire to tweak your pins somewhat with at least the brand new colour palette.

In the event that you used Canva and held all your pins on it, the procedure will probably be easier. In the event that you didn’t use Canva, you might have to scrap the aged pins and completely re-perform them from scratch.

Anticipate this process taking time away from relaunch… which we reach next!

Suggestion: When I migrated blogs from my Suburban Tourist blog site to the one, I “re-worked” my older pins making little tweaks and adding my brand-new branding. It saved me hrs of creating fresh pins from scratch.

PRO Suggestion: If you’re beginning a completely new Pinterest take into account your newly re-branding blog page, obtain my Pin It: A Blogger’s Guideline To Mastering Pinterest training course on how to take up a Pinterest business accounts from scratch. I talk about my tips about how I’ve been increasing my brand-new Pinterest accounts – margaretbournemedia – and driving increasing levels of traffic to my web site.

10. Announce Your Relaunch

You made a decision to change your site niche and you’ve think of a great new path.

You’ve began the process of rebranding your site and it’s half-way prepared to be relaunched.

Your readers could be already seeing some adjustments, like a new theme turning up and modifications to your social media marketing accounts.

It’s time and energy to tease your audience with huge news coming!

Talk about it on your social media marketing accounts that you’re focusing on some exciting adjustments for the blog.

Established the time you need to launch your freshly updated blog site and let your visitors know another to your internet site for that day.

Celebrate Your Relaunch On THE STATE Launch Date

On Your day, possess social media posts prepared with visuals and messaging. This may all be prepared beforehand to enable you to schedule the posts to venture out simultaneously.

Ask for input! Only a simple statement like, “I want to know what you imagine of the changes” will provide you with invaluable feedback.

An added place to announce your site relaunch is on your own Facebook groupings.

Your community people are always ready to provide feedback if you want anything tweaked. They’ll also offer you a little boost in visitors by checking out the brand new site.

One VERY LAST THING

Don’t overlook to create and update your e-mail! Be sure you update your Contact Me web page, contact forms as well as your email configurations.

You almost certainly will also desire to update your e-mail on any partnered websites such as for example email marketing providers, plugins along with other web tools.

ONCE YOU Change Your Blog Specialized niche And Rebrand

It will require time when you shift your site niche or rebrand. Aswell, it will require some investment for a fresh URL, theme, and set-up. Nevertheless, it'll be worth it ultimately.

Create a plan, think items through and start going step-by-step to make your changes.

Ultimately, you’ll end up being happier with the effect than should you choose it haphazardly and on the fly.

If it looks like a rebrand isn’t worthwhile, it may be time and energy to start a new blog page from scratch. That is fine too! Ultimately, if it works for the blog niche, it’s an excellent move!

QUESTION: Perhaps you have thought of rebranding your site? What was the largest issue that makes you wish to change your site niche?