Should I fix my brand before I build a new website?

Short answer: yes. Almost every time.

Your website is the most visible version of your brand. If you build it before the brand is settled, odds are you'll be rebuilding it within a year.

Reservoir is a good example. They're a commercial real estate company that funds missions and ministries. That's a strong why, but without a shared story, the same company could introduce itself as four different things. So the messaging came first: Reservoir doesn't "support good causes." It funds impact through disciplined commercial performance. Only then did we build the sitemap and the copy for every page. The site had something solid to stand on.

Why the order matters

• Your copy depends on your messaging. That homepage headline is a positioning decision. If nobody's made that decision, your copywriter is guessing.
• Your design depends on your identity. Colors, type, and photography should come from a brand system, not from whatever the web designer happens to like.
• Your structure depends on your audience. Who the site is for decides which pages exist and what each one asks people to do.

It doesn't have to be a huge project

At a minimum, before you build, you want:

• A clear positioning statement
• Your key audiences
• Three to five messaging pillars
• A visual identity with guidelines

With those in hand, the website goes faster and costs less, because you're not arguing about the big stuff in the middle of the build.

The exception

If your site is broken, not secure, or actively costing you sales, fix that now. Don't wait on us for that.

Just hold off on the full redesign until the brand work is done.

If you're planning a new site, pair a Brand Sprint with our Website build, so nothing gets built twice. Start a conversation.