Loading...
Answers
MenuWill re-naming a health care practice affect its branding and organic online ranking/search results?
Looking to re-brand our 11 year old (long & geo specific) physical therapy practice name to one that is shorter, easier to pronounce and less geo specific. Thought is to make it more brandable as well as expandable to other areas besides improving the exit value in future. Current name is similar to 'Dayton Physical Therapy Associates' (actual city name replaced with Dayton) and it appears on top of local area search results organically.
Is re-naming worth the effort in this case for the good reasons stated above?
Answers
Adjusting sail midstream is easier said than done. But, when the situation become inevitable, the sail must be adjusted to be able to sail further. Renaming, actually, is rebranding. It's often a case when sales starts going south, and survival is at stake.
Yes, renaming always leaves an impact on brand equity and other parameters. It has to be planned and strategically defined to be able to achieve the objective. Revamp in a planned manner, test the taste,and transition seamlessly.
From creating a compelling story to triggering emotional reaction; from shift to return to roots to material impact on strategy et al, renaming requires some serious thinking.
Looking for anything specific? Feel free to reach out.
I currently own and run all of the online (and offline) marketing for a 15 year old PT practice. I've also owned and operated several other health and fitness related practices. So I'm very familiar with your situation.
Business expansion and exit strategy planning can be excellent reasons for any business to consider branding and other components of marketing. Re-naming is not something to be taken lightly so it's wise of you to consider the implications.
The short answer to your questions..
1. Will re-naming the business affect its branding?
It can if the name is congruent with your marketing strategy.
2. Will re-naming the business affect organic online ranking and search results?
Again - it can. The bigger concern might be your decisions regarding your URL and factors such as website optimization, keyword selection, and proper use of local search strategy and execution.
The bottom-line: it's worth the effort if the investment and effort have a high probability of helping you accomplish your specific goals (which you did not explicitly state) AND if it's a part of a solid business strategy. By itself re-naming is not likely to have a significant positive impact on your bottom line and if poorly executed could result in confusion to your patients (past, current and future) and a negative impact on ranking and search results.
Let me know if I can be of any assistance. I wish you the best of luck!
Re-naming is re-branding. And re-branding requires an investment of time and money. However, you could change your business name and still maintain your rankings. Having a solid SEO and PPC strategy will help you. Just because you would drop the geotargeted location from your business name doesn't mean that you won't be able to rank in a top spot.
I would recommend the old advice of putting together a business plan around the new brand you're envisioning, identifying specific, measurable goals you are looking to achieve.
Then I would work backward to identify everything you need to do to develop, or enhance, the brand to meet the standards of your vision. Financially, does this change make sense? Will it improve your customers' experience?
This is a deep topic, but hopefully all of our comments can help you arrive at a decision you're confident with.
-Diane
Professionally, I mainly work with domains and brand names. And I'd advise 2 things:
(1) Whichever domain you're using to rank #1 organically for the desired search vertical, leave it alone. Building a practice on a geographically specific domain that also defines your profession is something I often recommend, boring though it may seem; and since the site is performing well (i.e. ain't broke) don't fix it.
(2) Rebranding may still be a good option for you; and since your instincts incline you to consider it, then you're probably right for the reasons you yourself outlined. When you choose a new name, then I'd recommend creating a separate site for it online. Eve if it's just a simple, inexpensive page, you can expand it later. That way you'll be transitioning with zero risk of upsetting your existing site's #1 position; and you'd be adding an additional asset to your business.
Now let's talk about that new name!
A new brandname is associated with a new entity. If you do not want ti lose your past brand recognition, plan ahead. well in advance, inform your stakeholders about your renaming process. Keep both names - the old and the new - living together in your web messages, for at least six months. A well planned and executed renaming process is the key to keep your practice healthy. If you want to know more, I will be happy to help you. I have a strong backgound on health brands.
I believe this is not the fact, you see, brands are usually based on trust, once the trust of the customers is established no matter how many times you change the name of the brand, it hardly matters. Take for example “Hindustan Lever” it changed its name to “Unilever.” Did its customer base shift? No not at all! The identity of the brand is shaped by the attributes that its target audience perceives and is a basic element in defining its personality. The attributes must be clear and well defined.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath
Related Questions
-
How can one mimic a bold pricing positioning to become a premium brand vs. a mid-range brand?
Many people in consumerist countries buy on emotion. It isn't the same at the lower end of the market, so brands lose out massively in that space, but they aren't really too worried about it given the disposable income available elsewhere. Branding involves understanding how your 'badge' makes your customers feel. There has to be a congruence between what they see and thus imagine. Oddly, this can also include what they can almost smell and taste! Even though those are not at any point defined in the brand strategy per se. The first thing is to identify your market segment. In the example you gave, ask yourself what is it you do? How old are you? Do you have children? What sort of job do you do? Are you happy with it? How much do you make? What sort of house do you live in? What other things do you like? etc. etc. etc. these all form what is known as a 'customer persona'. You may even help yourself along by cutting out items from magazines which help visualise answer to those questions or even create and cut out a large cut-out of that archetype. I do this a lot in different capacities, especially in IT and tech, since that is the market I revolve in most. I can definitely help with the strategy, but I'm going to say something quite odd. If you are thinking to, DO NOT contact me about manifesting it ;) As you can probably tell, there are two parts to this. The first is the strategy which I can do with my eyes closed. The second is the branding exercise, which involves the folk focussed on the emotional aspect of the process, even if they lack the strategic oversight or plan. If I were you, I'd find someone who has both. The strategic 'cognition' and the emotional/EQ skill. That is the sort of person you need or you can find people that work well together and use them both. Very best of luck!EA
-
What exit strategies do angel investors want/prefer for a service business?
Keep in mind that investors invest for returns. Telling a prospective investor that you want his or her money to grow your business but don't plan on ever generating a liquidation event that pays him or her a dividend is not likely going to work; angel or not. You may be better served with debt financing where returns are generated in the form of interest payments not equity value growth. BUT, if equity financing is the plan, you're going to want to develop a strategic exit plan right from the start. That means identifying prospective buyers, strategic channels etc and characterizing the value drivers for each right up front. You'll find prospective buyers come in a number of forms; competitors, bigger versions of you, strategic partners, private equity, etc. Each will value your business in different amounts for for different reasons. Understanding this is vitally important for you to navigate to securing the right money, from the right sources, with the most favorable terms. Once you've qualified and quantified each of them, then determine what (specifically) you're going to need to do to align your business with those prospective buyers generating the highest returns. This will drive your business model and go to market strategy and define your 'use of funds' decisions. This in turn result in a better, more valuable business whether you exit or not. Do it this way and you'll have no trouble raising money from multiple sources. You can learn more about the advantage of starting with a Strategic Exit plan here: http://www.zerolimitsventures.com/cadredc Good luck. SteveSL
-
What is the most important attribute for a successful high-end lifestyle clothing brand to have?
Your brand must conjure associations beyond the clothing itself. Fabric is only fabric. Attractive design matters, but market competition is enough to drive down prices. If you intend to ask a premium, then your product line must SUGGEST more than it literally is. Eventually, certain brands reach maturity and can point to an established reputation or high-profile adoption by the rich and famous. But you can start out by honing a brand "story" that captivates attention. Parts of that story are visual; others are verbal. Naming -- which is a large part of what I do -- is crucial when it comes to instantaneous unconscious communication. The right name tells your story for you on first contact with investors or consumers. Thereafter, it echoes in the mind, resonating with associations people bring to your product from their own experiences. Those associations add value. This is true whether you're a luxury brand or a maker of upscale outdoor gear like Patagonia, which takes its name from rugged South American highlands. In addition to your brand name, I would recommend paying close attention to all of your written copy. Make it unified and stylish ... in whatever way best fits your product line and intended audience.JP
-
Is it ok from a brand perspective to have different color schemes for your logo for different purposes?
Building a brand takes more than a logo. With that said, consistency is key for obtaining a competitive advantage that speaks to your market for longer. I would recommend against using different styles and colors for various purposes and instead maybe avoid using in lieu of the logo use maybe instead borders or patterns that use your logo's or brand colors. The idea of a logo is to engrave a mission or product into potential customers when they simply see the brand or logo... Once a logo is pushed and promoted you can strengthen that image by enforcing the brands colors through different materials or media :)HV
-
How do I define a client avatar for people or businesses requiring branding and design services?
What a great question! You are on the right track. First, lets define Avatar as "An icon or figure representing a particular person." In business application, an avatar is a representation of your ideal client/customer. A business may have multiple avatars representing several target demographics. Some prefer to distill this down to one person as an “avatar.” I recently interviewed super entreprenuer John Lee Dumas of EOfire.com and he has a very clear Avatar he calls "Jimmy" that he uses for business decisions you may want to check out. I hope that you have already gone through the exercise of your UVP, or Unique Value Proposition. If not, may I suggest the worksheet on this page, first: http://bit.ly/1kYTLbf Ok, so once you've clarified the why choose me, then start working on your Avatar, that's the who, or as we marketers like to call them: personas that represent segments from your target market. You have to start somewhere, right? So do. Are you going to first focus locally in your zip code and surrounding area? That can be one piece in helping you visualize your Avatar's lifestyle. Target marketing has to do with breaking your potential global audience into segments, specifically only the potential buyers of our product, service, or cause. As much as we might be tempted, we can’t be all things to all people. We have to commit and put some stakes in the ground. Are you ready to write your personal ad? Who are you looking for? Some of the most basic questions you should ask in forming an idea of Customer Segmentation has to do with what these people want, need, think, and feel. No time is wasted from this exercise because it will ultimately lead you to where and with who they hang out (their tribe.) Why is that our desired end point? Because that virtual or real (coffee shop, tradeshow, website, search engine, twitter feed, health fair, street location, podcast, meetup, traditional media) is where I should be hanging out with my product, service or cause and shouting my UVP from the rooftops as part of the conversation! Taking this thought experiment all the way through will also assist you in the critical understanding of whether the segment is large enough for you to be successful. I like using the Personas app (available on iPad) to put forth a visual representation of my potential target markets, but a white board works too! Literally put in a photo representation of your Avatar with a Name, and start brainstorming out: Think and Feel? See? Hear? Say and Do? Hangs out with/where? For you, offering your B2B services, maybe explore linked in to find where your peeps hang out and get a clearer idea of, let's call her, Samantha. Samantha is a small business owner of a growing service business whose revenues just got in the black. She has two employees and she's looking to hire another. She is struggling with getting her website up and mobile friendly and feels like she needs to be more effective in communicating what she does. She is overworked, in her mid 40s and recently divorced with 2 boys ages 10, 12. She has little time for fluff and needs guidance in creating a system that will help run her business. Can you help Samantha? :-) If you'd like to get more tips that sound like this, I'd be tickled if you let me know if Sell Local. Think Global. speaks to you. It's my first book and I'm feeling very vulnerable putting myself out there! eep! Available now on Amazon: http://bit.ly/olgasbookOM
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.