Your Website is More Than a Pretty Face

If you’re thinking about building or refreshing your website, you might be tempted to start with the fun stuff like picking colors and fonts. But the truth is - before you design anything, you need to know who you’re talking to and what you want them to do.

Step 1: Define Your Brand’s Core Values

Think of this as your website’s roadmap. You can’t get anywhere if you don’t know where you’re starting from or where you’re headed. Ask yourself:

• What do we stand for?

• What makes us different from our competitors?

• What do we want people to feel when they visit our site?

Your answers will shape every decision, from your tone of voice to the images and copy on your homepage.

Step 2: Know Your Audience

Who are you building this for? What frustrates them? What do they need from you that no one else is delivering?

If your audience were sitting across the table from you, how would you explain what you do (without the buzzwords)?

What you wrote down? That’s your brand voice.

Step 3: Make it Make Sense

People always say that “Your website is your storefront,” and while that’s true, it’s first and foremost a conversation starter. The goal of your website is to move someone from awareness to action...and they won't do that if they're not interested.

To start the conversation, your website must have:

1. Findability: You can’t convert someone who can’t find you.

2. Clarity: Your message should be simple enough to understand and strong enough to remember.

3. Credibility: People need proof that they can trust you.

4. Direction: A clear call to action that tells them what to do next.

When these pieces work together, your website becomes more than a storefront; it becomes a trusted extension of your brand.

Step 4: Make Your Website Real

Once your foundation is solid, then it’s time to break out the color swatches and visuals that tie it all together. This ensures that your website looks beautiful AND sounds like you.

Ready to get started? Let’s chat over coffee (virtual or otherwise) about how to turn your ideas into something real, and unmistakably - YOU!