When to Build your Website
When you start a business you naturally want to do all the things to get going, and often building a website is one of our top priorities. I’m offering you a different perspective on why you might not want to rush into a website project when you’re just starting your business.
The fact is, you need to know and find people to actually send to your website. There’s this misconception that “if you build it, they will come”. And they will, but you have to invest your time and money elsewhere to make that happen.
I focused on networking.
I tried to meet possible referral sources, and talk to ideal clients about what they needed from someone like me. I joined a networking community that gave each member a profile that acted as a decent landing page. I relied on that for a while so I could figure out how I really wanted to show up online.
In those initial stages my ideas, concepts, and services consistently evolved.
After I had worked with a handful of clients, I started to gain the clarity necessary to establish the foundation of my brand.
I hired a brand strategist.
Someone who took me through the wonderful process he had developed. We nailed down my mission, vision, values, and voice. Then he created my logo and we chose colors, fonts, and images that resonated with the messaging we had developed.
Again, I see new business owners focus on what everything looks like without thinking much about what they are going to say to connect with the clients they hope to work with. What are they offering, and what’s their process?
Colors, shapes and pictures do not a brand make on their own. To complete the messaging for your company you need to put the time in to establish both your personal and business brand messaging. Then the imagery and visual energy should enhance, support, and reflect that brand.
I created my own simple website.
Once I had the complete brand messaging foundation, I chose once more not to dive in to the investment of paying for a website. I created my own simple website with the logo, colors, and messaging I had developed with the branding designer.
My business took off. I fine tuned my services and added a group program. And now a year later, I hired the same designer to redo my website. I worked with a writer to update and expand my website content and to write monthly blogs. I’ve added more content and resources specifically for my ideal clients.
I love how everything looks and how it clearly represents my brand. My website now strongly reflects my business and how I work with my clients. The content is targeted to my desired audience. I’m also implementing SEO strategy.
One of the benefits of working this way was that the work was being done behind the scenes while the basic website was up and running. So there was no rush and no interruption. Everything was thoughtful, intentional, and with purpose. We added and updated as we moved through the process.
Things I learned:
Networking is key to building relationships and finding clients. A website would not have done that for me in the beginning.
Explore and clarify your messaging first - mission, vision, voice - before you invest in designing your website.
When the time is right for you to build a website, its worth it to hire a professional. They see things from an expert’s perspective and make suggestions you otherwise would not have thought about.
I want to take a moment to thank:
Justin Kerr, from Justin Kerr Design for his branding and design expertise. I loved the process he uses to help you get clear on your messaging. And I’m grateful for his guidance in choosing my brand colors and developing my logo as well as the wonderful job he did in redesigning my website.
Beth Knaus, from That’s A Spade Copywriting Services for the creative way she is able to capture my voice, honor my messaging, and write engaging content for my clients to enjoy and learn from.
If you’re looking for a branding specialist/ web designer or creative copywriter, I highly recommend Justin and Beth.
I hope you’ll take a moment to check out my new website:
P.S. Ready to stop spinning in place and get to the other side of your goals? Here are several ways I can help:
Download my free weekly planning guide - it will help you become more intentional with your time, develop a clear action plan for your week, and ensure that you are focusing on activities that will move your business forward - Download Now
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