How to Design Your Own Website in 5 Steps
Breaking down the website design process,
so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming!
Building your own website can seem daunting. Perhaps you’ve asked questions like these: “Where do I begin with website design?” “How do I select fonts and colors for my website?” “How do I come up with good content for my website?” “I don’t know where to start!”
Let’s take the guesswork out of website development by simplifying what can seem like a big, daunting process, and break it down step by step.
Break down your website project into these 5 parts:
(I’m going macro to micro…keep reading to get the full scoop on how to do each of these)
Choose a platform to build on.
I discuss these more below…keep on reading! ☺️ ↴
Decide on your website’s style. (If you don’t already have one, this will become part of your brand - very simply put: how people recognize your biz.)
↳ Colors
↳ Fonts
↳ Look/feel
↳ Layout
Decide what to put in your website. (This is your site’s content.)
↳ Website copy
↳ Photos
↳ Videos
↳ Blog posts
Decide what integrations you’ll need. (These are the things that help your website talk to other platforms.)
↳ Newsletter/email marketing integrations
↳ Contact forms
↳ Social media integrations
↳ Payment processers
Etc…
Set time aside to add SEO to your new website. (Search Engine Optimization)
Think of this as an excellent way to give your website a leg-up where search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc..) are concerned.
Let’s start with the first item on that list: choosing a platform.
No.1 | What website platform should I build on?
↳ Squarespace, Wix, Bluehost… These are all examples of website design platforms. I can’t speak to all of them, but I can attest that Squarespace is fantastic! One of THE main reasons I use Squarespace to build on is ease of use for my clients once I handoff their newly created website to them.
↳ PLUS, their IT team is top notch! I’ve worked with many IT teams in various work settings, and Squarespace’s support team is beats them all. They make you feel heard, understood, and best of all —> not ridiculous for reaching out to ask WHATEVER question related to your Squarespace website that you may have!
↳ Do your research, see which website platform best fits your needs, and step 1 is done!
No.2 | How to begin designing your own website
STEP 1: You’ll need inspo!
If you’re going it alone by building your own website, getting inspiration from other sites is an excellent place to begin! You can find this inspiration by looking at other websites in a similar industry like yours. “Isn’t this cheating?” you ask. “Won’t this make me look just like all the other websites in my industry?”
No, it’s not. And no, you won’t look just the same because you’ll add what makes your business unique to your own website.
Many of the greatest creators learned from those who went before them. Well known artists, musicians, writers became really good at what they did because they were inspired from and mirrored their artistic endeavors.
So here’s what you do: If you’re a counselor, do searches for counseling websites. If you’re a life-coach, check out what other life-coach websites are out there. And so on…
Make a list of the ones you are really drawn to. Aim for 2-3 websites that you resonate with, and make note of the following items:
What do you like about how their website makes you feel? (at ease, welcome, relaxed, etc…)
What does their website make you want to do? (subscribe, sign-up, purchase, contact, etc…)
Do you like their use of colors and fonts? Name what it is that you like.
Why are you drawn to their overall layout? (where they put their photos and text)
Once you’ve gathered this inspiration, use it to guide you as you create your own “flavor”, so to speak.
How?
STEP TWO: Take that inspo and begin making it your own.
For colors and fonts: head over to a place such at Pinterest or Canva and search for images that evoke similar emotions, reflect colors and fonts that you’re drawn to and put them together in a mood board. My friend Bekah over at Bekah Read Creative has a fantastic tutorial for mood board creation; you should check it out! How to Create a Pinterest Brand Board
For layout: make a few sketches of the aspects of their layout that you liked. Don’t worry, no need to be the next Michelangelo here. ☺️ Just simple pencil to paper drawings of where photos and text went. Something like the photo below. ↴
The website page on the left is a page from a website I designed (anniekwarner.com), and the image on the right is the example of you sketch out the layout you’re drawn to.
Webpage sketch example. The Xs represent where photos are placed and the lines represent buttons. You can label it however it makes sense to you since you’ll be using this create your own layout.
No.3 | Next up: How to come up with website content?
What your website looks likes communicates just one part of who you are and the services you offer; your website content tells them another story using text and photos.
You may be scratching your head wondering, “where do I start with my website copy??” I’ve got you covered! ↴
You can grab my website homepage copy template that I share with my website design clients. Claim your FREE Website Copy Idea Generator here!
I’ve also written a post just this topic for your homepage! Head here for Questions to Inspire Website Homepage Copy
As for photos, people love seeing photos of other people. Don’t be shy to use photos of yourself doing what you do, headshots, or branding photos!
↳ Need high-quality, professional photos? Meet Laura Harstad, Virtual Brand Photographer (yes, I said virtual!) It's pretty amazing what she does. Check out her work and services if you need help with photos for your website.
↳ You can find other photos by using free resources such as Canva or a paid resource such as Élevae that speak to the type of feel you want your website to evoke. Go back to your mood board you created for inspiration and direction on what kinds of photos to select for your site.
No.4 | What integrations does my website need?
Think about your workflow for the service you’re offering. And if you haven’t done so already, write out your workflow! This will help you greatly when figuring out what types of integrations you’ll need.
These are some questions to get you started thinking about what types of integrations you may need, plus some suggestions on specific types:
How will your potential client contact you for set up a discovery call? (Depending on your workflow, either using a Contact Form (already built into Squarespace) where your potential client messages you and you manually schedule the appointment, or Scheduling platform such as Calendly, and Google’s Appointment Scheduling if you want potential clients to pick an available time off your calendar).
How will you keep your schedule? (i.e. how will your client book their appointments on an ongoing basis?)
What method will you use to collect payment from your clients? (Payment Processors such as Stripe)
How will you collect taxes? (very important if you’re required to do so for the type of product or service you offer. If you’re using Squarespace, Taxjar is an example of an auto-calculating integration)
Are you using email marketing or any other funnels to attract clients? (Squarespace’s Email Campaigns is a pretty straightforward service if you’re already going to use Squarespace as your website platform)
No.5 | Last up: SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for your website
Taking some time build in SEO into your website will help give your site a boost. Search Engine Optimization matters because it tells the internet search bots on the world wide web whether your site is worth popping up in someone’s search results. It helps get potential clients and customers to your website. SEO is just one of the ways to get a leg up in getting noticed.
I’ve written a post on how to integrate SEO into your website here: How to Create a Successful Website (scroll down to goal #4: Optimize Your Website)
If you have any questions about what I share here, feel free to reach out or drop a comment below! I’d be happy to help!
Would you like me to design and build your Squarespace website?
If you’re ready to spend your precious time providing care for your clients (and the self-care you need!) and less time on the details of web design, I would love to come alongside you in this process.