What to consider when building your FIRST website.
Building your first website can be very daunting. There are just so many options to choose from. Here’s a simple guide to approaching it that will keep you calm, confident and excited to launch!
I just launched a client’s First Website, and it got me to thinking back to how hard it was to create my own first website. I was so confused by the million options, the technical stuff and copywriting.
Here’s a guide you can follow to make it much easier on your self, too.
The first and most important step you can follow is to be very conscious of your thoughts the entire way through the process. It’s hard to overstate how important this is. Throughout the entire process you’ll want to have an effective way to see, question and intentionally choose the thoughts connected to your work. I find that it’s most helpful to think of them in different categories like Good Thoughts and Business-y Thoughts because otherwise it can become a jumble to figure out what you think.
A simple practice is to have a notebook on hand, or your notes app open. And to bring your brain along with you to set you up for the best possible creation experience you can have.
You’ve got this!
xo
Before you start taking any creative action, make sure you center your work with Good Thoughts. They’re the root of all Good Work.
Here are some NOT GOOD thoughts that are really common with website design–
I’ve never done this before
It’s so complicated
I don’t know how to choose which platform to use
I hate tech
I’m just not creative
Hear me out. These might be things you just think automatically when you begin something new and I promise that though they may be familiar, they are not neutral. They shape your experience, and not for the good.
Just because you haven’t done this before does not mean you won’t do it well, or solve it well with a solid and grounded and positive effort.
There is no reason to believe it’s complicated. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be simple. I just would NOT choose to believe a thought that makes doing anything harder.
You DO know how to choose a platform. You WILL figure out how to pick one that works for you.
Liking tech is not necessary to build an effective website. Liking it can make the process more fun, and that’s totally up to you!
Everyone is creative. It’s a god-given skill. You might not be at the level you want to be technically that others are, and it’s ok to defer to others to build for you but believing you aren’t creative is untrue and unhelpful.
Here are some REALLY GOOD THOUGHTS instead–
My website is my first employee! That’s exciting!
My website is going to be so helpful in growing my business.
My website is just a place customers have an experience with my brand and I get to structure their experience– how cool!!!
It will be so fun to launch my website.
My website will help me set boundaries that support my humanity and life.
So, what are Thoughtful Thoughts? Well, I like to think about them as intentional. When your brain is having a fit or spiraling during any type of creative task, I like to have thoughts that can bring me back. They’re kind and attend to my humanness and they bring me back to a place of calm. Some that I use during my own creative tasks are–
Don’t forget to breathe
You’re doing an amazing job!
What a cool thing it is that I get to build a website FOR MY COOL BUSINESS!!!!
I’ve done so many harder things, this is actually going to be a breeze ;)
Powerful thoughts do just that, they shift me into my power. They will be different for everyone but I’ll share a few of mine and the ones I’ve helped clients use for their work–
My work is important in this world
I will create ease for myself and my clients with this kick-ass website
This website is an opportunity for me to create a relationship with clients I care about
Oh, I love a Practical Thought! I think of these as no-nonsense and they just help me when other more flowery thoughts aren’t taking root.
Done is better than perfect. (oh that’s a good and useful one!!!)
It’s ok to not love every aspect of my work, and it’s more important to just get it done sometimes.
A website is a great tool for both me and my clients.
If I’ve done new things before, I can certainly do more new things (like build a website).
First websites don’t have to be complicated, they just have to function well on behalf of my clients, my product and me.
The simple and practical way to approach this site is better than a complicated one.
A website is merely a place where I help clients and customers get what they want, in a thoughtful and simple way.
Oh, I LOVE a business thought about a website. Here are mine for my clients–
A website is your first employee– if you structure your thoughts about it that way, you’ll approach the work with a new framework. You’ll ask that ‘employee’ to interact with your customer like a thoughtful human would
I like making it easy for clients to find what they need
I love creating connection (aka: copywriting) for clients and customers in a way that feels similar to my own personality
I love anticipating questions my clients and customers might have about my work and my products
I love making a website browsing experience a beautiful experience for my customers and clients
Wow, a heartfelt thought can DO SO MUCH good for you and for your customer / client. It’s magic, honestly. Personally, it takes me out of my anxiety and into my soft and light and deeply-feeling heart and I LOVE creating from that place!
Here are examples of some heartfelt thoughts for website design work–
I’m so proud of myself for learning new skills!
I CANNOT wait for my customers / clients to experience this delightful site!
These photos
My website can be such a nice love letter to my customers and clients
My products are so loving
My clients LOVE my products and my work
Ok, then after all the really good and thoughtful thinking (which you’ll do often and during the entire process) there ARE some good technical things you’ll want on a website. Because you’ll be doing so much intentional thinking, I have a feeling you’ll end up coming to the conclusion that good photos, a simple platform and calls to action are all really helpful for your self and your clients but here’s a little list anyway!
Good photos–
Connect customers to your brand, product and YOU
See themselves in your brand
Show them what products look like
Give them a peek into your brand, process, life, business
Communicate values and personality
It is SO EASY to find a great photographer in your price range these days. And honestly, you can probably take your own photos, too! There are a million resources out there to help you achieve good photos whatever your budget and design goals are.
For this project, we rented a home on Home Studio List instead of using my client’s home because it made so much more sense for her. Prep and cleanup was easy, we had perfect lighting and a kitchen that is to die for!
Calls to action are so helpful for your clients and customers! They help them navigate a website and get what they need and commit to their desires. You can also infuse them with more personality or suggest something fun like gifting a product to someone else. These buttons might be small, but they are mighty!
I build all of my websites on Squarespace. That’s partially because it’s where I have the most experience. But I also like the basic package and how easy it is for first-timers and those who want creative solutions to build and navigate. For your first site, it’s just important to have simple and easy structure so that you have a very easy time updating it and providing customers with a thoughtful experience. There is no need to get complicated for your first site. You want your website to be helpful for you, not take up so much of your time that it becomes a headache itself.
So, Squarespace just rolled out a new version, 7.1, and I really like how easy it makes it to give sites a little more creative control. I wouldn’t even mess around with 7.0 anymore, because there is just so much more flexibility on 7.1. The annoying thing to note is that once you start on 7.0 you cannot transfer your work 7.1, you’ll have to rebuild.
The only cool reason to consider 7.0 is that there are some really good designers out there that have created gorgeous templates that are only built for 7.0 and if you fall in love with one, then it’s totally valid to stick with their original version. They often come with great instructions and make building your site a very easy process.
Oh, and Squarespace has killer tutorials. They walk you through everything basic you could need to know for your simple, un-complicated first website!
Personality–
I’m a big fan of creating personality on your website. There are so many reasons to do this but the best one is that it makes business more fun for you and more fun for your clients / customers. I think that’s what most people like about small businesses. The interactions are more personal and thoughtful and human. So, don’t lose sight of this very powerful element. Once you have your site built, you can go back and see it from a perspective of personality and make a note of some perfect places for adding it in.