How Do I Create a Website for My Business Without Overwhelm?

In this blog, I am explaining how to create a website without the overwhelm. There’s so much to do, know, and decide. Where do you even begin? I will show you how to break it down into manageable steps, so you have a clear path and action plan.

If a checklist would help, sign up for my email here, and a website checklist will be on its way to your inbox!

There are 3 categories to creating a website. 

• Website Strategy

• Website Design

• Website Copy

In order for a website to be effective, all sections are equally important. Let’s break it down.

Where Do I Start? The Practical.

I am not going to get into HTML, JavaScript, or CSS here. And neither should you. You need to begin with the question: Why do I want a website? What is my goal? Once you have that figured out, you can begin to look at which platform would be best for you.

Wordpress, Shopify, Squarespace, Wix and Showit are all just some of what’s available and can be overwhelming if you think you have to research each one. E-commerce and blogging are 2 different goals. Teaching courses, selling services and membership capabilities are all things to consider. Why do you need a website? Choose a platform that can grow with your business. 

If you do not already have a domain, or business name, you will need to consider what you want the name of your site to be. You can have more than one associated with your site.

You can also purchase domain names from different sources, and you are not stuck with creating a website from where you bought your domain. Your website does not need to be the name of your business, if you don’t have one yet. You can always add it later. 

What email provider will you use? Flodesk, Drip, AWeber, Active Campaign, and MailChimp are all choices. Again, choose something that will grow with your business. Some charge by how many are on your list, others just charge a blanket monthly fee. Make a list and look at reviews. 

Website Strategy

Once you have the practical out of the way, now you can focus on your website strategy. You will need a main call to action, or CTA. What do you want potential customers to do once they land on your website? Make it clear. If you want them to sign up for email, then make that your prominent CTA.

Be very precise on each page about what you want the reader to do. User experience is important here. You need to be user friendly. It’s ok if not everyone who lands on your site doesn’t subscribe to your email.. You want only those who are interested in your content. You don’t want to turn away those who are interested because your website is frustrating to navigate.

I may land on a site that sells cat supplies, but. . . I have a dog. I am not an ideal client. I would not be interested in becoming a customer. But. . . if I were thinking of getting a cat as a pet, this may be exactly the site for me.

Who are you serving? If you are serving cat audience, do not try to attract dog people. Seriously. It will not go well.

Once the strategy is mapped out, you can move on.

How long will it take?

My lawyer answer is: “it depends.” How fast do you want it? Are you working with a branding expert, a website designer or a copywriter? Do you have a budget to hire any of it out? If you are doing this solo, pick a completion date and work backwards. How long does it take you to write? How decisive are you?

The sooner you start, the sooner Google can index your site. It takes awhile to build up domain authority and for a blog to gain traction. So, it’s better to get it out there as soon as possible. But, be realistic. If this is only a side project and you have a gazillion other responsibilities, take that into consideration when planning. 

Break the sections into easy/hard, how much energy it will take to complete a given task, and your approximate time to complete each task. Then, put it on the calendar. If you only have 5 minutes, choose a 5 minute activity. The trick is to not try for perfect. Just get it done. You will continuously update it, or should, anyway!

WEBSITE COPY

If you are doing more than a one page website, you will need to decide what pages you will create. Typically, a homepage, about page, blog, contact page and services or product page. Each page will need copy. Longform gives google a better idea of what your site is about, so it can be indexed.

At the minimum, each page should be at least 300 words. Blog articles can be thousands of words long. Look for writing prompts if you are stuck. Create a checklist for each page, to ensure you include everything.

Tip — keep your about page interesting, but also geared toward your potential clients. What about you will be useful/unique /worth buying from you?

If a checklist would help, sign up for my email here, and a website checklist will be on its way to your inbox!

Copy and design go hand and hand, so deciding layouts and sections will help you visualize how much room you have. If your copy size changes, you may need to change layouts. 

And, don’t forget about SEO. Each page should be optimized, along with each image and each blog post. The site title and meta descriptions are important as well.

Website Design

To me, this is the fun part! You get to choose your colors, pick your typography, and figure out your brand voice. What photos will you select? If you are using a branding expert, this will all be laid out for you, and easy to implement. If you are doing this part yourself, there are a lot of resources out there to help you. Try Canva, if you are not familiar already. And, it’s free!

Learn about color palettes and color psychology. Search color palettes that have already been created. See an article I wrote about choosing a color palette that wows, here.

What is your brand voice? Are you elegant, or down to earth? Trendy (use words like boo and bestie), or traditional? You want to be consistent with whatever you choose. Your brand voice is a good way to begin thinking about what copy you are going to write. 

What if I get Stuck?

Google is your friend. I mean does your best friend know that you were checking out a blender the minute you look at a review? Google does. So start with a search and see if there are free resources to help you. Ask a mentor, or fellow business owner for their tips. Join some groups. Become part of a mastermind. How’d they do it?

Reach out to me. I’m a fellow human who likes preparing helpful content. You can schedule a session with me and get a personalized action plan, or just ask me a question that I can answer in a blog post or email. 

What if I change my mind?

You will. Pick your  most important goal. Choose your layouts, copy and design. Hit publish. You can change as your business grows. Your website is not done when you hit publish. You need to update it frequently with new blog posts, podcast show notes, or videos. You may hire a brand expert or designer in the future. Don’t let that stop you today. Make it happen. Get that website into the world!

If a checklist would help, sign up for my email here, and a website checklist will be on its way to your inbox!