I see you there, staring at your website. Your website is overwhelming, the list of to do’s are growing by the day.
Nothing looks the way you want it to.
I hear you.
First, take a deep breath. Let’s take a second to ask yourself:
- Can I do this myself?
- Do I have the time?
- Do I want to do this?
First: Can you do this?
Lets face it, most anyone can build a website these days with a builder. BUT they need to take the time to learn, research, and fiddle with it. If you want a beautiful site, it takes a TON of time to learn these features and implement them the way you want to. You are looking at countless hours of building, testing on mobile devices, and creating graphics and integrations. Which leads us to the next question…
Do I have time for this?
Not only are you running a stellar business and working your tail off, but you have family and other obligations. You need to decide if you have the time to spare and how quickly you want your website up and running. Professionals take around 4 weeks on average (depending on the site). After a long day of work and taking care of the kids, do you really want to spend your nights working on your site? If you do, keep reading– below I have some tips on how to get started!
Do I want to do this, or do I need professional results?
Hiring a designer is by far the best option for most businesses. SO much goes into designing. Its more than just how beautiful it is. It encompasses SEO (Search Engine Optimization- how google finds your site), mobile responsiveness (how it looks on every size screen- not just cell phones), site speed, and performance. Also, a designer can do this in half the time. Designers, like me, know what works (and more importantly what doesn’t). They can get you the site of your dreams with professional results. When using a great designer, you will see growth with your business. But the best part…
you have more time to do what you love with the people you love.
If you are ready to think about investing, I would love to schedule a chat with you, to make sure we are a good fit!
If you are just like, “Autumn, I really want to do this myself”
I completely get it. Maybe you just don’t have the funds right now, that’s totally understandable.
Here are some tips to get you started.
1. Make a list of what is going to make you the most money, right now.
Christmas is right around the corner, so if you have services or products to cater to that, this may be your first priority.
2. Decide what is really bugging you the most. Again, PRIORITIZE.
Make an actual list that you are going to write down and check off. Having a list will keep you on task and is motivating when you actually get to check them off. Am I right?
3. Don’t forget about SEO. This is vital for business success.
You want to show up on the first page of Google. Mo’ money in the bank! SEO is a lot to process. A great plugin to help is Rank Math. In my opinion, better than Yoast SEO.
4. Work from top to bottom.
Oh, this is seriously the best way to start.
What do your visitors first see? Your header (that top part of your screen where the menu is). Headers can be a pain in the butt! But, they are SUPER important. Depending on what you want and what your theme is, this is where you may need some custom coding. You need a clear header that is alighted perfectly. You probably want some sort of call to action in your header too. Then as you work down, make sure your site is appealing to your ideal client/customer. For example, if your clients are women, make sure it is suited towards a women’s style.
5. Then work from bottom to top.
This is the best way to find errors. If you have been in a college English class, you have probably heard this one before. Reading your sentences from the last to the first can quickly show you your errors. Same goes for websites. Don’t forget about your footer! Footers are important, too. Many times a viewer will skip right down to the footer to find contact information. Make sure yours has it!
6. Before moving on to another page, make sure to test out different screens to check for mobile responsiveness.
This is crucial! Most of your visitors will be using a mobile device. A site that is frustrating to them, is a site that is losing leads! Many builders have this already built in, but it is better to try them out personally. Gather your devices around your house. Different cell phone sizes, different laptop sizes, different tablets. Test your site on all of them. You can also use sites like, http://www.responsinator.com/ to do this virtually. But personally, I prefer to see real life examples.
7. Work from side to side.
Now you have one page ready, you can work side to side to your next pages… start from the top, then from the bottom, check your mobile responsiveness, and move on to the next page.
I hope this helps you decide if you are ready to invest in your site, or if you a ready to do it yourself! Please let me know in the comments if you found this useful. If you want more information about DIY websites please let me know!
