How to Create a Website Like a Professional
Note: This blog post contains affiliate links, however, I only recommend brands that I use and love.
What sets a professional website apart from a DIY website? Is it the generous use of trendy script fonts or having 10 million pop-up boxes on your homepage? I’m sure you can sense my sarcasm, but the question is worth considering. If you ask me, when it comes down to it, the difference between a professional site and one you make yourself is not about the color palette, or the fonts or even the overall design necessarily, but all about the intention and the process behind it.
Technically speaking, anyone paid to design your website would be considered a professional, but what we’re really talking about here is a certain caliber and quality of website... The kind of website that makes a visitor think, “Wow, I’ve got to talk with this person!” or say “Here’s my credit card, babe.”
01. Let’s talk about intention.
When you create a website on your own for the first time, you might just be eager to get something up. When you start with that intention, or lack of, it’s tempting to just jump right in and start designing, figuring out things as you go. If it’s your first experience using a website platform like Wordpress or Squarespace, you may spend so much time learning how to navigate the backend side of it that you compromise on the design or the content just so you can be done with the thing. If this has been your attitude about your site, believe me, it shows.
On the flip side of that, a professional website doesn’t attract and convert your visitors into clients by accident. It starts with a strategy. With every one-on-one website client I work with, we sit down and talk goals and numbers first. What is it that you are aiming for with your website? Are you trying to book a certain number of clients? Sell a certain amount of products? Put a number and a plan to your goals. Even if you don’t hit that number, it gives you something to aim for. And that plan? That’s your strategy.
If you know you want to sell more products, they need to be displayed front and center on your site. You need to ensure the user’s buyer experience is seamless and enjoyable. You need to strengthen your processes for customer care. Because all of these things work toward your goal, they are a part of your strategy. If you want to create a website like a professional, mapping out your strategy is your first step. Use post-it notes, a spreadsheet or a program like Trello to make it clear and organized. Girl, you got this!
02. Now, let’s talk about process.
Process - sounds boring, right? I’m with you, but after years of designing custom websites for clients, sticking to a bullet-proof process is the only way to create a successful website without losing your mind, trust me. Having a solid process to create your website isn’t something that comes naturally, but comes after years of experience of learning what works and what doesn’t. If your process consists of jumping right into your website builder and playing around with your color palette, I’m going to tell you that doesn’t work. Of course, you might end up with a website, but is it the website that you want? You’ll spend hours on things that should take minutes and give less focus on the aspects of your website design that are actually going to move the needle. Want to know the better way? Since you’ve already outlined your website strategy and goals, you’ve already completed step one of the process - See, I told you that you could do this. Let me break down the rest:
Outline your goals and strategy. See intention.
Create a map or spreadsheet of all your site content. This should include a list of all the pages, content and functionality that will go on your website i.e. image slider, videos, headshot, faqs, contact form, testimonials, email optin, etc.
Define your visual aesthetic. If you already have a visual brand established, your work is mostly done here. Otherwise you can use a tool like Pinterest to start curating inspiration of what you want your site to look and feel like including your colors, fonts, images etc.
Sketch out your preliminary page designs. It’s so important to consider your structure and design outside of your website platform. It gives you more creative freedom but also makes you more intentional. You can go old-school and use pencil and paper or a fancy mockup program like Adobe XD, Photoshop or Sketch. If you don’t consider yourself a design wiz, you can use this step to just get a rough idea of your layout using boxes, lines and labels that you can finesse once you’ve written your content.
Write a rough draft of your website copy. Just like your design sketches, you should write your website copy outside of your website platform. This will allow you to focus only on the content itself and ensure everything ties back to your strategy. Use your sketches as a guide to consider parts of the content like titles, headings, paragraphs etc.
Begin developing your site. Whether you’re using Wordpress, Squarespace or some other website platform, if you’ve gotten this far in the process, you should have everything you need to finally start fleshing out your site. All the pre-work you’ve done is going to make this step so much easier. This is where you’ll solidify the design, select your images, implement your color palette and start laying in the rough draft of your content.
Make adjustments as necessary. Sometimes when you are creating your website, things don’t always go as planned. That’s to be expected. If you need to add a section or cut down your content, this is where you give your site that final polish to really make it shine.
Proof your site. You’re so close! Give each of your pages a thorough review to check for anything that might be out of place. That includes spelling, grammar, broken links, weird design or functionality issues. Make sure to view your site on both desktop and mobile so you ensure your visitors have a great experience no matter what device they are viewing it on.
Launch your website. This is the part where you break out the bubbly and go live! Don’t worry if there’s something you missed. Your website is a living, evolving thing. If it’s not perfect, you can always go back and fix or tweak it. Then share it with the world!
At first glance this might seem like a lot to take in. Honestly, a well-designed website is no easy feat, but if you begin with the right intention and stay the course, I 100% believe you have it in you to create a website that rivals a professional one. The key is to manage your expectation that this requires an investment of your time and careful thought.
So, what do you say - Are you ready to create a website like a professional? Let me know in the comments!
Kristin Pruis
Brand Strategist & Design Consultant
Kristin Pruis is the owner of K Design Co., a boutique branding agency that helps women entrepreneurs to create custom brands and websites that command the spotlight and scale their businesses.
