Why a great website starts long before the design stage

I’m in the midst of redesigning my own website at the moment and the amount of pre-work that has to happen before a website is ready to be designed still surprises me.

A little at least.

Even though I’ve been through the design process with so many of my own clients, when I turn the lens on myself, the prep work becomes really clear.

And this prep work doesn’t need to be done for no reason, I know for sure that it will make my new website the most successful version I’ve ever had for my business.

The work I did before I started redesigning my own website

I launched the current version of my brand and website in 2021, a whole 5 years ago!

It was a huge upgrade at the time and brought in some fantastic clients for my business, which I am so grateful for.

And because of all the clients I’ve worked with over the last 5 years my process has tightened up, my design work has gotten stronger and I have built up a track record of creating great wins for my clients.

And only bits and pieces of this growth has been reflected on my website as I’ve done some edits and update since 2021.

But it gets to a time where the true value of what I do and the level of my expertise is not being showcased on my website.

To make sure that it is with this new version of my website, I’ve done the following prep work that I know will pay dividends:

Refreshed my brand identity

Lots of things in my brand were still working and I still liked them, which can often be the main challenge for a designer!

So that was a good start but there were definitely areas where improvements could be made.

• I made sure there was more contrast in my colour palette
• I selected new fonts that were more legible and had more personality
• I redesigned my service icons
• I finally designed blog and social media templates that make posting content so much quicker and easier (who knew!)

This work was vital for me to give my new website a new visual language and identity.

They can seem like small tasks but they have made a huge difference in me being able to create an original design that really portrays who I am and what I do.

Worked on my positioning and messaging

Since September 2024 I have been working with Yasmin Vorajee on my positioning, messaging and marketing.

I love working with Yasmin. The work I do with her is something I really needed to improve in my business.

I have a completely new message and way of communicating with my ideal clients now.

I had no idea what positioning and messaging was the last time I launched my website, so I’m excited to get my new message out there on my new site.

Got a website copy audit done

Speaking of messaging and communication, I needed to write new copy for the website.

And even with all the messaging and positioning help from Yasmin, I knew I wanted some expert help from a copywriter as writing copy for a whole new website is a big task.

I wrote the initial draft with the help of Cupid Copy’s copy template to get me going and then I got a website copy audit done by the fantastic CopyKate.

I’ve collaborated with Kate on a few projects and I’ve seen the impact her work has had on the success of these projects, so I knew I wanted to work with her in some capacity.

I wanted to be the main person writing the copy, even just as an exercise to see if I really can communicate my own message myself, but I’m definitely not a professional writer, so Kate’s audit service was perfect for me.

I sent her my Google doc with the first draft of the copy and she sent me her feedback.

It was great to get her eyes on it as she was able to tell me where she felt things were missing or where I had gone completely off the point and longwinded!

I could totally see where she was coming from, but not until she pointed it out! It was great to be able to tidy up and refresh everything before I started designing.

Great content comes first and then great design can be created.

Got professional photos taken

I finally got to work with my friend and dream photographer Kirsty Lyons on my brand photos.

Brand photos make a huge difference to your website. They show you first of all (Not an AI caricature of you) and this is the ultimate thing that will build trust.

You get to show your personality, your style and let people get to know you that bit more.

I’ve gone into more detail on what it’s like to work with Kirsty in this video. I show you the planning process of a brand photoshoot so you know what to expect when you have yours.

So now that those things have been done I’m getting stuck into the design and development side of my website.

Why this work will make my website more effective

And even though it can feel like a lot of work before the design starts, it has made the world of difference.

The design that I’m coming up with this time is, dare I say, one of the best things I’ve ever done! The more informed and supported a design is by the prep work, the more effective it will be at communicating the core message in a memorable way.

The last time I launched my site I didn’t do half as much pre work. Not because I didn’t understand it’s importance, but more because I was just finding my feet with building my business. And that was taking up all of my attention and energy.

Not ready for a full rebrand and website redesign?

So if you’re not ready for a full brand and website build, I totally get it.

While you’re still building your business, my Brand & Website Audit could be perfect for you. It’s a live Zoom session where I review your current brand & website and give you clear, actionable advice.

And follow-up support to help you implement the advice.

If you have a brand and website that you’ve outgrown a little but feel like you could make some improvements yourself once you’ve gotten some expert guidance, you can book your audit here.