Over the past decade, the role web design can play for small businesses has changed and evolved. While websites were once perceived as a place for an online portfolio, or a place to simply showcase your work — websites are now a place to welcome your prospective clients to, a place to build connection, to sell your products and services more seamlessly, and a foundation to grow your small business upon. 

Behind-the-scenes at With Grace and Gold, we’re currently working on a new web design of our own, with hopes of debuting our updated online home in Fall 2021. As we redesign our website page by page, we ask ourselves a series of questions — questions to help us approach the design process in a purpose-driven way. Whether you’re redesigning your website on your own, or you’re considering hiring a designer, today, we want to share 5 questions to help you approach the design process with purpose.

Website Overhaul? Ask These 5 Questions

Welcome to Episode 077 of The Brand It, Build It Podcast. Designing or redesigning your website can be a big undertaking — and every designer approaches the design process differently. But a common thread we all share is: We all want our websites to be rooted in purpose and strategy; we all want our websites to work on behalf of your businesses, to help us connect with our audience in meaningful ways, and to move our businesses forward.

Today, we want to share 5 reflective questions we ask ourselves at With Grace and Gold when we’re approaching the redesign of our own website — 5 questions which can better ensure you’re journeying through the design process with purpose. 

1. Do I still offer these products or services? Now, this may seem like a silly question, but when we’re redesigning our website, it gives us an opportunity to assess or reassess the products and services we offer. If certain products or services aren’t being purchased or booked, or if we are no longer resonating with the products or services we offer — we use our design process as a means for assessing which products or services we’d like to offer and keep listed within our website. Maybe you want to showcase one signature experience rather than a variety of a la carte services. Maybe you want your website to position you as both a photographer and educator. Maybe you want to create space for a new offering, like a podcast or a course. No matter the goals you have in mind, use your design process as an opportunity to truly solidify the products or services you’d like to offer. In Episode 8 of Brand It, Build It, we ask “Are you offering too many services?” This episode guides you through the process of paring down or solidifying your offerings.
2. Is my website truly organized? When we’re redesigning our website, we put ourselves in the shoes of our visitors — of our prospective customers or clients. By doing so, we can consider whether our website is truly organized — not for us, but for our visitors. One challenging aspect of designing your own website is recognizing that your visitors may be unfamiliar with your business, your industry, your products, and your services — so your website has to educate, guide, and serve your visitors from beginning to end. When it comes to the organization of your website, often times, less is more. So, try to experience and explore your website as a brand new visitor would — and ensure your website is truly as organized and clear as can be.
3. Can anything be condensed or combined for ease? In addition to assessing our products and services, and ensuring our website is truly organized — we also use the design process as an opportunity to determine if any pages or any content can be condensed or combined for ease. For example, rather than having separate pages for About, Our Team, Our Mission, and Our Core Values — you may consider having one About page with unique sections to showcase your team, mission, and core values. The fewer clicks a visitor needs to get from one piece of content to another, the better!
4. Is my copywriting truly clear? When it comes to the wording on your website, it’s essential to be clear and concise — and to avoid using jargon, or terminology your prospective customers or clients are likely unfamiliar with. Instead, use your copywriting to speak to your visitors in a personal, conversational way — to seamlessly guide your visitors toward the products and services aligned with their needs and goals.
5. Are my calls-to-action clear? Lastly, and perhaps most important of all, we ensure our calls-to-action are clear. Every page of your web design should have a call-to-action, or a brief message to share what your visitor should do next. For example, on your Services page, you may include a call-to-action that lets visitors know they should schedule a consultation call, with a button to do so. These calls-to-action allow your website to work on your behalf — to answer the question, “What should I do if I want to get started?” 

Asking these 5 questions helps us to approach our web design process with purpose — and helps us to more seamlessly journey through the design process. We hope these 5 questions help you to approach your website overhaul with purpose, too!

About Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay

Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is a leading small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, founders and entrepreneurs. Enjoy weekly, actionable episodes to build a successful, sustainable small business from the inside out.