How to Shine Online: The Power of Custom Website Design
If you’re looking for website design services to elevate your brand or a luxury custom website, you’re in the right place. Your website is one of the most important ways to take your business to the next level. Whether you want to increase your profit by raising your prices or increase the number of sales you make, your website is your 24-7 sales team member to help achieve your goal! That’s why the way you tackle your website is so important. In this article, we’ll talk about our website approach, why pairing custom branding with a website can help you uplevel your business, and our website process.
Best website platforms for custom website design
If you’re feeling confused about whether Squarespace, Shopify, Showit, Wix, Elementor, Webflow, BigCommerce, or Weebly is best for you, read our in-depth guide to the Squarespace platform and why we recommend it. You have lots of options when choosing the best website platforms for custom website design, and 9.75 times out of 10 Squarespace is the best fit for our clients.
Our “why” for websites
The reason we approach websites the way we do is we saw firsthand how challenging and complex websites could be for our clients. Believe us, we’ve heard it all so don’t be shy if you’ve found yourself stuck in the middle of a messy website project and looking to invest to do it RIGHT this time.
Just this week, we talked to someone who had spent 80 hours trying to DIY their website, with nothing done yet.
We’ve met business owners that bought a template, just to realize they had no idea what to do with it or the time to fill it out and launch it themselves. A year later, they still haven’t gotten anywhere.
We’ve met people who have had to part ways with designers who promised them the world and then didn’t come through. A lack of transparency on deadlines and deliverables has left them wary about what to do for their much-needed site next.
We’ve met with businesses who are stuck with a website from the 90s (ok, maybe the 2000s) and are so embarrassed by how it’s holding their business back. They cringe knowing their website is underselling their products and services.
Still, other people we chat with simply prioritize keeping their business competitive. Their website isn’t terrible, but they know they need to always be improving.
Whatever the situation is, you’re reading this because you value your business (regardless of how it may appear on your website!). It can be overwhelming to know which route to go with for your site. It can be scary to know you could make an investment and then not get what you need. We want to help.
For 10+ years we’ve been in business, we’ve heard stories like yours, and we know how important this decision is for you to invest in your website.
We knew there had to be a better way than what our clients had experienced with their sites previously when they came to us. So we’ve created and refined our proven process in the last 10+ years based on that insight. These conversations with people have directly shaped our website process into the well-oiled, highly strategic experience it is today.
Custom website design process explained: what makes our approach to websites unique (and what many agencies and designers skip!)
You also have lots of options for how to get your website up. Should you hire a solopreneur website designer, work with a boutique website agency like us, a large website agency, hire a developer, hire an SEO specialist, get a website template, or try to DIY your website? Whew! It’s a lot to consider, and there can be pros and cons to all the options.
You know that saying, “Fast, Cheap or Good? Pick Two.” It applies to the website world.
We also think this saying could be “Design, SEO, or Technical? Pick Two.” So many designers, developers, and website agencies just don’t seem to offer all three in one place, especially for small businesses.
But what if you are a small business looking to elevate and get more results from your website? What we have seen is that most people fall into working with a designer, developer, or website agency that gives them just two of the three things they need, such as:
Technical and SEO — You work with a developer who codes or customizes the features of the site to the client's needs and even adds in SEO, but it can lack the design details that make a site compelling.
OR Design and SEO — You work with a designer who also offers SEO. You get a pretty site and your images get named for SEO — but you can also run into major technical issues and not get all the customizations or features you need.
OR Design and Technical — You work with a developer/designer duo, but there’s no SEO specialist involved. You can get a beautiful and functional site, but nothing is optimized for SEO and you don’t have a plan to increase traffic.
Why should you have to choose?!
This is the very reason why we became a boutique agency with a team of experts all working seamlessly on your project — to give our clients all three components for their website: design, technical, and SEO. Our passion is to provide you with not only a well-designed website but one that has the SEO and technical features you need, all in a one-stop shop with a team you enjoy working with!
Why custom branding + custom websites are a perfect pair
When you work with one team on both your brand and website, you not only get a seamless experience with a team that understands you, but from a design, SEO, and technical standpoint, we bring everything to life in a much more intentional way for you than if we passed you off to a website partner and you had to try to catch them up to speed on your brand. After you get a custom brand, adding on a custom website helps make your brand well-rounded and communicate to your prospective customers what your business is all about!
Custom Website Design Process Explained: Our Intentional Approach
We have a particular and thorough process we take every custom website client through. And, we’re so proud to say IT WORKS!
Our clients know exactly what to expect and when. They have clarity and calm throughout the process. They are given our full expertise with an SEO plan and research, content prompts, image guidance, user experiences, and animation recommendations for every single section of their website, options for advanced technical features and embeds, and a beautifully designed, custom website that’s built and launched for them all by a team who understands their brand.
We do this by working with our custom brand and site clients in three distinct phases.
Phase 1 — Brand Strategy and Design
After Phase 1, where we do custom brand strategy and design, we dive into all things website! If you’d like to read more about the logo design, color development, and front-end design part of our process, you can check out our in-depth article on our branding process. Next up comes the website plan.
Phase 2 — Website Plan
Now, you might be thinking, “Wait a second, I just need a website, not a plan for one!”
But, imagine if you were building a house and you just handed a carpenter wood and nails and expected to come away with something sturdy (not to mention something you specifically loved and worked for your needs). That would be ludicrous! Without a plan accompanying those materials, this would be impossible.
This is unfortunately what a lot of people experience when building a website — a lack of a plan specific to their unique build. We saw what was commonly happening in the website world — misunderstanding your site goals, a lack of transparency on timeframe and scope, pricing surprises, lots and lots of delays, frustrations communicating your needs after seeing disappointing proofs, and a website that, at the end of the day, you just don’t love and doesn’t meet your unique needs.
We believe websites are too important to dive into a build process without a website plan. So, after Phase 1 where we create your custom branding, we move into Phase 2, where we create your unique website blueprint. This is a detailed plan on everything from site design with competitor analysis to technical integrations and SEO goals.
Here’s the exact process you’ll experience during Phase 2!
Website Plan Workbook
First, you’ll start with our easy-to-fill-in website workbook on website functionality, keyword goals, and website scope. This prepares us to make detailed recommendations for your unique business.
Website Plan Consultation
After you complete the intake, we do a 1-hour video consultation where we clarify your goals and provide additional insights and recommendations into what you need for your site.
Touchpoint 1: Website Plan Presentation
We get to work right away after the consultation and envision a full architectural blueprint for your website. When it’s time to share it with you, you get a video walkthrough of everything, a 20-30 page website plan PDF, and a grayscale wireframe of every single main page of your site.
The website plan includes all our extensive research and recommendations. It includes a breakdown of exactly what features you need for your site based on your business goals. We also explain all the ones we don’t recommend and why, and give you a list of pros and cons so you can feel confident.
The website plan includes:
Website design goals: Website objectives, design do’s and don’ts list, website competitor analysis, approved site design from Phase 1.
Technical integrations list: Platform recommendations, technical integration research, and recommendations for newsletter opt-ins, appointment scheduler, payment processor, animations, and hover effects.
SEO plan: 100 long-tail phrase SEO analysis spreadsheet, top 10 best phrases to target, dedicated targeted landing page plan recommendation.
We also put together a detailed grayscale wireframe for every landing page of your site. These wireframes go by section by section and include an incredibly thorough plan. This enables you to get all of our expertise and know exactly what we’ll need from you content-wise before the build phase.
The website wireframes include:
Image placements: Shows horizontal and vertical images, where they should be placed, and shows how many images are needed per page.
Copywriting placements: Placeholder copywriting with headline and body copy length recommendations.
CTA placement: Placement of every button and link to help your site convert and recommendations for where they should go.
Content prompts: What every section needs to cover to effectively sell your unique business.
You’ll have the chance to review our website plan presentation, provide feedback, and sign off to make sure we have captured everything you need for your website. Once you feel confident all your goals are reflected, we send the custom build quote.
Touchpoint 2: Custom Build Quote
We are big believers in transparency. We want to make sure there are no surprises for you. Since websites, just like a custom home build, can vary greatly based on size, features, and finishes, we work to understand your goals (and budget) at the beginning of Phase 2. By the time we refine your website plan, we are confident that we’ve incorporated all these goals and you get to review the build quote and make any needed adjustments.
Once you sign off on the quote, we’re ready for the site build!
Phase 3 — Website Build
Now it’s time to bring your strategic layouts, custom designs, and engaging experiences to life on your new site! Based on our research and plan in Phase 2, we build you a fully custom-branded website.
Because we’ve done so much heavy lifting during Phase 2, and we have you prep your content in advance, this is a sit-back-type-of-project for you until we get to the final review and training.
Website Build Prep
To get started on this phase, we’ll need all your content in hand first. But, don’t worry, we have super clear checklists and helpful tips and can give you plenty of time to gather this. Plus, you have all your goodies from Phase 2 that break it all down as to exactly what content we need ahead of time so everything is clear.
Website Plan Consultation
We kick off our project with a call to review the timeframe, page proofing, revisions, and launch. You’ll get all the milestones in a summary so you can easily add them to your calendar and know what to expect, and when!
Custom website design system and content page designs
Next, we’ll expand your custom site mock-up PDF from Phase 1 with the addition of form design, opt-in design, Blog or Shop design, and overall tablet and mobile responsive design mockups. We’ll also create one PDF page for each page of your website, showing all the landing page designs with the section layouts we recommend paired with your provided content. This allows you to “proof” the site before it’s even coded or built — how cool is that! We want the launch to be as relaxing for you as possible, so we love to send it for your review early in the process instead of right before it goes live.
Website development, SEO input, and page build
At this point, after we get your sign-off for development, we add in custom coding and the website is built to match the approved PDFs, and the technical features and effects from our website plan phase are incorporated. We also use your approved SEO plan from Phase 2 to write and input all your SEO items for your website!
Website launch, launch images, & training
Now, it’s just about time to launch! At this point, you’ve already seen everything (!) so you’ll be doing a final look over everything and we’ll be doing our final technical tests as a team. You get one final round of revisions before launch. Then, we take it live and celebrate with you! You’ll also get 5 launch images showing off the new site design.
After launch, you also get your packaged website files. We do a website 1-on-1 training call with recording and easy-to-follow, thorough documentation provided. We also transfer your site ownership so everything is clean for you!
Our goal is to give you a tool that’s easy for you and your team to use for years to come. If you would like help with post-launch updates, adding in new content, additional pages, galleries, or blog posts, we’re here to help. We also offer client-only VIP Days.
FAQs we often get about websites
How often should you update your website?
It’s important to keep things fresh and optimized on your site. We recommend reviewing your case studies, galleries, or portfolio items at least once a year to make sure you’re showing off your latest and highest quality work. Blogging is a great SEO tool, and we recommend setting achievable goals for keeping your blog updated such as one new blog post a month. Check out our article on 7 website updates for more ideas on how to keep your website up to date.
What should you make sure you do every year on your website?
Be sure to update that copyright year in the footer of your site at the beginning of each new year.
You’ll also want to think about new blog posts. We recommend scheduling 3 for the next quarter. This way you have a new blog every month, for fresh content being posted.
Review the case studies or galleries that are published...do they still reflect the type and quality of work you do? If not, it may be time to refresh those. (P.S. our team offers full and half VIP days and can tackle that for you!)
That link in your IG bio, is it still correct? Can potential clients get to your site and find what they need? Make sure those links are all correct!
When do you know it’s time for a new website?
If your business goals have shifted and your website is no longer in alignment, that’s a great indication it’s time for a new website. If you’re embarrassed to send potential clients to your website, or just know in your gut that it’s time for a change, those are also clear signs it’s time for a new website. You can always book a free consultation with our creative director Kathryn Joachim to talk through your unique needs.
What should you ask a website designer before working with them?
Work with a website designer who takes the time to understand your business model and has a clear and organized process to ensure your website has a smooth launch. While choosing a website designer can be a daunting decision, asking questions like “What are the milestones that lead up to the final website?” and “How do you handle the design, technical, and SEO components of website builds? ” can help you decide if it will be a good fit.
What is the best website platform for eCommerce?
Squarespace is now our preferred eCommerce platform for product-based businesses. Really! We’re sure you’ve heard that Shopify is the best for eCommerce, and at one time years ago, that may have been the case. We have experience in both platforms and think Squarespace is a better platform for most eCommerce clients. Shopify may be better for you if:
You already have your entire inventory for in-store and online order on another platform and have a strong preference not to change or migrate your products over to another platform.
OR If you have multiple store locations already set up on the POS system that Shopify connects with, you might want to prioritize a platform that doesn’t require changing your POS system.
OR If you are heavily emphasizing international product sales, Shopify can change on a page which currency a product is shown in automatically.
AND if you have a dedicated, in-house website team or the budget to pay for a developer on retainer for most website updates.
What is the best website platform?
In just the past couple of years, we have recommended Squarespace 9.75 times out of 10 to clients across at least 20 industries. That’s because we truly believe that Squarespace’s features are unmatched. From sales and list building tools, to responsive design, to an easy to use interface, we think Squarespace has the best overall CMS features.
How should I write copy for my website? Do you have any recommendations?
We aim to make the process of putting together the content for your website as seamless as possible. During our website plan presentation, we include wireframes with content prompts that go over what every section needs to cover to effectively sell your unique business. Whether you’d prefer to write your own copy or hire someone, we give super clear checklists and helpful tips and can give you plenty of time to gather all your content. We can provide recommendations on copywriters if you’d rather go that route.
How should I get images for my website? Do you have any recommendations?
We absolutely recommend a brand photoshoot in order to have a bank of high quality images to use across your website. Here are four quick tips to help plan your shoot:
Photographer: Work with a photographer who has branding images in their portfolio. You want to ideally see examples of behind-the-scenes, process, and details shots in the mix.
Pick a location that fits the main keyword descriptors for your brand. Prioritize lots of light, or a studio shot against blank walls or solid colors might be a good fit for your brand as well.
We love using clothing rental services for branding shoots, such as Nuuly or Rent the Runway. Search for pieces that incorporate your brand color. You don’t need an exact match, but keeping it close will help you make things cohesive!
Compile a list of the “scenes” and stories you want your images to tell. Your photographer may ask for a more detailed shot list or inspiration board, but follow their lead and let them guide you in this!
How long does a full custom website take? How long does a one-page site take?
For custom websites, we build your website (phase 3) after we complete your custom branding (phase 1) and your custom website plan (phase 2). Custom branding is a 4-6 week process, website strategy is 2-4 week process, and the website build is 1-3 months, depending on the scale of the site. Upon kickoff, we send all milestones so you have plenty of time to plan for any content or feedback needed to keep the project on track.
We can help you launch your one page site quickly in just one day! This requires some prep work on both of our ends – gathering content, planning the design, and getting your approval – before the website can be executed in just one day, but the entire process is done in weeks instead of months.
How much is a custom website?
Each of our clients has important considerations with timeframe, industry, deliverables, and results they need to achieve, so we custom quote each project based on our recommendations for your unique needs. During our complimentary discovery call, we’ll learn more about what you need to accomplish with your branding and website and create your custom quote.
We’d love to elevate your business with a new website!
We want to help you stand out and be remembered with an elevated website. From a detailed website plan to a strategic website build, we can help bring your brand to life through our tried and true process. Book a call with Kathryn to discuss how we can help you shine online.