How to Create a Killer Website – Part Two

I’m sitting in a Palm Springs hotel room, staring out at a bright blue pool.  There’s an oversized donut floatie is calling my name.  But until I can dip my toes in the water, I wanted to dig into the second part of the website creation process (you can find part one HERE).

My graphic designer, Promise Tangeman of GoLiveHQ, recommends answering the following five questions before you start working on the design of the site:

  1. If your business/brand was a person, list three traits that describe their sense of style (example: classic, edgy, chic, hipster, sophisticated, quirky)
  2. List three key differentiators that set your business apart from your competitors
  3. What three things about yourself do your customers compliment you on the most?
  4. What is the main thing your want your website visitors to do when visiting your website (example: make a purchase, book a session, get in touch, sign up for mailing list, etc.)
  5. What are your top three business goals for the year? (example: doubling inquiries, raising your prices, changing your focus, etc.)

Once you’ve worked through answering these questions, you’ll have honed in your overall vision for what your website should accomplish…and what you should showcase as a business owner.  This?  This is priceless.  Your answers prioritize how you’ll approach the design process with your goals in mind.

So what’s next?  It’s time to choose the visual elements of your website.

Because I use SHOWIT as my website platform of choice, my design is completely customizable to what I want.  As a result, I let my mind roam free from limits or constraints.  The first thing I do is create three Pinterest boards:

  1. Color Palette
  2. Fonts/Typography
  3. Vibe

COLOR PALETTE

I pin colors that represent the branding and appeal to my Ideal Client (based on knowing my Ideal Client Profile).  I select 12-15 colors at first, then narrow the list to 2-3 main colors, and one accent color.  The board will have a total of 3-4 colors.

FONTS/TYPOGRAPHY

I pin fonts that represent the branding and appeal to my Ideal Client.  I always think about what would resonate, pop off the page, and inspire her.  The font I choose should convey my sense of style, as it pertains to her sense of value.  I select 25-30 fonts at first, then narrow the list to the following three types of font: Header font (this is used most in denoting website sections), Accent font (this is used to show a bit of personality and break things up visually), and Body font (this is used mostly throughout the website in longer bodies of text).

I also pin a few typography designs that I think are cool.  This helps show the graphic designer design elements that could break up visual elements to a website.

VIBE

This is totally subjective, but—again—is largely determined by your Ideal Client profile.  I always put myself in the shoes of my ideal client and ask myself what she wants to see, what she wants to read, and how she wants to feel as she looks through my website.  Every time I create a website with my designer, our goal is to create a space on the web where she’s excited to know more, inspired for change, and ready to invest in my services.

Once all three boards are completed, I create another Master Pinterest board where I combine the final elements of my design inspiration from the three boards I previously created.  This board (with no more than 25 pins) is what I’ll send to my graphic designer.  Here’s a look at a portion of my Pinterest board that we used to design my INSTA180.com website.

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 10.01.09 AM

[Take note: I left comments below each pin to explain what I, specifically, liked about the photo and the elements I wanted to incorporate into my website]

Stay tuned for part three coming soon, but until then, I wish you the best as you work hard to create the website of your dreams.  Now, it’s time to go float in a donut.  Amen.