Web Design for Entrepreneurs: Your Starter Guide! – Platinum 99

Web Design for Entrepreneurs: Your Starter Guide!

Is your website working for your brand and business?

Maybe you have a business that’s running pretty well now. You have a simple design for your brand and you have a running website. Having said that, let’s take a moment to really think about where your brand and business are at now.

Is your website working for your brand and business, or are you spending too much time constantly working on your website?

Is your website helping you run your business and make it easier for people to sign up and convert into customers, or is your website making your process even more complicated?

So many women entrepreneurs understand the need to have a website for their brand and business in this day and age. You know that your website is your 24/7 storefront. But the stories that we’ve heard over and over again doesn’t seem to show that the website is accomplishing its goals.

 

Your website is your 24/7 storefront!

The reality is, building a website that completely aligns with your brand isn’t as easy as it seems. There are so many things that goes into a good website. For starters, building or designing a website may cost you a lot.

You need to hire designers to design the layout, copywriters to come up with the articles and newsletters, programmers or hosting providers to help make sure your website works properly, and so on. And beyond the money investment, comes the time and energy.. all the coffee you need to do all the work with your team, set it up, and maintain it as you go…

That’s a LOT!!

If you’ve put in that much effort, you would want it to work, wouldn’t you? It will be worth the investment if your website really does what it’s supposed to do—such as bringing in more ideal customers and making things easier for you on the backend.

 

4 signs that you need to redesign your website

Now since you’re reading this article, let’s take the time to assess whether you really need to update your website. Here are good pointers you can use to consider the state of your website for your brand and business now.

 

Your website isn’t reaching your ideal customers

Having a lot of people visiting your website is one thing, but who are those people? Look back at who your ideal customer is and compare these visitors with your ideal customer profile. If they align, then congratulations! Your website is doing what it’s supposed to do.

You want your website to attract you ideal customers because it is those ideal customers that will convert into super fans. Attracting the wrong type of audience means less conversion because they will connect less with your brand.

So, if you’re finding yourself thinking, ‘I don’t want these people! I want more of that person, not this one!’ — then it’s time to redesign your website.

 

✨ Don’t know who your ideal customer is? We go deep to get clarity about who you are, who your ideal customers are, and how you can connect with them. Let’s unpack them together, define your strategy, and transform you into a confident brand leader! We got you!!! Schedule a free call now

 

Your audience isn’t utilising the features on your website

People sending you the same questions about your products and services over and over and over again…. ugh!! Yeah, we get it.

You already have the list of your products and services on the website, and some even include a form where people can sign up and filter information and all that, but they still prefer to call or message you to ask for the information.

And even more than that, they contact you through different platforms—website, social media DMs, and phone call. So many things to manage and yet so little time!!

This shows that your website isn’t really working for your brand and business. It means that your audience isn’t engaging with your site in the way that they should.

While your website can help you elevate your brand experience, what’s happening right now is the other way around. Instead of the website helping makes things easier for you, it is making things even more complicated and providing more things to manage.

 

You have people saying your website can be better

This one is pretty obvious, right? If you keep hearing people around you or your existing customers giving you feedback on your website (and a not-so positive feedback), it’s a good sign to look at your website and consider redesigning it.

Perhaps they talk about it not being user-friend, or that it takes forever to load, or that it’s hard to find the ‘contact us’ page.

These are inputs to take in because some of the best insights we’ll get are straight from our audience. It doesn’t mean that you have to 100% redesign it right away if you hear a negative feedback about it, but when it’s a repeated thing, it’s definitely worth going deeper into.

 

You don’t feel confident and aligned with your website

If you forget everything we’ve talked about so far, then remember this: your confidence is a huge indicator for your brand and business.

As a woman entrepreneur, you totally get that passion for what you do. You get that desire to want to build your authority and share your influence and purpose to others through your brand and business. The thing is, you can’t do this if you don’t feel clear and confident about your brand!

So many women entrepreneurs come to us saying that they love doing what they do but they don’t feel aligned with their brand. They feel like their website isn’t representing who they are and the heart behind the brand. Do you relate with this? If you do, you’re not alone—and it’s the prefect time to think about redesigning your website.

 

Building a website that showcases what your brand stands for and converts your audience into customers

Now that you’ve seen the signs that show you need to redesign your website, let’s transform your website into a brand touch point that offers an experience aligned with your customer’s needs. Essentially, we’re talking about that next step for you to become that confident brand leader and reach your BIG, audacious brand goals!!

 

Start with brand strategy

The first step to building a website that serves its purpose is not to revise the website design layout or the website’s content, but it is to develop a strong brand strategy. Brand strategy is the bridge that connects you from where your business is at right now, to your business goals.

Everything starts with your brand strategy.

You don’t want to just design something for your brand based on your subjective preferences. You want to build something that connects with your ideal customers and builds a meaningful relationship with them in the long run. The foundation to this is your brand strategy.

Know your goals

In a brand strategy workshop, we go deep to uncover your goals and figure out where you want to take your brand and business next.

We want to uncover the ‘WHY’ behind your business—your heart and your vision for your brand because that will be our ‘North Star’. If we want to know how to get you to those BIG brand dreams, we need to know what those dreams are.

Know your ideal customers

Another big pillar in brand strategy is knowing who your ideal customer is. They are essentially your super fans, the people who your brand is created for. Whether consciously or unconsciously, you had these people in mind when you first think of your product or service. You think about solving the particular problem they have and you believe that what you offer can make a difference in their lives.

Making sure you attract the correct group of people is crucial. If your audience isn’t your ideal customers then no matter how aesthetically pleasing you think your website’s layout is, it will not bring conversions. And even if it does convert, you’re not reaching your fullest potential yet.

You want to know your super fans because you want to build a website that attracts them and answers their needs. You want them to feel seen and heard as they journey through their website. To accomplish all these, you can’t just build a ‘whatever looks good’ kind-of-website. You need a website that’s designed with clear direction and solid brand strategy.

 

Think about your customer journey

Don’t just focus on your visuals.

A common mistake when designing a website is that we focus too much on making sure our website has all the fancy elements (like pop-ups and banners) and forget that the key thing to a website is to offer a brand experience.

Your website is just one of the many brand touch points you have. It is a very important touch point, but it is a part of a holistic brand experience. So… you can’t just focus on your visuals. At Platinum99, we always go deep and map out your customer journey in brand strategy workshops. Why? Because we want to know where we’re taking your customers and what they really need.

It’s about translating your brand strategy and customer journey into every element of your website. The flow of your copywriting and messaging, every page on your website… everything has purpose! It’s 100% intentional. We want to make sure that you’re offering something valuable to your audience and that they understand what your brand stands for.

 

Make sure it has a good UX design

Now you have your brand strategy as your foundation plus your customer journey as a key pillar to designing your website. Another important thing to keep in mind is UX design. If you want to build a website that showcases what your brand is about, you want to make sure that is has a good user experience or UX.

Remember: Your website is your 24/7 storefront. It’s your customer’s FIRST impression. When your audience goes to your website, they should walk away knowing what your brand is all about.

If they feel like it was such an inconvenience to visit your website, they won’t walk away feeling connected with your brand. This is why UX design is also key to a website that your audience into customers.

Pay attention to load time

Something as simple as a website’s load time can have a huge impact on your user experience. A slow website prevents visitors from spending time on your website. A super fan might be super curious to know more about your brand but decides to leave before converting because they feel annoyed of your load time. A website that can load fast gives a good user experience and attracts more visitors to experience your brand.

Make it easy for your audience to access all the information they need on your website

Having a good user experience also means that visitors can easily find what they are looking for on your website easily. Sometimes we can get too caught up in making our web designs look pretty that we forget usability is also an important element in designing a website. Make sure your visitors can easily find and access your catalog, price list, and contact us page when coming to your website.

 

Engage with your audience and provide a clear next action step

You don’t want people to come to your website just to hang around, you want them to engage and convert. And there are many things you can do to keep your audience engaged on your website. You can use pop-up forms to spark curiosity and put up quizzes so you can get to know your audience even better.

But you have one goal: you want them to take the next step in your journey so they move closer into becoming a true super fan and brand evangelist!!! That’s why it’s crucial to give them a clear next action step at every section of your website.

Do you want them to keep reading? Tell them to keep scrolling.

Do you want them to schedule a free call? Put a button that stands out so there’s no chance they would miss that.

Do you want them to sign up for a freebie? Set up a form so they can immediately get connected with you before leaving the site.

Make it so clear that there’s zero chance they would miss out on their next step. Make the buttons bold and keep repeating the action step that you want to emphasise throughout the website.

 

Your website is meant to uniquely make your brand stand out in the market and connect you with your ideal customer

You deserve a website that translates your vision into a brand experience that is aligned with your customer’s needs.

You cannot just build any website. It’s not just about ANY website. You want a website that works for YOU and YOUR BUSINESS. It should be something that YOUR BRAND feels completely aligned with and you feel 100% proud of!

When people visit your website, you want them to walk away feeling heard and seen, understanding what your brand purpose is. It is through this experience that they can understand why your products and services are exactly what they need to solve their needs and will convert into your super fans.

 

Ready to transform your brand?

After years of working with women entrepreneurs, we made it our mission to encourage and empower women to become confident brand leaders. You are the reason why Platinum 99 exists!

Your visions and dreams for your brand matter, so we want to help you get the clarity you need to move forward with confidence. How can we do that? Through brand strategy.

Let’s unpack your brand’s key differentiators, find out who your ideal customers are, and analyse your competitive landscape. Let’s map out the clear path for you to reach your BIG brand goals!

Book a free consult call

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