3 signs you’re ready to invest in a professional Squarespace website!
So how do you decide whether or not now is the time for a professional website?
1.) Your not making any money from your online business.
Your current website doesn't get any inquiries, nor does it convert those inquiries into customers or clients.
Taking the time to work with a professional who knows how to optimize your website for search, and design around the customer journey is key to bringing in the right traffic.
When the right traffic lands on your website, they will usually sign up for your emails or take action on your site, if the customer journey is clear.
Most DIYers get the customer journey wrong, and it’s not their fault. They aren’t trained in UX design, so it gets overlooked and potential customers leave your site without taking action.
Does their experience feel like an obstacle course? Is the messaging clear and speaking to your ideal audience?
Working with a professional web designer ensures that your customer journey will be set up properly, and by default, you’ll be getting more inquiries, newsletter sign-ups, and purchases.
2.) Your website is causing stress instead of helping your business.
You’re unsure how to set up the proper functionalities that you need to run your business. For example, you might want a monthly newsletter for your audience. Or maybe you want to book consult calls right on your website.
There’s so much that goes into setting up a website that works well for your business and it can be difficult to wrap your head around it all. Working with a professional website designer will help you figure out what is needed to run your business and they will set it all up for you. It’s a collaborative effort. The client and web designer must work together to provide the necessary information for the website to function effectively for the business.
Most designers will have a strategy session with the client to gather all the information they need to build the site, and then there is still more work to do on the client's end, like writing down their services and their UVP ( unique value proposition), in other words… what makes you different. You have to be ready to add input to the design process, it’s not a one-sided show.
Most times businesses will have more clarity about their business when going through the web design process because the designer prompts the client to think about their audience.
After all, you’re trying to attract your particular audience, so a lot of thought goes into it. The outcome is usually a beautifully designed website that represents your business well, and is set up to sell!
Then you have a brand that attracts your audience, and everything is set up, so you can do what you do best in your business and stop tinkering around with your website.
Often times people try to save money and DIY their website, but it winds up backfiring because it’s too much of a beast for a layman to tackle.
3.) You’re not sure what your messaging should be on your website.
The words on your website matter, and are just as important as the design itself. There is a science to customer messaging, and it needs to speak to your ideal audience, so they’ll take action.
The more that you can speak to your customer’s problems and pain points, the more they’ll feel understood and begin to engage with your brand.
4.) You’ve worked with at least a few clients or already have a business that’s doing well.
If you’re starting from scratch and haven't worked with any clients or you're just getting your business out there and you're not sure if it’s going to work, then DIY is the way to go.
Knowing who your audience is and what problem you solve is the foundation of a brand, so if you’re unclear about who you are serving then, a website isn’t going to help.
It’s smart to test things first and do research before you actually decide to invest and uplevel your business.
For example, food businesses will often start at farmers' markets to test their products and iterate and get feedback from customers, and in turn, they’ll come up with a really solid product that sells. Don’t put the cart before the horse.
Once you know you have a solid business plan that’s working and you’re already making money from the business, that’s a great time to start and invest in solid brand identity and web design.
Having a professional website can help establish credibility and credibility translates into clients/customers.
People will be more likely to hire you if they can see that other people have hired you before. Having testimonials on your website is a good way to show potential clients that you walk the walk and that you can deliver what you say you can.
A well-designed website with information about your services allows potential customers to get an idea of what it would be like working with you before ever coming in for an appointment!
