Redesigning your website is an exciting time! And with preparation, you can help make the process as smooth as possible. Whether you are working with a web designer or building it on your own, here are the 7 ways to prepare for redesigning your website to ensure you get the website of your dreams that works around the clock to help you find more clients and generate more inquiries.

Get Clear On Your Goals

What do you want this website design to do differently? If you could choose one main results you want your website to generate what would that be? Ex: Increasing my reach (more website traffic), attracting more qualified leads, growing my email list, establishing my brand, demonstrating expertise and credibility, etc.

Hone Your Offers

I know, I know, you hear this everywhere. But that’s because it’s incredibly important to get super specific with your offers in order to attract the right type of clients to your business. You want your website to be clear on the type of clients you sever and exactly how you help them. Being vague doesn’t help you here.

Take New Photos

This is one of the most common mistakes that I see with website redesigns. And that is not taking fresh photos of you and your business for your website. Using too many stock photos or outdated photos can hurt your first impression. When you’re asking people to invest in you as a business owner and there are no photos of you to be found anywhere, that doesn’t exactly communicate “trust me!”. Booking a photoshoot with a local photographer not only gives you photos for your new website design but you can also use that content for your social media marketing!

Write Out Your Website Plan + Copy

Before jumping into any project it’s good to have an outline of what you’ll be doing. This will also help you figure out the type of content you’ll need to write. Check out my top copywriting tips here.

Find The Right Designer For You

If you’ve decided to work with a web designer then it’s important to find the right fit for you and your business. Each web designer has their own approach and methodology and it’s important to know what’s included in your project and what you’ll be responsible for. Read: How To Find The Right Designer For You

Gather Inspiration

Gathering design inspiration is an important part of preparing to redesign your website. In order to effectively communicate with your web designer about what type of design you like and how you want your new website to look and feel, it’s important to do some research! Chances are you know a great website when you see one. What makes that website special? What makes it fun to read through and enjoyable to use? Pinterest is also a great way to gather inspiration for colors and fonts. I recommend my clients put together a mood board of inspiring colors, fonts, photos, and design assets that they are drawn to for their business. This helps me get a better picture of what their design aesthetic is!

Set Aside Time

Re-designing a website is no easy feat! It takes time, strategy, and collaboration to get to the website of your dreams. Make sure that whenever you embark on this adventure, to make sure you have the time in your schedule to do what it takes to get the job done.