May 6, 2024 • 10 mins
This week, I dive into essential tips for anyone looking to take the plunge into building their site, touching on the importance of selecting the right platform, the power of starting with a solid template, and learning just what you need - nothing more, nothing less. I also emphasize the game-changing impact of having a strategic roadmap, staying motivated, and the accountability factor in bringing your website dream to life. Moreover, I discuss the undeniable value of DIYing your website, from clarifying your business message to updating your site as your business evolves. Don't forget, I've wrapped up these insights into a handy, free checklist. Find it at dearkatebrandstrategy.com/list Whether you're here to learn, planning your next website project, or just curious, I've compiled every lesson learned into actionable steps. Let's make web design less daunting together! Dive in, and while you're here, feel free to like, subscribe, and drop your thoughts below.
00:00 Introduction to a Photographer's Journey into Website Coaching
00:14 The Serendipitous Shift to Website Coaching
00:55 Essential Tips for DIY Website Builders
01:00 Choosing the Right Platform for Your Website
02:23 Learning What You Need to Know: Simplifying the Process
02:49 The Power of a Good Template
04:55 Navigating Website Design Jargon and Language
06:06 Creating a Roadmap for Your DIY Website
07:20 The Importance of Motivation and Accountability
08:20 The Value of DIYing Your Website
09:32 Recap and Final Thoughts
Follow Dear Kate Brand Strategy on Instagram
Learn more at Howyoupicturedit.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
ATR2100x-USB Microphone & (00:00):
Over the past several years, I've
shifted from being a full-timephotographer to a coach for
photographers.
And now I help small businessowners and service-based
industries build their websites.
I still have my photographybusiness too, but this is where
my heart is right now.
And I love helping other smallbusiness owners show up online.
The shift to website coachinghappened kind of
serendipitously, as I built anew website on Showit for the
coaching business.
(00:21):
As I was working through it, Ikept thinking like, I know how
to do this.
I know how this tool works.
I know all of the steps I needto take, But I really would've
loved some help and somefeedback throughout the process.
And that wasn't something thatexisted.
the very next day in the show,it user group on Facebook,
someone posted asking for justthat For help learning the ins
and outs of show it for helpkeeping them accountable and on
task.
(00:41):
And helping them through theprocess of DIYing their website.
They didn't want to hire adesigner to take over the
project.
They really wanted to learn howto do it themselves.
But they needed someone to holdtheir hand through that process.
And that's where my firststudent came from And how I
became a website coach.
Today, I want to share with youa few of the things that I've
learned from helping other smallbusiness owners, DIY their
websites.
The first one I want to talkabout is choosing the right
(01:02):
platform.
In my photography life.
The thing that I always haveheard and said is that the best
camera is the one that you havein your hand.
The one that you'll use And thesame is true for your website
platform as well.
While WordPress may be the verybest in the top for SEO.
If you can't go in and swap outa photo or update your phone
number or your address or yourpricing, then that tool is not
the best one for you.
(01:23):
We need to choose a platformthat makes it easy for us to
understand what's happening onthe backend of our website.
And that we're able to access ause fairly easily without too
much confusion so that we canmake those changes.
For that reason, show it as aplatform that I prefer and
recommend.
It's very user-friendly it'sdrag and drop.
You also get to design themobile side of your website,
which is important because mostof our users are visiting our
(01:45):
websites from their phone thesedays.
But also the flexibility and thecreativity that you can have
with this platform our tops forme.
If you have a platform that youlove and you understand, I say,
go for it.
Um, there are a few that I wouldnot recommend just because the
places where you can add, um,SEO Is pretty limited, but
again, having a website that youcan update and change and fix.
(02:06):
And add content to is going tobe way more powerful than having
a website.
Built for you on WordPress thatyou don't understand how to make
any changes to or update.
Because without that freshcontent, that SEO doesn't
happen.
ATR2100x-USB Microphone & Ka (02:18):
If you build a website on a
platform that you don'tunderstand, or don't like using,
it's not going to be worth it inthe long run.
Number two is learning only whatyou need to know.
When you DIY in your website,you don't need to become a
website designer.
You need to know the basics ofhow to add photos, add text,
maybe move things around.
And if there's a certainanimation or style or look that
you're wanting to achieve.
You need to know how to do that,but you don't need to know
(02:39):
everything.
I think the website designprocess can get very
overwhelming if you startwatching tutorials because
they're teaching you things youdon't need to know, you only
need to know a limited amount ofinformation to build your site.
ATR2100x-USB Microphone & K (02:49):
The third thing that I've learned is
the power of a template and agood template at that.
I've worked with severaltemplates and designers now.
And the way that I would choosea template now, versus when I
first started, DIY Inc havecompletely changed.
So many people think, oh, I needa new website.
And the first thing that they dois shop for a template.
It's the fun thing to do.
It's the exciting thing.
And it gives you the visualsthat are so hard to put into
words, but I highly recommendfiguring out first your
(03:11):
strategy, your mission.
And what you want your websiteto do.
Now, when I look at websitetemplates, I'm mostly looking
for the overall vibe.
Do I feel like the graphics area match for what I want to say?
Is there room for the copy thatI need to write and include on
this page.
Are there a variety of layouts,Like photo here, text here and
vice versa.
Is there places where I can puta full block of text?
(03:35):
Are there different layouts forphotos and galleries and
portfolio work?
Are there a variety of pagesthat I can pull all of those
parts and pieces from to build apage that really will connect
and sell my client.
The first time I DIY a websiteOn show it.
I had purchased a template.
And ended up having to do a lotof work to make that template
fit my brand and the messagingthat I wanted to include.
(03:56):
I had to pull a lot of piecesfrom other free templates or
build some pieces from scratchto make sure that all of the
messaging that I had writtenwould fit on that site.
It was a bigger challenge than Ihad imagined when I purchased
the template.
So now again, I do look attemplates a lot differently than
when I first started buildingwebsites.
With show it, you do have accessto several free templates.
(04:17):
And then there are templatesthat you can purchase from
individual designers that rangein price from a couple of
hundred dollars to$1,500 plus.
There's a large variation in thequality and the value of what
you get with those templates.
So you really do have to do yourhomework.
And make sure you understandwhat you're buying.
I do always recommend startingwith a template though, even if
it's a free win, because it'sgoing to give you some building
(04:38):
blocks and some structure toyour page.
There are some like designthings where we want to make
sure we have enough space aroundthings.
We have white space.
We have elements that are linedup and flow and help your eye
move through the page.
So templates will definitelyhelp you with that.
Even starting with those freeones.
The fourth thing that I've learned
also kind of plays off oftemplates, but it has to do more
with the jargon and the languagethat's used.
(05:01):
I've watched DIY struggle tofigure out which element they
want to change, how to choosethat element on the screen.
And a large part of that is justlabeling.
When you're building a templateor adding things to a page and
show it, you're going to selectthat element.
On the left-hand of your designspace, it's just going to say
graphic or simple.
Or video, and you're not goingto know which graphic is the one
you actually want to click onand swap out.
(05:22):
The other issue that I see isall of those elements getting
jarbled up.
On the left-hand sides, youcan't select them all at one
time and move things around inmass.
So really it's just about makingsure that all of those parts and
pieces on the back end makesense for DIYer and not just a
designer, especially if you'reselling templates.
It's really important for whereyou are DIY or to be able to
(05:43):
access them and understand them.
Jargon wise and language wise, Ifeel like you can be really hard
to look up.
A tutorial for something.
If you don't really understandwhat it is that you want to
happen, if you don't know how toexplain that in.
The language and in the wordsthat maybe a designer or an
educator would be putting outthere.
And I know personally, I spent alot of time looking up things
like, how do I make this, dothis?
And it wasn't the right languageor the right words.
(06:04):
And so I wouldn't find theresults that I was looking for.
The fifth thing that I'velearned is the value of having a
roadmap and a plan before youstart building your website.
So often DIY or start with atemplate.
And start just plugging thingsin.
And what happens then is thatthere's no flow to a website.
There's no user experience forthe visitors to walk through And
we don't end up getting visitorsfrom that interested stage to
(06:25):
that buying stage.
A good DIY website that willactually sell your services for
you starts with figuring outthat strategy, writing your copy
And understanding the pathways.
We want to take people throughto again, get them from
interested into that buyingposition.
Then we can get into the sitedesign, which starts with
formatting, our content, ourmedia.
And making sure that the imagesare sized properly and named
(06:47):
properly to help with our SEOand our load speed on our site.
And then getting into layingeverything out, making sure
there's that white space thatthe colors are the right colors
and the fonts are the rightfonts.
And then that final phase ofbuilding your website is going
to be making sure that it getsseen and that you're showing up.
So figuring out those SEOpieces, launching the site, all
of those good things.
I laid out each of those stepsfor you in a free fillable
(07:10):
workbook style checklist.
That you can grab, add your Katebrand strategy.com/list.
When you follow that roadmap, ittakes the overwhelm out of the
process.
It makes it a lot easier tofinally hit publish on a site
that you're proud of.
The sixth thing that I'velearned is that motivation and
accountability are huge piece ofthe puzzle.
Truthfully while I know that awebsite that you're proud of and
really gets your message homewill help you grow as a business
(07:31):
owner.
Not having one is not going tostop you from running the
day-to-day in your business.
It may stop you from getting theright clients or enough clients.
But it's not going to keep youfrom running a business
altogether, which means that weput it to the back burner quite
a bit.
Right?
It sounds overwhelming andstressful.
So websites end up on our to-dolist for a really long time.
Having the motivation to get onedone, knowing the value that it
(07:52):
will bring you and how you'll beable to raise your prices and
bring in clients that you loveworking with.
And then having someone to beaccountable to, to get that done
is so valuable in the process.
And again, makes it easier tohit that publish button sooner.
I don't know about you, butthere are so many things in my
business that I have set asgoals that no one knows about.
And so they maybe just don't getdone, but having someone that
(08:13):
knows that you're workingtowards something and that can
motivate you towards it.
And be proud of you as you hitthose benchmarks can be super
valuable.
And then the final thing thatI've learned is how valuable it
is To actually DIY your websiteversus hiring it out.
Here's the thing I do buildwebsites for other people.
It's a service that I offer.
But I see my small businessowners getting so much value
through the process of buildingtheir own website.
(08:34):
When you're building yourwebsite, you're writing your
copy.
You're getting clear on who itis that you want to serve, what
your values are, what yourmission is and what your goals
are.
You learn how to talk to thepeople that you really want to
work with, and that followsthrough, through all of your
marketing.
So when you go to post on socialmedia or talk to someone in
person, You've got thatmessaging and those values and
that core mission all in place,and it makes that so much easier
(08:56):
and so much more consistent.
Beyond that is the value ofbeing able to change things on
your website as your businessgrows and changes.
I don't want people to have tohire me every time they need to
make a simple change to theirwebsite.
Even the sites I built forpeople.
I want them to be able to make aswitch of a photo or update
their phone number or theirhours.
Those little things that changefrequently within a small
(09:16):
business.
It's important for you as thebusiness owner, to be able to
make those changes on the fly.
I don't want you to have to waitfor a website designer to be
able to fit you into theirschedule to make that happen.
So, yes, there's just so muchvalue in learning the DIY
process and building your ownwebsite.
Okay.
Let's recap those lessons.
The first one was choosing yourplatform.
The second was learning what youneed to know to build a website
(09:38):
And not learning to become afull-time website designer.
The third was the power of atemplate.
The fourth was the value ofhaving tools that are built for
you as a DIY or, and not as adesigner.
The fifth was having a roadmapin place.
So you make sure that you'rehitting all of those important
pieces And not just plugginggeneric content into a template.
The sixth was the value ofmotivation and accountability.
And then the seventh was thevalue of DIY and your website
and how that helps you with therest of your marketing and
(10:00):
business growth.
I hope this has been superhelpful for you.
Again, you can grab that freechecklist roadmap at
dearkatebrandstrategy.com/list.
Kate (2) (10:08):
Thanks so much for listening.
I'd love for you to share yourfavorite takeaway.
From this episode with me, youcan reach me over on Instagram
at dear Kate brand strategy.
I'll talk to you soon.
Over the past several years, I've
shifted from being a full-timephotographer to a coach for
photographers.
And now I help small businessowners and service-based
industries build their websites.
I still have my photographybusiness too, but this is where
my heart is right now.
And I love helping other smallbusiness owners show up online.
The shift to website coachinghappened kind of
serendipitously, as I built anew website on Showit for the
coaching business.
(00:21):
As I was working through it, Ikept thinking like, I know how
to do this.
I know how this tool works.
I know all of the steps I needto take, But I really would've
loved some help and somefeedback throughout the process.
And that wasn't something thatexisted.
the very next day in the show,it user group on Facebook,
someone posted asking for justthat For help learning the ins
and outs of show it for helpkeeping them accountable and on
task.
(00:41):
And helping them through theprocess of DIYing their website.
They didn't want to hire adesigner to take over the
project.
They really wanted to learn howto do it themselves.
But they needed someone to holdtheir hand through that process.
And that's where my firststudent came from And how I
became a website coach.
Today, I want to share with youa few of the things that I've
learned from helping other smallbusiness owners, DIY their
websites.
The first one I want to talkabout is choosing the right
(01:02):
platform.
In my photography life.
The thing that I always haveheard and said is that the best
camera is the one that you havein your hand.
The one that you'll use And thesame is true for your website
platform as well.
While WordPress may be the verybest in the top for SEO.
If you can't go in and swap outa photo or update your phone
number or your address or yourpricing, then that tool is not
the best one for you.
(01:23):
We need to choose a platformthat makes it easy for us to
understand what's happening onthe backend of our website.
And that we're able to access ause fairly easily without too
much confusion so that we canmake those changes.
For that reason, show it as aplatform that I prefer and
recommend.
It's very user-friendly it'sdrag and drop.
You also get to design themobile side of your website,
which is important because mostof our users are visiting our
(01:45):
websites from their phone thesedays.
But also the flexibility and thecreativity that you can have
with this platform our tops forme.
If you have a platform that youlove and you understand, I say,
go for it.
Um, there are a few that I wouldnot recommend just because the
places where you can add, um,SEO Is pretty limited, but
again, having a website that youcan update and change and fix.
(02:06):
And add content to is going tobe way more powerful than having
a website.
Built for you on WordPress thatyou don't understand how to make
any changes to or update.
Because without that freshcontent, that SEO doesn't
happen.
ATR2100x-USB Microphone & Ka (02:18):
If you build a website on a
platform that you don'tunderstand, or don't like using,
it's not going to be worth it inthe long run.
Number two is learning only whatyou need to know.
When you DIY in your website,you don't need to become a
website designer.
You need to know the basics ofhow to add photos, add text,
maybe move things around.
And if there's a certainanimation or style or look that
you're wanting to achieve.
You need to know how to do that,but you don't need to know
(02:39):
everything.
I think the website designprocess can get very
overwhelming if you startwatching tutorials because
they're teaching you things youdon't need to know, you only
need to know a limited amount ofinformation to build your site.
ATR2100x-USB Microphone & K (02:49):
The third thing that I've learned is
the power of a template and agood template at that.
I've worked with severaltemplates and designers now.
And the way that I would choosea template now, versus when I
first started, DIY Inc havecompletely changed.
So many people think, oh, I needa new website.
And the first thing that they dois shop for a template.
It's the fun thing to do.
It's the exciting thing.
And it gives you the visualsthat are so hard to put into
words, but I highly recommendfiguring out first your
(03:11):
strategy, your mission.
And what you want your websiteto do.
Now, when I look at websitetemplates, I'm mostly looking
for the overall vibe.
Do I feel like the graphics area match for what I want to say?
Is there room for the copy thatI need to write and include on
this page.
Are there a variety of layouts,Like photo here, text here and
vice versa.
Is there places where I can puta full block of text?
(03:35):
Are there different layouts forphotos and galleries and
portfolio work?
Are there a variety of pagesthat I can pull all of those
parts and pieces from to build apage that really will connect
and sell my client.
The first time I DIY a websiteOn show it.
I had purchased a template.
And ended up having to do a lotof work to make that template
fit my brand and the messagingthat I wanted to include.
(03:56):
I had to pull a lot of piecesfrom other free templates or
build some pieces from scratchto make sure that all of the
messaging that I had writtenwould fit on that site.
It was a bigger challenge than Ihad imagined when I purchased
the template.
So now again, I do look attemplates a lot differently than
when I first started buildingwebsites.
With show it, you do have accessto several free templates.
(04:17):
And then there are templatesthat you can purchase from
individual designers that rangein price from a couple of
hundred dollars to$1,500 plus.
There's a large variation in thequality and the value of what
you get with those templates.
So you really do have to do yourhomework.
And make sure you understandwhat you're buying.
I do always recommend startingwith a template though, even if
it's a free win, because it'sgoing to give you some building
(04:38):
blocks and some structure toyour page.
There are some like designthings where we want to make
sure we have enough space aroundthings.
We have white space.
We have elements that are linedup and flow and help your eye
move through the page.
So templates will definitelyhelp you with that.
Even starting with those freeones.
The fourth thing that I've learned
also kind of plays off oftemplates, but it has to do more
with the jargon and the languagethat's used.
(05:01):
I've watched DIY struggle tofigure out which element they
want to change, how to choosethat element on the screen.
And a large part of that is justlabeling.
When you're building a templateor adding things to a page and
show it, you're going to selectthat element.
On the left-hand of your designspace, it's just going to say
graphic or simple.
Or video, and you're not goingto know which graphic is the one
you actually want to click onand swap out.
(05:22):
The other issue that I see isall of those elements getting
jarbled up.
On the left-hand sides, youcan't select them all at one
time and move things around inmass.
So really it's just about makingsure that all of those parts and
pieces on the back end makesense for DIYer and not just a
designer, especially if you'reselling templates.
It's really important for whereyou are DIY or to be able to
(05:43):
access them and understand them.
Jargon wise and language wise, Ifeel like you can be really hard
to look up.
A tutorial for something.
If you don't really understandwhat it is that you want to
happen, if you don't know how toexplain that in.
The language and in the wordsthat maybe a designer or an
educator would be putting outthere.
And I know personally, I spent alot of time looking up things
like, how do I make this, dothis?
And it wasn't the right languageor the right words.
(06:04):
And so I wouldn't find theresults that I was looking for.
The fifth thing that I'velearned is the value of having a
roadmap and a plan before youstart building your website.
So often DIY or start with atemplate.
And start just plugging thingsin.
And what happens then is thatthere's no flow to a website.
There's no user experience forthe visitors to walk through And
we don't end up getting visitorsfrom that interested stage to
(06:25):
that buying stage.
A good DIY website that willactually sell your services for
you starts with figuring outthat strategy, writing your copy
And understanding the pathways.
We want to take people throughto again, get them from
interested into that buyingposition.
Then we can get into the sitedesign, which starts with
formatting, our content, ourmedia.
And making sure that the imagesare sized properly and named
(06:47):
properly to help with our SEOand our load speed on our site.
And then getting into layingeverything out, making sure
there's that white space thatthe colors are the right colors
and the fonts are the rightfonts.
And then that final phase ofbuilding your website is going
to be making sure that it getsseen and that you're showing up.
So figuring out those SEOpieces, launching the site, all
of those good things.
I laid out each of those stepsfor you in a free fillable
(07:10):
workbook style checklist.
That you can grab, add your Katebrand strategy.com/list.
When you follow that roadmap, ittakes the overwhelm out of the
process.
It makes it a lot easier tofinally hit publish on a site
that you're proud of.
The sixth thing that I'velearned is that motivation and
accountability are huge piece ofthe puzzle.
Truthfully while I know that awebsite that you're proud of and
really gets your message homewill help you grow as a business
(07:31):
owner.
Not having one is not going tostop you from running the
day-to-day in your business.
It may stop you from getting theright clients or enough clients.
But it's not going to keep youfrom running a business
altogether, which means that weput it to the back burner quite
a bit.
Right?
It sounds overwhelming andstressful.
So websites end up on our to-dolist for a really long time.
Having the motivation to get onedone, knowing the value that it
(07:52):
will bring you and how you'll beable to raise your prices and
bring in clients that you loveworking with.
And then having someone to beaccountable to, to get that done
is so valuable in the process.
And again, makes it easier tohit that publish button sooner.
I don't know about you, butthere are so many things in my
business that I have set asgoals that no one knows about.
And so they maybe just don't getdone, but having someone that
(08:13):
knows that you're workingtowards something and that can
motivate you towards it.
And be proud of you as you hitthose benchmarks can be super
valuable.
And then the final thing thatI've learned is how valuable it
is To actually DIY your websiteversus hiring it out.
Here's the thing I do buildwebsites for other people.
It's a service that I offer.
But I see my small businessowners getting so much value
through the process of buildingtheir own website.
(08:34):
When you're building yourwebsite, you're writing your
copy.
You're getting clear on who itis that you want to serve, what
your values are, what yourmission is and what your goals
are.
You learn how to talk to thepeople that you really want to
work with, and that followsthrough, through all of your
marketing.
So when you go to post on socialmedia or talk to someone in
person, You've got thatmessaging and those values and
that core mission all in place,and it makes that so much easier
(08:56):
and so much more consistent.
Beyond that is the value ofbeing able to change things on
your website as your businessgrows and changes.
I don't want people to have tohire me every time they need to
make a simple change to theirwebsite.
Even the sites I built forpeople.
I want them to be able to make aswitch of a photo or update
their phone number or theirhours.
Those little things that changefrequently within a small
(09:16):
business.
It's important for you as thebusiness owner, to be able to
make those changes on the fly.
I don't want you to have to waitfor a website designer to be
able to fit you into theirschedule to make that happen.
So, yes, there's just so muchvalue in learning the DIY
process and building your ownwebsite.
Okay.
Let's recap those lessons.
The first one was choosing yourplatform.
The second was learning what youneed to know to build a website
(09:38):
And not learning to become afull-time website designer.
The third was the power of atemplate.
The fourth was the value ofhaving tools that are built for
you as a DIY or, and not as adesigner.
The fifth was having a roadmapin place.
So you make sure that you'rehitting all of those important
pieces And not just plugginggeneric content into a template.
The sixth was the value ofmotivation and accountability.
And then the seventh was thevalue of DIY and your website
and how that helps you with therest of your marketing and
(10:00):
business growth.
I hope this has been superhelpful for you.
Again, you can grab that freechecklist roadmap at
dearkatebrandstrategy.com/list.
Kate (2) (10:08):
Thanks so much for listening.
I'd love for you to share yourfavorite takeaway.
From this episode with me, youcan reach me over on Instagram
at dear Kate brand strategy.
I'll talk to you soon.
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