Jude head in hands

I Don’t Know Where to Start with my Website

“I don’t know where to start with my website,” is something we hear people saying whether they don’t have a website yet or they have one and, to borrow some phrases we heard last week, it looks like a bag of spanners or it’s just sitting there doing nothing. And it can be hard to know where to start.

Improving an Existing Website

When you have an existing website it can be very hard to see what needs changing and even harder to work out how to change it. We ran a website and brand surgery last week at a co-working space we are members of and spoke to a couple of different business owners, both of whom already had a website or websites and after discussing our suggested changes with them, in one case drawing out some wireframe sketches to help with their homepage layout, they both seemed to be considering the route of just starting again.

They came to the decision for two different reasons. The first was because the platform he was currently using couldn’t do some of the things he wanted it to do. The second was because he didn’t know how to make his website look as good as he wanted without having to go back to the original designer and pay for the changes to be made by them. Both of these problems are problems we talk about a lot.

You need to choose a platform that will grow with your business and sometimes the way your business develops can’t necessarily be foreseen but if you choose a platform that has a wide range of functionality and the ability to be optimised for page speed etc then you’re going to minimise the risk of out growing it.

You also need to choose a platform or method of creating the website that comes with the level of support you are going to need. If you know you aren’t very tech savvy or you don’t have the time or inclination to do things yourself then take that into consideration.

If you have an existing website that really isn’t working please don’t let stumbling blocks stop you from making changes, improving it or even starting from scratch.

At the moment you have something sitting there which at best isn’t doing anything for your business and is costing you money with no return for that expenditure. At worse a poor website could be damaging your brand and reputation if it’s that bad and I do see websites regularly that really are that bad. Then the money you’re spending on that website is really being wasted.

So, to stop this happening take these steps:

  • Step 1 – review your website. Cast a critical eye over it and use our checklist and design tips to help you with this.
  • Step 2 – get someone who knows what they’re talking about to look at it and listen to their feedback with an open mind.
  • Step 3 – based on what you learn from steps 1 and 2, take the necessary action to get an amazing website that actually generates leads and sales for your businesses and is worth every penny and minute you have put into it.

Starting from Scratch with Your Website

If you are starting from scratch with your website, don’t just jump into finding a platform and creating it. You need to plan your website, choose the right website platform based on your plan and then start creating it. If you miss the planning stage you are unlikely to have a website that works as well for your business as it should.

Get Rid of the “I Don’t Know Where to Start with my Website” Feeling

We can help you get on track and take the steps you need to get an awesome website for your business. We are running our free Website Shame to Website Fame masterclass this week which is perfect for anyone feeling stuck with their website.

If you’re reading this after the workshop has run then grab a copy of The Website Handbook which really does take you through the whole process from start to finish of planning your website, choosing your platform and maintaining your website once it’s live. Even if you have a website currently, going through the planning process with help you see where you are currently going wrong and help you implement key changes you need to make.

Photo credit Donna Slater Photography.

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