Is your website (or lack thereof) holding you back from enthusiastically sharing your message with the world?
When you set about to build a business, it may feel like an uphill slog because there is so much to do.
In fact, creating your website and brand may feel like a mountain all in itself, which is totally understandable if you’ve never done it before and you’re not quite sure how to navigate the path.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or frustrated at your lack of progress in this area, then trust me when I say you’re definitely not alone.
So you can stop beating yourself up.
I find so many of us get stuck looking up at the enormity what lies ahead, that it can be easy to fall into one of two situations:
A) continue to procrastinate on building their brand / website and invest all their energies in social media and hope referrals don't dry up.
B) settle for a brand / website that has been serving a purpose but that deep down doesn’t really reflect what they’re all about.
Both of which mean that you’re never really giving your business full permission to grow because subconsciously you’re holding back…
The kind of things we tell ourselves:
“Once I’ve completed this course, THEN I’ll feel ready to create my online presence”
‘’When I finally get my website sorted, THEN I’ll lean into opportunities’’
‘’Once my brand is in place, THAT'S WHEN I’ll launch my new offer’’
People who come to me looking for help with their branding / website have decided it’s finally time to take action, but for most it’s been a bit of a journey…of procrastination and trial and error…to get to the point of actually hitting ‘send’ on my contact form.
Now let me tell you right now that I love it when that email pops into my inbox, because here’s the thing:
Having a website or online presence in itself is not the final destination, it’s just base camp at the foot of the climb.
And when you arrive at base camp, that’s when the actual hard work in marketing and building your business REALLY starts.
That’s when you have to actually promote what you do and why people should work with you. And let me tell you, it’s a whole lot easier to do that confidently when you have a professional online presence behind you.
So that email in my inbox marks the start of a new chapter of taking inspired action, whether or not we go on to work together.
My advice? Get to base camp as gently as possible. Lay concrete foundations for growth so that you can crack on with the main event.
Don’t wait for all of your stars or ducks to align, because your brand, website and message are going to evolve anyway.
Finding someone to entrust with your brand
If you’re not sure how to navigate the path to base camp, then find someone who has experience in the area to gently and compassionately guide you along the way.
Find someone you can trust with your brand; someone who is going to look after you along the route and who will take your project personally.
A designer who knows how much this means to you, rather than someone who is just going through the motions and shepherding you along a website production line.
If about now you’re thinking ‘I’m only just getting started, I don’t need a website or brand yet’
Once upon a time it was perfectly possible to build your business up for a few years before creating a website or brand, but I feel those days have gone.
Why? Because our expectations....consumer expectations...have changed.
How many times have you made an instant decision about whether or not to work with someone based on the first impression of their website (or lack thereof)?
We do it all the time. It’s human nature. If a website doesn’t immediately grab our attention and inspire confidence, then we simply move on to the next one that does.
If you’re a credible, trustworthy service-based business, then the reality now is that people expect you to have the basics of a website and brand behind you.
You may also think that you can get by just with social media…but it’s a risky approach. Accounts are hacked or deleted by Meta every day, and that puts your entire business at risk if social media is your primary source of leads.
At this point I want to say that getting the basics in place doesn’t have to cost the earth, and it’s important to take the approach that’s right for where you’re at in your business.
Which may range from doing it yourself to full custom design, or anywhere in between.
However you decide to approach it, my main hope is that you can conquer any procrastination or overwhelm you’ve been experiencing, to take inspired action towards growing the business of your dreams.
If you need any guidance in this area, please know my door is always open to you.
I’d be honoured if I could in any way illuminate your path or hold your hand through the process.
With heart,
Lucy x
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About Lucy:
I'm a brand designer, photographer and Wix website designer based in the UK. I help wellness & creative businesses build their brand and online presence through photography and web, brand & human design, so that they can create positive ripples in the world.
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