One of the biggest obstacles I see in fellow entrepreneurs to building their online presence is not knowing how to setup a website. In 2021, it’s no secret that having a website is pretty much an essential piece of owning a business. It makes sense, too, doesn’t it? Your website is a client and customer facing reflection of how incredible you are — so you won’t want to miss out on this step. 

However, I know it can seem kind of overwhelming to build a website if it’s not your thing. You didn’t get into business to spend valuable, billable hours trying to figure out a software that stresses you out and navigate the world of setting up a website to not only look the way you want, but do what you want it to do.

Here’s the thing: I can promise that no matter how tech-savvy you are (or aren’t), building a website is really achievable. These days, so many site platforms make it easy to create a beautiful, professional website without the headache or the hours hunched over your laptop — a far cry from the days where you had to spend days coding a simple sentence.

As you build your business, you’ll learn the importance of having an online presence and building a website that works for you. Truly, having a business site is one of the most important things you can do in your business, which means that knowing how to do it is key. You don’t need a computer science degree and you don’t need a bunch of knowledge about web development and coding. I promise. 

All you need? A couple hours, a big ole’ cup of coffee, and a great playlist. Here we go:

The First Step to Setup A Website: Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Your first step in the process involves your imagination — no skill required! Start planning out what you want on your site, whether you check out Pinterest or build a mood board that you want to emulate. Once you decide on a style, you can start deciding what content you’re going to need for your website. Think: images and copy (and identifying what you may need to outsource, write, and find). If you’re looking for some inspiration or a click-add copy-and-done website, check out our premade website templates in the Shop. 

I’m a big fan of jotting everything down in a notepad, in a Google Drive folder, or on a Pinterest board so that you can keep track of all of your great ideas and then let them inform your site design and decisions. Don’t be too hard on yourself here, either — just because you found a layout that you like doesn’t mean you’re stuck to it. Simply look at your planning phase as site inspiration, and let it guide you instead of instruct you.

Design & Optimize Your Website

Next up? It’s time for the nitty-gritty, where the real work (and fun!) comes in. Grab your domain through a domain registrar like GoDaddy or Google Domains, and then find your website platform! We broke down some of our top platforms for designing sites in this post, but I’d always recommend ShowIt for unlimited creative capabilities and a design that actually makes sense — especially if you’re non-techy. 

The great part about setting up a website in 2021 is that designing through platforms like ShowIt truly make life so easy. As you design your site, you’ll be able to follow along with tutorials and clear instructions… which takes tons of pressure off. Along the way, take time to optimize your site for SEO by keeping your page titles clear and relevant, backlinking where you can, and using alt attributes to describe your images. You don’t need to get mega detailed with your SEO, but just following some simple best practices can really elevate your ranking.

Publish Your Website & Promote It!

Once you’ve designed your site and gotten into a place where you feel ready to launch, press that publish button and get going. You’ve got this! Don’t wait for it to be perfect, either — the best thing about building a site is that you can always, always change it. Make sure to promote your website on your social channels and to your clients, and take every chance you have to share your site with the world. Way cooler than business cards, huh?!

Once you’ve launched your site, it’s time to elevate your business to levels that you might have never even thought you could. How does that sound? We cover all of this (and more!) in our Brand Brilliance Accelerator program — a 4-month mentorship and group workshop experience where we help you uncover your brand brilliance with science-backed strategies and high-converting designs. Join us.