So you want to design your own website or get a professional to do it for you. Either way, the first question to bear in mind is who is your ideal client? Who do you want to land on your site and book your services/buy your product/schedule that discovery call straight off the bat?

Let’s say you are a life coach. You might say your ideal client is female, aged between 35 and 50 and lives in an urban area. So far so good. What else do you know about them? Maybe you know that they shop in upmarket shops, including websites like Pret-a-Porter who will deliver their designer purchase in a beautiful box tied up in ribbons.

You might think this is sufficient knowledge to tailor your website and all your sales and marketing collateral to attract their attention. But is it? Do you need to dig deeper?

If you dig that bit deeper, you will find out why for example, they shop on site such a Pret-a-Porter. Is it because they are wealthy housewives with lots of time - and money- on their hands and who enjoy the luxury of having beautiful designer items delivered to their door? Or is it because they are too busy in a high-powered, corporate job to go shopping for the type of clothes they are expected to wear at work?

There could be multiple reasons why a particular persona behaves the way they do. You need to work out which one it is and then hit on that reason on your website, to show you clearly understand them.

For example, if your ideal client is the 40 year old woman with a big role in a corporate company who doesn’t have time to go shopping, you will talk about this in your web copy. You will acknowledge her specific situation, using specific words to show that you understand her perfectly. You want her to read your website and think Yes, this person knows me and can help me!

Each of these caricatures is quite different and your marketing and sales copy should be written with the correct persona in mind. Understanding the why behind their behaviour is key. And once you have this really important knowledge about your ideal customer, the rest will flow from that. Your branding, your website, your social media posts, your blogs etc Because you will be writing for that person, with his/her very specific problems, that you can solve, in mind.

How do you make your site appeal to your ideal clients?

To quote Squarespace superstar Paige Brunton, your site needs to be your ideal client’s happy place!

Everything about your site needs to be to their taste, including your copy which should be written how they talk. Your service should be exactly what they are looking for.

So how do you know what style that is? Well, if you look at the websites, social media feeds and advertisements of the brands your ideal client associates themselves with, you will notice a trend. They will usually like brands with a consistent look and feel (minimalist/colourful and vibrant/classic) and you can apply this to your own site. Your ideal client needs to feel very much at home on your site.

Mood Boards

A moodboard on sites such as Pinterest, or an old-fashioned scrap-book with magazine clippings, are ways to start compiling a design guide that you and your web designer can refer to when you are designing your website. I often ask my clients who do not have strong branding in place to create a Pinterest mood board for their website, with their ideal clients in mind, so that I know what sort of look and feel to bring to the website. There are various elements that I take into consideration when applying this styling:

1. Photos - the number one best way to influence the look and feel of your site. Ideally custom-photography, if the budget allows, although there is great stock photography out there too that you can use.

2. Your logo and visual identity - this also needs to be in line with your ideal customer’s style.

3. Fonts and buttons. These should be picked carefully and with a maximum of 3 colours for your buttons.

4. Instagram feed - this is a great way to add fresh content to your website. But only add your Insta feed if it too is on-brand.

5. Your page design and site layout is also really important as it guides your client to where you want them to go on your website. This is your site architecture that should be worked out before you even get started.

I hope you found this useful as you think about your new website. So often I read websites that are vague in their positioning, with catch-all copy, generic images and no brand identity. My own website is a bit like this at the moment too, but a new visual identity is coming soon and some custom photography that not only reflects who I am but which will hopefully appeal to you, my reader!

Please use this link to set up a free 30 minute discovery, if you would like a chat about your website and how we can tailor it to your target audience.

Thanks!

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