As a health + wellness pro I know you have a ton on your plate. And, If you’re going at this whole running a business thing alone its difficult to know if you’re doing things in the right order.

This may surprise you but when it comes to design, a website shouldn’t be the top priority. Your brand and business strategy should come first.

Now, you can work on your brand and website design at the same time but, generally, branding will come first and then website design. I’m here for you if you need help with branding, strategy, and/or website design.

Whether you’re considering working with a designer on your website or going the DIY route, you’ll want to strategize and see if you’re prepared before you get started. To help you along, here are five questions that you should answer before re-designing your health website.

Who is my ideal client? What do they need?

You should be crystal clear on who your ideal client is before jumping into a website design project. Start by creating a client avatar. This will give you a good overall idea of who you want to work with and what they are like.

What are your client’s pain points and how does your service offering measure up with them? The copy on your website is just as important as your design elements. If your copy is all fluff and isn’t targeted to the right people then it won’t sell your services.

If you’re re-designing your website then ask yourself, what about my current website isn’t working? Is it that your visual elements don’t align with your ideal client? Or, is it a messaging issue that needs to be worked out before starting your re-design?

And if you don’t have a clear picture on who your ideal client is, then grab a copy of my Wellness Website Workbook, because It will walk you through how to find your ideal client and serve them. It’s perfect for any health + wellness pro, whether you’re just starting out or preparing for a website re-design.

What is the purpose of my website design?

This question is the starting point for establishing a website strategy. I know that strategy can sound a little boring but it’s important to craft a strategy to make your website effective. And by effective, I mean actually selling your stuff so you can make more income.

Without a strategy, a website is just pretty colors and fonts covering up the chaos of a confused business owner. And, you definitely don’t want that, do you?

This is why I work on strategy first with my clients before designing anything. And the first question I ask my clients is, what is the purpose of your website?

Maybe you want to do a website re-design because you niched down recently and want to better target this new client. Or, maybe you’re just starting your business but need some help figuring out how to zero in on what your ideal client would like to see design-wise.

If you’re considering a website design then this is a great time to re-establish your purpose and create a website with this intention in mind.

What’s the main goal for my website?

This is another strategic question that you should be asking yourself before you work on a website design. For most of my clients, the goal for their business and website are the same. Your website is a digital storefront for your business, so that makes perfect sense.

For instance, if your goal is to sell more of your services to the right people, you should bridge the gap between what your ideal client wants and how your service will help them get what they want.

Think about what your ideal client’s most basic problem is and how you can introduce them to your solution. What result are you offering your clients with your services? And, how can you convey this to your audience in a way that they will resonate with?

What action do you want your ideal client to take on your website?

Do you want to grow your email list, have them join a Facebook Group, listen to your Podcast, Inquire about your services, etc.? If you could only choose one thing, what would it be?

Now that you know what you want your clients to do, you can create a call to action button to guide users to take that action. When I’m designing for my clients I like to find unique ways to add a call to action button to pages so that the user feels like that’s the natural next step.

Check out this post for more info on setting up successful call to action buttons and more secrets to book clients using your website.

Do I have a solid brand identity?

If you’re thinking YES, I have a logo, then I hate to burst your bubble but that may not be enough. A logo is just one visual element that makes up your entire brand.

There are plenty of other designs that create a cohesive brand including secondary logos, wordmarks, colors, fonts, textures, patterns, icons, photo selection, and potentially, even more, depending on your brand’s needs.

Your brand needs to push beyond just the visuals. It includes your brand voice, target audience, and how you want your ideal client to feel when interacting with you.

A designer brings these elements to life with visual design, but the strategy needs to be in place to make this happen. Otherwise, it becomes a guessing game because you’re missing that strategy that makes the design effective.

You don’t necessarily need to have all of these things 100% figured out. But, you do need to have a good solid visual identity in place before designing your website.

You’ve probably heard me talk all about the importance of being consistent when establishing a brand. If you jump right into a website design without a plan you risk having a site that doesn’t align with your ideal client’s values.

If you discover that you don’t have a solid brand identity this probably means that you’re starting from scratch or you still need to establish certain elements for your brand. I’d love to dive into this and create or build out a brand identity for you. If you’re ready to get started please fill out my project inquiry form and I’ll get back to you shortly.

If after asking yourself these 5 questions you realize that you’re not quite prepared for a website design then I’ve got something that will help. My Wellness Website Workbook will help you get clear on what you want to be known for, how you can reach the right people, and make more income doing what you love. So make sure to grab your copy below.

 

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