Do you cringe anytime you send people to your site? Or maybe you’ve been in business for a while now and have no clue where to begin with creating a website? Showit or WordPress or Squarespace?? Over the years I’ve gone from tinkering around on Squarespace, to hiring a web developer for my WordPress site, to now being able to rebrand, add updates and details to my own website using Showit. It can be a confusing world out there of knowing what to tackle when it comes to creating a website, so this post breaks it allllll down for ya!

Related: Which Platform to Choose? Showit vs. Squarespace vs. WordPress

Pssst…my website platform of choice and TOP recommendation out of all of those is Showit. Here’s a good post on why!

Well, if you’re finally ready to create (or redesign your current one) a stellar site that you’re ready to show off, that represents your brand well and is clear and easy to use for the user, I’ve got some guidance for you!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means if you purchase from a link, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you.

5 Tips for Creating (or Redesigning) Your Website in 2023 

#1. Is Your Website Platform Easy to Use?

This is the MOST important piece of the puzzle when it comes to creating a website because guess what…you’ll want to update it one day, maybe add some new pages, new sections or even a complete rebrand! If you yourself aren’t able to get in there and make those changes and updates, guess what? Your website is gonna feel outdated and ick real quick. 

Hiring a web designer or developer to make all of the changes for you gets expensive and being able to just get in there yourself and plug away is crucial. So the first tip for creating or redesigning your website is to choose a platform or host that is easy to use!! This is why I use Showit!

I’ve been in the middle of a complete overhaul and redesign of my website and I’ve been doing it completely on my own and it’s FUN!! Yes. I said designing my website has been fun!! I’ve used some of my favorite Showit templates for some of the pages and Showit is as simple as using Canva, so it’s very intuitive, tech-illiterate friendly and yes, FUN. Use this link to Tonic Site Shop with the code “JENNA” to get a  15% discount on these templates if you want some creative, sleek designs to work with! And when you sign up for Showit, you can use the code “JENNARAINEY” for a free month on your subscription!

#2. Does Your Site Perform Well?

This is more of the backend side of things when designing your website, but site speed and image/video loading speeds are really important. You want to make sure your images and creative files aren’t too large and are resized for web. This means exporting your images at 72 dpi for web and making sure any videos you use on your website aren’t too large. 

If your site speed is slow, this will essentially dock you in your Google analytics and search results. Organic search traffic is SO important with websites, so if your website is bumped down in it’s ranking in search results because of your site speed, then we gotta clean that up sister! 

#3. On that note, Is Your Site Performing Well Analytically Speaking?

I’m talkin’ SEO. A good way to measure the performance of your website in terms of generating organic search traffic is connecting Google Analytics. It’s a free tool that will show you where your traffic is coming from, bounce rates, and more. If you’re not prioritizing SEO then you better start! This is how your business will drive search traffic ORGANICALLY (aka not paid and without your effort on socials or cross promoting)!! This is huge. 

#4. Make Sure Your Copy is Clear As a Bell!

Is your website selling your products or services for you? If not, Houston, we have a problem! Your website is there to help sell while you sleep. Your messaging (aka copy) on your website should be so stinkin’ squeaky clear that the person visiting your website goes, “Damn. Yea, sure I’ll buy your XYZ!” because you’re speaking TO them. You need to understand your ideal client so well that each line of copy hits ‘em right in their soul and draws them into what you do.

This also brings me to the elements, branding and imagery on your website too. Does every aspect and element of your site fully represent your brand? I had Tonic Site Shop design my website a few years ago and it represented me SO well at that stage, but as my business started to grow, my brand began to evolve and that custom site no longer properly represented my evolution. My colors have changed, my aesthetic has changed and even the way I speak has changed. My mission and message are the same, but I’ve elevated a BUNCH, so a redesign was very necessary and THANK GOD FOR THESE TEMPLATES! 

#5. Water Your Website Like a Flower and Watch It GROW

“Don’t try to attract the client you have now; attract the client you want next year.” –KT Merry

Your website is a representation of your business and the goal of any business is growth. If you’re not taking measurable steps to evolve, scale and grow your business, you’ll be lead down the fiery path of burnout in no time. Focusing on who you want to attract next year or what you want your business to look like next year will allow you to make changes on your website when it comes to the copy, images, branding so you can be speaking to that particular person.

Because your website will be attracting new traffic while you sleep, if you’re implementing proper SEO strategies, this is the best and most accessible way to start attracting your dream clients! A website! Momentum and growth is imperative for any business and creating or redesigning your website is the most effective tool to use!