A new website is like fabulous new dress – with pockets

Hey everyone! So I was antique shopping one day last fall (back when we could randomly wander into shops and browse for hours – remember that?!) and in the very back of this shop I found a clothing rack. And on that rack was what is best described as a magical tunic. It is crazy colorful and when I put it on I feel (instantly!) confident, happy and comfortable.

Thanks to the endless Minnesota winter months my beloved tunic is a frequent wardrobe favorite. I want you to do a quick mental scan of your closet and think about which dress you own that makes you walk down the street with a little more swagger and shine. You feel amazing, right?

If you’re lucky, like me, that favorite dress has pockets. Cozy, functional, blessed pockets. And yes, I’ll find a clever way to weave pockets into your website. Keep reading…!

So what does this have to do with your new website?

I was recently talking with a client whose website just launched and she said, “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited to share this with people. I feel so confident now when I tell someone to check out my website!”

As a website designer I get calls from potential clients who want a website rebuild or refresh. They have visions of business growth with more clients, team members, new services… On the surface, these are absolutely the goals that I am helping them reach.

On a deeper level, however, it strikes me that my true role as The Website Doula is to help you feel more confident online.

What this client helped me to understand the other day was that when we have a website that we’re proud of, we have the opportunity to engage in our business with the same kind of confidence as we feel on a date night in our favorite kick a** dress and those killer purple boots.

Imagine how it would feel if you truly loved your website.

You could visit every single page and think “Wow, I love my messaging. I love my images. I love my colors. I love how it looks on a mobile device. I love knowing that this will be potential clients’ first impression of me online.“

What if all of those things were true for you… how might that change how you show in your community as a business owner?

• Would you interact with people at a networking event maybe a little differently?
• Would you feel a little more confident inviting people to check out your website?
• Would you perhaps be more active in doing community outreach, building new collaborative relationships because you know that when you send them to the website, the impression that they get of you is going to match the impression they get when they meet you in person…

Doing a a website redesign isn’t about just getting more clients. It’s about redefining how you feel online.

Maybe it’s about being able to market yourself more. Feeling fully confident in your message of how you can transform clients lives.

Along with loving their new design, I consistently see clients find a very unexpected new layer of clarity through the journey of building & launching their new website. Defining your online presence forces you to get really, really crystal clear about exactly it is that you do, how much you want to charge for it, and what kind of packages you want to offer. What a gift, right?

Does your website have pockets?

Designing a new website is in many ways an intensive business coaching opportunity because it demands that you go through every single offering and consider its place within your business model, the steps clients must take to hire you, and how you want to nourish them to take the next step. This conversation requires pockets…

We all know how awesome pockets are in a dress, right? They’re pretty awesome in your website too… When new clients contact me they are often uber-focused on their new color scheme or services.

While these are important, I always make sure to also explore how your new website can make your work life simpler. New features might include automated intake forms, online PDF client handouts, scheduling tools, automated email campaigns that do the marketing for you (!) and more.

In the end, you will (of course) get plenty of great new clients through your awesome website. Yay! However, I think the best benefit of all when launching a new website is how you, yourself, are going to feel more confident marketing your services and running your business. Even better!