How to Create a Website Your Followers Love with Madi Goade (@brandnew.designs)

Before you deep dive into the social media world, I think it is important that you invest in having a strong brand and sense of self. We don’t even start the strategies or the content planning until you really know your brand and really know what you’re about. Because if you’re not confident in your business- we may not even know where to start. 

Today I’m bringing in my website expert and business bestie Madi Goade to talk about websites- because I 100% believe having a strong, professional website does wonders for your confidence, your business, and your sense of self. 

Now, Madi doesn't suggest that you should start with a website necessarily. Because a website without a strong brand identity isn't really going to do a lot of good. So, the first thing is to get a really strong brand identity. Madi is also a brand designer and we've talked about branding in the past, so I highly recommend listening to the Space Social podcast episode, “Marketing v. Branding” if you're interested more in branding. 

A strong brand and a strong website are the key before you start creating content and sharing things with the world. In my experience, when Madi made my website, I felt like I could finally charge what I wanted to and what I felt like my work was actually worth. Because I finally had strong branding, I felt the confidence and the professionalism that I wanted to have in my business. 

When I say that you should have a strong brand and website before we start our social media, it's because I genuinely remember what it felt like when I finally had that. And it totally changed my confidence and my belief in my own business! And as Madi told me, that's what it's supposed to do!

In Madi’s words, there aren’t any  high-caliber brands or businesses that don't have set branding or easy to recognize and identify visual identities. In the case of branding and websites, recognition and accessibility are absolutely key. That's why things like simple logos matter a lot. They make your brand really accessible and recognizable. 

Think about brands like Apple, Nike, or even Starbucks. They all have very recognizable, clear and accessible logos that even if you just saw the logo- you would know exactly what brand we’re looking at. And that's our goal when we're creating your brand and website. People recognize simple and custom. They want things that they can access and understand easily, but also something that feels headed to your business and you individually.

Now on to websites specifically. With Madi’s experience as a brand and web designer, and a social media perspective from me, we wanna share some big ideas (and powerful tidbits!) to share with you about websites.

A website gives you a digital home.

First, we want you to see your website as your digital home. Your website is where people can find everything about you. Madi knows how easy it is for businesses that are just starting out, or even though they've been around for a long time, to kind of have everything everywhere. They've often built from the ground up, which means that there can be a lot of things, links, and resources about them and a lot of different places. 

But, if you want it to be easy for people to work with you, you need everything to be in one easy-to-access place. Remember accessibility is everything. So, with a website you have to create a home for all of your information, how to contact you, your services, and anything that you want to share with a potential client or audience.

If you completely DIY’d  your business up till now, then I really want you to think about how people access your information. Because in Madi's experience, when she's doing that deep dive into your brand before she starts your project, she finds that people that DIY’d everything sometimes made it hard to find basic information. And I'm talking like their sales funnel, their portfolio, or even just how to contact them. And these are things that we really want any potential client to know! Before you even start your social media, we need to have that foundation down so people that want to work with you actually know how to work with you!

You actually own your website!

Second, as someone who is always working on social media- I wanna remind you that you actually own your website. Unlike social media where you don't own the platform you're using! It's just not a good idea to have all of your resources, information, and everything on a social media platform that you don't own and won't last forever. 

Ultimately, social media providers just want to get people on their app and to stay as long as possible. This means that sometimes social media just doesn’t have your best in mind- and you need somewhere permanent to land on. Now, obviously I think social media is super powerful and amazing! But, having a website is so important because no matter what happens or how social media changes, you always own and have your website.

And plus, people can actually find you through your website! It's so good for your SEO and for people looking for you to have a website. If you want to be a Googleable and findable, it's so important that you have a domain and a digital home that people can access and easily find everything that they need to.

A website establishes your credibility. 

One of the major goals of your website is to establish credibility. Websites make you look like a legit business. Think of almost any business that you know. Most likely you've looked at and thought about their website. Websites make you look legit, and they make you look like you're credible and you actually exist. Websites give you a total feel for who this person is, what they're like, and if you really want to trust them and connect with them. And just like what happened with me, having a website made me feel more credible and made me feel more confident to charge what I felt that my work was actually worth. 

A website creates a good first impression.

Another HUGE value of your website is that it provides a great first impression (we hope!) Madi told me that we on average have 5-7 seconds to make a good impression of your website. Having something out together well and branded, leaves the right impression and does all the right things. Again, it makes you look legit and real- and someone people want to invest in. 

Now let’s move to some specific tips Madi + I have for you as you go to create (or update) your website:

Our thoughts on templates

We do not want to exclude people that are just starting out. When I first started, I had to DIY my website. So, I just bought a template and Googled things from there. I think my first template was like $300, and it got me started. And Madi feels the same way- templates are not a terrible place to start. If that's where you're at in your business and that's what feels the most affordable, we both believe that you should have a website that's accessible instead of just not having one until you feel like you can afford a really fancy designer-made one (but definitely think you should get there eventually!)

If you are going to use a template for your first website, Maddie recommends picking a maximum of six colors and a maximum of two fonts to work with. Any more than that, and you should probably leave it to a professional. But find a good starting point, do your market research, and be willing to get to know your brand on that level as you're getting started.

Have video on your website!

We both think it's so crucial to have video on your website. When I was doing market research for my website, I found it almost every service provider that I really looked up to and respected has some sort of video on their homepage and throughout their site. Maddie has seen  this trend too. It probably has a lot to do with how social media and just people in general are really attracted to video, but it's also a great way to bring life to your website and draw people's attention and make yourself feel real and easy to connect with. And this is something that can be really easy to add to your website! You can totally buy a cheap template that you really like, and then add in your own photos and videos to make it feel like you and still check off this box!

Get yourself a custom favicon.

Another thing is Madi highly recommends having your own favicon. Now what on Earth is a favicon? I honestly had no idea until she told me, so let me fill you in. A favicon is the little icon that appears by the title of the web page on your tab. Like, look up at this tab right now in your web browser, and you should see a little circle with a pink gradient.. That's my favicon! Madi highly recommends having a custom favicon because that immediately adds  a lot of brand recognition and it also gives you a little logo that you can use over and over again in your branding. 

Be ready to collaborate!

With all of this, we both wanna share how collaborating is really where the magic happens in a business. My clients that are down to collaborate with me have the best success because our expertise comes together, and websites are the same way. If you’re starting out, be willing to collaborate with yourself. Have ideas, show up, and do your research.

And whenever you get ready to work with a web designer, be ready to collaborate! There’s a lot of back and forth to make sure the vibes are right and the website captures them and you’re truly excited about it. When clients aren’t really collaborative, it’s just not as powerful. 

You can find Madi Goade at brandnewdesigns.com and on Instagram @brandnew.designs. She does websites, course design, and brand design. She loves working with disruptive entrepreneurs. And if you’re just starting out, she’d love to do your branding and go from there!