What to expect for your website process

Why did you become a coach? How would you describe yourself? What are your core values? What is your preferred communication? Do you have a design aesthetic or vision? These were not the questions that came to mind when I first thought about creating a website.

Yes, I did expect to be asked about my business but I was anticipating more specific questions. Questions like, What is your business name? What do you do? What is your niche? Who is your ideal client? I also expected I’d have to either have a lot of content ready or be prepared to write a lot of content. But that too wasn’t the case.

Having a clear vision for your business name and logo

I thought, when I embarked on having my website designed, I would need to have a clear vision of my name and logo. Having an image to represent the company, explain the business name and bonus if it could also be used creatively in marketing. As I also thought I needed this just to start a business, I had already done this work. However, I didn’t know where to go from there.

So I jumped into researching web design companies. I decided on Full Serve Web Marketing as their approach, through experience with and understanding of solopreneurs, gave me the feeling that they would be doing the heavy lifting and that would leave me with the time to do what I love, coaching. Word of advice, ask people you know for who they would recommend. Rina at Full Serve was recommended to me and although I looked at other companies, the referral from an established mentor was significant to my decision.

While meeting and engaging Full Serve Web Marketing, I had the unexpected good fortune of winning a Personal Branding Package from Burke by Burke. Looking back on this journey now, the branding package was the best first step. Now it’s not to say that Full Serve couldn’t do it, because I have no doubt that they could have and would have done a fantastic job. But let’s be real, I am a solopreneur, in the start up phase, so I will gratefully and appreciatively take any opportunity to save money or reallocate budgeted funds elsewhere in my business. Because if you too are starting a business, are a solopreneur or even just own a business, you know that there are always things we need to spend money on.

What the heck is a Branding Package?

I’m hoping I’m not alone in this, but I will admit I had no idea what a branding package is. I do know what a brand is and I can name some recognizable brand names off the top of my head. However, when I thought about a branding package, I thought about these companies that pay people a lot of money to create the brand and then use it to market them, sometimes in very catchy and memorable ways. Yup, many of the Superbowl commercials came to my mind.

But I knew that wasn’t me. I’m not some big company and I didn’t have the budget for all that so I had no idea what I was going to provide to help Burke by Burke design my brand.

Burke by Burke took the lead and sent me an intake form and when I had that completed, we would meet virtually to discuss the details. This is where the questions came in and had me pleasantly surprised.

The questions were about me and although it is sometimes difficult to talk about yourself, I started to get into the flow of coming up with words and thoughts that captured my essence. What I’d forgotten was the people who are their company. Realtors, for example, are selling themselves. Yes, they have the expertise of navigating the online listing system and organizing all the paperwork, making sure the Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed. Yes, they have the experience of having sold and purchased homes, for themselves and for others, but most importantly, they are selling themselves.

They are selling their personality, their style, how they personally approach helping you sell or purchase your home, really who they are and how that separates them from their fellow realtors. Like so many companies where it’s not about the company, it’s about the person, it comes down to energy. What’s their vibe, what is that person all about, what is that person’s intentions and does all of that resonate with yours.

Side Note…In writing this blog post I just realized that I may not have been crystal clear about what a branding package is, when I began this journey, but my intuition was leading me there. 

I realize now that who Rina is, her brand, is one of the main reasons I chose Full Serve Web Marketing over the other companies I looked at. It’s also the reason why I continue to work with Rina and her team. Her branding package – in being able to succinctly talk about herself, her business, how she likes to work, who she works with, how they handle projects and what her goals and intentions are for her clients – are what sealed the deal because it was aligned for what I wanted to achieve and how I wanted to achieve it.

But I digress. So, I answered the questions and put into words what my business is and why I became a coach. I described myself professionally and personally. I shared my core values and who I wanted to work with. I spoke to my preferred communication style and any design ideas I had. I didn’t have any writing samples to provide or much in the way of digital assets but that wouldn’t inhibit Burke by Burke.

They delivered a brand direction and a logo concept. Yes, there were a couple iterations, but they were just to explore options and then make a few little changes. Really the first draft was pretty on point.

What I learned was creating a brand identity is about crafting a story. They listened to me, came to understand my business and then translated it in a way that would resonate with my audience. The product outcome of that was my brand kit. A document that is a key reference tool for my business, for me as well as anyone I work with to market, convey, promote me and my business. The brand kit has my tagline, my voice captured by values and keywords, my archetype, my tone, my logo and logomark, my colour palette and my fonts and styles.

My brand is me. The website is going to be an extension of that brand, an extension of me. So now with the branding kit I could proceed with its design.

Enter Full Serve Web Marketing

For the website, it started in a similar way. First, the discovery meeting with Rina to discuss the scope of the project, then a kick off meeting with the team.

The team learned more about me with many of their questions being similar to the ones Burke by Burke asked me. We delved a little more into my niche, what sets me apart from other coaches, and what coaching services I offered. I also provided them with my branding kit.

Again, in similar fashion, Full Serve sent me an intake of sorts, but it was more of an invitation to jot down down information and ideas about my services (packages and products), my bio, my origin story, the process my clients take when engaging with me, my contact information and my social media details.

The document wasn’t expected to be formal, formatted or even a final draft. It came with guidance to just write on the topics for my website/brand under each of the headings on the document. There was no pressure to be perfect as the content was going to be used to inform the design of the websites pages but also any copy would be sent to their copywriter for a rewrite.

This was huge for me. I didn’t have to analyze what I was writing, I didn’t need to examine the words I was using, I didn’t need to inspect my grammar. I could (and did) pull any notes and bits of information I had already come up with and copied it to the document. It wasn’t organized in any way, aside from their headings, I provided four versions of my bio, and prattled on about my origin story. At this point I had no expectation that it was going to be sufficient but wasn’t sure what else I could provide.

I was so happy to be presented with two homepage options for review. Clear instructions were given to me on how to review the two options and what they were looking for in feedback. Notes from the designer were also provided so I could better understand their considerations for the design. The important part, both designs were so on point. They captured the look I was going for and incorporated the characteristics from my brand kit. They illustrated me, my values, and my company in the form of a homepage. Some of the text and ideas I provided in the shared document were included as well as placeholders for further content.

At this point we exchanged a number of emails, as I did request a couple changes to some of the design details (though they really were minor). I also asked a number of questions as, it wasn’t until this point that I realized, I didn’t fully understand how some things were going to be included or where they were going to be on the website.

In my limited experience of how these things work, I expect this is a very common practice and something that, as I look back from the completion of the project, was crucial and a foundation to everything else that came after. I don’t know if all web design/marketing companies do this, but the way Full Serve did it with my project, all the changes with the design are made with the homepage.

Once that is signed off, then the rest of the site pages are designed (which surprisingly I didn’t have any changes to). After approval of the additional pages, the team starts the site development and I start working on the copy. I found this method brilliant. It ensures continuity of all the website pages and I presume was a more fluid and efficient workflow for the team. Most importantly, for me, was that it broke it up into manageable chunks so that it wasn’t overwhelming.

When things don’t go according to plan

Then things stalled. Full disclaimer, it was all because of me and nothing to do with Full Serve in any way. You know how “they” say, nothing goes according to plan? Well, there’s truth in that. Unexpected things will happen and we just have to do our best to roll with it. What I really appreciated was how Full Serve Web Marketing’s team was understanding and accommodating.

“They” also say that things happen for a reason and I won’t disagree with that as they delay gave me an opportunity to have an incredible mini session with the brilliant Michelle Diamond. I had headshots but wanted some updated photos to showcase in my social media. Now the new photos could be incorporated into the website too.

Getting back on track with the website content

Remember how I said it wasn’t overwhelming? Well thinking about how to go about writing the copy felt overwhelming, that is until I received the email with direction on the next steps.

I was provided with another document, a copy document that was also laid out with headers but they coincided with those on the website, in the same flow as the pages. Added to this was a video walkthrough – another brilliant feature. Full Serve’s Project Manager did the video and aside from all her other amazing work on this project, she also has this way of walking you through how to work with the document and what to consider. I’m not sure if it’s her voice or the words she uses, but that overwhelm, totally disappeared.

Now I had a method for how to attack this elephant sized (in my mind at least) task. Then, any remaining bit of anxiety I was feeling at that point dissipated when, in her email, I was reminded that they would provide some light editing and I would still have a chance to review everything (copy, photos, links, functionality) before the website went live. Nothing I was writing was going to be taken as is or be final. There was a safety net.

So I dove into the copy document. Some areas were already filled out with text I’d previously provided and others I drafted from scratch. This was probably the most challenging part of the whole process as I needed to delve a lot deeper into my services, packages and pricing. I also wanted to clearly explain each of the areas in a way that would reach and speak to my ideal clients. I tried to be as succinct as possible, drafting and editing and then reediting again. When it started to blur together and I knew I was just nit picking, I called it a day and let the Full Serve team know it was ready.

The big website design reveal

It was time. The culmination of all the hard work. The site was ready for my review. I was so excited.

Again, I was given clear and concise instructions on what to look for as I did my review, a reminder to click everything and anything to check the links and functionality, and of course read all of the copy thoroughly. This email too came with a link to a walkthrough video, the Project Manager’s voice and expertise gently guiding me through the things to consider in my review.

So having read all this, being reminded that there should be no significant changes in the design at this point, but not yet watching the video walkthrough, I clicked on the link to my new website. I’d already seen the design of the pages but now I was seeing them with my new photos. I was also reading the copy, taken from what I had provided, but edited. I was elated.

Not only did the site look fantastic, and it was so cool to see it all come together, I also noticed how proficient the editing was. My word were there, my voice could be heard, but I sounded even better. They captured what I wanted to say but said it in a much more succinct way. It was awesome and I was so grateful.

I gave my feedback and some further edits were made. I asked a number of questions (all of which were thoroughly and thoughtfully answered) and we explored a couple ideas and phrasing options. The site received its final updates and it went live. I did a final review, checking for any issues that might have occurred during the migration process, and the Full Serve team finalized the behind the scenes details. I was sent a final email with the site deliverables, including the login information, and then the project was complete.

Where do I go from here?

As many of my clients say to me, “that’s a good question” and in response I have two words for you, Social Media, but to tell you more on that is another blog post for another day.

Are you stuck? Are you unsure of what to expect and how to plan for moving forward? Book a complimentary strategy session and together let’s get you a strategy for exploration, clarification, and a path forward.