Custom branding and Showit website design for creatives

Before talking design, I think it’s important to understand what legendary brands are made of. Magic happens when words, values, visuals, feelings, and function aligns.

Here are the things you should consider (basically in this order too!) so you really get the most out of a redesign and your brand experience . . .

  • Your biggest, built-in differentiator! Because people are naturally curious and look to make connections, share what makes you YOU. Your potential clients want to know the human behind the screen and love to know who they’re supporting. Sharing nothing or very little is SO boring, especially when you’re one-of-a-kind and super interesting! I encourage clients to do the 16 Personalities test (aka Meyers-Briggs), check it out here.

  • Deciding to own a niche or being known as a specialist in something doesn’t mean you’re stuck doing one thing forever. In fact, it’s strategic gold! In a digital sea of so many biz choices, this quickly helps someone remember you for what you love to do most or you’re best at. The people that vibe with you will reach out no matter what if they feel like you’re their person. Here’s a great quick read that inspires you to be different, check out Zag.

  • People do business with people so I think it’s great to keep a human-focused approach in everything you do. In this age of robots and AI, it’s nice to have a personal interaction. Business is business though too – you create value and become valuable when you work to keep product/services quality high, client relationships are great, and consumer experiences special. Take a closer look at the language used throughout your past client testimonials – people will tell you if they are noticing your hard work, appreciating your products/services, or feeling connected to your biz! And they’ll often share if they felt the value of doing business with you or not so you can improve. Ask for testimonials or feedback if you’re not already! Being willing to hear it and improve, helps you create that ‘best version’ or ‘luxury level’ of your biz.

Mixing personal with business

  • I’m not gonna lie to you – after years of designing websites for 100+ creatives, I’ve seen the difference in quality and finished product when someone gets their copy done professionally. Getting in your head when writing about yourself? Just skip it….and hire the pro! If you can’t afford to invest in a copywriter + designer yet, honestly just do copy first and grab a template or DIY. Copy can live longer than design. Or if you can, hire a copywriter and book a designer right after to bring things to life visually.

    My fav copywriters: Green Chair Stories, Salted Pages, and Blossom Copy.

  • Search Engine Optimization. People do the searching yes, but Google and the robots do the reading and connecting part. So while having design that shows people YOU, and copy that speaks to THEM, you need SEO throughout the site so GOOGLE knows exactly who you are, what you offer, and who you serve so when people search for someone like you, you can be found and connect. Most of us don’t know enough to SEO properly and that’s ok. But so when should you hire someone? I suggest finding a copywriter that does it as well as copy OR hiring an SEO guru right before or right after you launch your new site so while people organically check out the site, you’re getting it primed for the people who will search for you!

    My fav SEO gurus: Rachelle at Photography Workflows, Sara Does SEO, Green Chair Stories (does offer SEO + copy), Salted Pages (also offers SEO + copy)

  • Maybe the most boring (and almost never needed part) BUT protect your biz by getting official ‘Terms & Conditions’ and adding a ‘Privacy Policy’ asap. Just do it! I recommend not wasting another second and investing in The Legal Paige’s contracts, terms, privacy policy, and whatever else you might need. You can provide this info for me to drop into you site for you too.

Words (for the humans) and SEO (for the robots)

  • Whether you’re DIYing or hiring a designer, Pinterest really is a great place to start gathering visual ideas. I have all my clients share a Pinterest board with me before we start. I ask that you pin anything and everything that feels like the right vibe and/or has the right aesthetic you’re going for. That could mean a texture of a funky rug, a bougie logo you’ve seen, a wild typeface, or color block outfit by Chanel. If you’re having trouble starting out, start with my Pinterest boards as I’ve separated them by mood/vibe.

  • Just like profesh copywriting, when a client takes new brand photos and self portraits for their site design, it makes a HUGE difference. Think about what would really ‘feel like you’ when considering what to wear, where to shoot, etc. Don’t underestimating in a studio either with fun props or furniture.

  • We change like seasons – beautifully but quickly and often. Good logo design will hold to the roots of your unique personality and purpose, while telling your story and connecting to your fans as you grow. The branding process gives you a little bubble of time and space to really take a look at YOU and your biz (our chat + my tools will help!). I'll find and infuse your unique personality traits and aesthetic style into your suite of logo designs. This creates a magnetic eclipse between you and customers... they'll know they found the one!

Humans are visual creatures

  • I’m here to help you match up the quality of your client experience with your level of craft and expertise, so your worth is no longer a question. We'll simply tap into your personal strengths and aesthetic taste to create the website of your dreams. I want you 'wow'-ing clients and making your own self proud whenever someone lands on your digital doorstep. I build websites in the Showit platform which gives you total drag-and-drop freedom, no code needed. I also offer Showit website templates here if you’re not ready for custom design yet.

  • I highly recommend my clients use an actual CRM like Honeybook or Dubsado. You can setup your contact form in there, and then I can embed it into your website. This cleanly streamlines your inquiries right into your CRM inbox. Plus, you can plug in your logo marks, brand colors and fonts for a cohesive brand experience. Need help making your proposals super on brand? Amanda at Riot Haute is my go-to pro for Honeybook design/setup. Rachelle at Photography Workflows is the Dubsado queen.

  • Canva is the way to go for easily creating social media graphics that match your brand. You can also always search Creative Market if you need extra elements or assets. =)

There should be no place like your digital home

Dreams realized

Dreams realized

Want to talk custom design?

The Custom Branding & Website Design Package

Includes a custom, responsive logo suite with colors and fonts plus a custom Showit website with 5-6 pages.

Timelines are 2-3 months. Starting price range is $6-9k.

I highly encourage clients to work with a professional copywriter/SEO guru as well as take new branding photos. Because all your content is due before our start date, reach out to them as soon as you can! It’s worth it.

Book a free consultation call with me, and tell me everything! I can’t wait to get to know you, where you’ve come from, what’s working, what’s not working, and the vision of where you’re headed.

On our call, we can talk through any or all of these following things: art direction/photography, branding, Showit website design, printed collateral or merch, ecommerce integration, sales pages, clients gifts, the whole picture! I want to know what you really want and need before giving you a custom quote.