When I first created my website, it was part of a project for my first web design class in my Graphic Design program, so it made sense for the assignment to be a portfolio site.
In 2018 when I set about rebranding — for the 4th time since — I found myself dissatisfied with my content. Just a portfolio? People would Google me, and ONLY see my designs? When I love to sing, and write, and I spend so much time on marketing?
It might be different if my domain name was “Debbie Designs” or something along those lines, but the domain I own is actually my name. I decided that this time around, my website had to be a reflection of my entire self.
How does one go about organizing information about a human being, or a brand, that wants to be known for so many things? It’s not easy, I tried about 3 times, but I finally nailed it and I’m proud to share the result. Looking back, there were a few steps I took to get here.
Break Down Your Content into CTA’s?
Websites are all about Calls to Action. We want someone to “Contact Us,” “Add to Cart,” “Sign up for Our Newsletter,” “Read More,” and so on. To know your CTA’s ask yourself this: What do you have to offer in the first place?
This was the key in helping me organize my content. I have the following to offer:
- Music (CTA: Listen to my Songs)
- Design (CTA: Contact me for Designs/View my Designs)
- Marketing (CTA: Contact me for Consultations/Work with my startup for branding & marketing)
- Writing (CTA: Read my Blog)
- Products (CTA: Buy/Download my Designs)
Expanding Your Content
CTA’s are a great start to eventually writing out your content. Think of them as the last sentence to every paragraph on your site, or the “thesis” to every paragraph.
For example, why should anyone look at my designs? Or contact me for designs? The answer is my credentials, and my portfolio.
“I studied at [a fancy design school, with exceptional instructors]. I’ve been doing this for [long enough to at least be considered an experienced, if not an expert]. Take a look at [the work that shows my range and tastes]. [CTA: View my Designs] Or, [CTA: Contact me for Designs].”
Ideally, you should have all of your CTA’s expanded, with all supporting images ready to go (in High Quality!) before you even get started on designing and building a website. This is because the design is directly impacted by the content.
If you don’t have some sort of brand identity before this point, stop here and get that figured out. At the very least, you’ll need a name and a logo, with corresponding colors and fonts, before you proceed.
Choosing a Platform
How do I even get started with a website for music, shopping, blogging, and a portfolio? For me it was easy, I know enough about building a website to automatically have a solution, and in my case, it was WordPress. At this point, you need to contact the designer/developer you plan on working with to land on a decision since we all have our own tools we prefer to work with. Once we know what the website needs to have, we’ll decide on a platform that works for you and for us.
You might be leaning towards one thing, but your type of site may be better served on a different platform. For example, if it’s primarily an online store, you may want to consider Shopify. If you want to be able to maintain it yourself, consider something more beginner-friendly like Squarespace. Your budget, who is building it, and your tastes all play a role in this decision, and it’s a decision that you need to be okay with for a long time. You can always rebrand, but switching your entire system is a whole other ballgame.
