MINI GUIDE YOU RE NEW TO BUSINESS, AND YOU NEED SOME QUICK, EASY, FUNCTIONAL BRANDING, AND A WEBSITE. HERE S MY TOP TIPS!

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1 MINI GUIDE YOU RE NEW TO BUSINESS, AND YOU NEED SOME QUICK, EASY, FUNCTIONAL BRANDING, AND A WEBSITE. HERE S MY TOP TIPS!

2 INTRO Whenever I get Design Inquiries from people about creating a Brand + Website for their new Business, I pretty much always tell them the same thing : Start small, and don t drop thousands of dollars on designers right off the bat. Set up a simple website on Squarespace or Wordpress, and then just focus on what you actually do. From my own experience, there s a pretty damn good chance that a new business or blog is going to totally change direction within the first year of starting. If you have the coin for a large design project from the beginning, and you want to launch your business or blog with a bang go for it. But if you don t have the coin and you d rather just bootstrap it for now, that s okay too. I m all about hiring creatives to help you up your game, but in the beginning I know that it s just not on the cards for some people. Over time you ll define your direction and your ideal audience a little more, and it s then that I recommend reaching out to some designers and other creatives, to help you take your brand + business to the next level. To go pro you need to hire the pros. To go all the way you need a team. But for now you need something slick, easy, and functional. This Mini Guide is split into two sections Branding Tips, and Website Tips. Dive in! MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 2

3 PART ONE MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 3

4 TIP #1 RE-POSTING SHITTY LOW RES, OVER-DONE QUOTES DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR YOUR BRAND. It s unoriginal, and anyone can do it. It still surprises me the amount of large brands that do this, and it s even worse when they re posted without credit to the original creator. Yeah, it s the internet, and it happens all the time, but it s no excuse. It s boring. If you truly want to create a memorable brand, creating your own custom quotes + social media images, (with your website included on them, so people know where to find you), is one of the easiest and simplest ways to start doing this. Once you have a simple template done up, you ll be good to go (you might find a few free templates once you get to Tip # 4!). Of course, there s always an exception to the rule. If you find really well-designed quotes + images, and you have the original creators name, go for it. Just remember to post more of your own content, than you do others. MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 4

5 TIP #2 INVEST IN DECENT STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY. High quality photography is a big deal if you want to create a premium brand. For me, it s always been an integral part of my design work, and I believe it has the ability to make or break a project. For design to be truly next level, it usually involves more than just design. It involves high quality, badass photography. It involves copywriting that connects. It involves website development, or print quality that matches the level and vibe of the content itself. Good design usually involves more than just design. Similar to the point above, anyone can rip photos off Pinterest or the internet, but just the simple act of actually purchasing decent images will set you apart. I would suggest purchasing at least 5 really awesome, high-quality shots, to get you started. Use the photos across your whole brand. On your website, in your social media posts, as headers on your social media profiles, in your newsletters, etc. Gone are the days where good, creative stock photography was almost impossible to find. Today there are websites like Stocksy, which speclialise in high-quality, creative, non-cheesey stock photos. There s also people like Death to The Stock Photo who offer free stock photos, shot by everyday creatives. There really is no excuse to be using tacky, old-school stock photos in your brand anymore. *Side Note : All photos used in this guide were purchased from Stocksy. I ve also included a round up of some of my fave Stocksy photos on the next page! MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 5

6 STOCKSY PHOTO EXAMPLES VISIT STOCKSY.COM MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 6

7 TIP #3 IF YOU HAVE MONEY TO SPEND ON CREATIVES, HIRE A COPYWRITER BEFORE ANYONE ELSE. This is especially important if you re starting a new business (as opposed to just a hobby, or blog). Copy that connects is more important than design, especially in those initial stages of business. You can get away with creating a simple + sexy website on Squarespace or Wordpress, but truly connective copy isn t something that s as easily whipped up from templates. Custom copywriting that connects with your audience has fucking HUGE power. In the last couple of years I ve personally learnt the power of working with a copywriter, and having them craft something for me that connects with the exact kind of people I want to work with. If you get yourself a good copywriter, you might also find that their process will help you refine your brand direction, and your ideal customers/clients. For a list of Copywriters, check out a list on The Change-Maker s Collective over here. MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 7

8 TIP #4 KEEP IT SIMPLE. Don t go overboard. Don t spend hours trying to figure this shit out. Just keep it simple, get your thoughts and work out into the world, and then get back to what you actually do. The day will come in the future when you re ready to hire a designer who will create the perfect brand for you, but until that day comes, just keep doing your thing. Here s a few quick design tips : Use a maximum of TWO fonts. Use a maximum of TWO colours (One bright/highlight colour, and one subtle/secondary colour). Always use high quality stock photos. Use simple shapes. On the next page I ve included some examples of really simple, easy, layouts. MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 8

9 SIMPLE LAYOUT EXAMPLES DOWNLOAD TEMPLATES Please note : These are layered Photoshop files, so you will need a basic understanding of Photoshop to use them. The photos are not included. Download Photoshop here, and check out some tutorials here. The fonts used above are Proxima Nova, and Playfair Display. MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 9

10 TIP #5 FUCK WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING. This tip goes beyond just Branding, but it s one that I feel needs to be constantly put out there. Don t worry about what everyone else in your field is doing. Fuck what trends are going around. If you create based on what your peers are doing, or what the industry is doing, there s a good chance you ll be irrelevant in 5 minutes. Creating a next-level brand, putting authentic work out into the world all starts with you. Your values, your dreams, your vision. Without that, your business can never reach its full potential. Do your own thing. Trust your gut. Nail down your values, your mission, and why you re doing this. Keep them front and centre. MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 10

11 PART TWO MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 11

12 TIP #1 GET CLEAR ON WHO YOUR IDEAL CLIENT OR CUSTOMER IS, AND WHAT THE GOALS OF YOUR WEBSITE ARE. First : Get clear on your ideal client or customer This is a process you ll probably go through many times in business as you evolve. This is a question that s in all of my client questionnaires, as it s an essential part of creating a stand-out brand. Knowing who you re targeting, and being ultra-clear on that, can change everything. What s their name? (Make one up!) How old are they? Where do they live? What do they do for a living? What might their income be? What do they eat and drink? Where do they eat out? How do they spend their time when they re not working? By getting really clear on who you re talking to, your whole business can pretty much be a magnet for your dream client. Your copywriting, your photography, your design everything can be targeted towards them. If it helps, you can create a Pinterest board for this ideal person, and put some visuals to it. The example below shows a {Secret!} Pinterest Board I created last year, based on an Ideal Client for one of my Design Services. Turning it into something visual really helped me nail it down. MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 12

13 Second : Set your website goals Choose 3 goals at the most, for your website. For each goal, break it down and think about the best ways to make each one happen. And the most important part - think about WHY each goal is important. Its easy to set random goals, but when you really think about why you re doing it, it forces you to consider why it s important to your business, and not just something you think you should be doing. This is crucial across the board, when you do anything for you business. Always check in and ask yourself why you re doing it, and if it aligns with your goals and values. Here s an example Website Goal for a new Graphic Designer... Goal :: Get more ebook Clients. Why? :: Because ebooks are my jam, and I know there s a hunger for badass ebook Designers at the moment. How? :: On the Homepage of your site, literally spell it out. I m, and I specialise in Designing ebooks for game-changing Entrepreneurs. Want more info? Put a Work With Me page in the Navigation of your website, so even if people don t land on your Homepage first, they know you re offering a service of some kind. Focus that Work With Me page on ebook Design. Put up examples of your past projects, some testimonials from past clients, so new possible clients can see who you ve worked with, and what they have to say about you. Another idea make it SUPER easy for them to contact you. Include a Contact Form directly on that page, with a few questions about their project (Timeline, Budget, about the ebook, etc). Treat it like a mini Brief. MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 13

14 TIP #2 REMEMBER THAT ITS ALL JUST EXPERIMENTATION. Don t be afraid to play around with layouts and different elements of your website. Try different photos, different copy, different layouts, and see how people respond to them. But here s the thing don t change stuff so often that it confuses people, or it takes up too much of your time. Take note if you start to get numerous inquiries asking for certain information. Could it be possible that page or info isn t easy to find on your website? Nothing is permanent. Your website doesn t have to stay as-is forever. Done is better than perfect. MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 14

15 TIP #3 LITERALLY SPELL OUT WHAT YOU DO. Don t leave people having to search around and eventually leave your website, with no real idea on what you do. If you re creating a business website, you gotta spell shit out for people. We re browsing websites at a bajillion miles an hour, and no one can be fucked searching high and low to find out what you offer. It s on you to make sure your website effectively communicates what you offer. Two ways to do this... One :: On your home page, literally spell it out. I m, and I help people. That s it. Two :: Go into more depth on your About page, and your Work With Me page, if you re offering a service. Here s some examples of people who do this well : MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 15

16 TIP #4 KEEP AN EYE ON THE STATS, BUT DON T LET THEM RULE YOUR LIFE. Harnessing the true power of SEO can be game-changing, but at the end of the day, you can t let the statistics of things rule your life. There has to be a bit of a balance between just doing what you want, and what you know to be true, and what the numbers are telling you. Create the stuff you want to create but also pay attention to what pages and blog posts get the most traffic. What are people hungry for? What are you pining to create? MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 16

17 TIP #5 PUT SOME SOUL INTO IT. I truly believe that to create a successful biz (success being whatever you want it to be), you have to put your whole self into it. You can t half-ass it. You gotta say World, I am fucking here. This is me, this is what I believe, and this is what I do. A Personal Story : When I put up my first Portfolio website advertising my design services, I had a Manifesto on my About page. At the time I felt other designers websites were kinda boring... They had no soul to them. I wanted mine to be different, and be ME. By adding a Manifesto to mine, stamping my values front and centre, I attracted a handful of ultimate dream clients and readers. People want to know who you are, what you stand for, and where you came from. Here s a few ideas on how you can do this Write out a manifesto. Make a statement. What do you stand for? What do you value above everything else? What s some random stuff other people might not know, or guess about you? Tell people your stories. Tell people your dreams. MINI GUIDE : BRANDING + WEBSITE TIPS FOR BUSINESS NEWBIES PAGE 17

18 I HOPE THIS GUIDE WAS HELPFUL FOR YOU! HIT ME UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA VIA THE LINKS BELOW + TELL ME HOW YOU RE UPPING YOUR BRAND OR WEBSITE GAME. I D LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU RE UP TO! Stay cool + keep creating awesome shit,

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