You’re finally ready to hire a web designer. Or at least, you think you are.
Let me guess:
If you and your website had a relationship status it would be “it’s complicated.” You’ve tried DIY-ing it, but the tech headaches weren’t worth the money you saved. Your About page still says “coming soon” (and has for a year). And your visitors do a double take when they jump from your Insta to your site because they look like two completely different businesses.
Bottomline: You’re low-key embarrassed to share your link and exhausted from reiterating answers to the same client questions over and over. Questions your website should be answering for you.
If you’re nodding along, you’re in the right place.
But before you hire a web designer, let me slow your roll for just a beat. Because there’s a right way and a wrong way to approach a website redesign. And preparing the right way will save you time, money, and a lot of unnecessary frustration.
By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know exactly what needs to be in place before you hire a web designer. So when you do, you walk away with a site that’s just as functional as it is beautiful. One that builds trust, attracts aligned inquiries, and actually does its job while you’re grabbing a post-yoga latté on a Monday morning.
Why getting this right matters
A lot of service providers assume hiring a web designer is the first step toward making their business feel legit.
It’s not.
When you skip the foundational steps (the ones I’m about to tell you about) and jump straight into website design, the process gets messy fast. Decisions stall. Timelines stretch. Budgets creep. And while the final site might look nice, it often doesn’t support your business the way you hoped it would.
Here’s what I see happen when small business owners rush into web design:
- You end up redoing your entire site a few months later
- Your web designer becomes your therapist, business coach, and brand strategist (obvious spoiler: most designers are not qualified for those role)
- The site looks good, but attracts the wrong inquiries, creates friction in your sales process, or no longer reflects where your business is headed
There is a better way. A clearer path with far less chaos. So let’s get you prepped properly.
Before you hire a web designer, validate your offer
You can’t design a website around an offer you’re still making up as you go. So before you hire a web designer (or do anything else on this list), you need proof of concept. That means:
- You know what you’re selling (like, for real)
- You’ve sold it more than once
- You know who it’s for and how to talk about it
If you can’t describe your core offer in one clean sentence yet, you’re not ready for custom web design—and that’s okay.
If you’re still experimenting, that’s a normal part of business. I lovingly refer to this as the fuck around and find out phase. It’s absolutely valuable annnnnnd absolutely not the right time to invest in a $5k+ custom website.
What to do instead:
Keep things simple. Use a one-page site. Link a Calendly from your socials. Focus on refining your offer, getting real client feedback, and making sales. When your offer is solid and backed by actual data, that’s when it makes sense to level up your website.
(And if you need help defining, packaging, and positioning your offer, I highly recommend my business coach Courtney Chaal and her Yay For Clients program.)
Before you hire a web designer, build your brand identity
I’m going to say this once (okay, maybe twice): Your brand identity comes before your website.
Trying to design a website without a brand is like asking your wedding planner to find you a fiancé. To clarify this analogy before it gets away from me:
- Your brand is the fiancé 💍
- Your website is the wedding 🎉
And just like an IRL wedding, if you’re patient and do this in the right order, there’s a good chance you’ll only have to do it once. (Occasional site updates are like couples counselling: normal, expected, and healthy.)
Anyway, if you come to me without a brand identity, I’ll lovingly guide you back to start there. For clarity, your brand identity includes the visual, verbal, and emotional elements of your business that set you apart and make you a perfect fit for your dream clients. Stuff like:
- Logos, typography, colour, illustration style, and photography direction
- Your name, tagline, tone of voice, and key messages
- Your differentiators, values, and mission
If you’re like, “Shit, I don’t have any of this”, I’ve got you. This is exactly what we cover when we build your Brand Star Chart—my astrology-guided creative direction service and the first phase of every Moonstone project.
Why this step matters so much: without it, your web designer is going to be making decisions about your brand on the fly with no strategy to back it up. Everything turns into “I’ll know it when I see it.” Projects take longer. Decisions feel harder. And the final site ends up being far less impactful and a much weaker expression of your value and expertise.
When your brand is clearly defined first, your website design process becomes faster, smoother, and far more intentional.
Before you hire a web designer, gather your content
Once your offer is validated and your brand is solid, it’s time to gather your content.
This means you’ve got (at minimum):
- Website copy (the words)
- Photos (yes—of you)
Okay, to be fair, this doesn’t have to be done before you hire a web designer. But they do have to be done before your website design can begin. Otherwise, how the heck do we know what we’re designing?
How to handle your website copy
Design needs words. Period. And those words need to exist before we start designing. You’ve got two solid options here:
Hire a copywriter
- Pros: Getting a strategic outside perspective, SEO baked in, messaging that does the selling for you
- Cons: Cost (often worth it if writing isn’t your thing)
DIY your own website copy
- Pros: More budget-friendly, helps you understand your own business (and marketing as a whole) better
- Cons: Time-intensive, mentally taxing, SEO is a learning curve
A quick reality check: some web designers offer to write your copy for you. A few are solid. Most… shouldn’t. I say this with love (and a journalism diploma): Unless your designer is also a legitimate copy pro with SEO expertise, manage your expectations accordingly.
If you need copy support, I can recommend writers I trust when we work together.
And if hiring a pro isn’t in the budget, Sara from Between The Lines Copy has some genuinely helpful free and paid resources. I recommend starting with her free blog or checking out her Write Your Site Workshop and Website Copywriting Guide. (Yes, I’m an affiliate. Yes, it’s because I actually recommend them.)
Website photos: don’t skip the photoshoot
If you’re a personal brand, you need to show your face. People want to feel connected to who they’re investing in, which means planning a proper brand shoot and not relying on cheesy stock images and random iPhone photos.
You’ll want high-quality images for your:
- Homepage
- About page
- Services page
- Contact page
And ideally:
- Consistent editing and visual style
- A mix of portraits and lifestyle shots
- Images that show you doing your work
When we create your Brand Star Chart, I’ll help guide what to wear, where to shoot, and how to plan photos that actually support your brand and website.
Congratulations, you’re ready to go!
At this point, you’ve got:
- A validated offer
- A clearly defined brand identity
- Website copy that supports your sales process
- Photos that reflect who you are and where you’re headed
Now you’re ready. This is when the web design magick happens.
And because I already know your business inside out, I can design a website that not only looks beautiful, but also helps you reach your business goals. (That’s one of the many benefits of hiring a designer like me who does branding and websites.)
There’s a reason my clients call me a website witch.
Let’s build something that captivates your people.
If you know deep down that it’s time to step into your “I love my website” era, here’s how I can help you get there:
If you’re still figuring out your brand:
→ Book your Brand Star Chart
If your brand is solid and your content is ready:
→ Inquire about website design
Either way, I’m happy to help you figure out the most aligned next step without rushing the process or skipping what matters.
