Your website will never be perfect, but that's perfectly okay
What do a completed website, the desire to speak a foreign language flawlessly, and the quest for a perfect vacation have in common? They are all unattainable. There will always be more you can do, more you can learn, more you can experience to keep moving forward with those goals. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep trying!
If you're fortunate enough to have launched your website and made it public, you're already in great shape. Plenty of business owners find themselves stuck in the wishing or the planning stages, waiting to have enough time or money to create their perfect websites. That kind of goal can keep you paralyzed in the fear that you won't get it "just right," meanwhile leaving your business without a website and a way for customers to find you. So here's the bad news and the good news — and it's the same news. Your website will never be done and it will never be perfect. There. It's said. Now feel free to relax while I explain.
As long as you have a domain name (like mybusiness.com) and a web page with your business name on it and a way to get in touch with you, you've got a website that's doing your business some good. Every business needs a website of some kind these days, but it doesn't have to contain lots of pages and information before you publish it. You can keep adding pages as you learn more about what customers want to know or as your business changes.
And even if you think your published website is perfect, leave room for the inspirations, the experiments, the changes that all small businesses experience. I like do-it-yourself website design builders like Squarespace. When you want to launch a new promotion, add new products, start a blog, or replace images or designs, you'll be more inclined to make those changes if you don't have to hire someone to make changes. These website design products are easy enough to learn yourself, if you want to, or make it easy enough for someone like me to help you in less time than it would take a programmer to create the effects you want.
So wherever you are in the evolution of your website, don't worry about getting it right the first time. Have fun and try new things and if they don't work out, try other things. It will be an ever-changing endeavor, but that's because your creativity as a small-business owner is also ever-changing.
Adding links to your website gives people a convenient way to learn more about a subject that interests them. Links can be built into text, buttons, or images. Learn more about the guidelines I go by when deciding which type of link to use.
Writing, styling, and placing headings on a website page takes planning and intention. Use readable headings with just one Heading 1 per page and then Heading 2 and 3 as needed to outline the content.
Whether your website is new or has been around a while, decluttering the content to encourage visitors to browse is always a good idea.
Whether you design your website on Squarespace or some other platform, you’ll be making color choices that are unified and compatible across your website, from the text to the buttons to the colors in the images. Designers call these color choices a color palette. Here’s how I simplify color selections for my clients.
There’s no need to migrate to Squarespace 7.1 any time soon. But if you’re ready for a redesign anyway, you’ll get more design features if you migrate to Squarespace 7.1.
Like the receptionist and reception area in an office, the Home page is the greeting area that needs to contain enough cues to reassure visitors that they're in the right place and give them guidance about how to find what they need and what to do now that they're there.
Whether you want to archive a page for posterity or for your future use, here are the instructions for properly archiving the page without causing 404 Page Not Found errors on your Squarespace website.
Squarespace assigns every new website a built-in domain, a Site ID, that ends with “squarespace.com.” I recommend changing the random ID Squarespace assigns to be something you’ll remember.
Understanding in advance how your website will support your business will inform your website's design and content.
The aspect ratio of an image is its width relative to its height. Understanding aspect ratio helps you design your pages with images that look attractive and well-matched. Aspect ratio choices can also help with planning and choosing images you’d like to use on your website.
As a Squarespace Circle Member, I bring lots of benefits to my clients’ projects through the supportive professional community I belong to. As my client, you also get direct benefits I pass on to you, like an extended 6-month trial period and 20% off your first annual purchase.
Being able to preview your website live without logging out of Squarespace is a convenience for testing and proofreading before you launch.
Squarespace and Square are two different companies. They both support online stores, so it can be confusing when you are doing research about getting your business online. Squarespace is my favorite website builder, so this blog post will explain how it’s different from the company called Square.
A footer is the last section of information at the bottom of a website page. Use this valuable area to show contact information, add links to website pages, and ask visitors to take action on their way to becoming loyal customers.
Here are my 10 favorite text tips to help you create a modern and professional-looking website on Squarespace or any other website platform.
One of the first decisions you'll make with a new website is the choice of typefaces, especially those used as display accents throughout your site, such as the Site Title and Headings. Your website probably includes typefaces that suit the design template you chose, but if you would prefer another typeface, there are many to choose from.
Spacers are invisible design elements that add blank space to any part of a website page. I call them a website super power because they are incredibly useful for adding space around elements on a page.
Kerry A. Thompson
You don’t need a big agency to get your website done. You just need the one right person. I offer Squarespace website design and content development services for creatives, coaches, and healers. Learn more in a free 30-minute consultation.