How to Not Feel Crazy Unorganized During Your Web Design Project

Let’s chat about building a house for a minute.

“But Jenn, I thought we were talking about website design projects?”

Yes, I'll get there in a minute, promise. 

Would you ever start building a house without floor plans? What about trying to do the whole thing yourself without a general contractor or some type of project guide?

That literally sounds like such a timesuck and an even bigger money pit, not to mention migraine and grey hair inducing. 

Trust me, I know!  We're building a house right now and even with the expert in our back pocket (that we’re paying handsomely) it's still so many moving pieces that the whole process can quickly feel like a downward spiral if we don't stay organized.

So reason number 1 you're feeling crazy unorganized, in really any project, but let's jump back over to Website Design...

You don't have a plan to follow.

You're reading blog post after blog post going down countless rabbit trails and you have a hacked together Trello Board of ideas with no idea what order they go in to come out with the best result. To get a general idea of how to plan out a website you can download our Free Design + Grow Method.

You’re not very organized about it.

Having an organized and streamlined process is a dream for some and a nightmare for others. Our clients seem to enjoy our organized and streamlined process, but even if you’re not working with us for your website project, or with another website designer, you can still stay organized on your own.

• Start keeping an Asana board using list style to check things off.
• Break tasks down Into manageable sized parts.
• Make a doc of passwords, important links, affiliate stuff, etc.
• Put all your images in a folder.
• Keep your brand colors and fonts handy.

You don't know what comes first, second, or third.

Let me just answer that one for you right now. 👍

• Strategy comes first
• Then content like branding, photos, words
• Then layout
• Then design & building
• Then launching

If you're doing things in any order besides what I just listed it's no wonder you're stumbling around.

Although website projects have plenty of room for creativity, there's definitely a science to them. My formula for building websites is not an earth-shattering one, it's a scientific one that every good web designer follows and that's why I'm letting you know the order, so you can do it the right way too.

You’re not treating it like a project.

Projects have a start and end date. Period.

This is one thing in your business you will let drag on and on if you don’t give yourself an end time. Your copywriting is another piece that can be like this. In one online course I’m a part of, the teacher makes you commit upfront to whether you’ll write your website words in 30-60 or 90 days. Website design can be the same way! Give yourself an end date, and stick to it. Tell your audience, your boyfriend, your small group, let people know it’s coming so that you have to stick to that end date.

You didn’t plan for the learning curve.

Website design probably isn’t what you set out to do long term. But having a website is an investment in your business and it’s a tool that you need to know how to use to some degree. You’ll really need to know how to use it if you’re doing the work yourself.

Plan for the learning curve of whatever platform you choose. We love and use Webflow and SquareSpace and while they each have their ups and downs they all have a learning curve. Use what’s best for your business in the long run, and honestly (to be blunt with you) be ready for it, or get help.

Everyone in Facebook groups will argue all day about which one is better, easier, faster, sleeker, whatever. Do what works for you, and your visitors. It’s all about them anyway!

One last note:

When choosing brand colors and fonts, just pick something and move forward for now. You can change it up later but you’ll be in branding hell if you stay stuck here, I promise.

Websites aren’t forever, they’ll change and evolve over time, just get it started!

Looking for an easy fix to get an amazing client-attracting website?

You could hire a website designer (of course I’m inserting a shameless plug for our services).

OR, you could follow a process so specific and laid out so well that there’s no chance you’d screw it up. Want early access? Signup for the waitlist for Site Design Blueprint before the doors open again. I’d love to walk you through building your website and make the whole thing a breeze instead of a tornado.