This is near and dear to my heart and really quite important. I have learned, and my eyes have learned, that what a website looks like is very important for getting people interested in your story. If your website is popping when it should be locking or braying when it should be neighing you are not in good shape. Really odd comparisons aside, what I am getting at is – your website needs to reflect YOU! It needs to represent what your business represents, what causes you care about and who you and your people are.

Your website is often people’s very first impression of you and it needs to be laid out in a way that makes sense for what you do. If you are an arts education group, having a lot of really lovely photos of all the great work you do makes a lot of sense. If you are a resource centre having your contact info above the fold is very important. You want people to have their eyes go right for it. You want to make sure the colours you have chosen are appropriate for what you do. Not to get all heavy on you, but imagine for a moment that a funeral home website was done up in pinks or yellows… That doesn’t feel right (and it wouldn’t look right either). You want to make sure that your content matches your intent. Do you have a really large and active presence on social media? Make sure those links are up there! Are you up on YouTube like nobody’s business? Embed an introductory video right on your site (but make sure it doesn’t play automatically – faux pas right there). You want to make sure your website will draw YOUR people in.

That last piece, about drawing the right people in is why my site is now bolder and bigger than before. My site is very full of my personality from the sunshine yellow to the way I write and “talk”. This means I am being intentional with my website and really building connections with the people with whom I would work best. It is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but if they don’t want my tea they can grab a coffee with someone else. My site is a reflection of how I do business, I’m quirky yet personable, spontaneous yet organized and I am working with people who give a damn.

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