Your website should feel like your business.
As brand and website designers, we share a lot about having a website that does the work for you, that conveys your message so efficiently that visitors to your website quickly convert into lifelong, loyal customers.
But how do you get there?
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through our step-by-step process for choosing the best website design for your specific needs.
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Table of Contents
The first crossroad we must face is picking a platform.
1. Choose a Website Platform
Let’s start at the very beginning (someone queue Sound of Music’s Do-Re-Mi)…
There are two website builders we recommend: Showit and Elementor.
Both are solid website platforms that provide a considerable amount of control over your website aesthetic and a great website building experience.
Showit and Elementor both boast easy-to-use drag-and-drop editors and have support teams that can be reached by email. (Note: Showit’s support team, however, can also be reached by live chat within the Showit app.)
What sets them apart?
For many photographers and creative, service-based businesses, Showit is a great choice. Especially if you don’t feel comfortable with—or don’t want to deal with—the more technical aspects of having a website—like hosting. Showit’s tech support is off-the-charts amazing. Additionally, Showit integrates with WordPress making it a breeze for bloggers.
Elementor is an excellent solution for anyone hosting an online storefront as well as anyone who wants a bit more technical control over their website. Elementor is a front-end editor plugin that gets installed on WordPress and it gives you the ability to visually edit your content.
With a variety of e-commerce tools and an array of plugins, Elementor is often our recommendation for business owners who primarily run e-commerce businesses. If you want a more technical control over your website (such as configuring your own hosting set-up), Elementor is a good fit!
However, if you don’t want to have to think about installing WordPress on your host, running caching plugins to maximize load time, or some of the more technical aspects of WordPress sites, go with a Showit site. It’s definitely the easier of the two platforms and offers just as much—if not more—creative control.
If you’d like to learn more about these two platforms and see our in-depth comparison, read Showit vs. Elementor.
And remember, you can get a FREE month of Showit using this link.
Related: 8 Reasons Why Showit is Our Favorite Website Platform
2. Decide if You Want an E-Commerce Shop
The next step to finding the perfect website for you is determining your website’s purpose. Are you looking to sell multiple online products, host a blog, share information about your business, etc.?
If you want to run a small e-commerce shop with just a few products or services, you can definitely do that with Showit by integrating with either Shopify or WooCommerce. Click here to read How to Sell Products on Your Showit Website.
Are you primarily an e-commerce business? If so, you’ll want to consider choosing an e-commerce specific platform like WordPress + WooCommerce or Shopify.
Most of our e-commerce designs are available in both a Showit and Elementor format, so you can compare which you like best. Take a few minutes to compare our Barcelona and Cove website demos on Showit and Elementor.
3. Evaluate the Content Layout
Once you’ve determined your platform and whether or not to prioritize an online shop, you’re ready to evaluate your content layout. What should the flow of your website be?
Take time to look at a variety of website design examples (we’ll pull options for you), and compare it to your business needs. As you look through the following examples, ask yourself questions like:
“Will this engage my audience?”
“Does this website format have the popups, lead magnets, etc. that I’d prefer?”
“Is this format easy to navigate?”
Photographers
If you are a photographer, you may want to look for a website design that has an editorial layout with large images. Text will not be as prioritized as showcasing your beautiful work.
A good starting place might be something like our Positano design or our Marseille design.
Educators and Marketers
As an educator or marketer, having a website design with a podcast page or a long-form sales page might prove beneficial.
Take a look at designs like Marco Island, Barcelona, and Cape Town as these designs are very popular in the educator and marketer industry.
Designers and Florists
If you are a Designer or Florist, you may want to begin narrowing website options by asking the question, “Will this showcase my work beautifully?” You will also want to look for a website that emphasizes a step-by-step detailing of your client process.
We’d recommend looking at designs like our Amelia Island and Isle of Skye designs first, as these were built to feel like art.
4. Keep Customization in Mind
As you look through various websites, keep in mind that it’s very easy to change the fonts and colors of any template. Do not underestimate the impact simple changes can make on the entire feel of the website design!
If you’re still solidifying your brand, you may want to listen to: How to Choose the Perfect Colors for Your Brand.
Related: Download our Free Brand Guide
5. Best Fit Quiz
If you’ve evaluated website layouts across a variety of designs and still have questions about which website is best suited to your needs, take a look at our Best Fit Quiz. We designed this quiz to help you narrow down your options. Or send us a DM on Instagram! You wouldn’t believe how many clients message us to help them figure out brand designs and website templates—we love helping people find their dream sites!
Conclusion
Your website should do the heavy lifting for you. It should showcase your brand, build trust, and convert visitors into lifelong customers.
Your website should also feel like you.
Choosing a website should be fun and hopefully, this step-by-step process made your choice a bit easier. Sit down at your local coffee shop, order your favorite espresso, and enjoy the exciting prospect of finding your website.
Did you find this post helpful? Comment below and share your thoughts!
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Krista is the co-founder of Davey & Krista, a creative studio known for high-converting Showit website templates crafted for photographers, creatives, and entrepreneurs. With over 15 years of branding and marketing experience, she helps business owners launch stunning websites without the tech overwhelm. Krista also teaches designers how to turn their creative skills into a thriving business—through templates, courses, and behind-the-scenes strategy. When she’s not designing, you’ll find her chasing sunshine, color palettes, and gluten-free pizza.
Explore website templates and free resources at daveyandkrista.com.
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