5 Quick Ways to take your Website from Drab to Fab

Last week I updated my website. With a limited amount of time to dedicate to the project (and the goal of a complete redesign in the near future) I wanted to maximize results and minimize time and effort. To accomplish this, I was very intentional about the aspects of the site I chose to modify. In one afternoon, I was able to breathe new life into my previously dated website. Today I am excited to share 5 simple adjustments I made that took my site from drab to fab.

1. BRAND || As I mentioned, I’ve been working all year on Project Rebrand for my own business. I had already created a new logo and brand collateral which I had started to implement into my client experience. Unfortunately, my website was stuck with the old look. I was bothered that potential clients might discover me via my newly designed business card but type in my web address and find a site that didn’t match at all. Pretty simple, but my first step in updating the website was to incorporate the new logo, and ditch the old one.

2. COLOR || To stay in line with my new branding, I also needed to update the color palette of my site. My old branding was very bright and colorful, not at all in line with the more sleek, glamorous look of my new branding. Instead of redesigning everything, I simply updated the hue of the colorful design elements on each page.

3. TYPOGRAPHY || Again, to harmonize with the new branding, I updated the fonts across the whole site. As a designer, I am a strong advocate of less is more and simpler is better. The fonts I chose for the rebrand are not available on my website software, Showit (you can import your own fonts, but I was trying to keep this website refresh as quick and easy as possible) so I selected very similar fonts and used THE SAME ONES across the whole site. Yes, fonts are pretty (I get it, I’m a huge font nerd) but like I said, simpler is better, and type is much more powerful when it’s not “overdone.” I have one serif and one sans serif font for the whole site. It feels concise and complete – instead of overwhelming

4. PORTFOLIO || This is huge! How many of us photographers and designers haven’t update our portfolios in months… or even years? You want potential clients to see your very best work. Chances are, they will come across your website before your blog so make sure these would be clients are seeing your most recent images. Also, limit your portfolio to only your best work. If you don’t absolutely LOVE it, dump it. Don’t waste visitors’ time with anything less.

5. BRAND PORTRAITS || Yes, photos of me. The photo on my “about me” page was several years old and my wardrobe matched my old branding. I updated the page with the new brand portraits I created this summer. These images feel much more authentic to my new brand and mesh very well with the new site (instead of “jumping off the page,” because it feels out of place). If you don’t have photos of yourself on your website, you should add them immediately. One of the first things I do when I visit a new site is click on the “about” page – I want to know the person behind the brand. Potential clients will want to “get to know” you before they ever meet you. Having your photo on your website will make you seem more approachable.

6. BONUS || Make it Mobile! After I updated my desktop site, I took approximately 2 hours to create a mobile site. My mobile version is simple but provides all pertinent information, while staying “on-brand.” Showit makes it so easy to go mobile that I really had no excuse for a desktop-only version. A quick survey of my site’s analytics revealed that 47% of visitors are viewing my site on mobile devices. That’s almost half! I don’t want to lose those visitors because my site is not mobile compatible. More importantly, Google now places a higher value on mobile-friendly sites in search rankings. Going mobile is essential not only for user experience but also for your SEO.

I was actually very skeptical that I could make any significant change to the website with a limited timeline but I’m amazed at how different it looks and feels. I am already looking forward to completely redesigning my site with Showit5 – but for now I have a site that is in line with my brand and client experience. If you’re feeling embarrassed by an outdated website don’t fret. With a few hours and some thoughtful adjustments you can also have one that you’re proud of.

Did this post inspire you to update your own site? Do you have questions? Don’t be shy! Leave a comment or tweet me.

xoxo.

___

Moriah Riona is a Colorado Springs based photographer and graphic designer specializing in glamorous weddings and sophisticated brands.

All content © Moriah Riona LLC, 2015.