How I Create Custom Websites in 4 Weeks

I love seeing the look on someone’s face when I tell them I can turn all of their content into a fully launched website in just four weeks. And not just any website—a completely custom website!

I don’t follow pre-made templates or outdated strategies. I start completely from scratch to create a Showit website that effortlessly fits your brand.

No matter if you want to rebrand to reach a new audience or simply redesign your website, I can help you increase brand trust and visibility through beautiful website designs.

Just think, you could be a month away from your dream website!

Let’s go over what my four-week website design process looks like so you know exactly what to expect when working with me. 

How my custom Showit website design process works

Before we can begin the four-week process, I ask clients to send all of their content to me upfront. This includes all of their written copy, brand photos, imagery, branding files, and more.

Whenever you’re working with a website designer, it’s always best to have these elements nailed down as soon as possible. Otherwise, they could hold up the design process and push back your original launch date.

I ask for this content to be sent on the Monday prior to our start date. This allows me to review all of the files and ensure we have everything we need to get started.

Then, we’ll meet for a kick-off call on the Wednesday prior to our start date. Enthusiasm and anticipation are at an all-time high at this stage, so I love sharing that moment with my clients while answering any questions they may have before we start.

I’ve built custom websites for clients over the last five years, so I’m very confident and comfortable in my signature process. I’ll walk you through the rest of the steps, complete with weekly deliverables and touchpoints to ensure projects move forward seamlessly. 

Week 1: Home page design

Since your Home page is the central hub of your brand—the place where most visitors will land—it makes sense for us to start here. So many of our design decisions are based on your Home page and will be carried out throughout the rest of your website.

Using creativity and strategic design practices, I’ll create a Home page design mockup for you to review and approve. This will put all of our creative ideas into a tangible form we can mold and shape to fit your brand identity.

In week one, we’ll see how all of your content comes together for the very first time. At this point, most clients are even more excited to launch their site. Others shed a few tears after seeing their vision finally come to life.

This is such a special part of the design process, but it’s also highly strategic. Week one serves as a pulse check, letting us know if we’re moving in the right direction. Based on your feedback, I’ll get ready to revise and finalize your Home page design as we head into week two. 

Week 2: Revise and design 

Now that we have a clear idea of what’s working and what still needs some tweaking on your Home page, I’ll return to my home studio and revise it. My dog Boomer will likely be by my side as I put the final touches on the design.

After week one, we’ll both have more clarity and confidence in our vision for the overall design. Using this momentum, I’ll spend all of week two designing the rest of your website’s desktop version.

I typically like to design your desktop version first because we can always adapt our interactive, intuitive designs to fit smaller screens. It helps us see the big picture first.

At the end of this week, I’ll present the rest of your website and we’ll talk through any revisions that need to be made. As our confidence in the collaborative partnership increases, we’ll continue working on the site and transition to mobile design.

Week 3: Mobile design and revisions

After I finish any last revisions on your website pages, we’ll finalize your desktop version and get ready to optimize the design for mobile devices. When designing your desktop version, you can rest assured I’ve already been making mental notes of what we can do to strengthen your mobile design.

As of 2022, mobile traffic accounts for 59% of all global website traffic. Since mobile traffic percentages have been steadily increasing for the last decade, it’s important to adjust your website design for mobile.

Unlike Squarespace, Showit gives us a rare opportunity to edit your mobile design without digging into the code. This means anything you dream up, we can make it happen on your Showit site without tech headaches or time-intensive coding!

I’ll use this week to streamline your mobile site so the design is just as intentional and intuitive as the desktop version. This can include customizing your mobile menu design, resizing photos, adjusting the content length, hiding elements that aren’t optimized for mobile, and more.

After presenting you with the mobile version of your website, I’ll prepare to make any final tweaks as we move into the final week of the process.

Week 4: Fine-tuning, SEO, and launch

Our last week is for fine-tuning your website design and preparing for your website launch. We’llwork through my website launch checklist to ensure every link, page, and integration is ready for launch.

I’ll also take this time to complete the SEO groundwork of your site. This stage is important because using proven SEO strategies will help you drive more organic, unpaid traffic to your website. Many of my clients have seen their sites increase in rankings as a result of their SEO.

Instead of having to learn the basics of SEO through my Simple Showit SEO course, I exclusively help custom website design clients by implementing their SEO myself. It’s all done for you!

I’ll also create on-brand launch graphics for announcing your website launch and record a series of step-by-step video tutorials so you can easily update your website in the future. I’ll always be available to answer questions in the future as well.

Here’s the best part about reaching week four: we’ll be completely ready to launch!

I recommend clients make early plans to celebrate their website launch no matter if it’s with a spa day, celebratory lunch, or a much-deserved quiet night in.

A lot goes into pulling everything together for a custom website project—from website copywriting to brand photography to website design—so don’t forget to grab your favorite drink and commemorate your accomplishment.

Does my custom website design process feel like a perfect fit?

If so, I’d love to work together to bring your website vision to life through Showit design.

There are so many benefits to investing in a fully custom website, like:

• Having complete freedom to design interactive features and page-intensive sites that suit your content needs and brand aesthetic.
• Incorporating all of the integrations (including shops, MLS for realtors, memberships, and more) you need to make multiple streams of income from your site.
• Offering more products and services to varying audiences while streamlining your user experience on each page.

If you want the freedom and flexibility of Showit with the strategic eye of a website designer who’s excited to partner with your business, let’s get started!

Schedule a 1:1 call so we can discuss your website project in depth.

Since you already know my website process inside and out, you’ll already be ahead of the game!