Website Planning | How Can I Choose The Best Style For My Business?

Justin Babcock • Sep 13, 2021

You are at the beginning stages of planning a new website, and you are asking yourself, “what do I want my website to look like.”


While this seems like a simple question, the overwhelming amount of choices can be, well, overwhelming.

Let’s make it a little less overwhelming with a few simple tips for choosing a web design that best fits your business.


Start by looking at your competitor.


Steve Jobs once jokingly said, “Good artists copy; great artists steal.” Which he ironically stole from Pablo Picasso. No matter how you look at it, your competitors are a great source of inspiration. 


Start by picking 5 competitors’ websites to review. Be sure to include the biggest player in the industry, a newcomer, and a few local competitors. Keep what you like. Disregard the rest.


Next, look at some websites that compete in similar industries.


It is important to also look outside your industry for inspiration. If you are a mortgage broker, look at a realtor’s website. If you have a pest control business, look at a home inspector’s website. If you are a lawyer, check out a consulting company’s site. Don’t venture too far off the path. If you are a dairy farmer, you don’t want your website to look like apple.com.


Here are a few example sites for you to start with:


Real Estate Website Design: https://www.rigneyhomes.com/

Non-profit HUD Website Design: https://www.clients2homeowners.com/

Health Insurance Website Design: https://www.nexthealthandmedicare.com/

Brokerage Website Design: https://www.innovativemlo.com/

Hotel, Motel, Hospitality Web Design: https://www.farhorizonsfla.com/

Law Office Web Design: https://www.retamarmillian.com/


Now, it is time to shortlist your favorite website styles.


The best thing you can do is pick one website style and use it. If you are planning to DIY the project with Wix or Squarespace, choosing a signal style will make the project much easier for you to handle. If you are using a web design company or freelancer, identifying a specific design will clearly define the aesthetic expectation of the project. This also ensures there will be no surprises.


Lastly, choose to build the website yourself, or hire a professional. 


Website builders have made it easier to create your own website without a professional. The decision to use software like Wix or Squarespace vs hiring a professional comes down to time vs budget vs need. 

Do-It-Yourself | Website Builders

The biggest advantage of a DIY website project is you save money. In general, it costs anywhere from $23 to $80 per month for the software licenses and templates. You can expect to spend another 20+ hours configuring the website. The disadvantage of using a DIY website builder is time. Even if you budget an hour a day, it may take months to finish your project. The other problem with DIY projects is quality. Broken links, missing pages, and missing tags are just a few of the problems that can plague DIY projects.

Hire a Professional | Website Design

Of course, the biggest disadvantage to a Do-It-For-You website project is cost. The price of a website ranges greatly depending on what platform you pick, the size of the website, and if you have an individual or a team building the site for you. The advantage of this type of project is, well, you don’t have to spend time in front of a computer learning new software and trying to build a website. 

Hybrid | Website Builder & A Professional

We also offer a hybrid to the DIY vs Do-It-For-You approach. Our “teach you” approach allows us to do the heaving lifting–building pages, creating content, and configuring the website. We then show you how to revise and edit the site. The best part is our support team is always there to help you manage, revise, and edit whatever you want.

Now that you've picked a style and picked a process. You are ready to start your project! If you still need some help...

Schedule a free planning session with one of our specialists.

The Marketing How-To Blog

Understanding Markets vs Marketing: Environment & Active

By Justin Babcock • 04 Oct, 2023
In the complex world of business, understanding the distinction between market behavior and marketing actions is paramount. Often, newcomers to the marketing realm are confounded by the unpredictability of the market and how it sometimes seems to defy their marketing efforts. A simple, yet enlightening analogy can help elucidate this - think of the market as the weather and marketing as farming.

New Port Richey Web Designer

By Justin Babcock • 18 Jul, 2023
A website isn't just a nice-to-have for businesses these days, it's a must-have. A well-designed website enhances your brand's online presence, paves the way for customer engagement, and business growth. In this article, we explore the 7 qualities you should look for in a New Port Richey web designer. We will also introduce you to Web Education Services - a Google 5-star rated web design agency.

Making the Right Choice: Building a Website Yourself or Hiring a Designer

By Justin Babcock • 12 Jul, 2023
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, establishing an online presence is paramount for every business. A well-structured and designed website can greatly enhance your brand's visibility and credibility. However, the process of creating a website can be daunting, especially when confronted with decisions like the cost of hiring a designer, how to find a suitable one, or opting for a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach using website builders like Wix or Squarespace. Making an informed choice can be challenging, but it's not impossible. Figuring Out Your Budget and Time: The Classic Decision Building a website involves an investment of both time and money. Hiring a designer can cost between $100 to $200 per website page, whereas setting up a website yourself might consume around 4 hours per page. It's a classic time or money conundrum that forces you to reassess your priorities. Do you have the design skills to build a website yourself? If not, using DIY applications may extend the time it takes for you to establish your online presence. However, if your budget is tight, investing your time into learning and implementing the process might be a viable option. DIY Website Builders: A Blessing or a Curse? Website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress have made website creation accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise. But are they always the best choice? Wix Pros: Wix offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and a variety of templates, which make it easy for beginners to create a website. It also provides advanced features for more seasoned users. Cons: The flexibility of Wix can also be its downfall, as the wide range of options can be overwhelming. Its SEO capabilities have been criticized, and the free plan comes with ads. Squarespace Pros: Squarespace is known for its sleek, professional design templates. It offers comprehensive features and excellent customer support. Cons: Squarespace's pricing is slightly higher compared to other builders, and the platform can be less intuitive for first-time users. WordPress Pros: WordPress offers incredible flexibility and control, with thousands of themes and plugins. It's a great choice for blogs due to its strong content management system. Cons: WordPress has a steeper learning curve compared to other builders, and you may need to handle updates and security measures manually.
More Posts
Share by: