How to Brand Any Free Website Template in 6 Steps

Like everybody else, you need a website for your business. But for now, your resources are limited.

A custom website is expensive, so the only choice you have is to DIY your website by using a free Wix or Squarespace template. How can you have a website that works toward business goals and is on-brand? Below are my tips on transforming a free web template to a functional website.

Step #1: Identifying your business goals

Building a website is not just about making it pretty or using the most recent functionality that everybody has. It has to work hard toward your business goals. Create or reflect on your business goals for 2020. Pick one or two primary goals and keep it at hand. You will need it for the next step.

Step #2: Create Your Web Strategy

The strategy is based on the goals you established in step #1. To create the plan, identify where your audience is living and what tools you can use to entice them to go to your website. For example your website goal is to create brand awareness. To achieve the goal, you will need people from social media or from any other places to visit your website, and the tools you are going to use are articles and digital advertising.

‍Protip: The channel where you are going to advertise may differ on the demographics of your audience. For example, if your audience is below 35 years old, you may want to look into Instagram and Tiktok for advertisement. ‍

Step #3: Identify necessary pages

Not all of the web pages from a free template are usable. But before you delete any of them, identifying which pages you can keep. Reflect on the goals that you created on step #1 and use it to help you identify your needs. The last thing you want on your website is a page that doesn't serve a purpose.

‍For example, let's say your business goal is to use the website to increase sales of products/services you are offering and create brand awareness. To achieve the goals, you will need an e-commerce website with home, product, about, blog, and contact pages.

‍Step #4: Have a Clear Next Step for Each Page

In the marketing world, they call it call-to-action. It's basically the button on the page that makes you do something after exploring a page, and it introduces something new. For the blog page example, at the end of the article page, you may want the audience to read another article to make them more aware of the company. So it may have a button below that says "read the next blog." ‍

Note: Not all of the readers will do the next action, but for those who are, the button is ready and accessible.

‍Step #5: Write Your Web Copy

After establishing the goals, pages you need, strategies, and call-to-actions, it's time for you to write the copy for the website. You will need to talk about the problems and pains of your audience and how you will solve them. ‍

Protip: Talking directly to the audience is useful when you are writing from a second-person point of view. In addition, you also need to reflect the business's tone/voice in the copy for the website.

‍Step #6: Bring it Together With a Visual Identity

Now, after all the hard work, you need to apply the visual identity of your business. It means using the physical attributes of the company like logo, color, fonts, and images. Be sure that your visual identity shows quality to give a good first impression.

Let's Recap

Not every business is capable of having a custom website, but it shouldn't be a hindrance to the growth of your business. Showcase it by transforming any free website template using these six steps. By the end of this process, you will have a functional website as your marketing tool to start growing your business.

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