5 ways to make your website look more professional
Are you DIYing your own website? Yay for you! That’s so exciting. I have just a few tips for you though to make your website look just a tad more professional. Take the tips or leave them but no matter what, make sure your site is as unique as you are.
1. Use a custom domain
One of the very first things someone is going to notice about your website is your domain. It’s a noticeable distinction between a non-pro site and a pro-site.
So how do you tell the difference?
yourbusiness.wordpress.com (not professional) vs. yourbusiness.com (professional)
Rather than jordynbrulez.wordpress.com my website is jordynbrulez.com.
Now how do you do this?
Go to namecheap.com, siteground.com or godaddy.com and purchase your custom domain for around $10-$15/year.
2. Upload a custom favicon
What the heck even is a favicon, yeah I thought the same thing! Once pointed out your think oh yeah, that thing. It is the icon at the top of your browser window. Yes, it is a small icon but it makes a huge impact on how professional your website appears. And if you don’t change the icon of whatever platform you have used to build your website (Squarespace, WordPress, Wix etc.) then it their logo icon will appear (which is just plain confusing!).
So what do I need to get this icon?
You will need to use either a small version of your logo or take a part of it, like the first letter of your business name or just the graphic part of your logo (notice my JB!) Go ahead and check out popular sites, like Facebook (which uses just the F) or Pinterest (which uses just the P) as examples.
3. Use white space
It can feel tempting to want to fill up every inch of your website but don’t do it! White space is the easiest way to do this. For example, leave some space in between paragraphs it makes your content easier to read.
4. Make sure it's mobile responsive
There is a very good chance that your website will be looked at for the first time on a mobile device. I mean we all carry our phones with us! So you will want to make sure there are no weird formatting issues.
5. Use a pro photo of yourself
Sure it it easier to just use a photo you already have on hand, but I promise you that people can notice! Don’t try just cropping a photo of you from a wedding and don’t use a blurry photo or stretched image. You deserve a professional looking photo!
But I get it you maybe can’t afford to hire a photographer? No worries! Just grab your iPhone, find some good lighting (try facing a window if you can), stand in front of a neutral background and ask your husband or wife to take a few photos for you.
