Make your website
feel like your business.

01 / Direction

Decide how your business should feel.

Choose a few words that describe the impression you want to make. Your business might feel calm and considered, direct and practical, or warm and welcoming. Use that direction to guide the choices that follow.

When exploring a design, look beyond its sample images. Notice the size of the headings, the space between sections, and the way it introduces the business. Ask whether that structure gives your own content the right setting.

You do not need to borrow every detail. Keep the parts that help your visitors and change the parts that do not reflect your business.

02 / Visual foundations

Make a few choices and use them consistently.

Start with a small set of colours: a background, a readable text colour, and an accent for important actions. If you already have a brand palette, choose the combinations that remain easy to read on screen.

Give headings and body text clear, consistent roles. A distinctive heading can add personality, while comfortable body text helps people stay with the information. Avoid making every section compete for attention.

Use the same treatment for buttons that do the same kind of job. The main action should be easy to spot, and secondary links should still be easy to recognise.

03 / Words and images

Let the content carry your personality.

Write as if you are explaining the business to a person who has just met you. Use words your customers understand. Be specific about what you offer and avoid adding sentences simply to fill a layout.

Choose photographs and illustrations that support the message. A service page may need an image that shows the work or the result. A product page needs a clear view of the item. Decorative images should leave the important information easy to read.

Keep similar images consistent in shape and treatment. Check their crops in the places they appear, especially when the layout becomes narrower. Add useful text descriptions where an image carries information.

04 / Layout

Give people a comfortable path through the page.

Arrange the page so the most important information arrives first. Introduce one idea at a time, and use headings to show how the ideas fit together.

Space can make a page feel calm without making it empty. Separate sections enough to show a change of subject, but keep related information together. If a section feels crowded, shorten the copy or simplify the arrangement before adding more decoration.

Review the layout on a phone. Check the order of the content, the size of buttons, and whether a visitor can understand each section without zooming or moving sideways. A useful mobile layout deserves the same attention as the larger version.

05 / Consistency

Finish with a small, deliberate review.

Read the website as a whole, rather than reviewing each page in isolation. The details should feel related even when the page layouts vary.

• Keep the business name and tone consistent.
• Use a clear heading order and readable text.
• Check button labels against their destinations.
• Review text against backgrounds and images.
• Make sure important information is not carried by colour alone.
• Check links and controls using a keyboard as well as a pointer.
• Replace remaining sample words, images, and contact details.

When something feels out of place, return to the direction you chose at the beginning. The goal is a website whose individual parts feel like they belong to the same business.