What comes first, your branding or your website? 

I’m just going to come right out & say it: a super common mistake I see small business owners make is that they build their website before they have any branding.

And on the one hand, I get it—in a way, your website may feel like the more tangible thing to check off your business-building to-do list.

But on the other hand, the graphic designer voice inside my head wonders, “Well how do you build a strategic and visually compelling website without a brand strategy, logo, colors, or fonts?” 

And if I’m being honest, the answer is: you don’t. You simply can’t. 

So what inevitably happens is that you build your website… and then you realize that the visuals were sort of modge podged together, or feel a bit generic, or don’t feel quite like what you & your business represents (or all of the above).

And once you do get around to your branding, you have to go back and essentially do your website all over again. Major facepalm. 

So as if I haven’t already made it abundantly clear, here are the 3 main reasons why you should really consider doing your branding before your website: 

1. To get clear on your strategy.

The branding process (at least over here at Crafted by Carly!) includes a full brand strategy, and that’s so that we can set you up for long-term business success that go beyond just your logo & pretty visuals. We look at your mission, values, offers, audience, competition, benefits, goals, & more—all things that are CRUCIAL for building a website that converts. 

2. The house analogy… 

Building a website without branding is like moving into a house without any plans to add furniture or cute decor. It would be sort of sad to live in a house that just feels generic, and is devoid of your personality. Plus, adding that decor is what makes it feel like home, right? When you have branding first, you have the visual tools you need—logos, color palette, font system, and graphic elements—so that you can build a website that looks & feels meaningful, and will therefore help you stand out from the crowd & attract your ideal clients. 

3. You save time & money in the long run.

As I already mentioned, if you design a website without branding, you inevitably just end up having to go back and re-do the website when you do come around to tackling your branding. 

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So if you’re in the process of launching or rebranding your business, I hope this post was helpful in demystifying this commonly asked question. And if you’re ready to tackle your branding &/or website — I gotchu! Send me a message HERE or book a call HERE to chat more about how we can work together.