So, you’ve just bought your shiny new Showit template—congrats! That’s a huge step toward getting your business out into the world and in front of your dream clients. You’re pumped, excited, and ready to dive in. But wait… now what?
The thrill of starting your website can quickly turn into a wave of overwhelm. Fonts, colors, pages, layouts—oh my! You’re staring at your screen, hands on the keyboard, ready to go, but there’s just one problem: you don’t know where to start. And honestly? That’s completely normal.
In fact, a lot of new creative entrepreneurs—whether you’re a photographer, coach, author, or speaker—experience this exact moment. It’s like opening a 1,000-piece puzzle and realizing you don’t even have the picture on the box to guide you. But here’s the thing: having a strategy before you start customizing your Showit template will make all the difference.
Let’s talk about why.
Think of Your Website Like Building IKEA Furniture
Ever built IKEA furniture? (Come on, we’ve all been there.) You get this seemingly simple piece of furniture, and when you open the box, it’s a mess of pieces. But the trick to getting that bookshelf assembled without ending up with 12 screws leftover and a sinking feeling in your stomach? It’s all about the plan, the guide—the strategy.
Your website works the same way.
Sure, you can start dragging and dropping elements into your Showit template, adding a bit of this here and a bit of that there. But without a clear strategy, you might find yourself moving in circles, redoing pages, or getting stuck trying to make everything work together.
Having a clear website strategy is like having those instruction manuals (yes, the one with the little cartoon people). It’s going to tell you what comes first, what needs to happen next, and how everything fits together perfectly by the end.
Save Time, Save Headaches
Remember the frustration of watching people rewind and fast-forward VHS tapes back in the day? You’d sit there waiting for what felt like forever just to get to the part you wanted. Well, without a strategy, building your website can feel a lot like that.
When you don’t have all the pieces of your website puzzle ready before you start, you end up wasting time searching for what you need, second-guessing your decisions, and reworking things over and over. It’s exhausting, right? But if you prepare everything ahead of time, you’ll know exactly where each piece fits, saving you time and a lot of headaches.
Here’s where the magic happens: if you gather all your content, photos, and branding before you open Showit, it will be so much easier to put the puzzle together. You’ll be able to go straight into design mode, customize your template, and have your website ready to launch without feeling like you’re running a marathon with no finish line in sight.
Why a Strategy Prevents “Template Overload”
Have you ever been to a buffet with too many options? You load up your plate with way more than you can eat, and suddenly you regret not having a plan before diving in. That’s what happens when you jump into customizing your Showit template without a strategy—you get “template overload.”
Showit is full of amazing possibilities, but that can be overwhelming if you don’t have a clear vision. You may start adding tons of features, changing fonts every five minutes, or tweaking your design endlessly because you’re not sure what you want.
When you have a strategy in place, it keeps you grounded. You’ll know exactly what features your site needs to function well and what’s going to resonate with your audience. You’ll avoid adding unnecessary bells and whistles and focus on what matters—creating a beautiful, functional website that converts.
A Strategy Helps You Stay On Brand
You know how in the early 2000s everyone tried to be edgy by putting neon highlights in their hair or layering tank tops in different colors? (Don’t deny it, we all experimented.) But just like personal style, your brand needs consistency—and that’s where strategy comes in.
Your website is an extension of your brand. Without a clear strategy, you might end up with a website that doesn’t match the personality, message, or tone of your brand. And that’s the last thing you want when potential clients land on your site for the first time.
By planning ahead, you can make sure everything, from your fonts and colors to your content and layout, aligns with your brand’s identity. That way, when someone lands on your website, they immediately get a sense of who you are and what you offer—no confusing mixed messages.
Set Yourself Up for Success
Having a website strategy isn’t just about saving time or avoiding overwhelm (although, trust me, those are big benefits). It’s about setting yourself up for success. When you have all the pieces in place—content, photos, branding, and a solid plan—you can customize your Showit template confidently and effectively.
Your website is one of the most important tools for your business. It’s how you connect with your audience, showcase your expertise, and ultimately, how you make sales. So, why wouldn’t you want to build it with a strategy in mind?
Before you even open Showit, take a step back and make sure you have everything in order. Planning ahead will give you clarity, speed up the process, and lead to a better end result. Plus, it’ll take the stress out of what should be an exciting time—bringing your business to life online.
Ready to Get Started?
If the idea of creating a website strategy still feels a little daunting, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered! My free Showit Setup for Success guide will walk you through the 5 key tasks you need to complete before you start customizing your template. It’s designed to make sure you’re fully prepared so you can dive into Showit with confidence.
You’ve already got the template, now let’s set you up for success! You’ve got this.
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Tonic has my absolutely favorite templates in the game – their websites somehow combine killer strategy AND stunning, standout design. You're going to feel so confident in your new site!
