🛶 I thought I was so smart

Sigh. Here goes.

About 4 years into running my cheese shop and wine bar, I decided to build a whole-ass ecommerce site for the business. It seemed like the next thing to do, y’know? To get on the same stage as the big boys.

And because I wanted a way to get my very-pregnant body out of the shop and still keep the business growing.

Thought I was so smart at the time.

Except I couldn’t market like those big artisanal cheese shops.

I was a local business (sure with a great instagram following) but I had to build an entirely new audience for online sales – and I didn’t know the first thing about it.

The website and tech needed constant maintenance. Plus, manually getting the orders (low as they were) from online → the cheesemongers in the shop required even more of me.

And cold storage shipping??? Reader. PLEASE don’t make my brain go back there again.

I was adding a revenue stream that drained more than it earned, AND it required constant tweaking and figuring-out.

What I should have done instead:

I should’ve leaned harder into what was already working – like the private cheese classes that my local clients loved. Or figured out how to cut costs to increase profits. Or streamlined ordering so our inventory wasn’t so bloated and our staff wasn’t overworked.

But I didn’t.

‘Cuz I built based on what seemed like a cool idea, not what made strategic sense for my business and my life.

Your first website probably was the same.

You grabbed a cute template. Looked at what other people in your industry were doing. Hey, if it works for them, it’ll work for me, right?

But here’s the thing: it wasn’t built with strategy in mind. Both what would actually bring in clients and what would support the lifestyle you want.

So now you’re stuck tweaking and second-guessing what is or isn’t working. Apologizing for your site when you send people there. Manually doing things your website should handle.

That’s what happens when you build on vibes instead of strategic vision.

The 3 questions that change everything:

Before you make any site decision – before you add a single button or rewrite a single headline – ask yourself three questions:

1. Who is this for? (Not everyone. Your actual right-fit client.)
2. What action should they take next? (Be stupidly specific here.)
3. How does this support the business Reader wants? (Not the business you think you’re supposed to have.)

^ These three questions prevent the redesign-every-year cycle.

They’re the difference between a business-card website and a website that does the WORK.

And if your current site was built on guesses rather than answers to these questions, what’s it costing you?

...Confused visitors who bounce?
...Lost conversions because people don’t trust you?
... Working overtime to compensate for what your site should be handling?

There’s a better way to build.

If you haven't already, join the waitlist for Website Wayfinder. It's my guided, small-group program where we build sites together. Based on strategy first, pixels second.

No obligations from joining, just the info you need. (Plus Waitlisters get bonus goodies 🎁)

Keep on keepin’ on,

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👇 You totally don’t have to do this, Reader, but...

If you’re feeling generous today, I could use your help.

As you know, I want to help you with your website. And any person who really cares about their people knows that it’s better to know what you need than to just guess at what you want.

So this is me asking.

In a one-question-only survey.

It should take you less than a minute to fill out. You’re more than welcome to take your time with the question, but an off the top of your head answer is great, too.

(Also, why is that embed Capitalized Case when the original is not?? Dunno. But I link to a free tool for changing case on text if ya keep scrolling).

Thanks a bunch. You make designing tech a lot more fun.

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