Should You Build Your Brand Before Your Website?
It’s one of the first questions I ask new clients: “Do you have your branding ready?”
The answer to this question determines whether or not we can even think about starting a website project.
Sure, we could pick colors and fonts during the web design process. But developing your brand takes time and careful consideration. Let your branding marinate a bit until it feels just right. You don’t want to be going through this process year after year and changing things everywhere you show up online.
Let’s talk about what needs to come first, how to build your brand in a way that supports your site, and how to move forward whether you’re DIY-ing or hiring help.
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TL;DR Summary
Brand Before Website
- Skipping branding leads to websites that don’t resonate with your ideal audience
- Define your brand vision, voice, mission, and values before choosing a template
- Use a mix of personal and stock photos to create trust and consistency
- DIY your brand with guidance, or start strong with semi-custom brand kits
- Once your brand feels aligned, build your site or hire a designer to bring it to life
Why Brand Strategy Comes First
It’s tempting to jump straight into designing your website, especially when you’re excited to launch. But skipping over your brand foundations almost always leads to extra work (and extra costs) down the line.
Here’s what I see happen when someone builds a site before their brand is ready:
- The site looks nice but feels off
- Design choices keep changing because nothing is grounded
- Messaging doesn’t connect with the right people
- Pages get rewritten or redesigned over and over
- The entire site starts to feel like a placeholder
As your web designer, I want to build you a site that perfectly captures your brand and connects with your audience. Now, web designers wear a lot of hats, but we can’t wear all the hats (SEO strategist, copywriter, programmer, accessibility expert, digital marketer… you get the idea).
But even though I’m not a brand strategist, I can point you toward excellent resources for developing your brand foundations.
Core Brand Elements Your Website Needs
Before you start building your site—or hire someone like me to do it—you need clarity on two key pieces of your brand: the strategy behind it and the visuals that bring it to life.
Brand Vision & Voice
Your brand starts with why you do what you do. Before writing a single word of website copy, you need:
- A clear mission that drives what you do
- Core values that guide your decisions
- A voice that feels like you (and speaks to your ideal client)
- Messaging that explains the why behind your offers
If you’re struggling to put that into words, I recommend The Messaging Clarity Journal from The Copy Template Shop. This 60+ page guided journal helps you get out of your own head and onto the page, so you can stop guessing and start connecting.
Visual Brand Identity
Once your message is clear, you need a look that supports it. That includes:
- A cohesive color palette
- Fonts that are easy to read and aligned with your vibe
- Design elements that support—not distract from—your message
If you want a shortcut, I love the Color Library Palette Playbook and Type & Style Typography Playbook from Brand & Palms. At just $9 each (last I checked), these guides teach you color theory basics and font pairing principles while providing ready-to-use options for your brand.
Want more personalized guidance?
The Timeless Brand Society offers ongoing support as you develop your brand. I know you’ll love the personal feedback you get from Rosey on your branding choices as well as the access to design assets to help you create a polished, professional look.
Bringing Your Brand to Life Online
Even if you’re not working with a professional photographer, your site can still look cohesive and polished. Use a mix of:
- Personal photos that show the real you
- Stock images that fill in visual gaps
This approach keeps your website feeling both trustworthy and complete.
Professional Photography
You don’t need a high-end brand shoot to make an impact, but you do need clear, recent photos that show the real human behind your business.
A few quick guidelines:
- Choose images that are well-lit and sized for web
- Keep them consistent with your brand style
- Focus on connection over perfection
Stock Photos That Support Your Brand
Even if you have great personal photos, stock photography fills in the gaps, especially for service pages, blogs, and digital products.
I recommend Styled Stock Society for their clean, modern collections that work across industries. Their membership makes it easy to:
- Build visually cohesive website pages
- Add polish to sales or services pages
- Stay consistent across your blog, emails, and social posts
A mix of personal and stock imagery gives your site depth—without the overwhelm of trying to do it all at once.
Creating Your Brand Identity
Option 1: Build Your Brand From Scratch
If you want to develop your brand identity yourself, start with the fundamentals:
- Choose your color palette and typography using Brand & Palms playbooks
- Join the Timeless Brand Society for ongoing guidance and feedback
- Create your initial brand elements with templates and resources
This path takes more time, but it gives you a strong foundation and a better understanding of what makes your brand feel like you.
Option 2: Start With Professional Brand Design
If you’d rather skip the trial and error, Davey & Krista’s Semi-Custom Brands are a great shortcut. Each kit includes:
- A customizable Canva logo
- Curated color and font pairings
- A full brand style guide
- Templates for business cards, social graphics, and more
- Design elements you can reuse across your marketing
These are especially helpful if you’re launching soon and want something elevated that doesn’t require a custom design package.
Building Your Website
Once your brand identity is solid, it’s time to bring it to life online. You’ve got two main options: build it yourself, or hand it off.
DIY Your Website
If you’re the type who wants to roll up your sleeves and stay in control, I’ve got something to guide you through the process: My free 30-Day WordPress Website Challenge.
Take the Free 30-Day WordPress Website Challenge
You’ll receive 20 targeted emails walking you through:
- Setting up WordPress the right way (no tech confusion)
- Applying your brand visuals and voice across the site
- Building essential pages like your Home, About, and Services
- Prepping for a smooth and confident launch
I designed this challenge to help you skip the trial and error—and finally move from “half-finished website” to “live and ready to share.”
Work With a Professional
Prefer to stay focused on your business while someone else handles the tech? That’s exactly what I do in my Website Rejuvenation Day and custom design services.
Together, we’ll take your clear brand and turn it into a website that’s:
- Strategic and easy to navigate
- Fully aligned with your voice and vision
- Designed to connect with the people you most want to serve
Book a call, and let’s talk about what your website actually needs to support where you’re headed next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I build my brand before launching a website?
Because your brand gives your website direction. Without it, you’re designing in circles—changing fonts, reworking your copy, or feeling like your site doesn’t quite “fit.” A solid brand makes web design faster, smoother, and more strategic.
What do I need before starting a website?
At minimum: a clear brand message, your visual identity (colors, fonts, logo or wordmark), and a sense of what you want your website to do—book clients, share content, sell products, etc. The clearer you are up front, the better the end result.
What if I can’t afford professional branding?
You can still create a cohesive brand using affordable tools and templates. Start with a color palette and font pairings that reflect your personality, and lean on resources like playbooks, semi-custom kits, or branding communities for support.
Can I use stock photos instead of professional photos?
Yes—as long as they’re high quality and aligned with your brand. I recommend using both personal photos and curated stock images to create a site that feels both polished and personal. Styled Stock Society is a great place to start.
