5 Things You Need Before You Build (or Rebuild) Your Website

My first website was a disaster.

Not because it was ugly — it actually looked fine. I picked nice colors, found a clean template, wrote some copy that sounded professional. I was proud of it. I shared it everywhere. And then I waited for the clients to roll in.

They didn’t.

The problem wasn’t the design. The problem was that I built the house before I laid the foundation. I didn’t know what I was actually offering, who I was talking to, or what I wanted someone to do when they got there. I just knew I needed a website, so I built one.

I see birth professionals make this same mistake constantly. They get excited — domain purchased, designer hired or Canva open — and they jump straight into fonts and colors. Weeks later, they have a beautiful site that doesn’t do anything for their business.

So before you write a single line of copy or pick a single template, here are the five things you actually need in place first.

1. A Clear Offer

This sounds basic. It’s not.

You’d be surprised how many entrepreneurs can’t clearly articulate what they sell, who it’s for, and why someone should choose them over the next person. And if you can’t say it clearly, your website definitely can’t.

Before you build, answer three questions:

• What specific problem do you solve?
• Who exactly do you solve it for?
• What makes your approach different?

One sentence each. If you can’t do that yet, stop. Get clear on your offer first. Everything on your website flows from these answers. Your headline, your services page, your calls to action — all of it depends on knowing exactly what you do and who you do it for.

2. Your Brand Positioning

This isn’t just your logo and colors, though those matter too. Brand positioning is how you want people to feel when they land on your site and what they should immediately understand about you.

Ask yourself:

• Am I the affordable option or the premium option?
• Am I the warm, approachable guide or the no-nonsense authority?
• If someone described my brand in three words, what would I want those words to be?

Your positioning drives everything — design, copy, pricing, the kind of clients you attract. When I built my first site, I hadn’t thought about any of this. The result was a site that looked like everyone else’s. It didn’t say anything about who I was or why I was different.

Nail your positioning before you touch a single pixel.

3. A Content Strategy (Even a Simple One)

Your website needs words. Not filler. Not “lorem ipsum we’ll figure it out later.” Strategic words that guide visitors toward taking action.

You don’t need to write the final copy before you build. But you need to know what goes where and what each page’s job is:

• Homepage — Your elevator pitch, social proof, and one clear call to action
• About page — Your story, framed around how it helps your client (not a resume)
• Services page — What you offer, who it’s for, and what it costs (or “starting at”)
• Contact page — How to reach you and what to expect when they do

When I skipped this step, I ended up rewriting my entire site three months after launching it. The pages were there, but they weren’t working together. There was no flow. No strategy. Just pages.

4. Social Proof

Nothing sells like evidence that you’ve done this before.

Before you build, gather what you have:

• Testimonials — Even two or three strong ones make a real difference
• Case studies — Before/after stories, even informal ones
• Numbers — Families supported, years in practice, births attended

If you’re just starting out and don’t have client testimonials yet, that’s okay. Use results from beta clients. Ask friends you’ve helped. Tell your own transformation story. The point isn’t perfection — it’s proof that you’re not asking someone to be your first.

Social proof belongs on every page, not just a dedicated testimonials section. Sprinkle it throughout your site wherever someone might hesitate.

5. A Lead Capture Plan

Here’s where most websites quietly fail: someone visits, browses, appreciates what they see, and leaves. Forever.

You need a reason for people to give you their email address before they’re ready to book. That’s usually a lead magnet — something free that solves a small, specific problem:

• A checklist or planning guide
• A template or swipe file
• A short video training
• A quiz or assessment

Your lead magnet should connect directly to your main offer. It’s the bridge between “just browsing” and “interested in working with you.” Without it, you’re relying on someone being ready to book the exact moment they find you. Most people aren’t.

The Difference Between a Website and a Business Tool

A website without these five foundations is a digital brochure. It exists. It looks nice. And it sits there.

With these foundations, your website becomes a client-generating system. People find you, understand what you do, trust that you can help, and take the next step — whether that’s downloading a resource, booking a call, or signing up for your list.

I spent months learning this the hard way. Take a week to work through these five things before you start building. Your future self will thank you.