One of the most common things I’m asked about when I’m on a call with a prospective client is “how do I know that this brand or website is going to grow with me?” And honestly, it’s a pretty important question to ask yourself and ultimately, whoever you hire to bring your vision to life.

But here’s the thing, your brand is not static. It’s going to change, adjust, and pivot into something you may not recognize in a few years, and that’s a wonderful thing.

Keep this in mind; if you’re an established, successful business owner – you should know exactly who you’re serving, what real problem you’re solving, and ultimately WHY people are checking out your brand and visiting your website. If you’re not sure, then that’s the place to start. Need help summing up what you do quickly? Check out this blog post.

If you’re clear about all of that, and you’re now feeling that as your brand has grown, you’ve outgrown the visuals you are using to represent what you do and appeal to clients, then it’s time to hire a brand and website designer to create something custom.

Will your brand develop beyond this point? Of course. But it’s important to serve your clients where you are in an amazing way so you can grow to the next stage.

If you’re just starting out, still developing that client base or your services, then maybe DIY is right for you.

Here are some things I suggest for you to work on now when you’re just starting before you establish yourself and hire out for something custom:

Use a wordmark for your logo rather than hiring a brand designer

A wordmark is just your brand name typed in a font. You’re not a designer, so leave the extras and the actual design to the professionals when you’re ready. A wordmark looks simple and professional in the meantime. Even some established businesses still use a wordmark.

Pick 2-3 signature colors

These are colors that you love and will always love, regardless of what’s trendy. If you were gonna buy a basic t-shirt, what colors would you gravitate towards? Just make sure they ‘go’ together.

Figure out who you can serve right now with the tools you have

Yes, it’s great to have goals and an ultimate ‘dream scenario’, but you’re not there yet. So figure out what the goal is and work backward. Who can you serve right now with the tools you have? Think as small of an upfront investment as possible.

Create paid content to serve them

If you’re not offering something for people to buy, then you don’t have a business, you have a hobby. Every piece of content you create has to ultimately have 1 goal > to sell the paid offer. This will make you known for one thing, and put some money in your pocket for when it’s time to invest in custom design work. If you want to better understand my philosophy behind offering 1 paid service, Check out this blog post.

Start with a website template – for now.

Until you’re totally clear on your ideal client and the messaging to convert them, as well as the services you’ll offer, it just makes sense to purchase a website template. Our Showit website templates come with basic pages that every entrepreneur needs when they’re just starting out and can be easily customized to fit what you need. When you are ready for custom, hire a website designer that collects copy upfront, understands how copy works in the overall layout and design, and will build from scratch to best accommodate your website visitors. Need an awesome template, check out ours.

So what do you think? Custom or DIY? What is better for you?