Reflect The Real You On Your Website

Photo by Михаил Секацкий on Unsplash

Is your brand giving grumpy cat or golden retriever? Maybe something in between?

Your website should reflect you not just what you think people want. If you give off Dr. House energy (expertise + snarky comments) reflect that online.

You don’t want to create a persona or brand that’s uncomfortable and something you can’t deliver. I’ll put myself under the microscope.

If I acted like a high energy, extroverted person when you finally talk to me you might be confused because I’m a calm introvert.

This disconnect will make your clients feel bamboozled even if you weren’t trying to trick them.

Instead create something that feels like you and reflects that.

Here are three ways to make sure your website reflects the real you.

Tell Your Stories

People are constantly seeking connection. You can create that common ground and connection by telling stories. This makes you more relatable as a person and not some big name CEO sailing on private yachts.

How To Tell Your Brand Story

We’ve all learned lessons first hand from just living. Sharing these stories helps make you, a business owner, seem more like a person and less like a faceless corporation just trying to suck cash out of their pockets.

Start With Why

The easiest way to tell your brand story comes from Simon Sinek. In his famous TEDtalk he talks about the most powerful and impactful brand stories start with why.

Why did you start this business?

Why were you compelled to make a difference?

You might need to take some time to brainstorm, free write or whatever you do to get your thoughts out on this topic. It will be well worth your time because the connection you’ll grow with your audience from your brand story can be powerful.

Share Your Journey

This is one of my favorite ways to learn more about people and why they started their business. There is usually one inciting incident or inflection point where they decided to change course and this decision led them where they are today.

If you want to go deeper into my founder story or read my about me page to get inspired when telling your own stories.

Find And Connect Your Dots

Finding these dots looking back that connected to bring you where you are today also serves to show you how far you’ve come. Did you realize that working as a lifeguard would lead you to a job in engineering?

People sometimes get hung up on their plans or paths changing. I’ve felt this way. It was embarrasing to me that I couldn’t just figure out my career path and “have it all figured out” like some people do.

I realized later that most people don’t have it all figured out right away. Even if they do for a moment they could always change course later.

Be Honest

You might be tempted to create some elaborate, exciting stories that aren’t exactly true but this would do a great disservice to you and your brand.

I’ve found that even the most boring or mundane stories always have something interesting to say. It’s usually how you tell it.

Being honest about roadblocks is a lot more relatable than pretending like you’ve never made a mistake in their life. Who are these people? I’ve never met them!

If telling stories is new for you think about those stories you tell that family and friends lean in and are super intrigued by or always say, “Oh yeah that happened to me too.”

From Blah to Bam!

For me if I said, “I worked full time, learned web design and now I’m a web designer.” That doesn’t sound super exciting.

But if I talk about why and how I learned web design, what made me decide to learn a new skill, who helped me and why did I keep going to become a web designer that makes this bare bones story a lot more interesting.

My favorite thing to do is to take stories that I think have nothing to do with my current life and try to find a connection. I usually can! I’ve done this with cats to tattoos if you can believe it.

Unless you’ve repeated the same mistakes over and over (which would also be a great story btw) reflect on that nugget of wisdom and make it relevant to your current situation.

How to Reflect the Real You Online

That’s how to reflect the real you on your website and your brand. Telling stories, connecting the dots of your journey and being honest will tell your audience that you’re a human and not just a faceless corporation.

Ready to take tech off your to do list? Check out my templates and Squarespace web design services and packages.