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the JOURNAL

Website Design, Branding & Marketing Resources for Small Businesses

For service-based businesses, creatives, and small business owners who want to understand the strategy behind what works online.

Practical guidance on website design, brand strategy, SEO, marketing, and building a stronger online presence. Written by Audra Leverson, the designer and marketer behind Salt & Sand, using lessons from real client work, continued research, and running a creative business of my own.

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Questions I ask every single client during a website design consultation

Take a look inside my consultation process and the strategic questions I ask every client to understand their business, audience, goals, and brand direction before beginning a design project.

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How To Prepare Before Hiring A Designer So You Don’t Waste Your Money

Planning to hire a website designer? Here’s how to prepare your business, plan for the cost, and make sure you’re getting the most out of your investment.

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congratulations, you just launched your new website! learn what happens next.

What should you do after your website launches? Keep it working for your business with fresh reviews, updated photos, useful content, accurate information, and regular updates as your business grows.

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THE LATEST FROM THE JOURNAL

New articles on website design, branding, SEO, marketing, and the questions I find myself answering most often for business owners.

Should Your Website Look Like Other Businesses in Your Industry?

Learn how to balance industry expectations with a distinctive website, use competitor research strategically, and avoid creating a brand that looks interchangeable with everyone else in your market.

Is It Better To Have No Website Than a Poorly Designed Website?

Having a website isn't automatically better than having no website. Here's when an outdated or poorly built site can hurt the business behind it, and why a simple, intentional online presence is sometimes the smarter place to start.

Should You Show Your Prices On Your Website?

Exact price, starting price, range, or nothing at all? The right approach depends on what you sell, how customized it is, and what a potential client needs to know before they inquire.

Do You Need An About Us Page On Your Website?

An About page isn’t really about telling your life story. It’s about giving potential clients the context, credibility, and human connection they need to feel confident about who they’re hiring.

Should You Redesign a Website That’s Making Good Money? 

Don’t redesign a profitable website just because it looks old. Redesign when it no longer represents your business, attracts the wrong clients, or your success is coming from everywhere except the website itself.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Website Designer

A beautiful portfolio doesn’t tell you what working with a website designer will actually be like. Ask these questions before signing a contract so you know exactly what you’re paying for and what happens when the project gets difficult.

The Difference Between Pretty Design and Strategic Design

A beautiful website can catch someone’s attention, but strategy determines what happens next. Learn how strategic website design combines aesthetics, messaging, navigation, and user experience to turn a good-looking website into one that actually supports your business.

How To Know You’ve Outgrown Your DIY Website

Your DIY website got your business started, but it may not be equipped for where your business is now. Here are five signs you’ve outgrown it and when hiring a professional website designer starts making sense.

How A Website Comes Together From Start To Finish

Hiring a website designer can feel like a mystery when you’ve never done it before. See exactly how a professional website project moves from consultation to design, revisions, SEO, training, and launch.

Do I Need a New Website or Just a Redesign?

Does your website need a full redesign, or would a refresh fix the problem? Learn how to tell what’s actually outdated, what’s worth keeping, and how much of your existing website really needs to change.

What Makes a Website Look Professional?

What actually makes a website look professional? It’s less about expensive features and more about consistency, photography, spacing, navigation, page structure, and dozens of intentional design decisions working together.

What You're Actually Paying For When You Hire a Designer

A website designer isn’t just being paid to make your site look better. You’re paying for strategy, clarity, professional decision-making, less time spent fixing things yourself, and a website built specifically around your business.

Should You Invest In Branding Or Website Design First?

Branding or website design first? The answer depends on what’s actually missing. Use this guide to decide where your money will make the biggest difference right now, and when it may be smarter to wait.

How Often Should You Redesign Your Website?

How often should you redesign your website? Not every few years just because someone says you should. Redesign when your business has outgrown the site, and use regular updates to keep a strong website relevant for longer.

How to Choose a Website Designer

Not sure how to choose a website designer? Look beyond their portfolio. Here’s what to check before hiring, including reviews, communication, process, quality, pricing, and the red flags that should make you reconsider.

What Feels Off About Your Website (Even If You Can’t Explain It)

Can’t explain why your website feels “off”? It may no longer match your brand, the quality of your work, or the business you’ve grown into. Here’s how to identify what isn’t working and whether it’s time for a redesign.

The Things You Don’t Need Apologize for Before Hiring A Designer

Embarrassed to show a website designer your current site? Don’t be. You don’t need a polished website, a list of everything that’s wrong, or another round of DIY fixes before asking for professional help.

The Unexpected Reward Of Working With Local Businesses

What’s different about working with a local website designer? They can experience your business firsthand, understand the community you serve, and build your website with context that’s difficult to capture through a screen.

Is Your Logo Actually Doing Its Job?

How do you know if your logo is actually working? Check whether it’s scalable, memorable, recognizable, aligned with your brand, and built to last. If it fails those tests, a professional logo redesign may be worth considering.

What Clients Notice in 5 Seconds When They Land on Your Website

Your website has seconds to make sense. Use these five quick checks to see whether visitors understand your business, trust it, can navigate your site, and know what to do next.

Things You Don't Have To Apologize For Before Working With Me

Think you need to fix your website before showing it to a designer? You don’t. Here’s what you can stop apologizing for and leave for your designer to solve.

What Makes A Good Website (From A Designers Perspective)

Not sure if your website is actually good or just good-looking? These seven elements will help you spot what’s working, what’s missing, and what may be holding it back.

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