How to Make Your Own Website that Stands Out
- Appalachian Marketing and Media
- Nov 21
- 9 min read
Key Points
A standout website starts with a clear main goal.
Simple structure and strong visuals beat fancy features.
Clear, human copy and mobile friendliness win visitors.
Why Most DIY Websites Blend In (and How Yours Won’t)
If you have ever clicked through a few small business sites and felt like they all looked the same, you are not imagining it.
Many DIY websites rely on default templates, generic text, and cluttered layouts that try to show everything at once.
The result feels busy, confusing, and forgettable, even when the person behind the business is anything but.
The good news is that standing out does not require you to be a designer or a tech expert, it requires you to be more intentional than most people are.
When you focus on a clear goal, simple structure, and a few key design choices, your website can feel fresh, inviting, and memorable, even if you built it yourself in the evenings or on the weekend.
Get Clear on Your Website’s Main Job
Before you touch a template or upload a single image, you need to decide what your website is actually for.
Is the main job to sell products, book services, build an email list, show your portfolio, or simply validate that your business is real and trustworthy?
If you try to do everything equally, your visitor will not know what to do and will likely leave.
Pick one primary goal and let that be the star of the show.
If your top priority is booking clients, your home page should guide visitors toward your booking link.
If your top priority is selling products, your layout should quickly move people into your shop.
When every choice supports that main job, your site feels focused, confident, and much more powerful.
Understand Who You’re Actually Building For
Your website is not really for you; it is for the person you most want to reach.
Take a moment to picture that person. What do they want? What are they frustrated with? What questions or worries do they have when they land on your site for the first time?
Write down a simple profile of this person in plain language. Give them a name if it helps. Think about how they talk, what they care about, and what a successful visit looks like for them.
When you understand who you are talking to, it becomes much easier to choose the right words, images, and layout that make them feel seen and understood.
Choose the Right DIY Platform (Without Tech Overload)
There are many website builders available, and it is easy to get stuck comparing them.
Instead of chasing the perfect platform, focus on what fits your skills and your patience level.
If you want something quick and visual, a drag and drop builder like Wix or Squarespace can be a great match.
If you are willing to learn more and want deep control, WordPress can be powerful.
Think about how much time you realistically want to spend on setup and maintenance.
A simpler platform that you actually use is better than a powerful platform that you never figure out.
Look for a builder that offers modern templates, mobile responsiveness, and basic SEO controls. Then commit to learning that one tool well enough to make it work for you.
Start with Structure: A Simple Site Map That Works
A standout site almost always has a simple, clear structure.
You do not need twenty pages to look professional. In fact, that often makes things harder to navigate.
For most DIY entrepreneurs and hobbyists, a basic structure like Home, About, Services or Shop, Portfolio or Gallery, and Contact is more than enough.
Plan your pages on paper before you build them, and decide what needs to live where and what you can safely leave out.
If a piece of content does not help your visitor understand you, trust you, or take action, consider cutting it.
Clean structure makes your site feel organized, and that alone sets you apart from many cluttered DIY websites.
Pick a Template That Doesn’t Look Like Everyone Else’s
Templates are helpful, but they can also be the reason sites look so similar.
Instead of picking the flashiest, pick a template that is simple, clean, and flexible.
Look for plenty of white space, easy to read text, and clear sections that can showcase your main message, your work, and your call to action.
Once you choose it, spend time customizing it. Change the colors, fonts, and images so it feels like you, not like the demo version.
Even small adjustments, like swapping the default stock photos for your own visuals and adjusting the layout slightly, can give your site a fresh and personal feel.
Branding Basics: Make Your Site Look Like You
You do not need a full brand guide to have a site that looks cohesive.
Choose one main color, a secondary color, and one or two accent colors, then stick with them. Make sure they are easy on the eyes and have enough contrast for text to be readable.
This consistency alone will make your site feel more polished.
Do the same with fonts. Pick one font for headings and one for body text, then use them consistently across all pages.
Avoid using too many different styles. When your colors and fonts stay the same from page to page, people start to recognize your brand, even if they do not know why it feels so put together.
Write Clear, Human Copy That Grabs Attention
The words on your site do a lot of heavy lifting. Instead of leading with long stories about yourself, start with what your visitor cares about.
Use short, direct sentences that speak to their goals and problems. Focus on benefits, not just features.
For example, instead of saying "I offer photography services," you could say "I help you capture real moments you will want to remember."
Talk to your reader like you would in a relaxed conversation. Use "you" more than "we" or "I." Avoid jargon and complicated phrases.
For your main call to action, be specific. Instead of "Learn more," try "Book your free consult" or "Browse the new collection." Clear, human copy builds trust and encourages people to stay.
Design Your Home Page Like a First Impression That Sticks
Your home page is often the first and only page someone will see, so treat it like a storefront window.
The top of the page should quickly answer three questions for your visitor: What is this? Who is it for? What should I do next?
A strong headline, a short supporting sentence, and a clear button are your best tools here.
Below that, use a few simple sections that build your case.
Show the main benefits of working with you, a small glimpse of your work or products, and a bit of social proof like reviews or logos if you have them.
Close the page with another clear call to action. When each section has a clear purpose, your home page feels intentional and easy to follow.
Make Navigation So Simple a Distracted Visitor Can Use It
People should not have to think about where to click next.
Keep your navigation short and straightforward. Use clear labels like Home, About, Services, Shop, Portfolio, and Contact.
Avoid clever or vague names that might confuse someone who does not know your brand yet.
Make sure your main menu appears in the same place on every page, usually at the top.
Include a clear call to action in the navigation if it makes sense, such as "Book Now" or "Start Here."
Inside each page, use headings and short sections so people can quickly scan and find what they need without feeling lost.
Stand Out with Photos, Graphics, and Visual Storytelling
Images are often the first thing people notice, so choose them carefully.
Whenever possible, use real photos of you, your team, your products, or your work, as these help visitors feel connected to you and trust that you are real. If you need stock photos, choose ones that feel natural and not overly staged.
Keep your visual style consistent. Use similar lighting, colors, and tones so your images feel like they belong together.
Mix wide shots with close ups to add variety and interest. Even simple touches, like using the same filter style on your images, can make your website feel more intentional and visually memorable.
Mobile-Friendly: Why Your Phone View Matters More Than You Think
Most website visitors today are browsing on their phones, not their laptops.
If your website only looks good on a big screen, you are losing people without realizing it.
After you build each page, view it on your phone and scroll as if you were a new visitor.
Pay attention to what shows up first and whether it feels easy to read and tap.
Make sure text is large enough to read without zooming in, buttons are big enough to tap, and images are not cut off in weird ways.
Avoid long, unbroken paragraphs. Break your content into shorter sections so it feels easy to skim on a small screen.
When your mobile view feels smooth, visitors are more likely to stay and explore.
Basic SEO So People Can Actually Find Your Site
Search engine optimization can sound complicated, but you can cover the basics without becoming an expert.
Start by thinking about what your ideal visitor would type into Google when they are looking for someone like you.
Those simple phrases are your starter keywords. Use them naturally in your page titles, headings, and a few times in your text.
Most website builders let you edit page titles and meta descriptions. Use this space to clearly describe what the page is about and who it is for.
Add descriptive text for your images so search engines can understand them as well.
Over time, these simple steps help your site show up for the right people, which matters more than chasing every trend.
Speed and Basics of a Smooth User Experience
A slow site can make people leave before they even see your content.
Luckily, you can improve speed with a few simple habits:
Use images that are sized for the web instead of giant files straight from your camera.
Avoid adding too many apps or plugins that you do not really need, as these can slow things down.
Think about how it feels to move through your site as a visitor.
Are pages quick to load? Are buttons easy to find? Do forms work the first time someone tries them?
A smooth experience does not call attention to itself, it just feels easy.
When you remove small annoyances, your site feels more professional and your visitors are more likely to take action.
Must-Have Pages That Build Trust
Certain pages do a lot of work when it comes to building trust.
Your About page should show the human side of your brand and explain why you do what you do.
Your Services or Shop page should clearly explain what you offer, what it costs, and what someone can expect.
Your Contact page should make it easy for people to reach you in more than one way.
If you have testimonials, reviews, or examples of your work, showcase them on your site.
A simple Portfolio or Gallery page can go a long way in demonstrating what you can do.
Include clear contact information and, if relevant, any policies on shipping, returns, or scheduling. These details help visitors feel safe choosing you.
Common DIY Mistakes That Make Your Site Look Amateur
Many DIY websites fall into the same traps, and once you know them, you can avoid them.
One common mistake is using too many different fonts and colors, which makes the site feel chaotic.
Another is filling pages with long walls of text that no one wants to read, especially on a phone.
Furthermore, one last issue issue is cluttered pages with no clear focus. If everything is bold and attention grabbing, nothing actually stands out.
Take a fresh look at your site and ask yourself what you would change if you were seeing it for the first time.
Removing a few extra elements is often the quickest way to make your site look more polished.
Launch Checklist: Make Sure You’re Ready to Go Live
Before you officially share your site, take time to test it like a visitor.
Click every link and button to make sure they work. Test your forms and make sure messages actually reach your inbox.
Look for typos, spacing issues, and anything that feels off on both desktop and mobile.
Ask a trusted friend or customer to explore your site and tell you where they get confused or stuck.
You do not have to fix everything at once, but look for patterns in their feedback.
A short checklist and honest review can catch small problems before you promote your site widely, which helps you make a stronger first impression.
When to DIY and When to Call in Help
DIY is a great way to get started since you learn a lot about your own brand, and what your audience reacts to.
At some point, though, you might hit a ceiling. Maybe you want custom features, deeper SEO strategy, or a full rebrand that you do not have the time or skills to build yourself.
Knowing when to call in professional help is a sign of growth, not failure. If your website is starting to bring in real opportunities, it can be worth investing in a designer or agency to take it to the next level.
You can keep control of your message while letting experts handle the parts that feel overwhelming.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Making a website that stands out is not about being the flashiest or the most complicated, it is about being clear, consistent, and focused on the person you want to serve.
When you choose a simple structure, speak in human language, and show real visuals, you are already ahead of most DIY websites.
You do not have to fix everything today. Pick one section from this guide and apply it to your site right now, whether that is refining your home page headline, cleaning up your navigation, or improving your mobile view.
Small, steady improvements will make your website feel more like you and more compelling to the people you most want to reach.