How To Map Out Your Entire Website Before You Even Touch Squarespace
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Let me guess:
You've been staring at your Squarespace dashboard for the past hour, cursor blinking in that empty homepage text box, wondering what the heck you're supposed to write.
The problem isn't that you don't know your business. You do!
You could talk about what you do for hours over margs. But somehow, translating all that knowledge into website pages feels like trying to solve a puzzle without the picture on the box. (or even WITH the pictures on the box, if you’re anything like me).
Why Your Website Feels So Hard to Build
Most business owners approach website building with the best intentions.
They log into Squarespace, pick a template that kinda matches their businesses, and try to fill in the blanks.
Then reality smacks 'em right in the face.
What exactly should that homepage headline say? How much detail belongs on the services page? Should testimonials get their own section or be sprinkled throughout like confetti?
Before you know it, you're three hours deep into font choices while your actual message remains a hot jumbled mess. 😤
So here's what's happening: you're trying to build without a blueprint.
It's like attempting to construct a house by randomly nailing boards together. Sure, you might eventually create something that stands up, but it's going to take FOREVER and probbbably won't function the way you need it to.(And it'll look a bit wonky too.)
My Secret: Start with Strategy
When I build websites for clients, I never start with design. Seriously, never. Not colors, not fonts, not even templates.
Instead, I begin with what I call a "website workflow"; basically a strategic plan that maps out what your website needs to accomplish and how to structure it to meet those goals.
Once you know which pages you need, what each page should accomplish, and how they all connect to guide your visitors toward that "heck yes!" moment, everything else falls into place naturally.
The copy flows easier because you know its purpose.
The design decisions make sense because they support your goals.
Even those techy details become manageable when they're part of a bigger plan.
What Are the Core Pages Every Business Needs?
Let's get practical for a minute. While every business is unique, most small business websites still need the same foundational pages.
Your Homepage acts as the digital maître d', clearly communicating what you do and who you help- and what steps to take to get to the good stuff.
It's not about being clever or creative; it's about being clear as day.
Your About page is where visitors go to see if they connect with you. They want to know your story, but more importantly, they want to know how YOUR story relates to THIER needs. Can you help them? Do you get their struggles? This page builds that know-like-trust factor.
The Services or Products page explains what you offer and how it solves their specific problems. This isn't the place for boring feature lists or just a bunch of photos. Focus on outcomes and transformations. What will their life or business look like after working with you? What makes you different?
Your Contact page needs to make reaching out as simple as humanly possible. Include multiple ways to connect and set clear expectations about response times.
And if you're planning to blog (you should. Read why: Stop Putting Off Your Blog: 7 Benefits of Blogging For Your Business), that content shows your expertise while boosting your SEO.
But knowing what pages you need is only half the battle...
The Part Where Everyone Gets Stuck
Okay, so you know you need an About page. Fabulous! But then you sit down to write it and... crickets. Or worse, you write three paragraphs about your credentials that sound like a snooze-fest resume.
The cursor blinks.
You delete everything and try again.
Still not right.
Cue the frustration spiral.
This is where most DIY website projects go to die. You understand the pieces you need, but not how to structure them or what message each should convey.
It's frustrating because you KNOW your business inside and out. You help clients every day. But somehow, putting it into website copy feels like trying to explain quantum physics to your golden retriever.
The struggle is oh-so-real, and it's not because you're bad at writing or don't understand your business. It's because you're missing the strategic framework that tells you exactly what each section needs to accomplish. (See? Not your fault!)
Building Your Website Workflow
A strategic workflow breaks down each page into specific sections w/ clear purposes. Instead of facing a blank page labeled "About," you'd know to a T what elements belong there and in what order.
For example, your homepage might include:
Hero section with a clear headline
Problem section addressing those keep-you-up-at-night pain points
Solution section showing how you swoop in like a superhero
Credibility indicators & trust builders (testimonials, credentials, the whole shebang)
Clear call-to-action that makes 'em wanna click
See how that's WAY more actionable than "write homepage copy"?
This systematic approach transforms an overwhelming mountain into a series of totally doable molehills. Each section has a job to do, and once you know what that job is, filling in the content becomes so. much. easier.
Try This Quickie Exercise
Here's something interesting to notice:
Pull up three websites in your industry that you think work well.
Take a few minutes to scope out:
What pages do they have?
How is their navigation organized?
What's the first thing that grabs your eyeballs on their homepage?
You'll probably spot some patterns. Most successful websites follow similar structures because certain frameworks just work better than others. (We're not reinventing the wheel here, friends.)
But notice how even with similar structures, each site feels different? That's because good websites adapt proven frameworks to fit their specific business, audience, and goals.
A photographer's About page serves a different purpose than a consultant's, even though they might both have one.
This is why copying someone else's site never quite works. The structure might be similar, but the strategy behind it needs to be YOURS.
The Magic of Having a System
When you have a proper workflow guiding your website creation, something kinda magical happens. The overwhelm poof disappears. Instead of wondering what to write or where to put things, you're just following a proven structure.
It's the difference between being handed a blank canvas with zero instruction, and being given a paint-by-numbers guide that still lets you choose your colors. Both can create beautiful results, but one provides the framework you need to succeed (without wanting to shut your laptop down and throw it in the sea).
This doesn't mean your website will be generic or cookie-cutter. Your unique voice, story, brand, messaging, and offerings still shine through. The workflow simply makes sure that everything is organized in a way that makes sense to your visitors and guides them toward taking action.
Common Pitfalls in DIY Website Building (AKA What NOT to Do)
Even with good intentions, people often stumble in predictable ways:
Starting with the homepage
It seems logical, but it's actually the hardest page to write. Begin with your services or about page to build momentum. Trust me on this one.Trying to appeal to everyone
When you attempt to speak to all possible clients, you end up connecting with exactly zero. Focus on YOUR people.Writing pages in isolation
Your website should flow like a good book, not stand-alone essays.Forgetting the user journey
Every page should guide visitors toward a specific action. Without this focus, visitors get lost and bounce faster than you can say "conversion rate optimization.".
Building a website doesn't have to feel like climbing Mount Everest (or even Mount Hood).
With the right workflow guiding you, you can create something professional & effective, without months of frustration.
The key is having a system that adapts to YOUR specific business while providing the structure you need to move forward confidently. When you know exactly what belongs on each page and why, the actual creation process becomes manageable- dare I say it- even enjoyable.
Want to skip the trial-and-error thing?
I've created a free Website Workflow AI Prompt that helps you map out your entire site structure and content plan.
It basically takes your business info and creates a full website plan for you. It’ll generate your sitemap, write draft copy (to be replaced by you) for every page (headlines, body text, CTAs), and organize it all by section. Also includes content suggestions and design ideas. It's basically giving you a complete website framework with placeholder content you can easily build from.
Grab it here 👇
