Building a Website That Actually Markets Your Olympia Business
You invested in a beautiful website. The design is gorgeous. The images are perfect. Your color palette? Absolutely on point. But the phone's not ringing. Your inbox isn't filling up with inquiries. Visitors come to your site and... leave.
Sound familiar?
Here's the thing: most websites are digital brochures, not marketing tools. They sit there looking pretty but doing absolutely nothing to bring in clients. And if you're a solopreneur in the Olympia area trying to build a sustainable business, that's a problem.
I'm going to break down what it actually means to build a website that markets your business—not just one that sits there looking good but doing nothing.
What Does "Marketing" Actually Mean for a Website?
Ditch the corporate definition of marketing. I'm not talking about ad campaigns or "conversion funnels" or whatever the latest guru is selling.
When I say your website should market your business, I mean it should connect with people and invite them to work with you. That's it. No tricks, no manipulation, just genuine human connection that makes someone think, "Yes, this person gets me."
Your website should work while you're sleeping, while you're with clients, while you're living your life. It should be out there 24/7 showing potential clients that you understand what they're struggling with and that you have the skills to help them.
That's the difference between a portfolio site and a client-generating machine.
It’s about connection.
Your website should connect with people and invite them to work with you. No tricks, no manipulation, just genuine human connection that makes someone think, "Yes, this person gets me."
Why "Pretty" Isn't Enough (The Olympia Market Reality)
I worked with a coach from Canada whose previous designer had built her a gorgeous site. Aesthetically, it was lovely. But it had far more copy than most people on the internet will take time to read, and it didn’t reflect my client’s warm personality and ethics. It read more like a résumé than an invitation to connect.
She wasn't getting clients because no one could see her. They couldn't see how passionate she was, how much she cared. They didn't see a human—they saw a sales pitch.
Here in Olympia and the greater South Sound, we've got something special. Our community values authenticity. We care about supporting local businesses that align with our values. We're not impressed by corporate speak or “make six figures in six months” guru tactics.
What Olympia-area solopreneurs actually need from their websites is simple: trust, connection, and clarity.
Your ideal clients want to immediately understand what you do, feel like you get them, and trust that you can help. Pretty design alone won't do that. You need words that work as hard as your design does.
The Three Things Your Website Must Do to Market Your Business
If your website is going to actually bring in clients (not just look impressive), it needs to do three specific things:
Show you understand their problem. Not in a "here's my credentials" way, but in a "I see you, I've been there, I know what you're dealing with" way. Empathy first. Always. When someone lands on your site and immediately feels seen? That's when the magic starts. They'll actually stick around to learn more about how you can help.
Demonstrate you can help. Notice I said "demonstrate," not "claim." Anyone can say "I'm the best!" or "Trust me, I know what I'm doing!" But showing them takes proof. You can’t just talk the talk, you’ve gotta walk the walk. This is where your testimonials, your authentic voice, and your clear explanation of your process come in. You're not begging people to give you a chance. You're showing them exactly what working with you looks like and letting them decide if it's right for them.
Make it easy to take the next step. And I mean actually easy—not pestering them with pop-ups or high-pressure countdown timers. Just a clear, simple way to book a call, send an email, or whatever your next step is.
When you nail all three of these things, your website becomes a powerful marketing tool that attracts the right people and invites them to work with you.
Make it easy to take the next step
A perfect web page has one goal in mind — to lead visitors to the next step.
Building vs. Just Designing: What's the Difference?
A lot of solopreneurs think "web design" and "building a website" are the same thing. They're not.
Design is how your website looks. The colors, the fonts, the layout, the images. Yes, this matters! People make snap judgments based on visual design, and you want your site to feel professional and polished. Like it or not, people judge a book by its cover.
Building is how it works. It's the structure, the flow, the way your messaging is integrated with your design to guide people naturally toward becoming clients. It's making sure every element—every word, every button, every section—has a purpose. (In the biz, we call this UX, which stands for user experience.)
When design and building work together? That's when you get a website that actually markets your business.
When they're treated as separate things? You get a pretty site that doesn't convert. Or worse, you get functional copy stuck into a design that undercuts the message. Neither scenario helps you book clients.
Red Flags When Hiring a Web Designer in Olympia
If you're looking for someone to create your website, watch out for these warning signs:
They only talk about aesthetics. Look, I love beautiful design as much as anyone. But if your designer isn't asking about your business goals, your ideal clients, or your unique value proposition? They're building you a digital brochure, not a marketing tool.
They don't ask about your website copy. This is huge. If your designer just expects you to "fill in the text" or assumes the words will magically work with whatever design they create? Run. Design and messaging have to work together from the start.
They hand you the keys and disappear. You launch your site, and suddenly your designer is MIA. Got a question? Broke something while trying to update it? Too bad. This approach leaves you stranded and frustrated.
They focus on their process, not your needs. Cookie-cutter websites are everywhere. You know the ones—they all look vaguely the same, just with different colors and photos. Your business is unique. Your website should be too.
What to Look For Instead
When you're hiring someone to build your website, you want to find someone who:
Asks about your business goals, not just your color preferences. Sure, we'll talk about design. But first, let's talk about who you're trying to reach and what you want your website to accomplish. Someone who leads with strategy is someone who's thinking about your success.
Takes an integrated approach to design and messaging. Your words and your design should work together seamlessly. That means either working with someone who does both (hi!), or finding a designer and copywriter who collaborate closely throughout the entire process.
Offers ongoing support. Building a website shouldn't be a "good luck, you're on your own now" situation. Things come up. You'll have questions. Maybe you'll break something while trying to update your site. (It happens!) You want someone who's there to help you, even after launch.
Understands your market. Working with someone local who gets the Olympia community? That's valuable. We know what resonates here. We understand that our potential clients are looking for authenticity, not slick corporate marketing.
Your Website Should Work as Hard as You Do
Your website is an investment in your business growth. Not just something you "need to have," but a tool that actively brings in clients while you're doing literally anything else.
When you build a website that actually markets your business—one that connects with people, demonstrates your value, and makes it easy to work with you—you stop worrying about where your next client is coming from.
Clarity beats hype, every single time. Your website doesn't need to be the flashiest site on the internet. It needs to clearly show people that you understand them and that you can help.
If you're an Olympia-area solopreneur who's ready to stop treating your website like a business card and start using it as the powerful marketing tool it should be, let's talk. I'd love to help you build something that brings in the clients you deserve.
