Investing in your website can be costly. But if you want your readers and advertisers to invest in you, you need to make an investment.

After making the decision to start redesigning you may find that the cost is outside of your current budget. This may make you feel that you need to put off your redesign or not do it at all. But before you put off your new look consider this:

Consider slowly investing in your design. When you look into breaking the design down piece by piece you will find that you can slowly afford an amazing design.

Before you Start

Just as Leo Babauta talks about branding your blog’s personality as a whole in Branding 101, you need to think about how your new look  represents you also. Really draw a picture in your head of what you want and what really represents you and your blog.

You want to look at your design from the start as a whole, not as each element as you invest, because in the end you want it all to fit together seemlessly. You will also want to make sure you use the same designer throughout your design.

Picking your Designer

That brings us to our next step which is to find a designer that fits you and your style. You can do this by interviewing them, checking out their previous work and asking for a mock up.

One of things to ask while interviewing them is if they would be willing to spread your project out and how they would recommend going about this.

Don’t skimp on your choice of designer just because of their prices. A true professional designer is going to have a high prices due to their skill level, their education, their investment in computers and programs, and their demand. But you will see something different in a designer that is charging a premium price. They are going to spend the time to get to know you and your product and your vision. They are going to give you a premium product that will amaze you and your readers.

Breaking up the Cost

So how do you break up a new design?

You can break each element out and spread them apart to help you make your slow invest. You can get the prices for each element from your designer and how they would prefer to break it up.

A good example of how you can break up your design is to first invest in a professional logo, then a blog header, maybe a twitter background and a facebook page, and then finally a customized theme.

Logo Design – Your logo is going to be used on everything from your site to your business cards and it will nail down the feel of  the rest of your design.

Header Design – You may actually find that you don’t need a header design when you are planning your overall design. Some magazine themes and professional sites are now mainly using their logos as a header and leaving more room for content on their site. This is one reason it is a good idea to have a plan before you start.

Twitter Background and/or Facebook Page – When planning out your overall look think about the different elements you will need for your site and each piece that you will need. I highly recommend you have all your social media match the design and feel of your site.

A Customized Theme – You have lots of different options when it comes to your theme for you blog. Learn about the different levels of investment you can make in your theme design in my previous article, Beauty vs Budget.

As you purchase each piece of the design make sure you are saving up for the theme design, because this will be the largest investment. But this way you will be able to slowly make the changes to your site, your readers will see your investment and start recognizing your new brand!

Payment Plans

Another option to consider is payment plans. Ask the designer that you are interested in if they would be willing to take your project on with a payment plan.

They may do this in a few different ways. They may wait to start the design until you have paid in full or half down. They may be willing to design while you make your payments but will not release the files until everything has been paid.

Make the Plunge

When you are ready to take your site to the next level make sure that you choose a professional designer and don’t be afraid of their prices. Because you will be surprised at your return on your investment if you make the plunge. A truly well designed site will drive in the readers and investors as you would never have imagined.

If you feel that a professional designer that you love is out of reach think again and consider your options and consider slowly investing into you new design.

More Questions?

I’m always happy to help with questions so feel free and ask here in the comments or email me at (unicornbeauty (@) gmail.com)

Yesterday was my first full day of just designing. I was doing it from the office so there were a few customer service things here and there, but I imagine this is pretty close to the real thing. The day went by so fast and I was having so much fun.

I only had a glitch when I realized I didn’t have the driver loaded for my wifi card. (That was because of the nasty virus I got earlier this month that made it so I had to completely wipe my computer clean.) Luckily my office was right next to Starbucks and my co-worker was happy to buy a gift card so I could get free wifi to download the driver. (One of the bad things about working next door to Starbucks she will probably go through the card in a day and a half. LOL)

After that it was pretty smooth sailing. I could so do this. I want to do this. This is just that much more motivation to keep building up my design business.

It’s nice to have a project to work on. I just feel like I have been getting nothing done. If I’m just surfing and doing research I just feel unaccomplished and overwhelmed. I have to have a goal that I am working towards or I just feel like I’m not working.

I’ve had one frustrating day. Everything has just been going so slow for me or just plain not working. We went out to do some chores and I thought. Oh, we are going to be near the Old Navy and going to target I should look for some summery shirts for work and my trip.

Well Target was bust I tried one thing on and hated it. Everything else was expensive. And to top it off Zaney was starting to get cranky. We had forgotten his shoes so he couldn’t walk and it was frustrating him. Then Zane threw TJ’s phone and broke it. So we rushed to the car where we could strap Zane in and investigate the phone (TJ got it working later, I wonder what a cell phone repairman makes?). I gave up on Old Navy and we finished our chores.

We got home and tried laying Zaney down for a nap. He didn’t want anything to do with it.

TJ took Zane to the car parts store with him to let me work on my digi-scrapbooking. Well the computer has decided that it wants to be slow again. And it’s trying to drive me crazy. I finally got it to work for me. So now you get your first free treat below.

TJ came home and laid Zaney down because he was nodding off. And TJ went to change the oil. Zaney must have woken up and he started talking to himself. We ussually let him talk to himself in his crib, so I let him stay there.

When TJ came up and was done with the oil change. Zaney was starting to cry. My mom called, we set up a time to take her out to eat tonight, and she informed me that the woman I met to offer my services as a web designer is considering having her nephew do it. Which was very disappointing to me. Tj reminded me he was leaving for his Saturday appointment. And all this together was just too much.

But at least I got this little one out to you. I created it with my little boy in mind. It has 12 sheets of 12×12 paper in 300dpi.

Download Here