You want to create a new website, but every time you sit down to get started, you stare at a blank screen. The cursor flashes on and off, taunting you. Blink blink blink… You think about all the details you’ll have to tackle. Where to begin? 

I’ve seen this scenario play out many times over the years in various ways. It can be a daunting prospect to build or revamp an outdated website. Even with the magic of modern technology that should make things easier, managing an unfamiliar process feels overwhelming. So many webpages to draft, so many frustrating technology issues to wrestle into submission. 

We easily get stuck in analysis paralysis, putting that website off in favor of literally anything else.

The Site in Six Days methodology

After building hundreds of websites with clients for many years, I created a methodology called Site in Six Days to streamline the website creation process.

The goal wasn’t to help people build the “perfect” website. Instead, this approach helps to build a solid, working website as quickly as possible — one that they can launch this week, not next month or next year. A website they can learn from and continue to improve over time. Most importantly, a site that showcases their organization’s unique value to their audience in a simple and clear way.

One of the foundational premises is to give yourself permission to create what writer Anne Lamott famously calls “shitty first drafts” — something that captures your ideas and gets you ready to flow.

Six stages to launch

Here’s the Site in Six Days approach in a nutshell:

Planning

Define what you’re building and why. Using the One-Page Site Plan (soon to be published here!), you’ll clarify your goals, identify your primary audience, map out your basic site structure, and determine what functionality you need. This stage prevents scope creep and keeps your project focused on essential elements.

Backend setup

Set up the technical foundations for your site — first, choosing your content management system, or CMS. I recommend WordPress for most organizations, though other platforms might be right for your needs. Next, select and register your domain name, sign up for hosting, and follow the setup prompts for your CMS. These tasks might sound intimidating if you haven’t done them before, but there are some straightforward steps to follow.

Content

With your foundation in place, write your initial text content and gather media like images and videos. You don’t need everything perfect yet — just enough to populate your key pages and tell your story. I’d argue this is the most important stage, as people will visit your site for the right content, not just for a nice looking design.

Design

If you don’t already have brand guidelines, at this stage, you’ll choose your color scheme, select typography, and shop for a CMS theme or template that fits your goals. Follow the prompts in your theme to customize the site to match your brand. 

Functionality

Add the crucial features your site needs to deliver value to your audience, such as contact forms, event calendars, or integrations with other tools like donation management. You’ll install and configure plugins, then test everything across different browsers and devices.

Launch

Final testing, last-minute tweaks, and then you’re live. Let your audience know about the new site on your comms channels of choice, sit back and give yourself some time to celebrate the launch. You’ve got yourself a functioning website, way to go!

Each stage builds logically on the previous one, keeping you focused and minimizing the feeling of overwhelm from trying to do everything at once.

Keep building and improving

Modern website platforms like WordPress are designed to make it easy to constantly refine your website. Now that you’ve got something live, you can learn what works with your audience and what doesn’t. You can add new pages, new sections, and new features at any point. 

So give yourself six days. Follow the process. Build something real — this week. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you stop planning the perfect website and start building a good one.

Ready to get started? In upcoming articles, we’ll dive deeper into each stage of the process, sharing specific tips and techniques to help you overcome common obstacles and create a website that truly serves your mission.

And if you need any help along the way, get in touch — we’re here to support you!