Why Your Website Doesn’t Need to Look Like Everyone Else’s

There's a template for everything now. A formula for success. A "proven system" that promises if you just follow the steps, you'll have a thriving business and a beautiful website in 30 days or less.

But here's what no one tells you: when you build from someone else's blueprint, you end up with someone else's business.

Your website isn't just a digital storefront. It's not a box to check or a task to rush through between client calls. It's the foundation of how you show up online, and if it doesn't feel like you, it won't serve you the way it should.

The problem with template culture in web design

The online business world has become saturated with look-alike websites. Same layouts. Same messaging formulas. Same "above the fold" hero sections with the same calls to action.

Walk through any industry right now and you'll see it. Coaches with nearly identical homepages. Photographers with the same portfolio layouts. Service providers using the same "work with me" language. I’ve even noticed web designers having very similar content; phrasing and nearly the same photos!

And while templates can be helpful starting points, they've created a culture where everyone's website feels the same. Being different is actually a good thing, remember that.

When your ideal client is scrolling through Google search results or clicking through referrals, they're not looking for another cookie-cutter site. They're looking for someone who gets them. Someone whose values align with theirs. Someone who feels different.

That's what an intentional, authentic website gives you. It sets you apart not through flashy design tricks, but through genuine alignment between who you are and how you show up online.

Think about the last time you landed on a website that made you stop scrolling. It probably wasn't because it followed all the "rules." It was because something about it felt real. Personal. Like an actual human created it with intention.

That's what we're building toward.

What makes a website feel authentic

An authentic website isn't about being different for the sake of being different. It's about being true to who you actually are and what you actually offer.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

Your brand voice matches how you actually speak. If you're warm and conversational in real life, your website copy should reflect that. If you're more direct and grounded, that should come through too. Your voice shouldn't sound like it was written by someone else or generated by AI copying the latest copywriting trends.

When someone reads your website and then meets you (on a discovery call, at an event, in your DMs), there shouldn't be a disconnect. The person they encountered online should match the person they're talking to now.

Your visual design reflects your aesthetic preferences. Not what's trending on Pinterest. Not what your competitor is doing. What actually resonates with you. The colors that make you feel grounded. The fonts that feel timeless to you. The imagery style that represents your work honestly.

If you're drawn to minimal, clean design, your website should reflect that. If you love rich, layered visuals, that should come through. Your design choices should feel like an extension of you, not a costume you're wearing to fit in.

Your messaging is clear about who you serve. Generic messaging that tries to appeal to everyone ends up resonating with no one. When you're specific about who you help and how you help them, the right people recognize themselves in your words.

Instead of "I help women feel empowered," try "I help mid-career professionals transition from corporate burnout to sustainable self-employment." The second one immediately tells someone whether you're for them or not.

Your website structure serves your actual business model. A photographer's portfolio site should function differently than a coach's service-based site. An online shop needs different elements than a local service provider. Your site should be built around how your clients actually find you, evaluate you, and work with you.

Don't force your business into someone else's website structure just because it's what you've seen others do. Build for how you actually work.

Slow down before you build (or rebuild)

Most people come to me ready to dive straight into design. They've got their color palette picked out on Canva. They've been scrolling Pinterest for hours saving inspiration. They want their site live yesterday.

I always ask them to pause.

Because before you choose fonts or write your homepage copy, you need to get clear on what you're actually building. Not what looks good. Not what's trending. What feels true.

This pre-design work is what I call getting into alignment, and it's the most important part of the entire website process. It's also the part most people skip.

We're conditioned to move fast. To launch quickly. To get visible before we're ready. But rushing into a website build before you're clear on your foundation means you'll either end up with something that doesn't feel right, or you'll be redesigning in six months because you've outgrown what you built.

There's another way.

Questions to ask before you start designing

These questions might feel simple, but sitting with them honestly will transform how you approach your website. Don't just skim through them. Actually journal on them. Sit with them over a few days.

What do I want my business to feel like?

Not look like. Feel like. When someone interacts with your brand, what emotional experience are you creating?

Calm and grounded? Energized and inspired? Warm and welcoming? Clear and professional? Earthy and organic? Refined and elevated?

Your answer to this question should guide every decision you make, from your color palette to your font choices to the pace of your homepage.

Who am I really here to serve?

Get specific. Not "wellness professionals" but "somatic therapists who are transitioning from insurance-based practices to private pay." Not "creative entrepreneurs" but "wedding photographers who want to attract luxury clients in the Pacific Northwest."

The more specific you are, the more magnetic your messaging becomes. When someone lands on your site and thinks "this is exactly for me," that's the power of specificity.

What do I want people to experience when they land on my site?

Should they feel immediately at ease, like they've found someone who gets them? Should they be impressed by your expertise and credentials? Should they feel understood and seen? Should they feel invited into a calm, intentional space?

Your answer shapes everything from your hero section to your imagery choices to how much white space you use.

How do I want to show up?

Not how you think you should show up based on what everyone else is doing. How do you want to show up?

Do you want to be seen as the expert, the guide, the fellow traveler? Do you want to lead with your story or with your results? Do you want to be approachable or aspirational?

There's no wrong answer here. There's only what's true for you.

What makes my approach different?

This isn't about manufacturing uniqueness. It's about identifying what's already true about how you work that sets you apart.

Maybe it's your background. Maybe it's your process. Maybe it's your philosophy about your industry. Maybe it's the way you combine two different areas of expertise.

Whatever it is, name it. Because that difference is what will make your website stand out.

What season of business am I in right now?

Your website for your first year in business will look different than your website after five years. And that's okay.

If you're just starting out, you don't need every bell and whistle. You need clarity and a way for people to work with you.

If you're established, your site should reflect your expertise and the level of clients you're attracting.

Build for where you are now, not where you think you should be or where you hope to be in three years. Your website can grow with you.

Building from the inside out: The foundation of intentional web design

A website built on clarity will always outperform one built on urgency. Always.

When you know who you are and what you're offering, your site becomes a magnet instead of a megaphone. You're not shouting into the void hoping someone hears you. You're creating a space that the right people naturally find their way to.

This is what I mean by mindful business. It's not about perfection or having everything figured out. It's about building something that's aligned with who you are right now, and giving yourself permission to let it grow as you do.

The three layers of intentional website design:

1. Foundation layer: Your values and vision.

This is the internal work. Who are you? What do you stand for? What do you want your business to be? What do you not want it to be?

This layer isn't visible on your website, but everything else is built on top of it. When this foundation is solid, every other decision becomes easier.

2. Brand layer: How you translate your values into visual and verbal identity.

This includes your brand voice, your messaging, your color palette, your fonts, your imagery style. This is where your internal clarity becomes external expression.

Your brand is the bridge between who you are and how people experience you.

3. Design layer: The actual structure and functionality of your website.

This is where your pages, navigation, user experience, and visual layout come together. This is what people see and interact with.

But here's the thing: if you skip layers one and two and jump straight to layer three, you end up with a pretty website that doesn't quite work. It looks good in screenshots, but it doesn't convert. It doesn't feel right. It doesn't attract the clients you actually want.

Most people start with layer three and wonder why their website doesn't feel aligned. When you build from the inside out, everything clicks into place.

Why authentic websites perform better (even according to Google)

Here's something most people don't realize: Google's algorithm has gotten sophisticated enough to recognize authentic, valuable content.

The search engine has moved away from rewarding keyword-stuffed, SEO-hack content. Instead, they prioritize what they call E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

What does this mean for your website?

Original content ranks better than templated content. If your site sounds like everyone else's, Google has no reason to rank you higher than the dozens of other sites saying the same thing. When your content is genuinely yours (your perspective, your voice, your unique take), it has a better chance of standing out in search results.

Authentic messaging leads to better engagement metrics. When people land on your site and it resonates with them, they stay longer. They click through to other pages. They read your about page. They explore your services. They don't immediately bounce back to Google.

These engagement signals tell search engines your site is valuable and relevant. Better engagement means better rankings over time.

Clear, specific content answers real search queries. When you write authentically about who you serve and how you help them, you naturally use the language your ideal clients are searching for.

You don't need to stuff keywords or write for robots. When you write clearly for humans about what you actually do, SEO follows.

You don't have to be everywhere to be visible

One of the biggest myths in online business is that you need to be on every platform, posting every day, staying "relevant" to stay visible.

Instagram. TikTok. Pinterest. LinkedIn. YouTube. Threads. Bluesky. The list keeps growing, and the pressure to show up everywhere is exhausting.

But your website can do the heavy lifting if you let it.

When your site is clear, intentional, and optimized, it works for you while you're living your life. It shows up in search results when someone types in exactly what you offer. It answers questions your ideal clients are asking at 11pm on a Sunday. It builds trust without you having to perform for an algorithm.

The website-first marketing approach:

Instead of building your business on rented land (social media platforms you don't own and can't control), build it on your own foundation: your website.

Then use other platforms strategically if and when they serve you, always directing people back to your home base.

This means:

• Your website is where your best content lives

• Your SEO strategy brings organic traffic to your site

• Your email list (which you own) keeps you connected to people who've found you

• Social media, if you use it at all, directs people to your website rather than trying to convert them on the platform

This approach is more sustainable. More aligned. And less dependent on platforms that could change their rules or disappear tomorrow.

What this looks like in practice: Real examples

Let me share what intentional, authentic websites look like in action:

The coach who ditched the "transformation" template:

Most coaching websites follow the same formula. Big promises. Before-and-after transformations. Urgency-driven copy that makes you feel like you need to sign up now or miss out forever.

One of my clients decided to take a completely different approach. Her site is calm, reflective, and honest about the slow, deep work of personal growth. She doesn't promise quick fixes or overnight transformations. She talks about the messy middle of change and the courage it takes to do real work.

And because of that clarity and honesty, she attracts clients who are ready for exactly that kind of work. Her conversion rate is actually higher than when she was using more typical coaching language, because the wrong people filter themselves out early. The people who book calls with her are already aligned.

The photographer who built around her process, not her portfolio:

Instead of a traditional portfolio site where the work is the star, this client structured her website around her unique approach to client experience.

Her homepage explains her philosophy about photography as documentation, not performance. Her about page shares her journey and why she shoots the way she does. Her services page walks through her process in detail, from the initial consultation to the final gallery delivery.

Yes, her portfolio is there. But it's not the main attraction. The experience is.

Result? She books clients who value her approach as much as her aesthetic. They come to her specifically because of how she works, not just because they like her photos. And those clients are easier to work with because they understand and appreciate her process from day one.

The service provider who optimized for search, not social:

This client was exhausted from Instagram. The constant posting, the engagement pressure, the algorithm anxiety. She decided to stop.

Instead of posting daily to social media, she invested that time and energy into creating valuable blog content optimized for the questions her ideal clients were actually searching for on Google.

She wrote detailed guides. She answered common questions. She shared her expertise generously. She optimized each post thoughtfully for search without sacrificing her natural voice.

Six months later, she's getting more qualified leads from Google than she ever got from Instagram. And those leads are warmer because they've already read her content. They already trust her expertise. They're ready to work with her.

Her business is more sustainable, her stress is lower, and her revenue is higher. All because she built her strategy around her website instead of social media.

How to know if your website is authentic (or just trendy)

Here's a simple test: Read your website copy out loud. Does it sound like you? Could you say these words to a potential client in a real conversation without cringing?

If the answer is no, your website might be following a template or trend instead of reflecting who you actually are.

Other signs your website might not be authentic:

• You used a copywriting formula but the words don't feel like yours

• You're embarrassed to show your site to people you know personally

• You copied competitor websites a little too closely

• Your messaging changes based on what's currently popular in your industry

• You can't explain your design choices beyond "I saw it on Pinterest"

• Your about page could belong to anyone in your field

None of this is a moral failing. It's just a sign that you might need to slow down and reconnect with what actually feels true for you.

Permission to build differently

You have permission to build a website that doesn't follow all the rules.

You have permission to have a longer homepage if that's what your business needs. You have permission to skip the "work with me" language if it doesn't feel right. You have permission to use a simple layout instead of a flashy one.

You have permission to take your time getting your site right instead of rushing to launch.

You have permission to invest in the foundational work before you start designing.

You have permission to build something that feels like home instead of something that looks like everyone else's house.

Your website is yours. Make it feel that way.

Where to start if you're ready to build authentically

If you're reading this and thinking "okay, I want to build a website that actually feels like me, but I don't know where to start," here's what I'd suggest:

Start with the questions. Go back to those questions earlier in this post. Actually sit with them. Journal on them. Talk them through with someone who knows you and your business well. Don't move forward until you have clarity.

Audit your current site (if you have one). Read through your website as if you're a potential client seeing it for the first time. What feels authentic? What feels borrowed or templated? What would you change if you weren't worried about following the "rules"?

Gather inspiration mindfully. Save websites you love, but don't just look at what they're doing visually. Ask yourself why you're drawn to them. What is it about their approach that resonates? How can you capture that essence in your own way without copying?

Get support for the inner work. The clarity piece is hard to do alone. Whether it's a program like my Aligned mini-course, working with a coach, or just creating dedicated space for this work, give yourself structure and support for this part.

Build in phases. You don't have to rebuild your entire site at once. Start with your homepage. Or start with your about page. One page built with intention is worth more than five pages that follow a template.

Your website doesn't need to look like everyone else's. In fact, it's better for your business if it doesn't.

When you build from a foundation of clarity, when you let your site reflect who you actually are instead of who you think you should be, something shifts. The right people find you. The work gets easier. Your marketing feels less like performance and more like invitation.

That's what intentional web design can do. And it starts with permission to slow down and build differently.