Hate Sharing Your Website? It’s Probably the Template

There’s a particular kind of frustration that hits when you’ve outgrown your starter website — you know it, but you don’t know how to fix it.

You log in and feel… nothing. Or worse, kinda embarrassed.

It’s not broken. Technically, it works. It loads. The links click. But it doesn’t sound like you. It doesn’t show who you are or what it’s actually like to work with you.

It’s just... generic. Template-y. Safe. And that’s not doing you any favors.

I see this all the time with coaches and service providers who are doing great work, making real money, and still stuck with a website that feels like a high school group project — the kind where everyone threw their piece in the night before and hoped it passed. And hey, it did get you here, that’s not nothing. But it’s not getting you much further.

You might recognize it if…

You quietly dread sending people to your website — so you default to referrals, Instagram, or hoping someone just DMs you out of the blue.
You avoid updating it, even when you launch something new, because the backend is messy or the design never really felt right in the first place.
You’re not proud of it. It feels like a box you had to check — not a tool that actually works for your business.

If any of that feels familiar, you’re not alone. And you’re not doing anything wrong.

You’ve just hit the ceiling of what DIY templates can do.

Templates get sold like a magic fix: plug in your content, hit publish, and boom — instant legitimacy.

But the truth is… templates only get you so far. And once your business grows up a little, those same templates start holding you back.

Here’s why:

They weren’t built for your offers, voice, or vibe.
They force your content to squeeze into someone else’s layout.
They look slick in the demo, but fall flat the second you drop in your real stuff.

Worst of all? Everyone else is using them, too. So your site ends up looking just like every other coach’s — and it becomes that much harder to stand out or be remembered.

The good news?

You’re not stuck.
You don’t need to be a designer.
You don’t need to burn it all down and do a complete rebrand.

You just need a better filter — and a smarter way to show up.

Here’s how.

Step 1: Define Your Brand Personality

(The real one, not the fake polished version)

This is the part most people skip — the who are you, really? part.

Not your title. Not your niche. Not your “I help” statement.

But who you actually are when you’re doing your best work — and what it feels like to be in a room with you.

Because here’s the deal: if your brand doesn’t feel like you, it probably isn’t working for you either. Your site ends up being “fine” — but forgettable. And if people don’t remember you, they don’t hire you.

One of the biggest myths out there is that you should build your brand entirely around what your ideal client wants.

Yes, of course — you want to consider your audience.

But you’re not a faceless brand. You’re a coach, a strategist, a human. Running a solo business. People aren’t just hiring your service — they’re hiring you.

If your site is clean and professional but tells them nothing about you? They’ll forget it five minutes after they click away.

You’re allowed to bring your personality to the table. You need to if you want your brand to feel like a real person, not a brochure.

So let’s get specific.

Instead of trying to pick a vibe based on what looks good in Canva, ask yourself:

What do clients actually say after working with me?
What tone do I naturally use in content — direct? playful? grounded? spicy?
What parts of me are already present in how I talk, write, or show up — even if I didn’t do it on purpose?

Then pick 3–5 adjectives that feel honest. Not aspirational. Not polished. Just true. Use those as your baseline.

Everything that follows should reinforce your brand adjectives. Every social post, every client call, every email. But, because you chose words that describe you being you, it will happen naturally. You don’t have to think about how to represent your brand, just be you.

Why this works:

When your brand feels like you, you’re not performing. You’re not constantly second-guessing. You’re not watching what everyone else is doing and wondering if you should copy that too.

You have a reference point. A filter. A direction.

Inside Storycraft, this is where we start. You’ll fill out a no-fluff questionnaire that helps me understand who you are and how you want to show up. That becomes your foundation, not the latest Insta trend.

Step 2: Make Design Decisions with Purpose

(No more slapping sage green on it and hoping for the best)

Now that you’ve got a grip on your brand personality, it’s time to translate that into design — with intention.

This is where a lot of people freeze. They don’t want to get it “wrong,” so they play it safe. They go neutral. Trendy. Pinterest-core.

But here’s the thing: if your design choices don’t connect to your actual vibe, they’ll end up looking pretty… and forgettable.

Let’s break this down:

Color

Color sets the tone. It tells people how to feel.

But most people pick their palette by scrolling Pinterest and grabbing whatever’s trending. (You know the drill — dusty rose, sage green, beige, repeat.)

Instead, here’s a better way:

Find a photo you feel emotionally connected to — a family photo, your honeymoon spot, a beloved pet, it can be anything. Drop it into a free tool like Adobe Color and let it pull a palette from that image.

Experiment with different color harmonies and photos until you find a combination that feels right and complements your brand adjectives. Now your colors are rooted in emotion — and actually make sense for your brand.

You use dusty rose because that’s what your bridesmaids wore, not because it’s trendy.

People can feel that difference. You’re not picking “what converts.” You’re picking what fits.

Typography

Fonts also carry tone.

A bold, all-caps sans-serif gives a totally different vibe than a soft, high-contrast serif. So if your brand is calm and cozy but your site is shouting in tech-bro typefaces, something’s off.

Combining fonts can be tricky. You want them to have common elements without looking the same. It’s simplest to use one font for everything and then vary the size, weight, and kerning (the space between letters) to create visual hierarchy and interest.

If you do want to mix fonts, here’s a simple way to approach it:

One font for body text
One for headings
Optional third for accents (buttons, nav, etc.) — or re-use the heading font

Keep it cohesive. If you don’t know why a font is there, cut it.

Pro tip: when searching for fonts, type in how you want them to feel. “Approachable serif fonts,” “playful sans-serif,” etc. It’ll save you hours.

Imagery

Your images matter. They set expectations for your quality and vibe in seconds.

But most people treat them like filler.

If your site is full of random stock photos, it’s time to tighten it up.

Pick a consistent look — moody, bright, vintage, whatever — and stay within that style. If you can, apply a consistent filter or tone so the images feel like they belong together.

No brand shoot? No problem. Just be intentional with the stock images you use. Avoid the cringey fake photos (you know the ones) and opt for ones that look natural and fit your vibe.

Why this works:

Color, typography, and imagery all set the visual tone for your website. In fact, they make the first impression in just 50 milliseconds. How your website looks matters tremendously.

If we’re doing a rebrand inside Storycraft, I take your personality (and brand adjectives) and translate it directly into design. You don’t have to worry about which font says “playful yet professional” — that’s my job. You’re not stuck second-guessing whether something “feels right.” It either aligns with your foundation… or it doesn’t.

Step 3: Add a Quirk

(This is where you stand out)

If you take nothing else from this post, take this:
Your quirk is not a liability. It’s your edge.

In a sea of sites that all blend together, personality is what sticks.

And no — it doesn’t have to be loud or zany. It just has to be yours.

Think about the people whose websites you actually remember. It’s probably because of one clear detail — a tone, a weird reference, a visual thread — that made them different.

That’s your quirk.

For me? It’s cats. They’re everywhere on my site — and not just because I like them (I do, though). They’re part of the brand world I’ve built. They create a mood. They make my people smile. Besides, cats rule the internet, so they’re the perfect mascot for a web design business.

For you, maybe it’s:

A visual motif (mushrooms, stars, Tarot, neon)
Inside jokes or Easter eggs in your copy
Funny button labels or microcopy
A weird obsession that finds its way into your icons

It doesn’t have to be cute. It doesn’t have to be funny. It doesn’t even have to be that weird.

It just has to be true.

That said, don’t force it. If you’re more reserved, keep it subtle and in line with your comfort-level. The quirk doesn’t need to be bold or in your face to be effective.

Why this works:

People want to work with humans — not AI-flavored, beige-brand templates. A little quirk is memorable. A little quirk attracts your people.

So if you’ve been holding back out of fear it’s “not professional,” here’s your permission to add it in.

In Storycraft, we’ll tease out your quirk together. I’ll then figure out how to incorporate it (tastefully) in a way that feels genuine and memorable.

You Might Be Wondering…

“How do I know what my brand personality even is?”

Start by collecting how people describe you — not just clients, but friends and peers too.

Then write how you want to be perceived.

Circle the overlap. Choose 3–5 words from there.

Still stuck? Try this prompt:
“If your brand were a person at a dinner party, what would they be like?”

“What besides visuals makes a brand feel like me?”

Voice. Every time.

If your copy sounds like it was stitched together from stock phrases or ChatGPT outputs, people will bounce. Fast.

Your site should sound like you. If someone reads it and then hops on a call, the vibe should match.

Also: don’t underestimate microcopy — buttons, error messages, 404 pages, confirmation screens. Tiny words, big impact.

TL;DR: Stop Looking Like Everyone Else

Let’s recap.

Get clear on who you are and how you want to show up
Make design choices that support that, not whatever’s trending
Add something that makes your site feel like a real person lives there

You don’t have to be a designer to pull this off. You just need a filter and a little backbone to use it.

And when you do?

You get a website that finally:

Feels like you
Attracts the right people
And pulls its weight in your business

Need Help? This Is What I Do.

If you’re nodding along but feeling overwhelmed — I hear you.

That’s exactly why I created Storycraft — a done-for-you website and brand process built for solo coaches and service providers who are ready to ditch DIY and finally build something that fits.

It includes: