Website Branding 101: What You Need (and What You Don’t) to Get Started
Branding doesn’t have to be the hardest part of building your business or website, but it does need to be intentional.If you’re here, it’s probably because you’re in that early stage of getting your business out into the world. Maybe you’re a few clients in, or maybe you're still staring at a blank Squarespace template and wondering if "coming soon" counts as a strategy.
You’ve probably read that you need a logo, fonts, brand colors, tone of voice, story, vibe, vision board, and a strategy for showing up on six different platforms.
You don’t. Not all at once. And not before you figure out the parts that actually drive your brand forward.
Let’s walk through what you do need — based on how we have guided branding projects for over a decade — and what you can leave on the shelf until later.
First: What Even Is a Brand?
Your brand isn’t your logo. It’s not your fonts. It’s not how clean your Instagram grid looks.
Your brand is your business’s identity. It’s how people understand who you are, what you do, and why they should choose you. It’s built from a combination of clear messaging, visual consistency, and the way you show up — across your site, your content, and your client experience.
What You Don’t Need to Start
Let’s simplify.
Branding is important, but it’s also an area where people spin their wheels trying to get everything right before they launch. That can lead to delays, overdesign, and copy that reads like it was written for a pitch meeting instead of actual humans.
To be clear: You do not need a full brand book, ten logo variations, a three-part mission statement, or a color palette inspired by seasonal citrus.
You also don’t need a huge budget or months of development. You just need clarity and a few core building blocks.
Getting started: Clarify the Offer + Client
Before we talk visuals or even words, we need to get specific about what you do and who it’s for. Every brand build starts here — because if you don’t know what you’re offering and who needs it, nothing else matters.
Start with:
What problem are you solving?
Who are you solving it for?
What makes your approach different or helpful?
When this is clear, everything else — your copy, your design, your site structure — has a direction.
Name, Tagline, and Core Messaging
Once your offer is grounded, it’s time to define your brand’s core identity.
Brand Name - 5 things to consider
A good brand name does a few things:
It’s memorable
It’s easy to say and spell
It hints at what you do or how you do it
It’s available in the ways that matter to you
That last part? Huge. A name you love is great — but not if someone else already trademarked it, owns the domain, or is actively using the same name in your industry.
Here’s what to focus on when naming your brand:
1. Keep it Simple
You don’t need a genius-level pun or an obscure reference to make a great brand name. What you need is clarity.
If someone sees your name in a link, on a flyer, or hears it in conversation, will they remember it? Can they type it into Google without asking, “Is that with a ‘y’ or an ‘i’?” Will Google autocorrect your brand name?
Clarity > cleverness. Always.
2. Check the Domain
Before you fall in love with a name, see if you can buy the domain.
The easiest option is to use Squarespace’s domain search tool.
Try to grab the .com if you can, especially if you’re a service provider or product-based business. If it’s taken, check what’s on that site — sometimes it’s just a parked domain someone’s sitting on. If it’s being used for something unrelated, it might still be workable.
Alternative domain endings like .co, .net, or .shop, are valid options too, especially for creatives or e-commerce. Just make sure it still feels credible and doesn’t make your email address look sketchy.
3. Check Social Handles
Even if you’re not planning to use all platforms right away, it’s worth checking if your name (or a close version) is available on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
Use Namechkr to search all platforms at once.
You don’t need to own every handle variation — but you want to avoid launching as “@RootStudio” only to find there’s another Root Studio doing the exact same thing on another platform.
If your name is taken, try:
Adding your name or location (e.g.,
@RootStudioPDX)Adding a descriptor (e.g.,
@RootStudioDesign)Using a different format across platforms — but keeping your brand name consistent in bios and site copy
For example, Template Town is @templatetownsquare as there are no less thatn one billion “template town” handles, all seemingly ran, or not ran, by ghosts. So square it is!
4. Check for Trademarks
A trademark search is important if you plan to grow your brand, especially if you're in a competitive industry or planning to trademark the name yourself someday.
You can run a free basic search using the USPTO Trademark Search Tool (TESS).
Here’s how:
Search “Basic Word Mark Search”
Type in your brand name
Look for anything registered in your same industry (aka “class of goods or services”)
If someone already has a similar name trademarked for the same kind of business, it’s safer to pivot now than to get hit with a cease-and-desist later.
This is especially true for product-based businesses, digital products, or anyone selling across state lines.
5. Trust That You Can Pivot Later
Here’s a secret: most brands you love probably didn’t start with the perfect name. And some of them rebranded later with zero issues. Your name is important, but it’s also something you can evolve with. Don’t let indecision stall your launch for six months.
Choose something that feels clear, intentional, and flexible enough to grow with you. You can refine your visual identity or messaging later. Right now, your job is to start.
Tagline
Your tagline is the sentence that sits right under your brand name and instantly tells people what you're about. It doesn’t need to be poetic or packed with buzzwords, it just needs to click. Think of it like your homepage headline: short, clear, and confident.
The best taglines quickly answer the question: “What is this and why should I care?” That might mean naming who you help (“Websites for interior designers”), what you do differently (“Therapy that feels like a conversation”), or the vibe you bring (“Strategy for bold, small brands”). If someone sees your name and tagline and gets the gist without needing to scroll — mission accomplished.
USES: homepage headline, business cards, email signature, Instagram bio, Linkedin bio
One-Liner
Think of your one-liner as the first thing you’d say about your business if someone gave you 10 seconds and zero pressure. It’s not a sales pitch. It’s not trying to be clever. It’s just a clear, no-fluff sentence about what you do, who it’s for, and why it’s helpful.
Write it like you talk, avoiding jargon and buzzwords
Example: “I help small business owners get organized behind the scenes so their work feels smoother and their clients stay happy.”
It’s real, it’s useful, and it makes sense to the people you’re trying to reach.
USES: about page opener, LinkedIn about section, proposals, press kits, podcast guest intros, directories, email outreach
Elevator Pitch / mini about
Your elevator pitch is the expanded version of your one-liner, just enough detail to give someone a feel for what you do and how you do it. Think of it as a 20–30 second intro.
The sweet spot? Two to three sentences that combine the practical with a bit of personality.
Example: “I work with small business owners to create systems and strategies that support how they actually want to work, not just how they’ve been told they should. Whether that’s cleaning up their client process, simplifying their offers, or building a brand that finally feels aligned, I help make the back end feel less chaotic so they can show up more confidently.”
USES: full about page intro, networking events, discovery calls, brand presentations, service guides, pitch emails, team bios, portfolio PDFs
Expanded About
Your About section is where you connect. It’s where your potential client reads your words and either feels something — or doesn’t.
That doesn’t mean it has to be dramatic or deeply personal. It just has to be human.
Whether you’re a service provider, consultant, or small brick-and-mortar shop, you’ll want two versions of your About copy, the mini and the expanded. These do different jobs across your site, but they’re both rooted in the same thing: why you do what you do and how you do it.
If you’re not sure what to say, try starting with a few of these:
What led you to start this business, or what you saw missing in your industry
What kinds of people or problems your business is built for
What you value most in how you serve or work with people
What makes your approach different — not better, just distinct
What someone can expect when they work with you or visit your space
You don’t have to cover everything. Just share enough to help someone understand the heart behind what you do. That’s what makes a brand memorable, when it feels like there’s a person behind it.
Nailing your Services + Supporting Copy
Once your brand voice and messaging are in place, the next step is getting clear about what you offer, and how to communicate that on your site. The goal is to help your potential clients or customers understand what working with you looks like before they ever reach out.
You don’t need fancy language or clever names for everything. You just need to make it easy for the right person to say, “Yes, this is what I need.”
Here’s what to focus on:
Your Services Section
List what you offer in a way that’s clear and easy to understand. Break things down into categories if you offer more than one type of service. Pricing is optional — but transparency, if you can offer it, builds trust. If your work is custom or varies, a starting rate or “most popular package” can still help set expectations.Service Descriptions
Write short, specific explanations for each service. Think about what’s included, who it’s for, and any details that will help someone make a decision.FAQs
This is one of the most overlooked parts of a website, and one of the most useful. Answer the questions you get most often (or know you will). Think: timeline, process, payment, policies, what’s included, what’s not. This can save time, reduce back-and-forth emails, and help people feel more confident before reaching out.Calls to Action
These are the prompts that tell someone what to do next: Book Now, Contact Me, Start Your Project, Get a Quote. They show up on buttons, banners, inquiry forms, and service pages. Keep them simple and direct, and make sure there’s a clear next step on every page.Microcopy
This includes the small but important bits of text — contact form instructions, error messages, confirmation messages, and even footer content. These little moments shape your brand experience just as much as your homepage. A thoughtful line of copy here can feel surprisingly personal.
Visual Foundation (Keep It Simple)
Now that your message is solid, it’s time to make sure your brand looks consistent — even if you’re keeping it simple at first.
Logo
You don’t need a full brand identity package to launch — but you do need a few solid, flexible logo files that help your brand look consistent anywhere it shows up.
A clean, well-styled text-based logo is more than enough to start with. Add a few simple variations and you’ll have everything you need for your website, social platforms, proposals, and digital products.
Here’s what we recommend for most small businesses:
Your Starter Logo Set:
Horizontal Text-Based Logo: Your full business name in a single line. Great for website headers, email signatures, and presentation decks.
Stacked Text-Based Logo (Stacked or Centered): A version that works well in square layouts or printed materials. Think homepage intros, PDFs, or business cards.
Round Logo or Submark: A circular or square version of your logo — often just your initials or simplified brand name. Great for profile photos, stickers, packaging, or social icons.
Favicon / Brand Mark: A tiny symbol or initial-based mark used in browser tabs, footers, or anywhere small-scale brand recognition matters.
You can absolutely create these using one strong font and some intentional styling. Tools like Canva are a popular starting point — especially if you’re DIYing. They make it easy to play with layout, spacing, design elements and scale. Just be mindful that most Canva fonts and templates can’t be legally trademarked, which means they’re better for getting started than for long-term brand protection.
If you’re using Canva, avoid overused logo templates and try to customize as much as possible. When exporting, use high-resolution files: SVG or PNG with a transparent background are ideal for clarity across platforms. You should also follow the specific logo size guidelines from each platform.
Fonts
Fonts carry tone—sometimes more than color or imagery. The right typeface can make your brand feel modern, classic, playful, trustworthy, edgy, or warm before someone even reads a full sentence.
But here’s the thing: for most small business owners, you don’t need custom fonts. You need something clean, readable, and easy to implement across your site and materials.
Custom fonts can be beautiful, but they often come with:
Confusing or expensive licensing fees
Restrictions on where and how you can use them
The need to upload and custom-code them into Squarespace (which can get messy)
Accessibility concerns if the font isn’t well-tested or widely supported
Slower load times if the file sizes are large or hosted externally
For most businesses, the built-in Squarespace font library is more than enough. It offers dozens of stylish, web-safe fonts that are easy to pair and reliable across devices.
Our go-to Squarespace font hack:Use three fonts strategically:
Heading font – This sets the tone. Bold and modern? Soft and serif? Pick something that reflects your brand personality.
Body font – Prioritize legibility here. Keep it simple and make sure it reads well on both desktop and mobile.
Miscellaneous font – Use this sparingly for small touches (like button text, callouts, or navigation) to add subtle variety and a more custom feel.
This combo gives your site more visual interest without overcomplicating anything — and you don’t have to worry about breaking your layout or hiring a developer just to get your fonts in place.
If you’re not sure where to start, try pairing a serif for headings with a sans serif for body text (or vice versa). Squarespace makes it easy to preview font combos and adjust spacing to match your style.
Colors
Color plays a big role in how people experience your brand, but you don’t need an art degree or a complex palette to get it right. The goal is consistency, clarity, and contrast — not doing the most.
Squarespace gives you five color swatches to work with, and they use these to automatically generate your site’s Light and Dark themes. You don’t need to fill in all five, but you should understand what each slot does.
An example color palette
The bottom chart shows accessibility options based on contrast.
Squarespace Color Setup
Here’s how the color swatches work (from left to right):
Far left: Your very lightest color
Second from the left: Your second lightest color
Center swatch: Your highlight or accent color
Second from the right: Your second darkest color
Far right: Your darkest color (or leave it black if that fits your palette)
Squarespace uses these to create combinations like “Lightest 1” and “Darkest 2” that show up across your site’s sections, buttons, text, and backgrounds. You don’t need five colors to make it work — you can leave some swatches blank (or default white/black), but make sure your primary colors are in the right spots so your site doesn’t look off.
A Few Things to Consider
Keep accessibility in mind. Always make sure your text has enough contrast against your background. If you're not sure, use a tool like this contrast checker to test your combinations.
You don’t have to use all five colors. Some of the cleanest, most impactful brands use just two or three.
Use RGB values for digital outputs. Use HEX values for web outputs. Use CMYK values for printed outputs.
Color doesn’t have to be complicated. Choose intentionally, check your contrast, and don’t feel pressured to fill space just because Squarespace gives you five boxes. If you only want to use two colors for example, just fill the first three with the lightest and the last two with the darkest.
Imagery
Visuals are a huge part of how people experience your brand — but that doesn’t mean you need a brand shoot before you launch. Whether you’re using photos of yourself, your work, your space, or stock imagery, the key is to choose images that feel intentional and cohesive.
Photos shape the mood of your site. They’re often the first thing people notice before reading a single word. So even if your color palette and fonts are spot on, mismatched or overly generic images can throw the whole vibe off.
If you don’t have brand photos yet, stock imagery is a solid option — especially when used with purpose. Focus on selecting images that match your brand’s tone. That might mean:
Clean and minimal
Warm and organic
Textural and gritty
Bright and high-contrast
Soft and editorial
Stay consistent. If one image looks like it was taken in a downtown loft and the next in a sterile studio, the disconnect is going to show.
Our Favorite Free Resources:
Pexels – A great place to find lifestyle, creative, and business photos and videos that feel modern and less staged
Unsplash – Known for high-quality, artistic images (some are overused, so curate carefully)
You can find even more options in our full roundup:
→ Our Favorite Stock Photo Resources for Small Business BrandingQuick Tips:
Use consistent lighting, tone, and crop styles
Avoid cliché or overly “stock-y” images (no handshakes, please)
Don’t mix too many different styles or locations across one page
Consider creating a mini brand image moodboard to guide your choices
And once you do have your own photos, it’s easy to swap them in while keeping the overall layout and structure of your template intact.
