How to set up a Showit website template

Website templates are amazing tools for building an intentional and intuitive website on a budget. I’ve talked a lot about the benefits of using a website template and how easy it can be. But I also know that there is some work that goes into getting a template ready to launch so I wanted to show you how to set up a Showit website template in 4 easy steps to reduce the overwhelm.

Step 1: Website prep

Most website DIY-ers make a big mistake by blindly diving into editing their website platform without doing any prep work first. I know you’re excited to play with the design and officially launch your site, but doing this prep first will not only make it easier to build your site but also make for a much more successful website.

So before you get too excited about changing the colors and images on your new template, take a minute to do the prepwork. It might be the longest part of the process, but I promise it will make things much easier in the long run.

Here are the things you’ll want to work through in this step:

Create your website strategy
Write your content
Gather and optimize images
Secure or transfer your domain
Set up your Showit account (and familiarize yourself with the platform)
Install your template
Set up your coming soon page
Start domain connection and blog set up or migration

Step 2: Edit your site

Now that you have all the elements of your site ready, you can start putting it together. Even though your site may technically be live with a coming soon page, you still need to customize the rest of the pages so you can officially launch your site. If you did the prep work from step one, this should be pretty easy to plug in all the copy and images.

This is what you’ll work through in this step:

Upload your (already organized) media
Change the fonts + colors for your brand
Swap out content + images
Connect to apps (email list, IG, etc.)

Step 3: Prep for launch

The hard work is done and now it’s time to get to the details and polish off your site for launch. Before you can launch your site you want to take a little time looking at the tech details and making sure everything is squared away behind the scenes.

These are the things you want to finalize in this step:

Check your blog content and set up
Check page names and sets up URL redirects if needed
Create an email list opt-in offer
Go through a launch checklist

Step 4: Make it live!

Once you have all the t’s crossed and i’s dotted, you’re officially ready to launch! If you skipped your domain connection in the first step, now is when you’ll want to go back to that to make your site live and celebrate!

Recap

Learning how to set up a Showit website template doesn’t have to be intimidating. In fact, that’s why I created so many resources that pair with each template so that you don’t feel lost and alone when setting up your new website. Taking it one step at a time is the best way to utilize a template and get the most out of your site.

Next Steps

If you’re ready to tackle a template, check out the Showit website template designs available and get started today. You can have your new website up and running in a week (or less) with a strategically built template and guided resources.