What to Look for When Expanding Your Brand Digitally

In a world where everyone’s online, the way your brand shows up digitally can make or break it. I’ve worked with a handful of projects now—some my own, some for others—and I keep seeing the same problems crop up when businesses try to “go digital.”

Most of it comes down to one thing: rushing.

There’s often this knee-jerk reaction when a brand realises they need a website or some kind of digital presence. They get excited (or anxious), and suddenly there’s a full-blown site with too much info, 12 menu items, popups galore, and no clear reason for a visitor to stick around. Or the opposite—they just post a few low-effort Instagram pics with bland captions and hope that does the job.

What gets lost in all of that is clarity and intent.

In this day and age, small brands actually have the tools to stand shoulder to shoulder with big companies in terms of visuals, storytelling, and user experience. But most don’t know where to start—or worse, they copy what everyone else is doing.

So what should you actually focus on?

For me, it’s pretty simple:

• Tell a story. Not in a cringey way—just be honest. Talk about why you do what you do, what makes it different, and who it’s for. People connect with people, not faceless brands.

• Keep it clear. Don’t bombard your visitors with fluff. Guide them. Let them know what to expect, what action to take, and why they should care.

• Look good, but not fake. It doesn’t take much to make something feel high-quality. Good layout, consistent fonts, and some simple design rules go a long way. You don’t need an agency. You just need intention.

• Be responsive. Your site should work cleanly on phones, tablets, laptops—anything. If it doesn’t, you’re losing people.

Why I design & build the way I do

The biggest compliment I’ve gotten was that I don’t overcomplicate things. And that’s by design.

Designers love to use jargon like a politician—it makes their job sound harder than it is. Developers, on the other hand, often forget how to speak human. That’s where I come in.

I keep things simple. I break ideas down in plain English. Because if I can learn to design and build (coming from a trade background with zero formal training), anyone can. That mindset shows up in the way I build sites and brands—clean, clear, and humble.

I don’t think you need to be flashy to stand out. You just need to be honest, easy to understand, and built with a bit of care.