Picture this: You’ve just referred a talented wedding vendor to your client—someone you know does incredible work. But your client comes back with, “Yeah, no thanks. Their website looks like it’s from 1996.”
This exact scenario kept happening to Shannon Pruitt when she was a wedding planner. Her go-to vendors were losing bookings left and right because their websites weren’t pulling their weight. And that’s what led her to start Sunday Muse Design, a strategic branding and web design studio.
Your website isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. It’s survival.
The Problem with “Pretty” Branding
When I started my business, my branding strategy was basically “I like pink, and Canva has cute templates.” Sound familiar?
Shannon sees this all the time. Business owners throw colors at the wall, pick fonts that look cool on someone else’s Instagram, and hope for the best. But there’s a massive difference between a pretty website and one that actually converts.
Case in point: Shannon worked with a client whose website was “doing too much”—countless pages, conflicting calls to action, five different fonts. After stripping it down to essentials and giving each page (except the homepage) ONE clear call to action, their bounce rate dropped and inquiries doubled in 3-4 months.
The Strategy Behind Strategic Branding
Shannon’s approach starts with questions most of us skip:
- Who are you actually serving?
- Where do they shop—big box stores or boutiques?
- What do they need to see to trust you?
- What’s the number one action you want them to take?
She calls it “form follows function,” and it’s exactly how I approach systems too. You can’t build something effective until you know what it needs to do.
Why Copy Comes Before Design
Here’s where things get spicy: There’s an actual war in the design world about whether copy or design should come first.
Shannon’s firmly in the copy-first camp, and here’s why: “Your whole point of your website is the message. If you don’t have a good message, you just got something pretty to look at.”
With attention spans now at 47 seconds (yes, really), nobody’s reading paragraphs of copy. That’s why Shannon focuses on:
- Bolding important information
- Creating clear hierarchy with headings
- Using multiple calls to action throughout the page
- Writing copy that gets to the point
The Power of Strategic Simplicity
Shannon’s sweet spot is what she calls “strategic simplicity.” It’s not about having less—it’s about having exactly what you need and nothing more.
Take fonts, for example. Your logo font doesn’t need to match your website font exactly. They just need to pair well. Shannon recommends 2-3 fonts max. Same with colors—choose based on the vibe you want to create, not just what looks pretty.
Your DIY Brand Audit
Not ready to invest in professional branding yet? Shannon shared a brilliant exercise:
- Think of your 3-5 best clients—the ones you wish you could clone
- Interview them (offer a coffee gift card if needed)
- Ask:
- What was life like before working with me?
- Why did you choose me over others?
- What was your budget?
- What results have you seen since?
- What was your favorite thing about working with me?
Look for patterns in their answers. Then check if your website messaging aligns with what your dream clients actually want.
The Backend Matters Too
Here’s something Shannon and I both see: People get their beautiful website live and then… crickets.
Your website is the hub, but it needs to connect to your systems. Where do contact form submissions go? What happens after someone books a call? How are you tracking where clients find you?
(Pro tip: If you’re not tracking how clients find you, add that question to your contact form immediately. One of my clients found me through a blog post from 2021 about Asana—wild, right?)
Making the Shift
The biggest mindset shift? Stop thinking of branding as a one-time event. Your business evolves, your pricing changes, your offers develop—your brand needs to evolve too.
Shannon puts it perfectly: “If you’ve got this DIY logo but you’re charging premium prices, there’s a disconnect. People can feel it.”
Your Next Steps
Ready to stop throwing colors at the wall and start building a brand that converts?
- Start with strategy—who you serve and what they need to see
- Write your copy before touching design
- Simplify everything—one clear call to action per page
- Track your data to make informed decisions
- Remember that branding evolves as your business grows
Whether you’re DIY-ing with Canva or ready to invest in professional help, the key is being intentional about every choice you make.
P.S. Shannon hates the word “clarity” because it’s vague and overused. But after this conversation, I’m pretty clear on one thing: strategic branding isn’t optional anymore—it’s essential.
Connect with Shannon Pruitt:
- Website: http://www.sundaymusedesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sundaymusedesign
- Threads: https://www.threads.net/@sundaymusedesign
Connect with Sam:
- Website: https://www.systemswithsam.com/services
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/systemswithsam/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwhiz/
