What to Expect When Hiring a Website Designer for Your Wellness Practice
You have decided it is time to invest in a professional website for your wellness practice.
Maybe you have outgrown your DIY site. Maybe you are rebranding. Maybe you are launching something new and you want to show up in a way that truly reflects the depth of your work.
Whatever brought you here, hiring a website designer is a significant investment, and it is completely normal to have questions about what the process actually looks like. What will they need from you? How long will it take? What happens if you don't like something?
Here is a clear, honest walkthrough of what to expect when working with a wellness website designer, from the very first conversation through to launch day and beyond.
Step 1: The Discovery Call
Most website designers offer a free consultation or discovery call before any contracts are signed. This is your opportunity to get a feel for whether they are the right fit for your practice, ask questions about their process, and share what you are looking for.
Come prepared with a general sense of your goals, your budget range, and any websites you love the look and feel of. You do not need to have everything figured out. A good designer will ask the right questions to help you get clear on what you need.
This call is also your chance to evaluate the designer as much as they are evaluating the project. Do they ask thoughtful questions about your practice and your clients? Do they seem to understand the wellness space? Do you feel like they are listening, or just pitching?
The right designer will feel like a strategic partner, not just someone who makes things look pretty.
Step 2: The Proposal and Contract
If the discovery call goes well, the designer will typically send you a proposal outlining the scope of work, what is included, the timeline, and the investment.
Read this carefully. Make sure you understand exactly what is included and what is not. Key things to look for:
How many pages are included?
Is copywriting included, or are you responsible for providing your own content?
Is SEO included, and if so, what does that cover?
How many rounds of revisions are included?
What is the payment schedule?
What happens if the project goes over scope?
Once you are happy with the proposal, you will sign a contract and pay a deposit to secure your spot in the designer's schedule. Most designers require 25% to 50% upfront before work begins.
Step 3: The Onboarding and Strategy Phase
Before any design happens, a good wellness website designer will spend time understanding your brand, your clients, and your goals. This is the strategy phase, and it is arguably the most important part of the entire process.
Depending on the scope of your project, this might include:
A brand strategy questionnaire or workshop
Target client and niche clarification
Review of your existing brand assets (logo, colors, fonts, photography)
Keyword research and SEO strategy
Site map and page structure planning
Mood board or visual direction development
This phase sets the foundation for everything that follows. The more clearly you can articulate who you are, who you serve, and what makes your work different, the stronger the final result will be.
Your job here is to show up fully and be as specific as possible. The more context you give your designer, the better they can translate your vision into something that converts.
Step 4: Content Collection
One of the most common reasons website projects get delayed is content. Specifically, clients not having their content ready when the designer needs it.
Most designers will need the following from you before or during the build:
Brand photos (professional photography is strongly recommended)
Your logo files and brand assets
Copy for each page (either written by you or as part of a copywriting collaboration)
Any specific integrations you need (booking software, email marketing, payment processing)
Examples of sites you love for visual reference
If copywriting is included in your package, your designer or their copywriter will work with you to develop the content. If it is not, you will need to have your copy ready before the build can begin.
Pro tip: do not underestimate how long it takes to write your own website copy. Start early, and do not be afraid to ask for guidance on what each page needs to cover.
Step 5: The Design and Build
This is where the magic happens.
Your designer will take everything from the strategy phase and build it into a fully designed, functional website. Depending on the platform and the scope, this phase typically takes two to six weeks for a wellness website.
During this phase you will likely have limited visibility into the site until it is ready for review. Trust the process. A good designer needs uninterrupted time to work, and a half-finished site can be more confusing than helpful to review.
When the site is ready for your first look, you will typically receive a staging link where you can review the full design before anything goes live.
Step 6: The Review and Revision Process
Your first review of the site is an exciting moment, and it is also where clear communication matters most.
Most designers include two to three rounds of revisions in their packages. Use them thoughtfully. Rather than sending a stream of individual change requests as they occur to you, take your time with the review, compile your feedback comprehensively, and send it all at once.
Good feedback is specific. "I love the homepage but the services page feels too text-heavy and I would like the CTA button to be more prominent" is actionable. "Something feels off" is not.
If something is not working for you, say so clearly and explain why. A good designer wants to get it right and will not take honest feedback personally.
Step 7: Launch Day
Once revisions are complete and you have approved the site, it is time to launch.
Your designer will handle the technical side of going live: connecting your domain, redirecting any old URLs, submitting your sitemap to Google, and making sure everything is functioning correctly across devices and browsers.
Launch day is exciting. It can also feel a little vulnerable. You are putting something new into the world that represents you and your work at a deeper level than before. That feeling is completely normal.
Step 8: Handoff and Ongoing Support
After launch, a good designer will walk you through how to manage and update your own site. You should feel confident making basic edits, adding blog posts, and updating your content without needing to call in help for every small change.
Most designers also offer ongoing support packages for clients who want continued help with updates, SEO management, or technical issues. At Soul Space Creative, we offer Squarespace Tech Support for clients who want a trusted resource to turn to after launch.
What to Look for in a Wellness Website Designer
Not all website designers are created equal, and finding someone who understands the wellness space specifically makes a significant difference in the final result.
Look for a designer who:
Has a portfolio of wellness clients whose work feels aligned with yours
Asks strategic questions, not just aesthetic ones
Includes SEO as part of their process, not an add-on
Communicates clearly and sets realistic expectations
Makes you feel understood, not just serviced
The relationship matters. You will be sharing a lot about your practice, your clients, and your vision. You want to work with someone who takes that seriously.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are a wellness practitioner ready to invest in a website that truly reflects your work and brings in the clients you are meant to serve, we would love to talk.
At Soul Space Creative, we specialize in Squarespace website design for health coaches, therapists, acupuncturists, and holistic practitioners. Every project is built with strategy, SEO, and your dream client at the center of every decision.
Or explore our website design packages to see which option is the right fit for where you are right now.
Soul Space Creative is a Squarespace website design and digital marketing studio specializing in health, wellness, and healing businesses. Based in Boulder, CO.
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