Behind the Design: Creating a Custom Squarespace Website for Syracuse Photographer Deanna O’Connor

Behind the Design: Creating a Custom Squarespace Website for Syracuse Photographer Deanna O’Connor

Project Overview: A Website That Launched a Business

In November 2024, I took on an exciting web design project for Syracuse-based photographer Deanna O’Connor. This project was particularly special because it was the very first website under Marigold Web Studio—the start of my journey as a web designer for creative entrepreneurs.

Deanna specializes in High School Senior Photography and Fine Art Dance Photography and has been working to grow her photography business from a side hobby to a full-time career. In the fall of 2024, we were connected through a mutual friend, and she reached out to me with a clear goal:

  • Gain more visibility for her photography business
  • Increase client bookings
  • Maximize her SEO to be found online

With no previous website or branding, we had a blank slate to build something that truly represented her work and helped her grow.

Understanding Deanna’s Vision

Before starting the design, I had Deanna fill out my client questionnaire, which helps me understand my clients’ businesses, goals, and brand identity. She described her desired brand aesthetic as:

  • Colors: White and Tiffany Blue
  • Adjectives: Fresh, artistic, client-focused, and growing

This initial groundwork was key in shaping a website that not only looked beautiful but also aligned with her business vision.

Week 1: Kickoff & Branding Foundations

Design Date Kickoff Meeting

Our project officially began with a Design Date Kickoff Meeting, which marked Day 1 of my 3-week design process. During this meeting, we finalized:

  • Website structure (what pages she needed)
  • Essential functions (galleries, client onboarding, SEO setup)
  • Styling direction (layout, typography, and branding elements)

Creating the Brand Kit

Over the next five days, I worked on designing the homepage, creating logos, favicons, and putting together a mini brand kit that included:

  • Custom dark and light mode logos
  • A cohesive color palette
  • Website fonts

When I presented the homepage and brand kit to Deanna, she absolutely loved it—hardly any aesthetic edits needed. That’s what we call a dream client!

Week 2: Building the Full Website

Designing the Rest of the Website

With the homepage approved, I moved into designing the rest of her website. While there isn’t as much back-and-forth during this phase, there were still important client action items:

  • Setting up her Squarespace account (where I secured her 20% off an annual subscription)
  • Connecting social media accounts
  • Setting up Google Search Console for SEO tracking

The Final Review

By the end of Week 2, Deanna had a fully functional website for the first time! Her reaction when I sent it over:

“Oh. My. Gosh. I’m speechless—in the best way possible! Michelle!!!!!!! It looks AMAZING! So beautiful and organized and well-written and lovely! I’m a little overwhelmed with how great everything looks!”

Week 3: Unlimited Edits & SEO Optimization

Refining the Details

The final week of my 3-week design process is all about refining the details. I offer unlimited edits during this time, meaning clients can send a list of changes, and I’ll complete them within 24 hours—as many rounds as needed.

SEO Setup and Site Training

Since Deanna and I were so aligned in our vision, this week was smooth sailing. We made minor copy edits, finalized SEO setup, and wrapped up all branding assets. I also transferred site ownership and scheduled a personalized training session to teach her how to manage and update her site on her own.

Behind the Design: Creating a Custom Squarespace Website for Syracuse Photographer Deanna O’Connor

Final Deliverables

By the end of three weeks, Deanna walked away with:

  • 12 custom-designed pages (Home, About, Services, Portfolio, 3 Galleries, Contact, 2 client onboarding pages, a custom 404 page, and a lock page)
  • A custom dark/light logo + favicon
  • A mini brand kit (color palette, fonts, and logos)
  • A personalized training session on using Squarespace
  • SEO setup + Google Search Console integration

The Impact: A Website That Works for Her Business

Using the Website to Promote Her Business

Since launching, Deanna has used her website countless times to promote her business—both on social media and through personal connections. She even built a brand-new webpage on her own for one of her events, using the knowledge from our training session.

Building Functional Websites

This is exactly what I strive for in my web design projects. I don’t just create beautiful websites—I build functional, easy-to-use platforms that help businesses grow without requiring constant design help.

Is It Time for Your Business to Get Found Online?

Do you struggle to book new clients because your business relies solely on word of mouth? If so, it’s time to invest in a website that:

  • Gets you found online
  • Converts visitors into paying clients
  • Makes your life easier

Let’s make it happen! Click the link below to schedule a consultation call, and let’s build a website that works as hard as you do.