Websites are part technology, part creative, part marketing, and part knowing how to use them as tools to gain more business. My background is strongest in marketing and education, and I really love working with people who consider themselves “newbies” and beginners to the internet. If you’re a “beginner” to having a website presence, I usually take the following approach:

• Deciding on the scope of our project, and refining it. You probably have a general idea of what you want, but to refine and clarify it, I’ll want you email me links to a few sites that you love and a few sites that you absolutely hate. If you can provide me with specific examples, sketches, graphical mock-ups, previous designs with notes, then this will really facilitate my understanding of what you want.
  • If you don’t have website hosting or a domain name yet, then this is when you will arrange that. I can walk you through that, or if you decide to host with me (for a small competitively priced extra fee), I can set that up completely. I’ve hosted all my sites through HostGator for the past 5 years, and I highly recommend them.
• I’ll get the basic framework and template up first, and from there, unless you’ve given me a very specific design that you’d like, we’ll “iron out” the finer details. Is the gradient too dark? Did you change your mind on background? Do you want a different mouse-over color for links? That kind of stuff.
• Content: Unless you’ve contracted me to write for you, you’ll provide me with the content of your pages, which I’ll post on your new site. We’ll go through your site again. Maybe you’ve changed your mind on your bio picture, or want only excerpts on the blog page. I’m flexible.
• Feature implementation and Search Engine Optimization: Implementing newsletters, mobile phone templates, lengthy contact forms, FAQs, and other “extras”.
• Educating on how to use your site. This is when the last payment is due, as I fully hand over control of your site, and you will know how to make the most of it including: Writing blog entries that are search engine optimized, adding pages to your site (which are SEO’d), adding and changing images, sending newsletters, and making use of any additional features we’ve built in.
• Follow up. I really hope you’re happy and would refer your friends and colleagues to me! I can also help you continue to manage your site and online communication aspects of your business. This includes updating and managing your social media profiles, designing your Twitter and Facebook pages so that they are consistent with your band, providing ongoing maintenance to your website, etcetera. (See a full list of my comprehensive internet services here).

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I can be reached via phone or email, although email is always best. I hope that this blog entry provides some sort of guideline on what to expect when you decide to use my comprehensive, affordable WordPress based website design services.