My Experience With 99 Designs Plus a Website Makeover
For a decade now, I have relied almost entirely on word of mouth or chance encounters for new website projects. I’ve never had to advertise or network and I’ve always held a healthy dose of skepticism over platforms like UpWork and Fiverr because of their over-saturation of users and their devaluing of talent. I never liked the idea of competing for projects. Something about it did and still does feel demeaning.
A few months ago, however, Squarespace sent me an email announcing that they would be partnering with 99designs. The partnership would grant certified Squarespace designers the ability to create a platform on the site immediately thus bringing them more clients and work. I decided to give it a shot, and I must say, at first I was overwhelmed by the influx of people contacting me. In fact, I had to turn off my availability because I was spending at least an hour every day following up about potential projects. Unfortunately, I must have been continuously outbid because 99 percent of the people I followed up with retracted their design proposal.
Just when I felt like 99designs was a big waste of time, one client accepted my offer. And I’m glad they did!
Aside from the $250 fee 99designs took for client acquisition and platform fees, I would probably use 99designs again - but only if I found myself in a client drought. To be honest, I’d rather spend my time building quality relationships with clients and having conversations with real people than lowballing myself for projects that don’t feel good. Luckily my first and only 99designs experience so far turned out to be a pretty good one, thanks to an easy-going client and a project with meaning. Check it out below:
The client- CureFirst.org, a nonprofit research organization that aims to deliver better cancer treatment.
What they said they wanted - someone to transfer their old website to a new template
What they actually wanted - someone who could make their site make sense so that they would look legit thus attracting the attention (and donations) of important stakeholders.
Oh, How I Love Editing!
Personally, I love editing whether it’s website design, an essay, or a friend’s text response to her sassy co-worker. I love reading what someone wrote or observing what someone designed, and then spending some time talking to them about what they don’t like about it. Once I have the gist of their vision, and I understand why their current design is falling flat, I am able to work my magic. Editing is SO much more fun than just creating from scratch because I already have a visual representation of what the client was going for and I can deliver a result they couldn’t. It’s just so…satisfying!!!
So - for this project, the client wanted a major website makeover and I delivered.
Here’s what I did:
I took a lot of the text from the busy home page and moved it to a separate About page.
I swapped out the boring clinical image on the home page for a literal “hero image” and revamped their tagline.
Instead of keeping the individual pages for each project (which cluttered the dropdown menu on the main navigation), I added each project as a blog post. This allows for greater flexibility in displaying the summary block. I was able to display a summary block of the projects on the home page as well as on the project page. This decision also allows their webmaster greater ease every time they want to add new projects. When the user clicks on the project page they are still able to click on each individual project, thus leading them to a page with more information.
I reorganized their team pages.
I added hyperlinks to other pages on the footer to encourage users to linger on the site.
BEFORE
AFTER
Overall, I am happy with the reboot as was the client! If your website is in need of a makeover, don’t delay! A poorly designed site that lacks functionality and aesthetics can cause a potential customer to seek services elsewhere. Book a free consultation today or consider purchasing a website audit service to get started.
Here Are 5 of My Favorite Budget-Friendly Resources to Boost Your SEO
Whenever I have a consultation with a new client they inevitably ask me about SEO.
Uh, well I have one last question, is the CEO included?
CEO? Do you mean SEO?
Yes, SEO, is SEO included in the website design?
Most clients I work with know that SEO is important but they don’t really understand the mechanics behind it. That’s why I wanted to write this post - to demystify the elusive SEO.
When I build websites, SEO is indeed included in the website design because Squarespace has its own built-in SEO. You can read more about what Squarespace does for SEO here.
But….if you REALLY want to boost your SEO, I recommend spending a few hours diving deeper into your backend (no pun intended) and beef it up yourself.
First, though, I’d like to define what SEO actually is.
SEO stands for SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION. Essentially, SEO is a series of best practices that will help you improve your site’s ranking in search results such as Google or Bing. If you don’t have a lot of money to pay a professional SEO CEO, don’t worry, there are plenty of resources out there that show you exactly what to do so that you can skyrocket your web traffic.
Here are 5 of my budget-friendly resources to help boost your SEO:
Listen to this Twelfth House podcast episode entitled SEO is Spellwork with Team Holicistism. In the episode, they break down what SEO is and how to make it work for your site. The epsiode is great if you are an absolute SEO novice.
Go through this comprehensive Squarespace generated SEO Checklist and then start ticking the tasks off your list.
Take this FREE course all about Squarespace SEO.
Watch my 5-min SEO basics video where I walk you through the main areas you’ll be updating SEO on your Squarespace site.
Book a consultation with me to see if I can help :)
Best of luck to all of you magical beings out there :) Let me know if any of these resources were helpful or if you’d like to add your own to the list.
What Platform Should I Use to Build My Website?
Easy. Squarespace.
Here’s why.
They have beautiful/professional layouts that look like a million bucks
They include 24/7 Customer support in every membership.
There are plenty of free/cheap tutorials on Youtube and forums in case you get stuck.
They don’t require pesky plugins.
Last year I had a client who insisted on working with Wordpress since she had hosted her website on the platform for years. Normally I don’t work with WordPress, but she was PERSISTENT. A few minutes in and I wanted to pull my hair out. To me, WordPress is equivalent to the US Tax Code. Clocking in at 75,000 pages, the US Tax Code is complicated AF. Why? Because instead of deleting old outdated laws and regulations they keep ADDING MORE TO IT.
I don’t know about you, but when I go anywhere, I prefer to arrive at my destination with minimal stress and all of my hair. If you are looking to build your site on WordPress, I am assuming you prefer bumpy roads and bald patches.
I can’t speak for the other drag and drop sites out there. I think WIX might be an ok option. But because I’ve worked with Squarespace for so long (which should tell you something) - I really don’t see any point in checking others out. Perhaps this is not the answer you want, but for any conscious business owners who already have enough decisions to make - listen up…
Don’t overthink this. Just signup with Squarespace.
Sure there are downsides - like uh, it costs money. And if you want to add customizations or integrations like Acuity, you’ll have to upgrade your membership. But other than that it’s a powerful platform that will likely meet all of your small business expectations (user functionality + design aesthetic).
Want to save 20% on a year membership? Contact me for a coupon code.
Don't Stay Stuck....Here's a Website Roadmap for You to Follow
Getting started building your site is half the battle because let’s be real..you probably have a million and one other things to worry about. That’s why I wanted to create a quick blog post outlining the most important steps to take whether you are in the Preparing Stage, the Building Stage, or the Finalizing Stage. Let’s begin!
Preparing Stage- In this stage, you already have a solid business idea in place and are wondering how to attract your ideal clients or customers.
Stalk your competitors - don’t skip this step!!
Choose a template on Squarespace that you resonate with most.
Create a Site Plan which outlines all the text and content you’ll need for your website. You can also check out this blog post for inspiration on writing your content.
Collect images you’ll be using (I recommend Unsplash.com), design a logo for free on Canva, and then save them on your desktop in a designated folder.
Building Stage- In this stage, you will have already completed all of your tasks from the Planning Stage.
Get familiar with the backend of Squarespace. I recommend creating a trial website and just playing around with the different features before you begin building.
Take an online course that shows you the ins and outs of Squarespace.
Once you feel comfortable, you can start adding in the elements you’ve compiled from your site plan.
Don’t forget to update your site titles, headers, and URL’s and add a cute favicon.
Finalizing Stage- In this stage, you should have already completed all of your tasks from the Planning and Creating Stage.
Double-check that all of your backlinks, hyperlinks, and buttons link to the appropriate page.
Connect your domain.
Go through this SEO checklist and make sure you’ve addressed all of the points.
That’s it! That’s all you have to do (insert eye-roll). I know it’s a lot but I believe you can do it!
If you still feel stuck, don’t worry - help is on the way! I created this affordable in-depth course outlining all of the steps you need to follow (including Squarespace tutorials) when building your own site. Check it out here.
Writing Website Content Doesn't Have to Be So Elusive
Writing content for your website can feel really elusive, but it doesn't have to be. In this blog post, I share some tips on what content you should include on your website as well as best practices.
Obviously, it's always better to hire a professional to help you, but when you are first starting out and are ballin’ on a budget, you can use the tricks in this post to help guide your process.
Why is it important to have good content
Before I jump into what content you should include I want to point out why it’s important to have adequate text content in the first place. One, it clarifies your offerings and your expertise so your potential clients trust that you can solve their problems. And two, it’s important for SEO.
That being said, a lot of folks get carried away with their content creation process and end up complicating something that is actually supposed to help clear up your client’s confusion.
Here are the essential steps to writing good website content:
Stalk your competitors. You’ll hear me say this a lot and it’s SO important. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Stalk your competitors and jot down the tone of voice they are using as well as how long their blog posts, product descriptions, and about me sections are. Use their content as inspiration for length and tone when you write your own (but don’t copy verbatim because that’s just icky and will be bound to bite you back at some point. #karmasabitch)
Before getting started writing, answer the questions found on this blog post.
Keep it short. I won’t elaborate on this because I’d be breaking my own tenet but when in doubt, leave it out.
Record yourself talking about your product or your founder’s story and then transcribe the audio note and use it as website content. A lot of people don’t think they are good writers but that’s likely a limiting belief. If you can talk, you can write. And if you are passionate about the service or offering you provide, the excitement should come through when you talk about it. Imagine you are describing this product to your ideal client when you press record.
Use the Squarespace template as a guideline for text placement and length. Again, don’t reinvent the wheel. If your Squarespace template has a one-sentence descriptor on the home page banner image, don’t take it upon yourself to drop in a 20 line bio instead. Use the template to guide your content.
Need some clarity around your website content? Feel free to send me an email here.
Website Organization Blues? Here Are the Pages You Should Include on Your Website.
Don’t overthink this step. If you have completed the stalk Your Competitors exercise, you should have a better understanding of what pages to include on your site.
Here is my rule of thumb….
Don’t reinvent the wheel. Avoid using “cutesy” page titles and instead. keep it simple and generic. I know, generic sounds boring, but unless you are an abstract artist or The Riddler, it’s best to deliver page titles that allow your audience to easily navigate your site. After all, you are trying to solve a problem for your future client, not cause them more problems. If your site is hard to navigate, your bounce rate will be outrageous and your bank account will be empty. NO THANKS!
Here are my recommended page titles. Most websites should have the following pages plus any others that are relevant to your industry/business:
Home
This is essentially your “landing page” - have a nice catchy image, a beautiful memorable logo, and a navigation menu that is easy to navigate.
About
Tell your founder’s story here. Why are you in business, what steps did you take that led you here, what problem do you hope to solve for your clients?
Testimonials (or Reviews)
Why should someone hire you? Many service providers forget this page, but it’s SO important for customer acquisition! If you don’t have enough testimonials in the beginning, try to avoid faking them. Instead, offer your services for free or cheap in exchange for some killer reviews. Bonus, get them to leave the same review on Google or another rating site.
Services (or “Shop” if you are selling an item)
What are your services and how much do they cost? Make sure there is a clear CTA (call to action) on this page so your customers can books a session with you right away if they like what they see. Contact page- how can your clients get in touch with you? What are your hours?
Lastly, before I close out, refrain from making your navigation menu a mile long. If you have more than 6 or 7-page titles in your menu bar, you might need some help organizing your site….
Need help organizing your site? Feel free to send me an email here.
Here’s Why You Need a Website When Starting a Business or Non-profit
There are plenty of other reasons why having a beautiful, functional site is important but here is the absolute MOST important reason (especially if you are just starting out). Because a website gives you credibility. This is especially important if you are just starting out and have not yet established trust within your niche network.
Ever heard the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it?” Do that.
Of course, I am not encouraging that you LIE about your experience or capability. But one of the hardest parts about starting a business is breaking away from that limited belief that you aren’t qualified enough, polished enough, or experienced enough to do what you do AND charge people for it. A beautiful website will not only give you a huge boost of confidence but it will give you a sense of legitimacy so that you can tell your inner critic to F-Off whenever she decides to come around. And she will come around, I promise.
But a good site also proves your capability to your desired audience and gives people an opportunity to hear your story so they can decide if they want to connect with you.
We Looked Bigger Than We Were, A Case Study
Take this case study for example. Last year I helped co-found a non-profit which helps womxn and girls learn life-changing skills and gain confidence. Because we were building a community and brand from scratch, we had absolutely NO trust in the space. But luckily I have some years of designing websites under my belt and built us a beautiful, functional site. Within a few weeks, we were able to score some pretty important sponsors (over 9000 organic menstrual products, 4000 biodegradable wet wipes, co-working space for our team, and event space for our community-building events.) It also got us some pretty important partnerships with already established non-profits. At that point, we weren’t even legally registered as a non-profit (in Germany it can take up to six months to get the legal status). But because the website LOOKED professional and our vision and mission were clear, we looked bigger and more important than we were, which gave people a reason to want to get to know us further.
A website can make or break a client deal because it’s the FIRST impression a potential client makes of you. This is why I love the Squarespace platform…
Squarespace templates are clean, modern, and mobile-friendly and the platform is easy to use even if you’ve got minimal technical skills (and if you don’t there are plenty of tutorials and Squarespace web-designers out there who can help you.) And most importantly - their pricing is affordable. I’m a huge fan of anything that allows me to be ballin’ on a budget, especially when I am first starting a business. Just because you are bootstrappin’, doesn’t mean you have to have a janky site. With Squarespace, you can make your own beautiful, professional-looking site for a fraction of the cost of going to a developer.