In this life we can always expect the unexpected. That is the category I put the coronavirus in for 2020.
Wix websites new favorite
My Wix experience was amazing.
Wix, my new best friend!
There was a potential client that was following me for a while on LinkedIn. An owner of a construction company, He contacted me a few times regarding updating his website but we never seem to connect to get started. The last time he contacting me I was able to give him a good quote. However once I was able to review his site I discovered instead of WordPress he was using Wix. I let him know right away I never worked with Wix before. After that I didn’t hear from him for a couple of month. Take in consideration the Coronavirus crisis was going on.
Forward to early May he reached out again ready to get started. Once again I reminded him I never worked with Wix. I even suggest switching to WordPress. He said, “ We’re confident you will do a great job despite it being your first time”. Well, how could I argue with such confidence. So I went for it.
Let me just say I have been using WordPress for over 10 yrs and I will always love it. That being said Wix blew my mind! The way things are setup to make layout and design a breeze… I had so much fun updating their website, learning how everything works I basically complete the redesign within a few hours. Whoever created Wix did an amazing job. Such a good job I am going to add it as an option for future clients. That is huge for me to say since I have been a die hard WordPress fan. Don’t get me wrong WordPress is still my number one for now but it is nice to have other options.
New website for 2020
New website for Danielle Smallwood! It has been over 13 years, 4 websites later and I finally designed a website for myself that I love. I like the layout so much. It’s what I have been looking to do for years. 2020 is my year to do the things I always wanted to do. The last website I had was created through zenfolio because of photography. I got it so that my clients could order prints, however I never used the service in 2019 so it was a waste. So I decided to go back to my favorite CMS, WordPress. Oh how happy I am to go back. I missed all of the features and plugins WordPress has. With zenfolio I was so limited on design and layout options. I couldn’t really go into the css or html to customize it to be how I wanted it. I’m so excited for my new look I had to create a new logo for myself.
I have always been a person of change. When I was a child I would change my room around several times a year. It would make me feel new, like I was in a new place and would bring me joy. I thought I would grow up and be a person that would travel around the world because I liked change so much. I heard it isn’t good to change your website too often because Google doesn’t like it. Maybe that is a myth but just in case I will try my best to leave my website the way it is for a longer time.
For the next couple months, ends March 2020, my old website will be available with a temporary domain through zenfolio. You can company the two sites while it is still up. old site
Hiring a Graphic Designer on Contract
New businesses, small-midsize should have a trusted Graphic Designer they can call on any day of the work week. Some companies just don’t need a full-time Designer but they do need a go to person. I like to think of myself as that Graphic Designer. For the past 12 years I have had clients all over the United States email me their project details and within 24-hrs I work hard to give them what they want. I get joy out of it when my client say “yes, that’s what I wanted”. I offer contract hours to my clients. They purchase a certain amount of hours and they can email me anytime with a project. All I ask for is the details and deadline. They do this until time runs out and renew the contract when they are ready. Some even renew before the contract is over.
What makes for a good Graphic Designer?
Of course it would be someone with the skills you are looking for including the knowledge in the basic design applications like Illustrator and Photoshop. However some Designers aren’t good when it comes to deadlines. Ask for recommendations so that you can find out how the Graphic Designer is when it comes to time and meeting those important deadline. It is great when a designer give you what you want in a design put if they miss the deadline for a scheduled printing, or publication you loose out.
Graphic Designer’s communication skills are important.
How the client and designer communicate can make or break a project. After sending an email stating the details of the project if the designer doesn’t confirm they understand what you need, precious time can be spent going back and fort. I always confirm with my clients if I’m not getting a clear understanding of their request. Sometimes I may think they are referring to one thing but it something totally different. That is why I always send an email asking if I am going in the right direction.
“We’ve stuck with Danielle for several years now because her work is great, her communication is great, and her timeliness has been wonderful.” -Adam Kavalauskas
Seeing the benefits contracting a Graphic Designer.
Many startup businesses may have additional ventures in the future, therefore you will have a go to Designer you are comfortable with. You can just contact them out of the blue and say ” I have a new project”. Because you and the designer have an established business relationship the designer is ready to get started to help grow your new business.
- Save money in the long run (You can work out a fee that benefit both you and the designer)
- You will know exactly what the scope of work is and how much you’ll pay
- Save time (You wont have to waist time looking for a freelancer several times a year)
- Have a designer that fits your business needs
I highly recommend for any startup and small business to get a trusted Graphic Designer and get them on contract.
“I have been a client of Danielle’s for several years and for multiple businesses that I have owned. She always does a fantastic job for us and is very creative. I love how she strives again and again to give us “just we we are looking for” I highly recommend using” -Larry M. Jouett
If you check out my recommendation section on Linkedin you will see what some of my clients have to say about my Design Service. If you or someone you know is in need of a trusted designer let me know. I’m always ready to assist!
How to get your business noticed online for FREE
Getting visitors to your website is goal of every business owner.
I know this because I depend on traffic online for my graphic design and photography business. I will be providing you with some of the top sources on how you can get noticed online for free. The websites that I link to are very helpful and they may even provide you with additional options that cost some money, however I personally recommend using the free options first and once you bring in more customers or clients invest into the other options.
Discover the main ways to get noticed online.
- Target your website pages for keywords
- Structure your web pages for Google search
- Create more pages
- Get on online directories
- Get verified by Google
- Use compelling page titles
- Work with influencers
- Create quality content
- Optimize your images
- Use Google Ads
- Provide outstanding customer service
- Post to social media
- Be shareable
- Use local media
- Target your traffic
Google just wants to get to know you better and they give us plenty of tools to connect to them and let them know that your website wasn’t built by a spammy robot. Learn 5 easy things you can do to get noticed by Google make use of all of them.
You need to optimize your site so it can be found easily by search engines; tell people where your site is; and provide something good for visitors to read once they get there. What follows are 20 tips designed to help you get your site noticed.
I’m personally still working my way through some of these suggestions. I’m learning and expanding my territory when it comes to getting noticed online. For over a decade I have relied on word of mouth and it has been a blessing but I know there is more I must do if I’m going to pay bills. If I notice something has caused great change in my business getting recognized and traffic increase I will blog about it. Prayerfully I will be blogging soon!