Empowering clients to take ownership of their website
Many years ago, a website designer would design a website for a client, and it would remain that way for many years. The website would be a snapshot in time. It was awfully expensive and very expensive to have a website designer design your website. You normally pay for the design and then yearly fees or what I have come to know as “royalty” fees. Making changes to the website could be expensive or take way too much time so the website is just frozen in the state at which it was first designed. Each time I design a website for a client, I show them various ways I can present something. I always remind them that they can pick one now and later make a change. It does not have to be a snapshot in time but the website is changing and growing with them.
This is why I created my business. I saw this happen way to often and didn’t understand why you couldn’t make quick changes and updates to a website without sending emails, waiting and spending even more money. If I want to make a change in business, I want to make it now and not wait and pay extra for that to be done. I want updated pictures and events in real time.
Many years ago, I sought out a platform in which I could design a website for a nonprofit I was working with. We were driving to University of Maryland for a basketball game with our young children and I asked my husband if he heard of any platforms. He is not in that industry, but I thought maybe he heard of something. He mentioned Squarespace so I did a quick search and liked what I saw. Even on my cell phone it was very clear and precise. In my quick search I found out that the owner of the company was a University of Maryland graduate so that was an added bonus while we were traveling there that night to see a great basketball game. (We are not University of Maryland alumni but enjoy watching live basketball.)
The next day I took some time to really go through the website and even tried to design a website. Since I wasn’t a circle member at the time a free trial was only 2 weeks. It took me a few days to put the website together and I presented it to my nonprofit club. They loved it and we purchased the website hosting and domain. It wasn’t until many years later that another opportunity came up for me to create another website.
The next opportunity to create a website came years later. I was working with a nonprofit that was providing scholarships to high school athletes. The website was originally designed in the 90’s and updated with new winners each year. It looked like something that should have had a dot matrix printer hooked up to. So, we set out to redesign the site with the website designer and found out it would be a few thousand dollars and with all the code added the designer would still need to do all the yearly updates. Nonprofits are just that, not formed to make profits. The thousands they were spending on the website was taking away from their scholarship funds. I was asked to create another website and their whole wish list of functionality and different forms was added.
Once I design a website for clients, I teach them how to use it. Before the teaching/training session I design a customized website guide for their business. It includes many general items in Squarespace but a section all about their website. If they have a blog, form blocks, event calendar, accordion blocks, etc. All information that they will specifically need for their website I will teach them. I explain Squarespace help and show them where to find my blog as I blog about Squarespace. I always try to blog about anything new Squarespace has added. It’s exciting. Plus, the more third party add-ons the slower the website gets.
Teaching my clients to use their website is important. For them to take ownership of the website and make their own updates is important. I always tell them I am available for special projects and maintenance if they do need help along the way. I think the Squarespace platform is a great one to pass on to clients as it is so user friendly and the Help desk is amazing. Here is a blog I wrote about the Squarespace Help Center. There are so many ways to get important information. I love that their articles are updated often. Take a look at the date next time you call up an article. It’s usually sometime in the last 4-6 weeks.
Another way to update your website quickly is to use the app. Take a look at the Beginner’s Guide to the Squarespace App. I remember when I first launched my website. I had to run an errand and thought about wording that I wanted to change but forgot before I went LIVE with the website. I pulled out my phone and looked at my website on the app in editor mode. I went to the page in question, made the change and then slipped my phone back in my pocket and was on my way. No code, no laptop, just my phone.
May Web Design, LLC refreshes and creates affordable websites that enable clients to take ownership and update themselves on a Squarespace platform. I enjoy helping clients increase customer engagement with a website and improve their overall web presence. The most important part of my business is that when I have completed and reviewed the website with a client, I teach the client how to update their website so that they can keep it fresh and new. A website offers a 24/7 welcome to prospective members, showing them what your business or organization has accomplished and what you plan to do. If built correctly it should welcome people to the site and show them around in a comfortable way.
If you are interested in discussing the needs of a website for your business or nonprofit organization, contact May Web Design, LLC. Starting out with a basic brochure website may be all that your business or organization needs. Your website should grow with you and change as needed.
I work with my clients so that I may design the website they envision and, most importantly, teach them how to update their website to keep the information fresh and new. While you are busy building your small business or nonprofit, I can create a website to grow with your dreams. I have a list of services on my website as well as a portfolio of my websites and testimonial from past clients. You may even set up a free 30 minute initial consultation call to discuss your website project.
