About ten years ago, I decided that the web was not only here to stay, but that it was likely to become a dominate aspect of how we go about marketing. At the time, I could have teamed up with web developers and as I do with other production vendors such as printers and sign companies, remain focused on design and let them deal with the technical end of production.
However, in designing for those other disciplines I had hands on experience to bring to the table. I had no experience in the structural aspects of how a website was built and functioned. To make matters worse, the web world was dominated by code. I have great mechanical ability and instincts, but show me a page of code and my blood runs cold.
In transitioning from hands-on graphics to computer graphics back in the late 80’s, I was faced with similar problems. What saved me then was the advent of graphics software that provided a codeless interface allowing me to focus on design.
So I purchased a copy of Adobe Dreamweaver, web development software, and that allowed me to enter the strange universe of the internet without becoming a programmer. This was a big learning curve for me, but eventually I managed to develop stable websites that functioned smoothly and consistently, making it possible to put my focus back on design.
Because of that, I am not only able to build fairly complex sites, great for small businesses, organizations and professionals, but I am also able to work with more advanced web developers for more complex projects and provide them with design concepts they can easily work with.
What I have to offer…
Most small businesses do not have the budget to both create and then maintain a website, yet lack the skills necessary to maintain it themselves without corrupting the site in some way. However, sites that don’t regularly change and evolve tend to get ignored by the search engines.
To remedy this situation, I began encouraging my clients to add a free WordPress blog to their sites. The free blogs use templates that are well designed but limited in terms of customization. That said, they are easy for any business owner to make changes or add to, including both text and images and those updates are great for attracting the search engines.
What I’ve been doing is creating a website to serve as a showcase for your enterprise, since the design possibilities are not restricted by templates and integrating a blog feature into that so that it feels like part of the site. My clients are then able to make changes and regular additions to the blog portion of the site while leaving the showroom (website) intact. This provides a healthy blend of consistency and change without breaking the bank.
The website can be an economical, single page site or it can be made up of multiple pages to help you better detail what you have to offer. Either way, a blog can be integrated with the site.
WordPress blogsites do much more than allow you to blog. They are websites in their own right with a built in blog option. You do not need to become a blogger to take advantage of these sites. They can be set up more like a multipage web site that can be closely integrated with your main single or multi-page website, the WordPress portion of which you can easily make changes to. I try to set things up so that information that is unlikely to change much appears on your website and information that is likely to change appears on your blogsite.
In fact, if you can live with the limitations imposed by the WordPress templates, your blog can be your website. This is a very economical way to go.
Conversely, there are WordPress developers out there who can, through code, design outside the limitations of the templates. I can provide them with a design concept and they can build it in WordPress in such a way that allows you to make changes and additions, making your WordPress site, your website.
Do it yourself
WordPress makes it possible to DIY and is not the only game in town. There are many other free options available for DIY blog and website building. Some are easier to use and some are technically more challenging. You may feel confident about designing within the limitations of the templates offered or unsure about how to visually put things together.
They all provide technical and design assistance if you opt into the level of service that requires a monthly fee. If you want the free service plan, but feel technically or visually challenged, I can work with you to come up with a design that works within any particular service including, of course, WordPress.
Summary of website options
Single or Multipage website
Single or multipage website with WordPress blog
WordPress blogsite only
Design a site then turn production over to WordPress or other web developer
Assistance designing for Do It Yourself web/blog builder.