So you need a new website and are struggling to know where to begin without wasting time and money?
Over the years I've worked with a lot of small companies and individuals to help them move into the online space. I've helped writers start blogs, travel agents to build customer management tools, tour operators to sell to overseas markets, and even government projects to develop web based document management tools. There are a lot of ways to get online, and a lot of pitfalls.
My offer is to sit with you over a video chat and simply help you nut out where to begin. We can talk about your business, your clients, your skills, your dreams - and how to bring those together with a website.
This offer is FREE.
I will not build your website! I still work on some cool web projects but my brain is very full and I can only do so much of the geeky stuff. I want to help you to do your own site. Most people just need some expertise to understand the landscape they are about to walk through. It doesn't matter what industry you are working in. Hospitality, creative arts, manufacturing, travel, photography, retail, etc. I've helped a lot of people in my time and maybe I can help you too.
Here are the kind of questions that will help you formulate a plan to move forward:
- Do I have the right skills to build my own site?
- What is the value of having a site at all?
- Is my site design a one-off or does it need constant updating?
- What difference does it make to build with Wordpress vs SquareSpace?
- Do I need to know PHP to build a website?
- Am I better off getting professional help to manage the web site?
- What are templates and how do they work?
- What is Responsive Design?
- Is it important to be "mobile friendly"?
- How do I sell products on my website?
- Who does the website need to reach?
- Why is SEO such a big deal?
- What is a "secure website" all about?
- How do I scope out a plan for the site?
- What is involved to register a domain and host a website?
- What is a "content management system" and do I need one?
- Why is this stuff so geeky?
- Am I wasting my time building this - will it really help me?
- How much does hosting cost per year?
- Is a Facebook page good enough?
- What is my marketing plan once I have the site?
- How does this tie in with my social media?
How many of these questions are irrelevant to my situation?
- Hopefully a lot and you can soon stop worrying about them.
I've been self-employed for two decades. I brought to my business the ability to learn how to learn (thanks to a decade in medical research) and some highly flexible IT skills that range from systems admin to web-site development. I am a creative person with a technical foundation. My key skill is photography, but I've been lucky enough to have excellent web design skills to make the most of presenting my work.
I have run a lot of photography workshops over recent decades that are designed for professional development, with the help of my wife Shellie Froidevaux (ironchefshellie.com). We like to share our skills and help good people to succeed. If we can help you avoid a few pitfalls on this stage of your journey, then we feel we will have done something positive at this difficult time.
Drop me a line on ewen@ewenbell.com if you want to setup a 1 hour video chat about your plans to get online.
