At last my new website!!!
After some intense months filled with hard work, peppermint tea, and maybe a few too many late nights, I've finally launched my new Peter Roper website! And, oh boy, am I excited to share it with you! But this journey wasn't just about getting to the finish line; it taught me a lot, and I thought, why not share some of these nuggets of wisdom with you?
So, here are five things (and a couple of thank you's) I learned along the way:
Find Yourself a Web Wizard: First off, getting a fantastic web designer on board made all the difference. Imagine finding someone who not only gets what you're trying to say but also turns those ideas into something visually stunning and user-friendly. It's like they read your mind!
The key? Communication, communication, communication. When you click with your designer it makes the process a heck of a lot easier! William Withers at Crystal Thought has done all our websites for our family businesses and I am immensely grateful to him.
Be Clear About What You Want: This one's a biggie. When we started, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted, but putting it into words? That's another story. I learned the hard way that the clearer you can be with your web team, the smoother things go.
Fortunately, William has known us long enough to say when he thinks I am going in the wrong direction and frankly he has the patience of a saint!
Content is Your Best Friend: Here’s the deal, your website's look is only half the battle. The other half? Filling it with engaging, informative, and just plain enjoyable content. Images really count and my thanks to Terry Livesey for some great photography.Whether it's the words on your pages, the images you choose, or those quirky videos you're debating to post, make sure they all tell your story!
Well, I would say that wouldn’t I…?
Everyone’s on Their Phones: So, this might not be news, but seeing my website come to life on a tiny screen really drove home how important it is to make sure it looks just as good on a phone as it does on a computer. Seriously, everyone’s scrolling on the go these days, and you want to be part of that scroll!
Keep the Conversation Going: Instead of getting all technical with SEO, let's talk about keeping your visitors engaged. Encourage comments and feedback from those you trust, to check your message and content out before you go mainstream.
And finally, remember that however long you think it is going to take, the likelihood is it will take at least double if not more so allocate the time wisely!
Now let me know what you think!
Until the next time …
Peter
