website creation & improvement
new websites and updates
Whether you need a brand new website to bring your business into the digital world or are refreshing an existing tired one, you’ve come to the right place.
The clients I work with don’t want the top of the line custom-built website with every bell and whistle. They want something clean, minimalist and professional whilst delivering the best user experience for their customers and audience. They also want something they can easily manage, long after the project is finished.
GIVE YOUR NEW WEBSITE THE BEST CHANCE TO SUCCEED
Starting a blog
Are you looking to start a blog? If you are, you’ll be drawn to the internet where there are thousands of articles telling you how to do so. You’ll read them and you’ll instantly think, I can do this. Mostly, they will tell you the following:
- Choose a niche
- Choose a name
- Choose a CMS
- Choose a host
- Choose a theme and/or a page builder
- Purchase a domain name
- Start building the website
- Establish social media channels
- Start creating and adding content
The majority of them will be simplistic, offering up limited options (if any) in each category, usually, because it is what or who they use and they are affiliated to them. So, if you click on their link and buy, they’ll get money from it. I have no issue with this at all, it’s how they are trying to earn an income. I have affiliate links on my website too.
You will then think, how easy is this? However, there is usually a lack of review, choice and questions and answers about what you should think about prior to making a selection. Time and time (and time) again I see these types of articles recommending a particular web host that I know is problematical.
The reason they mention it is because they are cheap. First time bloggers, keen to do the right thing, click on their link, they get affiliate commission and the new blogger or website owner gets nothing but trouble. Choosing any of the above items without the correct advice could mean nothing but pain, trouble, lost time and even money in the long run.
DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT IS INVOLVED? UNLESS YOU HAVE BUILT A WEBSITE OR BLOG FROM SCRATCH YOURSELF, IT'S UNLIKELY THAT YOU DO.
Choosing the best web hosting plan
A quick search of popular web hosting services will see one web host in particular come up over and over again as the host of choice for bloggers. However, I can also tell you that the Facebook forums that are frequented by bloggers are littered with ongoing issues about this company with respect to service, helpdesk, speed, backups and so on. Almost everyone says, “don’t use them”. Still they do, as they don’t know any better. Until it’s too late.
As the web hosting market becomes more saturated it’s more important than ever to make educated decisions about who you can trust to look after your website and your business. Poor hosts can cause nothing but trouble, lost time and that is a cost that no business wants to endure.
I’ve used several myself and have clients on a variety of hosting platforms so can assist you in making the best hosting decision for your needs and budget.
Cheapest is not always best!
Choosing the best theme
Mostly, themes are chosen for aesthetics first and functionality second. Themes look pretty on a demo site before you buy, but themes should also be assessed for speed, the amount of coding they have and the load they put on server demand. They should also be assessed for future capability, ease of use and updating.
They should be reviewed thoroughly to determine what they can provide and what you need. Most off the shelf themes have very limited developer support, and the moment you want to do something different, you’ll find you are on your own (or it becomes expensive to modify).
More and more, Google is dictating the terms under which we all must play if we want to get ahead in the online world. Theme choice has a significant role to play as a result.
Starting a new blog is so much more than the basic steps noted at the top of the page. Every step has its own questions, issues and solutions. There is no one size fits all
Set your blog up the right way
I am not a website developer so I am not going to create some super-fancy website for you. That’s not my skill base. What I’m good at is understanding how they work and what needs to be done to set one up correctly the first time. I have specific experience in working with WordPress sites, both Classic Editor and Gutenberg and with page builders like Elementor. I build functional, easy to use, easy to navigate websites that are easy for their owners to use and provide a good user experience.
With a background in people leadership, coaching and mentoring, I’m able to sort through all the technical aspects of what you need to know and do and discuss this with you in a way that a non-technical person can understand. The initial strategy session exposes what you really want from your website, making you think about your final outcomes, and not just focussing on building a site.
I’m here to help you create a strategy that is simple, effective and as much as possible hassle-free. Most of this can be achieved by establishing your blog correctly in the first place.
Note: I do not create websites that use the Divi theme, nor will I create Wix or Squarespace websites as they are sub-optimal for speed or SEO.
According to client, Ellie Heasman, "she chose me to build her new website and not a developer because it was important to her that she could communicate with someone who understood her and could speak to her in plain English."
Here are some of the things I can help you with
- Business and blog strategy - understand why you want the website and what your own success looks like.
- Initial website setup/design including developing a sound hierarchy.
- Migration from WordPress.com to WordPress.org and the establishment of self hosting and your new website.
- Purchase of domains and changes to DNS records if required.
- Theme migration.
- Website layout and navigation.
- Establishing Google Analytics and Google Search Console. As a qualified accountant with extensive business experience, I can help you understand what your analytics are saying about your site, and most importantly, how to use those analytics to improve your website's traffic.
- New website builds or website refresh.
get the website you want
I’ve heard from my clients enough that I know this is a general problem in the website design world. Clients don’t like paying money to developers who don’t listen and who build what they want, or what they think the client needs, without consultation. Unless you are giving a carte blanche directive for someone to build you a site without any input, this isn’t good customer service.
I give advice where it is warranted, based on my business and online experience to help my clients. If they ask for my opinion, they’ll get it. I build them so that technically they are sound.
I ask questions. I listen. I absorb. I suggest. But, ultimately, my clients get the website that they ask for.
Nothing I do uses the cookie cutter approach. Before any contract is signed, I ask questions to get you thinking about your business and so I know exactly what your strategies and goals are. If we know what success looks like to you at the end, it’s easier to build it along the way.
add-on services
Many of my website design clients have also signed up to my annual website maintenance plans, so they can focus on their core business and their personal strengths. Alternatively, I can also help with any adhoc WordPress technical issues or jobs you might have.
“I was so pleased when Kerri decided to include the annual WordPress maintenance package to her arsenal. You don’t know what you don’t know, and when it comes to the inner workings of a website, I don’t know much at all. More than once, Kerri has picked up on an issue that I was completely unaware of. It’s so good to have Kerri working in the background so that I can focus on doing what I love most.” SARINA ELDER
rates
I know, it’s annoying when you are looking for a rate and you can’t find one. There’s just no point though and I believe in being open and honest. Quite simply, the reason you don’t find a rate here is because I don’t do generic types of work.
Generic packages are for a one size fits all approach. They rarely work, are rarely what people are looking for, and I don’t offer them. Small businesses and bloggers all want and need something different. Why pay for something you don’t need and why be left wanting when you need more.
My rates depend on the scope of work, the complexity of it and the timeframe that is required to complete the work along with the client’s time requirements. All work is agreed upfront and a plan developed and signed off on before any work is completed.
GET IN TOUCH
You can email me at kerri[at]kerrimcconnel.com for a chat, for further information, or to book in some work.
Or you can complete the form on my contact page and I’ll be in touch soon.