Website Design & Social Media Marketing

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Website design, social media network set-up and consulting and photo enhancements and fixes.

Q. Describe three recent jobs you've completed.

A. 1. I am thrilled with http://www.RealEstateOnSanibelIsland.com. The realtor just wanted a site separate from her broker's site with her own listings. She was thrilled with the results and has enjoyed the social media consulting tips she has received lately.
2. A local entrepreneur and inventor, Judith Graddy, had been looking for years to redo her website. I was thrilled to offer her a discounted eCommerce site to promote her invention, the ToeHugs 1/2 sock and flip flop sock at http://www.ToeHugs.com. She recently sold a pair from Austria!
3. The largest eCommerce site I helped develop was for another local company, The Fussy Female at http://wwwFussyFemale.com. She's been selling product online more and more each month. That's rewarding!

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Make sure you check for other references, how easy it is to work with the designer, what type of work they can provide for you

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. WordPress.org is a great platform for creating full websites as well as blogs. Many people don't realize the difference between WordPress.com (to be used for PERSONAL blogs/sites only, hosted for free by WordPress) and WordPress.org (can be used for COMMERCIAL and PERSONAL blogs/sites, but you need to pay for hosting).

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. Do you create websites that the client can edit easily? Do you have recommendations and a portfolio for the client to see?

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. PLEASE do NOT start designing a website unless you really know what you are doing. So many clients get frustrated after they try to design their own site then quickly discover there is a lot more involved than originally thought.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I believe in "Keeping Internet Solutions Simple" by creating user-friendly, easy to navigate, professionally designed websites. Even if your site ranks high on most search engines, if it is difficult to understand or navigate, it will not hold your visitors' attention and they will quickly move to a new site.

I also provide hands-on set-up and consulting for Social Media Networking for clients in a non-technical manner so clients understand why and how to post to their blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and more.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. Solving problems that clients have had with their current website and helping to market their companies through Social Media Networking. I also enjoy the website design process.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. How quickly can you help me and what type of services do you provide? I can usually have a website up within 1-4 weeks of receiving all of the necessary pieces from the client (such as photos, content, overall design preferences, etc.). I provide many services besides website design and social media network consulting. These include photo editing and enhancements, video slide show production, customized twitter backgrounds, email blast set-up, design and database management, and more.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. I think the real story is the fact that I have finally followed my dream of becoming a designer. It was a hobby for over a decade as my original career was as an Optometrist. But now, I am doing what I LOVE! I feel guilty that I am having so much fun, but the joy of seeing my clients loving their websites, getting leads from them and even learning how to edit the sites, themselves, is so rewarding.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. It is much better to hire a professional to design and develop your website than to try to do it completely themselves. Too often I have had to "fix" websites created by the client that could have easily been avoided if they were done by a professional.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I have a separate career as an eye doctor, but have ALWAYS loved computers and design. I finally decided to follow my passion and become a web designer when a series of personal tragedies took place and I realized life is just too short.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. Dr. Patrick Flaharty's AzulBeauty.com site. They had another web designer create it in Drupal but wanted to be able to edit the site themselves. They also wanted to update the look. They are thrilled with the new look and the fact that they can edit the site whenever and wherever they like.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I am constantly reading text books, trade magazines, watching paid tutorials online, and attend conferences at least once or twice per year to stay up with this ever-evolving field of website design and social media networking. There are no requirements in the field, but I always want to stay on the cutting-edge.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. The great thing about this career is that there are always new developments and exciting changes happening. I would say the fastest growing sector is in mobile web design and mobile apps. You can hardly go anywhere without seeing someone with a cell phone or tablet/iPad.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Make sure you approach each client and project with integrity. I have discovered that there are a lot of so-called professionals in this career that do not follow through with completing their projects, leaving their clients without a website after they've spent 100's to 1,000's of dollars.

Q. What is your greatest strength?

A. I have learned from my other career that linear thinking and follow-through are very important. This has taught me to complete projects ahead of time, respond to client requests quickly and efficiently, make sure projects are truly completed with nothing left undone (a complaint I hear all the time from clients about this industry, unfortunately) and, most importantly, listen intently to what the client wants. I have been told that I help clients focus on what's really important about their project and businesses by seeing the big picture and keeping it simple (hence, the name of my company, KISS!).

Q. What are you currently working on improving?

A. Time management is always tough in this industry, but I have learned a lot about working efficiently and staying on task. There is no room for procrastination. I am also working on being patient. It is not unusual for a potential client to contact me then wait 3-6 months to hire me. It seems to be par for the course in this industry. Now that my business is much steadier and busier, the timing seems to work out just fine.