Switching Gear. Hand Me a Beer.

Maybe it’s the symptom of being mainly a one-woman-show or maybe it’s the sign of success, but being a web designer for multiple clients is a lot like being a full-time working from home mom.

One minute you’re putting together a proposal; the next you are trying to find the right way to teach your child about race relations.  Ring, ring – a client’s on the phone wanting to discuss the results of the poll.  You put your “work” hat on just long enough to answer the first question then you hear your child shout from the top of their lungs, “mommy, come wipe me.”  The bills have to be paid, the floors have to swept, that car issue fixed, the emails answered.  You do it all in the course of the day and each with the conviction of a professional and after switching gears over and over and over again, you’re wiped out.

While I am a mother, my child is in school during the work day so I don’t have the work-home mix going on.  I don’t need it, though, because switching gears throughout my regular work day is standard for web designer like me who also maintains website and acts as the ‘go to’ person for virtually all web-related discussion on each of them.

Case in point, on any given day, I’ll hear from 6 different clients… all with different needs.  One may just want a new picture added to their site.  Another needs me to change the text on their bio when I get a chance.  The third and forth are having problems viewing a page on their website and need help troubleshooting.  And the last two want a few moments of my time to pick my head about a potential upgrade to their site. That is all on top of what “project” I’m already working on.

Since each of these clients have different size websites that were built using different programming platforms and for varying needs, the switch from one site to the next is a gear change.  Throw into that the fact that the web is an ever-expanding opportunity of growth and change and most of my clients expect me to know at least a little something about everything web – the latest web standards, online payments, secure certificates, flash animation, social media, web hosting, email marketing, search engine optimization, adwords and graphic design to name a few – and you’ve got yourself one heck of a gear-changing party going on.  And if that wasn’t enough, most clients also expect me to know something (if not everything) about their business…. enough to be able to give them up-to-the-minute advice on what they should do to increase sales and traffic on their sites. Whew!  I’m tired just thinking about all that I have to know!

Exhausting as it may sound, I still absolutely LOVE my job.  I love maintaining websites. (Shoot, I’d do it for free if I didn’t have bills to pay!)  I do know a lot about the web and enjoy being able to help my clients navigate it easier.  Luckily I am able to switch gears pretty quickly and do so to better provide my clients with great customer service.  But I am only human.

So to my 50+ clients, I raise my toast to successfully switching gears for 3 years.  Be a doll and hand me a beer!

Techno-Savvy People: A New Client Base

The times they are a changin’…. in just a few short years I have witnessed a steady change in the types of people who contact Jaimee Designs for web design and development.  Once upon a time, my client base was made up of people with very little working knowledge of the standard web building language – HTML.  And now, just a short 4 years later, the bulk of my client have some experience publishing on the web.

I’m sure there’s a logical reason for this.  Maybe it’s the saturation of computers in the home?  Maybe it is the surge of social media that has made not just surfing the web, but adding to it a daily occurrence for a majority of the population.  Or maybe it’s the fact that the kids of my generation are now part of the working class adults.  Whatever it is, the result is obvious and as a web developer, I’m having to adjust my scope and services accordingly.

Most web designers cringe at the thought of their skill being something “everyone” can do.  They somehow feel it’s signaling the demise of the industry.  I don’t, however, because I see how this new basic knowledge is fueling even more needs for people with professional web building skills. And here’s why:

More Techno-Savvy Clients Increase the Need for Even More Technology

The put it simply, when you have a basic understanding of what can be done, you’ll find ways to need even more.  It’s always my web-building clients who contact me with more advanced ideas.  They are the ones who say, “I saw this on another website and want you to do it on mine.”

Just Because They Can Doesn’t Mean They Want To or Have Time To

I can change a flat tire, but I’d rather someone else do it.  And that’s the same way others feel about building a website.  Some people do enjoy taking control of things to save money, but by in the large, the bulk of my “can-do” client don’t WANT to do it.  They already have a job that they are good at and would rather hire someone who does design on a daily basis to give their website a professional look.

Web Design isn’t Just About Know-How; It’s About Talent and Skills

Much like a professional hairdresser or photographer, a good web designer is talented.  Not only do they know how to make a website work, they also know how to make it work well and look good.  So even if my sister knows how to cut my hair, I’d much rather keep my hairdresser’s planner filled up because she doesn’t just cut my hair, she makes me look stylish!  And as more and more businesses and organizations have websites, that professional look is what separates the good businesses from their amateur competition.

So, bring on the techno-savvy clientele.  I know you are out there and I welcome you to contact Jaimee Designs for your web connection needs.  Like me, you have grown up with the web and aren’t scared of it.  Instead you embrace progress and that continues to increase my job security!

How to Edit Ez-Pages in Zen Cart E-Commerce System

This tutorial shows you how to edit the content on the static ezpages of your zen cart e-commerce website.

Redefining Ourselves

When’s the last time you defined yourself?  For me it was three years ago when I wrote the content on my website.  I told myself and the world that I am a web designer and spelled out my new business’ services.

While in the process of doing what I call “realigning” my site last month and making small upgrades, I realized that a lot of the content on my website didn’t define me very well anymore.  The text read correctly and was free of errors, but it didn’t portray my current practices and passion.  Even my own picture was outdated and didn’t introduce me to the world with the face I see in the mirror every morning.  So it was time to dust off the ole self-definition and make changes to it to better reflect who I am today.

It’s important for all of us to do this from time to time, because we are all in a constant state of change, and our businesses are no exception.  If you have a website – personal or business – I suggest you give it a give look over every 5-6 months or so and ask yourself the following questions:

• What am I about and is that reflected on my homepage? If not, what do I want people to first know about me (us) and how do I want that portrayed on the homepage – text, photo, etc?
• Has any of the contact information changed? Address, phone number, emails…?
• Do I still sell/offer all of the products/services I’m showcasing?  Are there other services/products that I could add?
• How are the pictures?  Do we need some up-dated ones? Maybe we recently got a new fleet of trucks or hired some new staff members. Take pictures of those for the site.
• My portfolio – does it still show off my best work or are there better, more recent projects/photos/examples I could use to illustrate my (the business’) work.
• Blog – have you written in it recently?  If not, maybe you should rethink having one or carve out more time for it.
• Read over all of the content on the site and make sure everything is correct and up-to-date. If your site is too large to read in one sitting, break it up into sections.

Redefining yourself is enjoyable because it gives you an opportunity to celebrate your growth. If an occasional refresh doesn’t yield any change, however, it may be time to rethink where you (or your business) is headed.