Can I rant for a minute?
It’s about something I’ve been seeing way too much lately…
Unhappy, frustrated business owners who come to me, having been burned by a past website designer, left with a site that is lacking one or all of the things they need. They paid for a custom WordPress site, and they got it… sort of.
There are lots of reasons for this, but NO EXCUSE. Hard-working business owners pay piles of money and end up with a mess on their hands, and they don’t have anywhere to turn for help.
And here’s the thing: as a web designer who has taken over and rehabilitated a few of these in recent months, it stinks for me too! Clients come to me looking for help, and here’s what I find…
Have you found yourself in one of these unfortunate situations with your WordPress website?
1. Your website doesn’t do what it was supposed to do.
We’re talking very basic functionality that was promised but is missing in the final product, and that STINKS.
Perhaps you asked for a site where you could easily sell tickets to an event, but it’s way too hard to manage. You feel like you were sold an overcomplicated solution when it could have been done SO MUCH SIMPLER.
Or maybe you were promised you’d be listed on the first page of Google (which CANNOT BE GUARANTEED, so red flag there!) and it turns out Google doesn’t even know your site exists.
And in a lot of cases: you were sold a ‘custom’ package, but a big agency (who has usually charged 5 figures!) has created a website from a template, dropped in your logo, fonts, some text content, and a few lame stock photos and said HERE YA GO. You were sent on your way with no support, no next steps, nothing.
It’s not always purposeful or negligent – sometimes these situations are caused by communication breakdowns. When the designer doesn’t set the right expectations about what will be delivered, you don’t get a chance to say ‘Hey, that’s not actually what I need!’ Getting everyone on the same page from the very beginning is key to making sure you get what you expect – AND what you’re paying for.
2. Updating the content on your website is basically impossible.
You weren’t taught how to use your new website, or you weren’t even given full admin access to the admin panel. So you email the web designer and don’t hear back for weeks. How annoying is that?? It shouldn’t take a month to get a 5-minute change applied to your website!
Or maybe your site uses what I like to call “Spaghetti Development”. It’s built using a combination of widgets that are scattered about in random places, but it also has a theme customizer, custom theme page templates, AND a page builder. Stuff is ALL OVER THE PLACE, which makes it difficult to find (and remember!) where you’re supposed to edit that block of content on the homepage, or your contact info in the footer.
I’ve actually spent 30 minutes or more digging through theme files, trying to find where a certain block of content is so I can make a 2-minute edit for a client. Ridiculous!
Training my clients on how to use their website is a HUGE part of my service. I’m always here to help and support you when it’s needed, but you shouldn’t have to rely on me to keep your website working for you. I want you to feel empowered and in control of your site, knowing how to update your bio page, change your phone number, or add new products to your store – ALL without being a tech expert!
I also strive to build things as simply as possible, without a bunch of extra plugins and widgets. A powerful, easy-to-learn page builder and some pre-set styles make things a dream to manage.
3. Your website is disorganized and visitors don’t know what to do next.
You feel like your website is a MESS, to put it bluntly. Content has been haphazardly put together over time, with no clear strategy or goal in mind. You have too many pages, with too much text content that nobody is actually going to read. When visitors hit your homepage, they don’t really understand what you do or how they can work with you. They get confused and lost, so they click away.
We kiiiind of have to treat visitors to our websites like sheep or small children (okay, I’m not being mean, seriously – stick with me here!) It’s our job to guide them through the pages, giving them simple action steps throughout the journey.
Getting clear on your ultimate goals for your website helps form your content. Maybe you’re trying to build an email list, or sell your products, or book more sales calls. Keeping all of that in mind while writing and creating your pages will ensure that your headlines, copy, and calls-to-action stay aligned with what you’re trying to accomplish.
4. Your website exists as a huge pain in the butt, a thorn in your side, sucking energy and time away from other things you need to be doing in your business.
Running a business is NOT an easy job! We wear a lot of hats, and paying someone to take the website tasks off of your plate is something that should feel worthwhile. When it’s not? It’s money down the drain and time taken up in your day to deal with it.
I hope hope hope that you haven’t found yourself in any of these situations, but if you have, I’ve got good news: I CAN HELP YOU! Schedule a call & let’s chat!
