I hope this information will be helpful as you start planning your new website! This guide includes things to consider that will set the tone for your site: its purpose, content, functionality, and feel. Creating a website is a heart-centered experience, and working with someone you feel comfortable with is crucial. These videos will give you a sense of who I am and how I work. They’re also examples of the video format I use for the “how-to” tutorials in my design packages.

Writing down your thoughts about these important details before you begin will clarify your project and help you attract the clients and customers you want to find you and your business. It will also help me, as your web designer, better support you. It’s an excellent exercise! Defining your passion and your website’s purpose will help determine how your site will function and feel.

If you haven’t already done so, choosing a domain name might be the most challenging part of the process. In this video, I'll share some information about keywords, my favorite search tools, and some things that I think are important to consider when choosing a domain name.

Content Management Systems (CMS) are the software systems used to create website content that simplify the process, so you don’t need technical knowledge or coding skills. These systems greatly benefit web admins of all levels, and are particularly helpful for the novice. In this module, I’ll discuss some things to consider when choosing a content management system, including design, performance, customizability, support, and price.

Picking a template is fun! It’s an interesting process to search for options that suit your personal style and also accommodate your business’s products, services, and details. Functionality and feel are key! In this video, I’ll show you how to get started. If this is overwhelming for you, I can pick a few templates that I think will fit your needs, and we can look at those options together.

Small things can be some of the most important pieces! Determining your site title (particularly if it varies slightly from your domain name) and creating a tagline are among the essential details.