What is it and what do you get?
Building your website isn’t just a case of whacking it together .. you could of course do that, but I can guarantee you won’t be happy with it and that leads to all kinds of angst.
Regardless of what platform you choose – WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, etc), you really do need to start with some planning. This could be for a brand new site, or a review of the one you already have. It will help you work out what you do actually need, what can go on the wishlist, what may be outdated or unnecessary, and ultimately it will give you a checklist for how you can approach this in an ordered way. Honestly, this step is the absolute best starting point, and a great investment in your business.
We’ll work around these 10 things (and to be honest, even if you have a knockout website, it’s always good to revisit your plan!) and ultimately, you’ll have a plan to get going! This is a great opportunity to learn as you work directly on your own website and more.
INTRO Know your customer and planning your site
1. Registering your domain and social handles
2. Functionality – what do you want your site to do
3. What platform to use?*
4. Hosting, cPanel, email, security
5. Setting up WordPress and plugins, or your choice of platform.
6. Design, themes, colours, images
7. Writing all kinds of content
8. Putting it all together, QA and testing
9. SEO and analytics (and Google business pages, Google Merchants etc)
10. Social media, promotion and getting your site out there
We haven’t even talked about an online store, so we’ll cover that as well as people and product photography, image libraries and services like Canva and how you send the dreaded email newsletter. And after all that, we’ll cover how to manage everything without going cross eyed!! There will also be a dedicated dedicated website that will be available to you so you can revisit AND I’ll do a customised journal for you so you can put pen to paper as well.
Phew!
*I’m a WordPress expert, but we will look at what you need and decide what’s best for you.
But there's more ... yes, a couple of bonuses!
But there’s more! Don’t you hate those words?! But I’ll add a little bonus if you book in for all sessions and pay up front …
If you choose to use WordPress, I’ll provide a licence to my favourite theme – Divi – which will run on my own developer licence so it won’t expire. This ensures your theme will be updated regularly and would normally cost either $89 per year or $249 for a standard lifetime licence.
AND
I’ll include a mini review of your new site pre-release and one month post-release, with report on any issues. Value $150.
So ... how much?
When you consider the average website cost for a standard site (no store) is around $1,500-$2k and up, and then you add on an online store, it could cost quite a lot more!
Going the DIY path is a great option and I’m here to support you on that journey. It will save you some $$ and ultimately it gives you control and ownership of your site and that can only be a good thing.
These workshops comprise an introductory planning session, plus 10 more on specific topics.
- How long: Each session will be approx 1.5 hours – 2 hours.
- Time: 11.00am – 1.00pm, weekly on Mondays
- Venue: The Artisans Table, 94 Keen Street, Lismore
- Dates: see the calendar here
Bring your lunch and we can work through! I’ll have coffee, tea and quite possibly a cake as well.
Your own personalised Journal includes:
- place for passwords for your site, socials, and external services (eg Canva)
- diary for the year with reminder to run updates and reviews
- how to’s for adding pages, blogs, images, products etc to refer back to
- splace for your notes and questions
- checklist for where you post to, eg Fb groups and other sites you might be using
Introductory workshop – Know your customer, and starting your plan
- $120 (includes your personalised journal)
Weekly workshops+
- $75 per session (total $750)
Discounts
- A 10% discount applies If you book in a group from the same business (min 4 people) OR you book and pay for all sessions up front.
Bonuses
- Details in section above, approx value $400.
+ You’ll benefit most from attending all workshops but you can choose to attend individual sessions.
Other options
- Come and work on your existing website in a supported environment with me. Get in touch so we can arrange a suitable time.
- Maintenance plans, and social media posting plans.
- Site reviews, to jump start the process for you.
More details and my portfolio is available at leumesindesign.com.au
Who’s it for?
- You’re probably the owner of a small to medium size business but you might also be a blogger, or just starting up.
- You may want to take back control of your site and want to learn how to manage your site and everything that flows from that or you may have staff that need some training and support to do that job for you.
- You could be a bricks and mortar business, planning on being online only or a work from home business in any sector.
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Anyone wanting to create their own website that looks professional, but doesn’t cost the earth!
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Or you want (or need) to save $$, create your own website, but you don’t know where to start.
What you’ll need to bring
- Your laptop (or tablet)
- Your phone (and maybe your charger too)
- Admin access to your website and social accounts if they’re set up
- Internet connectivity (I do have internet available, but it can sometimes be patchy).
- Pen/paper and be willing to contribute to the conversation
- Your lunch
Why am I the right person to help you?
I spent 10 years working at SCU leading their first website redevelopment project, and then managing their online environment. Yup, I built websites before WordPress, Shopify or Wix. My team built the first student and staff intranets, the first online staff directory, and a whole heap more! I even won an award woo hoo (which I was super happy about considering I was working in a completely male dominated field, but that’s a whole other story!!). After SCU, I started Leumesin Design, creating websites for local businesses. Some of those businesses are still clients today.
When I opened Made in Lismore, I scaled back the website work … but I still get asked questions. So. Many. Questions! So, I’m now introducing the Monday Websmith sessions to share my expertise so you can get the most out of your website.
Message me if you’d like to chat before committing, or you can join what will be a small group – I’d like this to be the beginnings of a good network of help. And yes, if you’re wondering, I have taught many clients how to grow and manage their websites when they’ve had absolutely no experience doing so previously, or even a lot of internet savvy. It’s all do-able .. you just need to know how!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior experience with websites?
How many people will be at each session
Is lunch provided?
Mondays don't work for me
Will any of this be recorded for future use?
In a word, no! These are in-person sessions that need you to be in the room. If the date don’t suit, you can suggest an alternative and I’ll work with you on that.
You will have access to a dedicated website with any notes, and other resources that are provided during the workshops.
Private classes
Payments and refunds
Payments
All workshops fees must be paid by the Friday prior to the scheduled date. Bookings are to be made via the registration form linked on this page. Once your registration has been received, you will be invoiced for the selected workshops. Afterpay is available.
Refunds
I totally understand how life gets in the way sometimes however workshop fees are non refundable.
- If you’ve booked and paid but can’t make the session and you have let me know, I would encourage you to either send a colleague if appropriate, or we can discuss alternative dates.
- If you’ve booked but are a no-show, no refund applies.
If I need to cancel for any reason, I will endeavour to schedule an alternative time that suits the group however if this isn’t possible, a full refund for the specific workshop will be processed.
In all cases, please keep me in the loop at mail@madeinlismore.com.au or via the contact form. Thanks!
