FAQ
A website is a big project so it’s natural to have big (and small) questions! I’m all about support, so let’s find the A’s to your Q’s – I’m here for them.
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Skip ahead if you’re feelin’ specific!
General Q’s
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I build custom Squarespace websites. Squarespace is a beautiful, all-in-one drag-and-drop platform. It is engineered to work properly without a sea of plugins (they actually scan the top installed Wordpress plugins regularly and ensure that they simply do all of that in their core!) and the simplicity & user-focus makes for a beautiful, intuitive back-end design experience AND viewing experience.
Not to mention that you can also host your online store, email marketing, online courses, event calendar(s), blog, and more in one place – all on Squarespace.
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Nope :)
I start with a blank template for every new site and use all of the info I’ve gathered from our calls, questionnaires, and collaboration to guide my design. Your business is unique, and I think your website should be too.
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With a heap of 1-on-1 magic & a little bit of prep magic!
When I’m working on your website, I’m only working on your website – not juggling multiple projects at once. This kind of focus allows us to be efficient, but also solely focused on you & your business. “One-on-one” means I don’t have other brands, businesses, or websites running through my brain while I’m working on your content – it’s just me & you! I feel like this kind of dedication is deserve during such a big project ♥︎
The prep magic is the amazing result of your knowledge of the inner workings of your biz and my content gathering resources! I do everything I can to help you know where to start when it comes to gathering the website content you need, and your hard work pays off because when we have everything we need from the start, we can accomplish a lot in a smaller period of time. Honestly, it’s deceptive…the website itself may take two weeks or a day, but the pre-design work often takes quite a while – but we tackle it together!
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Oh, SEO. It’s a multifaceted discipline…but an important one! So to answer this question: yes and no.
YES, in the sense that your site layout plays into your SEO ranking; how your pages are organized, how your headings are used, whether your images have “alt” descriptions or tags, mobile responsiveness, image size (as it affects site loading time), and other design elements that seem minor but really do play into your SEO rankings…I design your site with ALL of these things in mind. In essence, when I design a page or a full website, I am making sure that every design element is geared for optimal searchability and findability on Google.
YES, in the sense that if you opt for the Two Week Website package, I do basic, preliminary keyword research, and create Title Tags and Meta Descriptions for your main pages.
NO, in the sense that again, SEO is a multifaceted discipline – keyword research for your copy, regular planning and reporting, deep-dive competitive research, audience profiling, or link earning strategies are all things that more niche digital marketing agencies handle that I do not.
However, I DO have a couple of recommendations for digital marketing agencies that specialize in SEO, and they share my values of people-first, intentional, supportive collaboration – I’m always happy to recommend them to you!
Design Day Q’s
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To make sure that we can make the most out of our day together, I usually recommend that your content (website copy, images, fonts, graphics, etc.) be supplied prior to the Design Day.
I will also need your wish list of your web design edits in order of priority before the day.
Good news: we cover ALL of this on our Strategy Call! We’ll chat, I’ll suggest some strategy, you’ll pass along your wish list, and we’ll collaborate on a “to do” list for you so you know exactly what to have ready when Design Day comes :)
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During our Strategy Call I will be able to give you a very good idea of what I will be able to accomplish on your site.
However! Although I work quickly and efficiently, it’s important to remember that you are not purchasing an end result, but rather a block of my time (our time!).
You have the option to book as many more full or half days that you want. If you prefer to follow the tutorial videos I provide and finish up yourself (huzzah for post-design support!) you can feel free to do that instead, you rockstar.
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Yes! I provide two weeks of post-design support (included in the price btw) to answer questions about the work done on our Design Day, as well as provide custom “how-to” videos for you – that way you’re able to update any pages I’ve designed for you.
You always have the option to add another full or half Design Day, or even tack on a 1-on-1 Squarespace Lesson if you want a little extra oomph ;)
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I do! Instead of the full 7 hours + two weeks post-design support, the Half Day includes 3.5 hours + one week of post-design support.*
If we COMPLETE a full Design Day and don’t finish everything you needed, a Half Day is a great option to wrap everything up (and we tack on the extra week of post-design support, so you’ll get three!).
*I try to reserve these for folks I’ve worked with before, as 3.5 hours can often not be quite enough for new clients, since I have a lot to learn about them + their site! I’m always open to discussing special circumstances though :)
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I can…just with a few caveats!
I have used Design Days to move folks from their platform to Squarespace (or to get them online for the first time ever), but with a few things to keep in mind:
The website needs to be 5 pages or less (and depending on the amount of content, sometimes we can’t even get to all 5!)
The set up of a new site, implementing your branding and site styles, connecting your domain, etc. take valuable time, so less of the day will be able to be allotted to edits
If you have a collection (i.e. blog, online store, portfolio, or event calendar) as part of the five pages, then the amount of pages we can get through usually goes from five to two or three.
There’s less support than you’d get with a full design package – you still get a Strategy Call, email support, and two weeks of post-design support, but the full package (the Two Week Website) has more resources built-in, more strategic guidance and support from me, more devoted time overall, and more post-design support.
This option truly is best for folks who are looking for a simple, informational site who are either a) mildly tech savvy and feel fairly confident that they can manage their own site afterwards, or b) don’t plan on making many changes to their site in the future or would like to opt for an ongoing services retainer package afterwards!
I am ALWAYS happy to hop on a free discovery call to talk through whether I think your full/new site would be a good fit for this package – I’m always honest because I want you to get exactly what you want out of your time with a designer…even if that means I’m not the best fit!
Otherwise, I’ve used Design Days to build dozens of new, small sites, and if yours is a fit, then I’m THRILLED to work with you.
Squarespace Lesson Q’s
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Absolutely live AND totally 1-on-1! When you sign up for a lesson, you’ll fill out some quick basic info, choose an available day and time, and I’ll follow up shortly with a Zoom link + a couple short instructions for sharing your site with me.
On your chosen day/time, we’ll hop on the Zoom link, I’ll hop into the backend of your site, and I’ll screen share as I answer your questions, whatever they may be! No pre-recordings and no “example” sites here – you see your questions answered in context; in real time and on your real site.
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After our lesson wraps up, I’ll send the recording (yep, I record the screensharing of our lesson!) so you can refer back it whenever you need as you put what you learned into action :)
If we implement any coding or talk about any resources, I’ll send those along as well.
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If what you take away from your lesson is that you’d rather not DIY your site (which is totally okay!), I always offer to put your lesson cost toward a Squarespace Design Day or Two Week Website package.
I wouldn’t worry, though — I’m betting you’ll catch on faster than you think ;)
Two Week Website Q’s
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As part of your experience, you’ll receive several personally-crafted guides, workbooks, and questionnaires to help you easily map out your content so you’re never left with a blank page.
With a chemistry call included in your experience, we’ll also be able to have a little tête-à-tête before you dive into gathering these goodies, and I’ll be able to give you a good idea of what you need.
That being said, if you’d still rather work with a copywriter (or are in need of a photographer) before our start date, I have delightful recommendations for you!
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Because I only take on a very select number of these projects a year, spaces can fill up!
The average wait time is ~2 months…which is usually perfect, as folks tend to need more time than they think to make use of my guides & gather their site content.
I recommend getting in touch as soon as possible so we can book your site sooner rather than later. On our chemistry call, we will talk about potential start dates for your project – just make sure to tell me if you’re on a deadline!
(If you already have a Squarespace website, you might be a good fit for a Design Day – the wait times are much shorter! Let me know if you’re interested when you inquire or sign up for your free consult call.)
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You know how you see a great deal and you’re super pumped, but then every little tweak you make to your order keeps adding $$ to your total? I aim to avoid that :)
Basically it means that the price for the Two Week Website won’t change if you realize you’d like to add another page (or three), I don’t charge “extra” for blogs, online stores, or portfolios, it’s not an “additional fee” to connect your domain or input basic SEO…you get the drift. What you see is what you get when it comes to the price tag – no sneak-attack-fees, guaranteed.
The ONLY additional fee is what you’ll pay for your Squarespace plan which will vary based on what your needs are (and I’m happy to guide you through choosing one)!