10 of my favourite ways to celebrate the launch of a new website

A new website, you say? Yaaas kween, yaaas!

You put in the hours and are now the proud owner of a brand new website. Your business has an online home and you should be thrilled that you made it happen! Kudos, my friend.

Getting your new website up and running is just the tip of the iceberg because once it’s live, the real fun begins. Now you get to share the exciting news with your audience (even if it’s just your best friend or pet, we’ve all gotta start somewhere) and celebrate in style. You spent loads of time and money on your new website and you want to make sure that you kick things off with a bang, am I right!?

I’ve worked with loads of clients on their new websites at this point and I always love seeing how creative they are in celebrating the launches. There are loads of ways to celebrate the launch of your website and let everyone know that the latest version is live, and these 10 tips and ideas are some of my favourite!

Tell me, how will you celebrate your new site?

BusinessCharlotte O'HaraMarch 14, 2018launch, website launch, new website, promotionComment

6 things I can't live without as a web designer/developer

I'm a sucker for seeing how people work and what goes on behind the scenes. I can't help it that I'm curious about the tools people use, the products they swear by, and the things they can't live without. If that makes me nosy, then so be it! ;)

Some of my favourite content that other designers/developers create is the more personal posts where I get to see how they run their businesses and get their work done. There are a million and one ways to get to the same final result and I'm always fascinated to compare my own processes with my peers'. It's cool when there's overlap but it's equally interesting to see our differences, you know?

Today I'm giving you a look at 6 of my "must haves" to do my work as a web designer/developer. Some of them are going to be pretty standard for web designer/developers everywhere but others are a little more personal. Either way, they help me to get the job done right every time!

Alrighty, let's jump right in.

BusinessCharlotte O'HaraMarch 13, 2018it's personal, my business, online business, tools, resources, google drive, squarespace, google docsComment

How and why I include a Client Questionnaire in my Web Design & Development process

Let’s rewind to the early days of my business when I was starting out as a web designer/developer. I was honing my technical skills and getting better every day but one area that I knew I could improve on was organization. I realized that if I was going to take my business seriously and actually make a “go” at it, I would need to set up (and stick to) processes, systems, templates and project plans.

As part of my early journey to get my business organized, I created the first version of what is now my Client Questionnaire. It has been refined and tweaked over time but the core has stayed the same.

Client Questionnaires are something that I include in EVERY web design/development project and it’s a step that I wouldn't dare leave out. It helps me to do my best work for the client because both parties are ready to plan and prepared to execute the best website - right from the start. The Client Questionnaire is a way to gather a huge amount of information ahead of time and make sure that the client is clear, focused and intentional on the process as we move forward with the website. I use the document to guide our discussion, ask the necessary questions, and flush out the main points to consider when we begin the actual website build.

Let's take a look

Here are 5 things I do to stay inspired

Inspiration.

That's a funny and loaded word, eh? It's a muscle we are always trying to flex and something we are constantly searching for.

There are times when we feel overwhelmingly inspired in many areas of our lives, whether it's on the professional or personal front. Ideas flow and we have thoughts buzzing in our brains faster than we can act on them all. It's an exciting time when anything seems possible! These are the periods when all I want to do is create, create, create because I feel like I have so much to put out in the world - critics and haters be damned!

But for every high there's a low and like most creatives, I've fallen into inspiration droughts that leave me feeling grumpy and exhausted. Creativity is a constant ebb and flow and as the saying goes, "use it or lose it". It's rare that you will always be brimming with great ideas but if you can manage to stay creative and inspired, these gems will be easier to hold onto.

The question I often ask myself is how can I get and (most importantly) stay inspired? How can I create on a regular basis?

Let's take a look at what works best for me.

BusinessCharlotte O'HaraFebruary 15, 2018it's personal, life, inspirationComment

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