Answering Your Questions
I asked what questions you had about web design, development, content writing, SEO, and digital marketing on Instagram and you came through with some good ones! There was a lot of overlap between the questions asked on Instagram and the questions I get often from clients, so I’m answering the top five here!
What’s the most basic explanation of SEO?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of using keywords to help increase your website’s visibility in search engine queries. I could leave it at that but when I explain SEO in person, that’s usually where I watch someone’s eyes glaze over, so I’ll walk you through how I handle SEO strategy on the most basic level.
Understanding You & Your Audience
First, I want to get to know some basic facts about you and your business. What products and/or services do you offer? Where do you offer them (location)? What makes you different from your competitors? You get the idea. Next, I want to get to know your audience. Intent matters, meaning what your audience is looking for and how that relates to your business is important. For instance, if you run a small coffee shop in Des Moines, you’ll want the search terms your customers would use to find you to appear on your site. That way, search engines like Google can scan your site and see if you’re a good fit. See where this is going?
Ranking Isn’t Guaranteed
Ranking on search engine results pages (SERP) isn’t guaranteed, even with solid content writing and SEO strategy. It’s also tied to a seemingly endless list of ranking factors and there’s a lot to be said for local SEO, but it doesn’t hurt to do everything we can to build a solid foundation.
Why do you recommend WordPress?
WordPress is a content management system (CMS), a software that allows users to create, edit, and manage content on a website. If you can dream it, you can most likely make it happen. The same cannot be said for website builders like Wix and Weebly.
My top three reasons for being Team WordPress:
- Plugins: There’s a massive library of free and paid plugins (over 54,000) that can help add and extend functionality.
- Customization: Creative control is all ours when it comes to WordPress because it’s totally customizable.
- Change-Friendly: If you ever want to change domains or switch hosting providers, you can!
By the way, there’s a lot to be said for Squarespace, too, as an e-commerce platform. If you’re ready to dig in and learn the ins and outs of Squarespace to run your e-commerce site, it can be an excellent tool.
Can you explain domains vs. hosting?
A domain is part of your URL (uniform resource locator). The URL of my homepage is https://www.greenivycreative.com. The domain is “greenivycreative” and the root domain is “greenivycreative.com.” It’s common to hear a domain and URL used interchangeably in conversation, but just know that if your website is your home, the domain is the city where your home is located and the root domain is your address. I break down these and other web development terms in this blog, if you want to go down that informative rabbit hole.
How do you keep up with design trends and get inspiration?
Design can get a little repetitive if you’re intentional about constantly looking for inspiration and playing around with new ideas. One of the bonuses of working online all day is naturally coming across websites and seeing what’s trending, then immediately feeling out whether I like it or not. There’s a fine line between acknowledging trends and staying unique, but also keeping the user experience and future use in mind. Don’t get me started on that trend of having content randomly flopped around a page. It hurts my eyes and my feelings, but if you and your users like it, do it!
Apart from just paying close attention to the design and content on every site I visit, I have a few resources I regularly use if I’m looking for inspiration. We don’t gatekeep around these parts, so they are as follows:
- Behance: A show-and-tell social media platform specifically for designers.
- Httpster: Curated website and graphic designs that are categorized by style and business type.
- Coolors: Color palette generator and creator that allows you to check contrast, visualize color combinations on designs, and find the best color schemes to complement images.
Don’t Copy Designs
To be clear, when I talk about getting inspiration, I’m not talking about plagiarizing designs. That’s not cute. Don’t do that.
What’s the difference between a web designer and a graphic designer?
A web designer creates websites, paying close attention to how they present on different devices (computers, tablets, phones). A graphic designer creates images like logos, marketing materials, and other art for a variety of purposes. Someone can be both a web designer and a graphic designer, too.
Although I design websites, I’m still reluctant to call myself a web designer because I wasn’t formally trained as one, even though that’s not a prerequisite, and technically, that’s what I am. It’s a fun mental block I’m working on but it’s there. I learned a ton from talented web designers and graphic designers I’ve worked with in the past. I’m a writer and a sketch artist at heart who found her way to web design. The most fun I have when designing is when I’m sketching out the plan I’ve conceived in my head and finding ways to translate that into the actual website.
Leave it to the Pros
If you read this and thought, “I have no idea what’s going on,” then you’re in luck because I do and I can give you a hand. Hit me up if you’re looking for a new website, refreshed content on your current site, and/or digital marketing strategy!