A couple of weeks ago I posted an update called Good Things Take Time…including blogposts. I should really have saved that statement for this post I think.
After what seems like forever, our redeveloped website is finally ready to go (well ready enough).
We’ve had the website live for a few weeks now, but I haven’t announced it until now as there were still a couple of areas we needed to clean up.
The journey’s been long, but now that we’re here it makes me quite proud to look at it and see how much work we put in to get it looking how we wanted and to search out the features we wanted – like our private client galleries where we can proof to clients and they can select their print choices to streamline the proofing process…yay for technology!
About a year ago we decided to step up our marketing in all areas. Over the past year we’ve been working really hard behind the scenes to get updated business cards, lock in a couple of very talented print specialists for our print products and sorting custom delivery options for our prints (such as these custom archival quality print boxes).
Part of that upgrade has included changing the website, which at that point was basic to say the least.
We initially made the decision to change it in late 2013 and Layton spent a good month or so finding new templates and playing round with settings, but it just wasn’t cutting it and we couldn’t get the right look and feel we were going for.
Project Website stalled at that stage as we were both disheartened about what we could do and how we could get what we wanted without paying thousands in design fees.
We have a very “client first” approach to our business. Meaning of all business activities we do, our clients get first priority.
Plus it’s all too easy to delay marketing and business stuff in favour of things you really want to be doing such as getting out with the camera, meeting clients and producing gorgeous pictures.
So there it sat, nagging at us from afar and going nowhere.
As I slowly signed off all the other upgrades and changes the website started screaming rather than nagging and Project Website started to wobble back on track again.
We made a very concerted effort at that stage. After investigating getting the site designed and checking out various hosting options. Layton decided perhaps he needed to dust off his web design skills and give it a go himself.
The camera went down and every spare moment was dedicated to the website.
But of course the cries of the camera are much more alluring than the screams of the website and it wasn’t too long before it was put on hold again.
At this point Layton came up against a very determined wife, who discovered the wonders of WordPress.org.
I’d heard of WordPress.org before, but assumed (incorrectly) that it was expensive and given that it was an American site, it wouldn’t be suitable for what we needed.
Over the next few days I discovered that just as with the .com site, the .org site has heaps of themes available (either free or relatively cheap) and with a little knowledge and some additional plug-ins it was possible to adjust the themes to suit our style (once again the plug-ins were also free or relatively cheap considering what we got for the money).
And finally after almost 2 months of pushing and fitting it in where we could and changing, then reverting to what we had, then changing again….it’s done!
While I’m sure it will be an ever changing beast and there will be plenty more changes coming, it’s finally finished enough to be considered a functioning website.
The blog isn’t quite ready yet, there were a few images lost or replaced in transit that need some attention, but we couldn’t wait any longer to share our new site!
And now that we’ve also managed to migrate (most of) the blog over to our website as well, you won’t have to go to far to check it out! But make sure you pop back here or over to our Facebook page to let us know what you think of the new look.
Pingback: On the move…again | Findlater Photography