Author: Customer Support

What sets us apart from other web agencies

We pride ourselves on our commitment to working with our clients instead of for our clients.

What does that mean?

It means that we do our best to understand your needs, goals, and limitations and work with you to find solutions to get you what you want. We do this by having an initial consultation with all our clients so we are on the same page from the beginning. We get clear on what your goals are and why they are important. In some cases, knowing the “why” has helped us suggest other ways to reach your goals. We are a digital marketing agency, after all! Our goal is to help you reach your business goals by utilizing the powers of the internet.

Small businesses and NPO’s love working with us

It can be a dog eat dog world out there, especially for a small business trying to get their foot in the door. Often, funds are limited and business owners are extremely motivated to do as much as they can themselves to improve their business.

On the other hand, many non-profit organizations are usually run by a board of volunteers that don’t have any specialized training in web development. However, they are usually open to learning and helping out as much as they can.

What do small business owners and NPO’s have in common? They both are willing to put in the time and effort to do as much as they can on their own. We dig that enthusiasm and love to work with these clients to give them the break they are looking for.

How Websites Made With Love helps the little guys

After we meet with our clients, the next step is to build a development website. We work collaboratively with the client to nail down things like the logo design, colour schemes, page layouts, all that good stuff. Once it is approved, we launch the website and everyone does a happy dance for a job well done.

It doesn’t end there.

So many web agencies churn out websites like a fast food restaurant churns out burgers. They miss the point that if you go through the effort of constructing a new website, that it should continue to hold its value for longer than 5 minutes after launch. It’s obvious when a website is neglected and outdated. It hurts the reputation of the business or NPO that owns it, plus the web developer that built it. Maintenance is key.

We are well known for making custom video tutorials for our clients so they can feel confident in updating their website. Most small updates can be done by the client, so we walk them through step-by-step how to do that in our tutorials. This is great for NPO’s that may have a different set of volunteers from time to time.

In another case, we met weekly with a client to target what kind of updates she wanted to do and then showed her in an online meeting (screen share) how to do it. These meetings can be recorded, too.

Oh and about that maintenance? We offer several website maintenance plans so clients can choose the one that suits their budget and needs the best.

Want to give us a try?

If you’re looking for a web agency that listens to your needs, works through your problems with you and offers solutions, then why not give us a ring? We offer a free, no-obligation 30 minute consultation so we can both see if we are a good fit for each other.

And hey, if you’re wanting a web agency to take over and do everything, we’re cool with that. But if you want to get your toes wet and do a few things yourself, we are down with that too. Our team is flexible and passionate about what we do. If we can help you, we will!

The rise of website builders like Wix and Squarespace has made it easier than ever for small businesses and individuals to create a website on their own, without having to hire a web development agency. These services offer drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-made templates, and other tools that make it simple to build a website without any technical expertise.

While website builders may seem like a cost-effective solution, they often come with several drawbacks that can negatively impact your website’s success. In this article, we’ll explore why working with a web development agency (like Websites Made With Love) is a much better choice for your business, even if it may require a higher upfront investment.

1 – More Customization Options

One of the main limitations of website builders is that they offer limited customization options. While you can add text, images, and other elements to your site, you’ll typically be working within the confines of a pre-made template that has a set layout and design. You may be able to make some minor changes to the design, but you’ll usually be limited in what you can do.

This means that your website will likely look similar to many other websites that were created using the same builder. This can make it difficult to differentiate yourself from your competitors and create a unique online presence that represents your brand. When your site looks too similar to everyone else’s, it risks looking like a cheap job.

On the other hand, our web development agency can create a completely custom website that’s tailored to your needs and brand identity. We can help you develop a unique design, choose the right features, and ensure that your website stands out from the competition. At Websites Made With Love (WMWL), we work closely with our clients to fully understand their brand, vision, and ways to set them apart from the competition. Our portfolio has a nice spread that shows several custom layouts at a glance, check it out!

2 – Better Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Secondly, Search engine optimization (SEO) is an essential part of any website as it helps your site to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This can make it easier for your target audience to find your website and can drive more traffic to your site.

However, many website builders have poor SEO capabilities. They may not provide the tools you need to optimize your website for search engines, or they may have technical limitations that prevent you from making the changes you need.

We, on the other hand, can help you create a website that’s optimized for search engines. We can ensure that your website is technically sound, implement best practices for SEO, and help you create content that’s optimized for search engines.

This is different than a service like Wix or Squarespace because much of this work is done off the website, like keyword research, setting up Google Analytics, and taking a closer look at your competitors and what they are doing right (or wrong!). Once the data is gathered, it is implemented on your website so you can reap the benefits. If you want to pour out heaps of money buying keywords and having high advertising costs, that’s your choice. But, there is a better (organic) way through SEO that works just fine.

3 – Wix and Squarespace have limited scalability

Furthermore, as your business grows you may need to expand your website to accommodate new products, services, or features. Website builders can be limited in terms of scalability, which means that you may need to start from scratch or switch to a different platform if you outgrow the builder. This can mean a lot of time and money wasted if you don’t immediately know what your business will look like in a few years.

We can help you create a website that scales with your business. We ensure that your site is built on a platform that’s capable of handling growth and will help you add new features and functionality as you need them.

4 – Premium Support

Website builders may offer limited support, which can make it difficult to get help when you need it. You may be left to rely on online forums or documentation, which can be time-consuming and frustrating. Generally, people that choose to use platforms like Wix or Squarespace do so because they aren’t web developers – they are business owners that need something online. When problems arise (as they inevitably do), it can be very time-consuming reading through other people’s similar problems to gain clues on how to fix your website problems. Wouldn’t it be a much better use of time to spend those hours improving your business plan, not fixing a broken site?

Fear not, as our maintenance plans provide you with dedicated support and resources. We troubleshoot any problems that arise, answer questions, and provide guidance as we work together (or solo) to build and maintain your website.

Some client-favourite features of our maintenance plans include:

1. Technical support
2. Regular backups
3. Backup restoration
4. 24/7 Uptime Monitoring
5. Email encoding
6. Comments Cleanup
7. Live form testing

As a bonus, we will even walk through the website with our clients until they feel confident to do some updates on their own.  Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post about that!

5 – Lower costs over time (save your money!)

While website builders may seem like a cost-effective solution upfront, they can be more expensive over time.

👎🏻 Ways website builders end up costing you more:

1. Free trials for essentials that run out after a limited time, making you pay way more than necessary to maintain what you have
2. Paying extra for premium templates
3. Forcing you to pay extra for more storage than you need
4. Limiting custom features, making you spend more time trying to achieve something the builder just can’t do
5. Sneaky annoyances like blocky advertisements covering most of the page unless you have a “premium” paid account to hide them.
6. The custom content that you’ve already paid for (like branding, logos, etc) may not fit in the confines of the template you’ve chosen. The way it should look doesn’t always translate to how it actually looks on the site.

👍🏻 Ways a web agency like us can help you save money:

1. Our optional (but strongly recommended) maintenance plan helps keep your website secure and running, so it is less likely to break and be rebuilt. This is a small investment compared to completely overhauling your website in only a few years because your builder is inadequate.
2. Popular with Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs), we do the heavy lifting to get the site up and running, then make tutorials to help the NPO do their updates.
3. Our toolkit contains many unique features that page builders either don’t have or charge an additional fee to implement. Custom contact forms and cool parallax (scrolling animation) features are a couple of examples.
4. Aside from displaying our logo at the bottom of your page, there aren’t any advertisements covering your page content. Let’s face it, ads look tacky and can immediately turn off visitors. Our discreet design makes everything feel more professional, which is what you want, right?
5. Bundle your new website with custom graphic design for your brand and a digital marketing ad strategy to really drive more traffic. These features are not usually included in Wix/Squarespace and can cost an arm and leg.  With us, these are optional, cost-saving features available for your business.

Save time and money by working with our web agency

Although it may be tempting to use a platform like Wix or Squarespace to quickly get your site up and running, it usually isn’t worthwhile in the long run. Limited customization, scalability, support, SEO, and hidden costs all work against these platforms.

Websites Made With Love (and agricultural subset AgriBytes) are happy to help clients of all budgets create and maintain a website for their business or non-profit organization. We work with clients, not for them. This approach sets us apart from generic builders that are limited, expensive, and produce a cheap-looking website. We do all the heavy lifting and technical stuff behind the scenes while you maintain full control over your website.

Interested in learning more? View our assortment of services and contact us for a free, no-obligation chat about your website goals.

Alright, you’ve decided to revamp your website, or maybe you’re starting fresh from the ground up. What difference does it make to stick up a “website coming soon” notice when the website isn’t even ready? Well, there are a few reasons. Let’s discuss a few of the main ones below.

Build a buzz about your brand or product

Many marketing strategies try to build a buzz before the release of a new product or service. You see this all the time on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, where businesses will offer giveaways and contests to have people “like” or join their group. This helps create an audience so that when your new product or service launches, you can immediately show it to a large number of people all at once. They already expressed some interest in your business by signing up for your giveaway, right?

A website “coming soon” banner works in a similar, less obtrusive way. This way, the website can immediately get submitted for indexing through Google and other search engines. This means that people searching for your products might even find your website before it launches. If you have a contact button on the page, you might be lucky enough to grab a few leads. Now that’s thinking ahead!

In addition, verifying a Google Business Profile can be a great way to get started with your online presence.

And hey, if you have social media platforms with contests and giveaways, then this provides an opportunity to gain hype about the upcoming website reveal by linking to it and telling people to check back soon or bookmark it. Some websites offer time-limited specials or coupons that are only available within the first 24 hours of launch. The “fear of missing out” (FOMO) phenomenon works well in this regard. This gets to “next level” marketing for sure, so don’t be afraid to explore what possibilities are available for your digital marketing strategy.

In short, it allows your brand to start coming alive before it’s released.

Build your brand in stages

A “coming soon” banner allows you to get all your ducks in a row and let them swim at your own pace. The first duck in the lineup is your logo and branding. This captures the look and feel of your brand, what services or products you offer, and in some cases, your preferred clientele. At Websites Made With Love, we have a fabulous graphic designer on our team that has designed creative and catchy logos for several businesses, check them out! If you are looking to get started on the right foot (fin?), we’d be happy to help you out.

Another great angle is that we can set up your Google Ads campaign ahead of time. When it is time to spread the word about your new site, a paid Google Ads campaign can be a driving force to get the momentum going. Pay as little or as much as you’d like for Google Ads. As part of our website packages, our SEO specialist hunts for the best keywords to use for organic search results. Pairing that with a paid Google Ads campaign means you are hitting all the nails on the head each time. Smart!

Don’t waste valuable time

Typically, websites can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to complete. The length of time depends on how quickly all the pieces come together, including how fast the client responds to reviewing mockups and site content. This back-and-forth nature of website building doesn’t happen overnight. So, why not use this time to gradually build your brand?

It is a dream to expect a website will launch and immediately gain hundreds of visitors within the first day without any prior marketing. Use these weeks to gradually build your online presence. If you have social media links, plug them under the “coming soon” banner so you can spread the love to all your platforms.

Once your website is ready to go, you will already have a list of potential customers that likely are excited and already know what they want to purchase from you on opening day.

Snag those email signups early

Make some passive income by leaving your virtual door wide open.

Do you already have existing products you can offer your customers? Landing pages like these provide an opportunity for visitors to sign up for email notifications or newsletters, which can be used later to promote the launch of the new website or supplementary products/services in the meantime. Offer older products for them to peruse and buy before the grand finale is revealed.

What do I need to get started?

At the bare minimum, to get started with a “coming soon” banner you will need your domain and a hosting plan purchased and ready to fly. Ideally, you’ll also have your branding sorted out so you can start generating some excitement right from the get-go, but that can always be adjusted later.

Ready to get your ducks in a row?

The team at Websites Made With Love is excited to help you with your digital marketing strategy. Contact us for a free, no-obligation clarity call about your website and digital marketing needs to find out how we can help your business grow. Check out our portfolio for some web design inspo in the meantime. We look forward to hearing from you, “coming soon”!