It’s nice when out of the blue one gets an email to ask if it is ok to mention something like this in a post? So, to Stuart from H3D, his words, I had nothing to do with it. I guess the only thing he didn’t mention was that after we set the framework up Stuart did all of the leg-work of populating the pages;
What to do with the (old) H3D web site?
Andrew Butler from Design Credo said.
‘Stuart, I hope you don’t mind me saying, the work on your web site is great, (he was letting me down slowly) but the site is a bit …… well; disappointing.’
‘It is just a portfolio site really.’ Was my rather weak reply.
Ok I knew it hadn’t been updated for a while and it was kind of static. But Andrew’s comment and especially the “disappointing” word sealed the deal. I had heard the truth and something had to be done.
But what?
We mainly design exhibition stands – the office is in South West UK on the Devon Cornwall border. Our clients are based all over the UK, some in Europe, some in the USA. We design and build for events all over the world. But there are other things we do as well and they should at least have a mention on the site. Shouldn’t they?
Deciding the old website needed throwing away was a simple decision, but the horrid task of deciding what it was replaced with was to come. Designing for other people and companies is so easy compared with DIY (Design It Yourself). Then there are all of the new must haves. A blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to name a few. How does all of this stuff fit together and how do I make it all work? What to include? What tone should it and any writing have?
I wrote a list and drew a plan for the new site. Feeling very pleased with myself I took it to Andrew at Design Credo.
Andrew politely looked it over and then started from scratch. There was so much I had to learn.
The site is now done. Well, I say “done” but it will never really be done. It is an evolving animal with great potential. Andrew has been my sherpa up the mountain. He knew everything about the journey, but I had to walk it if I was ever going to continue alone. Dangerous tracks I was about to walk down had diversion signs placed at their start. Baggage was searched and thinned down. Encouragement was provided when the going got tough.
Going live was reaching the summit. Walking down and carrying on in the real world is now mainly my job. Although I still receive the odd call out of the blue with an encouraging word or sometimes a wrap on the knuckles.
If you need a new web site or even if you think you don’t … go and see Andrew Butler.
Oh, and I suppose I should also mention. Andrew has sorted out the site hosting, made our email work properly, is giving ongoing SEO training and will soon be doing the same for my wife’s new business. With my chosen searches H3D now features on the front page of Google and I can do the same for my clients and their projects.