Want to build a blog or website? Some tips!

[Blog Updated April 7th, 2023]

Just like launching a product, a website follows a similar path. What is the objective of the website? And, even then, when you have an idea, the idea is constantly evolving -- that is why I focused on one thing, launching a basic website where I could start to add content (blog).

When you decide you need or want a blog or website -- one of the key elements is the domain, which is likely based on your brand 'name'.  Let’s say you have a company or brand already, then it’s more straightforward, you’ll need the domain, but what if it’s taken? Then you’ll want to get creative. 

When I was thinking through the project; I wanted a brand that was comprehensive across all the areas we are passionate about -- it was not just one thing. I started from the ground up -- what is it that we want to share -- what is it that we care about? I kept asking the question over and over— what came to me is it’s about a lifestyle. I took that concept and checked domains, played with options -- and I ended up buying a few domains -- lifestylco.com was available, that is the domain, but the logo and brand is lifestyl no e. And, I bought versions of lifestylco.tech etc … and will redirect.

Website Build 

In parallel, I was thinking about the 'how'. How would I build this site? I started by talking to people I know (designers and web developers) and they had suggestions. My first attempt (because there were a few) started by taking the advice of an expert and I bought a design tool that sits on WordPress.  After many attempts I realized it was not going to happen. 

The Logo -- Start Here. 

While building the website I realized I needed a real logo to ground the branding and help shape the tone of the website. Coming up with a logo is not easy; because it’s important. If I was going to do this over -- this is where I would start -- with the logo. And, essentially it’s where I ended up starting.

First, I asked a good friend who knew me well and she agreed, But, life happened again 👶.  So, I tried Fiverr.  Fiverr was one of my lows in this overall process. I’m not saying Fiverr doesn’t have it’s place, but the logos that I received were simply icons with my brand.  Ugh.

💡 And, I realized that the freelancer who I contracted and paid  was possibly using something to generate logos. So, I did a search logo generator and found Tailor Brands.  

The logo I was able to generate from Tailor Brands using AI was far superior to the ones I got from Fiverr.  They were cheaper and fun to create. 

💡I realized I could use Tailor Brands to build my website.  I played around with some templates.  The templates are easier to use (for me) than the other options in the market, but I decided to hire Tailor Brands to build the website for me.  Because design matters. 

💡The process was easy and they are easy to work with.  The website was under $800.00 and there is no way anyone else could build it at that cost and look good.  (I did speak to people on Fiverr as well).

The first phase was hard and I continued to spend money and time to move it forward to a place where I could have a v. 1. I soft launched it two months late (June was my original timeline), but just like product management and taking products to market -- you set a date in the sand -- to move things forward and often you need to adjust as you run into challenges.  One of my favorite finds has been unsplash for beautiful images!  

Because images matter.

Contact me if you'd like to discuss any of the above!

image: https://unsplash.com/@chatelp