I decided months ago, maybe last spring, that I needed help with my website. Professional, talented, help. I’d been taking care of it since the beginning, and had been content to do so (I’m a bit of a control freak). The process was no longer fun, though, and in fact had become incredibly difficult. Readers had trouble accessing the site, information was hard to find, and so on. I needed to let go.
That was the easy part. Finding someone who could help me, on the other hand, not so much. I mean, really, think about it. In this business, having a presence on the internet is so important. Doesn’t have to be the same kind of presence, either. Lynn Viehl, for example, only maintains a blog and does fabulously—while Christine Feehan has a gorgeous site brimming with content, both exclusive and otherwise. What’s important, I think, is what you’re comfortable with, and what you think best serves you—not just as a writer, but as a businessperson creating a resource for readers interested in learning more about your books.
But it was a pain finding the right designer. Didn’t matter if the person came highly recommended, or if I liked the work they had done for others—some key things those individuals did (or rather, didn’t do) made me part ways with them early in the process.
1. They did not listen to me.
2. They were not open to revisions.
3. They were not invested in giving me as good a product as they had given others, or even themselves.
4. They made little or no effort to understand me, or my books.
I could add other things to that list, but you get the drift. I remained undaunted, though. Until, quite by accident, I stumbled upon Endeavor Creative and Taughnee Stone, a designer who did the exact opposite of all those things—and then went above and beyond. Way beyond. While making the process absolutely painless and a lot of fun. So that now, I am happy to report, I have a brand new website that I love. And, better yet, that suits me.
So, check it out – and thank you, Taughnee!