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Why We Went to WordCamp Europe

June 30, 2019 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

When the opportunity to travel to WordCamp Europe came up to speak about what we love to do, it was an easy decision.

As a web design agency, one way we love to give back is to participate in our local WordPress community through WordCamps. When the opportunity to take our passion globally at WordCamp Europe came about it took our sharing to a whole new scale.

WordCamp Europe 2019 Berlin Germany banner

I had the blessing to be invited by the WordCamp Europe organizers to speak about my passion for serving nonprofits as a web designer in Berlin, Germany. It’s not every day that I get an invite like that so of course, it was a resounding “yes!”

People ask me all the time, why do I speak at WordCamps? If I were to provide a one-word answer to that it would be “community”.

Whether speaking at local WordCamps of a few hundred or one as big as WordCamp Europe that had a record-setting attendance of almost three thousand. One thing remains consistent and that’s the community.

The WordPress community in which we live and love to work is open source in many ways, not simply their code. We are open and share our knowledge with one another. The WordPress framework is built on the premise of always being open source and so are the people that work with it. In addition, if you ever need help, there is always someone willing to lend a hand.

Speakers, sponsors, vendors, and attendees alike all gathered together to share with each other. Sharing their knowledge, passion, and insights on a platform we have all grown to love.

WordCamp Europe 2019 held at the Estrel Berlin Hotel and Congress Center in Berlin, Germany. From the opening remarks to the side conversations in the hallways, the venue filled with an energy that was palpable. There were 97 countries representing a global community of WordPress enthusiasts. All gathered together to share in a common thread, their love for WordPress in a way I have never seen before.

Events of this size do not happen overnight. Many months of planning and execution by the outstanding volunteers and organizers made it come off without a hitch. Their months of painstaking planning paid off.

A great deal of information shared by many fantastic speakers from all over the world from three different stages. Each one contributing their small part back into the WordPress community.

Connections made, business cards exchanged, ideas shared, and friendships created.

I had the opportunity to open up track two of day one of the conference. Above all turn a room full of strangers into friends within minutes. I shared about web design techniques that I have found to work while designing websites for nonprofits. Being able to share my passion from a stage like that was well, humbling.

stage presentation Charles Johnston WordPress for nonprofits at WCEU

An engaged audience had great questions right after my talk. We continued those conversations as we passed one another in the hall or around the vendor area or in the cafe. It was fun to read the tweets and social feedback as well.

It was amazing to watch people from all backgrounds and nationalities come together in such a global community. At HeartWired we talk about our passion for serving those who serve their local and global communities. WordCamp Europe exemplified that mantra.

As I unwind my mind from a whirlwind trip to Europe and back. One thing I can say, if the opportunity comes where I am invited again to speak at WordCamp Europe which will be in Porto, Portugal next year, or any other WordCamp out there, it would again be a resounding “Yes!”

In conclusion, I want to thank the WordCamp Europe organizers, volunteers, speakers, speaker wranglers, emcees, founders, vendors, sponsors, attendees. Without each one of you, there wouldn’t be a #WCEU!

So You Want to Create a Website

March 18, 2019 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

Every day hundreds if not thousands of websites are launched. Blogs, stores, lead magnets, businesses and personal brands no matter the kind they all fall into the same category, an idea someone wants to visualize. So you want to create a website, here are some of the things you should know.

Start with a Plan

From a one page simple design to a labor-intensive database requiring many man-hours of development. Without a plan, you will spend unnecessary money and waste a great deal of time. Having a plan will save you and yourself, your designer or developer many moments of anguish, anger, and aggravation.

Do it Yourself?

There are many options out there for those that are ambitious and want to create their website themselves. From drag and drop website builders like Weebly or Squarespace to a bit more involved frameworks such as WordPress or Joomla, there are also custom options if you are comfortable with coding as well. The real question is are you saving money by doing it yourself? Or would you be better off to pay an expert to ultimately save you time and headaches? which would, in fact, save you more than just money in the long run.

You are Your Brand

I cannot tell you how many people get stuck trying to find just the right logo or custom URL and never get started. The best logo you have is your head-shot the best URL is your name. Okay so the first part you hopefully took with a grain of salt, but your name in a logo could work just fine. Yet, your name is the easiest brand you have to promote so if you can grab a vanity URL as it go for it! People will remember who you are long before what you do or sell.

Pick a CMS

If you are like me and you tried your hand at MLMs, you would know the first thing they teach is the value of your “list.” Same goes for your website just don’t spam people and lose your friends and family over it. Of course, as primarily a WordPress agency we would be remiss to not mention that has a fantastic CMS built right in. There are others as well such as Weebly, Squarespace and the like and while we are biased any would work, and we will be happy to move you to WordPress when you are ready.

Integrate your email

Once you have a list, even if it is just your mom, you will want to be able to notify them when you have a new blog post or perhaps a sale or special event. We recommend Constant Contact as we are certified partners and can help set you up with robust emails that get opened. There are other options as well and while we can help, you likely won’t be as happy, but that is just our own biased opinion.

Hosting Matters

There are hosting options for well any budget and need. We use and are agency partners with Flywheel which is built solely for WordPress and nothing else and we think that is awesome! We also can now offer domain and hosting options for other services as well and would be happy to share with you which hosting solution works best for you. Some things to keep in mind are things like SSL, CDN, level of support, backups, malware scanning and more but we will leave that all for perhaps another blog post or conversation.

So What is Next

Creating a website can be intimidating and a daunting task for even the technically-abled. Whether you choose to take it on yourself or choose to hire a designer, the best thing you can do for your brand is to take it online. If you are already online, perhaps it’s time to give it a fresh new look. Either way, if you need some help or just want to see where things stand, we are here to help.

Whether you want to create a website, redesign your current site, get some quality hosting solutions, email marketing, or check out your reputation online shoot us a message, send us an email or give us a call or text we are here to serve.

Cracking The Web Design Process Code

February 23, 2019 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

Ever wondered what process a web designer goes through when preparing to take on a new client? If you are curious keep reading for a behind the scenes “sneak peek” of sorts on the process that we follow while meeting with a potential client.

One thing I personally love about running a boutique web design agency is the ability to share others’ stories. Stories are at the center of every client and their business or organization. As a web design agency, we follow a creative process that allows us to visually relate that story online.

Research

Knowing your client goes beyond just what they may or may not tell you during their discovery session, not that they are hiding anything but they may not feel it is important. Doing a somewhat deep dive on the client, their customers, social media, and more allow us to better understand who they serve. When someone looks to hire a web designer, they usually think they know what they want before they ever call to set up their consultation. When they get to talking to us the project they thought they wanted many times changes in scope as they share their story.

Client Story

Your story as a client is one that only you can tell. No matter how small of a gesture or reflection back into how you got started, we focus on the nuances behind the story. We spend time researching you and your story long before we sit down to hear you tell it. Stories are shown through the clients you currently serve to the social media posts you share. We know you will be a bit guarded when you meet a stranger for the first time. The more we know about who sits across the table from us, the easier we can put you as well as ourselves at ease.

Ask Questions

Too many designers make assumptions that they know what is best for their clients. We at Heartwired are firm believers that the client knows best, even when they don’t know they know. Some of the questions we ask whether in the form on our website, on the phone, via chat or email may seem simple or silly. However, we have found asking questions gets you comfortable to share the real you. Many times it is in the things you don’t say that we find the most about you and your story.

Listen

When talking with a potential or even current client it is often what they don’t say that matters most. They likely have a frustration point they are looking to solve. Whether it be lack of sales, or traffic or perhaps conversion into sales. They will say things like “the site does not work” or is “not being found”, or they want it to look like their competition. One of the easiest things to change is the website.. or even the designer. Truth is without appropriate planning, marketing, and a strategy it won’t matter how pretty your site is.

A web designers job is to translate their clients’ needs and frustrations into actionable changes that make sense.

Its the small things

Whether it is a change in a page, or the client’s overall approach to their website, many times it is the small things. Small things like the placement of a button, a font adjustment, or color, the things that seem to not really matter actually matter most. When we pay attention to the details, it allows us to hear what they are really saying. Details many times are hidden in the things the clients don’t say. Sometimes that can be while they share their story about their business and why they started in the first place. That glimmer in their eye or the slight welling up of emotions as they share their “why”.

It is in those moments that as a designer we can find the heart of their story and how we can help design their story in a way only they can tell. It is in these moments that as the owner of a boutique web design agency like HeartWired, that I truly find the love in what we do.

If you would like to learn more about how we are cracking the web design process code at HeartWired we would love to learn about your story. Contact us today to get started in sharing your story.