From Wix to WordPress: Shealer Makes a Move
I had the joy of working with Rae Stefaniak, Owner of Shealer – offering wellness services like massage, meditation, life coaching and more – to take her ownership of her website and redesign it to better reflect her business and her services. After several years of independently working with her Wix based website, a rate hike had her contemplating between continuing on the platform or moving to one where she had more control over costs. In addition, her frustration with customer service made her question if the platform and their team could really help her achieve her future goals.
The project
On a friend’s recommendation, she reached out to me at Freewheel Creative for a discussion about her options. It was decided that her best plan of attack was to move away from Wix and host it herself. With the technical details of her future goals still fuzzy, this would enable me to build her a new website with an updated look that better represents her offerings, and provide her with a platform that we could expand upon together or easily allow others to get involved should her future requirements go beyond my abilities.
the design
With Rae’s welcoming smile and calm demeanor, the site had to represent who she is and how she conducts her services. Since she is a fan of color, I used variations of the hues and design in her logo as an inspiration throughout the website, keeping the feel serene and inviting with complementary dark tones. With no photography available, I was choosy with stock images that closely represented how her services would look and feel to a new client.
The new Shealer website was launched in late May and includes separate pages for different services, an e-commerce page, links to Rae’s podcast, and blog. View the entire site here:
The move
Moving from Wix, we also had to move her domain, as they will not support it after you leave. Her set up gives her control over the costs associated with her domain and hosting in one place. I provided her with short “how-to” videos custom to her specific site so that she can independently update the text and images via the front or back-end of her site, easily posting new blogs, and how to keep up with simple maintenance. She was also given documentation of any information needed as she moves forward, though she knows I am an email away should she need assistance.
We do have plans to expand on the site in the near future, as well as discuss options for larger projects down the road.
Contact Me
If you’d like to discuss options for updating or moving your website to an easy-to-update WordPress environment, use the contact link below or email erica@freewheelcreative.com with details of your project.
Why I’m big on client’s hosting their own websites
This project is a perfect example of why I’m a huge proponent of companies hosting their own websites. Though this model is not for everyone, I believe companies should have full control as their business goals and relationships change so that they’re in a position to move forward however they please when they’re ready. I strive to offer the best service to my clients so that they’ll continue to come to me with future projects. But when I’m not the right person for the job, they should have the comfort and control needed to open the doors to another professional to continue helping them achieve their dreams. Other designers might think I’m crazy, but I believe a good client relationship includes admitting when a project is beyond my skill level, finding the right person to partner with, being on standby if I’m needed, and ready to offer services for future projects.