Author: Tonisha Tagoe

As a web professional of nearly fifteen years, I have had the honour of seeing the world of web creation flourish and evolve as new resources are developed by talented companies whose missions are to innovate and change the way we design web pages. As tools come and go, only the very best remain in the battlefield, and I am here to introduce you in the hopes that you will wield these resources to their maximum potential.

1. Elementor

Elementor is a highly innovative WordPress page builder that lets you create beautiful WordPress websites quickly and easily without coding. Elementor is the first, and currently the only frontend page builder to offer limitless design possibilities and boasts dozens of useful widgets, a comprehensive designed template library, a unique mobile editing toolset and a visual revision history feature.

I use Elementor all of the time and I am a Community Leader for Elementor London. As one of their fiercest proponents, I heartily recommend installing it today if you are serious about web design.

2. AutomateWoo

AutomateWoo is a powerful marketing automation tool for your WooCommerce store, allowing you to convert and retain customers with automated marketing that does the hard work for you, with tools such as subscription automations, follow-up emails, card expiry notifications, SMS notifications and more.

As someone passionate about eCommerce and creating awesome storefronts, I urge you to consider using AutomateWoo to provide better user-accessibility and ease of use for your web pages.

3. CartFlows

CartFlows is a WordPress Funnel Builder designed to help every website owner get more leads, increase conversions, & maximize profits. CartFlows enables users to turn their WooCommerce website into a selling machine using one-click sales funnels with frictionless checkout, custom thank you pages, global checkout replacement, and more.

It’s another piece of kit that takes away all the hard work, so I strongly recommend CartFlows as an essential tool when building a great website.

4. WP Feedback Pro

WPFeedBack PRO is an intuitive and responsive WordPress plugin that will allow your clients to simply click an item on their own website and comment on it while collecting vital technical information, priorities and related status. WPFeedBack Pro provides you with the perfect amount of details you need so you can perform revisions, collect content and provide support in a short amount of time.

For data gathering and metric analysis, WP Feedback Pro is one of the best tools out there for the job. Web designers offering these functionalities to a client are bound to see smiling faces.

5. ManageWP

ManageWP is a WordPress management tool and dashboard that helps you save time and reduce stress by automating your workflow, allowing your clients to focus on the more exciting aspects of running a website. It is fast, secure and free for an unlimited number of websites and ships with a range of invaluable features such as scheduling backups, migrating WordPress website, automating updates, monitoring website traffic and SEO.

If it helps your clients work less and play more, then you should absolutely build a website with ManageWP functionalities.

6. Mouseflow

Mouseflow is a session replay and heatmap tool that shows how visitors click, move, scroll, browse, and pay attention on websites. By integrating Mouseflow onto your websites, you can generate more web conversions by altering your designs based on the recording of the activity from each visitor on your site. Also, you can filter/segment visitors and eliminate guesswork so your users/clients can take action sooner.

7. Toolset

Toolset plugins allow beginners and experts of WordPress to craft custom sites in hours instead of weeks with features that enable you to build a dynamic directory, listing and membership sites without coding. Using Toolset you add custom post types and fields to your site and visually create custom templates and lists of content.

As far as WordPress plugins go, Toolset is one of my favourites as it’s another one of those merciful timesaving tools that remove coding from the equation.

8. Advanced Custom Fields

Advanced Custom Fields is a WordPress plugin which allows you to add extra content fields to your WordPress edit screens. These extra content fields are more commonly referred to as Custom Fields and can allow you to build websites faster and educate your clients more efficiently than other plugins on the market, making it one of my most recommended tools for anyone responsible for delivering top results for their clients or employers.

Next steps

To get a better understanding of how these various tools operate and function, you need to try them out for yourself or watch some tutorials on YouTube by expert users. To help get you started, head to our Partner Offers page to explore tools and services for web creators.

And as always, watch this space for more articles, news and updates from The Web Creator’s Toolbox.

Thinking of becoming a web designer? Great. We can always use more of those! Your creative talents can certainly be translated to such an invaluable and celebrated profession in this modern, digital age. With so many new businesses popping up, countless entrepreneurs are looking for someone to build them an amazing homepage. But to get the ball rolling and to avoid any speed bumps, there are certain skills you should have before you embark on your web design journey.

Let’s jump right in!

1. Creativity

Whether you are hired by a company or work freelance, your clients or employers need a designer who is able to contribute with their own ideas rather than just doing what they are told. Your project manager will love you for alleviating the pressure of having to constantly tell you what to do if you’re proactive and creative in your approach to designing a web page. If you want to get into this business, you have to think for yourself with out-of-the-box ideas and solutions.

2. Resourcefulness

If you want to really excel in a career in web design, you must be able to leverage a wide variety of creative design tools to supplement your work. While website builders such as Elementor offer a range of premade assets and elements to drag and drop, being able to build those assets yourself will put you leagues apart from other web designers. Here are some tools you should know how to use:

• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe After Effects
• Adobe Animate
• Canva

3. Communication

Being able to properly express the reasons behind your designs while comprehending the complex and sometimes abstract requirements of your clients/employers are absolute necessities as a web designer. Good communication skills can also help you to build better relationships, network more effectively and can be translated to your own marketing content for self-promotion.

4. Digital Marketing and Social Media

Digital marketing skills will be a great asset to your career as the industry is becoming more and more advanced as we progress further into the virtual age. As a web designer, you will play a vital role when it comes to someone’s digital marketing strategy, so it is good to know how digital marketing works to provide greater context and accuracy to your web designs.

Likewise, having social media skills will allow you to better understand the platforms that direct potential clients to the websites you have designed. If you are a freelancer, you will need to have some basic social media knowledge to market your own services and find more clients.

5. Time-Management Skills

As with any profession on the planet, managing your time and work is critical as a web designer since you will be juggling multiple projects and deadlines, whether you are employed or a freelancer. There are a number of free project management tools available on the web, such as:

• Trello
• Milanote
• Monday
• Asana
• Workzone

6. HTML and CSS

Thanks to modern website builders such as WordPress, Wix and One, coding is not strictly necessary, but it doesn’t hurt to pick up some skills in HTML. To put it simply, HTML is the way you turn words into paragraphs, headlines, and footers, and also the way in which you get other forms of assets on a site, such as videos, graphics, photos, etc.

CSS is used to style the website. It’s responsible for the choice of fonts, colors and layout in a website’s design. Whereas HTML lays the foundation for a webpage, CSS styles it.

7. UX Design

User experience (UX) design is a skill a web designer needs in order to create products that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to potential customers. This involves the design of the entire process of acquiring and integrating the product, including aspects of branding, design, usability and function.

8. UI Design

User interface (UI) design is the process web designers use to build interfaces in software or devices with the aim to create a user-friendly and engaging experience. As a web designer, having skills in designing original and innovative interfaces can greatly set you apart from those who use premade tools from other providers.

Next steps

Web design is an ever-evolving profession that requires you to stay on your toes and able to adapt to sudden changes in the industry. Every year, there’s a new bit of kit or software that is released that you will have to learn how to use and integrate into your designs to stay competitive, so always keep an eye out for new products and services in the world of web design.

And as always, watch this space for more blog posts, news articles and updates from The Web Creator’s Toolbox.

Creating an online, virtual shopping experience for your customers is a vital component and stepping stone to creating a successful business. From Amazon to the most niche of clothing companies, most businesses have a storefront where you can digitally peruse a selection of goods and make a purchase. We call this eCommerce.

Let’s jump right in and get you set up with your own eCommerce website, starting with the first and most important step:

Pick the right eCommerce platform

When choosing the right platform, you have three basic essential types to choose from. These are:

• Software as a Service (SaaS)
• Off-the-shelf software
• Bespoke solution

SaaS, or ‘software as a service’, is quick, cheap and easy—ideal for a small business. Look to providers such as Elementor (WordPress) for building the initial website, then I recommend plugins such as WooCommerce and Square to create the online store. The great thing about using Elementor with eCommerce plugins is that you can make the store your own and not be bound by the limitations of more popular platforms such as Shopify.

On the other hand, I do not recommend an off-the-shelf platform. In my view, they force the vendor into using a standard format which creates a market stall atmosphere and tend to look very samey. Here, you lack the ability to make the store your own and there are fewer options for translating your business model onto your website.

As for bespoke solutions, you are looking at investing quite a lot more money to get an exact fit, as they generally give you precisely what you are looking for with an eCommerce platform. If you have the money, a bespoke solution is a more efficient method due to being optimised for the requirements of your build and comes without the excess fluff that’s included with off-the-shelf platforms.

Pick a unique domain name

Now it’s time for the more fun and creative part: your website’s name. A good name tells a story and encompasses the essence of your brand, so ensure that you do plenty of market research to ensure that it’s search engine optimised and resonates with your target audience.

Domain names are generally bought from a hosting company or a domain registrar, but many hosting companies also offer their own web builder packages to save time and money. Do plenty of research into the cheapest deals, as website builders such as Wix can charge a high amount to keep your domain running for 12 months.

Do not be deterred if your ideal domain name is already taken. Hit up the thesaurus and look for synonyms for alternative terms, but try to be as original as you can.

Obtain an SSL certificate

An SSL certificate is a mandatory component in securing any communications between a visitor’s web browser and the host of your website. You can tell if a website is certified if it has a padlock icon just to the left of the title bar.

Luckily, there are many hosting platforms that will handle SSL for you, but with a cost. The price varies depending on the provider, so factor that into your requirements when shopping around for the best platform.

The most common SSL certificate providers include DigiCert, GoDaddy and RapidSSL, but there are many others. Do some shopping around to determine which provider suits you best.

Set up an internet merchant account (IMA)

Part of being an online retailer means setting up an IMA, an internet bank account that is another mandatory step to receiving payments from your shoppers. IMAs are different to regular online bank accounts as you have no direct access to the generated income until the bank clears it.

Getting an IMA is simple enough and is done by contacting your high-street bank and requesting an IMA. They will want to see important information such as:

• A fully fleshed out business plan
• A functioning website
• Your products/services
• Who your suppliers are
• How the goods are delivered
• Your terms and conditions

Be PCI compliant

To begin selling online, you must be completely compliant with the guidelines issued by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, or ‘PCI’ as I’ll be referring to them going forward. The PCI is responsible for outlining the best practices for online card processing, governing any business that deals with credit/debit card data.

The level of compliance you must observe will depend on the size and scope of your business. Smaller merchants can simply complete an online form, and there are no worries for anyone using a SaaS provider, as they handle everything related to PCI. Likewise, if you are not directly handling credit/debit card information, you should be fine.

Next steps

Shop around and do your research to find the most fitting platform to host your new online store. No matter the size or scope of your business, there is something out there to suit your requirements. Just remember: off-the-shelf software is more restrictive and limited in its functionality. I yet again recommend either SaaS or a bespoke provider.

And as always, watch this space for more blog posts, news and updates from The Web Creator’s Toolbox.

For those of us with a clear vision of a professional and effective website that is tailored to attract customers and close sales, the hiring of a web developer is a smooth process. For everyone else, a lot of preparation needs to take place before you spend money on hiring a professional to deliver a website that is in line with your brand’s business model.

As someone with years of experience in web development, I know how frustrating it can be for a professional to arrive on the scene and be met with only loose ideas, no work schedule, vague direction and worst of all: no solid business model. Without the right preparation, a job that should take around a week or less could go on for months.

Here’s what to prepare before hiring a web developer:

A solid business model

Your website must be able to perfectly translate your business model; a watertight plan that you have built from the ground up way before even considering building a website. A solid business model that is translated well onto a website should reassure the customer of the following:

• Exactly what your business does and why
• You understand the customer’s needs and why they are on your website
• You understand the customer’s problem and can promise to fix it with your product
• Your solution is a far better option than the competition
• Purchasing from you is not a leap of faith, but a decision made based on trust

If you have yet to create a strong business model, forget about hiring a web developer and return to the drawing board. Only once you feel 100% certain that your business model is clear, coherent and persuasive, then think about how you will transfer the plan onto your website. This brings us onto the next step.

A mock site or wireframe

Whether it’s by pencil and paper or some other medium, draw up your ideas as to how you envision your ideal website looking. Do not be afraid to take inspiration from popular and successful websites without stepping into the dangerous boundaries of plagiarism. It’s fine to get some ideas, but don’t outright copy.

A web developer will appreciate a basic framework of where images and headings should be placed, allowing them to work just that little bit faster and save essential time and resources for other tasks. You do not need to be an artistic virtuoso to draw up your ideas, just ensure they are clear and easy to follow. Try to outline where all the buttons, logos and other elements should be placed by the developer, along with the general ‘feel’ and atmosphere the site should provoke when visited by customers.

Your website assets

Images, videos, text and copy need to be prepared before the web developer arrives. They are not a photographer, graphic designer or copywriter who can fill in the blanks, so make sure to have all the necessary elements pre-prepared and ready to go once the developer has built the bones of the website.

Having the content of your website ready before it is even built may sound a little counterproductive, but if you have a clear vision of layout and structure, this shouldn’t be a problem. A good developer is very likely to act more like a web designer, meaning they will not leave you with confusing code to tinker with, but a dynamic system that can be used by anyone to alter the website. Think WordPress or Wix.

Direction and support

If you are in a position to hire a web developer, then you need to be able to direct them without hesitation or second guessing. They are on the clock, and every hour is another lost resource that needs to be minimised by having a clear vision, assertive direction and being able to provide constant support and guidance.

While web developers are excellent at what they do, they are unfortunately incapable of telepathy. These skilled men and women appreciate good direction from someone who clearly knows exactly what they want and how they want it to happen.

Ensure you maintain a clear and open line of communication with the web developer by using a popular and accessible platform such as WhatsApp and Zoom. Loom is also greatly beneficial for giving clarity to certain ideas or to provide feedback. Chances are, the web developer will be using Loom quite regularly to explore changes and keep you updated on their progress.

An open mind and flexibility

A good web developer will inevitably suggest important changes that need to be made to your website in order for it to be effective in achieving your business’ goals. Ensure you are ready to listen to their feedback and take on board their suggestions. Web developers are experts in their field and you will need to have an open mind if you want them to work efficiently.

A comprehensive brief

A good brief should contain all of the information, ideas and elements listed above in a simple and easy to follow guide. I recommend using a Google or Microsoft Word document to create your mission dossier since pretty much everyone uses either one or both of these popular platforms.

Arrange to chat with the web developer via a Zoom call or a similar medium so you can both explore the brief together to iron out the details and erase any confusion surrounding the project.

Next steps

Following this guide, you should be in a good position to begin shopping around for the ideal web developer to suit your business. It should be noted that a web developer plays a different role to a designer, so please make sure you hire someone who can build a website that you or anyone on your team can reconfigure at any time without needing to code.

And as always, keep an eye out for more news, updates and upcoming releases from The Web Creator’s Toolbox. Make sure to subscribe to our mailing list and follow us on social media if you haven’t already to keep in the loop on more exciting installments from me and the team.