In this
Website Planet interview, Michelle Gill, a Wix Partner designer, explains how she tailors websites for authors, artists, and entrepreneurs by first listening, organizing their content, and choosing branding elements—colors, fonts, and layouts—that convey the right feeling.
Her process moves from building the client relationship to defining branding and a sitemap, then to design, collaborative edits, and a final launch that includes publishing across social and email channels. Drawing on event planning and political consulting, Michelle emphasizes preparation, audience analysis, and the emotional “moment” a site should create, and she stresses that professional photography often makes the biggest visual difference.
As a dedicated Wix expert who uses Wix Studio, CMS, and dynamic pages, she measures success by thoughtful, well-crafted sites that are both beautiful and easy to use.
How do you tailor your web design services to meet the unique needs of authors, artists, and entrepreneurs?
My clients vary in personality, so I usually have a meeting with them to start and assess what direction I need to go, specifically with them. Some clients want me to do it all – come up with the look, layout, and would even want me to provide content, which I require of them.
And then some clients want to talk and dream and change things as we go, but I am learning to wrangle those types in. And some have everything ready to go, from branding to layout to content.
Secondly, there is a reason they are coming to a professional. So I try to give them advice from what I have seen works best in their field.
Can you describe your process for creating a website from concept to launch?
Like I said, it starts with the relationship with the client. I really have to listen and organize them for their project.
Then I get a feel for the design. I start with what you would call branding, but it is basically the color codes and fonts and overall look that I am going to go with. Then I lay out the sitemap and organize the content they send me.
From there, I design the site, send the client a first look, edit according to their specifications, and send them a final look.
Once we are all set and in agreement, we publish their new site and launch it on their specific channel, such as social media and email marketing.
What role does your experience in event planning and political consulting play in your approach to web design?
Event planning takes a great deal of preparation, planning, and prevention. If an event is well planned and you are prepared, then you will prevent most of the catastrophes that could come about. Also, a well-planned event evokes a feeling in those attending.
That is basically the starting point for a planner. What do I want the attendees to feel – lively, excited for a volunteer event, or settled, taken care of for a fundraising event, etc? You are creating a space for them, a moment. What are you conveying? Same with a website, you want the viewer to feel what? What do you want to tell them?
In political consulting, you are once again assessing your audience. How will this statement or this campaign atmosphere make them feel? What are the facts you want them to retain? A political consultant takes in the whole of the campaign – who are your voters, how many votes do you already have, how many more do you need, what would benefit the voter, and what would move their vote, … Preparation and planning. Great organizational skills are the same starting point for planning a website, planning an event, and planning a campaign efficiently and successfully. Also, putting in the time to know your client and their audience.
As a Wix Partner designer, how do you leverage the platform’s features to benefit your clients?
Because I am a Wix Partner, I have access to their professional customer service and training. I find this as a very beneficial asset to myself and to my clients. As technology is always changing and progressing, I find being an expert in one program to be valuable.
I don’t have time to learn every program out there. I used to work in another program, but as the years passed, changes were slow, and they rarely upgraded their technology. That is why I made the switch to work exclusively with Wix. They are always advancing and willing to listen to their users.
Can you share a recent project that showcases your design capabilities and client collaboration?
I just completed a redesign using Wix Studio for Neaumix Fit. www.neaumixfit.com Neaumix Fit is a franchise of pilates studios in California and Nevada. They have been my client for a number of years. Recently, the franchise has been multiplying locations at a greater speed, and they needed to upgrade their site. I used CMS, Google Maps, and dynamic pages to upgrade the dispersion of their locations’ information.
One of my clients’ content requirements is that they provide professional photos. Even though a site’s look is night and day different when using professional and personal photos, most still refuse to make the investment. Neaumix Fit knows the value, and that is one of the reasons their site looks so great; they use a professional photographer. That is my number one piece of advice for any entrepreneur or business: get professional photographs taken.
How do you ensure that the websites you create are both visually appealing and user-friendly?
To make sure a site looks good and is user-friendly, it is all in the layout and the designer’s expertise with the program that they are using. If you are using a good program, it is the layout of information that creates an easy user experience. No one wants to have to search for information on a site. They want it to be obvious.
The appearance of the site is not only visually appealing but also creates a feeling for the user. If the site’s colors don’t match, you are using 6 different fonts, and things are not lined up, it does not matter if your products or services are top-tier. The feeling the site will convey is that you don’t believe in excellence.
I continue to study the program that I use. I continue to research products and standards in my line of work. I also put extra time in with my client, checking and rechecking my work. I have no interest in fast products to add income. I take my time with each project until it feels perfect.
Find out more at:
www.bcreek.co
