A website is a crucial element of any brand's online presence. It serves as the hub for existing customers and a gateway for potential ones. However, during our work in website design and development, we have identified four key issues that can impede the success of a website. These include a lack of accessibility for the website owner, a lack of knowledge or technical ability to make updates, outdated WordPress plugins, and a prominently displayed logo of the web design company on the site. These issues can negatively impact a website's functionality, security, and overall effectiveness, and addressing them ensures that it is a valuable asset for a business.

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Lack of Access:

Having full access to your website is essential for managing and maintaining it. Unfortunately, it's common for companies to find themselves locked out of their website, needing to rely on the previous web developer for login and server information. When your web designer completes a project, it is crucial that they provide you with the necessary usernames and access to manage your site independently, including domain management. To minimize the chances of this happening, it's best practice to ensure that the account housing your site and domain belongs to your company. At S Davis Consulting, we ensure that all of our partners have access to their sites to make edits without needing to involve us. Any accounts we create are set up and wholly owned by them, so they can fully control their website can manage it easily.

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The inability for Updates:

A website is a dynamic representation of your brand and should be updated regularly to reflect the latest information and changes. However, many web developers use tools like WordPress that can make it difficult for the end-user to make updates, or they fail to provide adequate training. We have addressed this issue at S Davis Consulting using Webflow as our design and development tool. Webflow allows our partners to make updates easily through the visual editor, and they can change content on the page or use the Content Management System (CMS) to publish updates. Additionally, we provide video training to our partners, walking them through how to update their sites. Our partners are empowered to update and maintain their sites without needing to go through us, and if they want us to make updates, we are there to assist.

Outdated Plugins:

Website development tools like WordPress often rely on plugins to add functionality to a website. It's essential to keep these plugins up to date or to remove them when they are no longer supported by the original developer, as outdated plugins can negatively impact the performance and security of your site and your ranking with Google. At S Davis Consulting, we ensure that our partners do not have to worry about this issue by utilizing tools that do not require additional plugins. Our partners can have peace of mind knowing that their site is secure from the day it launches.

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Design Company Logo in Footer:

You may have noticed that some websites have a logo for a design company in the footer, a common practice among web designers seeking exposure. However, even though we designed the site at S Davis Consulting, it belongs entirely to the business or organization that hired us. Therefore, our logo has no place in the footer. If your web designer is placing their logo in your footer and you have no problem with it, we suggest you receive a discount for the free advertising of their brand. Our recommendation for developers would be to instead insert their signature (name or company name) in the HTML of the site so as not to infringe on your brand's website.

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A website serves as the home base for your current audience and is the vehicle through which you attract your target audience. Your website must be accessible, easy to update, secure, and represent your brand. At S Davis Consulting, we understand the importance of these factors and strive to ensure that our partners have a website that they can be proud of and that represents their brand. If you need assistance with your website development and design, please don't hesitate to contact us. We'll be happy to help you create a website that you'll love.