Got some expert help with my website!
Hey everyone - yes I dropped off the radar again but like before it is because I have been busy doing something else. After working my way through a number of tutorial videos I got my website to an acceptable standard before realising that any further improvements were going to be at the cost of my designing which is where I need to focus right now (I have another nine colouring books to create!). It's always hard to let go of the reins but I took a deep breath and handed my site over to a Wordpress expert in India to get it to the next level.
Let me tell you, this wasn't easy. In fact the first night after I awarded the job I had a long and detailed nightmare about it. Seriously messed up right? I am rather proud of the fact that I forced myself to just sit back and trust the process - any of you fellow control freaks out there will recognise how alien this concept is! - and let my guy get on with it.
And guess what - he was absolutely delightful! Not only did he give me exactly what I needed, he was lovely to deal with and interpreted my needs brilliantly. I'm now getting familiar with the new items and having great fun repopulating and customising the site. Once it becomes an unconscious competence I can change and update it whenever I want - always with the knowledge that I can go back to Rupesh and ask questions any time I like.
I'm not sure if it is the done thing to post links to external resources here - perhaps someone can let me know so I don't inadvertently break any rules? In the meantime if anyone needs help with their site, you can find Rupesh Bhade on Upwork (or PM me and I'll give you a direct link to his profile). He is not expensive and he will save you lots of time and frustration customising your site. And he is an absolute sweetheart.
Take a look at www.colourmyday.com.au and let me know what you think! It's not finished yet but I'm working on it.
Until next time...
Gayle :-)
Recent Comments
15
Site is awesome with just the very catchy title. I am not an artist at all but site pulled me in so now i have the urge to paint something :)
I am no expert but I just thought I'd let you know that I'm an artist building a website that pertains to art. I like your website so far and it gives me some ideas of what to do...Perhaps you would like to look at an affiliate website out there...www.art-is-fun/paint-brushes.html.com... A fellow member gave me this for an example. Hope this helps...
Regards,
Gary
Hi Gary - thanks so much for your encouragement and especially for the tip about Thaneeya's website. How gorgeously delicious is it??!!! :-) I can SO see why you told me about it. She has a lovely style of engagement, and clearly knows why she's here. I wish I had that same certainty. I think when someone is comfortable and knows their purpose it shows... I still feel like a bit of an imposter with no clue what the hell I'm doing. I can only dream of having a delightfully vivacious and colourful website like hers. It is something to aim for though. :-) I'm going to study it very carefully and perhaps engage with her - she sounds like the sort of person I'd love to know.
Thanks again and good luck with your own site. When do we get a peek? :-)
Regards
Gayle
Hi Gayle, You are welcome... After seeing your website in progress, I think you're on the same track as her. I will be interested to see yours when it's finished. I don't know if she is with WA, my sponsor who I signed through when I joined WA sent me her link as an example to show me what I should be shooting for on building a website. I don't know if mine will be as extravagant as hers but we will see.
You are way ahead of me, I am just at the beginning but if you want to take a peek, it's...artistpaintssupplies.com. I have to rethink some things after seeing her website and others. I feel the same as you that I'm not sure what I'm doing either,haha. That's why I think it's a great Idea to study and even do some of the same things that other affiliates are doing but just change it to your way.
Best of luck to you also, lets keep in touch...
Gary
Gary!!! Your work is beautiful! I think the painting you've used on your About Me page is perfect and I can't wait to see the rest of your site as it emerges. The concept of finding good quality art materials that don't cost a fortune is one very dear to my own heart. :-) Trouble is that in Australia everything costs more because we are so far removed from the rest of the world. It doesn't help that our dollar has tanked either... :-( I had a look at your Facebook page (and "liked" it) - I'm so looking forward to keeping in touch and seeing what you're doing.
Regards
Gayle
Thanks so much Gayle...I didn't realize the dollar is down in Australia. Do you buy your art supplies online? I know here in the US we have many where you can buy at wholesale prices. The company I buy from is Jerry's Artarama, (you probably saw that on my website) I don't know if you have one there. I would think you would have one similar. I lived in China for 8 months a short while ago, when I was there I bought supplies from a company online and they where a lot cheaper than here. I wish I could somehow do business with that company but after the shipping etc. it wasn't worth it.
I also am looking forward to your progress and see where we both go with this... I will definitely keep in touch...
Best to you,
Gary
Hi Gayle, will this guy also go through and check your site all ok ? I dont have any mods to do at the moment but Id like to see why Im not getting much traffic at the moment.
Bye the way I love your site and I have forward it on to my wife who is crazy about adult colouring in.
cheers
James
Awesome Jim - thanks! :-) I'm madly designing my second book at the moment (got ten on the drawing board in total) so I'll let you know when it's ready for publication as well.
With regard to checking your site, I'm sure Rupesh could do that. I'll PM you his direct profile link and you can check him out. Part of his service offering is SEO so I'm sure he can help you work out what's going on. Just send him a message and ask. He's a nice young guy with no BS.
Talk soon.
Gayle
Hey Gayle,
I do like the site, the gratitude post caught my eye right way. I read it and enjoyed it. I am grateful for the fact that you are sharing that with the Universe. I am trying to do much the same thing with my experiences on my journey.
I did leave a comment on the post.
Stephen
Thank you Stephen! :-) It takes a while to find one's voice but I guess Ariana Huffington started somewhere too, didn't she? I look forward to reading about your journey... I'll head over to your page and catch up on your travels to date! Thanks for the comment on my site - I'll leave you one too. :-)
Gayle
It sounds like you found a good solution. There are also many skilled members here at WA. Perhaps you might take advantage of the membership here in the future.
Oh dear - I feel like a puppy that has been smacked with a newspaper but I'm not sure why! Are you telling me that there are members here at WA who provide similar services to people on Upwork etc? I had no idea!!! I've certainly never seen any correspondence or conversation threads that suggest such a thing. I know there are heaps of videos and tutorials by people who are experts in various technical areas but isn't the expectation that we are then supposed to go and do it all ourselves? If that is not the case then I feel a bit dumb for having missed the point. :-(
I'm definitely going to need more help moving forward and I would much rather get it here than elsewhere. :-) Thanks for alerting me to this possibility.
Regards
Gayle
Well typically, when I roll up the paper I smack myself on the head. The puppy does what it is going to do and doesn't deserve to be abused for it. I just need to learn to teach it better.
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I would do something with the first page. It looks too much of everything.
If you can find a way do menu like you have in the right (chat on facebook, shop...) picture and name on it. It looks great.
Maybe add some explanations for example i am not familiar with word mandala.
Xmas blog is empty. Dont show link to something that is empty. (i know site is stil in developing stage).
On the bottom you have beside privacy policy shop menu. I am not sure if you intended to have it here. Anyway it has submenu which isn't seen beacuse it opens past the bottom of the page.
I am not an expert just some thoughts, if you have some specific to ask me just shoot.
Keep up the good work and all the best :)
Ha ha - yes it is a MESS right now isn't it!! :-) I kind of paused in the middle of repopulating the whole thing and left some of the placeholder text and temporary images, assuming nobody was looking. (That's the beauty of being completely unknown in the beginning - you can make your mistakes and nobody cares.) Thank you so much for the reminder - I really must get back to it and get it looking the way it is supposed to. :-) The Christmas break has made me so slack...