J-D Design has done well this year
OK, so what does that mean? Well for starters, I started J-D Design in June 2016, so technically it's not even been a year yet; but Christmas and New Year are always the best times to sit back and reflect on the year that's passed, and look ahead to the next.The best thing about saying something has 'done well' is that a statement like this is completely immeasurable! So as long as you set yourself realistic targets, you are much more likely to be pleased with your achievements. That's a lifetime lesson you can apply to any of your targets and goals in life.
So why do I think J-D Design has done well? I think the last blog article I posted was back in August. That's not because I had nothing to write, in fact I've got a small back-catalogue of blog post ideas to schedule over the coming weeks. Some sharing free website advice from my decade-long experience in web development, others will showcase some of the work I've been working on over the last few months. The reason I've not been actively blogging is purely because I've not had the time. Blogging and content marketing is something all web designers need to do; in World Wide Web terms, it's as important as breathing! In reality however, everything else always seems to get in the way.
So what's happened with J-D Design this year that's been so great? We've had around 10 customers throughout 2016, and in my line of work that's a great result. Especially as things are just getting going. Web designers and 'people in the know' will understand that systems need to be built, and working processes need to be ironed out; to make you and your business as efficient and stress-free as possible, and that's what I feel I've achieved.
What my current customers will all know by now, is that I do things slightly different to the common web designer. That's not necessarily a good, bad, better or worse thing. Let's be straight, I don't want to slate any web designers and their methods, I'm just happy to say I do things different - and my customers love it.
So what makes J-D Design the best?
Over the course of 2016, I've spent hours and hours, even days on certain features of my websites to ensure their quality. There's so much more to web development than off the shelf websites, handed over as a product. A website development should be offered as a service, with continued maintenance, support and regular updates.Commercial Website Management System
Superfast websites
Best website management features out of the box
Excellent Security
Most Comprehensively Managed Websites
Excellent Support
- I never use a content management system you can get for free. Why? Because if you're paying someone to make you a website, they need to know how the underlying system works in great detail. With systems you can get yourself as a free download will never give you that true 'bespoke' feeling a commercial website management system does. Say you want a new feature on your website, like a shop, forum, gallery or blog. With many content management systems, your web developer will need to get something called a 'plugin' (what's that I hear you ask???) and even when they try and 'plug it in' to your existing website, because it was likely made by one or multiple other different people from different countries around the world, it'll never work / look / feel the same as the rest of your website did. Annoying huh? With J-D Design you get none of that. If you want something adding onto your site, as every month passes by there's probably a high chance the system can already support that. If not, we'll make it from scratch, just for you.
Superfast websites
- Any web designer that starts to add different 'plugins', features, and checks on your website will agree that performance can soon become a problem with free content management systems. Are you considering getting a new website for your business in 2017? If so, check out how fast the web designers' website fully loads in your browser. Then navigate my website, or any of the websites I've made. Each J-D Design website comes with a superfast website management system on superfast servers, meaning you get the ultimate in website performance to ensure your website is always running as fast as it possibly can.
Best website management features out of the box
- Whether you're an individual business owner (like myself) or a larger business, when you invest in anything digital, you want to be sure you're getting the best value for the money you're spending. That's why with J-D Design, you get a website management system with so many useful features out of the box. Some include:
- Excellent customisability: Change and override settings over your whole website, to make your website yours.
- Social plugins: Update your website when your social media status changes, at any time! Easily plugin Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more at the press of a button - simple.
- Create and manage pages: Our business-grade website management system supports choosing who can access different pages on your website really easily. Want only a certain group of users to access certain pages? Maybe you require certain users to be logged in / subscribed to view a certain page on your website. Super easy, and all with the click of your mouse. So much CONTROL.
- Excellent Reporting: See who's on your website with a live graph, who's been on your website, where they came from, and what they did when they stopped by.
- Different website themes throughout the year: Want a special look and feel for your website at Christmas, Easter or the Summer Holidays? No problem! J-D Design can design you different looks to your website, which you can flick over at any time.
- Super easy file management: Managing the images, downloads and documents on your website can be so confusing. It's a personal guarantee that with every J-D Design website, you will be left in full confidence of how you manage every aspect of your website. If not, I don't leave - you're stuck with me.
Excellent Security
- Don't underestimate your websites security. Whether you're a school, business or corporation; having dynamic features such as users logging into your website or showing certain pictures on your websites all need different levels of security. With a J-D Design website, you can fine tune everything. Password protect pages, protect images in galleries, albums, documents - everything. You choose how much security you need, whether you only want to share certain parts of your website with certain people, and whether or not they need an account or shared password to continue.
- Notice how this website (and all my customers) come with an HTTPS:// SSL Secure Connection on every page load? This is becoming the standard now, a highly secured and encrypted connection on all pages between your visitors and your website. Whether they're just browsing pages or submitting secure information, it doesn't matter. Only you and your customers need access to that information, therefore every website developer should be ensuring all their websites are HTTPS by default now.
Most Comprehensively Managed Websites
- As every one of my customers will know, a J-D Design website will be the last website you'll ever need. Yes the front-end will change, we'll update to latest emerging standards etc. etc., but there'll be no more feeling stranded, forgotten about and not important enough to bother your web designer any more.
- Every few weeks, each J-D Design website is updated, both with any bug fixes (not that we have many of them....) and more importantly exciting new features. Plus you get the benefit of knowing that if you don't contact me for any support, I'll be keeping in regular contact with you to ensure you're getting the most out of your J-D Design website.
Excellent Support
- No. This isn't my ego talking, it's my customers. Check some of them out:
I met John through my own business as a customer. He wasn't at all pushy but mentioned what he did professionally and...
Posted by Neil Broughton on Friday, 23 December 2016
From start to finish John has been great, paying full attention to the needs and creating a bespoke website allowing us...
Posted by Rob Laming on Monday, 19 December 2016
At Progress School of Motoring we wanted a website that would be interactive for our pupils and instructors, keeping it...
Posted by Dean James on Wednesday, 14 December 2016
The new website for Progress School of Motoring has been a hit with pupils and instructors alike. It looks amazing and...
Posted by Tom Mathews on Monday, 12 December 2016
With my company going through a rebranding process I required a new web site along with a new professional logo. I...
Posted by Michael Lees on Friday, 12 August 2016
So there we go, for just over 6 months in active business, to have achieved these standards of work and gained some valuable customers has been the success I needed, to prove to myself my business model was worth all the extra work and attention to detail, but also to stand out with a service worth its value. You're the only person to say whether or not you're successful or not, after all they're your goals.
Merry Christmas
As 2016 draws to a close, we can all reflect on what a crazy, rollercoaster year it's been. The world is a VERY different place than it was in January, probably the biggest contrast in a long time!I'm privileged enough to be able to spoil both my girls this Christmas, making sure they have all the food, drink and toys they need to keep them entertained (...well into the middle of January!). I'm also lucky enough to have had the opportunity to give food and money this Christmas, to those less fortunate than myself. This is important.
And with that, (if you actually got to the end of my blog post) I'd like to wish my customers (old and new), friends (old and new) and family a very happy Christmas, and I look forward to working with many in order to make 2017 an even bigger success.
