My absolute highlight of 2015 was of course getting married, quite apt actually as I am writing this blog close to Valentine’s Day, but a somewhat lesser known and certainly less significant highlight that year was that I taught myself how to create a website!
It was great fun to do, the site was basic and functional, and I was able to understand enough to get a simple online shop up and running. The learning was all via LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com, a truly fantastic resource. Despite this excellent resource however, in no way was I destined to become a programmer extraordinaire or a website wizard!
Over time the site became clunky and slow, even browsing a gallery became a mission in itself! With my limited knowledge of the intricacies that lie under the bonnet of a website, I can now appreciate the value of having a good web designer and a professional touch was desperately needed. I luckily found a great local design company C Me Online who worked with me in 2018 to create a new site from scratch and an online shop that not only showcased my work but importantly offered my customers lots of choice and secure payment via desktop and mobile devices.
This website was fantastic and served me well for over two years, but an opportunity came in late-2020 to upgrade the site. The Local Enterprise Office have been great supporting local business here in Wicklow, and a fantastic initiative from the LEO is the Trading Online Voucher, essentially a grant towards the costs of a new e-commerce website.
C Me Online once again delivered a fantastic website. In addition to a revamped online shop, the new site now showcases my courses, my commercial offerings to business customers and retail, plus this very blog! Whilst I think I gave my very first website a good honest go, it’s hard to beat handing the reins over to someone who knows their stuff.
I hope you like it as much as I do…
