April 27, 2023
The Top 5 Mistakes I Made When Making My Websites & How You Can Make Sure You Don’t Make Them Too
The Top 5 Mistakes I Made When Making My Websites & How You Can Make Sure You Don’t Make Them Too
Starting a business can be exciting and daunting at the same time. When I decided to launch my own businesses, I knew that I was going to make some websites. What I didn’t know was – well – how to do that.
I thought it would be one of those things I could watch some youtube videos and quickly and easily figure it out and be on my way.
Yeah – no – not so much.
Yes, you absolutely can find SO many tutorials online and on YouTube, but I found that in order to create what was in my head – I was going to need to take some time to design and play with each site to get them to where I wanted them to be.
Little did I know that creating one website, let alone three, would take so much time, energy, and frustration! Like so much. Looking back, I realize that much of the frustration and setbacks I faced were due to mistakes I made along the way – mistakes that could have been avoided if I had known better.
I wanted to create this post because I don’t want you to go through the same challenges that I did. I want you to be able to create your website easily, make it beautiful, and have it do what you want it to do – so that you can focus on building the life you love instead of wrestling with a website that you hate.
In this blog post, I’m going to share with you my top five mistakes I made when creating my websites from scratch. I hope that by sharing my experiences, you’ll be able to avoid them and save yourself some time, money and frustration.
So, here are the top 5 mistakes I made (so hopefully you don’t have to)
Not Using Elementor
“Elementor is a drag-and-drop page builder plugin for WordPress websites that allows users to easily create custom, professional-looking web pages without needing to know how to code. It features a user-friendly interface and a wide range of pre-designed templates and widgets, making it a popular tool for website creators of all levels of expertise.“
What is Elementor, you ask? Well, it’s a powerful drag-and-drop website builder that makes creating beautiful websites easy and intuitive!
I wasted so much time and energy trying to build my sites using a general builder that was just way too difficult to use. I watched countless tutorials, but still couldn’t figure it out! That’s when I discovered Elementor and everything changed for me. With its drag-and-drop functionality, building my vision for these sites became so much easier (and more fun!)
Elementor is free, but the pro version has so many cool tools and features that I decided it was worth it for me and now use Elementor Pro on all three of my sites and cannot recommend it enough to anyone who wants to create their own site and bring their vision to life!
Not Backing Up My Sites
“Connecting with a professional to help you back up your site is a great way to ensure that your site is protected in case of a crash or data loss. Platforms like Upwork make it easy to find experienced freelancers who can help you with this task. Upwork is an online marketplace where businesses and freelancers can connect and collaborate on projects, including website development, maintenance, and security.“
One of the biggest mistakes I made was not backing up my sites.
Guys – let me tell you, it was a costly mistake. It cost me time, money, frustration, lots of tears and honestly trying to get them back burned me out.
If your website gets infected or crashes and you don’t have a backup, you could lose all your hard work in an instant! I clearly learned this the hard way and do not want it to happen to you!
I almost lost an entire year’s worth of work on all three of my sites when they were infected and crashed. It was a nightmare, but after I was able to get them recovered and fixed, I was able to find a third-party service that backs up my sites every day and keeps backups from up to two months back.
I’m telling you – don’t make the same mistake I did – always back up your site!
Now, if you’re wondering how to back up your website effectively, there are 3 main things I would keep in mind:
- First, make sure you use a reliable backup service that’s easy to use and can store your backups in a secure location.
- Second, schedule your backups to run automatically on a regular basis, so you don’t have to remember to do it manually.
- Lastly, test your backups regularly to make sure they’re working properly and you can restore your site if needed.
Trust me, taking the time to set up an effective backup system will save you a ton of stress and heartache down the road – so if you get one thing out of this article – let it be this – BACK UP YOUR SITE(S).
Not Installing Malware Security
“Immunify is a security solution designed to protect websites from cyber threats such as malware, viruses, and hackers. It uses advanced machine learning algorithms to detect and prevent attacks in real-time, and it also provides features such as firewalls and brute-force protection. Immunify is an easy-to-use and effective solution for website owners who want to ensure their website is secure and protected from online threats.“
In the last point, I talked about how important it was to make sure your sites are backed up. Here, I’m sharing what could have prevented me from almost losing my sites in the first place – having proper website security!
When my sites were infected with malware, a whole year’s worth of hard work I had put into my sites was gone in an instant. I didn’t even realize the importance of website security until it was too late.
I had to spend so much time, money, and energy trying to get them back online and have them cleaned up and fixed – it was exhausting. By the end of it, in all honesty, I was ready to throw in the towel on the sites.
That’s why I cannot stress enough how CRUCIAL it is to protect your site from malware, viruses, and hackers – before something happens – not when. It’s much easier and cheaper to be proactive and install preventative measures than it is to deal with the consequences of a cyber-attack.
Now, I have malware and virus security on all my sites and it gives me peace of mind knowing that they’re protected.
Not Anticipating The Size
“Connecting with a professional on a freelance platform like Upwork can help you figure out how much storage space your website will need. Upwork is an online marketplace that connects businesses with freelancers for various services, including web development, design, and consulting.“
You might think that doing it all yourself will save you time and money, but believe me, it can be a real challenge. Even if you’re creating a website from scratch, working with a web developer can provide many benefits.
Speaking from personal experience, not hiring a web developer was a big mistake that I made early on. I thought I could do everything myself and have complete control over my website, but I quickly realized that there were some things I just couldn’t figure out on my own.
For example, at one point I spent a few weeks trying to learn code which was so out of my wheelhouse and was very frustrating and time-consuming. It ultimately led me to waste a lot of time trying to do something that was just way beyond my skill level.
That’s when I realized that bringing someone on to be able to help me when I got stuck on things that would take me weeks, while for them just a few hours, was worth it. I wish I had done it sooner. It would have saved me a lot of headaches, stress, and time.
I know they can be expensive, but even just having someone you know who is experienced, and whom you can ask and hire if needed, is a helpful tool to have in your back pocket if you find yourself stuck in a jam.
Even after hiring a web developer, it took a few tries before finding one that worked well for me, that was reasonably priced, and willing to be on call to help out whenever I got stuck. I recommend interviewing a few and having their contact info ready, as you never know when you will need it.
Not Working With A Web Designer/developer
“Upwork is a popular online platform that connects businesses with freelance professionals from around the world, including web developers. On Upwork, clients can post job listings, review proposals from interested freelancers, and hire the best fit for their project. With over 12 million freelancers, Upwork is a great resource for finding skilled web developers and other professionals for your business needs.“
You might think that doing it all yourself will save you time and money, but believe me, it can be a real challenge. Even if you’re creating a website from scratch, working with a web developer can provide many benefits.
Speaking from personal experience, not hiring a web developer was a big mistake that I made early on. I thought I could do everything myself and have complete control over my website, but I quickly realized that there were some things I just couldn’t figure out on my own.
For example, at one point I spent a few weeks trying to learn code which was so out of my wheelhouse and was very frustrating and time-consuming. It ultimately led me to waste a lot of time trying to do something that was just way too beyond my skill level.
That’s when I realized that bringing someone on to be able to help me when I got stuck on things that would take me weeks and them mere hours, was worth it. I wish I had done it sooner. It would have saved me a lot of headaches, stress, and time.
I know they can be expensive, but even just having someone you know that is experienced and you can ask and hire if you needed to is a helpful tool to have in your back pocket if you find yourself stuck in a jam.
Even after hiring a web developer, it took a few tries before finding one that really worked well for me, that was reasonably priced and willing to be on call to help out whenever I got stuck. I recommend interviewing a few and having their contact info ready – as you never know when you will need it.
Good Luck!
As you can tell, I’ve made so many mistakes creating my websites from scratch (and these five mistakes were just the ones that caused me the most grief).
I don’t want you to suffer like I did, because you, my friend, have much more important and beautiful work to do in the world than to spend your time trying to fix a website.
I can’t wait to see you do it 🙂
If you do create a site and these tips helped you, be sure to comment below! It’ll feel good knowing that my mistakes helped someone haha.
As always friend – thank you for being here.
xx I love you, I mean it
DISCLAIMER
Please note that all content on this page, website, and any affiliated resources is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of treatment from a physician. NO information on this page or website should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Additionally, please be aware that some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, from which I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through those links.
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THESE EMAILS I SEND – I PROMISE – FEEL LIKE LETTERS FROM A FRIEND
Come Be Part Of The Bloom!
What is The Bloom? The Bloom is my personal letter to you, dedicated to supporting your growth and flourishing in all aspects of life – from your health, well-being and entrepreneurial pursuits to overcoming obstacles, discovering passions, stepping into purpose and finding avenues for positive impact – The Bloom is all about helping you create a life you truly love – whatever that looks like for you!
I like to think of The Bloom newsletter as the water, soil, or sunlight I hope to be able to give you to help you grow and bloom in your own life! That’s why as a member of The Bloom community, you’ll get heartfelt personal letters from me sharing stories, resources, tools, inspiration and support to help you on your personal growth journey.
I'm Haley James!
I’m a California-based purpose-driven, multi-passionate entrepreneur, chronic illness & rare disease advocate, speaker, podcaster, designer, YouTuber, content creator and really, at my core, just a woman who wants to love & help people!
More specifically though, I’m here to love & help support YOU by inspiring, empowering and equipping you to overcome your obstacles, pursue your passions, step into your purpose and create a life you truly love so you can use your stories and gifts to make a positive impact in the lives of others!
I hope you’ll join me!
I'm Haley James!
I’m a California-based purpose-driven, multi-passionate entrepreneur, chronic illness & rare disease advocate, speaker, podcaster, designer, YouTuber, content creator and really, at my core, just a woman who wants to love & help people!
More specifically though, I’m here to love & help support YOU by inspiring, empowering and equipping you to overcome your obstacles, pursue your passions, step into your purpose and create a life you truly love so you can use your stories and gifts to make a positive impact in the lives of others! I hope you’ll join me!
THANKS FOR BEING HERE – I LOVE YOU, I MEAN IT ♡
THANKS FOR BEING HERE – I LOVE YOU, I MEAN IT ♡
