Should You Edit Your Own Website?
Making Edits to Your Website
I just finished a new website for a local nonprofit. A case study of the project will be in an upcoming newsletter. The site was created in WordPress, a popular content management system used by bloggers and growing in popularity because it is easy to learn and edit your website without knowing code.
As I was preparing a training document to review with my client, which is part of the website package I offer, I wondered how my client would edit images to the correct size for the homepage slide show. As a professional designer, I use Adobe Photoshop. My client would not have this software. How could this be accomplished? I had heard of Picasa, a free program offered by Google. Perhaps that would work. I downloaded the software and tried it. While I could crop and image, I could not specify the size. I decided to consult with some of my fellow designers in a LinkedIn group.
“…they could royally mess it up”
“…no way to make sure they aren’t adding something inappropriate but at least you can keep the sizing from causing havoc!”
“The CMS experience is a serious one….Many have bought into the notion that now “all can be web designers” with WordPress, Joomla! Drupal, Microsoft..”
You get the idea. My fellow designers did not think the client should be making design edits. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that they were correct. I was hired to create the web site because I am a professional designer. The client is not. Changes to website graphics is a process that a client is usually ill-equipped to handle. In my desire to provide service to the client, I might be causing harm to the organization instead of helping.
As a client, you may be tempted to make the design changes yourself, to save costs. Being able to make your own text edits, such as new promotions, changes to the business, pricing will help keep your website timely. However, working with a professional is a valuable investment in your marketing, and will help you maintain a consistent polished brand. Leave the design to the professionals.
Have you been considering a change in your current website, and want to work with a professional? Contact Resolution Creative for a free design audit of marketing materials.