Sarah Jacobs shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Sarah, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
The behind-the-scenes code that runs every website! I don’t rely on pre-made themes and page builders, just the built-in WordPress editor. This guarantees an easy-to-update website that runs for years – even decades.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Since childhood, I’ve been captivated by design, from crafting handwritten birthday cards to learning Photoshop graphics before layers existed. My drive to create and share visually striking work has always defined me. Passion for design barely captures it! Now, as a senior graphic designer leading a small website development agency, I infuse every professional project with decades of expertise.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My high school art teacher saw me clearly before I could see myself. While I thought I was just enjoying art class, she recognized my raw talent and passion for creativity. She pushed me to refine my skills, introduced me to new techniques, an internship, and encouraged me to take my work seriously, long before I believed I could make a career out of it. Her belief in me gave me the confidence to pursue design professionally.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There was a time I nearly gave up when I was trying to learn PHP and MySQL on my own. It felt overwhelming, like hitting a wall I couldn’t climb. But in 2003, when CMS platforms like WordPress launched, it was a game-changer. This gave me the opportunity to apply my graphic design skills to create interactive, editable websites!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
When it comes to websites, brands and graphics, I’m sure you’ve heard all the rules. The things people say you need. What articles online say you should do. Or what you should expect. I’m here to tell you that it’s not all true. It’s time to shatter these myths. Let’s take a look at the ones I hear the most.
1. Nobody will look at this. Just hurry up and make something. I need it now.
So I break the rule by saying… Everybody will look at this. That’s a lot of people, looking at a lot of websites! Think about what each lead is worth to you. How much do you make on each sale? This is how you begin to realize that what you’ve created has value, and people from all over the world are going to look at your website. Your website should be a working resource for your business. It should show up on the first page of the search engines as soon as I’m done with it. Otherwise, what’s the point?
2. All designers are the same. Just pick one. Even better, crowdsource it. It’s cheaper.
I break the rule by saying… Good designers have purpose. The purpose of design is to communicate a message. To catch the eye. To make the sale. A designer is someone who takes the time to understand your business and what you’re trying to do.
3. A flat rate includes everything. Especially with website maintenance.
If it’s flat rate project, or budget-first, designers feel the need to increase prices to
accommodate anyone and everyone. During the project, they get tired of client requests,
because it’s using up their profit. In the end, they may take shortcuts to make the project worthwhile. Or they may give you so many features that your website runs slowly. So this the important part: Eventually, the relationship falls apart when either side doesn’t feel fairly compensated.
I break the rule by saying… watch where you sign your name.
4. Everyone needs a blog. Because that gives you good SEO.
Decisions need to be made based on your business’ vision, values and budget, not pop culture. And, ask me about how many times a blog post has created more problems than it solved.
I break the rule by saying… maybe a pen or small promotional item is a better idea. Because it keeps your brand in front of your customers. If you’re looking for more leads, let’s come up with a strategy.
5. You need to be on social media, or you’ll lose out on sales.
I think every client I’ve ever had has told me this. If you’re already on social media, great! Go for it! But I say… social media is tricky. and wastes a lot of time. If you want more people on your website, then I usually do a test with analytics. I have a client go and make a post or two, and then we can track whether anyone visited their website. Or if they got any leads. It doesn’t work for all businesses – and too many people have unrealistic high hopes in this department.
6. My brand isn’t important. A do-it-yourself strategy saves money.
This is not true. Your potential customers will notice. For example, I constantly see companies marketing their “uniqueness” while using fonts preloaded on every computer sold at Best Buy.
In reality, your brand is everything. And you’d better be consistent. You’ve heard the saying “how you do one thing – is how you do everything.” We need to make sure your brand matches your message. And your graphics reflect your brand. And your entire look and feel is consistent. Believe it or not, it makes people think you know what you’re doing.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Working! Ha! I love work, but I love camping, exploring and volunteering more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sw33t.com
