Website Maintenance Archives - Design Web Louisville

How Design Web Louisville Works: Your Partner in Website Development

May 12, 2025

Author: Sean H.

In today’s digital landscape, having a professional website is essential for any business. But understanding the process of website development can be overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling a full-time job and other responsibilities. That’s where Design Web Louisville comes in – offering transparent, flexible, and comprehensive web design services tailored to your specific needs.

Our Pricing Structure: Simple and Straightforward

At Design Web Louisville, we believe in transparency when it comes to pricing. Our service operates on a one-time fee basis, giving you complete ownership of your site once the project is completed. Understanding that financial flexibility is important, we offer several payment options:

50% deposit to start the project and 50% at launch
Customized monthly payment plans
Tailored solutions based on your specific project needs

The only ongoing costs you’ll need to consider are hosting and domain fees (approximately $200 annually), which are paid directly to providers like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Green Geeks, or SiteGround. We’re happy to help you set these up on auto-pay with your preferred provider.

Full Control of Your Website

One concern many clients have is maintaining control of their digital assets. Rest assured, Design Web Louisville provides you with:

Full administrative access and control of your website
An administrator account on your dashboard
Complete access to edit anything on your site
No limitations on your site controls

Our team will need temporary access to complete the work, but this access can be completely removed at the end of the project if you prefer. All accounts are set up in your name and under your control.

Comprehensive Training Included

Your website is only as useful as your ability to manage it. That’s why we include training as part of our service package at no additional cost. Our training options include:

One-on-one site walkthroughs via Zoom or similar screen-sharing platforms
Digital PDF manuals upon request
Personalized guidance tailored to your comfort level with website management

Seamless Transitions from Other Platforms

If you’re currently using Wix or another platform, we’ll handle the transition process with minimal hassle on your end. Our team will:

Complete the new site development
Assist with transferring or updating content from your existing platform
Guide you through decisions about which services to keep or migrate
Provide recommendations based on your specific project needs

Third-Party Tools and Resources

To create a fully functional website, certain third-party services may be necessary. These typically include:

Stock photos (approximately $10 each, or we can help you source free alternatives)
Google Ad accounts and Google My Business
Payment processors for e-commerce functionality
Optional plugins for specialized functions

All these accounts will be set up in your name, giving you direct control over your digital assets. We’ll guide you through selecting the best options for your specific needs.

Analytics, Backups, and Security

Understanding your website’s performance is crucial for business growth. We help set up:

Google Analytics and Yoast for comprehensive tracking and monitoring
Regular scheduled backups through your hosting provider
Security tools like Wordfence for additional website protection

We recommend high-quality hosting services like Green Geeks to enhance server security, and we can advise on best practices for maintaining website security, including secure passphrases and two-factor authentication.

Flexible Time Commitment

We understand that you’re busy. Our process is designed to minimize the time you need to dedicate to the project while still ensuring your complete satisfaction:

Initial one-hour discovery meeting to establish your goals
Option to have our team handle content creation based on your outline
Review and edit requests at your own pace
Additional one-hour meetings as needed to review progress
Approximately one hour per week for reviews is typically sufficient

Ongoing Support Options

Once your website is launched, we offer various support options:

Full year of hosting management (monitoring uptime, assisting with hosting updates)
Monthly maintenance services (content updates, reporting, tracking)
Hourly as-needed assistance for specific changes

Many clients choose our ongoing support for tasks like converting social media content into blog posts, which saves time and improves SEO.

Our Commitment to You

At Design Web Louisville, we tailor our services to your specific needs. Whether you want us to handle every aspect of your website development or just need guidance with specific elements, our flexible approach ensures your project’s success without overwhelming your schedule.

Ready to transform your online presence? Contact Design Web Louisville today to discuss how we can create a website that perfectly represents your business.

How to Use Your Online Presence to Combat Negative PR

April 21, 2025

Author: Eleanor Hecks

Building a business is like building a house — you must pay attention to the little details while ensuring the foundation and framing are solid. Negative comments can stunt growth and leave a bad impression. Knowing what to do when faced with negative online PR can improve your brand image and show potential customers you care.

Have you ever noticed that some companies seem to attract positive comments and mentions? Beneficial branding is intentional. You can improve bad reviews and turn negatives into positives by focusing on a few aspects of your online presence.

Tweak Your Website

Digital PR is a cost-effective way to improve your business’s reputation. A well-designed site centers on keywords the target audience will most likely seek. You can also use specific features to show authority and showcase positive attributes like tools that tie into the services and products you offer.

The “about” page should explain the company’s mission so others can get behind what you do. If you offer guarantees on products or services, share that information on the website. A testimonial or review area is a must. It shows you have happy customers who value what you offer.

Use Social Media to Drive Engagement

Modern social media offers companies a personalized method of engaging customers, and businesses must utilize a strong and positive social presence if they hope to attract and retain customers. As more than a fourth of customers lose trust in a brand after encountering negative social media feedback, the image you project on your social accounts is a vital piece of customer acquisition and retention.

Those who follow you may be longtime clients or interested in doing business with you. Take the time to post helpful content that solves their pain points and shows what you’re capable of as a company. If someone blasted you in a review on a site like Facebook, adding a response on the same platform can show that you care what people think.

Make sure you’re monitoring social media sites for mentions. You can also combat the negatives by highlighting the positive reviews and comments. The more you respond, like and push up the positive comments, the less likely potential customers will get bogged down in the scathing ones.

Personalize Customer Service

Although many brands are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to improve customer service response times, a personalized touch can make all the difference in how consumers feel about your brand. Send surveys and pay attention to customer requests. A few positive experiences can counteract negative PR.

Respond Immediately and With Transparency

Your response can make or break brand reputation when dealing with negative PR. Have a plan to respond immediately to any comments on social media or negative reviews. Embrace transparency.

You’ve likely noticed some brands will attempt to take a negative comment on social media to direct messaging. Customers feel this is you trying to hide something and not be upfront. Have the discussion, within reason, in full view, including your resolution.

Embrace the Power of User-Generated Content (UGC)

What others say about a brand significantly impacts how consumers view it. Be proactive and get some buzz going about how great you are. UGC is one way to show that you have loyal fans who will sing your praises and can come in the form of testimonials, reviews, videos, social media shares and blog posts.

One user survey showed that 40% of shoppers believe UGC is an extremely important component on their path to making a purchase. Tap in to the power of reputation management by adding a few different types of UGC to your website and social media marketing efforts.

Negative PR Can Be Positive

When you first see a detrimental comment about your brand, the response may be to panic. However, consider every negative PR piece a chance to turn things around. Such conversations give you insight into what drives customers, and you can use the opportunity to show your brand cares. Do whatever it takes to ensure customer satisfaction and turn negative PR into positive marketing experiences.

Popular Free Booking Plugins for WordPress Therapist Websites

March 3, 2025

Author: Sean H.

If you’re a therapist looking to add booking functionality to your WordPress website, several free plugins can help you manage appointments efficiently, including options that allow categorizing clients by insurance type. Here are the most popular options:

Bookly Lite

Bookly’s free version offers a solid foundation for therapists with customizable services, staff management, and a clean booking interface. While the free version has limitations, it allows you to create different service categories that could be used to separate appointment types by insurance provider.

Simply Schedule Appointments

This user-friendly plugin offers a free tier with a clean interface that integrates well with most WordPress themes. You can create different appointment types that could correspond to various insurance categories. The booking form is customizable, allowing you to add fields for insurance information.

Easy Appointments

Easy Appointments is lightweight and straightforward, perfect for therapists just starting out. The plugin allows you to create multiple services and workers, and you can set up different appointment types based on insurance categories. It includes custom fields that let you collect insurance information during booking.

Appointment Hour Booking

This plugin offers both free and premium versions. The free version includes the ability to create appointment forms with different fields, making it possible to categorize appointments by insurance type. It also features email notifications and calendar integration.

BirchPress Scheduler

https://wordpress.org/plugins/birchschedule

A simple but effective free option that allows for basic appointment scheduling with customizable booking forms. You can create different service types that could correspond to insurance categories, though more advanced filtering would require the premium version.

Insurance-Specific Considerations

For specifically managing appointments by insurance type, consider:

Using custom fields to collect insurance information
Creating separate service categories for each insurance provider
Setting up conditional fields to show relevant appointment slots based on insurance selection

Choosing the Right Booking Plugin for Your Therapy Practice

Selecting the right booking plugin for your therapy practice is more than just a technological decision—it’s an important part of your client experience and practice management strategy. While the free versions of these plugins offer excellent starting points, consider how your specific needs around insurance categorization might influence your choice.

For smaller practices or those just getting started with online booking, plugins like Easy Appointments or Simply Schedule Appointments provide user-friendly interfaces with enough customization to handle basic insurance categorization. As your practice grows, you might find that investing in premium features from Bookly or Appointment Hour Booking provides the additional flexibility needed to fully optimize your scheduling workflow.

Remember that the right booking system should reduce administrative burden, not add to it. Take advantage of free trials and demos before making your final decision, and consider how each plugin integrates with your existing systems, such as your EHR or practice management software.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a seamless booking experience that respects both your clients’ needs and your practice requirements. With the right plugin in place, you’ll save time, reduce no-shows, and create a more professional experience for your therapy clients, regardless of their insurance status.

Pricing for each of the plugins mentioned above:

*prices change – check the source for accuracy.

Bookly

Free: Bookly Lite (basic features)
Premium: Starts at $89 for a single site license
Pro Bundle: $299 for all add-ons and extensions

Simply Schedule Appointments

Free: Basic tier with limited features
Plus: $99/year for a single site
Professional: $199/year for a single site
Business: $299/year for 5 sites

Easy Appointments

Free: Core functionality
Premium: $39 for a single site license (one-time payment)
Business: $99 for 5 site licenses (one-time payment)

Appointment Hour Booking

Free: Limited features version
Premium: $59.99 for a single site license
Developer: $199.99 for unlimited sites

BirchPress Scheduler

Free: Basic version with limited features
Personal: $99/year for a single site
Business: $199/year for 3 sites
Enterprise: $249/year for unlimited sites

Most of these plugins follow a freemium model where the core functionality is available for free, but advanced features—particularly those that would enhance insurance categorization and workflow management for therapists—require paid upgrades. The premium versions typically include better support, more customization options, and features like recurring appointments or advanced client management.

Navigating the Choppy Waters of WordPress 6.4: and why you may want to revert it back to 6.3

November 9, 2023

Author: Reddit

Today was a day for the books – the kind of day that serves as a stark reminder that in the digital world, not all updates come bearing gifts. If you’re part of the WordPress community, you might want to buckle up because version 6.4 has hit a snag—a bug, to be precise. Before you hit that update button, let’s talk about why 6.4 might be a version to skip for now.

It seems that 6.4 has a penchant for breaking PHP cURL, an essential feature for WordPress sites that allows them to communicate with other servers. What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re looking to install new themes or update your existing plugins, you might find yourself at a dead end.

The WordPress core team is not only aware but also already on deck, working hard to patch things up. In the digital seas, it’s not about avoiding all storms—it’s about weathering them with grace. And the community’s response? Nothing short of nimble.

For those interested in the nitty-gritty, or if you’re feeling particularly tech-savvy today, dive into the depths of the issue on GitHub (https://github.com/WordPress/Requests/issues/838) or float over to the WordPress support forums (https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/). Here, you’ll find fellow navigators of the web discussing workarounds and sharing updates in real-time.

If your site has already set sail with 6.4, it’s time to turn the ship around. Rolling back to the safe harbor of 6.3 is your best bet until the storm passes. And while you’re at it, make sure to drop anchor by disabling core updates in your wp-config.php file—just to ensure you don’t get caught in the squall again.

But fear not, intrepid web wanderers, for this tale has a silver lining. The problem has been identified and fixed in the upcoming WordPress 6.4.1. The core team has even made adjustments to the WordPress.org mothership to help afflicted sites update smoothly, despite the troubled waters.

Interestingly, this digital tempest seems to have only rocked a subset of sites, with many of the larger hosting providers bearing the brunt of it. It’s a reminder that sometimes, size does matter—especially when navigating the high seas of the internet.

So, what’s the moral of this story? Stay vigilant, keep your site’s lifejackets close (backups, folks!), and remember that in the world of updates, sometimes patience is more than just a virtue—it’s a necessity. Keep a weather eye on the horizon for WordPress 6.4.1, and until then, happy sailing!

Curious about what people are saying about this on Reddit and other WordPress Community Forums?