Getting Started Guide

Everything you need to know to be successful in this course

Welcome

Hey there! 

I’m going to be your instructor and I’m really looking forward to getting started on this class — and I hope you are, too! My goal is to give you all the information you need to help you get the most out of this class. This guide will include things on: 

• How the design process works
• What you can expect in terms of deliverables and timelines
• Your crucial role in the project
• Some of my most frequently asked questions

So have a read through the course material in your own time, and if there’s anything left unanswered just give me a shout. 

—Christine M. Byrd, Creative Director

Here’s what you can expect from using our platform

We will do things a little bit differently. Instead of just asking for your requirements, going into our cave, and producing a design, we will work with you to help you create something that’s not only beautifully designed, but effective.

• We understand how the web works and what makes customers engage with brands online.
• We take a collaborative approach to this project. Your input is absolutely key to the success of your website and we work with you, to help you achieve your goals.
• We will teach you to build a website that is functional, appealing, and personalized. The website you create will be designed so you can make changes on the fly without needing to hire a professional.

We love to work with people who are as excited about their projects as we are about web design. We look forward to the process and creating something awesome. 

Your role in the project

Typically, business owners think they should stay away from the web-design process. We think differently. After all, who knows your business better than you? So… you should have an active role in the development of your web presence. Here are some ways you can ensure success.

Be the expert

No matter how good we are as designers, you’ll always know more about your business than us. Of course, we “looked you up”, but your experience is much more valuable than any information we could find out on our own.

So, don’t be afraid to give context to everything. Even if you think it’s not relevant. Because the more we know about your business, the better equipped we’ll be to help you create a website that meets your needs.

Don’t worry if you think you aren’t creative or artistic enough. Unless you’re a designer, your strengths don’t necessarily lie in design. But that’s ok, because we’re here to help. Play to your strengths, and we’ll play to ours. Between us, we’ll help you come up with something that both looks great and works for your business.

Manage your team

It’s also your job to get your team in order and decide who is responsible for what. It’s best to set roles at the very start of the project and clearly state who is responsible for what. For example, who will update the homepage, PDF menu, and manage orders through SelfServeMenu.com?

If that person is you – great! If not, you’ll have to train your staff and here are some things to consider. We know it’s early but now is the time to consider who will be updating your site when this course is over. We are there for you 100% but this is your business, and your shiny new website — it’s time to take charge. 

Give feedback in a timely manner

Since we have a limited and set amount of time to spend together on this project, it is vital that you give feedback often and without hesitation. This will ensure that we can factor it into the timeline and ensure you are happy with the end result. We’ll discuss this in more detail later.

Ask questions

When working with us, feel free to ask as many questions as you like. Questions usually lead to better results than asking for a specific change.

Don’t worry about annoying us — we are absolutely thrilled when we see that you’re  taking such a keen interest.

Overall your role in a project is invaluable. So, get excited!

Photos by: Stil and RawPixel

Your project deliverables and timeline

Here’s a rundown of how the class will run:

WEEK 1

Getting Started With Machi-Systems and WordPress

We get down to the nitty gritty of our course, working out details including this Brief, an outline of Our Process, and your Inspiration Board (DropMark). The 20 Second Gut Test lets you Choose a Design. We’ll give you a dash of homework including a Business Questionnaire and Website Questionnaire, a worksheet to help you with Writing Your Content, and a Before We Begin checklist for Week 2.

Before we wrap up our first class, we will go over Giving Effective Feedback and how to Login into your Starter Template. We’ll show you where you can Change Styles, Logos, Titles and Taglines. You will also learn how to clean up your website and Delete Plugins that are unnecessary.

Deliverables: We’ll give you a copy of our very first Mach-Systems Guide that outlines all of this in old fashion paperback!

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WEEK 2 – 3

Adding Your Content and Images

During Week 2 we will teach you how to customize your website. This will include topics such as How Elementor Works, how to Add Your Own Text and Images, and why you Don’t Design at All. Also, we’ll teach you about Adding Your PDF Menu and updating Contacts.

Deliverables: For this week to be successful, you will need to bring in your complete Content Workbook, images you wish to use on the website, a PDF of your menu, as well as the other assets itemized on the Before We Being checklist.

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WEEK 3

Adding a Menu and Online Ordering

Week 3 is online ordering week! We’ll show you How It Works and help you Setup My Menu via a Connect to Selfservemenu.com which is a new online ordering hub.  

Deliverables: We need a copy of your menu in PDF form to make the process easy as pie.

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WEEK 4

Domain Name and Hosting

This week we will go over topics such as What is a Domain Name and Host? How to search, find and Get Your Domain Name and Host, why SSL is important for eCommerce. This class might be a short one, but we are here to help you for as long as you need if you’d like something special or have fallen behind.

Deliverables: Your presence is all we desire.

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WEEK 5

Welcome To Your Live Site

In the 5th and final week your site will be live and we get to view it on mobile for the first time — cool right? We will also go over important information related to Analytics Search Console, AdSense, Speed, SEO meta and Social Media. As with other classes, we will be staying late to provide additional assistance if needed.

Deliverables: You fully-functioning fantastic website!.

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WEEK 6 and beyond

No-Class

In the 5th and final week your site will be live and we get to view it on mobile for the first time — cool right? We will also go over important information related to Analytics Search Console, AdSense, Speed, SEO meta and Social Media. As with other classes, we will be staying late to provide additional assistance if needed.

Deliverables: You fully-functioning fantastic website!.

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Sadly, we don’t have anymore scheduled times to meet. However, The City of Scranton and The Lackawanna College Venture Labs Relay for Restaurant: eCommerce Edition didn’t leave you hanging. You not only have 4 hours of retainer time, but you are free to use any of our customer support channels located at my.machi-systems/get-help.

Deliverables: You can expect an email introducing you to the Machi-Systems Client Portal where you can find all your deliverables and support documentation.

Accessing your deliverables from your portal

After the class, you will be assigned a portal for you to view all your deliverables.

You can log in there at any time to access all your deliverables and support documentation. This is where you can keep track of your retainer hour and find any files we’ve sent you. 

Be assured that you can also access all our files from your portal and everything will be stored there for a full year after completion (after which, we’ll send you a backup of the portal that you can keep forever). No more worrying about losing files – everything will be safe and sound exactly when you need it.

Photo by Federica Galli

Frequently Asked Questions

Some of our most frequently asked questions we get. Anything to add? Email us and we’ll answer your burning questions.

Writing content is hard! Can you do it for me?

We know writing content can be a struggle. That’s why we’ve created an in-depth guide and worksheet to help you easily write the most effective content. 

We believe the best content comes from you because you know your business and your audience more intricately than we do. However, we’re not asking for Shakespeare. If writing isn’t your strong suit, don’t worry – you just need the basics to get started. You always add and elaborate later on.

What if I don’t like the design I choose to create?

Our team members have battle-tested the web-design process much over the years. Therefore, we are confident that you’re going to love the first Starter Template you choose. All that experience? That’s how we have a good idea about some likes and dislikes which gets us as close as possible to a perfect design the first time. 

We’ve never had a project where we need to redo the design because it’s missed the mark. But that said, if that did happen – rest assured that we will do everything we can do to get the project back on track and make sure you’re happy with it. There’s absolutely no risk to you. 

Can you help us with the development of the website?

Yes, absolutely! We have some amazing web developers who will be more than happy to get your website coded to perfection. We’ll even manage the entire process for you so you can be confident that when your website is live, it’s going to be pixel perfect and working like a dream. But you’re in this course, so what do you need us for? You got this!

We hope you’ve found this guide useful. Is anything missing? If so, email us at (email address) and we’ll get it sorted for you.

–> Download this guide in PDF format