Can you smell the fresh paint?
Drumroll please… pop on over to the home page of FocusOnStyle and you will see a VERY new web design.
It may look simple to many of you but it has been months in the making.
There has been a massive amount of behind-the-scenes, “under the hood” tech action going on and I’m proud to say that the new look is live.
You’ll notice the “blog” section of the site is still there, simply under the Blog link rather than greeting you right off the bat on the home page. All the archived posts are still there… 1,000’s of them.
YES, I’ve been running FocusOnStyle since 1999 and to say that it is content rich is an underestimate.
It’s hard to remember if this is the sixth or seventh or even more iteration of the site design but it is certainly the first time that the site is presented in a way that’s more geared to helping you find the best solution for my style expertise to be of the most value to you in a central hub.
About Being Ready…
The look is there with the new site design, but I have to be honest, there are still a few little things here and there that need some tweaking. You see, when it comes to the web, it’s almost impossible to be 100% “ready” when at any given time, a tech thingamijig can come your way. Like a good scout, it’s more about being prepared.
I’ve been thinking about online “readiness” lately after I was reading a Vogue article about Blake Lively closing down her website. “We have an incredible team of people who do beautiful work, but we launched the site before it was ready, and it never caught up to its original mission: It’s not making a difference in people’s lives, whether superficially or in a meaningful way,” says Blake Lively in Vogue.
It took me a very long time, 16 years to be exact, to understand that the online world doesn’t have as many hard edges as print does. Even though you have the integrity to put out your best work, the web is almost always a work in progress.
Running an online business is more ever-changing and turbulent in that the unexpected can happen either by way of software, code, the latest social media frenzy, Google’s algorithm whims, virtual support staff not being as accountable as “in the flesh” staff, mobile vs desktop, or the usual case of shiny object syndrome of yet another new form of something that instantly catches people’s eyes, for the moment.
Readiness, is an interesting concept, particularly when you are bootstrapping your investment as I am, you realize the massive time and effort involved in making something that provides value look so easy.
What’s Next…
Besides the new home page that acts as a hub for all my offerings, there are many exciting things simultaneously going on that enhance the regular service oriented stylist advice and style mentoring content.
All this moves us forward in a way that is more congruent with the web now, and how I want to run my business. It’s where my heart is in helping women feel confident in their style so they can level up to whatever else the day brings.
Style and Success…
For me, the coupling of style and success go hand in hand.
I don’t want let the cat out of the bag too much but the focus will also include our working together in a more intimate way, beyond my three decades in the style industry.
Either by more publicly utilizing my Marketing & Business brain (yup, I that’s my degree) in helping fellow entrepreneurs with their #StyleandSuccess, (I’ll be doing more of that LIVE on Periscope, where you should follow me at @focusonstyle), more workshops and online programs, a stylist book in the works, and an ambassador program.
The best way, as usual, to stay in my loop and get a head’s up on special offers is to be on my email list where I share things with my Insiders that I don’t always share publicly on the web.
Something Special…
If you’ve been sitting on the fence about finally understanding how to pull yourself together without piecing it all together, I have a very special site relaunch incentive in tomorrow’s email. But you must be on the list to be notified.
If you’re reading this after the mailing, well, now you know that good things come to those Insiders in my inner circle!
RELATED READING:
Do you really want a flashback? Take a look at FocusOnStyle through the years, here.