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I’m enormously proud of my full service, custom website design packages.

This year I’ve been delighted to work on websites for an inspiring group of authors, writers, and service providers. You can see some of the results in my portfolio.

But as well as hiring me for a full website, there are plenty of other ways you can tap into my expertise, and get to know me. Maybe you’re on a budget, or perhaps it’s not the right time for you to invest in a custom website.

As the year draws to a close, I’ve looked back at my resources - free and paid - that have been most popular during 2022.

What website resources are others enjoying most?

Here are the winners in 7 different categories for the articles, downloads, and social media posts that others have responded to best.

Most popular free resource: Website Starter Kit

One of the things I love about MemberVault, where I host both my free and lower cost resources, is that you only have to register once to get access to anything I place inside the freebies area.

This collection includes a free PDF Website Starter Kit. This kit guides you through important decisions to make, before you dive into your website project.

And if you haven’t viewed it yet, signing up also gives you access to this free video training, 21 Ways I Spot Your DIY Website.

Most popular low-cost resource: Done for You Content Calendar

Solve the headache of content ideas for your blog, newsletter and social media posts. My content calendars are undated (but arranged by season), so you can start any time. You get 52 weeks of blog post ideas; 52 weeks of social media topics; 12 months of newsletter content; 12 months of promotional activities; 12 months of creativity dates & self-care reminders; 12 months of productivity tips to boost your work methods; 12 months of business maintenance tasks… and bonus ideas too.

Julie bought this and said: “I've felt so overwhelmed by the coming six months of promotion planning - now this beautiful program just fell in my lap. I feel so blessed."

Purchase your Content Calendar here. And if you’ve bought this previously, why not dig it out and get some fresh ideas for 2023?

Most popular article: How to Embed a Substack Form in Your Website

I wrote this blog post on a whim, after I noticed many authors were intrigued by relative newcomer Substack, and the appeal of (more or less) combining your blog and newsletter efforts.

Rather to my surprise, my explanation of why Substack might be a good choice for you, how to embed your Substack sign up form in your Squarespace website, and what to be cautious about, has nudged into first place as the most viewed article I wrote this year.

Read it here.

Honorable mention, not far behind, goes to this inspiration post of the Best Squarespace Author Websites.

Most popular workshop question: How to get started with SEO?

I gave 12 guest presentations, workshops, and interviews this year. Most were for private groups and conferences, and I especially enjoyed the live sessions in Durham, Chiswick, and Milton Keynes in September.

One question that seems to come up almost every time I speak is: How should an author get started with SEO?

So I’ve answered that in this blog post, and linked to some of my favorite tools to use.

Most popular DIY Template: Surrey

This year I introduced an affordable option for DIY website creation: a premium Squarespace template, bundled with comprehensive video tutorials showing you how to replace the template content with your own. It’s a fast and budget-friendly way of getting your website done.

I launched my template shop with just 4 options: 2 for authors, 1 for speakers, and 1 for service providers.

So far, my Surrey template, designed to support service-based businesses, is selling best.

You can see all the templates here.

And then take a peek at Surrey, including the live demo, here.

Most popular on Instagram: Lavender in Cambridge

The photos that get most engagement for me on Instagram are often unrelated to website design. For me, clearly, the ‘Gram is more about community than a lead generation tool,

When I visited Cambridge in June, I reposted someone else’s picture of lavender outside Clare College, mainly because I liked the colors! (Photo thanks: Roberto M. at Pixabay)

Other Instagram posts that got more attention than average this year:

My heartfelt plea not to put “sign up for my newsletter” as a call to action on your website
Beautifully simple website for freelance writer Agata Boxe
Another Cambridge fan pic, this time of a gorgeous vintage car, parked where it shouldn’t be, on King’s Parade
And the name of this cheese shop in Fort Collins, Colorado, met with general approval too

See more from me on Instagram here.

Most popular on Pinterest: Canva Websites

Canva released a website builder this year, and I gave it a quick road test to see if it’s a useful option for a simple and affordable website.

My conclusion was, a Canva website would be better than nothing. If you’re already familiar with Canva, and have the Pro Plan, then this is a decent option if you’re desperate. It’s probably OK as a “business card website,” that doesn’t do much and just has to look pretty. Otherwise, don’t rush into it: they still have a lot of wrinkles to iron out!

In any case, it seems that the folks who use Pinterest tend to be very interested in Canva; this is my top performing pin of 2022.

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Ready to get started with your Squarespace author website?

I’m proud to offer these resources at different price points, but if you’ve finished exploring and thinking about your website and feel ready to see your custom-designed, professional website launch, then we should talk.

As a professional specializing in author website design, I’m an expert in using Squarespace to create a stunning and effective home for your work. If you’d like technical expertise, book marketing advice, and all of the implementation taken care of, consider hiring me.

After careful preparation together, I’ll design, build and launch your author site in just 2 weeks. Learn more, and then schedule our free and friendly chat.

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