2020 was interesting in so many ways. I started to write a “quick” post on social media about 2020 and looking forward to great things in 2021. But, as usual, I decided I had too much to say for a single post! 2020 was the first full year of Digital-Melissa, so that surely deserves more to say.
Here are a few of the biggest highlights and “firsts” for the 2020:
- FIRST CLIENT AWARD. My first (paid) client began in late 2019 when I set up the new BrixStone Farms website. And to end 2020, I also did a little more work for BrixStone. They had a bunch of updates, photos, writing and additions I was happy to make. If anybody is in the northern lower Michigan area, it would be a great place to visit in-season. This year they are starting maple syrup!
- SHOPIFY EXPERIENCE. Another first for 2020 was that I learned how to use SHOPIFY. Shopify is an ecommerce website solution. One can do ecommerce on other platforms like WordPress, Wix or others, but it seems to be a clear-cut favorite for many small businesses. I did not have any experience with website setups in Shopify, but a friend reached out to help her set up her jewelry site and was open to working with me. So, I delved in, researched and helped her launch a beautiful site for her amazing handmade jewelry. This was a great learning experience, and I’d love to work more on Shopify. I found it highly intuitive and such a great fit for any ecommerce-type business.
- UX DESIGNER & ADOBE XD. In the spring I was very excited to secure a part-time job as a User Experience Designer. The best part of this was that it finally spurred me into learning how to use Adobe XD! This is a wirefaming (and soooooo much more) tool from Adobe to create designs, page flows, etc. I’m in love with this product now and have a hard time using Photoshop doing web designs now – I’m constantly pulled towards XD instead because I can easily make it appear interactive without the programming part.
There were so many other accomplishments for 2020, the above list are just some of the firsts. I was able to do many other projects as well…
Here are a few more of the great online projects I worked on:
- Revamped an existing content-rich website and learned a GREAT DEAL about a cool new WordPress Theme I now really love!
- Helped new, young, first-time business owner launch her website and business online.
- Set up a fun new website for a local daycare.
- Wrote a number of articles about dog care, dog chews and pet behaviors.
- Continued to contribute and help a charity business I am passionate about: Terra2Morrow. Here is one of the blog posts I wrote about recycling plastics.
- Helped a local restaurant in their SEO rankings, making great strides to overcome competitors.
- A social media post I wrote had over 35,000 in reach and over 270 shares!
2021 will be just as amazing and I can’t wait to see what the year ahead holds. More new websites, writing, SEO work, or social media work? And what will I learn that I don’t know about yet? I can’t wait!
About Digital-Melissa: I am a veteran of all things internet, located in Rhinelander, WI. 20 years in eCommerce with everything from design to copy, social media, marketing, project management, website help & management plus more. Contact me today if you’d like to talk about how I could help your business.