Orange County Outdoors Ministry (OCOM), a small local nonprofit organization, is devoted to combating hunger in the community and bringing together outdoors enthusiasts in an environment that fosters spiritual growth and fellowship.
When founder Rob Gray needed a website to help the organization grow its outreach, I was honored that he called on me. I created a beautiful, user-friendly WordPress site that he is able to easily keep updated on his own. After the new site was completed, I trained him on how to use it.
In addition to designing the website, I also created a new logo for OCOM.
New logo
Rob previously had the OCOM site and domain name hosted with Squarespace, but found this platform limiting and sometimes difficult to use.
So the first thing we did is set up a hosting account on SiteGround (a hosting company I use and highly recommend, especially for self-hosted WordPress sites), and we transferred his domain name to to this new account. I have found SiteGround to be fast and highly reliable, and with excellent tech support. By hosting with SiteGround, Rob is also able to set up email accounts that use his domain name, at no additional charge.
Then, after meeting with him to learn what wanted in his new site, I got to work building it. The new website contains his wish list of features, including:
Mobile responsive design
Created and integrated an email list system, so people can easily subscribe on the website
Photo galleries
A new blog, to post news updates
Information on how to partner with the organization
A “Donate” button in the sidebar
Links to social media accounts
Testimonials
Attractive new graphics that draw the reader in, and help tell the OCOM story
Here is what Rob had to say about his new website and branding:
“I knew what I wanted in a website but I also had to accept the fact that I did not have the knowledge and time to make it happen. Doing this on my own would have taken energy away from the other work I needed to do and the results would not have been nearly as good. Working with Michelle was so easy. I provided a vision and a few examples, and in a few weeks I was presented with a website design that exceeded my expectations. I would trust Michelle with any of my marketing and communication needs.”
Features of the website include information on how to partner with the organization, a “Donate” button in the sidebar, and a form to subscribe to the mailing list.
A blog on the website enables Rob to post news updates regularly. These posts are then shared on social media and in the newsletter.
Could your organization benefit from a new, easy-to-use WordPress website or a branding makeover? Please contact me today and let’s talk!
I use and highly recommend SiteGround for web hosting.
With Jennifer Hambric, Digital Producer at ABC11, in the TV studio on Jan. 16 for our Facebook Live chat
I’m honored to be collaborating with ABC11 as the health and fitness contributor to abc11.com, as part of their new community influencers initiative called ABC11 Together.
I’ll be contributing articles and video content to their site. Here are my first two:
Recently, I did a 10-minute Facebook Live chat on ABC11’s Facebook page on the topic of fitness and weight loss. We did this in their TV studio in downtown Durham.
The Facebook chat was a lot of fun, and I appreciate ABC11 giving me the opportunity to spread a positive message of health, fitness, and living your best life at every age.
Does your organization have a newsletter, or perhaps you’re thinking of launching one?
A regularly published newsletter — whether print or digital — is one of the best ways to effectively promote your organization and to connect.
Newsletters can be internal, such as one for employees or members. Newsletters can be external – for example, one that markets a company’s products and services; or helps a nonprofit tell their story and raise funds.
Whether your newsletter is internal or external, I’ve done them all. I got my start in my communications career as a newsletter editor and designer, and I’ve been at it ever since.
If you’ve ever tried to do a newsletter yourself or thought about it, you are aware of what a big job this really is. Writing, editing, photography, graphic design, printing, technology, distribution – not to mention your overall content and marketing strategy. Whew – who has the time or expertise to do all of that, or the personnel budget to hire and manage a different whiz for each of those areas?
The good news is, you don’t have to! With me, you get all of those professionals in one.
I am an experienced newsletter editor and designer, in both print and e-newsletter formats, and can handle the entire process from A to Z so you don’t have to. My services are tailored to your needs and budget.
So save yourself valuable time and money, and eliminate frustration, by contracting with me for your publication. Let me be an extension of your team, your partner. Contact me today for a complimentary consultation, and let’s get started!
Recently I welcomed a new client, Jennifer Swanberg, Ph.D. I first met Dr. Swanberg when she was a visiting professor at UNC. It was a pleasure working with her at UNC, and I enjoyed presenting on social media to her class. Since then, Dr. Swanberg joined the faculty at the University of Maryland, where she is continuing her research focused on low-wage worker health, safety and quality of life.
When she wanted to launch a website about her research, I was honored that she called on me. I created a beautiful WordPress site that she will be able to easily keep updated on her own.
Here is what Dr. Swanberg had to say about her new website:
“I chose to work with Michelle Rogers because of her expertise in marketing and website design, as well as because of her experience helping university faculty promote their research. I also chose to work with Michelle because I like her visual aesthetic. That is, she seems to have a unique ability to represent information in a way that is visually engaging.
Working with Michelle has been easy and fun. She is very professional, prompt and honest. When I was explaining what I thought I wanted for my website, she asked many questions to ensure she understood my vision. The website she developed for me exceeded my expectations. I had no idea that the WordPress platform that we selected could produce such a clean, engaging and easy-to-navigate website. Michelle clearly heard what I wanted and made it happen!”
