Vanessa

 Hi! My name is Vanessa Alberts and I have been around computers for as long as I can remember. Since 2000 I've focused on being a web designer and a search engine optimiser.

(You can find out more about me on my Blog, meet up with me on LinkedIn or follow me on Twitter)
I have created workIT online to be able to assist people to get their website working themselves.

D-I-Y Web Sites

Many businesses can't afford to pay someone to do the work necessary to get their websites REALLY working, and don't have the skills to do it themselves.

You can't always pay a person to be your voice - nobody knows your business better than you - it is you who should be in control of communication.

The Best Solutions

There are many web hosting companies. There are many online Web Building, eMarketing and Customer Relationship Manager applications available. The workIT online difference is that I have personally researched and tested to find the best solutions and most reliable hosting services to offer my clients.

The criteria I used were:

  • People should be able to create and manage their own website without it looking like a dogs breakfast.
  • The templates offered should be stylish.
  • The website should not be "tied" to the software (i.e. if a client wanted to be able to move their website to a different hosting company they should be able to do this without having to redesign their entire site.)
  • All the tools and knowledge needed to "work" a website should be easily available and easy to understand.
  • People should be able to build a professional website that works well without breaking the bank.
  • Servers must not be Virtual Servers.
  • Hosting services must be backed by technical support that I don't even have to worry about.
  • A good balance between hardware, software, traffic and data hosting allocations and price.

Not a Website but an Online Business

workIT online offers solutions that fulfill these criteria. However, the "Rolls Royce" solution is the Online Business solution. It is more expensive that the other solutions but it is MUCH more than a web builder - it's an online business management system.

It's phenomenal!

A fully integrated, always-up-to-date web builder, email marketing manager, blog platform, customer relationship manager and online shop with web analytics. You don't need anything else.

If you can afford it - choose this above all others! There is a Free Trial - so test drive it and you'll see that it is way worth the extra Rands.

Web Builder, Joomla!, WordPress & the workIT online News Manager

The other solutions work as stand-alone applications that I have put together as, shall we say - "combo-meals". My favourite, flexible, easy-to-use web editing and content-management systems (Joomla!, WordPress and Web Builder) coupled with News Manager - an excellent email marketing system.

There are definitely times when these are more suitable than the Online Business Manager - which is why I offer them. I wouldn't build a huge Portal using the Online Business Manager, I'd do it in Joomla!... and I do LOVE my WordPress blog ;)

Why on Earth have I done this?!

Why is a web designer giving away her trade secrets and telling her clients to do the work themselves? Well there are a couple of reasons...
  • Communication has always intrigued me.
  • I have a ridiculous sense of community.
  • My passion about the power of the Internet as a community builder, the power of Us, borders on divine.
  • I was inspired by reaching a saturation point. I didn't have enough hours in a day and clients were waiting too long for simple changes to be made to their websites.
  • I realised that a lot of my clients' computer literacy levels had improved tenfold since I first started working with them 10 years ago and, given the right tools, they would easily cope with creating and managing their own sites.
  • I have a natural affinity with technology and a vast amount of user-knowledge that I'd really like to share.
  • There are too many websites out there that give the WWW a bad name when in actual fact it is a PHENOMENAL tool. How many times have you heard "I have a website but it does nothing for my business."?
  • There are FAR too many websites out there that are badly designed. I hate this! So often they have great content that you just don't want to read because the colours clash or you can't find your way around. There is no need for this - creating a nice looking, user-friendly website is quite straight forward.
  • And last (but definitely not least) I'd like to be in a position where I spend most of my time sharing the knowledge I have and the new stuff I learn every day, helping more people to really get their websites working for them, choosing the projects I work on, AND still be able to feed my 3 kids!