Michael Gusky increased his website traffic and grew his email

Web Designer

Copywriter

Adobe XD

Google Docs

WordPress

I loved working with Michael to help him create a custom website that would house his writings and promote his new book!

Michael Gusky is an author that focuses on finding joy in the journey. He recently published his book titled: Joysetting, where he explores the 3 main elements of awareness, focus and flexibility to help guide you through a process of self-exploration.

When we first connected he said . . .

“I am looking to create a website that fits my brand. The main goal of the website is to connect with like minded people seeking balance in their life. Long term goal is to build an audience for future books and speaking engagements. The best way I can describe the program is finding the balance between the drill sergeant screaming at you to motivate you and the “everyone gets a trophy” mom showing compassion and empathy. I find both these voices out in the world as well as in my head. It’s the center between them where balance and peace is found. Hence the pendulum graphic. I am open to whatever platform you feel would work best. I have used WordPress in the past so it will probably be the best format for my self management once complete although I will be looking to hire further support as my biggest challenge is time.”

After that, we got started!

Phase 1: Website Strategy Michael needed an online home of his own to send people to check out his writings and promote his new book. He had some success on social media but knew that he needed a brand and website that stood out. He also needed a website that he could update on his own and that was easy to use. The website was created with this in mind. I wanted to create a brand that was unique to Michael’s audience. The colors were chosen with his personality and target audience in mind. The website was able to easily flow from one page to another with a cohesive color palette and consistent typography. I really believe that branding is the first stepping stone to building a custom website and that is exactly what we tackled first.

Phase 2: Web Design & Development The next step was to design and develop his custom website. Before working on Michael’s website, Michael was using the platform, Medium, to write his articles and would send people there to check out his work. While he enjoyed using Medium, he felt that he could get a greater reach through an optimized website that was centered on his brand and niche.

The main pillars for his website were focused on his writings, growing his email list, and promoting his new book. To accomplish this, we added an Articles page that would house all his previous and new articles. The Home page featured his book and invited visitors to read more of his articles. We also added a Speaking page to get him booked for speaking engagements. We also added an email opt-in form to various places within the site so people had plenty of opportunities to subscribe to his email newsletter.

Phase 3: Launching the Website After testing the website and making sure it was responsive throughout all devices, we launched his website! Michael now has a website that will grow with him as he releases new books and adds new articles to his work. Not only is his website helping him grow as an author but more people are learning about his brand and writings through his website.

The Results:

Since launching the site, Michael has received a great amount of traffic to his site. He is confident that he will be able to continue to grow with the help of his website as he continues to reach new audiences.

I really enjoyed working with Michael and helping him achieve a website that is helping him sell his book. Here is what he had to say about working together:

"I was searching for someone who not only had website design expertise but could also provide brand and content management. Before working with Diana all the options were either one or the other. There were many web designers available that have expertise in WordPress and other platforms, but they needed every last detail provided to them for the initial content. Diana brought both sides of the equation to the table and made the process seamless and enjoyable."