About
Everything you need to know to be successful with your Machi-Systems project.
Hey there! đ
I'm Christine, the cofounder of Machi-Systems. I am really looking forward to getting started, and I hope you are, too!
Our goal is to give you all the information you need to help you get the most out of working with us. This guide will include things on:
So have a read through the material on your own time, and if thereâs anything left unanswered, just give me a shout.
âChristine M. Byrd, CEO/Creative Director
A Checklist to help you make sure youâve got everything in order before you start a project with Machi-Systems.
[ ] Set up a Discovery Call
<aside> ⥠If you havenât set up a Discovery Call With just 30 minutes of your time, we will explore your current marketing strategies and give you some great recommendations, free of charge! Book a Discovery Call NOW!
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[ ] Fill out the Coding Brief (Check your emailâs spam folder)
[ ] About Your Business Questionnaire completed
[ ] Website Questionnaire completed
[ ] FTP information
[ ] Finalized content for your website such as âAbout Usâ blurb including business history, description of services, featured services, etc.
[ ] A digitized PDF of your menu/service brochure!
[ ] Any high-resolution images youâd like to use such as shots of your business, staff, and pictures of your best offerings, etc.
[ ] Login information for your web host and domain name provider - if you have one.
Need to send us a file, use this form â
<aside> ⥠Donât have all this stuff yet, no problem! Reach out and weâll give you a â
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We will do things a little bit differently. Instead of just asking for your requirements, going into our cave, and producing a design, we will work with you to help you create something thatâs not only beautifully designed, but effective.
We love to work with people who are as excited about their projects as we are about web design. We look forward to the process of creating something awesome together. đ
Typically, business owners think they should stay away from the web design process. We think differently. After all, who knows your business better than you? So... you should have an active role in the development of your web presence. Here are some ways you can ensure success:
No matter how good we are as designers, youâll always know more about your business than us. Of course, weâre gonna âlook you upâ, but your experience is much more valuable than any information we could find out on our own.
Donât be afraid to give context to everything - even if you think itâs not relevant. Because the more we know about your business, the better equipped weâll be to help you create a website that meets your needs.
Donât worry if you think you arenât creative or artistic enough. Unless youâre a designer, your strengths donât necessarily lie in design. Thatâs okay, because weâre here to help. Play to your strengths, and weâll play to ours. Between us, weâll help you come up with something that both looks great and works for your business.
Itâs also your job to get your team in order and decide who is responsible for what. Itâs best to set roles at the very start of the project and clearly state who is responsible for what. For example, who will update the homepage, PDF menu/services brochure, and manage online orders?
If that person is you, great! If not, you'll have to train your staff. We know it's early, but now is the time to consider who will be responsible for maintaining the site once the project goes live. We are here for you 100%, but this is your business and your shiny new website. It's time to take charge.
Photos by: Stil and RawPixel
Since we have a limited and set amount of time to spend together on this project, it is vital that you give feedback often and without hesitation. This way we can factor it into the timeline and ensure you are happy with the end result. Weâll discuss this in more detail later.
When working with us, feel free to ask as many questions as you like. Questions usually lead to better results than asking for a specific change.
Donât worry about annoying us â we are absolutely thrilled when we see that youâre taking such a keen interest. Overall, your role in a project is invaluable. So, get excited!
Hereâs a breakdown of how a Machi-Systems project runs:
WEEK/SESSION 1
We get down to the nitty gritty of your business goals, work out details including from the Code Brief and your Inspiration Board (DropMark). The 20 Second Gut Test lets you Choose a Design. Weâll give you a dash of homework including a Business Questionnaire and Website Questionnaire, a worksheet to help you with Writing Your Content, and a Before We Begin Checklist for Week/Session 2.
Before we wrap up our first class/session, we will go over Giving Effective Feedback and How to Login into your new site. Weâll show you where you can Change Styles, Logos, Titles and Taglines.
Deliverables: Weâll give you a copy of our very first Mach-Systems Guide that outlines most, if not all, of this in old fashioned paperback!
WEEK/SESSIONS 2 - 3
During Week/Sessions 2 and 3, we will teach you how to customize your website. This will include topics such as How Elementor Works, how to Add Your Own Text and Images, and Your PDF Menu. Also, weâll teach you how to Update a Footer and why you Donât Design at All.
Deliverables: For this week/session to be successful, you will need to bring in your completed Content Workbook, images you wish to use on the website, a PDF of your menu/service brochure, as well as the other assets itemized on the Before We Begin checklist.
WEEK/SESSION 3
Week/Session 3 starts online ordering! Weâll show you Restaurant Basics and help you with Menu Setup via Connect to Selfservemenu.com - your new online ordering hub.
Deliverables: We need a copy of your menu in PDF format to make the process easy as pie.
Week/Session 3 starts Custom Widgets! Weâll show you Widget 101 and help you with Setup via Connect to Machi-Systems Custom Widgets.
Deliverables: We need to know your business goals and a copy of your pricing sheet in PDF format to make the process easy as pie.
WEEK/SESSION 4
During Week/Session 4, we will go over topics such as What is a Domain Name and Host, how to search, find and Get Your Domain Name. Weâll also cover why SSL is important for eCommerce. This class/session might be a short one, but we are here to help you for as long as you need if youâd like some additional instruction or have fallen behind.
Deliverables: Your presence is all we desire.
WEEK/SESSION 5
Whatâs Next? In the 5th and final week/session your site will be online, and we get to view it on mobile for the first time. Cool, right? We will also go over important information related to Analytics Search Console, AdSense, Speed, SEO meta and Social Media. As with other classes/session, we will be available to provide additional assistance if needed.
Deliverables: Your fully functioning fantastic website!
WEEK/SESSION 6 and beyond
Sadly, we donât have any more scheduled times to meet. Feel free to use any of our customer support channels located at machi-systems.com/get-support.
Deliverables: You can expect an email introducing you to the Machi-Systems Client Portal where you can find all your deliverables and support documentation.
After the class/session, you will be assigned a portal for you to view all your deliverables.
You can log in at any time to access all your deliverables and support documentation. This is where you can keep track of your assets and find any files weâve sent you.
Be assured that you can also access all our files from your portal, and everything will be stored there for a full year after completion (after which, weâll send you a backup of the portal that you can keep forever). No more worrying about losing files â everything will be safe and sound exactly when you need it.
Photo by Federica Galli
We hope youâve found this doc useful. Is anything missing? If so, email us at [email protected] and weâll get it sorted for you.
