NWTN Event: Build a better website with Bex Elder
One rather uncharacteristically dry Saturday in Manchester, an enthusiastic group of NWTN members met up at the Friends’ Meeting House for the much anticipated “Build a Better Website” event, led by Bex Elder.
Bex travelled down from Scotland well equipped with beautifully designed workbooks for us, as well as examples of her other printed materials, which subtly inspired us to think beyond websites as well. We brought our laptops along to ensure we could learn by doing throughout the day.
She started by asking us to consider who we really were. Every question that followed was well thought out, structured to elicit the kind of information that we should take into account when planning what should (or shouldn’t) be included.
She led us step by step through the process of defining our values, finding our voice, being consistent, and forming a strategy to get from the idea stage to creating something tangible. With all this in mind, we were ready to take action – or at least, we knew every step we would need to take to be ready. She also gave us a long list of questions for later reflection that would nudge us in the right direction.
The course was suitable for all, whether they had a website that needed updating or simply hadn’t got round to building one in the first place. It was broken down into small, manageable steps – perfect for helping even the most overwhelmed amongst us figure out how to handle it. Alternatives for setting up a website were mentioned – for those who planned to do it all themselves, those who would rather pay someone else to do it for them, and of course, those who were somewhere in between. SEO was also covered in detail.
The discussions were lively; the mood relaxed and positive. A couple of people who’d previously attended Bex’s course came away saying they’d learnt a wealth of useful information, even though it was their second time. If you get the opportunity to attend an event delivered by Bex in the future, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
To finish off the day, as it was the final event organised by the fabulous Kate Lo in her capacity as the NWTN events team lead, there was a little surprise at the end: the remainder of the committee appeared and we presented her with a bee-themed thank-you gift as a token of our appreciation. It was a cheerful albeit emotional end to a highly productive day.
