When Jess and I first started our JAHdropping brand, I never thought that I would be making a website. I was only concerned about how to shoot a YouTube video, but here we are. Confidently, I can say now that I think I did a great job. Once you click on our website, you can automatically understand who we are. Like an “AHA, I get them!” moment.
Of course, this story starts with a small bit of research between Google, YouTube, TikTok, and a bit of Instagram. I believe in trying to do the best you can the first time so I don’t have to go back and redo my work. Which means I needed to figure out what I needed to own, what can be owned later, and what can be rented. We needed to own our website name, so I went to buy a domain (thank you, Squarespace).
After that, it took me a lot of research and comparison shopping to find the website platform. I had an idea of how expressive I wanted our page to be and how much maintenance I was willing to deal with. Finally, I landed on Squarespace, WordPress, and Showit.
Research Research Research
Squarespace had a low learning curve, minimal upkeep, and was customizable. I didn’t choose this option because I wanted our site to be one of a kind in terms of design.
WordPress, to me, is an industry standard. I wanted a long-term foundation for our website, something we could continue to build on without having to start from scratch all over again. On the flip side, WordPress has a higher learning curve, and I thought I would have to handle the behind-the-scenes maintenance myself. I also knew that some of the more advanced customizations could involve coding. I think maybe one day, when I can hire someone to build and maintain the website, we will explore more of what WordPress has to offer.
After that, it took me a lot of research and comparison shopping to find the website platform. I had an idea of how expressive I wanted our page to be and how much maintenance I was willing to deal with. Finally, I landed on Squarespace, WordPress, and Showit.
Who did not get chose?
Squarespace had a low learning curve, minimal upkeep, and was customizable. I didn’t choose this option because I wanted our site to be one of a kind in terms of design.
WordPress, to me, is an industry standard. I wanted a long-term foundation for our website, something we could continue to build on without having to start from scratch all over again. On the flip side, WordPress has a higher learning curve, and I thought I would have to handle the behind-the-scenes maintenance myself. I also knew that some of the more advanced customizations could involve coding. I think maybe one day, when I can hire someone to build and maintain the website, we will explore more of what WordPress has to offer.
Finding a website home
When I first came across Showit, I absolutely loved the idea of it, mostly because the marketing compared it to using Canva. Before I get into my favorite part of Showit, I’ll give you my reasonable reasons for my choice.
I don’t have much behind-the-scenes maintenance to worry about. When I do run into a problem, the customer service is responsive and friendly, and I love their use of GIFs. There is a low learning curve, mostly due to the drag-and-drop features. The ultimate power move is that it is super customizable. Everything I thought of, I was able to do easily. With all of that in mind, Showit was chosen, and with the blog option no less.
Time to make our website COOL!
After getting all of the behind-the-scenes setup, it was time for the most fun part: DECORATING the website.
To start, I had to think about the feel of the website, kind of like its aura. I started thinking about every website I loved back in the early 2000s. I was going for a blend of aesthetics that would make a younger version of me proud.
There are some things I did find quite tedious and annoying, but not difficult or that big of a deal. You have to format the desktop and mobile versions individually. It is not automatic! I love that I can make both versions a unique experience, but you will not believe how many times I got confused. You have to really pay attention because you will end up with buttons in the wrong place and SO many other issues.
Another thing is that you have to manually make sure everything is the size and distance you want. You can make many shapes any size and then put them anywhere. If you love symmetry like I do, this will test your patience.
Even with all of that, I enjoyed the process and the final product.
The Feels <3
A little tangent on the design of our website. Once you click on our site, you should feel like you have been transported to a different universe. The overall vibe is a lil retro and girly, like you clicked on an early 2000s website (Bratz, Trollz, My-Scene, GirlsGoGames, Polly Pocket, and Pixel-Chix). The site is ripped right out of childhood.
All of that work was definitely worth it. I’m extremely proud of how far our website has come. I never thought that one day I would be able to create a site that the younger version of me would love. My goal now is to make the site more robust and keep all the flavors that make JAHdropping jawdropping. How do you like the site so far? Leave a comment below!
Catch you on the flip side, Jenn!
When Jess and I first started our JAHdropping brand, I never thought that I would be making a website. I was only concerned about how to shoot a YouTube video, but here we are. Confidently, I can say now that I think I did a great job. Once you click on our website, you can automatically understand who we are. Like an “AHA, I get them!” moment.
Of course, this story starts with a small bit of research between Google, YouTube, TikTok, and a bit of Instagram. I believe in trying to do the best you can the first time so I don’t have to go back and redo my work. Which means I needed to figure out what I needed to own, what can be owned later, and what can be rented. We needed to own our website name, so I went to buy a domain (thank you, Squarespace).
After that, it took me a lot of research and comparison shopping to find the website platform. I had an idea of how expressive I wanted our page to be and how much maintenance I was willing to deal with. Finally, I landed on Squarespace, WordPress, and Showit.
Research Research Research
Squarespace had a low learning curve, minimal upkeep, and was customizable. I didn’t choose this option because I wanted our site to be one of a kind in terms of design.
WordPress, to me, is an industry standard. I wanted a long-term foundation for our website, something we could continue to build on without having to start from scratch all over again. On the flip side, WordPress has a higher learning curve, and I thought I would have to handle the behind-the-scenes maintenance myself. I also knew that some of the more advanced customizations could involve coding. I think maybe one day, when I can hire someone to build and maintain the website, we will explore more of what WordPress has to offer.
After that, it took me a lot of research and comparison shopping to find the website platform. I had an idea of how expressive I wanted our page to be and how much maintenance I was willing to deal with. Finally, I landed on Squarespace, WordPress, and Showit.
Who did not get chose?
Squarespace had a low learning curve, minimal upkeep, and was customizable. I didn’t choose this option because I wanted our site to be one of a kind in terms of design.
WordPress, to me, is an industry standard. I wanted a long-term foundation for our website, something we could continue to build on without having to start from scratch all over again. On the flip side, WordPress has a higher learning curve, and I thought I would have to handle the behind-the-scenes maintenance myself. I also knew that some of the more advanced customizations could involve coding. I think maybe one day, when I can hire someone to build and maintain the website, we will explore more of what WordPress has to offer.
Finding a website home
When I first came across Showit, I absolutely loved the idea of it, mostly because the marketing compared it to using Canva. Before I get into my favorite part of Showit, I’ll give you my reasonable reasons for my choice.
I don’t have much behind-the-scenes maintenance to worry about. When I do run into a problem, the customer service is responsive and friendly, and I love their use of GIFs. There is a low learning curve, mostly due to the drag-and-drop features. The ultimate power move is that it is super customizable. Everything I thought of, I was able to do easily. With all of that in mind, Showit was chosen, and with the blog option no less.
Time to make our website COOL!
After getting all of the behind-the-scenes setup, it was time for the most fun part: DECORATING the website.
To start, I had to think about the feel of the website, kind of like its aura. I started thinking about every website I loved back in the early 2000s. I was going for a blend of aesthetics that would make a younger version of me proud.
There are some things I did find quite tedious and annoying, but not difficult or that big of a deal. You have to format the desktop and mobile versions individually. It is not automatic! I love that I can make both versions a unique experience, but you will not believe how many times I got confused. You have to really pay attention because you will end up with buttons in the wrong place and SO many other issues.
Another thing is that you have to manually make sure everything is the size and distance you want. You can make many shapes any size and then put them anywhere. If you love symmetry like I do, this will test your patience.
Even with all of that, I enjoyed the process and the final product.
The Feels <3
A little tangent on the design of our website. Once you click on our site, you should feel like you have been transported to a different universe. The overall vibe is a lil retro and girly, like you clicked on an early 2000s website (Bratz, Trollz, My-Scene, GirlsGoGames, Polly Pocket, and Pixel-Chix). The site is ripped right out of childhood.
All of that work was definitely worth it. I’m extremely proud of how far our website has come. I never thought that one day I would be able to create a site that the younger version of me would love. My goal now is to make the site more robust and keep all the flavors that make JAHdropping jawdropping. How do you like the site so far? Leave a comment below!
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