Getting Started Guide

Everything you need to know to be successful with your Machi-Systems project.

Welcome

Hey There! 👋

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:

• How the design process works
• What you can expect in terms of deliverables and timelines
• Your crucial role in the project

So have a read through the material on your own time, and if there’s anything left unanswered, just give me a shout.

—Christine M. Byrd, CEO/Creative Director

Before We Begin

• Set up a Discovery Call
  
• Fill out the Coding Brief (Check your email’s spam folder)
• About Your Business Questionnaire completed
• Website Questionnaire completed
• FTP information
• Finalized content for your website such as “About Us” blurb including business history, description of services, featured services, etc.
• A digitized PDF of your menu/service brochure!
• Any high-resolution images you’d 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 →

🚩 If you’ve already started your project with us, check out Get Help for more useful information →

Here’s what you can expect from the project and our platform

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 that’s not only beautifully designed, but effective.

• We understand how the web works and what makes customers engage with brands online.
• We take a collaborative approach to this project. Your input is absolutely key to the success of your website.
• We will teach you to build a website that is functional, appealing, and personalized. The website you create will be designed so that you can make changes on the fly without needing to hire a professional.

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. 😊

Your role in the project

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 developing your web presence. Here are some ways you can ensure success:

Be the expert

No matter how good we are as designers, you’ll always know more about your business than us. Of course, we’re going to “look you up,” but your experience is much more valuable than any information we could find out on our own.

Don’t be afraid to give context to everything—even if you think it’s not relevant. Because the more we know about your business, the better equipped we’ll be to help you create a website that meets your needs.

Don’t worry if you think you aren’t creative or artistic enough. Unless you’re a designer, your strengths don’t necessarily lie in design. That’s okay, because we’re here to help. Play to your strengths, and we’ll play to ours. Between us, we’ll help you come up with something that both looks great and works for your business.

Manage your team

It’s also your job to get your team in order and decide who is responsible for what. It’s best to set roles at the very start of the project to 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

Give feedback in a timely manner

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. We’ll discuss this in more detail later.

Ask questions

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.

Don’t worry about annoying us—we are absolutely thrilled when we see that you’re taking a keen interest. Overall, your role in a project is invaluable. So, get excited!

Your project deliverables and timeline

Here’s a breakdown of how a Machi-Systems project runs:

Design Process Chart

WEEK/SESSION 1

Getting Started with Machi-Systems and WordPress

We get down to the nitty-gritty of your business goals, working out details including from the Code Brief and your Inspiration Board (DropMark). The 20-Second Gut Test lets you Choose a Design. We’ll 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. We’ll show you where you can Change Styles, Logos, Titles, and Taglines.

Deliverables: We’ll give you a copy of our very first Mach-Systems Guide that outlines most, if not all, of this in old-fashioned paperback!

WEEK/SESSION 2

Adding Your Content and Images

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, we’ll teach you how to Update a Footer and why you Don’t 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

Adding a Menu and Online Ordering

Week/Session 3 starts online ordering! We’ll show you Restaurant Basics and help you with Menu Setup via Machi-Systems 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.

Not a Restaurant, No Problem!

Week/Session 3 starts Custom Widgets! We’ll 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

Getting a Domain Name

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. We’ll also cover why SSL is important for eCommerce. This class/session might be a short one, but if you’d like some additional instruction or have fallen behind, we are here to help you for as long as you need.

Deliverables: Your presence is all we desire.

WEEK/SESSION 5

Welcome to Your Live Site

What’s 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/sessions, we will be available to provide additional assistance if needed.

Deliverables: Your fully functioning fantastic website!

WEEK/SESSION 6 and beyond

No-Class

Sadly, we don’t 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.

Accessing your deliverables from your portal

After the class/session, you will be assigned a portal to view all of 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 we’ve 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, we’ll send you a backup of the portal that you can keep forever). No more worrying about losing files; everything will be safe and sound exactly when you need it.

Photo by Federica Galli

We hope you’ve found this doc useful. Is anything missing? If so, email us at contact@machi-systems.com and we’ll get it sorted for you.

Questions? Send us a note and we’ll get right back to you.