Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Nickerson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I originally started out working as a lighting technician in the local film industry. After several years of ups and downs in the number of productions coming to the area, I started looking into web design as a second career and found that my background in design and film making at Mass Art was a great fit. I took a few classes and began to develop sites here and there until I had built up a number of freelance clients. I began my company under the name of Jenn Mears Web Design in 2008 and after a number of years, I am in the process of re-branding a bit into Jennsweb (easier for people to type & remember!). The majority of my clients are local businesses & non-profits in the North Shore area and I really love the immediacy of working with a client who lives close by. I have also done work with national brands in the area of e-commerce. My focus is mostly developing WordPress sites and helping clients feel empowered by teaching them how to manage their own sites.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My biggest challenge is a fortunate one. I am constantly looking into ways to keep track of and manage multiple projects. “It never rains but it pours” syndrome can make for some late nights! For a lot of clients, the project does not end once the site is launched. There can be a pretty steep learning curve for some clients who are either not used to how websites are built, or, are too busy running their own business to manage the site on their own. I like to create content on my own site to educate clients but finding the time to do that can be a real challenge.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Something that I always seem to be working against is the client’s perception that a web designer is someone who is going to make them feel too intimidated to ask questions and give feedback and then charge a lot of money for the “privilege” of hiring them. I have always welcomed my clients’ input and always provide estimates that are reasonable for the intended scope of work.
The majority of my projects are done using WordPress and I have been working with this CMS since 2008. Whether I am working on a 4 page site for a local non-profit, or a large scale interactive site for a national company, my goal is to push the envelope beyond installing a theme and dumping in content. I love to work with clients to customize the site to exactly what they want. This constant challenge to my “comfort zone” is what keeps me motivated to always be learning something new.
What were you like growing up?
I have always been the “artistic” one in the family. I even managed to carve out my own art studio in the back area of my high school’s art room where I worked on my portfolio. I chose to be an Art Major my junior year and anticipated going into Commercial Design as a career. Once I entered Mass Art in 1987, I was surprised to find myself gravitating towards the Film Department which was in the now long-gone Longwood Building (it’s now a parking garage for Brigham & Women’s Hospital). I loved having a new frontier to explore and graduated with a BFA in Film in 1991. Eventually, I discovered the local film industry in Massachusetts and worked on both independent and studio feature films while living in South Boston (and losing a living space to yet another parking garage!). After moving to the North Shore in 2003, I started to re-evaluate things and realized that I could combine my artistic tendencies with an interest in programming in web design.
Pricing:
- Small scale business site (1 to 10 pages) : $600
- Mid-size business site or portfolio site with blog or other functionality $800
- E-commerce site with credit card processing functionality and incorporated shipping etc. $1000 and up
Contact Info:
- Address: 48 Stony Brook Road Marblehead MA 01945
- Website: http://jennmearswebdesign.com
- Phone: 617-816-1209
- Email: jennsweb@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/jennsweb
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jenn-Mears-Web-Design-LLC-114634725283130/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennsweb
Image Credit:
Jennsweb
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