Version 2 is finally here!
Back to when it all began
When we launched Run Your Own Website in January Spring 2016, we knew we had something pretty cool. In 2009 we launched Website Lite, which was, in effect, the forerunner to Run Your Own Website. Website Lite was a great product, it was a highly simplified website that most people could manage themselves, it had a few colour variations and that was about it. This was before responsive design evolved so it was not even mobile-friendly and it therefore dated very quickly.
7 years later, Run Your Own Website was launched. There was a lot more functionality, a lot more flexibility and it was mobile, tablet and very Google friendly! It sold quickly and eventually accounted for 80% of our website sales.
However, like any product of this nature, it was not perfect and had limitations, particularly in how images were handled. We developed an interface that was easy for our clients to use and I made 20 “How To” videos, which showed clients how to use every aspect of the product. We had one or two people choose to build it themselves but the vast majority preferred to pay us to build it for them, whilst being very happy to manage it afterward.
Within about 2 weeks, the feature list for the next version had begun! As we were funding this ourselves, the development process for Version 2 was much longer than we anticipated. The biggest breakthrough was the e-commerce integration which we completed in 2019. A lot of additional functionality was developed and we were at the point where we could offer 6 different options to our clients. Not only did we develop e-commerce, we also developed a paywall for a digital magazine. The list of options we developed grew and grew until now, where we have an incredibly powerful product that is so flexible and yet still maintains our high-level coding standards and accessibility throughout.
The one thing that it lacks is our own interface. There is so much more functionality that developing an interface that is as easy to use as Version 1 is challenging. Although it will be released soon, in the meantime, our clients manage their websites using the standard WordPress dashboard. Usually our clients find that a couple of training sessions with us are all they need to get them started although those who have used WordPress before obviously found it very straightforward.
This website had a public launch on August 1st 2021 and we are thrilled with the journey so far!
Run Your Own Website
Beautiful, Affordable, Accessible, Web Design, Chichester, West Sussex