Lauren Taylar
Lauren Taylar
Website Designer / SEO Strategist
St. Petersburg, FL
www.laurentaylar.com
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WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I help powerhouse coaches and creatives uplevel their brand image and create an evergreen lead generation machine so that they can stand out, get seen and make more money online.”
By combining my technical background in SEO with my passion for design, I help my clients create visual brand identities, build client conversion-focused websites, and develop long-term visibility strategies through their blog.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
Before taking my business full time, I worked in the SEO industry for 2 years, where I helped billion dollar global brands and high profile people improve their Google search results. This gave me the insight and knowledge for the tech side of websites, but I realized I was missing a creative role in my career. That’s when I decided to dive into visual branding and website design. I purchased online courses so I could learn how to gain these new skills, and started taking on small and pro-bono projects to gain experience. That was 4 years ago, and I’ve since completed more than 40 websites and helped dozens of entrepreneurs with SEO.
How do you stand out in your field?
I like to say that I combine the art and science of websites. Most website designers I come across who cater to the same audience don’t understand SEO and implement it incorrectly or don’t optimize their clients’ websites at all. I stand out by speaking to my professional background in the SEO industry and how I take the extra time to optimize all the important elements of a website.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
I’m working on building out a website template shop, which has been a long time coming. I’ve realized over the last year how exhausting it is to take on a new website design client every two weeks. I only work with one client at a time during those two weeks, but it’s still a very intensive process. Taking on too many back-to-back has drained my energy and made me resentful of my business. Creating website templates is not only a way to stay more present in my business and my projects, but also allows me to support business owners who might be newer to entrepreneurship or don’t have the funds to invest in a full custom website.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
I like clean websites with professional images that match the energy and emotions of what my clients are trying to exude with their branding. One of my favorite projects was with Elise Danielle, who is a business coach. Her brand photos were not only perfect for the website from an aesthetic standpoint, but they also showcased her welcoming, fun, and inviting energy. Her images really amplified the visual branding work I created for her and how that translated onto the website.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I wish I could focus more on copywriting. As a website designer and SEO strategist, I know that would be an amazing skill to have. However, I fully acknowledge that it’s a craft all on its own. I’ve purchased various copywriting courses since I started my business so that I could further support my clients in this area of their website, which has increased my confidence. But I don’t see myself offering this service anytime soon, which is why I have a copywriter on standby to help with clients who don’t want to write their website copy themselves.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
The most frustrating thing has been lack of time to focus on passive income. I’ve been in this vicious cycle of taking on 1:1 clients every week to hit my sales goals, but then not having enough time to focus on digital products I want to refine or create. I’ve finally hit my breaking point with burnout and lack of energy and creativity with constantly doing client work. Now I’m scaling back on projects to put the necessary work into creating more passive income streams.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
I would hire someone to create social media graphics, design sales pages, and do Instagram engagement with my followers. However, the first two tasks are a little more difficult to let go of since I’m a designer and have some trust issues with handing my ideas and vision off to someone else. I’m sure most designers can relate.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
I believe that everything happens the way it’s supposed to. However, if I had to choose I would have told my younger self 3 years ago not to quit her job and wait until she had a steady stream of clients. Looking back, I left my job too early. I thought I had a game plan of how I was going to make money but in reality, the methods I had been taught were outdated and not sustainable. Although I had a few months worth of savings, it was scary to watch my bank account drain and it led to some stress-related issues.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
I would love to talk to a Pinterest strategist so I can “crack the code.” It feels so much more difficult to rank on Pinterest compared to Google. I spent 2 years on Pinterest and even invested a few thousand dollars in someone to manage my account, but unfortunately I didn’t see results close to what I was hoping for. I’ve seen how incredible it’s been for others in the same industry, so I’m hoping that one day I can give the platform another chance.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I’m always looking to help coaches and creatives with visual branding, website design, and SEO strategy so they can uplevel their brand and rank on Google. I’m also branching into affiliate webinars as I scale my SEO course, so I’m looking for business owners in complementary fields (such as copywriting) to partner with.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
My ideal client is an established online business owner 1-3 years into entrepreneurship who has extreme clarity around who they serve and their offerings. They know the vibe and aesthetic they want, but need help bringing it to life on their website. They know the value of outsourcing and getting top quality support.
Who is a creative that has helped you elevate your work?
Mackenzie Fleming is an amazing copywriter for coaches and service providers. She supported me by writing a sales page for one of my programs. Not only was she able to capture my voice, but she saved me probably 15 hours of trying to write the copy myself. I know it wouldn’t have turned out nearly as well as what she produced for me.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
If someone is interested in working together, I would recommend setting up a consultation through my website to book a date and time to chat. This will give me some insight into the type of support you’re looking for.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Taking time off so I can be more present with day-to-day life
This member profile was originally published in July 2021.