Hot Lizard Designs Teaches Website Basics to Students
Yesterday was one of those days that reminded me why I love what I do. I had the opportunity to step back into the classroom and share my passion for website design with a group of business students in Cromwell. As the founder of Hot Lizard Designs, I've spent years helping businesses create effective Squarespace websites, and getting to pass on that knowledge to the next generation of entrepreneurs was incredibly rewarding.
The students were attending a business course run by School of Thought, and their enthusiasm was contagious. What started as a planned 30-40 minute presentation about website design and online marketing stretched to 90 minutes because they had so many thoughtful questions!
Sharing Squarespace Expertise with Future Business Owners
Drawing from my experience helping clients build successful websites on Squarespace, I covered the essential questions every new business owner asks:
Do I actually need a website? Based on my years of client work, the answer is almost always yes - but understanding why makes all the difference.
How much should I expect to spend on a website? I shared real-world examples from Hot Lizard Designs projects to help them understand the investment involved.
What content should I include? Using case studies from my Squarespace builds, I showed them how to create websites that actually convert visitors into customers.
Why work with a professional designer? I explained how my expertise with Squarespace can save time, money, and headaches in the long run.
The Reality Check That Surprised No One
Here's a statistic that really resonated with the group: 50% of small businesses still don't have a website. The students weren't shocked by this number - they see it all the time with local builders and tradies in their area.
What really opened my eyes was hearing their perspective as customers. Several students admitted they wouldn't contact a tradesperson who only had a landline number and home address listed in business directories. They wanted to see examples of work, understand services offered, and get a feel for the business before making contact.
One student put it perfectly: "If I can't see what they do or how well they do it, I'm just going to call the next person on the list who has a proper website."
The Deeper Dive Into Website Strategy
The second half of our session turned into an engaging Q&A where I could share more specific insights from my Hot Lizard Designs experience. We explored SEO strategies that work well on Squarespace, how to create strong first impressions online, effective ways to gather and display testimonials, and e-commerce functionality.
What struck me most was how practical their questions were. These weren't theoretical discussions - they were future business owners trying to understand how to effectively use websites to grow their ventures.
Lessons Learned from Teaching
As someone who works with Squarespace websites daily, it was fascinating to see which concepts resonated most with the students. They particularly appreciated learning about the platform's user-friendly nature and how it allows business owners to maintain their own sites once they're professionally set up.
The students weren't surprised to hear that 50% of small businesses still don't have websites - they see it constantly with local builders and tradies. But hearing their perspective as customers really reinforced why my work at Hot Lizard Designs matters. Several admitted they wouldn't contact a tradesperson who only had a landline and home address listed, with no website to showcase their work.
Why I Love Sharing Website Design Knowledge
Teaching reminded me that behind every website I create at Hot Lizard Designs is a real person with real dreams for their business. These students will soon be those entrepreneurs, and knowing I could help them understand the importance of professional web design from the start was incredibly fulfilling.
Ready to discuss your website needs?
As someone who's passionate about both Squarespace design and helping businesses succeed, I'd love to chat about creating an online presence that actually works for your business.