Cynthia Oswald

Surface Design, Fine Art + Branding for Creatives

Marketing

Your site is up and running, now what?

5 Things To Do After Launching Your New Site

Congratulations! You’ve made it through the messy middle and launched your website. There is probably so much more you’d like to do. Can I tell you a secret? That is a good thing. Your website is a living, breathing business asset and it can and should grow and change over time—just as your business does. Features like email marketing, payment processing, calendars, social media, and much more can seamlessly integrate with your website. As you’re working on your marketing and communication platforms as a whole, keep in mind that you may be able to connect them directly to your website to help streamline your efforts and save time. There are endless possibilities, so let’s just start with my top five …

1. SEO Strategy

If you don’t have an SEO Strategy now is the time to get one started. What do you want to be known for? Write about it. What new and relevant content can you share about within your industry? Building and sharing relevant content will enhance your SEO naturally. You’ll want to group like-minded pages or content on your site by linking and categorizing appropriately. This helps to show that there is relevant content throughout your site and helps search engines rank it accordingly. Incorporate your mission, values, and core marketing messages to attract your ideal client. Your core marketing messages typically correlate with your SEO Strategy. Building on your keywords over time looks like building content that is relevant to your core messaging and adding it throughout your site—whether it’s updating the main pages or building on your blog pages. Within your strategy include how you anticipate sharing your content throughout all of your communication platforms—outside of your website (i.e. social media, email marketing) as well as within.

2. Google Analytics & Search Console

Reviewing your Google Analytics and Search Console week over week, month over month, year over year, will help to inform you on which marketing efforts are working. Make a note of the pages that users are staying on the longest, navigating to other pages, and generally visiting the most. How can you utilize those locations to obtain your goals? Are there pages that users are dropping off quickly or not navigating to other pages? How can you develop relevant content and an opt-in that will enable users to reengage? Pay attention to where users are coming from—both in location and referral. What keywords are you being found for? Are users clicking through to your site when it appears on a Google search? There is so much that you can dive into with Google Analytics and Search Console. I recommend reviewing reports either monthly or quarterly to optimize your content and be aware of how your site is working for you. Then make changes to the site accordingly based on your business goals.

3. Opt-ins, Automated Emails & Landing Pages

Sync your site with your email marketing provider and ensure that you have locations for the user to opt-in or sign up for your list. I recommend setting up an automated email sequence so that when a user signs up to receive news they’ll receive a few informative emails that include some of your most important content. This way they feel welcomed and you already begin to build trust. Explore utilizing the opt-ins in different locations on the site. Remove the ones that have been there a while and experiment to see what works both visually and verbally. Streamline your goals through creating landing pages. These would be simple pages, targeted specifically to one of your audiences. They can help to achieve a specific goal by engaging the users to take action—sign up for your list, contact you, purchase your offering, follow you on social media, etc. Users could arrive to the landing page via social media, an email blast, another webpage, a digital ad, etc. This is just another way you can build on your site and engage your audience.

4. Social Media

As you develop your website content share it on social media platforms in smaller, digestible chunks, that link back to your site. While you are working on your strategy consider the goal that each of your social media platforms aim to achieve. Be mindful of that goal when sharing socially. For example, let’s say your business Facebook page serves as a fun, informative way, to connect with your current and potential customers. While your LinkedIn account may be acting as a place for you to connect with like-minded businesses or potential partnerships. In this case you may share smaller, lighter imagery and posts that align with your mission and values on Facebook. On LinkedIn you may be writing articles that share more about your process and business development. This is only one example. Understanding the goal and your audience on the platform will help you to determine the types of content you should be sharing.

5. Perform Updates & Added Security

If you worked with me to design and develop your site then it is a WordPress or Shopify site. WordPress is an Open Source Platform that has many contributors from all over the world. There are updates to themes, plugins, and the WordPress platform often. Just as computers and phones perform updates your website should be updated to remain compatible and protected with technology as a whole. I recommend making these updates on a monthly or quarterly basis. Additionally, as time goes on you may decide to add another level of security to your site. This can be helpful if you notice there are frequent visitors from one location with an 100% bounce rate. In this instance you can assume they are trying to hack into your site. If you’re working with me I would have you set up with—SiteGround—which has an excellent security platform. Should you want to add another level I recommend Sucuri.net. This is not necessary from the start but it may be worth investing in as your site and audience grows.

If you don’t have the time or desire to invest in the above let’s connect. I’d love to chat with you about your business goals and see how we might be able to partner on a monthly or quarterly basis to achieve them! Schedule a connection call to get started.

Branding with purpose:
creating and collecting brand materials with your wish list in mind

Steven and I got engaged May 31 and chose September 9th as our wedding date. Yes, that was a little ambitious. In just over three months I would need to sell my house, move, and plan the wedding! I knew that every moment would count so I was intentional about creating elements for the wedding invitation that could be reused across all of the wedding day materials. I had no choice but to let the illustration ideas simmer as I prepped and sold my home. I’m sure glad I did. At first I was thinking about including bunnies and squirrels on the invitation. Yes, I’m a Beatrix Potter fan. However, this isn’t a children’s book—it was our wedding invitation. As the idea for the big day evolved so did the look of the invitation. I decided to take inspiration from the willow tree in our yard and combine it with my innate desire to create decorative, ornamental elements (hence my logo). I got out a fresh sheet of watercolor paper (pictured above) and used every square inch to create illustrative elements (pictured below). These would serve as the “branding” elements for the entire event.

With my wish list in mind I created illustrations that could be repurposed across an entire collection of event items. This is the same way I create for your brand materials. The idea is to establish a collection of secondary brand elements that match your brand style—creating a library of sorts. This library includes items like your logo variations, multiple fonts, images, and illustrations that portray your mission and values. Today I want to share with you some useful tips on how to collect these items with your wish list in mind.

1. What particular styles do you love?

You’ve had a week to think through descriptive words that resonate and start taking notice to your visual preferences (if not, start here). Now it’s time to name them. My favorite designer and business role model is Louise Fili. Her work makes my heart beat a little faster so I decided that she needed to represented. I purchased her “Love” stamp for all of my envelopes and bought a font that she just debuted, called Montecatini. The font was also named after a town in Italy—Montecatini Terme—which I happened to visit 13 years ago. What does this have to do with you? You’ve collected your inspirations and preferences, now it’s time to imbue more of what you love into your brand. Keep collecting those items and make sure to share them with your designer.

2. In what formats will your materials be created in?

Thinking through the entire event package prior to creating the illustration was crucial for saving time. This included my invitation, thank you cards, table numbers, place cards, signage, program, website, cups and more. Before you start finalizing one little part, picture how your brand will be represented as a whole. Is your logo only going to be visible on your stationery? Or will you be creating packaging that features your logo as the main branding element? Do you have a car or truck that needs to have your logo and brand elements prominently displayed? All of these details matter. Think big and then start small. It should be fun to think of the different ways your brand will be represented.

3. Price out the cost to produce prior to designing.

Did you know that postage costs more for square envelopes than rectangular envelopes? These tiny details add up when you are working on branding elements. Small choices make big impacts both in dollar amounts and on our environment so I suggest pricing out different ways to produce your marketing pieces. For me it was important that my invitations be printed on 100% recycled paper. I also wanted to reduce waste by allowing the RSVP to tear off and serve as a mailer. These choices cost a little more up front but resonate with my brand so I could plan accordingly.

Essentially when you are thinking through all of these little elements your brand is coming to life before you even began. This means that you are troubleshooting issues and saving money in the long run—which to me, is branding with purpose. That’s what I’m here to help you do! If you’d like to review your next branding project start by emailing me here. Next week I’m going to share the entire wedding package so you can see it come together. For now, I’m going to go make the BEST COOKIES EVER (recipe here). Happy Thanksgiving!

How do your values translate in print?

Print with Purpose: How Marketing Materials Reflect Your Brand

Recently, a customer shared a concern that stopped me in my tracks:

“We’ve been getting compliments on our brochures… but I don’t want customers to think we spent too much on marketing.”

I get it. There’s a worry that polished materials might come off as inauthentic or overly flashy. But here’s the truth: you don’t need expensive print materials to run a great business. However, when your print materials reflect your values and help communicate your message with sincerity, they become powerful tools for connection—not manipulation.

In this client’s case, every word, design choice, and layout decision was rooted in real substance. Their investment wasn’t about flash. It was about clarity, trust, and drawing in the right people. That’s the kind of design I believe in.

So if you’re wondering whether it’s worth investing in printed marketing pieces, here’s the question to ask:

What do your materials say about your business?

Let’s explore a few intentional options depending on your audience, your brand values, and your budget:

🌿 GREEN

Best for brands focused on sustainability
If you want your values to show up on paper—literally—printing on 100% recycled paper with vegetable-based inks can make a meaningful statement. Yes, it costs a bit more, but it tells eco-conscious customers that you walk your talk.
→ One of my favorite green printers: GreenerPrinter.com

🌟 HIGH-QUALITY

Best for brands that lead with craftsmanship and care
When your product or service is all about excellence, your print materials should match that experience. Think: thick, tactile paper stocks, vibrant color accuracy, and printing techniques that elevate your message. Local printers often shine here—and yes, it’s worth going in to see a press check.
→ Try: Brilliant Graphics

💡 AFFORDABLE

Best for newer businesses or those testing different formats
If you’re just getting started or working with a modest budget, you can still create strong, beautiful materials. Just be selective—read reviews, compare paper samples, and avoid the rock-bottom deals that look… well, cheap. A small investment goes a long way in how your brand is perceived.
→ Reliable and cost-effective: PsPrint.com

The bottom line? Your print should feel like you

Whether you’re a high-end consultant, a handmade goods shop, or a sustainability-focused nonprofit—your marketing materials should support and reflect what you stand for.

Even the simplest design decisions can reinforce your message:

  • Paper texture that hints at warmth or minimalism

  • Typography that feels handcrafted or bold and modern

  • Imagery that tells your story without needing to say a word

If you’re unsure which option is right for your next project, I’d be happy to help you figure it out. Your marketing doesn’t need to be flashy—it just needs to be honest, intentional, and true to you.

Have questions or want to chat through an idea? Reach out to me here.