Transform Your Business with a Website That Works
BYWE is a no-fluff group program with live sessions, accountability, and a customized plan for growing your website. Please join the interest, or book a call to discuss your project.
👋 Hi, I'm Ryan Clover
I'll go out on a limb and guess... you feel awkward about sending people to your website. Am I right?
Maybe it feels messy and cluttered, or someone helped you build a website but it doesn't feel like you.
Whatever the reason, your website needs to be aligned with your vision – but you know this. It's why you're checking out this program.
My goal is to show you that you can build an effective website that helps you grow your business – and you don't need to do it alone.
In this program, we build your website, and you focus on the vision and content.
Imagine this:
Want your website to tick all of these boxes?
You can get there.
You just need the right support.
BYWE is the only program that combines design services with cohort-based learning.
⏰ Next cohort begins in Winter 2024 – Join the interest list
Introducing...
Build Your Website Essentials
5 Week Process
✅ 1 - Strategy: You'll work with me to clarify how your website will achieve your goals with our website planning document. No more guessing what works.
✅ 2 - Design: You'll learn to describe preferences, provide inspiration, and outline your pages.
✅ 3 - Content: While you gather your content we're preparing your draft website around your preferences.
✅ 4 - Platform: Learn to choose the platform that fits your needs. Practicing editing and get support from our team.
✅ 5 - Revisions: Get feedback from the cohort and work with us 1:1 to polish and revise your final draft. Now you're ready for launch!
You're not just learning – you're taking action. At the end of BYWE, you have the strategy and support to have a high-impact website.
⭐️ Bonus! Included in this program is 12 months access to the Maple Community where you can continue learning, growing, and getting support.
Bonus Workshops Include
- Growing a High-value Email List
- Attracting Traffic with SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Content Planning and Production
Everything Included in BYWE
The next cohort begins Winter 2024
The BYWE Difference
Welcome to cohort 6, one hundred websites and counting.
As an instructor, I've incorporated feedback, breakthroughs, and life experience into each improvement.
Some key elements of our current process are:
- You have a meaningful assignment each week
- You get a refined, agency level framework for website strategy
- You get a fully-configured WordPress theme hosted on a Maple Care Plan
It's Simple Really
The lessons give step-by-step guidance to complete your coursework.
Our team uses your coursework to inform the draft website we're building.
The interactive workshops support you to overcome the most challenging decisions.
At the end, you have a website you can manage yourself.
Does anything compare?
So far I don't know anyone else running a course like this. If you do, please introduce us! I'd love to talk shop.
Because of this high-touch approach, space is limited, and students are accepted after a 15-minute discovery call. Please join the interest list if you'd like to hear about the next cohort, and schedule a call to talk about your project.
"My ability to create a website that is attractive, clear, and valuable for my audience"
To support your learning (and to save you time) we provide a MySnapshot Accredited Assessment to students in the program. Answer 16 questions (click on examples below) and establish your baseline. Then, take another snapshot after spending some weeks working on your website. Your site will grow through each iteration.
This assessment is based on our 4 point skills rubric, containing 16 topics. The weekly assignments will are supported by 2-3 of these skills each.
(click any of the images below to see a sample page)
What Can Build Your Website Essentials Do For Your Business?
"I knew nothing, so I have literally learned every single thing I now know about websites either from Ryan, or from resources that Ryan made or recommended. I would still be miserable and stuck on Weebly if it weren't for Ryan!
My favorite part of the program is design, and learning how to think through the map of how your website is structured. I also really enjoy having access to Maple Builder and having so much creative freedom!
I finally feel like my website reflects me and my business - I can change and tweak it so it's always current and perfectly in sync with where my business is in real time."
~ Rachel Conroy, Kinship and Company
✨ Community Showcase!
Here are some of the websites created with our Build Your Website Essentials process. Each of them is active, supported by one of our care plan packages, and in various stages of growth.
Cohort in Session. The next cohort begins Winter 2024.
At one point, I tried to DIY. Here's what happened.
I never intended to become a full-fledged web developer.
But I did what a lot of people did... I thought "how hard can be it" and I jumped right in. I was volunteering for a community organization at the time.
Because of my obsession with doing everything the right way I fell further and further down the rabbit hole – studying design, development, marketing, analytics, and more.
Glad I did though, because the skill has allowed me to add real leverage to the people and causes I care about.
Wait, you aren't trying to do it yourself too, are you?
I'm guessing you've tried, and hit all the common barriers. Even today, with so many options it's an overwhelming adventure with millions of options.
Cheers to you though, for finding a way to get support, while still doing the essential parts yourself. I created this program to help you stay true to your craft!
The most valuable thing I've learned since starting Maple is that every website project could be run like a curriculum.
Our 10k agency projects still require homework from clients. They need to compile images, content, and understand the design decisions we make.
Building this program allows us to have a bigger impact and make the agency level experience more accessible.
So with that, I welcome you to join us in Build Your Website Essentials.
Join the Interest List
Please sign up here to be included in the next opening.
Build Your Website Essentials is a unique, cohort-based accelerator program where you clarify your strategy, design, and content for your website.
Then, our team of designers builds a website around your vision.
Space is limited to people on the interest list.
Testimonials From Students
"I primarily work as a birth doula and an herbalist, so certainly techie web stuff has been something I've avoided most of my adult life.
In the past, I've tried to make my own websites using templates and confusing hosting places. Ryan's course was amazing for me to get together my own content and my own vision with mentorship – I definitely recommend working with Ryan at Maple to make your new website."
~ Emma, Birth doula and herbalist
"You won't just learn website design – he really works with you on marketing your services. You can have a beautifully designed site, but if you aren't really getting across your message to people – they aren't going to stay on your site very long.
And so Ryan is really gifted at being able to not only help you get a good site or a beautiful site designed, but he can also help you as far as communicating your message and attracting more customers or clients based on what you have to offer."
~ Jamala Harrison, Refine Virtual Solutions
"I have gone from not knowing if I'd have a website at all, to having a website that I can manage for myself and see great results with.
Ryan is understanding of where people are and their process and their journey. He is as technically minded and equipped and adaptive as he is helpful, friendly and proactive in getting a bigger picture into a business's needs and the business's audience."
~ Shayna Grajo, Shoji Arts, Ithaca NY
“I went from having a bland, formulaic template website, to one that speaks clearly to my ideal client!
And best of all, I did it myself!
Ok, at least I did the “decorating” part myself... This program guided me to make impactful changes, and gave me direction on polishing and refining my website.
The refining will continue, but I feel so confident after this class, and I know I made the right choice to continue working with Ryan and Maple Creative. Do your business and your mental health a favor, and just take the class. Now.”
~ Laurie Neronha, Viriditas Beauty
You don't need to be alone in building your website. I've got your back.
With Support
Without Support
Questions?
You mean, you actually build me a website?
Yes! This is a service + cohort-based course focusing on getting you set up with a draft website and showing you how to add your content and style. The Maple Team will work together to build your website based on the strategy you share with us, then we guide you through the process of learning to publish and grow forward.
My business is going through a big change. Is this course right for me?
As long as you know for sure that you have something valuable to offer, then yes! A website is the perfect canvas to focus your ideas into a clear, public invitation to participate.
I’m here to finally make that happen for you. Let's reflect the changes you're making into a new website.
Also, this is a coaching program – and I won't shy away from asking tough questions and holding you accountable for your goals.
What is the MySnapshot Accredited Assessment?
I took this program offline for 6 months so that I could work with Charlotte Crowther, founder of MySnapshot. This is a tool for dedicated educators to clarify their knowledge framework and offer an assessment to students.
In BYWE you can get a baseline measurement of your website skills by answering 16 questions. This actually covers 4 important areas of your work; content, design, marketing, and tech tools.
Then, at the end of the program you can take your snapshot assessment again and see how you've grown. Like rings on a tree, you can visually see the growth areas, what you need to focus on next, and where your strengths are. Pretty cool right?
This is just one of the ways that I'm dedicated to your learning. Not only will you have a completed website to celebrate, you'll be tracking your growth around these core areas of your business.
I work in a Fire Tower and am currently 100 ft in the air and miles in the bush. Will there be other cohorts?
This was a fun question to receive!
Yes. This program is offered twice a year. When you join today you can choose which cohort best fits your schedule and gain access to the workbooks, lessons, assessment tools, and community.
When you enroll you’d have access to the welcome lesson, and could even spend the rest of your time in the fire tower reflecting on the strategy questionnaire and working on your content.
What if I'm just starting my business?
The premium tier was designed to give someone who is starting from scratch the ability to have extra support in creating content and layouts that will help your business grow. Part of the course is focused on branding and marketing to help you clarify your message and design that will benefit all of your work.
If you need more direct 1:1 design help, consider a full design and development project.
If you're operating on a budget, and you have more time to spare, then I suggest a free landing page from ConvertKit. This gives you a chance to validate your business ideas, build an audience, and you can focus on a website once you have those things in place.
What pages (and how many) will you build for me?
The Sapling website is a draft website with around 7 pages pre-built and configured. It's ready to be pruned, and edited to fit your vision.
This draft website is delivered halfway through the cohort, and built around your completed planning and design preferences documents.
Since you’ll become confident at publishing new content you'll be able to add pages whenever you need to.
How long will I have access to the course?
This is a 5 week series of live sessions and a full year of community and support. The recordings, materials, and lessons will be yours to keep as long as you need them.
After 1 year, you will be invited to renew community and care plan membership with Maple Creative.
How much time do I need to commit?
There is one 90 minute interactive workshop each week. Then we host office hours sessions, student meetups, and co-working sessions. There are 5 weeks total of classes.
There are additional assignments to help you make progress and you can put as little or as much as you want into them. To get the best outcome set aside at least 3 - 6 hours a week when you can focus. Tell your friends and family you'll be working on this weekly for the period of this class so you can really dedicate to the project.
What if I can't make the live calls?
You can build your own schedule, and participate in future cohorts as well. That said, if you want the accountability of the 5 week sprint then it's helpful to carve out space to participate live.
If you miss a session you can watch the replays, and make sure to schedule time to work through the assignment for the week. The classes will be recorded and provided in our student community where you can always access them.
What is the care plan that is included?
All websites require hosting, security, caching, regular backups, updates, and maintenance in order to be available for your audience online – and this program comes with 3 months on a Basic Care Plan (or credit toward another).
Care plans include hosting, security, licensed software, a tutorial library, and personalized support from our small team at Maple Creative.
One of the big benefits of the Maple care plan is the bundled pricing on website software – the stuff you'll learn how to use in the training.
Do I need to continue the care plan after 3 months?
You have the option to continue hosting your website with Maple, or taking your website to another hosting service of your choice.
From the start you will have full access to your website files, a login to your hosting account, and the ability to move everything. Some clients already have a preferred hosting provider and that is totally cool too.
I don’t have a logo (or style) yet. Can I still join?
We actually have a bonus workshop in Week 2 all about creating a style guide and getting a basic logo in place on your website. So the answer is an affirmative yes.
At least half of our clients are in this place when they start. You'll learn how to choose the best color and typography palette, find a logo you can start with, and select images that make your work attractive and unique.
What if I don’t complete my website?
You have a full year of access to the program and multiple opportunities to join 5-week cohort experiences.
If you show up live and complete the assignments, it is very likely you will complete your website.
However, you will have lifetime access to the lessons and the ability to continue working on the Maple website that was set up for you in the beginning. This program is designed so you can work at the pace that feels comfortable to you.
Perfectly Reasonable Guarantee
Because your success with the course and community experience depends on your commitment, and because BYWE includes a draft website that our team builds for you, we provide refunds within the first 14-days of enrollment. If you are not sure if this program is right for you, please contact us and we can share more details about the course and service provided.