Two episodes in ONE WEEK?! So fun right! I’m here with part two of our Showit Templates Q&A time. I’m answering the top questions I get about using Showit, my template shop, and other website design questions. These are coming to you straight from our inbox, and I’ll be answering them in the most easy to understand, non-techy way possible!
If you are interested in a template from me but have some questions first — this episode will likely (hopefully!) answer some of those questions. And, if you missed part one… scoot back to episode #144 for that! You don’t have to listen to both, but both will be helpful to you in understanding templates.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:
Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio
Search for episode 145!
You’ll find timestamps below, so if you want to skip around this episode to find just what you need - you can!
- [3:46] Do your templates integrate with (fill in the blank software)?
- [7:11] I am struggling with which template to pick, I really love X one but also Y one! How do I pick?
- [10:51] Who are your templates not right for?
- [15:20] Who all uses your templates?
- [17:56] What happens if I run into an issue and can’t figure something out?
- [22:27] How is the SEO game with your templates?
1. Do your templates integrate with (fill in the blank software)?
You are more than likely coming to your website with other tools you currently use or want to be using in your business and wondering if they will work with these Showit templates. So do they work?
The answer is usually yes. If it is something you would embed into a site, then it should work!
If you won’t be “embedding” it, you likely can still use it with Showit.
Here are just a few of the common ones I’m asked about that all work great with Showit:
- CRMs | Dubsado, Honeybook, 17 Hats
- Email marketing tools | FloDesk, ConvertKit, Mailchimp, Mailerlite, ActiveCampaign, Kajabi
- Call schedulers | Acuity, Calendly
- Cart software | ThriveCart, Woo Commerce, Shopify Lite
If you have an online course on a platform like Kajabi or Teachable, you can link out to that directly from your website! You will also be able to link out to your social media, embed episode players with podcasting software, add countdown timers like Deadline Funnel or Powr.io, and even sales counters!
You can use Google Analytics with Showit and any of these templates.
If you are curious if your software integrates with Showit, send an email to hello@elizabethmccravy.com and we will be happy to help you figure it out!
2. I am struggling with which template to pick, I really love X one but also Y one! How do I pick?
This is probably the most common question we get! So if this is you, know you are not alone if you struggle with which template to go with.
My 3 tips for picking your template:
- Take the website personality quiz! It matches you with suggestions based on your answers. People say it’s super accurate!
- Focus on the layout more than the colors and the business it’s modeled for. For example, you might be a photographer, but you really love a template that is modeled for a coach. That does not mean that template can’t be a good fit for you! It still has what you need as a photographer. It’s just a different layout and vibe with different fonts! Focus on the layouts you like best. Everything is editable, but the actual positioning of everything is something you probably won’t want to edit too much.
- Think about your own content in the template and which one feels like a better fit for you? I would try to visualize your business in it! Remind yourself that it is all customizable so if there are tiny things you don’t love but the rest of the template you’re obsessed with, that is probably an easy fix.
If you love the color palette of one template, but the layout of another, email us and we can tell you the palette you like and you can just add it into the template you like the layout of better.
I know these decisions are hard, but I recommend going with your gut.
3. Who are your templates not right for?
In most cases, if you really love them and they resonate with you, then they’re right for you! But I will say one major factor that would make my templates not a good fit is if you are strictly an e-commerce business.
Showit does not have any built-in e-commerce. That doesn’t mean you can’t sell things with a Showit website. I am able to run my template shop all on my Showit website, so you can sell things with these templates and so many of my customers do this as well.
But if you sell a lot of items that need to change out often and be categorized in very specific ways, then something like Shopify will be better for you.
If you don’t have a ton of products and want to use Showit and still need shopping cart functionality, Shopify Lite is perfect for you to add to your site!
If you sell something like a membership program or online courses, you can use the built-in cart software from the hosting platform.
ThriveCart is what I use and I love it! That is another great option.
4. Who all uses your templates?
Our showcase page is a great spot to see the different businesses of our customers! The top 3 groups of people using them are coaches, photographers, online-based service providers.
Here are some of the industries we serve:
Life coaches
Business coaches
Career coaches
Finance coaches
Relationship coaches
Leadership coaches
Enneagram coaches
Video coaches
Wellness coaches
Yoga teachers
Nutritionists
Personal trainers
Stationery Designers
Financial Service Providers
Bookkeepers
Accountants
Photographers
Event Planners
Videographers
Florists
Venues
Authors
Bloggers
Course creators
Educators
Ministries
Interior Designers
Realtors
Home Organizers
Vacation Rentals
Counselors
5. What happens if I run into an issue and can’t figure something out?
You are not on this journey alone!
My team and I are here to help you when it comes to getting support. This is not true of all template shops. You can email us anytime with your questions. Our response time is typically quick and we'll even log into your account to help you problem solve!
You also get access to our signature course, The Showit Blueprint.
This course is worth the price of the template on its OWN! (We hear this all the time in our reviews and feedback!)
This course is an easy to follow format that teaches you how to use Showit. The videos are short, high quality, and to the point. (Watch a video tour of the course here!)
In addition to both of those things...
Showit also offers customer support.
You can chat with them from within your Showit account that is really great! They have a vast library of "help docs" that answer common questions. (See here!)
There is also a Showit User Facebook group that can be helpful as well for crowd-sourcing community replies!
6. How is the SEO game with your templates?
SEO stands for search engine optimization and is really important. Not a lot of people realize this, but your actual website design affects your SEO in 2 ways:
- If it’s not well designed and intuitive, people will leave quickly which hurts your SEO. Google will think you aren’t answering the search question, so they will show you to fewer people.
- The backend structure of your website matters for SEO. Specifically the heading tags. In Showit this is under your text properties settings. This isn’t the most important SEO thing, but if your site has things that are not important set up as certain heading tags, then it is going to be harder for search engines to show your stuff to the right people.
I set up my templates properly for both of those, which is not true of all template shops. I also include a few training videos on SEO with your purchase in the Showit Blueprint Course. There is one for blogging SEO and one for SEO on all of your standard pages.
I have had plenty of customers rank super high (if not first) for their ideal searches with my templates.
Some people worry their SEO will take a hit when they switch platforms, and it’s hard to say whether or not that will be true because it is so nuanced.
I hope you have enjoyed this FAQ episode! Share these with a friend if you have a fellow business owner friend who is struggling with Showit versus another platform or understanding how templates work. Listen to Part 1 of this FAQ series HERE if you missed it!
I hope you see you join the EM Shop family! You will love it. These templates are designed to be easy for you to use as a non-designer, strategic, fun, and uniquely you!
