Rachel Hughes
Rachel Hughes
Chester / UK
Founder & Creative Director
Services
Squarespace Design and Dev, Design and Strategy Intensives, Website Tweaks, SEO Strategy, Brand Design
Course Taken
Standout Squarespace
Selected Work
01
Hi! My name is Rachel Hughes and I’m a Founder & Creative Director based in Chester, UK
02
Outside work you will often find me either in the kitchen (I love to cook) - or outside somewhere with my husband, our three littles and crazy cockapoo - usually the beach in the summer, or climbing a mountain in Wales when it's colder. (VIEW)
03
But on a typical workday, I am usually at my desk early (very much a morning person) - so after I've done the school run I'm straight to work on my client projects. Sometimes I listen to music, but we have a pretty busy house when the kids are here, so I also enjoy some peace and quiet to focus. (VIEW)
04
My day usually starts with at least two cups of tea...
05
Most of the time I am working on custom client projects
06
What are your first memories of the Internet?
I vividly remember impatiently listening to the dial-up tone and hum of the modem whilst I waited for the computer to connect - all so I could get on MSN messenger and chat to my friends. Brb...
07
What is the best part about the process of building websites for you?
Without a doubt, getting to know my clients. They're mostly other small business owners and everyone is so passionate about what they do - it's contagious and incredibly exciting to be along for the ride with them.
08
What is your favorite stretch or pastime in between coding?
Lunchtime walks with my husband and cockapoo.
09
How would you describe your Standout Style in 2-3 words? Clean. Modern.
10
Which Standout workshops do you find yourself incorporating most often on your website projects?
Oh there are too many to choose from! I love the list autoscroll - it's such a beautiful way to showcase logos for businesses clients have worked with. I've also been using the stacked list section a lot recently, which is a fresh, clean way to highlight services.
11
What makes your work standout?
A lot of clients say reach out because they've seen my clean, contemporary design style and want something similar for their business. But also, I get a lot of referrals from previous website clients because, whilst clients initially get in touch because they like my style - they also really value my collaborative way of working and my focus on listening to, and understanding the strategic results they need for their business.
12
What are some of your proudest works you've worked on?
Novum SalonsWebsite →Novum Salons came to me because they wanted a website that truly reflected their values, their expertise - and the incredible five-star client experience they provide. Their original website was doing its job as a functional booking platform, but they had such a clear vision and purpose for their brand, and their previous website wasn't communicating this. Strategy Novum wanted to create a digital space that felt like walking through salon doors: relaxing and supportive. With visitor experience and SEO in mind, we designed an intuitive website structure - and created pages that provided helpful, detailed information that walked visitors through each service. The results ✢ Increased salon footfall: since launching, Julie has said that one day they had ten new clients in their salons - which is unheard of previously. ✢ SEO success: it’s early days - but the new website is already showing up on google searches - often as the Google AI Overview ✢ Novum have a website that reinforces their high quality service and values at every touchpoint ✢ (This was so important for Novum) - the team are proud of the new website: it’s been a huge motivator for everyone, and there’s been a significant up-turn in applications for job openings.
13
What are the biggest takeaways from the Standout programs?
Leveraging code to make my clients' websites more unique to them. The online world is increasingly noisy, so having the ability to create a site that truly reflects my clients' services/offer so they standout is wonderful.
14
What is your dream website project?
I love working with a variety of small businesses and freelancers, but if I had to pick it would be purpose-led consultancies.
