Client User Guide

Simple, practical ways to help your business or nonprofit shine online, and how Real Wisconsin Website Design can help

By Jim Murphy, Real Wisconsin Website Design, Green Bay, WI · November 13, 2026

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Inside this guide:

1. Welcome
2. Your website is a team effort
3. Sending photos and files
4. Requesting changes to your website
5. Keep your Google Business Profile accurate
6. Getting reviews
7. Email that lands in the inbox
8. Show up in AI answers
9. Social media basics
10. What RealWis can do for you
11. Contact and further reading

Real Wisconsin Website Design (RealWis)
James M. (Jim) Murphy, Owner  ·  Veteran-owned and woman-owned  ·  Green Bay, Wisconsin
murph@realwis.com · 920-785-1219 · realwis.com

1.  Welcome

Thank you for trusting Real Wisconsin Website Design with your website.  Whether you have run your business for thirty years or just picked up the keys last month, my goal is the same: help you look good online, get found by the right people, and spend your time running your business instead of wrestling with technology.

This guide is written for busy owners and volunteers, not tech people.  It does two things.  First, it walks you through simple habits that make a real difference online, like keeping your Google listing accurate, getting honest reviews, and sending me photos that look great on your site.  Second, it shows what RealWis can take off your plate when you would rather hand it to someone else.

You do not have to do everything in here at once.  Pick one section, do it this week, and come back to the next one later.  If anything is unclear, just ask.  That is what I am here for.

Blessings,

Murph

James M. (Jim) Murphy, Owner, Real Wisconsin Website Design

2.  Your website is a team effort

A good website is never really "done."  Hours change, staff come and go, you add a service, you finish a project you are proud of.  The businesses that do best online are the ones where the owner and the webmaster keep each other in the loop.

What you bring

• Accurate facts.  Your hours, services, prices you want shown, staff names, and anything that changes.
• Real photos and stories.  Your shop, your team, your finished work, your volunteers in action.  Real beats stock every time.
• Quick answers.  When I ask a question about your site, a short reply keeps your project moving.
• A heads-up.  Moving, changing your phone number, or adding a location?  Tell me early so your website, Google listing, and social pages all change together.

What I bring

• A mobile-responsive site built with accessibility and search visibility in mind.
• Clean updates, done right the first time, when you send clear requests (Section 4 shows how).
• Honest advice on what will help your business online, and what is not worth your money.

3.  Sending photos and files

Good photos are one of the easiest ways to make your website feel real and trustworthy.  A few simple habits make sure they arrive looking their best and land in the right spot.

Name your files clearly

When you send me any files (photos, documents, logos, or anything else), please name them before you attach them.  This makes it easier for me to organize and upload them without confusion.

• Use all lowercase letters (no capitals).
• Separate words with a hyphen (-) instead of underscores (_) or spaces.
• Make the name descriptive and meaningful, so I know what it is at a glance.
• Avoid generic or random names like "12124298753.jpg" or "image1.png."

It might seem like a small thing, but poorly named files can lead to the wrong image going up, or to time spent sorting files instead of updating your site.

Send full-size originals, not texts

• Email them or use a shared link.  Attach photos to an email, or for a large batch, share a folder link from Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
• Please do not text photos for the website.  Text messages often shrink and compress pictures, and they can look blurry once they are on your site.
• Send the original file.  Do not crop, filter, or screenshot a photo first.  I can crop and size it properly for the web.

Take photos that work on a website

• Turn the phone sideways (landscape) for most website photos.  Wide pictures fit banners and page layouts much better than tall ones.
• Use good light.  Daylight or a bright room, with the light behind you, not behind your subject.  Wipe the phone lens first.
• Keep it real and tidy.  Clear away clutter, hold steady, and skip heavy filters.
• Tell me who is in it.  If people appear in a photo, send their names spelled correctly and their titles, if you want them shown.
• Get permission.  Make sure the people in a photo are OK with it being on your website, and only send photos you took or have the right to use.  Pictures copied from someone else's website or a Google image search are not safe to use.

Videos

I can host a few key videos right on your own website, with no ads and no outside platform.  This works best for short clips sent as MP4 files under 3 minutes.  For more tips, see Image & Video Best Practices on realwis.com.

4.  Requesting changes to your website

As your webmaster, I want to make updates to your website as smooth and efficient as possible.  Clear communication lets me make changes quickly and accurately, with fewer back-and-forth emails and fewer chances for mistakes.  It also saves you money, because time spent guessing is time you pay for.  Here is how to send a request that gets done right the first time.

The four things every change request needs

For any update to an existing page (text, images, or links), include these four items, numbered in your message:

1. A direct link to the page.  Copy the full web address from your browser's address bar, for example https://www.yourwebsite.com/about-us.  This takes me straight to the right spot.
2. A screenshot of the exact spot.  Circle or highlight the area if you can.  Name the screenshot using the rules above, for example about-us-page-screenshot.jpg.
3. What is changing, and how.  Describe the current item and what you want done: remove, update, replace, or move.  Be specific, and point to the exact text or image.  For example: "Remove the paragraph that starts with 'Our team has been...' in the About Us section."
4. The new content.  Paste the exact new text into your email (or attach a document if it is long), and attach any new image, named properly, with a note on where it goes.

A sample request

Here is what a clear request might look like from an auto repair shop owner:

If you have several changes, list each one separately with its own link, screenshot, and details.

New pages and bigger changes

Structural changes, like adding a menu item, a new page, or rearranging a layout, need a little more detail because they can affect how visitors find their way around your site and how search engines see it.

• Describe the overall goal.  What do you want to achieve, and why?  For example: "I want a new page about our fleet services so local businesses know we handle company vehicles."
• Where it should go.  Point to the existing page or menu, with a link and a screenshot.
• What it includes.  Headings, text, and images (attached and named properly).
• Layout.  Should it match an existing page?  Does it need anything special, like a contact form at the bottom?
• Think about the impact.  Will this remove or change something your customers rely on, like a popular link?  Could it confuse visitors?  If it is a big change, we can talk through options first.  I will let you know if I spot any problems.

General tips

• Organize your message.  Numbered or bulleted lists make it easy to follow.
• One topic per email, if possible.  Group related changes together, but keep unrelated ones separate.
• Free tools help.  Canva or Microsoft Paint work well for marking up screenshots, and Google Docs or Word work well for drafting text.
• Response time.  I'll acknowledge your request within 1 business day and give you an estimate.
• Questions?  If you are unsure about any part of this, just ask.  I am here to help.

5.  Keep your Google Business Profile accurate

When someone nearby searches for "auto repair near me" or "food pantry Green Bay," the first thing they often see is not a website.  It is a map with a few businesses pinned on it.  Those listings come from Google Business Profile, the free listing Google shows on Search and Maps.  Many businesses set theirs up years ago and never touched it again.  A quick tune-up is free and takes about 20 minutes.

Start here: make sure you control it

Sign in to the Google account that manages your profile, then search Google for your business name and city.  If you manage it, you will see an option to edit the profile.  If not, someone else may control it, such as a previous owner, a former employee, or an old marketing company.  Sort that out first, because only an owner or manager can make changes, and Google says the profile has to be verified before it shows on Search and Maps.

Your tune-up checklist

• Name, address, and phone.  Use your real-world business name, the one on your sign and invoices, with no added keywords like "Best Mechanic Green Bay."  Google can suspend profiles for that.  Make your address and phone match your website exactly.
• Categories.  Pick one specific primary category (for example, "Auto repair shop") and only add others that truly fit.
• Hours and holiday hours.  Wrong hours are the fastest way to lose a customer's trust.  Set special hours ahead of time for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, and for any planned closures.
• Description.  Up to 750 characters, with no links, prices, or sale offers.  Say what you do and for whom, where you serve, and why people should choose you.
• Services.  List the actual services (or programs, for nonprofits) you offer, with a short description of each.
• Photos.  Add your logo, the outside of your building so first-time visitors recognize it, and real photos of your team, work, or space.  Google asks that photos look like reality, with no heavy filters.
• Website link.  Point it to your own website, not your Facebook page.
• Attributes.  Look through the options, such as "Veteran-owned," "Wheelchair accessible entrance," or "Online appointments," and turn on the ones that are true for you.
• Payments.  If your profile offers payment options (cash, checks, credit cards, mobile payments), mark the ones you accept so customers are not surprised at the counter.
• Posts.  Share a quick update about once a month: a holiday schedule, a recent project, or a seasonal tip.  Google archives posts older than six months, so an old last post makes a profile look abandoned.

Set a calendar reminder to check your profile again every three months.  For the full step-by-step version, read The 20-Minute Google Business Profile Tune-Up.

6.  Getting reviews

Reviews help in two ways.  They help people decide to choose you, and Google says reviews are part of how it ranks local businesses.  The secret is simply to ask, consistently, and to follow Google's rules.

How to ask

• Use your review link or QR code.  Google gives you both right from your Business Profile.  Put the link in thank-you emails and on invoices, and print the QR code for your counter.
• Ask for details.  "Great service!" is nice, but a review like "They fixed my brakes the same afternoon I called" tells both people and AI tools exactly what you do.  A gentle nudge helps: "If you can, mention what we helped you with and what town you're in."

What not to do (Google's rules)

• Do not offer anything in return, like discounts, freebies, or a prize drawing.
• Do not ask only your happiest customers, or steer people away from honest reviews.
• Do not tell people what to write, and do not pressure them to review on the spot.

Reply to every review

Thank people for the good ones, and answer the tough ones calmly.  For a complaint, acknowledge it, explain what you can do, and offer to talk by phone.  Future customers read your replies closely, and a polite answer to a bad review can win more trust than a perfect score.

7.  Email that lands in the inbox

"I never got your email" usually means the problem is on the sender's side.  A few behind-the-scenes settings make a big difference:

• Use an address on your own domain, like office@yourbusiness.com, rather than a free Gmail or Yahoo address.  It looks more professional and can be properly verified.
• Keep your email address off your website in plain text.  Automated programs collect addresses from websites and fill your inbox with spam.  A protected contact form is a better choice.
• Have SPF, DKIM, and DMARC checked.  These are three short settings on your domain that prove your email really comes from you.  Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook all expect them.  This is a job I can check for you.
• Make sure your contact form sends from your domain, with the visitor's address set as the reply-to, so form messages do not quietly disappear.

For the full list of causes and free self-check tools, read Why Your Emails Land in Spam.

8.  Show up in AI answers

More people now ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, or a phone's voice assistant questions like "Who's a good mechanic in De Pere?"  These tools lean on the same signals that have always mattered online: clear information, details that match everywhere, and proof that real people trust you.

• Test it.  Once a month, ask a few AI tools the questions your customers would ask, and note whether you are named and whether your details are right.
• Match your details everywhere.  Same name, address, phone, hours, and website on your site, Google Business Profile, Bing Places for Business, Apple Business Connect, Facebook, and any directories.
• Say who, what, and where up front.  Your homepage should say who you are, what you do, and where you do it in the first two or three sentences.
• Add an FAQ.  Put the questions people ask you on the phone on your site, with short, direct answers.
• Show who is behind the business.  Your About page should name the owner or director, with years in business and memberships or awards that can be checked.

Be realistic about timing.  This kind of foundation work usually takes weeks to show movement, and no one can guarantee you will be named in every AI answer.  It also helps you on Google and with every person who visits your site.  Read more in When Someone Asks ChatGPT "Who Should I Hire?".

9.  Social media basics

Social media is a great way to show your business is open, active, and part of the community.  Think of your website as the home you own, and social media as the places you visit to invite people over.

• Make sure the business owns its Facebook Page.  The Page should be controlled by the owner's own Facebook account, not a former employee, a relative, or a marketing company.  Add a second trusted person as a backup admin so you are never locked out.
• Share access, not passwords.  If you want me or a staff member to help with your Page, add us through the Page's access settings instead of sharing your login.
• Keep details consistent.  Your name, phone, address, hours, and website link should match your website and Google Business Profile.
• Post real things, regularly.  Finished jobs, new equipment, staff milestones, community events, and holiday hours.  Steady and genuine beats frequent and forced.
• Answer messages and comments promptly.  Many customers will message you on Facebook before they ever call.
• Link back to your website.  When you share a link to your site, the preview picture comes from a setting on the website.  If the wrong image or title shows up, send me a screenshot and I will fix it.

10.  What RealWis can do for you

Real Wisconsin Website Design is a veteran-owned and woman-owned studio in Green Bay, serving Wisconsin small businesses and nonprofits since 2007.  You work directly with the person building your site, not a call center.

Services

• Website design and redesign, mobile-responsive and built with accessibility (WCAG guidelines) in mind.
• Search engine optimization (SEO), local and organic, so customers can find you on Google and in AI search.
• Domain registration, hosting, and business email, all set up and managed for you.
• Business listing services, keeping your details accurate and consistent across Google and other directories.
• eCommerce websites for selling products online.
• Video:  YouTube and video marketing, live event videography and editing, audio and video production, and ad-free video hosting on your own site.
• Web Advisor services:  long-term planning, SEO audits, accessibility audits, troubleshooting, training and coaching, design and user-experience feedback, and photography or videography for your site.  Learn more at realwis.com/web-advisor.html.

Pricing at a glance

Every project is quoted individually for your needs.  Current prices from realwis.com:

Payment terms

• Prepay based on your quote, or pay monthly (10% surcharge).
• 12-month commitment for the first year of site management.  After 12 months you may cancel or continue, and you can upgrade at any time.
• No edits after launch without a maintenance agreement.  A site management plan is what keeps your updates, like the requests in Section 4, flowing smoothly.

Recognition

Real Wisconsin Website Design has been recognized by:

• PrimeFirms (2026):  one of the top Web Design (Design & Production) companies of 2026, and recognized for Expert SEO Marketing Strategies in 2026.
• TechBehemoths Award Winner, Four Years Running (2022–2025):  Web Design, Web Development, and SEO in the United States.
• DesignRush Verified Agency (2024)
• SocialAppsHQ Best Rated Web Designers in Wisconsin (2024)
• UpCity Best of Wisconsin Award (2022)

Jim Murphy founded Real Wisconsin Website Design in 2007.  He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps from 1967 to 1973, attached to the ASA as an electronics specialist, and rose to Sergeant and Platoon Leader, including at Camp Casey, South Korea.  He holds two Honorable Discharges and is a Lifetime Member of the Disabled American Veterans in Green Bay.

11.  Contact and further reading

Questions, ideas, or a change to request?  I would love to hear from you.

Further reading on realwis.com

• The 20-Minute Google Business Profile Tune-Up
• The 5-Second Homepage Test
• Why Your Emails Land in Spam
• When Someone Asks ChatGPT "Who Should I Hire?"
• What to Let an AI Assistant Access
• Image & Video Best Practices
• Pricing

Your quick-start checklist

• ☐  Confirm you control your website, domain, Google Business Profile, Facebook Page, and email.
• ☐  Update your Google hours, holiday hours, photos, and attributes.
• ☐  Put your review link on invoices and thank-you emails.
• ☐  Run the 5-second homepage test on a phone.
• ☐  Send me clear, numbered change requests with a link, a screenshot, and the new content.

Thank you for being part of the RealWis family.  Together we will keep your business looking its best online.

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