Overview
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Hi there, great to meet you here. I’m Honlee, a WordPress Web Designer & Developer, Authorpreneur, Entrepreneur & Digital Nomad, and I have over 13 years of experience as a professional web designer and consistent 5 star ratings and testimonials.
Lover of good food, good books & good people; Avid reader, learner, and bookaholic; Obsessed with books, web design, and everything WordPress; I'm passionate about my work, I love what I do, and I look forward to hearing from you and collaborating with you.
I am delighted and fortunate that I can combine my passions (books + web design), under one roof, as a freelancer with Reedsy for aspiring and published authors and welcome the opportunity to help you build your brand and author's platform, gain instant credibility with a professionally designed web site, gain more readers and fans, sell more books, and more.
Because I’m currently writing my first book, this gives me insight, know-how, and understanding with the writing process, the challenges you are going through, and what an author's web site requires to be effective, profitable, and successful.
MY DESIGN STYLE
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Minimalist, Clean, Elegant, Effective, User-Friendly, Less is More Web Design. To quote Leonardo DaVinci - “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
With the popularity of cell phones and mobile devices, and visitors who are short on time and with short attention spans, I believe that “LESS IS MORE” and "K-I-S-S" (Keep it Simple Sweetheart) web design is more effective and user-friendly.
Minimalist, Elegant, Attractive, Less is More web design will help to gain and keep your visitors' attention and retention for a longer time, increasing the chances of converting your visitors into new subscribers, followers and fans of your books, especially compared to cluttered or overly complicated websites.
WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU
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- Web Design + Web Development
- Responsive WordPress Web Design (that looks great on all devices)
- Web site facelifts & re-design
- Branding & Identity
- WordMark Logo with the author’s name
- Custom Graphics
- Book Cover Designs
- 3D graphics, including 3D (3-dimensional) book covers
- SEO – search engine optimization
- Business Consulting & Expert Guidance
- Brainstorming & Masterminding Ideas (2 heads are better than 1)
- Landing Pages
- eCommerce w/ shopping cart
- Header Image Sliders & Image Galleries
- Hosting & domain name set-up
- WordPress install & set-up
- Email accounts set-up
- Blogs
- Web site maintenance
- Social Media Consulting & Marketing
- Social media icons and links
- Book Reviews & Testimonials
- Buy Now Buttons & Links
- Business card designs
- Event & Media Pages
- Appointment/Scheduling/Calendar
- Instagram & Facebook Cover Designs
- Newsletter set-up & email marketing (build up your mailing list)
- Online Courses
- and more ...
ESTABLISH YOUR BRAND FROM THE BEGINNING
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Start building your author's platform the right way by establishing your brand from the beginning with a professionally designed web site, bespoke, and custom made just for you.
We will begin with a "Discovery" questionnaire that will help me know what you want, so that I can then deliver what you want, and together we can get you started on the right foot and with a strong foundation.
GET IN TOUCH
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Writing a book is not an easy feat and I have so much respect and admiration for you and your accomplishments. You are one of the very few who has actually pulled off getting your books written (and not just dreaming or talking about it like the majority)!
It will be an honor to know more about you, your goals, your book(s), your thoughts and feelings, what you would like on your dream website, what your biggest web site challenges are, what your "MWR" (most wanted responses) are for your web site, and anything else that will help me to deliver exactly what you want and more.
Although I have a special interest in the non-fiction genre, whatever your genre is, let’s connect and find out if we make for a mutually good fit. I look forward to hearing from you, getting to know you, connecting with you, and hopefully working with you. Don't procrastinate or dilly dally. Contact me today. ツ
Services
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Works with
Certifications
- Pepperdine University, Malibu, California, 2 years, Coursework in Graphic Design, Advertising, Photojournalism, https://www.pepperdine.edu/
- Otis College of Art & Design, Los Angeles, California, Coursework in Drawing & Painting, https://www.otis.edu/
- University of Hawaii, Hilo, Hawaii, 4 years, BA in English, https://www.hawaii.edu
- Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, Hawaii, Coursework in Computer Science, https://www.hpu.edu/
- Hawaii Preparatory Academy, Kamuela, Hawaii, 4 years (private boarding high school, college prep), https://www.hpa.edu/
- Template Monster HTML/CSS Certificate
- Template Monster WordPress Certificate
Work experience
Self-employed
Over 13 years experience. I'm a bookaholic web designer who enjoys and excels at helping authors like you start and grow your business, sell more books, and build your platform and brand. I design user-friendly, mobile responsive, elegant and effective websites that actually work and convert, increasing your profits, improving your image and brand, giving you instant credibility, and fast tracking your authorpreneurial success. My author web sites will give you a running start, be built on a strong foundation, and be one of the best investments you'll ever make for your business.
Projects
Delores Crum - delorescrum.com
Simple Strategies for Successful Living - A “How To” Guide for Getting the Life You’ve Imagined
*** The work I provided includes custom web design and development + branding and identity services + graphic design + custom 3D (3-Dimensional) book covers and fun 3D (3-Dimensional) graphics + expert guidance and business consulting ***
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
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HONLEE IS WORTH HER WEIGHT IN GOLD
Honlee is worth her weight in Gold – and that’s the package I’d advise any author to purchase. The site she created for me is stunning, and I know it will enhance the success of my writing career. The price is reasonable and appropriate for the time, effort and expertise Honlee brings to the table and her Gold package offers authors the best start and foundation.
I hired Honlee Zen to design my Author’s Website, and couldn’t be happier with the result. I can’t say enough about Honlee’s talents, professionalism and commitment to the collaborative process. I found her easy to work with and timely in her responses. She was helpful and supportive at every step of the way, making great suggestions and providing insightful recommendations.
I appreciate all that she did, over and above, to make the site amazing . . . This has been so much fun! Contact and hire Honlee today, you will be glad that you did.
~ Delores Crum, author of Simple Strategies for Successful Living - A “How To” Guide for Getting the Life You’ve Imagined
Sean Salamander - seansalamander.com
The Hidden Teachings: Spiritual Engineering and How to Connect Directly to the Universe
*** The work I provided includes custom web design and development + branding and identity services + business card designs + graphic design + custom 3D (3-Dimensional) book covers and fun 3D (3-Dimensional) graphics + expert guidance and business consulting ***
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
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THE VALUE OF HONLEE'S WORK IS EXCEPTIONAL ... SHE IS WORTH EVERY PENNY
I would highly recommend and endorse Honlee! She was everything I could ask for in a website designer—but she was so much more. Other website designers might make grand promises, only to get in and get out quickly, leaving you with a product that will leave you dissatisfied. Not Honlee. She truly cares about the quality and functionality of the site, and about her client’s experience. Her motto for her sites is “Made with love!” I can absolutely confirm that is what I experienced with Honlee. She was friendly, responsive, accountable, and fun to work with! Hire Honlee! You will not be disappointed.
As this was my first author website, Honlee was more than willing to offer valuable advice and counsel along the way to creating a beautiful and functional website. Her attention to detail showed up in both the design of the site, and in her frequent and detailed communications with me on the progress of the design. For example, in her communications, it was always clear what phase of the project we were in, and what was on my “to do” list, and what was on hers. In a sense, Honlee serves as an overall project manager for the complete project, ensuring that we were effectively collaborating along the way.
Additionally, Honlee over-delivered on every aspect of our collaboration. When she gives you a date, you can count on it—and likely days earlier. Her drive for perfection led to a wonderful website which I truly love! Honlee offers a premium design service and experience—and she is worth every penny. Her Gold Package is highly recommended, and the Platinum Package is that much better. You may be able to find someone who will promise to do a site for less, but you will not get what you’re looking for. The value of Honlee’s work is exceptional. Hire Honlee! You will be so glad that you did!
~ Sean Salamander, author of The Hidden Teachings: Spiritual Engineering and How to Connect Directly to the Universe
Dr. John Kruse - drjohnkruse.com
Recognizing Adult ADHD: What Donald Trump Can Teach Us About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
*** The work I provided includes custom web design and development + branding and identity services + business card designs + graphic design + book cover designs + custom 3D (3-Dimensional) book covers and fun 3D (3-Dimensional) graphics + expert guidance and business consulting ***
*** Make sure to click on the images in my PROJECTS section to get a more accurate and fuller view of each image ***
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
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IT HAS BEEN A JOY TO WORK WITH HONLEE
It has been a joy to work with Honlee on my website and book cover. She has been prompt, clear, responsive, informative, enthusiastic and encouraging in all of her communications, and the SITE LOOKS GREAT! I can recommend her highly to anyone looking to set up a website for their business or for a book cover design. She produced work quickly and was able to work around the contributions that I was slow to complete.
As a new author, when I went on Reedsy to find a website designer, Honlee’s pages jumped out at me - her clean, colorful and powerful designs captured both the passion and the individuality of each of these businesses and that helped convey their authenticity.
From the moment I contacted her she was fast, efficient, precise, informative, professional and friendly in her communication. As a novice, she talked me through the process of building a website and created one that I am delighted with. I have gotten much praise for her efforts on the website!
In addition to having a wealth of ideas about how to make my site attractive and informative, she was completely receptive to any input I had regarding the content and design. I liked the website so much that I was happy she was available to work on the book cover as well.
The whole process went so much more smoothly and quickly than I had imagined, in part because Honlee was so encouraging and enthusiastic at every step. I can heartily recommend her services for website and book cover design.
~ John Kruse, MD, PhD, author of Recognizing Adult ADHD: What Donald Trump Can Teach Us About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Erin & Philip
One Truth, One Law: I Am, I Create
*** The work I provided includes custom web design and development + branding and identity services + graphic design + custom 3D (3-Dimensional) book covers and fun 3D (3-Dimensional) graphics + Book Quote Graphics + expert guidance and business consulting ***
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
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HONLEE DID AN AMAZING JOB
Honlee did an amazing job creating a gorgeous website. She was incredibly prepared, and broke down everything I needed to do so it was manageable for me. She made what could have been a difficult process very easy. She worked quickly and was very quick to respond to my emails. I highly recommend her!
Ryan Leigh Dostie - ryanleighdostie.com
Formation - A Woman's Memoir of Stepping Out of Line
*** The work I provided includes custom web design and development + branding and identity services + graphic design + custom 3D (3-Dimensional) book covers and fun 3D (3-Dimensional) graphics + Instagram graphics + expert guidance and business consulting ***
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
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HONLEE MADE ME FEEL LIKE MY PROJECT WAS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO HER
I have found the best website designer and I have no intentions of giving her up. I would wholeheartedly recommend Honlee to anyone—not just for authors. You would be lucky to have her on your side. Her design abilities and technical knowledge clearly puts her at the top of the list amongst her peers and she is a serious, professional, diligent, and dedicated web designer.
Honlee is really excellent at what she does! Everything looks fantastic and I’m so happy with the website and all that she has given me. I keep telling everyone I know how fantastic she is. I fortunately could not have found a better web designer and match for my book than Honlee Zen. I came to Reedsy as a debut author with little (let’s be honest, no) technical knowledge when it comes to websites.
My publishing company asked me to set up an author website and I was immediately at a loss. I stumbled around Google a bit, fell into Reedsy, and was instantly taken by Honlee Zen’s profile. She promised work that was clean, elegant, effective and communications that is responsive, clear, and concise, which was exactly what I was looking for.
What really caught my attention was her clear understanding of how users view websites, and how to ensure that the site would load quickly, efficiently, all while still being eye-catching and unique. And that's exactly what I got from Honlee—a beautiful, unique website that is clean, uncluttered, elegant, and attractive to users. It loads quickly, even on mobile devices, and looks perfect on either desktop or phone. It’s easy to navigate but also artistic: Honlee has an obvious talent for color, spacing, and how to make a book cover (even one as simple as mine) translate gracefully onto the screen.
Honlee made me feel like my project was of utmost importance to her. I felt like she instantly connected with my content and she was always working on ways to make the website better, stronger, coming up with ideas on how to better attract users and viewers. She constantly was going above and beyond the call of duty, providing me with graphics I could post on social media sites, for example, or trying different versions of pictures to find what best suited a page.
Honlee is not only a web designer, but also a graphic designer, so she came up with several custom graphics for me, including very cool looking 3D (3-dimensional images) for my book cover, stunning business cards, and Instagram images of book reviews, so that I could post the quotes to eye-catching backgrounds. You don’t get that kind of skill and treatment with all web designers, so it was a huge bonus to me. I love my new business cards and the Instagram graphics she made for me are getting a ton of likes.
Honlee obviously takes great pride in her work and wants only the finest end result. I feel like Honlee very much understands that each website bears her mark, this is her art, and like any artist, she is only satisfied when the website is at its best. I appreciate that kind of work ethic as well as artistic passion.
When working with Honlee, one of the other things I really enjoyed about her (besides her warm, friendly, inviting manner) was her patience. As someone who doesn’t know much about web design, Honlee guided me through my side of the collaboration with in-detail and easy to follow instructions. Every step was carefully laid out for me so that I was never overwhelmed and if I did have a question, she was quick to answer, and always did so kindly. If I had a suggestion, she listened and tried it out. Sometimes my suggestions worked, sometimes they didn’t, but she listened to me, which I think is vital when it comes to collaboration.
Overall, for something that initially terrified me, I found the experience went smoothly and with a fantastic final product. I was never frustrated or at a loss. As my career continues, I hope to continue to work with Honlee as the website expands to add more work. I look forward to her vision on my next books and how to continue to help my website evolve with my career.
Honlee is a quintessential web designer. Look no further. Contact her today and get started on your author’s website project. You will love your website and enjoy working with her.
~ Ryan Leigh Dostie, author of Formation - A Woman's Memoir of Stepping Out of Line
Meryl Best Lowell - merylbestlowell.com
The Dolphin's Secret - A Meditational Journey - Features Meri, a mermaid, and her friend Aloha, a dolphin.
Meri, a beautiful mermaid, and her friend Aloha, a dolphin, introduce children to experiencing feelings of peace and calm in this story written for children ages 4-8 who enjoy story time. Perfect for bedtime, naptime, or maybe time out!
*** The work I provided includes custom web design and development + branding and identity services + custom 3D book covers and graphics + graphic design + expert guidance and business consulting ***
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
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THRILLED WITH MY NEW WEBSITE
I am so grateful that the Universe brought Honlee & I together to collaborate on my website. I am thrilled with my new website and I am grateful that we were able to collaborate on this project and receive so much expertise. Honlee went above and beyond in all aspects of the project and exceeded my expectations. She is so much more than a web designer & a web developer.
Honlee is very dedicated and genuine and takes pride in her work. She truly cares about her clients and will help you in any way she can. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for web design services, I can promise you will be in the best hands.
I am a new author and needed a website designed and developed. I submitted a description of my project for bids on Reedsy and received a number of proposals back. As soon as I read Honlee’s letter which accompanied her proposal, I knew that she would be perfect for the job and that I wanted to work with her.
I wanted my daughter to help me with marketing my book and Honlee graciously allowed my daughter to have input in the process, communicating with her as well as me. Honlee helped us define what we wanted our website to accomplish and helped us bring our “brand” to life by creating a website that captures the spirit of the book.
I am not technically savvy and Honlee was extremely helpful in guiding us throughout the project and educating us on different choices we had, as well as offering great monetization ideas beyond just selling my book.
She was great at communicating throughout the project, very prompt, responsive and thorough in her communications, friendly and professional, and we finished my web site on time. She is very organized and attached a “latest updates” document every few days with new updates, changes, and answers to any questions I asked, which also helped to keep us on track and on schedule.
I cannot say enough positive things about our experience working with Honlee. I highly recommend that you hire her for your web site project. You will find that working with her will be one of the best investments you will ever make for your books and web site. Her website skills and expertise will help you reach your website goals and increase your book sales.
Mahalo and Aloha from the bottom of my heart,
Meryl Best Lowell, author of The Dolphin's Secret - A Meditational Journey
*** Make sure to click on the images in my PROJECTS section to get a more accurate and fuller view of each image ***
Software Testing Trainer - softwaretestingtrainer.com
Software Testing Fundamentals: Basic Training for New Software Testers.
*** I designed and developed the web site, logo, and online training course + branding and identity + graphic design services + SEO (search engine optimization) + expert guidance and business consulting services ***
Tony is a client with 40+ years experience as a QA tester, and with a passion for teaching, he wants to be able to provide QA students with the basic skills needed to begin their careers as professional software testers, and so we worked together in creating his web site and an online training course.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
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BEST OF THE BEST
I have worked with a lot of people over the years. I have memories of most of them (some good and some bad), and I have to say that my memories of working with Honlee will fall into the good category. Actually, scratch that, I’m creating a new category: best of the best. So far (and it makes me sad to say this), she’s alone in that group.
Honlee and I have worked together for going on 6 years now. In that time, she has consistently proven herself to be reliable and trustworthy, getting the job done quickly & in a timely manner, in addition to providing clear, prompt and responsive communications.
As a designer, she continually amazes me with her design skills. The quality of her work is exemplary. The sites are elegantly designed, while also being user friendly and easy to navigate.
I have seen web sites done by others that may be pleasing to the eye and beautifully designed purely from a visual perspective, but left me scratching my head as to the purpose of the site and how to get from point A to point B.
Somehow, through some process that I’ll never understand, Honlee combines beautiful design with intuitive and easy-to-use functionality.
If you want a site that you will be proud to share with the world - and function as on online front-door to a more successful, profitable business, call Honlee.
~ Tony Vizza, Software Testing Trainer
Feng Shui for Entrepreneurs
*** I designed the book cover (front and back) + created the 3D (3-dimensional) book images ***
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
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HER WORK is a-MAZING!!!
I highly recommend Honlee for any project where there's a fit - the outcome will generate results on multiple levels. Even more, you will enjoy the process of working with a true professional and a personable, wonderful, caring person who is expert in her craft. It's an honor for me to recommend her. :+)
Honlee’s personality and professional knowledge around design were immediately evident. One of the things I most appreciate about Honlee is she follows inspiration, which is (no doubt) part of her personal success formula. Any design project she decides to take on will certainly benefit from her talent. She has a great eye and knows what will work in the marketplace to build a brand. Her commitment to service and professionalism is unparalleled - no doubt that translates into any project she takes on.
Honlee has helped me refresh a couple of my existing book covers and they have become #1 bestsellers! A book cover has to attract attention – even when it’s as small as a postage stamp. It is the beginning of the relationship with the reader. The book cover is what generates sales as the first most important aspect of a book.
By upgrading my book covers, I saw a difference in sales. And each book sold meant a potential new client. As a result of my new book covers, my business has grown. I am grateful for Honlee’s support.
~ Lynn Scheurell, Facilitating Entrepreneurial Insight
Fragrant Green Tea - fragrantgreentea.com
Tea you can drink all day - Long lasting, aromatic, delicious
*** I designed and developed the web site + branding and identity + logo + eCommerce / WooCommerce for online ordering + graphic design work + business consulting***
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
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ONE OF THE BEST INVESTMENTS WE'VE EVER MADE
Many of our international tea clients ask us if they can buy our tea products online and we can finally do that with our new web site.
I am so excited and happy we can finally sell our tea online and to customers who live in other countries.
Investing in a mobile friendly, responsive web site, is one of the best investments we’ve ever made for our business. Thank you Honlee for your hard work, your guidance, designing a web site that I love and I'm proud of, and for exceeding my expectations.
- Steven Wu
Soul Soothes - soulsoothes.com
Holistic and Sports Massage Therapy - Heart, Body, Mind, and Soul Relaxation
*** I designed and developed the web site + business and identity + Wordmark Logo + online booking integration + graphic design ***
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
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ALREADY TRIPLED MY CLIENTELE
Working with Honlee is one of the best experiences I've had in the business world and the best investment I've made for my business. She listens carefully to what I want, she asks great questions that help me gain more clarity, she makes great suggestions and is super focused and responsive.
Plus, she works quickly and completed my web site within 2 weeks, which was 3 times faster than we had originally estimated. Now I have a web site that I am proud of and it has already tripled my clientele. I love my new web site and my clients love it, too.
- Melissa and Sam, Soul Soothes
Honlee has 13 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
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