About Hot Lizard Designs
Kati McKeon
Founder & Principal Consultant
Hot Lizard Designs is a Squarespace website design company based in Perth, Australia.
Established in 2014, we have delivered over 400 customised Squarespace websites to clients worldwide. We take on projects ranging from those wanting a more professional online presence, to larger companies wanting to rebrand or add e-commerce functionality.
Kati established Hot Lizard Designs in response to seeing businesses getting expensive websites that were poorly designed and didn't meet company objectives. One of the core principles of HLD is that the business owner has complete control over their own website - no cloak and dagger tactics, no expensive monthly maintenance fees, and the ability to easily update their own website at any time.
Kati has a background in business management, languages, online learning & marketing - not the usual background for a web designer, but these added skillsets allow Kati to quickly identify what is needed and how to communicate that online effectively.
In 2018 Kati was awarded Expert Status by Squarespace, and a year later was invited to join the exclusive Squarespace Marketplace as a Top Level Designer. To achieve Top Level status, designers must have a professional network of happy repeat clients, an impressive portfolio and glowing feedback from the people they work with.
In response to the early days of the pandemic, Kati co-founded the Business Swap Shop and designed an online platform that allowed small businesses to exchange products and services without using the medium of money. With over 80 small businesses from Western Australia joining over the first three months, it was an incredible response during the uncertainty of the first WA lockdown in 2020. The project wrapped up in 2022 as businesses pivoted, diversifed and adapted as they navigated a changing business landscape – a real testament to the resilience of small business owners.
In 2021 Kati was awarded Digital Pioneer Finalist at the City of Stirling Business Awards, and Best Business Owner-Operator Runner Up at the City of Wanneroo Business Awards. In 2022, Kati was also recognized by the CEO of Upwork for another year as a top-rated freelancer – something that less than 10% of freelancers on the platform achieve.
Kati has been a Board Member of the Wanneroo Business Association Board and held the position of Chair of the Marketing sub-committee, sharing her expertise and experience, and offering advice, guidance and general support to local business members, especially in the area of digital marketing.
Qualifications
MBA (Merit)
University of Liverpool, UK
BA (Hons) European Business Management with Languages
University of Abertay, Dundee, UK
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
SAVE Training, NSW, Australia
Awards
Best Business Owner-Operator - Runner Up
City of Wanneroo Business Awards 2021
Digital Pioneer - Finalist
City of Stirling Business Awards 2021
Publications
Attitudes and behaviours of small business owners towards website adoption
ResearchGate (4,700+ reads)
Six tips for thriving in a one-person business
www.smallbusiness.co.uk
Understanding what customers really want
ResearchGate (1,200+ reads)
Achieving performance targets and reducing staff turnover in a not-for-profit organisation
ResearchGate (700+ reads)
Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Management Studies