We're all swimming in email, so we owe it to our fellow emailers to be the least annoying we can. Here are several annoying email practices to stop, to improve your email etiquette. Writing a bad subject line The worst subject line is no subject line. Take a few seconds to write a meaningful one. Summarize the message, so […]
When you add a website to Google Search Console (GSC) (formerly Google Webmaster Tools, GWT), you get an email with subject "Improve the search presence of [URL]", where URL is the URL of the site you just added. I included a screenshot of the email below. This email includes 6 steps to setting up your site in […]
Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide by John Jantsch My rating: 5 of 5 stars This guide is bursting with small business marketing strategy and tactics. It’s well-written and practical, based on extensive firsthand experience. The system advocates an expanded version of the marketing funnel, content marketing, digital marketing, and […]
Learn the dangers of letting your web designer own your domain and web hosting, and what to do instead.
Businesses often make incorrect assumptions about their websites that hurt their online success, and in turn, hurt their business. I'm reading the book Duct Tape Marketing (an excellent marketing guide for small businesses), and it has a list of common assumptions that I recognize from my conversations with businesses. Let's look at these assumptions and why they're […]
I love podcasts about the business of web design. They're a great way to keep up on the aspects of running a web design agency: marketing, sales, pricing, proposals, contracts, project management, productivity, client relations, and more. Here's the latest round of my favorite web design business podcasts, listed in order of preference. If you like these, […]
Are your eyes are bigger than your website budget? By that I mean, is your dream or vision for your website beyond what you can currently afford? I've talked to many businesses about their website desires, and have seen that their eyes are often bigger than their website budgets. What's a business to do? Here are a few options, […]
I love WordPress podcasts. They're such a great way to keep up on the aspects of WordPress I care about: strategy, business development, project management, SEO, and conversion optimization. My teammates handle development and design, so I tend to avoid podcasts that are heavily about those topics. Here's the latest round of my favorite WordPress podcasts, listed […]
"How should a small business choose a web design company?" This was one of the many questions asked at the Small Business Tech Panel at the Warehaüs, a coworking space in Holland, Michigan in March 2014 (yes, I'm posting this over a year later). Here's an expanded version of the answer I gave. These are the attributes to consider […]
Is WordPress the right choice for your business website? In most cases, yes! (Without knowing your business, I can't say for sure). Let's look at the reasons why. WordPress is the world's most popular content management system. WordPress sites currently make up over 23% of the web, and over 60% of CMS sites! Its popularity brings many of its […]
One of the most common questions about WordPress is, "is it secure?" Many get the impression that it's not, mostly from reading scare-tactic headlines. Let's look at the facts, and answer the question, "is WordPress secure?" Perception WordPress attracts more hacking attempts than other platforms because of its popularity. It powers about 23% of all websites, and […]
Google wants your website to be mobile-friendly. How do I know? They've been making a big deal about it, especially over the last year. Evidence: PageSpeed Insights has a Mobile tab which reports on Speed and User Experience Google Webmaster Tools has a Mobile Usability Report Google labels search results as "mobile-friendly" when you search from a mobile […]
