Are you making mistakes with your small business website? Business websites exist to sell, directly or indirectly. Small businesses often lose sight of that, and make mistakes with the content, design, marketing, and technical aspects of their sites. Learn how to fix these mistakes so your site delivers business results. I gave this presentation, Website […]
Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even If You Hate Marketing and Selling by Michael Port My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is one of the best sales and marketing books for service professionals that I've read. It walks you through how […]
Here's the latest round of my favorite WordPress podcasts, listed in order of preference. I prefer those that contain actionable advice over those that are mostly news. These days, I personally focus more on strategy, business development, and project management than development or design (which my teammates handle), and my taste in podcasts reflects that. […]
Business owners and other business people, your website should be the center, or hub, of your web presence. It's the only way to maintain control of your professional image, content, and design. You forfeit control when you use third-party platforms (such as social media or blogging sites) as the center. Of course, you should use […]
How do you come up with content for your website? Whether you're creating a new website or revising your current one, the content (text, images, video, etc.) is the most important part. People visit your website for the content, not for the design or functionality. In working with our clients, we've found that this process works […]
I gave this presentation, Website Mistakes Small Businesses Make, and How to Fix Them, at WordCamp Grand Rapids 2014. I’ve seen many small businesses make website mistakes that hurt their results. My presentation was about how to fix these mistakes so your site delivers business results. Below are the video, slides, and detailed notes. Not optimizing to sell How […]
Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits, and Crush Your Competition by David Newman My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is an actionable, motivating guide to small business marketing. It instantly became one of my favorite marketing books. I agree with Newman’s approach; it fits the way I like to […]
Sliders (AKA carousels or rotators) have become incredibly popular on WordPress websites, and websites in general. Sliders commonly display images, but can also display text and video. They are frequently used on home pages, but can appear on any page. More often than not, clients ask us to put them on their sites. The problem […]
These are the best WordPress podcasts I've found. They have content for WordPress site owners, designers, and developers. My favorites are those that are focused on education rather than news. I listed them in order of preference. If you like these, you should read my other posts about podcasts. I’m always looking for more, so please […]
"What website mistakes do small businesses make?" 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. Here's an expanded version of the answer I gave. The items (in no particular order) are as follows: Not optimized for sales Business websites exist to […]
"What does a small business website need?" 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. Here's an expanded version of the answer I gave. The items (in no particular order) are as follows: Effective content (text, images, video) Too […]
These are the best WordPress podcasts I've found. They have content for WordPress users (individuals or small businesses), designers, and developers. I prefer those that offer tips, recommendations, and tutorials over those that simply cover WordPress news. I listed them in order of preference. If you like these, you should read my other posts about […]
