You feel excited, animated, full of energy and enthusiasm. You have a big idea, and if you were able to execute it you would be giving the world a something new, a different way of seeing or doing something that would make a material difference to the health, wealth and happiness of people.
You have the vision. You have the skills. But your idea is bigger than you. You need the support and input of others. A multi-disciplinary dream team.
Exciting – but it feels a bit out of reach. You put your idea on the back burner. Everywhere you look you see signs that your idea is needed. It’s relevant. It’s good. It’s trail blazing.
Here’s what you need to know to experience true creative freedom in developing your strategy, communications, products, and that spark of an idea that lights you up:
The three secrets.
They’re secrets that every artist knows and yet the power of them and the true value they offer has been truly underestimated.
These secrets give us freedom to be open – open to possibilities, opportunities and ideas. To bravely connect the dots that others can’t see. I want to share these secrets with you.
3 Secrets That Will Unlock Your Creativity and Your Big Idea
Secret 1. There are Multiple Possibilities
When you start a new project it’s normal not to knowexactly how you’re going to do it. Allow yourself to explore multiple possibilities.
How many different possibilities can you expect to find?
You may be surprised by the answer!
In the early 00s my art teacher asked me to prepare a piece of paper with 100 identical boxes 2cm by 2cm. Having chosen an object to draw I was then asked to draw it 100 times, varying the angle, style, and composition in every box.
Lesson Learned: Unless you remain open to discover alternative ways of seeing and doing something, you won’t unlock the potential of your subject or your creativity.
Art practice allows us to explore, discover and present an alternative to the accepted method of seeing, thinking, or doing something.
Let go of the expectation that you will know which idea is the best idea before you’ve tried it.
Can you imagine how liberating it would be in the business world if we remembered to acknowledge in the beginning; at the start of any project: all ideas must be put on the table and take their place as an integral and provocative component of the development process?
2. Trust The Development Process: Try Things, The Answer Will Come.
Your first idea is never the best idea
Once you have committed your first idea to paper you may develop a resistance to exploring alternatives. This is grounded in a fear of judgement – a fear that your first idea is not good enough. That your abilities are being called into question.
Ideas that get discarded during the development process are not a waste of time, and not “bad” ideas – they are an indispensable ingredient; they are the fertile ground from which your project can grow.
We Learn Through Play – Your Confidence Will Grow During The Development Process
Remember egg box carton robots? Cereal box cars? Unrecognisable blob paintings? Wibbly wobbly, colourful creations that belonged to a world of coloured pens, scissors and glue?
With praise and encouragement, children learn to experiment.
The purpose of their creative play is not the outcome but the skills practiced during the process and the confidence and experienced gained.
We forget that, as adults, don’t we?
But it is possible to play and free our creativity.
An artist believes that through working with tools you will find the answers. – Kip Jones
3. Remember There is No Right & Wrong, Just Different Perspectives.
Have you ever seen a group of people draw the same thing at the same time?
A life drawing class has reminded me that no two people will create the same drawing. Each one will have a markedly different style informed not only by their choice of materials and position in the room – but also the artists personal eye, hand, and style of mark making.
It is possible for everyone to faithfully represent what they see – but produce something completely different.
Tip: Don’t allow yourself to become paralysed by the idea there is only one right way of doing something.
Your unique-ness affords you the ability to come up with unique solutions. You don’t need to try hard to be different – you just need to give yourself permission to trust your ideas.
Entrepreneurship is self determination – Lisa Little Chief PhD
This Article is by Maija Liepins, Director at Pixink
Maija’s creative and technical knowledge can give clarity and direction to any project. Her passion and enthusiasm for supporting entrepreneurs who want to make a difference in the world will give you the boost you need to tackle your big idea and give it life in the world.
Pixink can help you (and your organisation) give your audience an experience that communicates the essence of who you are.
If you are looking to use online media to strengthen the relationship you have with supporters, partners, and/or clients, why not connect with us today?
Free software allows people to build their own online world. When should (or shouldn’t) you snap up these free tools?
Business owner? Then you need no convincing. A website gives your business credibility. And you know you’re expected to have one. But the increased use of free websites and their availability has changed the way people think about websites.
Before, a website was complicated. Now, a website is easy. (ish)
So why would you pay Pixink or any other design company to create your website for you?
Free websites are for business owners who are learning
If you want to get online fast, a free website service allows you to set up a website without being an expert. It’s relatively impersonal – the company provides the software and lets you get on with it. But you’re happy, because you’re online at last, you’re in the drivings seat, and you can update the site easily.
Everyone starts off a beginner and while they are there, they experience an invaluable learning curve in order to gain experience, perspective, and confidence. You learn from your mistakes – and lets face it, that’s the best way to truly understand something.
If you’ve got more time than money to invest, a free website service offers an affordable learning experience and the satisfaction of a pop-up-website.
The new face of online advertising
Internet users expect their internet services to be accessible. Software developers have provided the tools that allow people to build their own online world. Free websites. Free email systems. Free social media. The new face of online advertising is free and strictly amateur.
And nothing is more accessible than a website you can create without any previous experience.
But if you want to increase your sales and grow your business, how long is it going to be before doing your own online advertising starts to feel like a BAD idea?
Overwhelm. That’s when you’re ready to go Pro!
There comes a time for every website owner when they realise…
There’s more to a website than the the software or technical know-how that got it published. Website design is a process. – Tweet This
The bit that is really worth paying for is:
The Development of ideas from a tiny seed to a purpose-built website
The Relationship you build and grow
The Expert guidance that gets the best results for the time and budget available
Focus and clarity in a confusing and noisy world.wide.web
When you know how much more needs to be done to make online marketing work for you, you might experience overwhelm; you might feel out of your depth.
But the moment you experience overwhelm is also the moment you know exactly what needs to be done.
You don’t know how you’re going to do it, but you know what you need to do.
And you know what questions to ask!
Ask the experts: send your website questions in to learning@pixink.net and we will choose some to answer on the blog. (All emails will get a reply).
Are you planning or revising a website? There are five easy ways to enhance your website using creative design – but they often get overlooked. Before you get stuck in, consider the following questions:
1. Does your website have the same look and feel as your competitors? Develop a brand that uses different colours and messages to others in your industry. Draw on colour theory to inform your decision. Remember you will need to do some research before you begin if you want to create a distinctive website that stands out from the crowd.
2. Have you written your website content? Don’t miss the opportunity to inform your website design with carefully crafted content. Text and imagery need to work together to convey meaning and your core message, and text can be a powerful design element too. For best effect you will need to prepare your website content and give it to your designer before they make a start.
3. Have you explored your image options?There are many ways to invest in powerful imagery to enhance your design. Consider allocating a budget for sourcing or creating the best imagery for your website. Options include:
Professional photograpy
Buying relevant stock imagery
Creating unique banners and photoshop art from supplied imagery
Consider illustrations and graphics
Film and video
Bespoke buttons, patterns, and other detailing
Your designer will be able to work with you to find a creative solution. Remember to define your objective to ensure your use of images is purposeful.
4. Does your call to action get lost or does it leap off the page? Invest in strong page design to create the right impact and get the results you want. For this to work you need a clear objective in mind before you start.
5. Did you colour code your links? Your link colour is a “call to action” – by being consistent you can train your visitors to expect a certain response from your website. If you are inconsistent, visitors may find navigation confusing. Remember, good design should enhance navigation and usability. Choose a link colour and use it for links only. Avoid using your link colour for headings and other highlighting.
Bringing it all together…
(Planning and Implementation)
Remember to collaborate with industry professionals and consider them part of your team. When done properly building a website will draw on a variety of different disciplines from visual creativity – to strategic marketing – to technical expertise. Make a conscious effort to assemble your team and the information you need to make a start. Considering working with Pixink? For best effect, we recommend you draw on our knowledge and experience from the beginning when you’re throwing ideas around, learning what’s possible, and creating a website plan. This Article is by Maija Liepins, Director at
Pixink Maija loves to provide the creative and technical expertise to make your vision a reality. We can promote your project online and provide ongoing website support/development. Our website design, hosting, and website support packages can be customised to suit your requirements. Visit
us at www.pixink.net or follow us on LinkedIn
Greedy corporations taught us adverts can lie and deceive. We learned to teach our children to “read” media; to employ critical thinking against an onslaught of consumerist messages. They taught us that companies don’t care about people, they only care about money.
But that’s not true of all companies; that doesn’t apply to YOUR business, right? Learning about marketing does not mean you’re going over to the dark side. Here’s why:
Secret 1. Marketing is effective communication
As a creative person, communication is not a problem – somehow, somewhere in your life, you have an outlet for expressing yourself. A language you love using to interact with the world. It might be words, it might be painting, it might be dance. Your business needs an outlet too.
Somehow, at some point, your business needs to communicate in a voice people recognise via a relevant communication method. But getting your message across is not always easy. It will help if you stop thinking about marketing as a con or a trick. Marketing is all about finding that distinct voice and communicating it effectively.
The art of communication. Now that’s something worth exploring right? I don’t know about you, but I love finding ways to communicate in a meaningful way.
Secret 2. Relationships matter
Are you one of those people (and I’ve met a lot of them) who say “I am not a business person” even though you own a business? Or “I care about people, not about money?” Well, if you are, you’ll like secret number two: In marketing, relationships matter. You already know that no one wants to be talked AT, they want to have a conversation. And think about the nature of relationships a moment: When you have a relationship with someone they:
know who you are and
where to find you when they need
you.
If you use your business communications to cultivate relationships with customers then they will seek you out when they are ready to buy. No hard-sell required! So when you plan your business communications, focus your plan on how you are going to build a relationship with people. Introduce yourself, stay relevant, and give them a memorable experience of who you are as a company. Start a conversation.
Do you own a website? Then this is very relevant. You need to focus on how you are going to start a relationship with your website visitors. What action will they take to show their interest? It’s important to choose something that works for both you and your website visitor; the thing that advances the relationship to the next phase, turning your visitor from a ‘passer by’ to an ‘engaged user’.
Secret 3. Know where your heart is
Have I convinced you that marketing is not, in essence, evil? If marketing is a system for effective communication it’s the message, methods and intention behind your marketing that informs whether or not your campaign has integrity and transparency. You’re the driving force behind what your business communicates with the world and if you take ownership of your business communications you will quickly start to wonder:
How do I want my business to communicate? This is something that cannot be delegated to a team member or consultant. The direction of your business, the nature of your brand and reputation – and whether or not you continue to love it – depends on it.
The good news is that you have all the answers already. It’s just a case of teasing them out, exploring what your motivations and intentions are; researching how your business compares with others in your industry; and celebrating your strengths.
Find what matters. Don’t worry about how it’s relevant, or what you’re going to do with it, or what ideas you have in the process (it’s almighty distracting believe me, I have been distracted for about a year!) All that matters is why you want to do what you do.
Secret 4. Who can say it best?
It’s considered an art, writing words that can communicate with and engage an audience; sometimes you need a specialist writer who works in the industry or field you are selling in. Or you can read lots articles, promotions and magazines produced within an industry to pick-up the keywords and tone the customers you’re targeting are used to reading.
My personal language is in art and design so I find business to business communications difficult, while terms and abbreviations used by those in the graphic design and web business come easy. Marketing uses a different process for selecting and refining ideas. Ideas, I have lots of them. Crafting them into a recognisable brand, well maybe that’s not for me. I’m wearing too many hats already! So I’m reminded that when it comes to finding the distinct voice for your business; when it comes to putting a communication plan in place, the question needs to be asked “who can say it best?”
Collaborate.
Involve other members of your team. Seek professional advice from a writer who is experienced writing effective copy to the audience you want to start a conversation with, or a writer who is used to researching his audience before he writes.
What’s your communication secret?
Did I miss one? What secrets have you discovered along the way? You are welcome to comment, debate, and generally share your thoughts below.
This Article is by Maija Liepins, Director at
Pixink Maija loves to provide the creative and
technical expertise to make your vision a reality. We can promote
your project online and provide ongoing website
support/development. Our website design, hosting, and website
support packages can be customised to suit your requirements. Visit
us at www.pixink.net or follow us on LinkedIn
src="http://www.pixink.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/footprints2.jpg"
width="200px"/>In life, there are certain things that we know we
should do. Regular exercise is one of them, website updating is
another. But why is it so hard to do something that will get good
results? Sure we can get a good routine going for a month, but then
things change and suddenly we’re embarrassed to admit how far we’ve
let things slide. But guess what? It’s normal! All we need to do is
review our circumstances and make a note of what we want to change.
In this article we will explore 3 phases of website ownership and
the characteristics which are typical of each phase. It’s likely
that you have the characteristics of all three phases. And you
might get an uncomfortable reminder as to what you’re not doing.
But there is no right and wrong place to be – owning and developing
a website is a fluid process influenced by your learning curve, the
requirements of your business, and your mentors.
class="alert">Website ownership is a journey not a destination!
-
href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Website+ownership+is+a+journey+not+a+destination+http%3A%2F%2Fow.ly%2FgDK0y+%40Pixink_Ltd">Tweet
this
You will also find out my 7 recommended
actions to take your website to the next level! This is your change
to identify what 1 thing will make the biggest difference to your
website in 2013:
Website ‘Start – up’ – does this sound
like you?
When designing your
site:
You were after a
professional online presence that had the right ‘look and feel’
making your business credible if anyone looked you up.
Your personal preference was the deciding factor in the
colour, look and feel (there was no brief, or additional
criteria).
A friend or relative created your
website
A free website template was used to
create your site
You didn’t think twice about
writing your webpages yourself
You may also be in the start-up phase
if:
Your website is not your
main source of enquiries
You don’t update your
website with new content
Risks:
If you are
in the start-up phase you may have forgotten to explore and
implement ways to have a two-way interaction with your visitors.
This is the digital age, and the internet is noisy: a brochure site
doesn’t hold your visitors attention long. You deserve more than a
pretty face.
‘Intermediate’
Website Owner:
Do any of these apply to you? When designing your site:
You had done your research and/or learned from your
mistakes – you had a clear idea of what your website needed to
do.
You were after a bespoke website design
and you paid a designer or company to do it for you.
You considered Copywriting and SEO, but would prefer to
learn to do it yourself than pay someone else to do it for
you.
You are also in the
intermediate phase if:
You
recognise the value of regular website updates
You’ve made significant revisions to your site more than
once as your understanding of online marketing grows. You may have
a blog and/or have added new sections to your website.
You would consider rebuilding your site to:
Better reflect your brand or
Make it
an active/integral component in your marketing and
communications
You
recognise your business communications as opportunities to direct
traffic to your website. Eg: via social media, networking,
newsletters.
Risks:
In trying
to do everything yourself you risk trying to implement too many
ideas at once and/or becoming distracted by learning new skills -
you may have lost focus, and sight of the bigger
picture.
‘Advanced’
Website Owner:
When designing your
website:
You had invested in
marketing, copywriting, and design consultants with the expressed
purpose of establishing your message and/or brand
You had a business plan written down
You wrote a website brief with the help of your web
design company or marketing consultant, referencing both of the
above
You may also be in the
advanced phase if:
Your website
is an integral component of your marketing and
communications
You have regular website
updates planned and scheduled
You don’t update
your website yourself
You are results focused
and measure your website success against pre-defined
indicators
You review your website
regularly
Your website is integrated into your
business systems: there is a clear route you want website visitors
to follow and a clear process you want your business to
follow
7 actions to take your
website to the next level
Review
your website regularly (put a date in your
diary)
Establish an objective: what
does your website need to help your business achieve this
year?
Create a Website Wish List and
then order them – in order of priority
Open your calendar and set aside time to get online and
start learning from people whose online presence is a key to their
success. Find inspiration from blog articles, webinar’s and
courses.
Set measurable goals and
track your progress
Plan and
document a marketing/communications calendar (what messages will
you be communicating, when and via what media, to what
purpose?)
Learn to collaborate and
delegate
class=alert>What 1 thing will you do in 2013 to take your
website to the next level? –
href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What+1+thing+will+you+do+in+2013+to+take+your+website+to+the+next+level?+http%3A%2F%2Fow.ly%2FgDK0y+%23onething2013+%40Pixink_Ltd">Tweet
This
I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours?
The no.1 thing I will be doing for my website this year is to
delegate my website updates. I’ve got more important things to do
with my time (like look after yours!) I understand the value of an
ongoing relationship with a reliable website support person – I can
see it in the relationships we have with our clients. So to focus
my mind and free up my time, I am going to outsource my website
updates. How could I not? This Article is
by Maija Liepins, Director at Pixink Ltd.
class="alignleft wp-image-1483"
src="http://www.pixink.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/maija2.jpg"
alt="" width="150" />An artist at heart Maija values creative
web design and is skilled in HTML and CSS as well as design. She
says the best thing about her job is getting to know her clients
and helping make their vision a reality. Pixink offer website
design, hosting, and personalised support packages to suit your
requirements. We can promote your project online and provide
ongoing website support/development. Visit us at
href="http://www.pixink.net">www.pixink.net or follow
us on
href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/pixink-ltd">LinkedIn
Website owners, what is your worst website nightmare?
Being unable to update your website?
Not being able to recover website files or content from an uncooperative web host?
A website that makes your business look bad?
Tweet me and let me know your worst website nightmare! – Tweet Now
Most website nightmares stem from a poor relationship with your website service provider and result in a cataclysmic loss of control.
You do not want to lose control of your website, and ultimately the face of your business on the internet!
It’s no wonder that website owners often get fixated on being able update their websites themselves. Sometimes it’s their no.1 priority, blotting out sight of what mattered before they had their bad web-hosting experience.
But what if you had a good website hosting experience? A website hosting experience that not only puts you in control, but also gives you access to the information and support you need to manage and develop your website? Because you don’t need to do it all yourself to make it work.
It occurs to me that there are 3 actions you can take to ensure you keep control of your website and the face of your business on the internet.
3 Actions to Keep You in Control
Review your website regularly.
Put a date in your diary to review your website. Why not write it in now? Seriously. Even if it’s the only thing you take from this article, making the commitment to review your site regularly might just save your year. (And you won’t be unprepared, I will follow up on how to review your website yourself in a later post).
Know the difference between what you need to look after, and what you can delegate.
As a small business owner you probably find you are wearing multiple hats. If you have ambition you have plans for growing your business and have probably realised that if you are doing everything yourself (or almost everything) the time will come when you need to delegate. Website updating falls into the category of something you can delegate.
The same cannot be said for your website plan. The direction of your business and your website; the direction of your brand and the way your business operates in the world is something you as a business owner need to steer. The direction of your business needs to be supported by your website and therefore you need to have a plan that includes the nature and frequency of updates, the nature of your message, it’s tone, and the character of your brand.
Delegating your website updating does not need to feel like giving someone else control. It can be a weight off your mind, knowing that your website is getting a regular face lift, as per your specific instructions.
Have a way to update your website
There are three options, and in my view only one truly sustainable solution. You can choose from:
A Content Management System (CMS) which lets you make changes to your website without understanding code.
Learning the basics of HTML so you can replace text and images without using a CMS interface as a go-between.
Develop a good relationship with your website hosting provider, or suitable website support specialist – someone who is willing to work alongside you to maintain and develop your site.
But what’s the Best way to Update your Website?
While I’d love teaching an enthusiastic website owner the basics of HTML, realistically, a business owner is better off delegating their website updates to someone else. (Because your time is valuable and better spent on growing your business!)
Having said that, learning HTML is more time efficient than a CMS for small business owners. The majority of affordable CMS’s auto-generate code that you don’t want. (Think WordPress and Mailchimp which can suddenly auto-format your text in an erratic and ugly way). While I sometimes set-up WordPress sites for individuals who want a free CMS, I am not convinced that the amount of time learning the interface and formatting pages pays off.
In fact, (I’ll let you in on a secret), the reason I learned HTML all those years ago was because my personal website was breaking apart. The HTML being auto-generated by the software I was using was rubbish. So I leaned HTML and I learned that HTML can be very, very simple. If you know how.
Those of you who are familiar with Pixink will know that building a working relationship with your website hosting provider is, in my view, the most efficient and sustainable way of managing and developing your website.
As the online marketplace gets noisier and more competitive, it is even more important to get advice and input from a trusted source to help you make your online communications work.
The point is…
Website development is always a collaborative effort, no person has the skills and necessary information to deliver a website without another persons input. All three actions above, are best undertaken with the support of a person or company with the technical and creative communication skills to work alongside you to put your plans into action. To summarise:
Review your website regularly,
Take responsibility AND delegate
Build a working relationship with an expert you can rely on.
Of the three actions which resonates? Which jumps off the page and bites you on the bum? (Tweaks you on the nose, slaps you round the face, and generally cries out to be implemented?)
Let us know, won’t you?
This Article is by Maija Liepins, Director of Pixink Ltd.
Maija loves to provide the creative and technical expertise to make your vision a reality. Pixink can promote your project online and provide ongoing website support/development. We offer website design, hosting, and personalised support packages to suit your requirements. Visit us at www.pixink.net or join our conversation on Twitter @Pixink_Ltd ;
Business blogging was the marketing trend of the year. Everyone was talking about the need to blog. It was accepted as popular knowledge – I’m sure you’ve heard it said: “You NEED a blog! It works wonders for SEO.”
But is it true? This myth spread like wildfire across the internet and through business networks. Small business owners felt the pressure, and I got angry on behalf of stressed out solo-preneurs. ‘It’s a myth! Relax!’
The truth is, unless you understand why you need a blog you are likely to miss the mark; miss the point; and miss the sale. Your blog — like your website or your social media account — is only a tool. “Have one” is not the solution. “Use one” is closer to the mark.
In this article we will take a look at why blogging is considered good for business. But we will also encourage you to go back to basics and consider whether a blog is the right solution for you. A blog is not the first and best solution for every business, at every stage.
Why Blogging is Recommended
There are two significant SEO principles that explain why internet marketing experts and their followers have put an emphasis on blogging this year. Understanding these will make it easier for you decide whether you want to blog or focus your attention elsewhere.
1. Google rewards fresh content.
In 2012 Google announced that new content would take priority. This may have influenced the wave of people recommending regular blog posts.
Google’s mission is to provide people with reliable search results, and from this year onwards that means Google will fill it’s search results with the most current, content-rich webpages it can find. And it’s not just Google who likes high-quality, up-to date content – your website visitors want that too.
Blogging is an easy and affordable way of updating your website with new contact yourself, without having to learn any techy-stuff.
BUT before you rush off and install a blog; and learn how to update it; and fret over what you’re going to write, remember that you don’t need a blog to keep your website up to date. Work out what information you have to share first, and then decide on the best way to share it.
Blogging is not the only way to maintain a fresh website – Tweet This
2. Google uses keywords to establish your website’s subject.
In order to establish the subject of your site Google will search your pages to identify the most used keywords and phrases. The words that appear the most are what your website is known for as far as Google is concerned. It is therefore important to ensure that the keywords you want your website to be known for feature naturally on your website as much possible.
Blogging is a popular way of achieving a high-volume of relevant keywords because articles are lengthy, and posted frequently.
Provided you publish blog articles that relate to your business, your articles will be full of relevant keywords, making it easier for your target clients to find you in a Google search. Which sounds like an excellent case for blogging. But have you even decided what your website keywords should be?
Blogging is definitely NOT the solution you’re looking for if you want to establish your keywords and haven’t yet tackled your existing website pages.
Don’t put the Cart before the Horse; Your Blog before your Business
The internet is not what it used to be. It’s so much busier. Website owners need to work harder than ever before to attract the attention of people browsing the internet, and keep their attention.
Yes, your blog might help increase awareness of your brand, but your website is what will make the sale. (Have you reviewed your website lately?)
What I really want you to take away from this article, is that the pressure’s off! You don’t NEED to think up a sequence of blog ideas and find the time to post regular articles just because everyone else seems to recommend it. Sit back, relax, have a cup of your favourite hot drink, and turn your mind to what will really make a difference to your business success in 2013:
With the new year nearly upon us it is time to take stock of what we have achieved, what we have learned, and where we want our businesses to be at the end of the coming year.
Get your Website Plan ready for 2013: Just 5 steps.
Where do you want your businesses to be in December 2013? Set yourself a goal that motivates and excites you.
Once you have your business goal for the year, break it down into quarters, what does your business need to be doing in Q1, 2, 3 and 4 to achieve that goal? And how do you want your website to support that?
Give your website a clear purpose. Do you want your visitors to:
Get in touch?
Subscribe?
Buy online?
Give you information?
Now it’s time to find an expert you can trust and talk to them about what you have in mind, find out what’s possible, and brainstorm possible solutions.Imagine each of your website visitors as being on a journey and plan how you are going to execute each stage:
Their journey starts when you get their attention: you point them towards your website for more information
The person arrives on your website, and if they like what they see, they do what you wanted them to do e.g. get in touch
You follow up – this is an opportunity for your business to start a relationship with this person, (and I don’t mean sell them something, not necessarily).Your website visitor wants to get to know you better, and you will need a system in place so you know what you are going to do to sustain their interest and engage them.This is likely to include a combination of online and offline systems and resources. (Discuss, brainstorm, and plan the steps).
Instead of tackling your Website Development all in one go, break it into steps and priortise them. Look again at your outline for 2013 and work out which steps need to be completed at what stage to support your plans for Q1 – Q4.
Tip: If a 12 months view feels overwhelming, focus on a 6 month view.
Let me know how it goes it the comments below. I’d love to know what your vision is for 2013!
This Article is by Maija Liepins, Director of Pixink Ltd.
Maija loves to facilitate business owners and community leaders who strive to make their local community a healthier place to live and work.
As Director at Pixink she will enjoy providing the creative and technical expertise to make your vision a reality. Pixink can promote your project online and provide ongoing website support/development. Visit us at www.pixink.net or join our conversation on Twitter @Pixink_Ltd.
So is it time to #GetMarketing? To start putting it all out there? (So to speak, we are in a pre-watershed timeslot after all…)
Following the last post on Content Ideas, have you been inspired to start working harder to make your communication message count? And if so, where do you start? And why even bother?
First Things First. When it comes to marketing communication, many small businesses tend to put the cart before the horse. They fill their marketing cart with all sorts of things (often borrowed or stolen from their neighbour’s stable). Once their carts are filled nice and high, they sit back and wonder why neither the horse, the cart, nor their business is going anywhere. To quote a famous Meerkat, (who never puts his cart first or his paw wrong) the solution is simples.
Be Authentic. Without a voice that is Strong and True and Consistent your message will be lost. – Tweet This
Marketing communication is the razzle-dazzle in your bag of business know-how. No tricks. No smoke and mirrors. The aim is to delight your audience and leave them on the edge of their seats wanting more. But if you miss your mark, you may have a good many customers demanding (metaphorically and in real terms) their money back.
So how can you maximise your message and impress?
These four steps will help your business to shine and ensure that you are always the star of the marketing communications show:
1) Decide What it is you want to say, determine Why you are saying it, and consider How you want to sound.
What may have worked for you two years ago may no longer be relevant. Consider where you want to take your business and your brand, and examine what your competitors are doing. Get informed and write down a list of goals. What do you want your marketing communications to achieve?
2) Consider all the various elements of your marketing communications opening act.
The good news is that with the advent of social media, it’s never been easier to get noticed. But remember that businesses also get noticed for the wrong reasons, so make sure that you put your best foot forward. As a starting place, here are a few key questions to consider:
Does my logo need an update?
Is my website clean, relevant and fresh?
What does my brand / business voice sound like?
Do my customers engage with me on social media?
Is it time to rethink my newsletter or blog?
Could a PR campaign help?
Is Facebook the right place for my business to be?
What about Twitter?
3) The next step is to devise a plan that ensures you are communicating with your audience regularly.
Don’t assume they will remember you, like you, or want to be with you. All the worlds a stage, and you’d best ensure you have given your audience front-row seats or you’ll lose them at interval. Keep your customers happy, interested and always give them something to look forward to.
4) Evaluation should always be your encore.
What have you done in the past that has worked well? Why did it work? Tweak, change, delete, mesh, lower, increase, better it. But most importantly, remember that measuring your efforts regularly is crucial to your success.
Work through the above and you’ll find the performance of your marketing communications will outshine your competitors and win over your critics. Keep it consistent and keep it authentic, and the plaudits will follow.
This Guest Post is by Michelle Beck, Director of Orbis Marketing.
Orbis provides smart and savvy marketing support and solutions to businesses on both sides of the equator. We also love helping businesses to #GetMarketing.
Have you ever asked yourself: ‘But what information should I share?’
It’s a common question because many business owners choose how they are going to communicate before they are clear about what they want to say.
There are lots of options available. As businesses we are truly spoilt for choice! And that is why it is all the more important to choose wisely.
Communication Tools commonly used by businesses:
Newsletters
Downloadable Documents
Twitter
Facebook
A Blog
A Website
Relevant Forums
Public Speaking
Radio
YouTube
Press Release
Film & Audio
Webinar / Teleseminar
These are tools you might use to deliver your content. They are a way of communicating.
Although it’s easy to get inspired by what others are achieving with these tools I’d caution against using them before you have put some thought into your business objective.
Focus your communications on achieving a specific thing for your business. – Tweet This
Why not create a content calendar to help you plan the next 6-12 months? Give your communications a specific theme for each month and a specific objective for each quarter. Then come back and revisit this list of communication tools to find the best fit.
Your Content Checklist
Step 1: Brainstorm and answer the following questions:
What do you want your business to be known for?
What knowledge and information can you share? (Relevant to your business)
What is happening in your business? i.e. news
What do you want to happen in your business? i.e. objectives
By the end of your brainstorm you should have an idea of what you want to say and why.
Step 2: Find the Best Communication Method:
What do you want to do? Educate, Facilitate, Inform?
Once you know what information you want to share and why, take a look at the communication methods below and highlight the most relevant ideas.
21 Content Ideas for your Website, Blog, and Social Media
1. News:
Infographic/Poster or Video (e.g. for a new product)
Personal Invitations and Tell-a-Friend
Audio Recording on your website
2. Information:
Tutorials / Step-by-step Guides
Factsheets / Checklists / Infographics
Articles & Ebooks
Q&A / Expert Advice
3. Inspiration:
Images / Examples
Interviews
Competitions
Inspirational relevant Quotes
4. Facilitation:
Worksheets
Systems and strategies
Opportunities
Training Courses
P.S. Before you get carried away and put a price tag on your content…
This article has been written with free content in mind. I do have a short list of info-products that people are, in theory, willing pay for, such as:
Training Workshops
Talks and Seminars
Online Training Course
Ebooks
Books
Podcasts / Audio Downloads
Membership Site
But I don’t recommend you throw yourself into creating material to sell if you don’t have an audience who you know will want to buy it. After all the effort that goes into creating something, you don’t want to have to chase sales. You want to attract them. In fact you want people to pre-order! You want people to know that your content is good before they have even seen the product. Because it will be good won’t it?
Info-products: Share information freely first (and in a focused way!) to build a list of subscribers with interest in your material. – Tweet This
Now that is what this article is all about.
P.P.S. So as not to leave you upstream without a paddle, I want to touch on what I mean my “objective” – something I have referenced a lot throughout this article without, yet, expanding the point.
Although there is much to be said for getting stuck in, practicing, and growing your confidence, you are going to see quicker results if you focus. I don’t know about you but focus doesn’t come easy to me and I have to work at it. So here are some examples to help you focus on your communication objectives:
“My Business Objective or Goal is to…”
Earn X per month/year
Attract X new customers
Increase sales by [percentage] by [date]
Attract X subscribers to my [newsletter/training-program/social-media-feed]
Sell [specific product] to X people before [date]
Increase the waiting list for X to [number] by [date]
Fill in as many blanks as you like and choose the one that makes you feel the most enthusiastic and motivated. This will be your objective – the ‘end result’ you want to bear in mind when choosing your subject, and planning your content.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
And if you’re looking for content ideas that fit your business specifically, simply ask, I’m happy to help.
Your content should inform your website design. At Pixink we can guide you through the website design process from planning, through to set-up. If you don’t know where to start, all you need to do is ask!
“Why Content is the Backbone of Your Website” is a guest post by Marie Allen, a Web Writing consultant from Web Clarity.
When business owners plan their website they are often sucked into a world of pretty graphics and endless colour choices, forgetting that the reason people will visit their website is for information, not to look at some nice pictures.
Of course your website needs to look good and present your business in an attractive way, but if the words on your website don’t help people with what they came there to find, the sad news is your website will be of no value to your business.
The content that you want to put on your website needs to be the first thing you think about when you are planning it.
Content Planning in 3 Easy steps
1. Brainstorm
Write down all the things you want your website to say about your business. Then, as with all good marketing, think about that information from your target client or customer point of view. What will they be looking for? What words will they use to describe the services or products you offer?
2. Create a structure
Organise your information from your potential customer/client perspective and let this be the major factor in deciding your website’s structure – how many pages you have and how those pages relate to one another. This will make for a website where key information is easy to find, and where there is a natural pathway through, so website visitors don’t get “lost” or stuck.
3. Get Feedback
You can plan out your website structure as a paper exercise if it helps, using a separate piece of paper or index card for each page. Then get some friends, who are not involved with your business, to check out your structure and the words you are using and see if it makes sense to them.
Getting your content organised first makes so much more sense than getting your web design done first. Do the web design first and you will end up force-fitting your all-important business information and marketing copy into a pre-existing shell, a shell that may or may not project the business image you want, and which probably won’t provide an easy navigation path for your website visitors.
When it comes to writing your copy, remember that pages on a website are not read in the same way as a printed page. People scan a web page looking for a particular word or phrase, and will rarely read a full paragraph, or even to the end of a sentence! Web copy needs to be written with this in mind, with short sentences and paragraphs, and bullet points and headings to highlight key words and phrases, so that people can find what they are looking for quickly and easily. Keep your content short and snappy. If in doubt leave it out!
If you already have a website, but are not sure that its content is presented in the best way, ask a couple of friends to check it out, from an objective point of view, or consider getting an expert web writer to carry out a content audit.
So don’t get too bogged down with coordinating colours and finding the “perfect” image. With web design, as with design in general, the simple approach is often best. A website which is well-structured, where your visitors can find information quickly and easily, will always be popular with customers and clients. Yes, it needs to look good, but its main purpose is to bring in business. And that means building a strong and flexible backbone of clear and compelling content!
This is a guest post by Marie Allen, Web Clarity
Author Profile: Marie Allen is Principal Consultant at Web Clarity, a company which helps small and medium-sized businesses get maximum benefit from their websites. She specialises in writing for the web and in creating a great user experience for website visitors. Her free e-book “25 Web Writing Hints and Tips to Win You More Customers!” is available from the Web Clarity website www.webclarity.co.uk
With praise and encouragement, children learn to experiment. 
Maija’s creative and technical knowledge can give clarity and direction to any project. Her passion and enthusiasm for supporting entrepreneurs who want to make a difference in the world will give you the boost you need to tackle your big idea and give it life in the world. 
Are you planning or revising a website? There are five easy ways to enhance your website using creative design – but they often get overlooked. Before you get stuck in, consider the following questions:
Greedy corporations taught us adverts can lie and deceive. We learned to teach our children to “read” media; to employ critical thinking against an onslaught of consumerist messages. They taught us that companies don’t care about people, they only care about money.
This Guest Post is by Michelle Beck, Director of Orbis Marketing.
Have you ever asked yourself:
Author Profile: