How To
It’s that time of year! Time to set yourself up for success by making sure you start with a solid foundation. January is when we recommend an annual audit—including your password management and other accounts, such as hosting and domains—for all of our clients, both nonprofits and small businesses. However, this can be done at […]
We want to make sure our Care Plan clients have the tools to be successful with their websites. That’s why we’ve gone through the process of optimizing all of our Care Plan clients’ websites to ensure they load as fast as possible. Why it matters: A faster website delivers a better user experience. No one […]
On a website, content is king. Good content is clear, concise, and conversational, leading the user through a compelling narrative. In web design, typography, colors, and images prime the user’s emotional expectations for the content. You can’t design your way out of mediocre content. Whether you’re building a new website or looking to improve your […]
Before you even have a website design, you’ll need a domain. This is the gateway to your site–the first thing a visitor sees before your page even loads. It’s important! I get a handful of questions on domain best practices when working with clients and potential clients after I ask them about their domain – […]
Social proof is the “I’ll have what he’s having” of marketing. When people are talking about your organization outside of your marketing, unsolicited–be it with friends, with family, or on social media–these are all forms of social proof. Social proof is also the most important form of marketing while also being the most difficult to […]
Excellent customer service, trustworthiness, and quality products/services are NOT differentiators. They’re expected. They’re the bare minimum. If you’re an architect, your drawings should be detailed. An accountant? Let me guess: you’re good with numbers. If you’re a restaurant, we can assume the food tastes good. A digital marketer? I assume you’ll get me “results,” as […]
Getting effective feedback is the key to a successful project. Whether it’s a client, boss, employees, etc. a good feedback process makes a project stronger. When done poorly, however, it can unravel into a never-ending nightmare. A solid feedback process is more than just sending a draft and saying “Let me know if you have […]
This April marked five years since I left my last “real job” at a nonprofit and dove full-time into starting a business. I had just spent about a year self-learning code and basic design in my free time. I felt far from ready but realized I’d never get things off the ground while working full-time […]
We internalize this belief that in order to be successful in business, in running an organization, or in our careers we need to be professional. In this case, “professional” is really just another way of saying boring. It’s the opposite of having a personality, of being unique, of being memorable. Not only is this advice […]
One of the most common questions people ask me as a web designer is: “How do I choose the right image type for my website?” This is a great question because the size and file type of images can greatly affect a website’s speed and overall appearance. There are many different options to choose from […]
What’s the key to creating worthwhile content as a business owner? Simple, start by answering the questions your clients are already asking you! But how do you know what questions they have? Should you go and post a survey? Not necessary. Here’s a better idea: Keep a Log of Questions Your Clients Are Asking You […]
We’ve all been there before, staring at a blank Word doc and not knowing where to start. When it comes to writing blog posts, it doesn’t have to be a chore. A good process makes it much easier. Here’s my approach.
The most common mistake I see on About pages is believing it’s all about you, the business. It’s not. Even if it’s literally titled “About Us,” it’s really all about your customers—specifically making a genuine connection and making them feel good about being the kind of person who purchases from your business.
On the other hand, most sleazy slimeballs in business have no hesitation marketing themselves. Does your business or nonprofit result in making people happier? Yes? Then it’s your OBLIGATION TO HUMANITY to put it out there so other people can find it and benefit from it. Here’s 5 tips for marketing without feeling slimy: Understand […]
Building your audience and inspiring action via social media has never been more critical. As our audiences are all stuck at home, organizations and small businesses are realizing that a strong online presence is no longer a “one day maybe” sort of project. It needs to happen now. But where to begin? One of my […]
If you’ve found yourself working from home over the past few weeks due to coronavirus, you’re not alone. And if you’re working remotely, you are probably diving headfirst into video conferencing whether you like it or not! You may be used to video conferencing already, but many people are new to this. So if you […]
My kids’ school closed down on Friday the 13th and it’s been JOURNEY since then. I want to talk to all you other working-from-home parents out there. Your kids have interrupted video calls, torn up the house and tested your patience. You almost find your focus before you need to stop to go wipe somebody. […]
It’s hard to find motivation when stuck at home all day. But motivation is overrated. Let’s talk about how we can shrug off the need for motivation and get to work anyway during this uncertain time. The first thing to realize is that motivation isn’t a strategy. Some days you don’t feel motivated, does that […]
You don’t need a large budget to make your nonprofit shine with quality images. Invest some times (and maybe a bit of money) and reap the rewards of a more engaged audience and a better image.
I’ve been in business for four years now, and guess what? I’m a terrible salesperson. I’m useless, I’m terrible. I can’t make people buy things that they don’t wanna buy. I hear words like sales and close the deal, and it makes me feel anxious. The beginning of my sales woes The worst job I […]
You might have noticed that when you go for a search, how much more information is being pulled out by Google, so you don’t need to actually go to websites. Any business or organization needs to start thinking about how to stand out in the Google universe. And not just focus on SEO and getting people to click on your little blue link.
But I learned two things recently that have made networking events tolerable, and sometimes quite enjoyable. First, almost everybody has some level of fear, discomfort, or trepidation around networking events. Maybe excluding the most extroverted freaks among us. So realize that if you feel nervous, so does everybody else. And this ain’t middle school. Most […]
Since I started working for myself, I quickly realized the necessity of effective time management. The most important lesson being, schedule your energy, not your time. How to start scheduling your day around your peak energy hours. The first thing you need to do is figure out when your energy is at its peak. Whether […]
Want to get more reach on your social media posts? There’s a couple of really key fundamentals that apply to every social media platform out there. All of these tools are free and they make a lot of money. How do they make that money? By selling ads. Your Eyes Lead to Their Profits The […]