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Essential Guide To Choosing A Website Designer

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So you need to know how to choose a website designer.

But here’s the problem.

“It depends” is both the most correct and the most unhelpful answer.

There has never been more choices in the website design industry than now. But paradoxically, all those choices make actually choosing more difficult than ever.

The secret to choosing wisely is to understand exactly what you need rather than attempting to sort & filter all the choices on offer.

Like any other large purchase like a house, car, appliance, etc – if ditch the idea of a “best” – and instead, write out your exact needs, requirements, and goals, then the best option for you will usually self-select itself.

In other words, choose a website designer through elimination based your goals rather than searching out the one right fit.

With that concept in mind, here’s how to walk through the process of elimination to choose the right website designer for your project.[Continue Reading]

139 Business Quotes to Inspire and Execute On

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Entrepreneurship is a bit like running a marathon — you have to keep pushing forward to get to the finish line, even when you’re out of breath, cramping, and on the verge of walking off the path and saying, “Forget it, I quit.”

To help you keep running, I’ve compiled a list of 139 motivational business quotes you can use to inspire and execute on.

And if you want to take your motivation a step further and start getting your entrepreneurial tasks done, you can sign up for my newsletter, which curates and summarizes the best marketing articles every week so you can read less and learn more.

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How to Retain Email Subscribers

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Did you know it costs five times more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain one? Or that by increasing your retention rate by just 5%, you can increase your profits by 25-95%?

Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s talk email marketing.

Email marketing is one of the top ways to retain customers. But in order to do that, we’ve got to keep people on our list.

Unfortunately, a lot of business owners put too much emphasis on growing the list instead of retaining the subscribers they have. Meanwhile, they’re losing subscribers left and right, sometimes before they even get the first welcome email.

In order to make email marketing an effective retention technique, we’ve got to retain subscribers. Here’s how to do it.

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Google Sites Review: Pros & Negatives of Using Google’s Website Builder

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Google Sites is Google’s free website builder software that it offers as part of the G Suite of Drive, Email, Hangouts, etc.

Sites has never been highly publicized like its other products. I’ve always thought of Sites as part of the bucket of products like Drawing, Blogger, and Correlate that sort of come as part of other, well-known product lines but are otherwise forgotten about…yet still awesome in their own way.

If you have a Google Account, go check out Google Sites here.

I’ve written about Google’s Domains product and Blogger – but have never looked at Google Sites specifically.

My experience with Google Sites began back when I first started my web design business years and years ago. I never used Google Sites for my projects until I came across it when a client of mine was using it and needed a few tasks done.

But since then, better competition has popped up from Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, WordPress.com and other website builders. And Google has upgraded the product I originally used. They’ve streamlined it to make it supposedly the “effortless way to create beautiful sites.”

See Google Sites here…

Skip to the Conclusion & Next Steps

So for a personal project of mine, I decided to try it out again and see who the product would really be a good fit for – and not just compared to other hosted website builders.

I also wanted to compare Google Sites to other website solutions like hosting your own website or using a hosted ecommerce platform.[Continue Reading]

15+ Ideas for Using Search Analytics More Effectively

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Search Analytics is one of the most useful tools in Google Search Console’s suite of tools. It provides a lot of data about how your website is performing in Google’s organic search results.

But like any data source – it is useless, unless you know how to put the data into action. Even though the best ways to use Search Console are specific to your website, there is a myriad of ways to put the data into action.

As of 2018, Google has launched an all-new Google Search Console. The software is still in Beta. You can get access at search.google.com. It is different on multiple levels and is still not completely built. I’ve added in a section at the end about how to use the current beta Search Analytics features. I highly recommend using both the old & the new until the new one is completely built-out.

Until then, you can use the following 15 tips in both the old & the new. In fact, the new version has longer reporting times (a full 16 months!!). Once the new one is fully built-out, I’ll revise the screenshots.

Either way, here are 15+ ways that I like to use Search Console to solve SEO problems. Hopefully, you’ll be find something to use or build on to put your own data into action.[Continue Reading]

How To Use Google Search Console (Webmaster Tools) Effectively

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Google Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools) is Google’s suite of tools, data & diagnostics to “help you have a healthy, Google-friendly site.”

It’s the only place to get search engine optimization information about your website directly from Google.

Side note – Bing has a separate but similar tool suite at Bing Webmaster Tools.

Google Search Console (Webmaster Tools) is free. Any website can use it. But, simply installing it will not improve your SEO, or your organic traffic. It’s a toolset – which means you have to understand how to use Google Search Console effectively to make any difference on your website.

As of 2018, Google has launched an all-new Google Search Console. The software is still in Beta. You can get access at search.google.com. It is different on multiple levels and is still not completely built. I’ve added in a section at the end about how to use the current beta features. I highly recommend using both the old & the new until the new one is completely built-out.

That said, both can be a bit daunting to understand. This tutorial will go through what each feature is, what you should be using it for, and some ideas on being creative with it.[Continue Reading]

7+ Ways To Do Better Competitor Research for SEO & Content Marketing

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You won’t get ahead in any industry if you simply copy your competitors.

And it’s especially true in SEO & content marketing.

Competitor research for SEO is really tough because…

  • Nobody truly knows what they are doing.
  • Confirmation bias is the default.
  • Being different has a bigger payoff than being better.
  • Your competitors are probably copying you.
  • And a myriad other reasons.

But – you’re probably going to do it anyway so here’s a few things I do to make it a little more useful.[Continue Reading]

How to Boost Your Productivity at Work

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Boosting productivity is a hot topic, especially for business owners and entrepreneurs who find themselves doing a ton of work.

The whole time is money adage is true, but here’s what your run-of-the-mill productivity article won’t tell you…

Productivity means nothing if you’re doing the wrong things.

This is where so many people go wrong. They focus on being efficient, but don’t stop to think about being effective.

In order to boost your productivity, you’ve got to do both. But before we go into how, let’s talk about what makes them different.[Continue Reading]

How to Promote Your Website Online (for free!)

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So you want to promote your website online…for free, preferably.

By now, you probably know from experience that the “build it and they will come” philosophy is flawed. You can have great content — in fact, you need at least “good” content — but unless you know how to promote it, your site is a ghost town. But you also don’t have the budget to go straight to advertising online.

You don’t need a grab bag of tips and tricks. You don’t need best practices to “go viral”. Instead – what you need is an actual process to follow that you can consistently do – to create a “flywheel effect“.

Here is an exact, step-by-step strategy that I recommend to anyone who wants to promote their website online. The specific details vary, but it’s a pretty tried and true path for anyone who wants to promote their website.

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WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: Which Should You Use?

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So you’re exploring starting a website. And you’ve chosen WordPress as your software of choice. It powers more than 25% of the Internet. It’s famous for its versatility and ease of use.

But for anyone unfamiliar with the WordPress world – there’s a point of confusion. WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org – which should you use? What’s the difference? What’s the best fit for your website?

Here’s a concise overview of what you should think about before getting started.[Continue Reading]

Weebly vs. WordPress (Self-hosted .org & WordPress.com)

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Weebly and WordPress are two of the most well-known brands in the website building industry. They are both excellent choices in general. But if you are comparing Weebly vs. WordPress – which is the best fit for your project?

Before we look at different tradeoffs between Weebly and WordPress, we have to define exactly what Weebly and WordPress are.

Weebly is an all-in-one “hosted website platform.” A hosted website platform is where all the components needed for a website come in a single bundle with a single monthly price.

Weebly provides the software to manage your website content; they provide the designs and functionality. They provide add-ons & extensions for unique functionality. And most importantly, they also provide the hosting (aka the server where your website files live) & security all in one price.

See Weebly’s Plans & Pricing here.

WordPress is technically free website software that you use to manage your website content, designs, and functionality. But it’s used in two different ways.

First, there’s self-hosted WordPress (aka “WordPress.org). It’s free, open-source, community-supported software that anyone can install on any server that meets minimum requirements. You pay for hosting, install WordPress and run your website how you like. I wrote a setup guide here.

Second, there’s WordPress.com. It’s a hosted platform service sold by the main corporate supporter of WordPress. With WordPress.com, you can get any website running a limited, hosted version of WordPress for free. You then pay for upgrades.

Yes – it’s confusing. I wrote a bit more about the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org here if you want to dig deeper.

But here’s an analogy that works –

Imagine you are looking for a place to live.

Weebly and WordPress.com are both like buying a condominium. You own everything inside your condo. You can do whatever you want inside. The condo association takes care of the water, electricity, security and structural issues. They even have furnished unit options. However, you also have to abide by condo association rules. You are limited by their structure and you have to pay extra HOA fees.

Self-hosted WordPress is like buying a house. You can do anything you want. There’s no rules or limitations. But you have to take care of everything (or hire someone to take care of it). It’s also as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be.

And FYI – this basic explanation is very similar to Squarespace vs. WordPress, Wix vs. WordPress – or even hosted eCommerce platforms like Shopify.

Ecommerce Real Estate Tradeoffs
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NameCheap Shared Hosting Review w/ Pros & Cons

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NameCheap is an independent (ie, not owned by a big holding corporation) an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar founded in 2000. In addition to domain registration, they offer a complementary spectrum of hosting services.

NameCheap also provides email, website builder, SSLs, and various services with 24 hour support and a 30 day money back guarantee.

I reviewed NameCheap as a domain registrar here, but have received questions for years about their hosting services. Readers ask because NameCheap Hosting is really cheap – like, suspiciously cheap.

You can check out NameCheap’s plan and current pricing here.

Although I like to keep my hosting and domain registration separate, I had a small project to launch, so I decided to put it on NameCheap and see how the service turned out.

Here’s my NameCheap Shared Hosting review – structured with pros & cons based on my experience as a customer.[Continue Reading]

SiteGround Hosting Review: Pros & Cons of Using SiteGround

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SiteGround Hosting is an independent web hosting company founded in 2004. They are based in Bulgaria, but serve hosting markets globally. SiteGround positions themselves as a company offering high-quality, “well-crafted” hosting solutions.

They offer a spectrum of hosting solutions ranging from shared Linux hosting (the affordable, versatile kind used by most websites) all the way to Cloud and Dedicated server solutions for large, growing websites.

They are one of the fastest growing independent (ie, not a brand owned by a larger corporate holding company) hosting companies. I heard about them via their growing event involvement in the WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and marketing communities.

Like my experiment with Web Hosting Hub, I recently had a couple small sites that needed their own hosting accounts, so I wanted to give SiteGround Hosting a try based on high praise from people I respect in the industry.

Get SiteGround’s 60% off discount here.

Here’s my SiteGround Hosting review – structured with pros & cons based on my experience as a customer.[Continue Reading]

WP Engine Review: My Pros & Cons of WP Engine WordPress Hosting

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WP Engine is a Managed WordPress Hosting service based in Austin, TX. They were one of the (if not the) first companies to provide managed hosting services specifically for WordPress.

While they have plenty of competition in both the general hosting and managed WordPress hosting verticals, they are still the market leader in many ways -and they have broad name recognition and cutting-edge features.

You can check out WP Engine’s current plans & pricing here.

Skip to the Conclusion & Next Steps

With the growth of both self-hosted WordPress and website builders, the hosting industry has become a super-confusing place.

Several of the bigger brands such as GoDaddy, Bluehost, HostGator, InMotion and SiteGround all now offer various flavors of “WordPress Hosting.”

I wrote a whole post about WordPress Hosting vs. Web Hosting. But here’s the short version: They all vary in services provided. Some simply have WordPress-trained tech support. Some offer services such as server-side features and staging for WordPress.

And then there’s a separate level of managed WordPress Hosting where you are not really buying hosting per se – but rather services to keep your WordPress install live. Basically, a Managed WordPress Hosting service offers a menu of services tailored to WordPress at a higher price point, so that the website owner can focus less on speed + security and more on the website content + functionality.

Every competitor in the Managed WordPress Hosting has a different offering. And there is no standardized “menu” of options, but as a whole, they all compete with traditional shared Linux hosting offerings and customized WordPress hosting options.

Either way – that’s the field where WP Engine plays. It’s confusing, yes, but it’s important to understand before making apples to oranges comparisons.

There are a lot of WP Engine reviews online – usually with user-generated reviews based on anecdotes and personal experience. That’s fine but I take a different approach. This review will look at the pros + cons of WP Engine in the context of all web hosting options to see who it is a “best fit” for.

I’ve used WP Engine for various projects since 2012. I don’t use them for my primary sites right now (see conclusion), but I do have a current client on WP Engine who absolutely loves them. Here’s my WP Engine review structured as pros and cons.

[Continue Reading]

Bluehost vs. GoDaddy: Who To Choose For Web Hosting?

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GoDaddy has the brand, pricing, and mind-share in the website industry. Bluehost is one of the oldest and most reputable shared hosting companies on the Internet. Here’s my comparison of Bluehost vs. GoDaddy for best choice in web hosting – with a specific focus on WordPress hosting.

A few quick notes before diving in (or skip to the conclusion).

First, this entire Bluehost / GoDaddy review (originally published July 16, 2013) has been updated several times (now for February 2018) to account for both GoDaddy’s and Bluehost’s rebrand, new tiers and various other changes. Also, a disclosure: although everything here is based on my experience as a paying customer or consultant to a paying customer, I do receive referral fees from any companies mentioned in this post.

Second, GoDaddy provides a ton of services beyond hosting. They were originally founded as a domain registrar, but now provide a huge range of business services. I’ve also written how their domain services compare to NameCheap and how their hosting compares to InMotion and SiteGround. But it’s important to “weight” your desire for convenience across a range of business products in addition to your desire for the best web hosting choice.

I’ve also had some questions about whether I recommend Bluehost overall – especially because I recommend their sister brand HostGator elsewhere on the site. So, point of clarification: HostGator and BlueHost are different brands of the same holding company. They are kind of like Coke and Sprite.

I use HostGator for many of my small projects mainly because of how they structure their pricing & features. You’ll want to check out HostGator with a 60% off discount here as well. I’ve written a focused Bluehost review here. I have clients who love them – and use their email and domain services as well. I’ve found that every brand has tradeoffs – there is no overall “best” – there is only the best for you based on your goals & preferences. For example, this site specifically uses InMotion VPS Hosting – which has a big emphasis on customer service & performance.

But for now, we’ll compare Bluehost vs. GoDaddy specifically on price, usability, support, hosting features, and extra features based on my experience and their own guides.

So let’s dive in and compare GoDaddy vs. Bluehost for best web hosting company for anyone just starting out or running their own website.[Continue Reading]

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