Building Better Websites That Visitors Love & Make Money

This article – republished from 2013 – is my take on Sacha Greif’s email newsletter of the same title. He runs an excellent blog on design here, and has several blog posts on starting side projects – here, here, and here. You should check it out.

“Content Marketing” is the buzzword to describe giving away lots of free, useful, and relevant information to attract potential customers to your website.

The basic idea is that customers are looking for answers and information via search engines and their connections on social networks.

If you are the business that provides the content – not does your website get the visitor, but you get the brand boost.

Advertising costs money. Content, however, costs time and creativity. Often small businesses will have more of one than the other. And despite some warnings, there are plenty of industries (I’m looking at you heating & air) that could be a quick, free win for owners willing to produce content.

So what to write/film/etc/etc about? How can you use your website to get more customers? How do you generate leads for your website or small business without wasting time?

The short, vague answer is that you need to provide solutions to people’s problems – whether that means they are vexed, searching, or just bored.

Quick Aside: I’m not devaluing the need for content strategy or personas. Do not fall into one of the myths of content marketing. That said, I think that the main danger is not doing anything at all. Just start, and see what works for you and your audience.

Here are 11 specific topic ideas that I strive to use myself and have observed successful website owners using. [Read more…] about 11 Topic Ideas For Content That Generates Visitors and Leads

Here’s the problem too many new websites and blogs face: your site just doesn’t look that good without amazing imagery. You’re looking for quality stock photos, but are confused by the licensing, royalties and expense of good imagery.

There’s also the issue of a fine up to $150,000 for copyright infringement that can happen to anyone (no matter your site size) who uses an image outside of the scope of the license.

And yet, the world of searching for free or paid royalty free stock photos for your website can be a confusing world. Licenses aren’t spelled out completely. Prices aren’t visible. Or worse, a site is licensing a photo that it has no right to license – putting you at risk of copyright infringement despite attempting to stay above the law.

Here’s the resources I use to find straight up free and royalty free stock photos for blogs and websites. [Read more…] about How To Find Amazing Royalty Free Stock Photos For Your Website

Imagine building your own house. Whether you or a contractor builds it – you will mainly care about the design, layout, and whether the cupboards have enough space, right?

But – you’d also care on a certain level about the materials, engineering, and craftsmanship behind the scenes – even if you don’t know exactly how they work.

You’d want the right materials for the job, so that you’d have a house that lasts; that does what you want it to do; that isn’t a pain to use; doesn’t make you reliant on that builder; and doesn’t break the bank.

It’s the same way with websites – here’s why (and how to choose). [Read more…] about Why Your Website Platform Matters (and how to choose…)