Building Better Websites That Visitors Love & Make Money

So your website is a mess — where do you even begin to “fix” it? What does “fixing” it really mean, anyways?

If you’re looking to improve your website, you know how daunting this overhaul can be. There are tips and tricks for almost every facet of the process, from improving your copy to reworking your design.

What you need is a process — not a grab bag of tips that leave you more confused than when you started.

Here’s the 7-step framework you can follow to improve your website content, even if you have no idea where to start.

[Read more…] about How to Improve Your Website Content

In a Twitter stream in 2014, the editor of Slate Magazine outlined 76 ways publishers in digital media and blogs can make money.

The stream went mini-viral in journalism & big publisher circles – the same circles that frequently talk about the death of journalism and publishing online.

But the thread wasn’t just relevant to big, global publishers trying to build their digital brands. The main point – that publishing is in a golden age with lots of money to be made with a little creativity – is as relevant to small publishing operations and blogs as it is to the New York Times.

Here’s my revised version of David Plotz’s 76 Ways To Make Money in Digital Media that anyone with a simple website can implement.

I’ve edited it down to 64 ways by merging similar methods and removing ways that are limited to giant publishing brands. [Read more…] about 64 Ways Small Digital Publishers & Blogs Can Make Money

If there’s one thorn in your side when it comes to website content, it’s the humble About page. Whether you’re a company trying to win big business or a freelancer looking to nail your first gig, chances are your About page could be better than it is.

Think about you own Internet behavior. What page do you click to when you are interested in a website, but have never heard of the brand – the About page.

But designing an about page can be daunting. After all, how do you strike the perfect balance between selling your capabilities and getting so self-promotional that you actually drive clients away (or boring them that they are underwhelmed)?

Don’t worry, it’s easier than it seems. Here are six best practices your About Us page should perform, from what content you need to what the design should include (with examples)!

Your About Us Page Should… [Read more…] about Effective About Us Page Design: Best Practices & Examples

Running a local business is a lot of work, and developing a website it just one facet of developing a strong business. However, it’s incredibly important. Your website is the only part of your web presence that you own & control. It’s the foundation for any local marketing campaign.

It has to be an investment in generating sales – not a cost to be minimized. However, it also can’t be an investment in first-impressions or cutting-edge design either. It has to be an investment in what you customers actually want. Here’s features that studies have shown customers want from a local business website. [Read more…] about Features Customers Want From A Local Business Website

No one reads your website.

Hey! Thanks for reading the second sentence. Believe it or not, you just entered an elite group. Here’s why:

If you’re like most people, you decide to leave or read a website within three seconds.

First, you read a headline. Then, your eyes flit around the page looking for something to do. If the headline happens to interest you, you read the first sentence. If that’s interesting, you read the second.

At this point, you decide if the information and writing style are engaging. If they are, you sit back in your chair and read the whole website…

Or maybe you decide it’s useful, but not interesting enough to actually read. “TL;DR” came about for a reason, right?

So, you commence scanning. Then you’re gone. [Read more…] about The Problem With Website Copywriting (and how to fix it…)

The following is a contribution from Caroline Black, a writer specializing in Internet Security and technology. A website hack or DDoS attack is one of those things that seems like it could never happen to you…until it does. It’s easier than ever to execute an attack. And targets aren’t just large or controversial organizations – they can even be everyday beauty bloggers. Either way, it pays to be aware of the issue before it happens. Read on!

[Read more…] about How to Protect Your Website from DDoS Attacks

Finding truly free images for commercial use is a confusing pain. There are a few things going on.

First, photographers (sensibly) do not give free images restriction-free. And violating those restrictions can result in bad, expensive consequences for your business.

Second, there are incentives for photographers to give free images to businesses with license restrictions. And there are businesses that would rather follow license restrictions than spend budget on good imagery.

Third, many times photographers want to offer the general public images for free, but also reserve the right to charge businesses.

And so – we’re left with a confusing situation for honest businesses on a budget. And unfortunately, there plenty of lists of “free images” on the Internet that blindly list image websites that offer images that are not truly free.

They have license restrictions for businesses, require email registration, require watermarks, or generally go beyond the Creative Commons commercially allowed licenses.

So! I have reviewed 200+ “free image” websites and curated them into this list of 59+ image sources or search tools to find truly free images for commercial use. [Read more…] about 59+ Ways To Find Free Images For Commercial Use

The following is a contribution from Katelyn Dramis, a content strategist, writer, and currently Content Lead at Nebo. Whether you are developing a marketing strategy for yourself or a client, repeating the cliche that “content is important” will not get you very far. But what does make it worthwhile? That’s what Katelyn distills into 4 key angles. Enjoy!

[Read more…] about How To Sell The Importance of Content Marketing With 4 Angles

Marketing your website successfully doesn’t matter if your site isn’t meeting your business goals (ie, making money). Different types of sites may have different problems (ie, your leads are low quality), but there is one sure fire way to quickly kill your online store – getting less money from your customer than it takes to get the product to them.

Usually this problem comes up because of a free shipping offer – one of the most surefire marketing tactics for any online store. Hundreds of blogs, agencies, and studies show the impact of free shipping on both increasing visitors & getting them to hit the Buy! button (not to mention that it pretty much helped build ecommerce empires like Zappos! and Amazon – along with becoming a customer expectation online).

Here’s a look at the pros, cons & alternatives – along with an introduction to a new, free app to help you make the right decision for both your marketing & bottom line. [Read more…] about Profitable Guide To Free Online Shipping for Ecommerce Stores

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…)