Not too long ago, I realized that I had built the perfect brand.
No kidding! My brand is entirely perfect.
No, I’m not talking about search engine optimization.
I’m talking about a much more important, much more universal SEO.
I love to be sarcastic.
I’ve developed this weird ability to use sarcasm to make people laugh. But how can you be sarcastic on social media (or through the written word in general)? It’s difficult for sure.
What was your new year’s resolution?
Most people try losing weight, being healthier, or something similar. Me? I’m trying to work less while producing more.
Warning: This post is a bit of an angry rant against all the crappy web designers and optimizers who make my life harder.
Unfortunately, web design as an industry (along with search engine optimization, also known as SEO) has given itself a tarnished reputation. I would say that at least ¼ of our web design & internet marketing clients have had a bad experience with a web designer, or even with a small web design company.
You don’t need another guide on how to structure a blog post. There’s plenty of excellent articles about that out on the web.
But as an entrepreneur, it might be difficult for you to find the time to constantly create new content. It doesn’t have to be. If you take the right approach, you can get your writing done in no time.
At its peak, Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Enterprises was valued at over $1 billion. It’s an iconic brand that’s stood the test of time (even through abysmal financial performance).
Playboy owns adult entertainment. It’s unlikely that any brand will touch upon it’s legacy. But I’ve got a secret for you: Playboy isn’t about sex, and Hefner didn’t use sex to build his mega-brand.
I don’t mean to pick on you. But I just can’t stand by and watch you make these mistakes in your internet marketing.
I’m sure you understand. You do, after all want to work less and make more money, right?
If you have any online presence, you should be using user personas. Even if you don’t have a website.
But let’s start with the basics. User personas are based on buyer personas. If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you already know that buyer personas are a powerful tool in marketing.
Humans have been around for tens of thousands of years. Heck we’ve even been advertising for thousands of years. Chances are that someone’s already thought of your “innovative” idea.
Sorry to burst your bubble.
No, really. It’s a valid question. Website navigation is simple yet so important. It’s often not given the attention it deserves in the web design process.
According to Usability.gov studies have revealed some pretty incredible stats:
A few weeks ago, I rented the recently released “Friends With Benefits” (aff). Besides being a pretty decent movie, it (surprisingly) taught me an important lesson about life (and business).
If you know anything about me, you know that I’m a bit of a risk taker. I guess it comes with being an entrepreneur; but sometimes the risk is too high, even for me. And I often come across clients who are too conservative to be truly successful in their business.
Right now you’re thinking I’m full of crap.
It’s true though! The key word here is can. You see, many small businesses just blindly throw up a page on their website listing all their testimonials. That, or they ask all their friends to review them on Yelp or Google Places (don’t look away in embarrassment! You’re probably not the only one).
What do the most powerful brands have in common?
They have an army of loyal brand ambassadors willing to spread their message across the world. I read an interesting book a few weeks ago by Mark Hughes (pick up Buzzmarketing from Amazon.com – affiliate link). About half way through, he talks about Britney’s brand.
I meet so many small business owners who have a “brochure” website up and don’t really know why. It’s hard to justify spending anything over a few bucks a months when you don’t understand what the product can do for you.
It’s not their fault though. Services like those I mentioned combined with web designers who charge a few hundred bucks don’t tell the whole story when they sell to a client.