It is started with the radio. Suddenly we were able to hear what’s happening around the world. Wow cool, but it is overwhelming at the same time.
Then came the television and now there is the internet. You can be connected to the world 24/7. It is all very exciting and all the things you can learn and all the information that is available! I still enjoy it most of the time, but sometimes I just have to shut down everything and go for a hike to somewhere with no wifi and no mobile connectivity eighter!
So now among all the noise, it is very important to be clear about your message. A cluttered site has too much on it for your brain to remember. Visitors will remember your design without effort because it makes such a powerful statement.
Advantages of minimalist design are:
clear message
no clutter
easy to navigate
impression of sophistication
minimal maintenance
Minimalist design is taking over because it just works. The style is so simple that users don’t have to think about it. And it is something we all looking for because the world full of information is so overwhelming and simplicity is simply divine.
“Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification.”
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important concept for bloggers to understand.
The key to SEO is learning how Google “sees” your website.
One of the things that Google looks at is the name of your images.
Let’s say that you have a picture of yourself as a lifestyle coach and you looking for clients near where you live.
And the image you upload to your site is named DSC_10234.jpg.
When Google looks at that page on your blog it will think that the image is of a “DSC_10234”.
As you know, that’s not what you want Google to think your image is about.
So, before you upload an image for your post, be sure to change the name to match the topic you are posting about.
If we stick to the lifestyle coach example, something like your-name-lifestyle-coach-your-location.jpg would work perfectly. It will help you come up in Google search when people search for lifestyle coaches in your area.
When you are uploading your image, make sure you write something in the Alternative Text (Alt Text) section. Google can read the text so it knows what your image is about and bring up your website on image searches as well. It is also useful for visually impaired users.
What is a landing page? To put it very simply, a landing page is where your customer first land. Most of the time we call a sales page a landing page and the conversion for a sales page is fairly simple: you want to sell. Just a note, that even your home page is a landing page, so these tips can be applied to those pages as well. With these few simple tips, you can learn the basics of a good landing page design.
1. Use a page builder.
There are many services for this. My favourite one is DIVI. With the help of a page builder creating nice landing pages will be fun and you can use templates, that will give you ideas and inspiration on how to layout the information in an optimized way.
2. Offer value.
Your offer has to focus on solving a problem your client has. It needs to resonate with their lives and offer something they really desire. Then go above and beyond with offering valuable things free gifts, money-back guarantees. Break down why they should opt-in or why they should buy your product or service and why it solves their problem. Focus on your copy. When it comes to landing pages, copy and value you give are the biggest factors that influence conversion rate.
3. Keep it simple.
When it comes to landing page design, simple is the best. Don’t overuse images, headlines, colours. Your design has to focus on delivering the right information to your customers to make sure it is not disturbing for them but enables them to focus on the things that really matter.
4. Show social proof.
There are many different types of social proof. They could be testimonials; they could be case studies, it could be results that other people are experiencing, it could even be videos.
5. Create a video.
The video really helps with delivering information. You need a video that explains everything they’re going to get when they opt-in, buy your product, or sign up for your service. The video should be short and to the point. Under one minute is enough. It should describe everything in a logical order and it should answer most objections people have before they sign up or buy from you.
Let’s imagine, you have an online business and you already have a very nice website. Someone visits your website and really likes what you offer, but not ready to buy from you.
It is harder to get to know you online than back in the old days when people had only actual shops, where you have met in person with each other. So people might need more time and information to make a decision if they want to buy from you or not.
With a mailing list, you’re able to keep in touch with everyone who visited your website (once you ask for permission) and let them know when you have sales or when you’ve got something new to share with them. You can send them really useful information (not creepy stuff), so they will like you and trust you and decide easier what to buy from you. This is why you need to capture emails on your website.
Emailing people via a newsletter is still the most effective way to communicate with an audience. While there are lots of tools you can use to send these emails, MailChimp is the best — and probably the tool used by the most users as well. 246 billion emails were sent via MailChimp in 2016 alone from their over-7 million users.
If you think MailChimp is not good enough, probably you haven’t used it the right way yet.
Why do I recommend MailChimp?
it is free to 2000 subscribers and 12000 emails a month – including automation, A/B testing, landing pages, and custom templates.
it is easy to integrate it with your other stuff, like WordPress and Woocommerce, SquareSpace website, your Shopify store, your Facebook and Twitter profiles.
the messaging and the graphics make it fun to use! I love that Chimp:o)
Examples of using email marketing in ways you probably not thought of:
write a second email to those people who were interested (for example clicked on the link and checked out the product) in your first offer
write to people who visited your shop page, but did not finish buying from you
creating automated letters, so you can keep a personal touch while saving time for you
use your purchase data to send personalized campaigns and better understand how your marketing affects your customers
with the reports included, you can check how well you’re connecting with your audience and how much money you’re bringing in
The sign-up process is easy and fun, so why not start today and sign up for a MailChimp account.
Planning a website can feel overwhelming, especially when you do it for the first time and don’t know what to expect. Here is a brief list of all the things that might come up when you want to start a website.
1. Branding
Branding is about who you want to be and who people perceive you to be. Do you want to appear elegant, serious or playful etc? Determining your look by the logo, colours, images and fonts you want to use on your website. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it is good if you can deliver a clear message to your customers.
2. Hosting and domain
This is the address and the place for your website. You can start your hosting and choose your domain at the same company, like Namecheap. Go and check them out. But if you want to start a Squarespace or Wix website the hosting is included.
3. Think about your delivery process
How do you sell your products and services or how do you wish to sell them?
4. Think about the functions you need for your website
The most typical functions on a website are blog, contact form, payment function, log in for members, newsletter subscription, social media sharing.
5. Collect Images
You can start looking for a good photographer if you want professional images about you or your product. You can also start looking around on free stock image sites, these are listed here.
6. Think about your sitemap and write content for the main pages
A sitemap is a list of the Titles of all the pages that are on the website. You can start writing content as simple as using any Word processor or the online Google Docs.
7. Check your Legal documents
Make sure you have a refund policy, privacy policy, and terms of service.
8. Collect testimonials
Testimonials are always an essential part of a website, so it is never too early to start collecting them.
9. Write 3 blog posts
Not every website needs a blog, but it is very useful to have one, as a blog is the most effective way to make sure people find your website. More on this here. So if you decide you will write a blog on topics related to your business, get started with at least 3 posts!
