Web Design

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Sara's Interview - Podcast with Small Business Consultant

On January 5th I had the wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by small business consultant, Sue Whitaker, owner of the The Business Lovemaker and talk show host. Sue and I worked together on her branding and new Business Lovemaker website. During the project, she asked if I would be a guest on her radio show knowing her nationwide listener base would receive some business insight since they are generally entrepreneurs.

Sue interviewed me for 1 hour asking me about my background, my inspiration, how I balance my right and left brain with the type of work I do, tips for business owners and web development, and more. Take a moment to listen to my podcast about business* and keep your ears peeled for a little gift for you at the end. If you have some feedback, please comment below (this is my first interview since being on NPR and CNN for my women's surf shop in 1997, so I was a little nervous).

*If you are having problems playing the audio file, you can right click on the link to download and play on your computer.

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Replacing Mystery Man with your Mug Shot

So you have a blog and you are all giddy about writing your first blog post. Or perhaps you've mustered up some courage to comment on a colleague's post. You finish up, hit send and WHAT the? What is that little mystery man showing by your name? Introducing the avatar.

An avatar is a little icon that helps identify your posts and comments on forums and blogs. Instead of creating a new avatar per each place you post, you can now create a globally recognized avatar, called a gravatar. To do this, you go to Gravatar.com and create a free account. From this account, you can change your image or your byline. It is all managed here, linking your account to your email address. As you change your gravatar or byline on your Gravatar.com account, it will change everywhere you have posted. It's that easy.

So take 5 minutes and replace that mystery man with your stunning smile or a fun gravatar so readers get to know you.

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Sara on the Air - 8:10PST to Toginet.com January 5th

Sue Whitaker, The Business Lovemaker, will be interviewing me live tomorrow (January 5th) at around 8:10 am PST on Toginet.com . Here's what will be going on:

"Starting off 2012 with a bang! My new website goes live Thursday and I interview my website designer Sara Zimmerman on “The Business Lovemaker.” Sara is an award winning artist as well as a website designer and marketing expert. Be prepared to hear great ideas from Sara on what you can do to draw people to your website and increase your business. Tune in Thursday, January 5th to “The Business Lovemaker” on toginet.com at 11:00am EST." ~ Sue Whitaker, The Business Lovemaker

I am launching Sue's website in the next day or two so you can learn more about Sue and The Business Lovemaker. In the meantime, please tune in to listen to this fun radio interview about web ideas, business growth, and learn a little more about me.

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10 Ways to Help Your Business This Year - Resolutions for your Business

Happy New Year!

Many people have mentioned that they are planning to work on their business after the New Year. So, the time has come and many are wondering what to do. Below is your business' New Year's resolution in 10 ways to help grow your business this new year:

1. Get organized: Have receipts flying around and file folders everywhere on your desktop? Create a system to help streamline your paperwork and information. It will streamline your day down the road.
2. Get clear: Get very clear on your messaging, your price structure, and your services. Carve out 2 hours per week to get these three done. This will not only streamline your day, but will also help you clearly get your word out to customers.
3. Establish your goals for the year: What is it you really want? How many more clients do you want or products do you want to sell each month? Sit down and create realistic goals for the year, then break them down per month. Then reflect on what is realistic in terms of your current workforce, hours per week, etc. If your goals exceed your fulfillment, then your goals need to also include growing your fulfillment side of your business.
4. Create a plan based on those goals: How are you going to reach those goals? Create a plan for marketing, advertising, promotions, R&D, etc. Create an overall plan for the year, then break them down per month, and even by week. Assign tasks to employees, coworkers, or even to yourself on your calendar. As much as it seems like a good idea, do not just throw a contest, do not just have a sale, do not just have a newsletter, do not just make a video, etc. You NEED a plan so your efforts invoke a call to action that you WANT to have happen.
5. Create a ToDo Calendar: Finally have some time to work on your business but can't prioritize, let alone remember what you were supposed to work on? Create a to-do list that links to your calendar and assign these new tasks you made from your plan above. Create a system so you constantly return to this list throughout the day so you get in the habit of seeing what is next on the list AND get the successful feeling of crossing your tasks off.
6. Reiterate your message: Let the world know about your message and services by reiterating them on all marketing materials, including your website.
7. Make time for YOU: You are not a machine and you do your best work once you are rested. So schedule some time for you during your busy week. It sounds counterintuitive, but scheduling an hour for a walk, yoga, massage, run, or just some reading time that is strictly for you, will help reenergize you and get you working more efficiently.
8. Get realistic: Does your task list have 40+ things on it each day? Maybe it is time to hire someone? Can a professional help you get something done right in 2 hours that would take you 10 hours to do just okay? Wouldn't it be worth having that professional help you with that task each month so you can spend those 10 hours making money? Or perhaps hiring a mom or high school student who needs some filler work a few hours per month to organize your office or do some errands for you? No need to hire someone to do your main tasks of your business. Just someone to help with the small tasks. Make your life easier and in doing so, you may be helping someone else out who needs some extra work.
9. Learn some more: Stay on top of your industry by subscribing to blogs or Linked In groups that pertain to your business. No need to enroll in hours or hours of classes (unless mandatory for your licensing). Just subscribe to the endless feeds of information on the internet. You will not only stay up to date on new technology and tips, but will also learn about ways to become more competitive in your market.
10. Get real help: Totally confused with what you are doing? There are thousands of professionals who can help you get streamlined in your business and in your day to day living. Spending a few hundred dollars here or there to get you on track may most likely help you earn thousands down the road. it IS worth the investment. If you don't know what to blog about, what or when to be posting to your social networks, how to properly create a newsletter that drives traffic, how to properly hold a contest or sale, how to make a video that converts, or if it all feels overwhelming, contact me or another professional and we can create a plan to make this work for you.

Above are just a few ways to help you get your business on the right rack for the year. Taking the time to help your business grow will prove both profitable and rewarding.

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Video | Sara Makes Santa a Website

Never thought I would get such a gig, but Santa called and needed some help getting his website up to date. His website was an old html site built on web 1.0 standards, his social media presence was next to nil, and his workshop was in desperate need for some efficiency assistance. Here's a little video about how it all went down. Happy holidays!

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Website tips | Be seen and heard year round

So your town has shoulder seasons, also known as the "off season." These off seasons are defined as times when there are fewer visitors and there is less spending happening in store fronts. In tourist towns of North America, these off seasons tend to happen in late Spring and early Autumn. Tourists stay home and commerce is more dependent upon resident spending. But, just because your town has an off season, doesn't mean YOU have to.

Good websites and great marketing strategies allow for your little shop-front in Small Town USA to be seen on a global scale year round. This means that even if spending has slowed down in your area, it allows you to be seen by online shoppers worldwide.

"Good," you think to yourself. "I have a website so I must be taken care of." Unfortunately, that is not true. Just because you can have a website, doesn't mean it is being seen. It may be there and be able to be seen with direct searches (meaning when you type in your URL, you see your website). But most people on the planet, let alone internet shoppers don't know your URL and depend on Google searches and ads. So unless you have great search engine optimization and a marketing plan to go along with it, your website may just be floating in the ethers of the web.

Again, to be seen on a global scale means your website MUST be created correctly and you MUST have a marketing plan that you stick with (PS- a $400 website package will never offer this, fyi). If you want your business to attract new clients, then you need to 1.) get your site created right and 2.) have a marketing plan that fits your budget of time and money each week/month.

Finding a great website designer may take you time, but it is worth it. Here are some tips to help you find a website designer that can help your business get seen and heard. Working with a designer that has a marketing background and knows how to help you with internet marketing would be easiest, but if you can't find one, then search for a marketing firm to help you create one.

The internet and incredible shipping options has opened up the global economy not only for large businesses, but for small businesses, too. There are people buying and selling products around the world each day, every day. Just because your town has a shoulder season doesn't mean your business has to have one too.

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How to choose a web designer

With thousands of website designers out there, choosing a web designer can be a daunting task. So how do you choose a web designer? Here is a list of things to consider when choosing someone to design (and maintain) your website:

Portfolio:

Does their web portfolio provide a list of websites that have the same overall look and feel (style) of the website you want to have? Does their website portfolio show websites that are built on the platform or have the general elements of the website you want? If these portfolios show websites that offer similar layouts, styles, and elements to the site you want built, then that web designer can probably design it for you. If not, this may be a "portfolio builder" for the web designer. This can mean that this designer man not have a clue of what to look for in terms of functionality, testing, and how to make future updates to the site.

Client Testimonials:

How easy is it to work with this web designer? What type of service and website can you expect to get? Look at their client testimonials. Were clients willing to provide testimonials to the developer? Were they willing to provide a testimonial on platforms that links their name, such as Google Reviews and LinkedIn? If not, why not? What is this web designer hiding?

Price Structure:

Freelance designers often question whether to charge a flat rate or hourly rate? Flat rates can be tricky. If a website designer offers that, be sure to look into what you are really signing up for. If you sign up to have a website built for a flat rate, what does it include? If you go over the allocated items of that package, how much are you being charged for?

People think that a flat rate web design will save them money- that they will pay one amount and that's that. However, if you go over the amount of changes, or want another plugin, or are just modifying an old site versus starting new from the ground up, flat rate providers often have high additional fees.

Hourly rates allow customers the freedom to choose what they want for their site, make as many changes as is needed within their budget, and have add-on elements that are not usually offered in package deals. If you are choosing someone with a flat rate versus hourly rate, review the details of what really is and what isn't included. Additionally, if you are choosing someone with an hourly rate, ask them what they charge for and what they don't (i.e. Do they charge for changes and email/communication time? Do they charge for the hour they talked your ear off about politics and coding developments, etc.).

Personality:

Does your personality match or clash with your web designer's personality? You will be working with this designer for awhile. If you cannot meet eye to eye in the beginning in the content strategy planning stages, you will not find a happy medium later on when deadlines and budgets are approaching. Find someone that will make this process fun and hopefully, rewarding. This is YOUR business. Find someone who will help represent you AND be a joy to work with.

Advocacy:

Who is the web designer's priority: themselves or you? Are they so engulfed with making this website so beautiful that they forgot to think about your budget? Are they so excited to work on a new module or plugin that they forgot to see if it matches your overall marketing goals and business well-being? Finding a designer that is an advocate for your business is a must. Therefore, when decisions come up about adding social media elements or mapping software or custom plugins and modules, your designer knows whether or not to spend any time researching it based on if it matches your marketing goals for your business and your budget/timeline.

Budget:

Does this designer match your budget? Furthermore, what is your budget? A business website is one of the most essential tools for successful marketing today. But just having a website is not the issue: you need a functioning, tested, branded, and search engine optimized website with good content, great imagery, and web marketing basics implemented. If not, your site will be lost in cyberspace.

Do some research and/or call a handful of designers (in your country) with your scope of work for your site. You can gain an understanding of what is the standard for what you are asking for. Then see if these ballpark figures are within realm of one another. If you get an outlying, low-ball estimate, ask to see a breakdown of what they are really offering. If you get an incredibly low-ball estimate compared to 3 other similarly priced quotes, something is not lining up. Ask them:

1. Are they using programmers and designers in your country to do the work or are they outsourcing to another country with poor working conditions? (If so, are these working conditions something that is reflective of the ethical standards of your business and do you want to be associated with supporting such practices?) If so, what accountability is there for when something goes wrong? And, if these outsourced programmers are involved with an eCommerce website, do you feel comfortable not knowing what web programmer where has all of your bank account information?
2. Are they using stock imagery, video, or music that they have purchased the licensing to (and is that included in the estimate)? Or will you get a call one day for copyright infringement and a copyright lawsuit because they have stole those elements and cut corners to save a buck?
3. Are they quoting you an html site that requires you to contact them every time you need a change made? Or are they quoting you a content management platform where you will be empowered to make your own content changes?
4. Do they even know what they are doing? You can hear it in their voice. If they can't explain how the process works, what to expect, and they give you a million "yes's" without asking you enough questions, they most likely are looking for a fast buck. Just because they can build a website, doesn't mean they should.

As always, you get what you pay for. If you want your website to perform, you need a good designer (and a great marketing plan, but more about that in another post). Be willing to adjust your budget to what is necessary to get the results you are expecting.

Value:

Golden rule: Treat others as you want to be treated. Same goes for business. If you want to be paid what you are worth, then pay others what they are worth. Yes, sales are great and please take advantage of them. But if you are asking a web designer to do something for free or cheap because they are a friend or because you feel you are entitled to free service, what are you getting in return? Are you getting their best work?

The value of a good website is incredible: websites are an amazing tool that if created correctly and are aligned with a marketing plan and team to implement the plan, they can attract hundreds- and possibly millions- of new clients during it's lifetime. If you find a designer that you like and adheres to the standards of above, be willing to pay their price. They will be an incredible advocate for you and your business, and most likely will perform way beyond the value of their fees.

Finding a good website designer can be challenging. But if you take the time to go through list above, you will most likely find someone who can create a perfect site for you and your business (and can be fun working with in the meantime).

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Artist who does Web Design

People often visit my website to view my fine art and then say, "Wow! I had no idea you created websites too!" They later ask how I can be both an artist AND do something so left-brained like web design and marketing? For me it is easy because they are two passions of mine: I absolutely love to push myself creatively AND I am passionate about finding ways to help people pursue their own business visions.

So what is it that I do for businesses?

When I am working on a business project, I wear many, many hats, including:

• project manager
• SEO and marketing consultant
• graphic artist
• illustrator
• html/css programmer
• UI/UX designer
• content editor
• business coach
• and confidant

Brand development and marketing require someone who can keep the vision in mind while overseeing and executing the daily tasks of the project. From owning a few different businesses and coaching several more, I have had regular practice on how to address the unique nuances of each industry. I work with business visions in mind as I get the realistic details in order and figure out what needs to happen on a daily basis to make a deadline. However, I understand the creative side too, so I get results that are eye-catching and memorable to your target market.

To understand the completeness of a project, the project manager needs to understand how each part works, what is most important for that component to work, and then blend the parts into a perfect marriage. That means someone who understands the visual, marketing, programming or printing, and clients needs.

Each project may sounds simple: "I need a website." "I need a poster." "I need a sign illustrated." But behind each project is a multitude of tasks that need to be done correctly to make your project worthwhile. Before choosing your web designer or graphic designer, look at their portfolio and see if they have the experience to help you with your project. Make sure their past works are something you may like for your business. And read their testimonials. And next time you'll get a better feel why so many people choose someone like me, an artist who does design.

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What is a blog (and why do I need one?)

What is a blog?

I get asked this question all of the time: What is a blog? A blog is a type of website where one page streams information (called blog posts) onto it in a chronological order. It means that there is one page (one URL) that you can visit to see either a flow of new updates, with the most recent at the top.

Many people have a blog which is a stand alone website that shows their posts with a little paragraph about the author. However, in recent years, great platforms such as WordPress, Joomla and Drupal have made it very easy to integrate blogs into full websites (my website design is a good example of this). This means that you can have a complete website with a common navigation menu such as home, about, services, portfolio, contact, and testimonials, AND have a blog as one of those pages.

Why do I need a blog?

The answer lies in your intentions for your content or website. Are you trying to build a business website where you want organic traffic from search engines to find your website? Are you looking for improved rankings on Google, Bing and Yahoo? Are you sick and tired of waiting on a friend or family member to make updates on your website for you? Do you have regular updates to make to your site but aren't sure where to add them to your site?

Here are some of the potential benefits of having a blog:

• Blogs provide an easy place for repeat visitors to visit for updates on your site, versus searching through numerous pages for news and additions.
• Blogs allow for you to write regularly on a subject that has relevant keywords for your site and therefore can make your site more "valid" in terms of searches performed by search engines.
• Additionally, blogs allow you to sound more like a human when writing about that same content again and again (as mentioned above) because you can approach the content from different perspectives in different posts versus having to write it all in one very, very long and drawn-out page.
• Blogs can help attract more website visitors who are interested in your content because blogs can be burned as feeds. People can then subscribe to follow your blog through email or an rss reader.
• Once you have a subscriber to your blog, you have a way to remind people you or your business exist on a regular basis.
• Blogs can be edited by you- no need to wait for cousin Frank to get to your edits.
• Blogs integrate easy-to-use text editors so can be understood with little or no training.
• If you need training, blogging platforms such as WordPress, Joomla and Drupal all are widely documented with great tutorials throughout the web.

Should I use Blogspot or WordPress/ Joomla/ Drupal?

Are you creating a website for a business to show to (hopefully) thousands of people? Or a person dedicating your blog as a travel blog or showing it only to family? Though others may contend, WordPress/ Joomla/ Drupal hosted on your own hosting account is extremely more flexible than Blogspot for the marketing of a business. Though things may change regularly, the main features as why I prefer self-hosted WordPress/ Joomla/ Drupal for businesses are:

• ability to migrate blogs later
• ability to have more than 10 pages
• integration of independent gallery options where you don't have to host your images on Picasa
• ability for eCommerce integration
• thousands and thousands of themes and theme options
• thousands of free tutorials
• you host through your own host, not somewhere where you don't know what they are doing with backups, etc.
• endless storage
• endlessly flexible to support forms, calendars, donation management, event registration, secure online payments, slideshow galleries

Here is some more information about the arguments for and against Blogspot and WordPress. If I were a business owner looking for a new website, though the "free" option of Blogspot sounds tantalizing, it is so limiting that once your business grows, you will need to move your site anyways to support the features of your business.

There are thousands of benefits to having a blog, but choosing the right type of platform is essential. These points will help you to make some good initial decisions and provide inspiration on what you can integrate into your own website design.

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Website Makeovers: Before and After Video

There are many places where you can have an online presence. However, with the numerous sites that allow for rankings and viewable customer feedback, the main place that you can ensure 100% of what you want to say to your potential clients is your own website.

Knowing your website may be your first online impression to your potential clients, why would you sacrifice the look and feel of your site? Below is a video featuring some website makeovers that I have designed and programmed for numerous small businesses. The result of the redesign has been successful for all of these clients, giving them a website they can be proud to market.