Why are they so successful when their website looks like crap?
You’ve thought it. I’ve thought it. Websites that capture the spirit of 1994. Hideous graphics. Hellish stock photos of women yelling at laptops. And yet…the customers don’t seem to care! They’re pouring in! What’s wrong with the world? Indeed, I met someone the other day who was asking, well really, what’s the point of paying for nice design? What’s the ROI of design, when I can see plenty of basic, unlovely websites that seem to be doing just fine? It’s true. Some horrible-looking websites do very well. Why? Let us analyse. 1. They...
Read MoreHow to choose a WordPress theme: 7 questions
I do love WordPress. I see many businesses, especially small ones, constructing their sites with WordPress.* I also see people who can spend hours of their life getting tangled in the back end, when they thought they were using some simple DIY blogging tool. Well, it can be. Until blind ambition takes over, and you decide to implement that fancy new site scheme at 2 pm and at 11 pm you’re still there. Swearing. So here is my guide to choosing a good theme that will work for you and not take over your waking hours. Seven questions to ask yourself. 1. What’s your skill level with...
Read MoreWeb Design Secrets of the (Internet) Rich and Famous
What do you need to have in place in order to attract thousands of readers? Today I’m going to look at five blog-heavy websites, most of which are pretty much Internet Famous. All of the site owners run businesses which depend on the blogs, and together they demonstrate the power of five different elements: desire, rapport, content, headline, and brand. Desire: Tim Ferriss, The Four Hour Work Week Most very successful blog-based businesses are offering something that people want very strongly, and Tim Ferriss is a good example of that. My first reaction is a sort of...
Read MoreWebsite to Wonderful, 4: Creating easy paths for prospects
Fasten up, this is a long post on the subject of emotional landscaping. First: how exactly do you turn a prospective customer into a paying one? And down below, my take on how it works for all you good people selling coaching and counselling as opposed to widgets. You can find previous posts in the series here: Website to Wonderful, 1: Makeover Edition (Introduction) Website to Wonderful, 2: How not to make your visitors’ eyeballs bleed Website to Wonderful, 3: Designing your site with real users in mind If you like it, tweet it, bookmark it, share it with your friends. If the...
Read More37 metaphors to guide your website
In the words of those slightly creepy 70s popstars, Sparks, a metaphor is a glorious thing. What’s your website all about, then? Most people will narrow their eyes at this and mutter that, well, it’s a platform for talking about their services, or selling their products…it’s just a case of getting it all out there. But what’s the feeling you’re after? Do you want to create a piece of glossy advertising that will convince people that your business is rock-solid? Is it about creating relationships? Broadcasting? Maybe it’s the rebellious feeling of...
Read MoreManifesto
Some of us find it quite simple to put our real organisations and authentic selves online.
Others - well, let's just say that some of us can't bear to look at our own websites.
My mission is to help you transform your online presence so that other people understand and appreciate what you really have to offer. So that you can achieve what you want - whether that's better engagement, more readers, or more sales.