Why are we all so shy about asking people to endorse our work? I know I hate asking people to send me testimonials but it’s so important! There’s nothing better if you have a service business than posting praise from people you have worked well with. Here are a few ways you can use testimonials to help strengthen your brand

1. Add them to the front page in the side bar with a link for people to read more either in your site or on something like YELP
2. Put a navigation items in that says testimonials so they are all in once place.
3. If clients really like you ask if you can put a link to their site (if they have one) at the bottom of their testimonial on you so you can also support their business.
4. Add your favorite testimonials to your business Facebook page. It may seem vain but it’s not! It’s praise and you should spread the word that you are awesome.

Want to know where you should put them on your site?
Navigation
Sidebar
At the bottom of services pages
throughout your social media

Want to add an extra splash? Graphic design some of them and insert them as images into various pages. Get photos from clients who you want to really show off their quote.

Shanti loves it when people love her. Send your testimonials about your experience to DIY Websites Now or SOS Communications to shanti@sos-communications.com

I can’t tell you how often I get emails from people saying they need help with SEO and what would I suggest. That’s a tough one…I wish I had a quick and easy solution for you, but alas, SEO is complex. You can plugin an all-in-one SEO pack to your site and do all of the proper things that you have heard, but if you haven’t done the most basic first step–creating a document of your company info so it’s EXACTLY replicated throughout the search engines, allo f your hard work will be in vain!

Scott Hendison, an SEO expert I am working with these days, gave me this nifty SEO worksheet to get started with and now I am gifting it to you lucky people. Also here’s a quick SEO program you want to put in place and confirm.

Here are the basic things Scott recommends to get your business listed and out there:

1. Fill out this basic SEO Worksheet. Load all of the information on the suggested sites
2. Make sure all of your PERMALINKS are working on your site and registering what the page is about.

3. Make sure your Google Analytics is working and even if you HATE technology, go look at them every once in a while.
4. Get a blog going. Just write something once or twice a month. No biggee.
5. Get a newsletter going and send it out once a month. Make sure you add a link in it that’s TRACKABLE so you can see how many people click from your newsletter to blog.

There, that’s not too hard right? Now you don’t need to call me and ask me how to deal with your SEO? If you really want the serious stuff, contact Scott!

DIY:  abbr Do-It-Yourself [ˌdiː ai ˈwai]  – is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals. The phrase “do it yourself” came into common usage in the 1950s in reference to home improvement projects which people might choose to complete independently. In recent years, the term DIY has taken on a broader meaning that covers a wide range of skill sets. DIY offers an alternative to modern consumer culture’s emphasis on relying on others to satisfy needs.

We love that the “Do It Yourself” philosophy has expanded into a full on movement of people inspired to take matters into their own hands. We are all about going back to basics and simplifying the process, that is why we’ve named the VW bus as our mascot, not only because it’s fun and makes us smile but because the vintage bus has a clean & simple design that is easier to work on than modern-day cars. We love WordPress for that same reason, it’s simplified the process of building and maintaining your own website. We’ve all built our businesses on that philosophy and want to share the tools we’ve learned along the way. There is nothing like the feeling of empowerment and pride you feel from creating something yourself. Not to mention, the freedom to be able to expand and manage your vision the way you see it as your business grows. There are so many elements to owning your own business that can be very overwhelming. We want to help you take the mystery out of website building, so take that DIY enthusiasm and get moving on your very own website, sign-up now!

This morning my breakfast of choice was grapefruit. Every time I go for this tangy fruit I feel a pang of regret at the fact that I no longer own my beloved grapefruit spoons that I inherited by default from my grandmother when she passed. Somehow in a move they went missing and I never think to try and find something similar until I go to eat a grapefruit. Grapefruit spoons are pretty much the most efficient way to eat the sliced in half sectional fruit if you like to keep it simple. Cut the fruit once and then the little jagged teaspoon scoops the juicy bits out sans the bitter outer membrane. No pre-cutting needed.

So how does a grapefruit spoon relate to DIY Websites Now? Well, it’s about having the right tools for the job. Your tools don’t need to be complex or expensive or top-of-the-line. They simply need to be functional, easy-to-use anywhere, anytime. So ready for the connect here? Wait for it…this is why I use WordPress (birds singing and the whole room lightens up). When I discovered WordPress I had been monkeying around with tons of CMS systems like Drupal and Joomla and they are felt like Greek to me. I just wanted something that would move and change with my needs.

In the beginning, because I was unsure about what really needed to be in a website and I was working with people who were also new to it all, I wanted  flexibility and the option to change my mind if I didn’t like a color, font, or overall look. WordPress gives you this and as you understand the tools more, the world expands.

I start most people off with simple themes like Thesis and Striking because these are great options for getting up and running quickly. As you grow and learn your tools can get more complex, but remember, complex, fancy themes don’t necessarily mean better. Sometimes it best to stick to the basics, like my grandmother’s grapefruit spoons from 1965.

As you start to think about your website don’t get all excited about flash and moving things and a fancy look. Start with a strong foundation and grow out from there.

Want to learn how to work with WordPress? Sign up for my class April 3 from 12-2pm. We will build a site from start to finish!

Interested in taking your graphic skills to the next level? We’re offering a Photoshop class that will get you on your way to creating beautiful custom graphics for your website and business. The next class is April 5th, so mark your calender.

We have officially named this bright and happy blue bus our mascot. You can’t look at it and not smile, don’t ya think?

We just completed our first DIY Websites Now class for February and it went incredibly well. Here’s a quick snapshot of the site we used as the sample site to build out. It’s not quite live yet, but will be soon.We built a site for Stephanie Edman who is a massage therapist and bike fit expert in Portland, OR. The design was create by Mariah, and I did the programming and initial design.

One of the women in our class, Kelly, really rocked it this week and built out her site, although upon chatting with the group she was building for, she realized she needs to make some design changes, but is still pleased with where she got to.

Our next class will be in early March, so sign up now and we’ll be giving a 10% discount!