Why you should have a website
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Why you should have a website

In this day and age, having any type of business is the main reason why you have a website. No matter who you’re trying to attract, one of the first places they will look is online. Even if you don’t have a business, if you’re trying to create an audience, then a website is still important.

Why you should have a website, for reals

Having a website is important because you own it. You get to decide what to post or sell. It’s your own headquarters and you can build a community on it. If you’re thinking that’s what you use social media for, well think again.

Building your own community

Even though you have a community on social media, there’s only so much you can do on it. You can’t post what you want all the time on there. Plus it’s ever-changing. It’s getting harder and harder to start a community because all they (the social media giants) care about is making money now. If you were one of the first people on social media, that was fine, and you probably have lots of followers, but that is not the case now.

You can’t collect emails from social media. What if later down the line you want to start selling products or services or what if you want to start blogging or vlogging? You need a community or a loyal audience for that. Not everyone on social media will want to be a part of your community, but your fans will visit your website and sign up for your newsletter.

A newsletter will help you create an awesome community that is interested in the topics you want to blog or vlog about. They will also be interested in buying products from you because you would have built trust within your community. The easiest way to get people to sign up is through your website.

community

I’m looking at you, YouTube

I love watching videos on YouTube. I’m one of those people who becomes a super fan when I like a vlogger. The first thing I do, after I binge watch all their videos, is go to their bio and look for a website.

My biggest pet peeve is when they don’t have a website. You have all these followers who adore you and you don’t have a website? That’s crazy. I’m practically ready to stalk your website and buy all the things you like, but nothing. Read More “Why you should have a website”

5 features you should have on your about page
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5 features you should have on your about page

An about page is an important page to have on your website, especially if you’re a small business. This page is necessary because it helps people know more about you. As a small business, people don’t know anything about you. The number one reason people invest in a small business is that they feel connected to you. We’re all used to following brands (even celebrities, they have a brand too) because we fall in love with them, trust them and want to support them. Here are the 5 features you should have on your about page.

The 5 features you should have on your about page:

These features you should have on your about page are all about humanizing your brand. People buy from small businesses because they want to connect with a human, not a big corporation. Sometimes, especially lately with Wells Fargo and the Equifax scandal, people think these corporations only care about money, not people. Our job as solopreneurs and small businesses is to create trust and community. These 5 features on your about page will help.

01.  A picture of you

The #1 thing you should have on your about page is a picture of you. Even though I know this, even I’m guilty of not having a picture of myself, or I was. Now I have one picture, but I plan to add more because I think my about page looks a little cold.

The reason why I only have one picture is because I’m an introvert. Not only that, I’m one of those people who hate taking pictures of myself. I do not feel comfortable about strangers looking at me, and I love my privacy. BUT from a marketing standpoint, I know how important it is.

Having a picture of yourself online builds trust because people know what you look like and that they are buying from a human being. I love stalking people online (not in a weird way). When I find someone I like online (lately for business reasons), I want to know everything about them. I want to know how they started their business, who they are, what made them start their business, and of course, I want to see pictures of them. Looking at pictures of them makes me feel like I know them as people. So, of course, I trust them and want to buy their stuff. Read More “5 features you should have on your about page”

How to launch your online business for under 200 dollars

How to launch your online business for under 200 dollars

People are under the misconception that it costs a lot of money to start a business. This depends on your definition of ‘a lot of money’ and your business idea. If you’re starting off online, it’s way easier to start a business. In this post, I’m going to explain how to launch your online business for under 200 dollars.

How to launch your online business for under 200 dollars:

You need something to sell

The first thing you need is something to sell. Not just anything, but something that people actually want. This can be either a service or a product. When I say product, I mean digital product. Physical products will cost money to produce, so I won’t include them in this post. Read More “How to launch your online business for under 200 dollars”

Branding and expanding your multimedia empire
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Branding and expanding your multimedia empire

In part 1 of How to build your multimedia empire, I talked about fear, how to get over fear, content ideas, and outlining ideas. If you missed it, check it out here. In this post, I’ll be going over branding and expanding your multimedia empire.

Branding and expanding your multimedia empire

Once you make the leap into creating video content, you want to focus on your brand. Your brand consists of everything from your image, scenery, voice, and so on. You want to make sure that you’re projecting the image you want to create. Read More “Branding and expanding your multimedia empire”

How to build your multimedia empire : Part 1: Getting over obstacles and making your mark
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How to build your multimedia empire : Part 1: Getting over obstacles and making your mark

Congrats! You already took the first step into creating your multimedia empire and that is seriously considering it. I don’t want to waste your time, so this post is geared to those who already have evergreen content (newsletters, blogs, etc.) or videos (YouTube, webinars, workshops, and live video tutorials) that they want to use to start building/expanding their audience. Here’s how to build your multimedia empire. Read More “How to build your multimedia empire : Part 1: Getting over obstacles and making your mark”

How to stay productive
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How to stay productive

When you’re working alone, or even if you have a partner, staying on top of your work is important. I have so many things that I want to do, but so little time. So how do I stay productive and on top of all my work? Keep reading for my tips.

How to stay productive, my life upside down

When I first started, I used a lot of tools to keep up with my business. My top tools included Trello, Any.do, Google Keep, Asana, and a physical planner. I used all these tools in different ways. I used Trello to keep up with my blog posts, services, and newsletter. I used Google Keep for notes and writing down my ideas.

Before I started my business, I was already using Any.do to keep up with my personal tasks along with my school tasks, so I started adding my business tasks too. I used Asana for services and expanded to blog posts, and I also wrote everything down in my planner. Read More “How to stay productive”

Inside look at my Brand x Web Design Process
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Inside look at my Brand x Web Design Process

Below is an inside look at my brand x web design process. This is an update to my previous blog post on my design process. In this article, I will outline my step by step design process. This doesn’t include my client process, but in the future, I will post a separate post on my client process. Read More “Inside look at my Brand x Web Design Process”

Tips to Preserve Your Eyesight: Don’t go blind doing what you love

Tips to Preserve Your Eyesight: Don’t go blind doing what you love

I’m not going to lie, I am blind. Without my contacts or glasses, I can’t see anything. It doesn’t help that most of my past jobs required me to stare at monitors, camera screens, or computer screens. Now as a designer, I’m always on the computer creating websites or designing projects in Photoshop or Illustrator. So, how do I save my eyes? Read More “Tips to Preserve Your Eyesight: Don’t go blind doing what you love”

Why You Should Volunteer: Test Drive Your Career

Why You Should Volunteer: Test Drive Your Career

When I moved to San Diego from Houston, I thought that it would be easy to find a job as a video editor. I went through a lot of interviews, and they all seemed positive, but in the end, I got a whole lot of nothing.

That’s when I decided to try volunteering. With my background, the nonprofit I applied for was a perfect fit for me. They needed a video editor and someone to help with their broadcast. Read More “Why You Should Volunteer: Test Drive Your Career”