The fastest way to create a blog post in WordPress with Gutenberg
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The fastest way to create a blog post in WordPress with Gutenberg

Are you having trouble creating blog posts using WordPress Gutenberg? Here’s the easiest and fastest way to create a blog post in WordPress with Gutenberg.

Change is inevitable, but it still sucks.

I’m going to go over the simplest and fastest way to create a blog post in WordPress using Gutenberg.

The fastest way to post a blog in WordPress with Gutenberg

Here’s the backend of the website. If you didn’t know, I use WordPress and I design WordPress websites.

This is what Gutenberg looks like. Basically, you’re creating content using blocks. Each block is used to represent a header, paragraph, image, and so on.

Honest thought alert!

My honest thoughts are I hate Gutenberg and prefer the original basic word document. It was easier for me to add my own code and less time-consuming.

Now, you might be wondering why I don’t switch back to the original layout, and that’s because of 2 things: laziness and trying to keep an open mind.

I gotta keep up with technology, even my mom is more advanced than I am. She’s the one who taught me about apps and other things that I don’t use on my phone.

Ah, I remember the days of dial-up internet. While I was waiting for the call sound to go through in the background, I could multitask and make a sandwich. Kids have it easy these days. Let me know in the comments below if you remember the struggle.

Anyways, with the changes, I needed a faster and easier way to create blog posts. Then I went back to my tried and true method.

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The 5 most important pages you should have on your website

The 5 most important pages you should have on your website

Before you start designing and making the copy for your website, you want to know what you should have on your website. If you’re just getting started, you should start with the basics. Here are the 5 most important pages you should have on your website.

Wait! I also want to mention this isn’t for someone who’s creating a one-page website. This is for someone who’s trying to build an empire. You want to create a blog, store your YouTube videos, create a podcast, sell services or products, etc. You’re planning on growing in the future. If that’s not you, you can just create a landing page.

Ok, back to the important information.

The 5 most important pages you should have on your website

01 Where am I?

First and foremost, you need a home page. This is the most important page on your site. Why? Because if your audience lands on your page through your blog post, video post, Pinterest, or wherever they clicked on your link in this infinite world of the web, they’ll head to your home page if they liked what they saw from the page they landed on.

Your homepage should have the most important information about your website on it. If you’re stuck on what to put on it, then here are some questions that will help you.

  • Who am I helping with this website?
  • What’s this website about?
  • What do I want my audience to know me for?
  • How do I let my audience know that they’re in the right place?
  • What do I want my audience to do next?

My homepage is called ‘Start Here’. The title is not great for SEO, but I want to make it easy for people to know where to start if they’re new to my website. On my homepage, you know that my name is Paigon (not Natasha Lane), and I help vloggers and entrepreneurs elevate their video content through design and editing so they stand out online and become THE authority in their field.

With this statement, you know that this website is for vloggers and entrepreneurs who create videos. Not only that, but they’re serious about creating videos because they want to become THE authority in their field. You also know that I do it through design and editing. Not into video or design? Then you’re in the wrong place. If you are, then welcome, take all the information I have and grow your empire with me!

If you don’t tell them what the site is about and who it’s for, then you’re confusing the people who land on your website. They just want to know that they’re in the right place. Once they know, they’ll keep coming back for more.

02 About page

I did a whole post on the feature you should have on your about page, click here to check it out. You know what happens when you assume, right! I’m going to take the risk. If you have a website, I assume that you’re doing it for profit. I mean, it cost money to have a website, so you at least want to make enough to maintain it.

There’s just one thing that you need to know if you’re a small business or doing it all alone, and that’s people buy from other people. This is your biggest weapon and that’s why your about page is so important. On this page you should answer these questions:

  • Who are you?
  • What do you do?
  • Why should I buy from you?
  • What’s so awesome about you?
  • How can you help your audience?

You don’t have to put your whole life story on your about page if you’re a private person. Just make sure you answer the most relevant questions that your audience is interested in. Read More “The 5 most important pages you should have on your website”

Am I ready for a Web Designer?

Am I ready for a Web Designer?

Am I ready for a web designer? If you’re wondering if you should hire a web designer, there are a lot of things to consider. If you’re doing things on a whim because everyone has a website, just know there are things web designers have to consider before they even start designing your site. In this post, I’m going to cover everything you need to prepare before you hire a web designer. If you don’t have this stuff ready, then it could put your website launch on hold.

Everything you need to prepare before you hire a web designer

It’s mine!

I want to hope that you’re not starting a business on a whim, but you probably don’t want to hear that from me right now. Before you start a website, you should already have a foundation for your business. Here is a list of questions that you should have an answer to before you start your web design project.

  • Do you have a business name?
  • Can you tell me who your target audience is?
  • Do you have a host and domain ready for your website?

Once you’ve cleared this first level, then it’s on to the next.

Have your copy ready

Now it’s time to think about the copy (aka the words and what/how you want to convey them) for your website. You can hire someone to do this for you or you can do it yourself. I write the copy myself for my website, but if I had to do it all over again or if I get a chance to rebuild my website, I would definitely hire someone to do it for me. I find writing copywriting very time-consuming. Not only that, but I’m sure a copywriter would do a way better job than I’m doing.

If you’re going the DIY route, then I suggest doing everything in a Google Doc. You can create a separate document for each page. Here’s a list of pages that you will need on your website:

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Services
  • Each individual service
  • Products
  • Each individual product
  • FAQ

Once you have all the copy written for your pages, then organize them into a folder.  When you hire a web designer, you can just share the folder with them.

On Wednesdays We Go Rogue

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Why a vlogger should have a website
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Why a vlogger should have a website

I’m a big fan of binge-watching videos on YouTube. When I fall in love with a vlogger, I tend to go to their YouTube channel and look through their social media and website. I always feel disappointed when I discover that they don’t have a website or that the website is made on another platform that they don’t own (blogger or wordpress.com) because the design is usually subpar. Here’s why a vlogger should have a website.

Why a vlogger should have a website

Stake a claim

Having a website means that you own it. Social media is owned by big businesses that only care about how the platform will make money for them, so they don’t have your best interest at heart. A website is owned by you, which means you can do whatever you want with it at any time.

 

It's mine

 

So once you have one, what’s the point? Well, it’s time to build your community. You want to build a community on your own site, just in case the algorithm changes again on the social media platforms and it becomes harder to reach people. Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are always changing how your audience views your content. The easiest way to drive traffic to your site is actually pointing your social media followers to your website. Just add your website link to all your social media accounts.

Another way to build a community is to start a newsletter. Just add an opt-in to your website so that people can sign up. You can get started with Mailerlite or Mailchimp for FREE. Later, when you expand, you can start selling products and services to your list, but in the beginning, you want to nurture your list and build your following by providing great content. The point is, having a website gives you control over your content and opens up new avenues for growth.

Venture out

I hinted at new avenues for growth. What does that mean? It means there are so many possibilities for the future. Maybe you started creating videos for fun on YouTube, but then realize you want to do it as a full-time job. Maybe you started it to market one aspect of your business but decided to switch up your business plan and expand.

Dreams and plans always change, so it’s better to be prepared. It’s never too early to start. The first thing you should do is have a website so you can start collecting subscribers so that you’ll have potential customers who will know you and trust you. Next, you want to think about how you want to be perceived and who you want to attract. Once you answer that question, you can start thinking about branding your business (branding usually comes before the website, but you want to get started quickly).

 

endless possibilites

 

If you’re not sure what you want to do, just start thinking about where you want to be in one year. Then, think about 5 years from now. Are you going to still create videos then? Do you want to have your own business? It’s worth thinking about or preparing for just in case. Read More “Why a vlogger should have a website”

5 tips for creating your own WordPress website

5 tips for creating your own WordPress website

If you don’t have the money to hire a designer, don’t give up on having a website. If you have a genius business idea, just quickly set up your own website, make the money, and hire a designer when you have the budget. Now you’re thinking ‘I don’t have any knowledge of creating a website’, but WordPress makes it really easy. Here are 5 tips for creating your own WordPress website.

5 tips for creating your own WordPress website

01. Looks matter

No matter what, your site has to look professional. If your site looks horrible, you will lose potential customers. WordPress themes usually have a clean and minimalist design. All you have to do is pick a theme that matches what you want. This may sound easy, but it’s actually hard.

Before you even think about creating your website, research your competition or jot down all the things you like about the websites you usually go to. Do you want a blog? Jot it down. Do you hate blog sidebars? Make a note of that. Do you want your navigation in the center or to the right or left? Make note of that.

The first thing you need to do is go to wordpress.org (not wordpress.com) and download WordPress. Once you set it up, you can pick your theme. Now, go back to the list of things you want and don’t want on your website. Does this theme have a blog sidebar? Is the navigation where you want it to be? Once you see a theme that has everything you want, install it.

Warning!

Make sure you also pick a theme that isn’t complicated to use. If you know that there’s a learning curve when it comes to using technology, don’t pick a theme with a lot going on. Do you need that video header? Do you need all those sliders? Only pick a theme you know you can handle.

Remember, you’re just trying to get up and running. You can hire a professional later for all the other things you need. I have seen a lot of people give up on creating a website because they get frustrated.

 

Brand Your Own Biz

02. Where am I supposed to go?

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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”

Brand x Web Design for Tutor in Tinseltown
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Brand x Web Design for Tutor in Tinseltown

Overview

Tutor in Tinseltown offers tutoring services and behavioral and academic consulting. In the future, Tutor in Tinseltown plans to expand into creating products and workshops that educate and assist parents within those categories.

Target Audience

Parents with children 4-20 who have academic, social, and/or behavioral concerns for their children.

Inspiration Board

Brand x Web Design for Tutor in Tinseltown mood board Read More “Brand x Web Design for Tutor in Tinseltown”

Why I use WordPress to design client websites

Why I use WordPress to design client websites

I notice that some people who design websites, don’t really know how to create websites, but focus on choosing a theme from Squarespace or WordPress. I don’t personally have a problem with this because they are actually offering a service. They are designing a website for clients. People put all this emphasis on not being able to develop a website when there are some developers who have no design ability. You need a good design to attract clients. 

Well, I actually have a background creating websites and I’m a designer. I was in the Front End Development program at San Diego Continuing Education (but I didn’t get to finish the last few weeks because I had to move back to Houston). To me, creating websites from scratch using HTML and CSS is fun and easy. Even though I love creating websites from scratch, here’s why I use WordPress to design client websites.

Sidenote: If you live in San Diego, CA., and want to take classes for FREE, check out their website here. I loved the IMCP program (Interactive Media Certificate Program, I think they changed the name) and the Front End Web Development program (FEWD). If you can’t take part in their certificate programs because they are too long (the IMCP program is 9 months long and 25 hours a week), they also have short classes too. I’ve taken WordPress classes, classes on Social Media, Typography, and so on. Almost everything is free, so take advantage of the classes! I wish they offered free schools in Texas.

Reasons why I use WordPress to design client websites:

01. It’s convenient for small businesses.

As a small business, you don’t have time to worry about learning HTML and CSS, so what do you do if you need to create a web page or blog post? After I design the website and upload it to the host, everything is up to the client (unless they pay a retainer fee, then I maintain everything for them). WordPress makes it easy to create a new page and blog post. No coding necessary.

Is Natasha Lane Design Co. a WordPress site?

Even if you know how to code a web page, creating one from scratch every time you need a new page is a hassle. Did you know that Natasha Lane Design Co. was originally made with HTML, CSS, and Javascript? I made Natasha Lane myself and I routed the blog to my WordPress blog. Read More “Why I use WordPress to design client websites”