If you’re our existing or prospective client, you’ve probably asked this question as the world seems to have gone wild talking about ChatGPT and all the other popular AI tools. 

In fact, you’re far from alone in asking this question. Orbit Media and QuestionPro asked over 1000 consumers if they would like their service providers to get help from AI.

Interestingly, 40% said they would choose a marketing agency that gets AI to check their work, and 25.5% prefer to work with a company with AI-generated graphics and copy (which is then checked by humans).

Every agency should tackle the question – how much do they use AI

We think every marketing, SEO or content agency that uses AI should be completely transparent about how they incorporate these tools into their work, which is why we’re addressing this topic right now.

If you’re considering working with us, here’s how we use AI in our content marketing process.

Why and how we’re NOT using AI

First, let’s talk about how we’re not using AI.

Yes, you read that right. We don’t use AI software to create your written content.

Instead, we have a team of experts (including myself) who do this. And what you can expect consistently from our team is creative and original writing that isn’t taken from anywhere else on the Internet.

The only place we’ll use AI in the writing process to help us out when we need it. We like to think of it as our personal assistant. So sometimes, when you just can’t think of the right word or want a stellar metaphor, AI can be helpful!

So why did we go down this route and decide not to use AI tools such as Chat GPT to create your content?

Well, glad you asked…

1. Humans feed AI the data. AI can’t create content that’s never been produced before!

When working with clients, we aim to produce content that’s never been written before. Phew, right? The last thing you want is a collection of paragraphs copied and pasted from the Internet and a copyright infringement lawsuit on your hands!

Now in fairness, AI tools don’t copy and paste content, as such. But the ideas, concepts, and information AI puts together come from data that already exists. 

And it’s been fed data by humans. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s A LOT of data. 570 GB to be exact. And in non-geeky terms, that’s 300 billion words from various places such as books, websites, original research etc. So it has a lot to go off. But any content or ideas it creates will originate, in some form, from somewhere else.

What we do is completely different. We create content that only you can produce. 

The topic isn’t necessarily unique, but how you present the topic is. For example, let’s say you want to create “How To” content that shows your audience how to do something (step-by-step). You could do this why using an example of your client, and how you achieved this very thing for them. That type of content teaches your readers something new and showcases your unique knowledge and expertise.

And guess what? No AI tool can do that! Because AI can’t:

• Use personal experiences or lessons learnt.
• Use specific examples of your previous work or client success stories.
• Sprinkle storytelling into your content.
• Talk about how your specific products and services work.
• Use original research.
• Interview others on your behalf for expert input into your content.

A human writer can only do this.

2. AI can’t replicate your exact tone of voice

Another thing that AI tools don’t do very well is replicating your exact tone of voice. They do okay at switching from formal to informal, for example. And the way AI does that is by adding a few exclamation marks here and there and taking out phrases like “yours sincerely”. But that’s not really what we’re after when we talk about content in your tone of voice! There’s a lot more to it than just being formal or informal.

A piece of content that’s written in your tone of voice is simply something that your Mum, Nan, or best friend (or any client who knows you well) could pick up, read, and think: “Wow! This sounds exactly like you! I read it and I can hear your voice in my head“.

So what we aim for when we create content for our clients is to produce something that sounds like them.

To do that, your writing needs to include your typical go-to phrases, expressions, colloquialisms, emotion and sense of humour (if applicable to their brand).

You know those words that you find yourself saying to your customers over and over again? Those things need to appear in your content. And AI tools simply can’t do that. Because they’re not in your brain, and they don’t know you like your Mum, Nan, or your best friend do!

Related article: How to Nail Your Brand Tone of Voice for Your Business [With Examples]

3. Lack of creativity 

The first reason we chose not to use AI tools to create content for our clients (or our own business, for that matter!) is that ChatGPT and other AI tools are trained to create content based on the text it’s provided. There’s no originality there. And that’s simply because software cannot and does not think!

Sure, AI can search for and pull out existing information, text, and data and put it together in a nice and coherent way in a fraction of the time it would take a human. 

And sure, the text won’t be copied – it’ll be unique. But it can’t be creative, and that’s a big difference! It means it can’t make original connections between thoughts like you and I would.

What makes engaging writing is the human ‘thinking’ behind it. This is why we only rely on human writers for content creation for all our clients.

4. Better quality content with human writers!

All in all (and for the reasons above), while AI-generated content can be really good, it just can’t beat the quality of writing and depth of thinking you get from a human writer.

And ultimately, that’s why we made the decision not to use AI software when it comes to content creation in our agency – for ourselves and our clients.

And maybe things will change in the future; who knows? But right now, we’re on team Human when it comes to your content writing, but with a little AI to help us when we need it.

Does it mean we’re ignoring AI and not using these tools?

Not quite.

So let’s get into that.

How we are using AI in our content marketing agency

With that all said (and in the interest of full transparency), we are using AI tools to support the content marketing activities we offer our clients. But we’re using AI tools for very specific tasks, which are mainly around repurposing content. 

So, for example, we use ChatGPT to repurpose your written content (i.e. the blog posts we’ve created for you) into:

• Promotional emails. 
• Social media posts to share on platforms such as LinkedIn or Facebook. 
• Scripts for podcast episodes.
• Short-form videos for TikTok or reels. 
• Full video scripts.

Curious as to how this all works?

In a nutshell, we feed the content we’ve created into ChatGPT and ask the tool to repurpose it into different types of content that can be shared on other platforms.

The key difference here is that you’re using your own original content. The tool is just reworking it, so you can do many different things with it. But the piece of software didn’t create the content for you in the first place.

What do we mean by repurposing? 

When we talk about repurposing, we mean that you’ll need to tweak your original piece of content to turn it into other formats.

So when we say that you can repurpose a blog post into one or more social media posts, it’s not just about posting something on Facebook or LinkedIn to say: “Hey! I wrote this blog post. Here’s the link. Go check it out!”.

That’s not what you want to do.

Instead, you want to take that original piece of content (and we always recommend that’s a blog post), break the points down, and reformat the content so it works for the specific platform you want to share it. And yes, you can add a link to your original piece if you like (at least some of the time), but you don’t always have to.

Related content: How to Repurpose a Blog Post (and Save Yourself So Much Time!)

Is repurposing with AI as simple as copying and pasting? 

So when we talk about using AI tools to repurpose your original piece of content into something else (social media posts, a script for a podcast or a video, etc), we’re not simply talking about having the tool copying and pasting your words from the blog post so you (or your VA or Social Media Manager) can then copy and paste them onto your social media channels.

It’s not quite as straightforward as that.

This is why we’ve just hired an awesome Content Marketing Expert who is experienced in ChatGPT to repurpose the content we create for our clients into various different formats.

The tool is good, but it does need some help from a human to do a couple of things…

1. ChatGPT needs to be given a lot of direction!

For the tool to do precisely what you want it to do (and do an excellent job of it), you need to give it a lot of direction.

Writing prompts that give you the output you want isn’t as easy as it may sound, so you have to constantly tweak what you ask the tool to do for it to deliver exactly what you’re asking for.

For example, if you want the tool to repurpose a blog post into a promotional email, you have to tell it to first summarise the blog post into key bullet points and then add a good hook at the start and a compelling call-to-action at the end.

Unfortunately, if you want a good-quality email to send to your list, it’s not as simple as saying, “Turn this blog post into an email”.

There’s more work required than that, which is precisely why we’ve hired someone who knows how to write. Because they know the hooks, persuasive language, and writing formulas to follow to get the best out of the tool and your content.

As we’ve said, the tool can only do so much. But combining the tool with a professional, experienced writer is a winner! 

2. Output content needs editing

Once ChatGPT gives you a piece of content, you can’t just copy and paste it. You’ll need to review it and edit it to make sure it all makes sense, and the quality is good enough to share.

It’s not just a matter of asking the tool to do something for you and being able to use it without double-checking it and potentially having to make some changes to position the ideas in a way that makes sense to your audience on social media, for example.

So what does this mean to our clients?

Using ChatGPT to repurpose content rather than creating original pieces means that when hiring us, our clients receive original content written and edited by humans and humans!

But…

We also get the help of AI tools to do the things they do best (when given the right input), and right now, that’s repurposing the original content we’ve created for you into different pieces of content that you can share elsewhere (social media, email, etc.).

Sounds like you’re getting the best of both worlds, right?

Probably!

And that’s because you are!

Want some help creating epic SEO content? 

If all this sounds interesting and you want some help to create content that helps you stand out in a crowd filled with AI-generated content, we’ve got your back! We’ll write content for you that turns you into the go-to company in your industry, drives more traffic to your website, and generates more sales for your business.

Sounds good? Check out our Blog Management Service here.

Lyndsay Cambridge

Owner at Jammy Digital, Digital Marketing Specialist and Writer of Young-Adult Fiction.

jammydigital.com

The post How We’re Using AI in Our Content Marketing Agency appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

You know it’ll save you oodles of time and/or get you more leads and sales, but you think to yourself, ‘It’s okay. I’ll buy it later.’

But what happens the next time you check it out? Yup, the price has gone up.

So, to avoid that happening to you, consider this your pre-warning!

On Friday, 27 Jan 2023, we’re increasing the price of our 1-2-1 SEO and blog management service.

So what’s going on, Jammy? How much are you increasing the price by?

Currently, we have 3 packages, aptly named our Bronze, Gold & Platinum packages.

Each package comes with

• Extensive keyword research
• Your own content strategy based on your goals and the keyword research
• Done for you blog posts (the number changes depending on which package you choose)
• Uploading your content to your CMS
• Image design, such as your blog post featured image and your call-to-action image (if you’re wondering what a call-to-action image is, see just below 😉)
• Optimisation of your content
• A repurposing plan for your content – so you know exactly how to maximise this content

The Silver package currently costs £1297+VAT per month (includes 2 blog posts at approx. 1500 words)
The Gold package currently costs £1797+VAT per month (includes 3 blog posts at approx. 1500 words)
The Platinum package currently costs £2297+VAT per month (includes 4 blog posts at approx. 1500 words)

And no, there is no ‘bronze package’ or ‘copper package’, unfortunately. 😂

From Friday 27 January, the price will increase for each package:

Making the Silver package – £1497+VAT
Gold package – £1997+VAT
Platinum package – £2497+VAT

But why are you increasing your prices Jammy?

We’re not increasing our prices because we feel like it. Because it’s the start of the year, and that’s just the ‘done thing’.

We’re increasing our prices for a few specific reasons, and we want to share these reasons with you.

Ultimately, we’re big believers in ‘charging what you’re worth’ but NOT raising your prices ‘just because’.

When we work on projects, we measure everything—the time we put into each project, the outside learning we do to make projects even more successful, the tools we buy, etc.

We LOVE to give our clients everything that will make them successful. But with that, we have to evaluate our service and whether we need to increase the price to reflect everything we do.

So, with that in mind, here’s why we’re increasing our prices…

1. The content strategy and keyword research are worth thousands on their own

When we initially launched this service, we knew we would include content strategy and keyword research.

After all, there’s no point in publishing content if it doesn’t help you achieve your goals, right? So we need to make sure we have the right content plan in place before we even think about writing.

But what we couldn’t predict was how intensive this could be (which is why we charge £2000+VAT for our content strategy & SEO audit service separately!)

What does our content strategy include?

• A content strategy call with you

This is where we figure out your goals, what your typical year looks like, what problems you’re facing right now, who your audience is, how you’re positioned etc.

This helps us formulate a plan and understand what content we can create that will help you reach your goals.

• In-depth keyword research & competitor analysis

Once we’ve had our call together, we’ll do the nitty-gritty technical research to find out exactly what you’re audience is searching for on Google.

This is a time-consuming process that’s part art, part science. But we can find a little goldmine of content ideas that can rank on search engines this way!

We also take a look at your competitors and what content they’re producing that is performing well. And also where there are gaps that you could fill!

• Creation of your content strategy

Finally, after all that research, we put together a content strategy based on the initial call and our keyword research.

This will include the findings from our keyword research and three-six months of content ideas. We’ll give you the titles for these content ideas and a brief overview of them.

Because of all this intense work, it makes sense to increase our prices so we can continue to deliver content strategies that deliver results.

2. We’re spotting (and often fixing) technical issues

You may not know this about us, but we’re website designers (have been for over a decade). So we often spot technical issues with your website that need to be fixed. These issues are sometimes things that could prevent or limit your rankings and impact user experience.

This includes things like:

• Pages/posts missing important metadata
• Google analytics set up
• Website indexing issues
• Page speed issues
• Broken links

3. We act as advisors for your whole business

We aim to help you get more organic traffic and sales, but we don’t just focus on content writing.

We’ve supported our clients with their wider marketing activities, looking at how these can boost results for SEO and get sales (without any extra work from them!)

This includes things like:

• How to get the right backlinks when appearing as a podcast guest
• How to build backlinks through PR
• How to repurpose your content to LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook
• How to promote your content to your email list
• What lead magnet you should use, and how to create it (we’ve also created lead magnets for our clients too)

And that’s why we’re increasing our prices! So what’s next for you?

When you put it down like that, it’s easy to see why we’re raising our prices by 10% (and this is why we recommend everyone create a piece of content like this when they’re raising their prices!)

Remember, you have until Friday, 27 January, to grab your spot on our SEO and content management service before the doors close and the price goes up!

Lyndsay Cambridge

Owner at Jammy Digital, Digital Marketing Specialist and Writer of Young-Adult Fiction.

jammydigital.com

The post Why Are We Raising Our Prices For Our SEO and Content Management Service? appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

It was up there with Valentine’s Day for my most hated days – yes, I am that miserable person who goes on and on about it being commercialised nonsense.

And Black Friday was no different. But then I just couldn’t stop myself from opening some emails from my favourite companies. And lo-and-behold a few days later parcels would arrive containing chocolate and stationary – obviously for gifts and absolutely not for me.

I don’t want you to buy a dud.

But…I’ve also bought a few duds too – especially for our business. You know the ones, where you think this is an AMAZING deal, and then you never ever use it? Yeah those. So this blog post will tell you all about our Black Friday offer, and you can decide in advance of Black Friday if it’s right for you.

Zero buyer’s remorse!

What is our Black Friday offer?

We’ve created the Ultimate Blogging Bundle! 

What does our Black Friday offer include?

Our Black Friday Offer includes:

1. The Blog Post Template Pack

These are Blog Post Templates for business owners who want more traffic, rankings and sales from their content in way less time.

This includes…

• 17 fill-in-the-blanks blog post templates
  We have seventeen blog post templates that will get you either rankings and traffic or leads and sales. This will give you a huge headstart on your blog content in 2022.
  
  Blog post examples include:
  The Nudger – a blog post that explains why you’re raising your prices and how people can buy at your current rate
  The Fixer – a blog post that teaches people how to fix a problem they are having that you can help with
  The Repeller – a blog post that helps you repel those who aren’t the right fit (and attract your dream clients)
  
  
• 4 blog posts featured image graphics
  You can select one of four beautifully designed blog post featured images to edit with your colours/fonts/logo. These are designed in Canva – you only need a free license to access them.
  
  
• Two call-to-action graphics
  Throughout your blog post, you’ll want to advertise a product/free lead magnet/book a call. You can use our call to action graphics to do this. Free to edit as you wish in Canva.
  
  
• (NEW) Two bonus Christmas blog post templates
  We’ll also give you two Christmas themed blog post templates you can use in December to promote your products or services.
  
  
• An SEO cheat sheet
  This will help you optimise each blog post you create, making sure you dont miss anything important!
  

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2. A Personalised Blog Post Video Critique!

This is where we’re getting a little bit excited because once you’ve created your first blog post (of many!) using our templates, you can then send it us to review.

What we’ll do is review the blog post, telling you EXACTLY how to improve it for SEO. You can then use our personalised advice across all future blog posts you create.

We will send our personalised review to you via video format (we’ll record our screen at the same time to show you exactly where you can improve).

Your video will be 10-15 minutes in length.

3. Our New 90 Day Content Marketing Workbook (physical copy sent to you in the post)

Finally, you’ll also receive a physical copy of our 90 Day Content Marketing Workbook!

The workbook includes…

• An overview of the 8 types of content topics you should produce
• 30+ blog post ideas you can use straight away
• Sections for evaluating where you are currently, such as your current website traffic and search rankings
• One page per piece of content you need to produce with prompts to help you with SEO
  Blogging, podcast and video checklists
• A section to evaluate how far you’ve come in 90 days
• Notes sections
• The perfect accompaniment to the blog post templates

The workbook will be posted to you and you’ll also receive a PDF version. The delivery times vary depending on where you are in the world (we’re posting from the UK).

How much does it cost? And why is it such a big deal?

Ever seen a Black Friday ‘offer’ that was a bit..well how do I put this? Shit?

Where they haven’t really discounted anything? Just ramped up the price before and then discounted it to what it was originally? Yeah, I hate that.

So I’m going to break down the cost of this and why it’s such a steal.

The total cost of this product is $97.00 (plus VAT if applicable). 

To break down the costs, to buy these products separately it would cost you…

• The blog post template pack is currently $47.00
• The workbook is $30 
• And the SEO review of your blog post is $124

So that’s $201. A total saving of $104. 

How long will I be able to get the offer for?

The offer is available from 12.00am on Thursday 24th November to 11.59pm on Monday 28th November 2022.

Where can I buy it?

The page where you can buy it is almost complete! You just can’t access it yet. We’ll make it available on Thursday evening to go live on Friday.

Are there similar offers out there for the same product?

We have actually looked and there isn’t anything out there like the blog post templates (that we’ve seen). This isn’t our way of selling it, by the way! We just can’t find a similar product!

Who is this for?

This is for anyone who wants to get better results from blogging i.e. more traffic, rankings and sales.

Lyndsay Cambridge

Owner at Jammy Digital, Digital Marketing Specialist and Writer of Young-Adult Fiction.

jammydigital.com

The post What’s Our Black Friday Offer 2022 All About Then? appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

Is this what you should focus on in your business right now?

Will it actually work?

Should you redesign your website first? 

Should you have brand guidelines? 

Should you wait until you’ve introduced another product or service you’re planning on introducing?

It’s all a bit confusing right? Well in this article, we’re going to tell you exactly what you do and don’t need in place before you invest in an SEO content writer. 

What is an SEO Content Writer anyway?

First thing first, what even is one of those, right?

An SEO content writer is someone who produces compelling content in your tone of voice and style that is so engaging that it gets your readers to take action.

That’s the ‘Content Writer’ bit of the title.

So what’s the ‘SEO’ bit all about, then?

The ‘SEO’ bit means that a content writer typically has a deep understanding of SEO. They won’t just write any old content, but they’ll also optimise it for the keywords you want to rank for. And they’ll do it in a way that sounds natural and not robotic – a way your readers will love. 

Makes sense?

This last bit is important. Because if you’re thinking about this service right now, it’s because you want your content to attract more traffic to your website and perform better in the search engine rankings.

But your readers still need to be at the heart of it all. And if you end up with blog posts that read like they’ve been written by a robot, you need to fire that SEO Content Writer – pronto! But a good one will make sure all your content is informative, engaging, and useful to your audience.

Related content: What is an SEO content writing service? And how does it all work?

So now that we got that out of the way, why are we writing a whole article about what you need to have in place before you can hire your very own SEO Content Writer? After all, we offer an SEO content writing service, don’t we just want to work with anyone and everyone?

Short answer, no. 

Long answer! We want to make sure we offer the right service for your needs right now so you can make a decent ROI out of hiring us. Otherwise, you’d be unhappy and feel like you’re wasting your precious time and hard-earned money. And that would make us sad too. Which is not a good outcome for anyone, right?

So let’s look at what you don’t need first.

A quick overview of what you do and don’t need before you hire an SEO Content Writer 

Things you DON’T need before you hire an SEO Content Writer

1. A fancy-pants, expensive website

You might think it’s a bit odd that expert web designers are sitting here (with a straight face) telling you that you don’t need a fancy-pants website to make your content work.

But it’s true.

This might sound like news to you, but websites are never forever. As your business evolves – and your products and services change with it – your website needs to change too. That means that during the lifespan of your business, you may go through a lot of different websites or re-designs. Does that mean that you can’t have any content on your website right now because you might be changing your services one or two years down the line?

Absolutely not!

If you have content on your website and decide to update it or start again with a different one, you can always transfer any blog posts you’ve already published onto your new site.

So let’s not use the fact that your business (and website) is still evolving as an excuse not to create any content. You’d be missing out on business and leaving A LOT of money on the table.

Related content: Why You Shouldn’t Redesign Your Website (And When You Should).

A caveat: what if you have an old-fashioned website (that looks BAD)

So you don’t need a fancy-pants website, but once you decide to invest in epic content for your website (i.e. the type of content we write for you), your content will start to bring more traffic to your website (yay!) and also increase your rankings in the search engines (get in!). 

So surely, when your prospective leads and customers land on your website, you want them to see something that looks good, right? But more on that in a minute…

What you definitely DON’T want is something that looks like it was designed 30 years ago when people still used MS-DOS and computer listing paper (if that’s before your time, look it up – it’ll be a laugh).

Now, that kind of outdated stuff would put your readers right off. They’d be clicking the back button faster than you can say “Hey!” and never actually get to consume the amazing content you’ve paid us to create for you.

We don’t want that either.

2. Brand guidelines

We hear this a lot from prospective clients: “We don’t have brand guidelines, so we can’t work with you yet.”

Technically, that’s not true. You definitely CAN work with us. Sure, brand guidelines are nice for you (and for us) to have. It means you’ve already done the groundwork to figure out how you can use imagery, text, and design elements together to represent your unique brand and show up consistently on different platforms and mediums. 

It also means you’ll have done the work on your ‘tone of voice’ and how you want to ‘sound’ to your customers. And yes, having that understanding would help us create content that fits with the rest of your brand.

But it’s not essential.

Why?

Because we can figure all that out together. During our kick-off call, we can tease out your tone of voice and fine-tune it as we go. You’ll give us feedback, we’ll take it onboard, and ensure that any content we write for you sounds exactly like you would.

It’s not Black Magic, promise. It’s what we do, and it’s based on cooperation and collaboration with you.

Related content: How to Nail Your Brand Tone of Voice for Your Business [With Examples].

3. Everything to ‘be perfect’ 

We see this all the time. And it makes us oh-so-sad.

A lot of website owners put off content creation (sometimes even indefinitely!) because they want everything to ‘be perfect’.

So they wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

But the right time never comes because, as we pointed out earlier, your business is always evolving and changing. So things are never going to ‘be perfect’. There’s no such thing. Sure, they might be perfect for RIGHT NOW. But 12-18 months down the line, they might not.

So don’t wait.

Because you’ll forever want to make changes and tweaks – to your business, your products and services, your packages, your website, and even your content. And that’s fine.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t capitalise on what you have right now. So create content around your existing products and services (the ones that your prospective customers can buy today), and you’ll attract more traffic to your website, show up higher in the search engine rankings, and get more leads and sales in your business. And that’s more dinero in your bank account, thank you very much.

Right. So that was all the stuff you DON’T need. But what is it that you DO need if you’re getting ready to hire an SEO Content Writer to write for you?

Things you need before you hire an SEO Content Writer 

1. A professional-looking website

It may sound like we’re contradicting ourselves here.

But we’re not.

We told you that you don’t need to spend thousands on a professionally-designed website or hire a super fancy web agency to create your business website. And it’s true. But you do need a professional-looking website.

Note: That does NOT mean expensive!

This may sound a bit vague and subjective, but you’ll know what the opposite of that is – boring, dull, full of stock photos of people in suits and offices, and something that looks like it was designed in the wrong decade.

You don’t want that.

You want something fresh with colours, fonts, and photographs that reflect you, your business, and your personality. Your copy has to explain exactly what it is you do, it has to be easy for your user to find where they need to go, and your images should be good quality. 

Nope, it does not need to be a 50K website designed by some high-end agency, but equally, it shouldn’t have had its last redesign in 2007! There’s a fine balance between the two, but we find the majority of people who get in touch do hit the mark with their websites.

2. A website that ‘technically’ works well

You don’t want any major technical issues with your website, as this can hinder your search engine rankings and annoy your website visitor.

Before we start working with you, we run an audit to check that your website is in good condition for Google. If it isn’t, don’t worry, we can work with you to fix it!

Some things to make sure you tick off are:

• Your website is mobile-friendly

You know how it works – most people check websites on the move on their smartphones, so you need a website that looks good on mobile as well as on desktop.

• Your website loads relatively fast

Again, you know that Internet users have little time and patience. We want things, and we want them now. If a website takes ages to load, we probably think it’s spam, or that it’s down, and it’s just not worth our time. So we’ll move on to the next thing and forget about going back again. That’s a lost lead or customer. And you definitely don’t want that.

• Your website is user-friendly

Our websites are about our businesses, yes, but they need to work for our audience as much as they do for us as business owners. Is the information easy to find? Is your website easy to navigate? Or are people getting lost? Are their burning questions being answered? Are your blog posts designed and structured in a way that makes it easy for your readers to skim-read them and get the information they want as quickly as possible?

This is what it means to have a professional-looking website. But it doesn’t mean you have to hire an agency to create it for you.

Related content: The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Website and How much does it cost to build your WordPress website?

3. Knowing exactly what you’re selling and to who 

Your content should always point to what you’re selling, so we need you to be crystal clear about the products and services you offer and how you package them.

Do you offer monthly packages? Recurring fees? Do you sell a bespoke service, or is it a one-size-fits-all offering? Do you sell different packages at a range of prices? Who’s your ideal customer? Do you have a niche?

We create content with the aim of getting you more leads and sales, so it’s important we know what you want us to promote and talk about because, obviously, depending on what you offer, the content will vary.

Also, depending on who you’re talking to, the way we approach your blog posts and the language and tone we use will be different. Do you know what problems your customers are experiencing? Do you know how to talk about those problems and how your products or services are the perfect solutions for those struggles?

If you’re not yet super clear on this then you’re not ready to invest in content. But don’t worry, this is usually something you can work through quickly!

Related content: 11 Reasons our SEO content writing service is not right for you.

4. A lead magnet

And finally, this isn’t a must, but having a lead magnet is definitely helpful if you want to increase your audience. A lead magnet is usually something you give away for free in exchange for your web visitors’ email addresses.

A lot of lead magnets are handy ‘How to’ guides that help your audience solve a particular problem you’re an expert in. But they don’t have to be. You could also use content upgrades (these tend to be pieces of additional content that people can sign up for from within a blog post) or even a quiz. We have one, and it’s called The SEO Quiz.

There are several types of lead magnets you can offer on your website. But if you don’t have one just yet, don’t worry! We can definitely help you create something amazing that works for you and your business.

Related content: The Ultimate Guide to Generating More Leads From Your Website.

So this is it. That’s exactly what you need to have (or not have) in place if you’re thinking of hiring us as your SEO Content Writers.

Martin & Lyndsay

The post What you do (and don’t) need to have in place before you hire an SEO Content Writer appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

What you really want to know is whether you should hire us.

Are we the right fit?

Or could hiring us turn out to be an even bigger mistake than the eighth Fast and the Furious movie? I mean seriously, how many do we need?

Doing business with someone, especially long-term, is a commitment. It’s a bit like any relationship–there has to be respect, honesty and good communication. We have to be on the same page. Otherwise, it ends up stressful, time-consuming, and could potentially end up in a divorce. Not a happy ending for anyone.

So in this blog post, I’m going to go through the reasons why you shouldn’t hire us, so you can establish whether we’re the right fit for you and your business.

And don’t worry, it’s not full of bullshit reverse-psychology reasons like, ‘you shouldn’t work with us if you DON’T want your business to succeed.’ 🙄

So who shouldn’t hire us for our content writing services?

Let’s take a look. 👀

1. There are lots of people involved in approving everything

We happily work with marketing teams, but we only communicate with one person within that team, particularly when it comes to feedback.

We’ve been in situations before where feedback has come from different team members.

Sometimes it’s been contradictory, where one person has loved something we’ve done and another has been unsure, meaning we have to clarify which person’s feedback we prioritise. And as you can imagine it all gets a bit…messy. 😬

The best thing to do is for our contact to collate any feedback and give us everything in one go (and they’ll be able to spot if there are any opposing views). If this isn’t possible, we’re not right for you.

2. You don’t have any time to give feedback on the writing

The aim of our SEO content writing service is to save you time. In fact, we save you up to 10+ hours per week by offering a full blog management service, i.e. doing everything from keyword research to hitting the publish button–and all the tasks in between.

But we still need a teensy-weensy bit of your time. And that’s to either:

• Approve each blog post
• Give any feedback

On average, our clients spend 15-30 minutes giving feedback and approving each blog post.

So if you picked our Gold package (which comes with 3 blog posts a month), you’d have to dedicate 45-90 minutes per month to giving us feedback and approval.

Often this time gets less and less as the project goes on, e.g. there’s more feedback on the first blog post than the fourth!

I don’t think it’s an excessive amount of time, but if you can’t do that, we’re not right for you.

3. You want a yes man/woman

At the start of each project, we create a content plan. We create this plan based on our in-depth kick-off call with you (where we find out all about your business), and our keyword research and competitor research.

In this content plan, we’ll suggest three months of blog content–which includes draft titles and a bit about what we should include within each blog post.

Not one single client has asked to change any blog content ideas we’ve come up with–which they’re more than welcome to do, by the way!

But we get why.

We put so much upfront work into the content plan, and because of this, our clients understand how our proposed content ideas will help them achieve their business goals. We even record a video to go through the content plan and explain why we’ve proposed each idea.

As you can see, we don’t just ‘write the content’, we’ll tell you what we need to write too. We do this, not because we’re ego-maniacs, but because doing tons of research tells us the best content ideas to go after.

So if you’re the kind of business who wants a yes-man/woman to tell us what to write and when to write it, we’re simply not the right fit for you.

4. You’re not exactly sure what you’re selling right now

You might be clear on your products or services, but maybe you’re not clear on exactly how you’re selling them or in what way.

For example, if you’re a website design agency, you know you’re selling website design (at least, we hope so 😂). But maybe you’re not sure whether to offer a ‘website in a week’ service or do a truly bespoke service for every client?

If these are decisions you’re still thinking about, then we might not be the right fit, right now.

We create content with the ultimate aim of getting you more sales, so we need to position you correctly through your content.

For example, the way we’d talk about a ‘website in a week’ service is completely different to how we’d talk about a bespoke service for each client.

But once you’ve figured all that out, come back to us. 😉

And if you need help with that, check out Janine Coombes who specialises in helping business owners package up their services!

5. You’re not sure who your audience is

If you’re thinking to yourself: should I pick a niche or not? Or even ‘What are you talking about? I sell to anyone and everyone!’ then we might not be the right fit for you.

If you don’t understand your audience and their problems, it’s difficult to create content for them.

Because everything starts with your customers–their goals, problems, values, the language they use etc. This will help inform our keyword research and come up with your content strategy.

It also helps inform our tone of voice. We would write differently for an audience of plucky microbusinesses and freelancers than corporate HR professionals.

If you’re still struggling to find your niche, definitely check out niching expert Amy Caiger! Amy can help you understand how to hone in on who your audience is!

6. You want us to pitch for work

We sound a little egotistical here and we really don’t mean to. But we don’t pitch for work. The reason we don’t pitch is simple: pitching isn’t the best way to find the right content writing agency.

Why? Well, there are three main reasons:

• It relies on you having already diagnosed your problem

You don’t go to the doctor having done your own diagnosis. Well, I’m sure some people do! Doctors need to do their own investigation to diagnose a problem and prescribe medication or further help.

It’s the same with your business.

You need an expert to diagnose any problems and tell you what you can do to fix them.

• Pitching is all about turning on the charm (and quite frankly, we’re not all that charming. But we are good at what we do 😉)

We’re just not ‘charm the pants off you’ kinda people. And we certainly don’t want to peacock our way to your money by being all ‘look at how good we are’.

It’s not us. And it’s not right for you either. You need a company that asks YOU a lot of questions. That listens to you. That gets to understand you and what you need. Not the other way around.

That’s the only way for us to create good content that will deliver rankings and sales.

• Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean it’s good

Pitching can sometimes feel like a race to the bottom, where everyone competes by giving all their ideas and strategies away for free.

But ideas are cheap.

We can only create a good content strategy by delving deep into your business, understanding who you are and conducting our own research like keyword research and competitor analysis.

To do that takes a huge amount of time. And it’s not something we can cobble together quickly for a pitch. If we did, we’d be doing you a huge disservice.

So those are our three main reasons why we don’t pitch! And, if you like, you can learn more about why we don’t pitch for projects.

7. Your website needs A LOT of work

Our service gets you higher search engine rankings and website traffic (nice), but if your website looks like a dog’s dinner, it’s pretty pointless bringing more people around to see it. They won’t be impressed, we’ll tell you that much.

Now, don’t get us wrong, even when we were website designers we’d always say: don’t spend thousands on a website until it makes business and financial sense!

You do not have to have a fancy-pants website to make content work, but it does need to be:

• Professional looking i.e. doesn’t look like it was designed in 1992
• Mobile friendly – because 50% of searches take place over mobile now
• Relatively fast – because people won’t wait around for it to load
• Be clear about what you offer – and have a good user experience where people can find what they are looking for.

And that’s it. But if it doesn’t do those things, you may want to look at improving your website first (or getting it redesigned).

Side note, it’s helpful if you have access to your full website. Some website design agencies like to control access or gate certain areas so clients ‘don’t break anything’ (newsflash, that’s why you have backups).

If you don’t have access, you may have to send content to your website design agency to upload for you, which adds time and money to the process! Our advice: get access! No company should be prevented from accessing something as important as their website! 

8. You want a cheap service

Honestly? There are writers that charge $20 for a blog article out there (if you look at places like Fiverr). And we’re a teensy bit more than that (our content writing packages start from £1397 per month).

When we work with clients, the actual writing takes up around 40% of the actual time it takes to press publish on a blog post. The rest of that time is taken up with:

• Keyword research
• Coming up with a content strategy
• Uploading the content–formatting it and optimising it for search engines
• Creating imagery (such as the featured image or images within the blog post)
• Adding and optimising images and GIFs
• Fixing small technical issues
• Tracking rankings

It’s a full blog management service, where you can ‘outsource your entire blog’ to us. We can do this because we’re experts in content writing, but also SEO, website design and content design too.

Unfortunately, all that ain’t cheap. If you want to learn more about it, check out our blog post: why are we so expensive?

9. You want free samples

We won’t work for you for free. Ever. No, not even if you’re Hopper from Stranger Things (he’s my favourite). But not even then will we work for free.

Of course, you’ll want to see samples of our writing. That’s fair. And if you contact us directly we can send some samples to you. But we don’t do any kind of free sample.

10. You just need one blog post

It baffles us when we get this request, because, in all honesty, you’re unlikely to see a massive difference to your bottom line thanks to one blog post.

Of course, we’ve had single blog posts that have performed AMAZINGLY well for us and our clients. BUT that was because we had a content strategy in place based on our research.

You can see results from just one blog post such as an increase in traffic, rankings and even leads. But to see results that impact your sales in the long-term, that only comes from consistent blogging.

11. You want to write about your awards

If you can honestly say that you’ve had a genuine customer or client contact you and say, ‘what awards have you won?’ then we will happily write about your awards. Until then, no. 😂

Think we’re a match made in heaven?

So, you’ve read through this and you’re thinking, ‘do you know what, Jammy? You’re my kinda people!’

Firstly, yay. We may be a bit fussy about who we work with, but that’s because we love the relationships we build with our clients. It’s better for everyone if we’re the right fit.

Secondly, visit here if you’d like to know more about our SEO content writing service. Or book a 15-minute chat with us to ask us any questions.

Lyndsay Cambridge

Owner at Jammy Digital, Digital Marketing Specialist and Writer of Young-Adult Fiction.

jammydigital.com

The post 11 Reasons our SEO content writing service is not right for you appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

What is a MASSIVE investment for one business, might be a drop in the ocean for another.

Some of you might already know what we charge and think that we are really cheap. Given all the different elements that are included in our service (including planning, writing, publishing and optimising the content). After all, if you were to hire multiple different freelancers or agencies to do all of the jobs that our service encompasses then you could easily be paying double or more every month.

But recently, we’ve also had people who are interested in working with us ask: “why are you so expensive?”

And it’s a totally fair question!

Especially if you’re ready to hire someone to help drive organic traffic to your website, and you’re wondering why our SEO content writing & blog management service is more expensive than hiring a freelance SEO writer.

But regardless of which camp you fall into, we want to make sure you make the right buying decision. 

While we think that there is loads of value bundled up into our SEO content writing & blog management service, you need to know what you are getting for the cost before you sign up.

So, in this blog, we’ll explore why we are so expensive, what our service includes, and how we differ from other services available.

Before we get into it, if you’re not quite sure what SEO content writing is, you can check out our article on what is an SEO content writing service?

How much do we charge for our SEO Content Writing and Blog Management service?

Don’t you hate when you can’t find the prices online when you want to buy something?

That’s why we’re pretty upfront about what we charge. No need to book an hour-long call with us just to find out the price!

So let’s just dive straight into our pricing. Then you’ll know exactly how much we charge (and whether that’s expensive for you).

The prices for our SEO content writing & blog management service start at £1297 per month and go up to £2297 per month. The smallest package (£1297) gets you up to 3000 words a month, which is usually split between two blog posts. And the largest package gets you 6000 words a month, which is often split between four blog posts.

The total cost that you pay depends on how many blogs you want us to publish every month. Everything else in the package remains the same. So regardless of whether you go for our silver or platinum package, you’ll get the same level of support from us (just a different number of blogs).

If at this point you are thinking: “Ah, that’s incredibly expensive”, then please do us a favour and keep on reading🙏.

By the end of the blog, you might decide that it’s still too expensive for your business. And that’s totally fine, we might still be able to work with you in a different way. But you also might realise that it’s such a valuable service, with loads packed in. It’s more than just writing content, hence why we charge what we do.

If you are thinking: “Lyndsay, that sounds like an amazing price, how can I sign up right away.” Then you can find out more here. But also we still recommend reading, as we promise it will get you even more excited about working with us.

Content writer vs SEO content writing & blog management service: which is more expensive?

We write content! So it’s totally understandable that we get compared to content writers when it comes to cost.

And in all honesty, we are usually more expensive than a freelance content writer.

So, let’s dig into why that is…

There are a couple of different pricing structures commonly used by freelance writers.

The first one is per word, with writers charging between $0.02 and $2.00 per word on average. If an average blog is 1000 words, this would work out at around £20 to £2000 per blog (a HUGE difference). However, this type of pricing often promotes word stuffing – more words written = a higher cost. But a blog should be as long as it needs to be, so we think it’s better to get a set price per blog. And luckily, this is the most common way for freelance content writers to price

The average cost per blog is between £200 and £700. The exact cost will depend on the individual writer’s skills and experience. The more blogs you want to be written every month, the more you will pay.

Let’s say a content writer is charging £300/per blog, for two blogs you will be paying £600 per month.

If you compare this to our Silver package (two blogs per month) you pay £1297 per month or £648.50/blog. So over double what you would pay the £300 per blog content writer.

But when you see what you else you are getting for your money you’ll understand why we price this way.

Why are we more expensive than content writers?

So, if we’re both writing content, then why do we charge more than most content writers for our content services?

I mean, obviously, it’s because we want to fund our lavish lifestyle and make all our neighbours jealous with multiple Lamborghinis in the driveway, right? Just kidding 😉

It really comes down to two things: services and skills.

What does an SEO content writer service include?

Traditionally a content writer primarily sticks to writing content (I know it’s in the name). They focus on creating blog content that educates and informs your potential clients while ranking highly on search engine results pages (SERPs).

In order to do this successfully, content writers will be skilled in SEO and optimising content. However, they usually work off a supplied content plan and are not involved in the planning or strategy aspect. They’ll also provide the blog via Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or something similar and won’t usually upload the content to your website or promote it in any way across your platforms.

Of course, the skills of each content writer will differ massively, but a freelancer by definition is one person. So you are very much restricted by the skills that they personally have.

What does our SEO Content Writing and Blog Management service include?

In comparison, our SEO content writing & content management service covers a whole range of content services within the one package.

That’s because we know that good content is just one part of driving organic traffic to your website. In addition to content, it includes:

• A discovery call (to get to know your business)
• In-depth keyword research (this takes us a LONG time, and we charge £997+VAT to do this as a stand-alone service)
• Competitor analysis
• Content strategy (i.e. telling you the exact articles you should create to rank on search and convert)
• A website audit, where we look at what could prevent or limit you from ranking
• A professional proofreader to look over the content (who we hire separately)
• Adding the content to your website and formating it
• Creation of the blog post featured image
• Extra ‘in-the body’ images that are optimised for search engines
• Optimise the content
• Publish the content

All of this is in addition to the writing. So yes, you could hire an SEO content writer, but that would mean you’d have to do all of the above yourself. Which is not a bad thing, by the way. It just requires more of your time.

Plus, we can also create social and email marketing copy for an extra cost to amplify the impact of your content.

Taking all of the above into account, suddenly £648.50/per month per blog doesn’t seem all that expensive right? Hiring individual freelancers for all of these roles would cost you A LOT more. You’d need to hire an SEO agency, graphic designer and web specialist or tech VA for those roles. That’s a lot!

SEO and Web Specialist Meets Expert Writer

Plus with Jammy Digital there are two of us, so you get to take advantage of our individual skills (plus we use a professional proofreading service to make sure there are no mistakes).

Although we both love creating content we have two different skill sets that enable us to offer a wider range of services than your average freelance content writer.

I (Lyndsay) am the content & SEO strategist and writer. I create blog posts in your style and tone of voice and optimise them for ranking on search engines.

Martin is a website and SEO strategist and graphic designer. He develops content strategies around topics that will rank, as well as uploading, optimising the content, and making it look beautiful. He was also a website designer for over a decade and can spot issues with your website that will prevent or limit your rankings. Your website has a huge impact on the success of your content, so it’s handy having Martin in your corner!

So, not only do we offer a lot more in terms of service, but we also have a wider range of skills that your blogs can benefit from.

SEO agency vs SEO & blog management service: which is more expensive?

In addition to content writers, we’re also often compared to SEO agencies. It makes sense, as we both aim to get you ranking on search engines via organic traffic.

But, whilst our goal is the same, the strategy we use to get you there differs quite dramatically. And as a result, so does the cost.

SEO agencies can charge anywhere between £2000 – £6000 per month, depending on what services you require.

However, as we talked about in our blog on SEO agency problems, this price doesn’t always include content creation (especially if you opt for a cheaper SEO package). In fact, our research showed that 13 out of 20 UK SEO agencies offered content marketing as a separate service to their SEO services.

Out of the 20 agencies we looked at, only one provided a price, which was £2899 per month. This included a blogging strategy and content calendar but there was no mention of creating content. So it’s likely that you will need to DIY your content or pay the SEO agency more to write the blogs.

In comparison, our content services range from £1297 per month (two blogs) to £2297 per month (four blogs). Even our top-end platinum package is at the lower end of SEO agency pricing.

Of course, the service that we offer in comparison to an SEO agency is very different.

Related content: SEO content writer vs SEO agency: which one is best for your business?

Generally speaking, we are LESS expensive than SEO agencies.

Why are we less expensive than hiring an SEO agency?

So, why are we less expensive than hiring an SEO agency?

Suddenly even our Platinum package at £2297/month seems like a bit of a bargain in comparison to the £6000/month you could be paying an SEO agency.

Does that mean an SEO agency gets better results?

A good SEO agency will be highly skilled at driving organic traffic to your website. They’ll dive into the technical aspects of SEO that will affect website performance and rankings.

However, some of them won’t flag problems with the user experience or design of your website (that’s not in their ‘remit’).

They will potentially create content that helps you rank (although sometimes they outsource this). But often won’t create content designed for conversions. This could result in more eyeballs on your website, but not an increase in sales.

While there are many great SEO agencies out there, we’ve found that some rely on the fact that no one really knows what they do. SEO is a bit of a dark art, and many SEO agencies have a magical wizardry surcharge.

In comparison, we know that technical SEO wizardry alone is not enough. And we used to run an SEO agency, so you could say that we are pretty clued up on all things SEO.

Rich content is a crucial part of driving traffic to your site, so we focus on creating content around a keyword strategy that helps you rank on search engines. Of course, we’ll let you know if there are any major issues with your website that is blocking traffic.

Whether an SEO agency or a content service is right for you will depend on the specific problems you are having. But, for most businesses looking to drive organic traffic, and more leads, focussing on SEO optimised content is hugely beneficial and more affordable than hiring an SEO agency.

Related content: The biggest problems with SEO companies (and how to avoid them).

Need help with your SEO content writing & blog management?

If by this point you are thinking that our price isn’t really that expensive for all that we offer, then our blog management service might be perfect for you.

We’re generally more expensive than content writers, but less expensive than SEO agencies. This is because our combined skills and subsequent service offer a little more than is usually offered by a content writer. And while we do a lot of SEO tasks, we don’t dive into the technical stuff quite as much as an SEO agency.

You could say it’s a mid-point between SEO content writers and SEO agencies, and our prices reflect that.

If your business wants to drive more traffic, leads and sales by creating epic content, then the SEO & blog management service will help you do just that. Plus, the whole process will be managed by us so you can put your time to better use.

Want to see where you’re at with SEO?

Struggling with SEO? Or just want to see where you’re performing right now? Then take our 2 minute SEO quiz and get a personalised report, telling you exactly how to improve.

Lyndsay Cambridge

Owner at Jammy Digital, Digital Marketing Specialist and Writer of Young-Adult Fiction.

jammydigital.com

The post Why is our SEO content writing & blog management service so expensive? appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

I personally hate wasting time. With a business and a toddler and lockdowns popping up here there and everywhere, time is not something I have in abundance. And I’m conscious of your time too. The last thing I want to do is waste your time. I understand just how precious it is. 

I don’t want people to join the challenge who aren’t going to see the true benefit of it. Who will waste their time and not commit to it. Yeah, I’d get some money but ultimately, I’d have unhappy, unfulfilled customers. And that’s not good for anyone. 

So in this blog post, I’m going to give it to you straight. No, it’s not one of those, don’t sign up to me if you don’t bring a positive attitude type things that’s actually some crappy reverse psychology. 

This is a genuine, unbiased look at who really isn’t suited to join the 90-day challenge. 

This is so you know if this challenge is right (or not right) for you. 

So here goes…

1. You don’t have the time 

Each week, for 13 weeks, you will submit one piece of content. This could be a blog post, video or podcast episode. Or it could be a web page or sales page (some people use the challenge to create their website). 

But creating content or web pages takes time. This blog post took me 2 hours 15 minutes from the start to uploading onto our website (yes, I timed it!)  And this is exactly the kind of content we’ll encourage you to create. 

So you will need to carve out some time each week to dedicate to the challenge. 

However, I will say that creating content will also save you lots of time when it comes to social media. I repurpose all my content to social media so I never have to think about what to say over LinkedIn or Facebook! 

We’ve done this challenge ourselves (that’s why we love it so much) and every week we had to make time for it and prioritise it. It’s tough but so worth it!

2. You don’t want to push yourself with your content 

A lot of business owners publish ‘helpful’ content that tells people how to do things. This isn’t a bad thing. At all. But if that’s the comfort zone you don’t want to leave, then this challenge isn’t for you. 

In this challenge, we don’t just want you to create helpful content, we want you to create content that helps you get more sales from the RIGHT customers. And this means creating the kind of content that’s a little scary. 

Things like Janine Coombes’ blog post about why she’s increasing her prices. 

Or Mira’s blog post about who is not the right fit for her business. 

Or FitRoot’s blog post tackling why parents might be wrong about their views on martial arts for children. 

3. You prefer social media 

Some business owners invest a lot of their time into social media. And that’s okay. I’m not going to argue which one is better because it’s different for everyone. But if you prefer spending your time on social media, and the thought of writing a blog post or recording a video fills you with dread, this challenge might not be for you. 

In the challenge, we advise that you select a platform that will deliver you organic traffic, such as

• Your blog 
• Youtube Channel 
• Podcast 

This is the main channel where you’ll create your content. And from there select one or two platforms to repurpose this content, such as Instagram and LinkedIn. 

This is the most time-effective way we create content for both our blog and social media channels. And it will help you get natural organic traffic as well as engagement and conversations over social media – you’re hitting two birds with one stone! 

BUT if you’re only for social media then this probably isn’t suited for you. 

4. You need 1-2-1 support 

I personally hate the phrase ‘you can bring a horse to water but can’t make it drink‘. It’s often used by coaches when their clients don’t do the work. But I do think it’s my responsibility to make it as easy and stress-free as possible for you to create your content. 

This is why we do everything in our power to help you create content, including…

1. Holding you accountable via a scary-looking spreadsheet 
2. A weekly ‘content idea’ we give to you with a breakdown on how this idea works and how it can be applied to your business (this is a new feature!) 
3. Courses on content and SEO to help you 
4. Live weekly calls to answer questions and give feedback 

But we cannot create the content for you. We’re here to support you and champion you. But the actual content creation is still on you. 

If you want someone to create the content for you (and that’s not a bad thing, by the way!) then this challenge isn’t for you. But we can highly recommend the wonderful content writers Debbie Ekins and Sara Bussandri to help. They are amazing writers who totally ‘get’ good content. 

5. You don’t want or need accountability

I need accountability in my life, someone to be like ‘Hey Lyndsay, where are you at with this?’ or ‘Hey Lyndsay, put the Netflix down and get this shit done, will you!’ 

But some people HATE this. They hate someone asking them where they’re up to or why they haven’t done what they said they were going to do. 

Or some people simply don’t need it. They hold themselves accountable all on their own (I’m jealous) and don’t need external help. 

If that’s you, then perhaps this challenge isn’t right for you. 

6. You HATE feedback 

Another thing I personally love is feedback. I like to know how I can improve. 

But, I am not everyone. And some people truly hate feedback. The thought of criticism gives them the heebie-jeebies. 

In this challenge, we provide feedback on the first 10 pieces of submitted content. We go into detail and provide actionable feedback on every piece. So if feedback isn’t your bag, perhaps this challenge isn’t right for you. 

What Now?

Hopefully, you’ll now have an understanding about whether our 90 Day Content Marketing Challenge is right for you. And if you do think it’s right for you, then check out our challenge below!

Lyndsay Cambridge

Owner at Jammy Digital, Digital Marketing Specialist and Writer of Young-Adult Fiction.

jammydigital.com

The post Why You Shouldn’t Join Our 90 Day Content Marketing Challenge appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

In this article, I’m going to break down everything you need to know about the content fortress course. That way, you’ll know if it’s right for you.

But first, you might wonder why I’ve decided to write this article. And that’s because I understand the course is an investment, and I also understand that if you’re going to invest your money you want to know if this is right for you. 

The article is an unbiased view of the course to help you make an informed buying decision. 

And fun fact – this is exactly the kind of content we teach you to create in our course!

What is the Content Fortress Course?

The course will walk you through exactly how to use content marketing to help you attract better, higher-paying clients and customers. 

It isn’t just ‘theory’. It’s practical lessons that tell you exactly what content you should create and how you should create it. 

What problems will the Content Fortress course solve? 

The course is not for everyone, and it’s relatively specific with who it helps. Here are the problems the course solves: 

• You have no control over the leads and sales that come through your business and you’re relentlessly chasing after prospects
• You spend a lot of time with prospects who don’t buy from you
• Your clients don’t value your time or expertise
• You struggle with problem clients 
• You spend a lot of time communicating with clients when you’d rather spend that time actually doing work (or even some time off!)
• You do a lot of work outside of the ‘scope’ of the project and often have to have those ‘awkward’ conversations with clients

Why Have We Created the Content Fortress Course?

In all honesty, we didn’t wake up one day and just decide to create a course. The whole content fortress framework was actually a ‘happy accident’ born out of some pretty unhappy circumstances. 

We used to struggle with prospects who would appear so keen on signing up, only to ghost us. And we’d waste hours and hours on people who weren’t the right fit. 

We also used to struggle with clients who undervalued our time and expertise. We’d have problems with scope creep, clients demanding replies to emails in the evening or at weekends, and clients not wanting our advice – they wanted ‘yes-men’ who would do whatever they said. 

It had got to the point where we’d had enough. It was impacting our mental health (and I experienced some pretty scary physical side-effects of this stress too). 

We had previously used content marketing to generate leads and sales for our business, but then we thought to ourselves if we can use content to grow our business, can we use it to prevent those problems from happening? And can we use it to gain better, higher-paying clients? 

And that’s how the ‘Content Fortress’ came about – the fortress is a metaphor for your business, and using content to protect your business, time and mental health. 

What’s included in the course?

Here is exactly what is included in the course…

• An in-Depth 14 Module Video Course that will go through the 8 pillars that make a content fortress. 
• Fill-in-the-Blanks Written Content Templates – blog posts already bulleted so all you need to do is fill it in
• Copy and Paste Email Templates you can use to communicate your new content with your prospects and clients
• A Private Facebook community – where you can gain new ideas and feedback on your content
• A Content Planning Matrix with over 50 content titles/ideas
• Social Media Prompts to help you promote your content 
• The Content Fortress Course Workbook – fill in the workbook as you follow along with the course to help you create your content
• An SEO Checklist you can use for every piece of content you create 

What do the Video Modules Include? 

There are 14 modules in total. And in each module, there are 4-5 videos. 

We’ve kept each video bitesize (around 10-15 minutes each), because we personally hate videos that go on for hours and hours. 

Having bitesize videos gives people a choice: binge watch or just watch one or two, 15 minute videos a day instead.  

The course modules are as follows…

1. Content Fortress Overview – What the Framework is all about
2. Your Goals – Helping you hone in on exactly what you want to achieve from your content 
3. Repelling Content – How to repel those who aren’t the right fit for your business 
4. Attracting Content – How to attract those who have never considered you before or aren’t aware you exist
5. Sales Content – How to directly sell your products or services without being salesy (FYI, this content is an example of Sales Content)
6. Pricing Content – How to discuss pricing so you can charge more and raise your prices with ease
7. Guiding Content – How to guide your prospects into becoming well-informed, happy clients
8. Process Content – How to use content once you’ve made the sale to make your life much easier
9. Culture Content – How to use your values and beliefs to attract your ‘right-fit’ clients
10. Opinion Content – How to stop those irritating things that happen in your business and attract the right people
11. Tone of Voice (To be added soon) 
12. Storytelling (To be added soon) 
13. Writing for non-writers – how to easily write well (To be added soon) 
14. How to optimise your content (To be added soon) 

How much does it cost? And why is the price going up?

The cost of the Content Fortress Course is currently only $297 (early bird price) the full price will be going up to $497 on the 30th July 2021. Prices may include VAT depending on where you are in the world. 

The price will go up when all modules are added. Essentially, you get it cheaper because you’re buying in early. 

Why is the course so expensive? 

As I said earlier, we didn’t just wake up one day and decide to create a course. This is a culmination of years of practice and experimentation. 

We’ve put everything into this course. And we personally hate anything that’s just ‘theory’ based. So we’ve made it practical – telling you exactly what content to create (i.e. giving you the exact titles and what you should include) and how to create it. 

We’ve also included real-life examples in there – because we know that people learn best when they can see other businesses doing the same thing. 

The whole course took a year to create once we’d decided to do it. The reason it’s so expensive is mainly that…

• The examples we give within the course means we had to spend a lot of time interviewing other businesses successfully doing the same thing
• It took us a year to develop the course, ideas and content 
• The ‘practical’ nature of the course gives you the ‘how’ and not just the theory
• The software we use (we use Thinkific, which is a great platform for user experience but it is pricey) 
• The ROI – if you implement what we suggest in the course, it can lead to higher-paying clients, a lot less stress and a lot more time in your business 

Is there a refund policy?

Because all the elements of the course are downloadable, there are no refunds. 

Who is this for?

The Content Fortress Course is not for everyone and we only want you to buy it if it’s right for you.

This is for IF:

• You’re particularly interested in getting better, higher-paying clients or customers who are eager to buy from you
• You’re open to new ideas when it comes to creating public content – even if they sound a bit scary! 
• You value honesty and want to deliver your customers and potential customers the best service 
• You can invest some time into creating content 

This is NOT for you if:

• You’re a ‘stack em high, sell em cheap’ kind of business that competes solely on price (nothing wrong with that, this just isn’t right for you) 
• The thought of ultra-transparent content marketing (or anything public) turns you off. For example, talking about your prices publicly. 
• You don’t see the value at all in content marketing and would prefer to use ads or other channels instead 
• You’re not willing to invest time in content 

How long will it take to go through the Content Fortress Course? 

The course has 14 modules, and each module has 4-5 videos. Each video is approx 10-15 minutes each. 

We did it this way because when we learn we like to watch maybe 30 minutes of content over our lunch every day. And we hate hours and hours of video! 

So in total, there are around 13 hours (approximately) of content. And then there’s added things like the resources you can use. 

The good thing about this though is you don’t have to watch the entire thing to get content ideas and start creating ‘Content Fortress content’. A lot of customers watch one module (such as Repelling Content) go onto create the content, and then watch the next module. And so on. 

Can I See Behind the Scenes? 

Sure, there’s a video you can watch below that shows you how it’s all laid out…

Who will be delivering the training?

We deliver the training, Martin (me) and Lyndsay. 

A bit about us…

For 10 years, we’ve run a web agency (Jammy Digital) and we worked with clients of all different shapes and sizes.  From big corporate clients to one-man bands. And small, local businesses to online shops that serve people all over the world. 

Over the years, we’ve worked with some good clients that make you love what you do, and some really bad ones that make you want to cry.

Throughout the ups and downs as agency owners, we’ve slowly crafted a business that only attracts the best clients. 

Whenever we look at investing in a course or programme, we look at the providers to see if they ‘walk the walk’ i.e. actually do the thing they’re teaching. And that’s incredibly important to us, which is why we have a very active blog. 

And why we produce content like this (and this is the exact kind of content we’ll encourage you to create as part of the course). 

What ongoing support will I get when I sign up? 

When you sign up for the course, you’ll be added to our VIP Facebook community where all our other students hang out. In this community, you’ll be able to ask questions and get feedback on your content. 

We also critique content in this community too! So we encourage you to share your content and we can tell you how to improve it.  

How do you access the Content Fortress content?

Once you sign up, you will receive an email from us with your login information.

Then you’ll log into a learning platform, Thinkific, using the login instructions in the email.

Once you sign in, you’ll see the dashboard area, which looks a bit like this. And you can access all the videos and resources. 

Is there an upsell once I’ve bought the course? 

I’ve taken enough courses in my time to know they’ll be an upsell, and usually, the upsell is some sort of 1-2-1 programme or consulting/coaching package. 

However, there’s no upsell with this course. The course will give you everything you need without you having to invest 1-2-1 time with us. As I said, we don’t hold anything back here.

What results can I expect?

Since we started creating content following this method we’ve seen some pretty interesting results such as:

• We’ve increased our prices by 500%
• We work with 50% fewer clients
• We have a 90% success rate when we send out proposals
• We’ve increased our website traffic by 10x
• We work fewer hours and get to spend more time as a family.

But for us, the biggest difference is that we are far happier. Our mental health has improved so much since we started prioritising it. Our content helps us to protect ourselves so we only attract the very best clients.

Can anything more be said about content marketing? 

When you go to Amazon and type in Content Marketing, there are over 10,000 results. It’s a topic that is widely talked about and we know of some amazing content marketers who have covered the topic in depth.

And even though we’ve read pretty much every decent content marketing book out there, this course actually doesn’t pull much from the topic of content marketing.

Instead, we did a whole lot of research about ‘communication’ – i.e. communicating with clients, selling, negotiation, and even how we communicate in our personal relationships.

We then applied a lot of this theory to content marketing. I don’t pretend to have invented anything new here. Far from it. There are no (or very few!) new ideas anymore, especially when it comes to marketing.

But I haven’t seen much about taking the strategies and research of good face-to-face communication and applying this to content marketing. It’s the marrying of the two subjects that’s relatively new.

How do I sign up?

If you want to overhaul your current lead generating strategy, and walk away knowing exactly how to attract better, higher-paying clients who you love to work with, check out the course below. 

Sign up now and access all the client attraction tools and step by step video training right away.

See you on the inside.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post Everything You Need to Know About our Content Fortress Course appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

Nothing unusual about that, right?

However, there isn’t usually a discussion about why the prices are increasing–especially not with current or potential customers.

In fact, sometimes it feels like businesses increase their prices just…because. Because it’s a new year and that’s what you do.

But we think it’s good to understand why a company raises their prices.

Why?

Well, if you’re a customer and you’ve had your eye on a product or service and suddenly the price increases, you’re likely to think, ‘what the hell, why would you do that to me!’ Offering an explanation, or even a head’s up, before the price increases is, quite simply, good customer service.

So. Why are we raising the cost of our membership? When is it happening and why the hell is it increasing by so much? You’ll find out below…

When Does the Price Increase?

The cost of the membership will increase on Monday 11 January 2021.

How Much Is It Increasing By?

It will increase from $39.00+VAT per month to $59.00+VAT per month.

Or if you pay annually, it will increase from $390.00+VAT per year, to $590.00+VAT per year.
*Depending on where you on in the world, you may or may not have to pay VAT.

For those who don’t know, what is the membership all about?

The Make Your Mark Online membership helps business owners get more leads and sales from their websites.

It has one-click-install website templates (designed by us), 15+ courses, a content marketing challenge, content marketing learning area, and weekly Q&A calls.

There’s a lot that goes into a successful website, but if you can crack it, then you really will continuously generate sales from it without you having to spend hours on it every day (we’re looking at you, social media).

Ultimately, we help business owners improve the 6 key things that make a successful website (see below).

These 6 key elements lead to continuous rankings, traffic, leads and sales.

Why Are You Increasing the Cost of Your Membership, You Big Meanies?

We started the membership in October 2018, and like any business, it’s evolved in the past two years. Below are the things we’ve added and the key reasons why the price is increasing.

The 90 Day Content Marketing Challenge

This was something we introduced in 2019. We run three, 90-day challenges each year. And over the course of 90 days, you…

1. Submit one piece of content per week (and we hold you accountable!)
2. We give you personalised feedback on this content via our weekly call
3. You improve your content week-on-week
4. You increase your rankings, traffic, leads and sales

We’ve run four of these challenges now, and they are HUGELY popular.

BUT, even though we absolutely love it, they take up a lot of our time. Reviewing content and giving personalised feedback takes a lot of time and energy.

Plus, our members have seen incredible results from doing this, so we know it’s worth way more than the cost.

You can learn more about the 90 Day Challenge here.

2. One-Click-Install Templates

When we first started our membership, we taught people how to find a website template (separate to the membership) and customize it.

What we discovered was a lot of website templates can be hit and miss! It was difficult to find templates that looked beautiful but also delivered excellent user-experience.

It was also a steep learning curve for members who had to understand how to edit a brand new template with (usually) little support from the template provider.

So, we created our own. Fully customizable, one-click-install templates. And we created these templates based on our 10+ years experience as web designers. We wanted to balance attractive design with user-experience.

You can see an example of our template in action here, on Denise Cowle’s website.

3. Sales Pages/Landing Pages/Thank You Pages Templates

It was clear that, as well as web page templates, our members needed sales pages, landing pages and thank-you pages. All that stuff that takes forever when you’re making it from scratch or figuring it out how to it yourself!

Since we launched the membership, we’ve also created one-click-install page designs, such as…

• Two sales pages
• Three landing pages
• Three thank you pages

These take a long time to develop, but our members absolutely love them! They’re fully customizable and ideal if you need to get your product/service or lead magnet out there quickly. If you want to see an example of a sales page using our templates, check out Jo Francis’ here.

4. Our members tell us to increase our prices

It’s always a good sign to increase your prices when your customers tell you that you should increase your prices!

We aim to get our members a healthy ROI from the membership, and quite a few of them have advised us that we really should raise our prices. Take Janine Coombes for example, who said the following…

“I’ve got several high paying clients as a direct result of the blogs I’ve created in your challenge, which if I’d created outside your challenge, they would have been rubbish and wouldn’t have turned into the clients. I’ve no doubt about that. So I’d say it’s a complete, no brainer, it’s extremely good value. I think you should put your prices up…”

5. The amount of time we spend in the membership has increased

Since we launched the membership, the amount of time we spend interacting with members has increased significantly. And that’s not just because we have more members! It’s because we’re providing support for our templates (answering queries about any tech niggles) or giving feedback on the content from the 90-day challenge.

6. Investment in community forum software

We originally started out with an online forum as the hub of our community. But then we invested in Slack – which is fantastic software that allows you to communicate with big groups of people easily.

The problem we (and our members) have with Facebook groups is that it’s difficult to find what you’re looking for. And sometimes, when you post something, it often gets missed. With Slack, you are able to group topics into ‘threads’ so we have a thread for ‘tech help’ and a thread for ‘content’ for example. Making it easy-peasy for you to find stuff.

This software does cost us a lot more, but it’s so worth it for the user experience. Plus, it’s also has a fantastic app, so it’s easy to ask questions on the go.

Are You Ready to Get More Leads and Sales From Your Website?

There you have it. The six reasons we’re increasing the cost of our membership.

Remember, you still have until Monday 11 January to get in at the current price before it goes up.

Join Now

Why Have You Published This Article?

We get that some people might find it strange why we’d publish a blog post about us increasing our prices, but actually, we think EVERY business should do this. If you’ve read our book, Content Fortress, you’ll know that this kind of content can help inform your customers about the benefits of working you. It’s a way of communicating your value. And that’s always a good thing, right?

Martin & Lyndsay

The post Why We’re Increasing The Price of Our Membership appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

Well, good news. Because in this post, we’re going to tell you exactly what happens during the 90DC (that’s what the cool kids call the 90 Day Challenge) and what you can expect once you sign up.

What is the 90-day Content Challenge?

The 90-day Challenge is a content marketing challenge that will help you produce sales-generating content on a more consistent basis. 

We run the challenge inside our membership community, Make Your Mark Online, and we run the challenge three times per year. And for the first time ever, you can also sign up to the challenge without joining the membership. The next challenge starts on Monday 17th Jan 2022. 

What do you have to do throughout the challenge?

Each week, you will create one piece of content. Your deadline for creating and sharing the content with us is every Sunday evening at 11.59 pm – we know, so precise! We have a private channel inside our community where you can add a link to your content for that particular week. 

Each week, we will update a spreadsheet for our members and depending on whether you hit the deadline or not you will get a green or a red marker next to your name. That’s right. If you don’t submit content you get a scary red marker! 

The following week, we will review the first 10 pieces of content submitted as part of the challenge on a live zoom call. 

What does the Feedback Cover?

We’ll review the first 10 pieces of content submitted. Your feedback will depend on the content you provide, but we will look for the following: 

• How valuable it is to the reader – does it answer a question, educate or inspire?
• How easy it is to understand – is it full of jargon, is it clear?
• The structure – does it flow well, or do you get lost easily?
• Search Engine Optimisation – is there anything you can do to improve?
• How are your titles? Do they compel people to read/watch/listen?
• Storytelling – does it get the reader to connect with you?
• Is there anything missing? Are there any unanswered questions?
• Is it specific enough? Or do you skim over lots of points instead?
• Is the imagery on-brand? Is there anything you can do better?
• Do you do a good job of capturing leads through your content?
• How’s your tone of voice? Does it sound like you?

You can also gain specific feedback on your content in our dedicated feedback channel. Just ask in the channel what you’d like feedback on and either Martin or Lyndsay (or both!) will get back to you, along with lots of people in the group as well!

Why is the 90DC So Effective?

The 90-day challenge works because of these three simple factors:

1. Accountability

The challenge runs from Monday to Sunday every week. Everyone has the same deadline: 11:59 on Sunday evening. It’s amazing how motivating a deadline is. If you miss the deadline you get a red marker next to your name for that week. If you hit the deadline, you get a green marker. Nobody wants to be in the RED! 

This simple deadline means it pushes you every week to write that blog post, record that video or publish that podcast episode.

2. Feedback

We give feedback on the first 10 submissions of content and we also provide feedback in our community group.  

You learn so much through your own feedback and through others’ feedback. Feedback is an essential part of the challenge, so you can learn how to produce content that readers want to read, and that delivers you traffic and leads.

3. Consistency

A weekly deadline helps you stay consistent with your content production. It will help you fine-tune your writing or recording and speed up the process too. 

The fact that you HAVE to produce one piece of content every week will force you to produce content quickly and get better at it over time.

What results should I expect?

Your results will depend on a number of factors such as the type of content you produce, and how good the content is but some of our previous students have seen some incredible results. The challenge is designed for you to improve in the following areas: 

1. Increase your search engine rankings 
2. Increase your website traffic 
3. Increase your leads and sales from your content

What results have our members had? 

We’re not going to put a load of testimonials here just to try to sell our challenge. Instead, here are some numbers…

Sara Bussandri – Doubled her website traffic and gets 3-5 leads through her website every month. 

Janine Coombes – Is ranked first on Google for her main keyword and earned £3600.00 from one blog post. 

Ramin Saski – Doubled his prices 

Debbie’s Ekins – Increased her website by 92%

Aidan Lee – Is ranked first on Google for his main keyword

Louise Brogan – Traffic increased by 70%

What results did we have?

It’s no lie we love this challenge because we’ve actually done it ourselves. In the first year of completing this challenge we…

• Increased our traffic by 900%
• Increased our prices by 350%
• Increased enquiries through our website by 200%
• Had more informed customers (which made it easier for us to sell)
• Attracted the RIGHT customers (i.e. no time-wasters)
• Spent more time helping customers rather than selling our services

When does the content challenge start in 2022?

We run three challenges throughout the year and the next challenge starts on Monday 17th Jan. The first deadline for your first piece of content will be the following Sunday (17th Jan) at 11:59 pm UK Time. It then continues for an additional 12 weeks running from Monday to Sunday.

We will also be running a Strategic Content Planning Session on Thursday 9th Sept in our community. 

What is the Strategic Content Planning Session?

Before the challenge begins, we’ll run a pre-challenge planning session. This will help you plan all your content for the entire 13 weeks. We will go through exactly what you want to sell, and work our way back to what content you can create to achieve your sales goals.

What do we class as “content”?

When you join the challenge, you must submit a piece of content each week. The type of content can vary but we try to encourage our students to stick with one type of content throughout the challenge to maximise your success.

Content that will count throughout the challenge.

• Blog article
• Web page/Sales page
• Video (YouTube or embedded on a website)
• PDF such as a lead magnet
• Infographic 
• Podcast (for feedback, we would need a corresponding article on your website with the podcast embedded

How many people take part in the content challenge?

We have a maximum of 80 people who can take part in the challenge. We like to keep the numbers low so we can monitor members progress each week.

We will NOT accept more than 80 people per challenge and we always SELL OUT so get in early. This isn’t some fake scarcity, we simply do not have the capacity to take on any more people. 

How much does it cost?

There are two ways you can join the challenge…

Sign up to our membership community: MYMO for $59.00+VAT or annually for $590+VAT

What Other Resources Are Included? 

Everyone will get access to our content marketing training centre, which includes a video course and tons of resources to help you plan and create your content.

You will also get access to our SEO training. This is you can rank your content on search engines and get more traffic to your website. The training includes courses on on-page SEO, keyword research, off-page SEO and more.

You’ll also get access to blog post image templates on Canva and our Slack community.

If you join the membership you’ll have access to loads more, including our website page templates (including sales pages and landing pages), courses, masterclasses and loads more.

How long does the challenge run for?

The challenge runs for 90 days. Well, it actually runs for 13 weeks which is slightly longer than 90 days.

You have 13 weeks to produce 13 pieces of content and it must be submitted by the Sunday evening at 11:59pm.

Who will be guiding you through the challenge?

We will be helping you throughout the challenge. We’ll be on hand to answer any questions you have along the way and we’ll also be providing feedback on your content.

Every Wednesday we have a weekly feedback call. This call is at 10am (UK time) every Wednesday throughout the challenge and the video replay will be uploaded for anyone who can’t attend live. 

How do I access the challenge?

Once you sign up, you will be added to our membership forum. Within that, you will access to the 90-day content challenge CHANNEL where you can introduce yourself and share your content.

Every Monday throughout the challenge, we will create a thread for that week and once you have created your content you can simply add it to the thread.

How do I sign up?

You can sign up here. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll get automatic access to either the membership or the content marketing training centre and SEO training. We’ll shortly add you to our Slack community where you can introduce yourself and get added to the challenge thread. 

Martin & Lyndsay

The post The 90-day Content Marketing Challenge 2022 – Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

So what do you do? You ask some companies you like to pitch their services.

They show up, suited and booted, ready to impress.

There’s a fancy powerpoint. Visual aids.

And you analyse which company you like best.

It’s a process that happens every day all across the world.

And in this blog post, we’re going to tell you why it’s deeply flawed.

We’ll tell you why we don’t pitch for work. And what we do instead.

First Things First: This Is Not About Our Ego

When we say the words, ‘Thank you so much for asking us to pitch for this project. It means a lot that you approached us. However, we don’t actually pitch for work…’ Well, we understand that we come across as a little, how shall we put it? Egotistical.

We’d  like to say that this does not come from our ego. We don’t think we’re better than other companies.

We don’t hold our noses in the air, saying ‘Eugh, pitching. That is SO beneath us.’

The reason that we don’t pitch for work is because pitching is not the best thing for us. But more importantly, it’s not the best thing for you.

Getting companies to pitch to you is not the best way for you to find the right company for your business and what you need.

Why? Well, we’re going to run through the reasons why we don’t pitch. And why you should consider another process when hiring companies to work with.

A Pitch is Based on Your Brief…But Your Brief Needs Discussion

When you see a doctor, you give them a list of symptoms and rely on them to diagnose what’s wrong with you.

When you see a mechanic about a fault on your car, you tell them the problems, and they find out what’s wrong with it.

But when you give an agency your ‘brief’, you’ve already diagnosed your own problems. And you’ve already come up with a solution.

A perfect example of this is with Search Engine Optimisation. A lot of companies want an SEO company to help them get more traffic and search rankings. When actually, before they do anything, they need to improve their website’s user-experience. There’s no point paying to get loads of website traffic, if people don’t know where to go when they land on your site.

The Website Success Framework

If you need help with getting more leads and sales from your website, there are six key areas you need to focus on.

We’ve seen companies spend tens of thousands on a website redesign, when actually, they needed to invest in content marketing and lead generation.

We’ve seen companies invest in website copy, but the design is so poor they don’t come across as trustworthy.

You need to hit all six to have a successful website. Often, businesses will struggle in two or three of these key areas. That’s what a good company should help diagnose…way before you get to writing a brief.

What We Do Instead

Instead of pitching something based on your brief (and based on you diagnosing your own problems). We have a conversation with you about your problems. We then come up with some ideas about how you would best address those problems. And we do this in an unbiased way. Sometimes, we can help. Sometimes, another company is a better fit for what you need. Either way, you have a full understanding of what you need and your next steps.

2. Pitching is About Us Charming You

But it’s not about us. At least, it shouldn’t be.

When a company pitches to you, it’s all about them. It’s all about their experience, their team, their past projects, and their ideas.

They want to dazzle you, charm you and convince you that they are the company for you. They present a slick powerpoint and showcase their many awards. But is this really the best way for you to identify whether this company is right for your business?

We don’t think so.

Because when you come to choose a company, you need the focus to be on you–on your business and what you want to achieve. You need a company that asks you questions (not the other way around). Essentially, you need to be in the spotlight. Only then, can that company truly help you.

What We Do Instead

We want to work with companies who are the right fit. We want to actually help companies, and deliver a good return on investment (because, let’s face it, no one want’s unhappy clients, right?)

To do that, we can’t just present to everyone, showing off our skills and expertise. Because we still don’t know if we’re the right fit for each other.

We simply need a conversation (yup, there’s that word again). By having a conversation, both parties can find out if we’re a good fit. And we can identify if we can help you. Or if not, we can point you in the right direction.

3. The Free ‘Stuff’ Isn’t Always Helpful

A common request we get asked of us, is to come up with lots of ideas in our pitch. Or even designs or full marketing/SEO reports.

Now, we’re not blaming you for thinking this is the norm because…well, it is. A lot of companies do this. They pour hours and hours of their time coming up with ideas/reports/creating designs, and all sorts of things for a pitch.

We Always Say No to the Request for Freebies…Here’s Why

Firstly, we can’t create designs or full marketing reports without having a full understanding of your business.

That means understanding the problems you’re facing, your staff and capabilities, your competitors, and what you want to achieve. We need to spend a lot of time analysing your website, analytics, search rankings, content marketing and website copy. This process is actually part of the paid project–the initial strategy. It usually takes two-three weeks, and it’s pretty intensive.

But we could easily knock up a design.

We could download some SEO reports using some software.

But here’s the snag. It may not be helpful to you.

Why? Because we haven’t done all the things above. We haven’t done a deep-dive of your company. So the design we come up with would definitely change later down the line. Those SEO stats could be pointless without us doing some intensive research into what your audience is searching for and how we can capture them.

Essentially, the free stuff you often get in pitches may not have any reflection on the end service/product.

The second reason is slightly more controversial.

Some companies do put hours, days or even weeks into your pitch. They spend a lot of time coming up with ideas, designs and/or reports. And they do all of this for free.

We don’t do this because we don’t believe any business should give so much of their time away for free. If we did, we’d have less time to spend with our current clients, and it would impact our business negatively.

Essentially, we prioritise our current clients over winning new ones. We prioritise serving those who pay us, rather than serving those who may (or may not) pay us.

What We Do Instead

Now, saying all that, it doesn’t mean we don’t want to speak to you at all! As we’ve said before, what we do is have a conversation with you. We’ll ask you a lot of questions (and you can ask us questions too), and we’ll give you our unbiased advice and guidance about the best way forward.

Still Nervous?

For many businesses, pitching is still the norm. It’s the way you can see what a company actually can do. It makes you feel safe and secure. You’re investing money and you want to spend it wisely. But pitching is not the best way to find the right company for you.

If we’ve sent this blog post to you’ve requested us to pitch, we hope we can have a conversation and learn more about you and your business. The focus should be on you, after all 😉

We’ll assess whether we’re the right company for you and if we are, we’ll put together a proposal. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll give you some recommendations on which path to take, and which companies could help you.

Martin & Lyndsay

The post Why We Don’t Pitch For Projects (And What We Do Instead) appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

Lukey, our 10-week old son, was fast asleep.

Our cats were fast asleep.

We both had hot coffee.

It was a rare scenario in our house, and we had zero excuses not to talk about OUR PRICES.

We’re constantly telling small business owners to stop underestimating themselves and raise their damn prices! But, as always, it’s easier to give out advice than follow it yourself. When it came to our own business, we’d kept our web design prices the same for the last 18 months.

So why do small business owners, in particular, find raising their prices so hard? Because let’s face it huge corporations never seem to have this problem. 

I think we worry that people will say no and we’ll lose potential clients. In some cases, we feel like we’re not good enough to raise our prices, even though we know we deliver real value. Maybe it’s just because we’re British and we get all squirmy about talking money.

Martin and I felt all of these.

But the wonderful thing about being a team of two of is that we can have a discussion. I remember asking Martin, “Okay, but why should we charge more? What’s changed in our business?”

So we talked about it, and the more we talked about it, the clearer it was it had to happen.

Below, I’ve pretty much summed up our discussion: Why we’re increasing our web design prices.

How much will we charge for web design from April 2019?

Currently, our minimum package is £3497+VAT, and this will be increasing to £4497+VAT from the 4th of April. Yep, that’s a 28% increase. Quite a leap!

These are the reasons we’ve made that leap…

1. Our projects are getting more and more time-intensive

A website is more than just coding and techie stuff. It’s everything – design, user-experience, SEO, copy and content marketing. There is so, so much that goes into making a successful website and, as we’ve grown and developed, our projects have become more time intensive.

We take the time to delve into your business, understanding what your goals are for the future and who your ideal clients are. We plot how your users will journey through your site and how we can best convert them into leads. We consider everything from your big bold statement to the wording on call to action buttons. We experiment with different colours, fonts and styles. In short, we research and tweak and test constantly.

Don’t get us wrong, this is what we absolutely love to do, but our business model has slowly shifted over the past two years. We now take on fewer clients and spend more time and energy with those clients to make sure they get the best possible website for their business.

Essentially, we’re not a stack them high agency. We prefer to dedicate our time to a smaller amount of clients, because of this, we have to charge more for each individual site.

2. We invest heavily in our own learning

As I said before, a good website isn’t just about coding. It’s about design, user experience, SEO, copy and content marketing. We’ve learnt a hell of a lot about these topics through our own experience, but that doesn’t mean we can stop expanding our knowledge or not gain outside perspectives.

In order for us to deliver the best websites to our clients, we need to have the most up-to-date and in-depth knowledge. That’s why a few years ago we took the decision to cull our advertising spend and invest that time and money into learning and development.

We’re constantly striving to improve our own skills. Do we have to invest in our knowledge? Of course not, and many other web design agencies don’t do this. But we feel it’s the best thing to do for our clients’ websites.

We hire amazing people such as Col from Pixels Ink, who casts his expert eyes over the designs we create for our clients. We’re part of some amazing membership communities, like CMA (Content Marketing Academy) and Atomic, so we know exactly how to design websites for businesses who love content marketing. In fact, many of our new clients are coming to us because we know how to design a learning centre – a fantastic idea coined by Marcus Sheridan and introduced to us by Chris Marr (CMA).

We’ve also invested in experts like John Espirian to teach us about LinkedIn, Gavin Bell to teach us about Facebook ads, we’ve joined Derek Halpern’s course on how to write sales pages. And even though this has little to do with web design specifically, we still help our clients from the amazing things we’ve learned from these experts, and if they need more in-depth knowledge, we know who to recommend!

We spend tens of thousands of pounds every year on improving our skills and knowledge, and this is increasing year-on-year.

3. Many clients want advice and support

As we’ve grown, we’ve attracted a different kind of client. Clients who don’t just want an agency to design them a website, but need help with making their business a success.

This was (and still is!) very exciting for us because we love to teach. We love sharing our knowledge with our clients on how they can grow a successful online business. We’ll talk about branding, positioning, who they want to work with, where they want to be in the future, what their aims are for the next five years and what kind of lifestyle they want to lead. We’ll tell them how content marketing can help them or how to use SEO best practice in their business.

It’s a kind of holistic approach to web design, where we don’t just create our clients a website we help them build a successful online business. We build relationships with them which last and we absolutely love watching their businesses grow.

But all of this takes extra time and it also takes our expert knowledge. Knowledge we’ve spent a lot of time and money continuously developing.

4. We invest in the best tools

There are a shit-ton of free tools and plugins out there, especially when it comes WordPress, however, we like to invest in the best software for the websites we create.

We don’t offer a done-for-you SEO service, but we still invest heavily in SEO tools and software like SEM Rush, AHRefs and Majestic SEO. This allows us to identify where our clients can improve their rankings so we can make sure their traffic increases when we redesign their sites.

We also invest in tools our clients can use, such as Thrive Themes (which helps you build amazing sales pages). And if we do use plugins on our clients’ websites, we invest a lot in paid plugins. For example, there are tons of free contact form plugins out there, but we recently purchased a license for Gravity Forms to use on our clients’ sites.

So why do we prefer to pay for software rather than get it for free? Well, paid-for software is generally more accurate, more secure, and more trustworthy. It’s worth the investment from us to get it right for our clients.

5. We’re still a lot cheaper than other agencies

When we redesigned Janet Murray’s website, Janet said something quite interesting. Having done her own research Janet was getting quotes for new websites at 10/15K. You can listen to that podcast episode here. 

Many larger agencies charge tens of thousands for website design. So, yes, we’re more expensive than many other agencies or freelancers, HOWEVER, we’re often more affordable than a lot of bigger agencies too. The reason we can keep our costs lower than the bigger agencies is because our overheads are significantly lower. We don’t have a fancy office (we work from home) or a large team of staff. And we certainly don’t wear fancy suits or drive Audis!

We want to deliver a great return on investment, and we truly believe we do that.

Why the pricing discussion works

In the end, it was a no-brainer. Seeing all this on paper made it clear we had to raise our prices so we could continue to deliver an amazing product and service to our clients.

If you’re in a similar situation, where your prices have remained stagnant for years, I’d highly recommend thinking about how your business has changed, the extra things you do, how much you’ve developed and honed your skills. And ask yourself, are you charging enough to sustain what you currently offer?

Why do feel the need to explain our pricing?

I could’ve just edited the pricing page on our website and left it at that. But we made a commitment early on in our business to be open and transparent with our audience. Part of that is explaining our pricing and why we charge what we do so you can make a better buying decision.

Still thinking of getting a website redesigned?

As I said, our prices are going up on the 4th April 2019 and the minimum we will charge is £4497+VAT.

As of publishing this (11 March, 2019), you still have time to get in touch to get a website designed at our lower price.

Lyndsay Cambridge

Owner at Jammy Digital, Digital Marketing Specialist and Writer of Young-Adult Fiction.

jammydigital.com

The post Why We’re Increasing Our Web Design Prices appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

How do you feel about your website? Do you find yourself sharing the link and then caveating that with: “Oh, don’t look at the home page – I need to update it”? Or, “I know I need to improve it, but I haven’t had the chance yet”? I did. In fact, forget that. For the first few months after creating my website, I didn’t even tell anyone it even existed! I didn’t have a countdown or do a big launch. I did nothing. In fact, I secretly hoped no one stumbled upon it (by accident) and realised I didn’t know what I was doing! But then I joined the Make Your Mark Online membership, and things have been quite different since.

Here’s how I felt about my website before joining the membership

Before I found Martin and Lyndsay and their free Facebook community, I had literally spent months online, looking for a suitable WordPress theme and researching hosting solutions. Once I got that all sorted, I spent weeks making changes to the template – thinking on my feet about what went where and how I’d word it all. I really struggled to define my offers, design my website, and write my own copy all at the same time.

The result? I ended up feeling overwhelmed and stupid. I was clearly stumbling in the dark here – blatantly making it up as I went along. And I honestly had no idea whether any of what I’d done was any good. So I continued to keep my website well under wraps.

Until one day LinkedIn decided to inform me that Martin, who I’d come across in another membership, had officially joined forces with the other half of the Jammy Digital team, his wife Lyndsay. And they were offering free website critiques. (I mean, how cool is that?!). Terrified, I decided it was either this or nothing. This was my chance. I knew I wouldn’t get it back, so I jumped at the opportunity and put my half-baked website up for review. (Through gritted teeth and with one eye closed, obvs).

My free website critique

My website critique went much better than I had expected, but the mindblowing thing for me was that within 10 minutes, both Martin and Lyndsay had given me some great, actionable advice. About things I wouldn’t have known I needed to change. Things I didn’t even know were things. Did you know it’s best to have all your menu items in one line? Did you know you’ve got to really think carefully about what goes ‘above the fold’? Actually, wait, did you know what ‘above the fold’ even means?! ‘Cos I certainly didn’t!

Why I joined the Make Your Mark Online (MYMO) membership

In the months that followed, Martin and Lyndsay continued turning up, week in and week out, offering people free website critiques. And I started to notice a theme – they were really quick to pinpoint where a website needed improvement. They knew their stuff. And they weren’t just talking about design or copy – they were giving out tips on branding, positioning, user experience, photography. You name it. And the penny dropped – I realised my website could do a lot more for me.

Around the same time, Martin and Lyndsay also started their podcast, and that’s when I totally fell in love with these guys. I had had the pleasure of attending some of Martin’s training on WordPress and SEO in the past, and I knew he has this beautiful way of explaining complicated and technical things really easily, in a way that’s engaging and makes you want to listen and learn. And Lyndsay comes with a huge amount of knowledge and expertise around copywriting and marketing, not to mention a contagious dose of genuine positivity and fun. Put these two together, and I’d just listen to them all day! (When’s the Martin&Lyndsay Show starting, Guys?)

So when the doors to the membership opened, I knew I wanted to join. It was really that easy.

But… just like any other small business owner out there, I need to be careful with my expenses. So I still had some questions:

• Could I really afford another membership?
• Would I make use of it?
• Would I get a return on my investment?

And do you know what convinced me? This blog post: Concerns you might have about joining our membership. It didn’t just totally hit the mark with me. It also proved (once again) that Martin and Lyndsay know what they’re doing.

My mind was made.

Joining really was a no-brainer.

Video Review of the Make Your Mark Online Membership

Some of the wins I experienced since joining the membership

And I know made the right choice! The membership has really exceeded my expectations, not just in terms of quality and content. Martin and Lyndsay genuinely care about you and the success of your business. They always go the extra mile to help and add value.
So here’s what I’ve done since joining the MYMO membership.

• I got clearer on the products and services I sell and re-structured, re-designed, and re-wrote most of my web pages.
• I created a pricing table as a direct result of Martin and Lyndsay’s advice, which allowed me to remove a huge amount of text from my website and improve the user experience.
• My website isn’t a source of shame anymore – I’m proud of it! I’ve received tons of great feedback on how professional it looks! And I’ve had clients telling me that my website was what convinced them to start working with me! (Whoop!)
• I recorded and shared a video a day inside the community – something I’d been carefully avoiding for years!
• I met a great mix of supportive professionals (mainly personal brand entrepreneurs) in different industries and at different stages of their business. (Super useful!)
• And last but not least, I started to drive traffic to my website and convert some of this traffic into email subscribers, which is a great personal achievement! (If you’re a small business owner, you’ll know how good this feels!)

The best thing? I’ve had fun in the process!

Your website is never finished

As Martin and Lyndsay always say, “your website is never finished.” (Can you believe theirs isn’t either?). For me, this is just the beginning. I’m excited at the thought of how much better my website will look a year from now. And I’m confident that as my business develops and grows, with Martin and Lyndsay and all the MYMO members on my side, my website will too. I’m definitely a proud member of this community (and don’t tell these guys), but I won’t be going anywhere for a very long time!

Now, before Martin and Lyndsay think I’ve turned into a right ol’ stalker, let me leave you with just one thought.

Why you SHOULD join the MYMO community

If you have a website you’re not happy with, if the thought of making tweaks to it makes you want to run the other way, or if you ever feel like you don’t know what you’re doing when it comes to your website but you’re not ready to hire a web designer yet, you’re going to get a huge amount of help and support inside this membership.

Being a personal brand entrepreneur can be hard at times – there’s only one of you, and you can’t possibly be an expert at everything! Joining the MYMO membership allows you to directly tap into Martin and Lyndsay’s knowledge and expertise – and all the other members’ too!

Plus, it’s a fun place to be, and I honestly think that Martin and Lyndsay are some of the most genuine and caring people you’ll find online. They’re real, relatable people who care about the success of their clients.

What’s not to love, right?

So, will you be joining us?

FIND OUT MORE

About Sara

Sara Bussandri

The post Should you join the Make Your Mark Online membership? Honest Review appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

We get it.

Why We Spend Money on Membership Groups and Pittance on Advertising

We’re personally part of six membership groups. These groups do the following:

• Deliver excellent content that allows us to grow our business
• Give us technical help and advice that saves us heaps of time in the long run
• Connects us with other business owners which increases our leads and sales
• Connects us with like-minded people so we can gain support and new ideas

We’ve personally seen the value of joining membership sites. We spend very little (less than £200 per year) on actual advertising solely because we’re part of these groups.

To us, they are a ‘marketing’ cost. A way for us to learn, grow and connect with many people.

The Make Your Mark Online Membership

For those of you who don’t know. The Make Your Mark Online membership is aimed at personal brands, who want to build and grow a successful website.

We’ll have courses on…

• SEO
• How to build a WordPress website from scratch
• Website copy
• How to brand yourself
• WordPress training
• How to convert more visitors into customers

Concerns You Might Have Joining the Make Your Mark Online Membership

That’s not to say we don’t have concerns before joining a new membership.

If you’re thinking of joining the Make Your Mark Online membership, we’ll address any concerns you have below. Ultimately, the decision is yours, but we want to give you as much information as possible before you make this commitment.

1. It’s another monthly fee and you’re not sure if it’s worth it

If you’re worried about yet another monthly fee, we get it. We’re constantly examining our finances, culling those monthly costs that aren’t growing our business.

Is our membership worth the money?

Firstly, we made the introductory price for our membership:
$29 per month or 
$290 per year 
(+VAT depending on where you live)

We wanted to make the initial price for our founding members super affordable.

Through joining this membership, we also want you to cut down the time you spend battling with your website.

We’ll teach you how to significantly increase traffic to your website and transform your readers into paying customers  – earning you more money in the long-run.

This membership is all about you gaining more traffic and relevant leads. Everything is dedicated to growing your business.

2. It will take time to go through the training videos

Time. It’s what we’re all short of, right? You don’t feel like you have time to go through a bunch of training videos, you just want to get on with doing the things you need to do in your business.

Is our membership worth the time?

Time is the thing we value more than anything in the world, and it’s something we were conscious of when it came to creating our membership community.

We have over 50 videos as part of our membership community, and we’ve made sure these are in bite-sized chunks. Many videos are under ten minutes and the more in-depth ones go up to thirty. We try to avoid fluff and make these easy to watch over breakfast or lunch!

You might want to spend your time actually doing what needs to be done for clients and customers, but that is not what grows your business. Our membership will help you grow your business and secure leads for the future.

3. You already have a website you love and you’re not sure if this membership will be valuable

Wooop. You already have a website you love. Good stuff. So you might be thinking, why on earth would I need to join your membership community? We get it, but there are still HUGE benefits to joining a membership community like ours.

Is our membership worth it if you’re already happy with your website?

We wanted this membership community to be super valuable for people who aren’t happy with their website (and need to build a new one) AND people who are happy with their site.

Firstly, there are always improvements to be made on any website (including ours!), and going through our videos will allow you to make tweaks to your current website that will improve conversions.

Secondly, we want to help you grow your traffic and attract your ideal clients through your site. We do this through modules like:

• Your brand – how to build trust and position yourself as an expert
• Website copy – exactly what to include on your home, about and services pages
• SEO – gain a lot more targeted traffic to your website
• Future modules such as blogging, using the right plugins and email marketing

4. You are already getting a lot of traffic so you’re not sure how helpful the membership will be

Getting a lot of traffic to your website is a great achievement! A lot of people think success ends at getting a boat-load of website traffic, but really, that’s just the beginning.

Is our membership worth it if you’re already getting loads of traffic?

It’s great you’re getting a lot of traffic to your website, but is that traffic converting and are you getting your ideal clients through your website?

Our membership will help you transform your readers into customers and, more importantly, attract the right clients through your website.

As we said, getting lots of traffic is a great start but it won’t grow your business in the long run.

5. You’re worried you’ll struggle with the techie stuff

You might have struggled with your website before and tackling something new can seem daunting!

Can you join our membership if you aren’t a ‘techie’?

Of course! Our membership is aimed at non-techies.

Anything to do with websites can seem technical at first and we knew this when we started planning the membership. This is why we tried to make it as simple and easy as we could. We give lots of examples and we avoid anything overly technical.

We use WordPress to build websites and this is an extremely simple tool to use.

We don’t just leave you to figure out yourself. We teach you everything from how to buy your domain name, to installing themes and plugins.

We have a members only forum where you ask questions and get feedback from other members and ourselves, so there’s always someone there to support you!

6. You’re not sure how much support you’ll get

We’ve joined membership communities before where the support available has been limited. You might be able to get ideas or help from other members, but this just isn’t reliable.

Will our membership offer you the support you need?

Every week, we’ll offer a Q&A/group coaching session to our members. This will be your opportunity to ask those niggly questions and gain feedback.

Part of paying for a membership community is gaining personalised feedback on your work. We get that. Which is why we wanted to incorporate it into a regular weekly spot.

7. You’d rather spend money buying templates and plugins

We get it. You would rather spend your money on templates and plugins and everything associated with a website rather than our membership. That’ll save you money in the long run, right?

Why should you choose our membership instead of just getting your own themes and plugins?

Firstly, we’ve done this for years. We know what the cheapest and most reliable hosting is. We know the best themes for you to use (ones that don’t take forever to figure out) and we know the most affordable and reliable plugins. Just having this information alone will save you time and money.

The best thing is? We also show you how to use them! We know people who have spent months trying to figure all this stuff out, our way is a shortcut to getting your website working properly, looking good and pulling leads in.

8. You need accountability, not more training

You’re sick of training. You do loads already by reading books, listening to podcasts and taking part in other membership groups. Why on earth should you take in any more?

Does our membership offer anything more than ‘training’?

Yup. Along with our weekly Q&A calls and coaching sessions with experts, we’ll also be running our 6-week accountability challenges. Examples of our 6-week challenges include our SEO challenge and video challenge.

We’ll give you feedback during these challenges so you continuously improve and develop, and we’ll make sure you’re held accountable if you don’t submit something that week!

Fancy joining us?

If you do fancy joining our membership, then join our waitlist. Doors open on the 1st October for two weeks, where the membership will be set at it’s lowest ever price of $29 per month (+VAT depending on where you live) or $290 per year (+VAT depending on where you live).

Any concerns we haven’t answered?

Those are the most common concerns we’ve received about our membership, so now it’s over to you. Are there any questions we haven’t answered? Just comment below or feel free to email us at martinandlyndsay@jammydigital.com

Martin & Lyndsay

The post Concerns you might have about joining our membership appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

You’re ready to get the ball rolling and kick off the new project.

Just one more question…

How long will it take?

It’s one of the most common questions we get asked.

In this blog post, I’ll be breaking it down so you get a clear understanding of when your new website can go live.

So, how long does it take us to build your new website?

The short answer is websites that we build take, on average, 8-12 weeks.

The long answer is, it depends…

In all honesty, there are two parts to this question

How long will it take us?
How long will it take you?

That’s right, in some cases, the length of time it takes US is not the right question to ask.

More often than not, websites tend to take longer due to things outside our control.

Additional website features

For us to give you an approximate amount of time, we’ll need to understand exactly what you need from the new website. What extra features might you need that aren’t included in the core package?

Understandably, the more features you want us to build into your website the more time it will take.

What extra features add time to the website?

These are just a few examples of the kind of features that will add time to your website.

• A shop – we design your shop from scratch which needs your approval, plus we transfer all your products, including descriptions, images, stock levels etc.
• Specific page designs – such as a bespoke design for your about page or speaker page
• Portfolio – we’ll need to design this from scratch
• Website content – we can write your content for you if you wish
• Landing pages – we can either integrate Thrive Themes or design your pages from scratch. The costs vary but either way, this takes time
• Features like a booking calendar, email marketing integration, video library etc.

We understand that you want your website to be perfect and some, or all, of these features might be needed. Be aware that the more features you have, the longer it will take to complete the project.

Based on your requirements, we’ll always make you aware upfront how long we think it will take to get your website live.

Top tip

Be very specific at the start of the process with exactly what you need. Knowing all the information upfront will allow us to build this into the package and give you an accurate timescale. Changing things, later on, will delay the project further.

How many people are involved

This is something we’ve noticed over the years, the number of people involved in the project WILL impact the timescale of the project. It’s just a fact.

Dealing with one person will be quicker as there is only one person giving feedback and making decisions. On the other hand, if there are more people working on the project, they’ll generate more ideas and opinions. This is a great thing, as you get a wider range of perspectives and ideas. However, it does take more time.

Top tip

If you are part a team who is working on the project in-house, try to have one key person who will act as the contact and liaise with us throughout the process. Dealing with multiple people from your company might cause information to missed and feedback to be different.

Try to get your team to agree with feedback and suggestions before sending them over to us. In the past, we’ve been sent information from multiple team members with dramatically different suggestions, which has delayed the project.

How long does it take for you to get back to us

You want your website to be perfect (we do too). This is why you might take your time getting feedback to us.

While working on your website, we’ll send you some video updates, screenshots and emails. We’ll ask you questions, and we might need you to give us some feedback so that we can move on to the next phase of the project.

The time it takes for you to give us feedback can dramatically affect the timescale, and in some cases, it can halt the process entirely.

In the past, we’ve waited two months for someone to tell us they were happy with their homepage design.

Top tip

It’s important that you take some time before offering feedback on designs, sleep on it and take another look the next day. It’s surprising how much your opinions might change the next time you look. However, if it’s taking longer than a few days to hear back from you, this will delay the process.

Waiting for stuff from you

During the web design process, we’ll need some things from you to allow us to complete the website.

This could include;

• The copy for your website pages
• Images for the different pages
• Contact information
• Videos that you want to include
• Your logo in the correct file format
• Product information and pricing (for online shops)
• Staff timetables (for booking calendar)
• Event information (for selling tickets)
• Login information (e.g. your website, Mailchimp, Stripe)

In the past, we’ve been waiting 12-18 months to get content from clients. Meanwhile, your website project has completely stalled.

Top tip

Try to be extremely organised and proactive with this task. The quicker you get this done, the fresher it is in your mind, and it will keep the project on track. When it comes to getting the information together, use one main tool for storing all the documentation such as a Google Drive or Dropbox folder.

We do offer website copy as a service. If this is something you’re struggling with, then we can build this into the website package.

We are constantly testing new methods to make this process easier too, and we’ll have more information about this coming soon.

Things change dramatically throughout the process

The benefit of our process is that you get to see all page designs before they’re built. Nothing is done without your prior approval. That way you can have a look, make some notes, give feedback and we’ll make amendments.

Once you’re happy, we can then build the website based on those designs.

There are bound to be changes you’ll want to make, and that’s completely fine, but these are usually small tweaks that don’t impact the overall structure of the site.

If we agree on a design and later down the line things change dramatically, this will, understandably, extend the process, and in most cases, the cost of the website.

Top Tip

Before starting the project, make sure you are fully aware of what you want. This includes…

• The features of your website
• Your key messaging
• The key products and services you want to promote
• Your brand and style
• Your target audience

If you haven’t already, check out our website buyers guide for extra help on this.

The more preparation you do, the better the starting platform for us to build you a high-impact website.

Much like the previous point, it’s always best to take some extra time before giving feedback on the initial designs. It’s important that we have included all the features you need at this stage to avoid adding more time to the project later on.

Website timescale examples

Below, I’ve given some examples of how your project might look depending on your requirements

10-week example – Core package

• One person involved
• 2-3 unique pages designs
• Feedback within 1-2 days
• Three online meetings
• You already have content for the new website

16-week example – Core package + Additional features

• Two people involved, for example, an extra designer
• 3-6 unique pages designs
• Feedback within a week
• 3-5 online meetings
• 3-5 additional features, for example, a video library, booking facility, email marketing integration
• You might need to create new content and send images for the new site

26 week example – Bespoke package + 3+ staff

• 3-5 people involved
• 6+ unique page designs
• Feedback within two weeks
• 6+ online meetings
• 5+ additional features, e.g. video library, booking facility, online shop, email marketing integration, event calendar
• New content pages

Summary

As you can see, the timescale of your web design project depends on many factors, and it can change dramatically during the process.

There’s no clear answer to how long it will take. It could take eight weeks if we have everything we need upfront or it could also take 18 months+ if we’re still waiting for things from you.

At least now you have some handy tips to keep the timeline as short as possible so we can your new website live sooner.

Plus, we’re always super excited about getting your website on our portfolio, so it’s our best interest to keep you on track.

Over to you

Do you have any top tips you want to add? Maybe a productivity hack or a team management tool? We’d love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post How long will it take to build your website? appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

It’s taken months of planning, designing and building and it has cost a small fortune.

Now it looks exactly how you want it to, and you want to keep it that way.

The problem is, websites are prone to tech issues, downtime or even hacking.

Scary I know.

So what can you do to keep your website safe and secure?

In this post, I want to tell you why setting up a maintenance plan for your website can save you lots of time and money when things go wrong.

What is a maintenance plan?

A maintenance plan is something you can set up with your web design agency for an additional fee. It’s a monthly service that they charge to keep your website up-to-date and secure.

Usually, prices range from £50–£200 per month depending on what’s included in the package and how much support you need.

We don’t sell maintenance plans. Sorry

Before you ask, this is not a sales pitch. We don’t sell standalone maintenance packages unless we have built your website.

We only offer this service as a special offer to our web design clients.

The reason I wrote this post is not to sell to you but instead explain all the potential risks of managing your website without extra support and guidance. Read more about why we won’t touch your website unless we’ve built it.

1. You might break something

When you get access to your website, it’s understandable you’ll want to have a play around and make some updates and amendments. After all, you need to feel confident that you know what you’re doing.

The only problem is, you might make a mistake and accidentally delete something that you shouldn’t or change the layout when you didn’t mean to. It happens to the best of us. But this does mean you might spend hours trying to get it back to the way it was.

Surely your time is better well spent building and growing your business rather than sifting through your website working out what went wrong.

If you have a maintenance package, this often means your web designer (or the company you’re paying) can fix it for you. At the very least they’ll be able to restore a previous version of your website to put it back the way it was.

2. Save money on hosting and domain name renewals

Hosting is like renting space on the internet, every website needs it and you have to pay annual fees to keep your website and domain name live.

Normally, this would cost you anything between £50–£500 per year depending on who you choose.

Some web designers include these fees within their monthly maintenance plan so you don’t get a surprise invoice every year.

This is exactly what we do with our clients and they save between £100–£150 per year on hosting fees. A nice little bonus at no extra cost.

3. Protection from hackers

The security of your website is VERY important, and you as the website owner need to take this seriously. I don’t mean to scare you but websites get hacked all the time. It sometimes happens without you knowing and it can cause a lot of damage to your site. Not fun.

It’s not just your website that’s at risk. Most websites collect and store personal information about customers and potential customers. If you don’t have efficient security on your website, you could put all this data at risk.

With a maintenance plan, you will have an extra layer of security to protect your website. This could include:

• Spam detection (that detects any suspicious activity)
• SSL certificate (this helps protect passwords, credit card details and other data that you and your customers use on your website.)
• Monitoring AT RISK plugins and extensions (that could cause your website to be hacked)

Those are just a few of the things that a maintenance plan could include to help keep your website safer and more secure.

4. Website Backups

A website “backup” is a saved copy of your website from a previous time e.g. a day ago, a week ago, a month ago and so on… This can be stored in the website files and can be restored if something goes wrong with the website.

If you don’t have regular backups of your website then you are leaving yourself open to one big headache if you break something or you get hacked.

When you have a maintenance plan, a backup of your website will be stored (usually daily) so it can always be recovered if need be.

In the past, we’ve had customers call us and say, “we accidentally messed up the website and can’t get it back” in that case, I can go back to a specific date and recover all the previous settings.

With our maintenance plans, we actually do two backups of your website every day for extra security. One backup with the host and one stored AWAY from the website, so it can always be recovered if your website is not accessible.

5. Software needs updating constantly

Your website is ever changing. Even if you don’t make website changes yourself, the tech behind the scenes will need to be monitored and kept up-to-date. Most websites have additional plugins or themes that have new releases all the time. You NEED to stay on top of these to keep your site running smoothly.

Content management systems (like WordPress, Joomla and Opencart) should also be kept on the latest versions too to prevent any potential issues.

Trying to manage all these updates yourself can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially if you’re not a techie.

With all these updates you have to do, it’s not uncommon that something can go wrong. Plugins can stop working or they’ll stop playing nicely with other plugins. In the meantime, your website might not be working properly.

When you have a maintenance plan, these updates are done for you so you don’t have to worry. They’ll be kept up-to-date and if something goes wrong during an update, it will be fixed and your website will be back to normal in no time at all.

6. Additional support and questions you might have

If you’re a forward-thinking business owner, you’ll be learning about new ways to promote and market your business online such as social media, SEO and content marketing. You might have lots of questions and want some advice on how to use these tools to your advantage.

Some maintenance plans include email support and/or phone support as part of their package. This means if you have any nagging questions or need some extra guidance you’ll always have someone on hand to help.

The level of support you need will determine how much the maintenance plan will cost each month. For instance, we have some clients who pay hundreds of pounds per month for regular online coaching sessions as part of their support plan.

7. Ad hoc website amendments

In addition to support and guidance, you might need someone to work on your website on a regular basis. This could include, creating new pages, adding images and text and making structural changes.

You can try and do this yourself if you like but if you have better things to do and you have the budget, you can pay for a maintenance plan that includes a certain amount of development hours per month. If this is something you think you’ll need, my advice is to start with 1-2 hrs per month and go from there.

8. Peace of mind

You’re in safe hands. Managing a website can be very time-consuming, especially if something goes wrong.

It’s nice to know someone is there taking care of your website behind the scenes. Even if they’re simply keeping track of the basics. Having an extra pair of eyes look over your website will help you sleep easier at night.

Summary

I get it. You’ve spent potentially thousands on a new website, and you don’t want to spend more each month. However, investing in a maintenance plan only serves to protect your original investment. Unfortunately, we cannot leave websites. At a minimum, we need to keep them healthy and up-to-date. You have to decide whether you want to spend the time doing this or pay for a maintenance plan. Either way, you’ll have to take some action, or you run the risk of damaging, or even losing your website.

Please note, having a maintenance plan doesn’t guarantee you won’t get hacked or lose some of your work. Every website is susceptible. But it will significantly reduce the chances of it happening and limit the damage if it does.

Like I said before, you CAN’T sign up with us unless we’ve built your website but spend some time researching different companies.

Over to you

Have you ever been a victim of hacking? Maybe one of your out-of-date plugins caused your website to go down. I’d love to hear from you, please leave a comment below.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post Why you NEED a maintenance plan for your website appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

“Can we pay you to make amendments to our website?”

In most cases, the answer is, no.

Unless we’ve built the website, we DON’T take on clients to make ongoing changes or odd jobs.

Please note, this post DOESN’T apply to you if we’ve built your website and we will certainly help you with ongoing changes if you need them.

Honestly, we hate turning customers away. We always feel terrible about it.

Up until recently, we’ve tried to help as many customers as we can, but we’ve now made the decision to focus entirely on building websites from start to finish.

In this post, I wanted to explain why we made this decision.

1. Every website is built differently

No two websites are built the same, even if they’re both built using WordPress they can be created using entirely different methods and frameworks. This makes it very time consuming for us to get to know your website and make quick changes.

You might want to pay an hourly fee for the work to be done, but it could take a few hours just to get to know your website before we even think about tweaking things.

Not to mention that most WordPress websites use child themes and 3rd party plugins that can change as time goes on. If these aren’t kept up to date, it can have severe consequences on your website. This could cause even more headaches and slow the process down even further.

When we build websites from start to finish, we use the same method every time. We use a framework and tools that we trust, and we wouldn’t use anything else. We know what to expect and can make changes easily.

Chances are, your site is not built this way, which is why we can’t begin to know how much time it might take, and how much we might charge.

2. We want to focus on what we do best

We specialise in full website redesigns, and we love every minute of it. The process we use to create websites has proven to work over and over again.

However, this process takes up all of our time, and we can’t stop doing this to make website amendments.

All of our time is spent either:

• Speaking to existing and potential clients
• Planning out projects and schedules
• Sketching grid layouts to come up with page designs
• Designing websites with tools like Photoshop or Illustrator
• Coding websites to make it look like the designs
• Migrating existing content onto the new site
• Moving physical products onto the new website
• Transferring over your SEO settings

As you can see, there’s a lot of work to do, and we want to make sure we don’t let our process suffer.

We love to take a website that may not be performing well and redesign it piece by piece to bring it back to life. We need to focus 100% on this for us to be effective.

3. There are only two of us

Let’s be honest, there are only two of us and how me and Lyndsay spend our time is very important. Building websites takes on average 2–3 months and every website is unique and comes with a different set of challenges. We have to plan our projects months in advance to make sure we build high performing websites and keep to deadlines.

If we were to take on small, random jobs for additional clients, it just couldn’t work. Our schedule would be put on hold, and our web design projects would be delayed. Even if we plan it in months ahead, we would still have to rearrange other projects around yours.

This simply isn’t feasible and we would never want our core services (e.g. full website design.) to be affected.

4. We might not agree with your suggested amendments

This is a tough one. We try to be as helpful as we can and we always share our knowledge and experience with our clients when they ask.

Occasionally, we’ll get asked to make website amendments that we DON’T think are a good idea. Certain changes may impact your website in a negative way, and user experience or SEO may suffer.

Other companies may say “no problem, whatever you want” and then make the changes.

We can’t do this, we’d rather explain why it’s a bad idea and then come up with other suggestions that might work better. We would hate for you to hire us to make changes and then leave with a worse-off website.

Unfortunately, this takes more time for me to explain and then implement the changes we agree. All the while, we’re not working on our main projects.

We still offer advice, of course. If you need some direction on what to change on your website, then check out our website critique page. We’ll review your website and tell you how to improve it.

Summary

Ultimately, it comes down to time. If we had more time in the day, we’d happily help everyone.

At this point, we want to focus 100% on creating epic websites from start to finish. We love getting fantastic results for our clients, and if this means we lose a bit of extra money here and there, that’s ok.

Building stronger relationships with fewer clients is our goal with Jammy Digital and we’d love to work with you in the future.

Over to you

Hopefully, now you’ll understand why we don’t take on more clients for ad hoc amendments. If you do need some help and advice, why not join our Facebook group… Website Tips for non techies. We’re a lovely bunch and we’ll help where can.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post Why we DON’T do ad hoc website amendments appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

But when you’re not pulling in enough enquiries or sales, it might be time to examine what’s going wrong.

The only thing is, it’s often difficult for you to identify any issues with your site, especially if you’ve designed it yourself, and haven’t had a professional to help.

When you’re building a website yourself, you tend to focus on one thing…how it looks.

This isn’t a bad thing, but it’s only ONE of the MANY factors that go into a successful website. And if you’re not careful, you could be missing out on business.

Over the years, we’ve noticed that many business owners make the same mistakes with their websites. Consequently, they see limited results.

This is why we launched our “website critique” service. This is where we review your website and send you a 30-minute video with our advice and feedback so you can make improvements.

Over the past 12 months since starting this service, our clients have experienced dramatic growth as a result of our feedback.

But how do you know if YOU will benefit from a website critique? Below, I’ve listed the six main reasons you might need some honest feedback about your website.

1. You need some honest feedback on the design

The way your website looks is SO important, and it can make the difference between generating sales and hearing crickets. If you have an attractive, easy-to-use website, then more people will stick around and potentially do business with you.

However, if your website looks dated and it’s difficult to use, it WILL affect your bottom line. It’s a real shame because you might have spent time creating a useful website, but an unattractive or un-user-friendly design will put people off.

How will a website critique help?

We’ll give you some honest feedback about the design of your website. From our years of experience, we understand what makes a good website and what doesn’t.

In a website critique, we will tell you what we think about your site and what we would change. It might be as simple as changing a few colours or fonts, or we might suggest changing the layout and style to make it more user-friendly.

2. You’re not ranking well on Google, and you don’t know why

Every day, people are using search engines to find products and services like yours, and people trust Google to deliver the best results. This is why it’s so important that you are found online.

If you’re not ranking on the first page of search results for relevant key phrases, you’re likely missing out on visitors and sales.

For most businesses, organic search is the number one source of traffic, so it’s understandable why so many people need help increasing their rankings.

How will a website critique help?

We will analyse your website from a search engine perspective and give you specific changes that you can make to improve your search engine rankings.

We’ll look through your website and tell you if you’re making any mistakes and how to correct them.

We’ll also run a full technical audit to see if there are any underlying issues that are preventing you from being found online.

3. You’re not converting visitors into leads

Your website is not just an online business card, it has a job to do. It should be delivering a steady flow of new enquires all the time. The type of lead or enquiry depends on your business but here are a few examples:

• Contact form entries
• Phone calls
• Free online consultations
• Email subscribers

Whatever it is you want your visitors to do, your website needs to encourage your users to take some kind of action.

Far too often we don’t give our users clear direction. We leave them to wander around our website in the hopes that they will get in touch, and they rarely do.

How will a website critique help?

We’ll review your website fully and assess how you can increase your lead generation. There could be a problem with the design and layout of your website, or there could be an issue with the copy you’re using. We’ll give you some tips to improve your leads and enquiries.

4. You’re not making enough sales

You could have the best-looking website in the world, but if nobody is buying from you what’s the point? There’s nothing worse than spending time and money building a new website only to have it generate no sales.

The old adage “build it and they will come” is simply not true when it comes to your website. There is so much competition out there you have to be extremely focused on making your products and service stand out from the crowd.

For someone to feel confident buying from you, you need to build up a certain amount of trust. Your prospects want to feel like they’re making the right decision and it’s your job to make them feel safe when handing over their cash.

How will a website critique help?

There are a few key things you can do on your website to build trust, that you might not already be doing. We’ll review your website and identify any opportunities to improve this and increase sales.

We’ll also take a look at you sales pages and product pages to see if you’re including all the right information and addressing your visitors objections.

Another reason people might not buy from you is because they have certain questions that you might not answer on your website. We’ll help you come up with a content plan so your visitors learn more about your products and services, which should lead to more customers.

5. Users are leaving your website quickly

You only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention when they visit your website. Fail to do this, and they’ll lose interest and click the back button. You probably do this when browsing online too.

There are many reasons someone might leave your site quickly, including a lack of clear direction, inability to communicate what it is you do, messy design, etc.

All of this will impact user experience and cause your visitor to be frustrated and leave quickly.

How will a website critique help?

We can advise you how to captivate your audience before they leave your site. There are certain design principles you can do to engage your visitors and keep them around for longer.

We’ll take a look at your website and tell you what you can do to help your users consume more of your content.

6. Your traffic numbers are low

If your website isn’t getting a lot of traffic, it can be really frustrating. You’ve spent time creating a website, and nobody is visiting it. The more relevant visitors you have, the more potential buyers you have.

It’s also worth mentioning that without a consistent flow of visitors, you won’t be able to get a good understanding of how people are using your website, what you can improve and what you may need to get rid of.

Having the data will allow you to make certain adjustments to your website that will increase sales.

How will a website critique help?

There are many things you can do to start generating more website traffic, and I’m not talking about paying for advertising.

We’ll help you come up with a strategy so you can start reaching more people. This might mean making your website more search engine friendly, or we can spend some time looking at your content to see if it’s good enough to attract more visitors.

Summary

If you’re concerned about your website and think it might not be performing well enough, let us know. We can tell you if we think a website critique is the right way to go.

If you want to book your website critique now, then click the button below and get started. We’ll send you your 30-minute video in the next seven days.

Book a Website Critique

Over to you

Have you suffered from any of these website problems before, how did you overcome them? I’d be interested to know in the comments below.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post 6 warning signs you need a website critique appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

Thinking about the colours, the styles, the layout, the endless possibilities.

It’s understandable that you would want to jump into it feet first and hire an agency quickly to build your new website.

Before you do, I wanted to make you aware of a few hurdles you might face.

I’ve been running a web design business for over five years, and I’ve noticed a number of frustrations and problems with other web design companies.

I’ve made an effort to listen to what people say so I can understand their frustrations, that way I don’t make the same mistakes with my business.

What are the main problems you might face when hiring a web design agency?

1. They don’t put their prices on their website

Most web design companies don’t display any pricing information on their website. They expect you to call them up or fill out an online form to be able to find out what they might charge. This is pretty frustrating.

You might have a budget in mind, it might be high, it might be low but if you can’t find any information on their website you could spend hours contacting a number of companies and explaining what you want, only to find that they are way out of your price range.

Obviously, websites are not all built the same, they have many different features, and the price for one can be completely different for another. However, wouldn’t it be easier for everyone if they gave you some indication at least without having to contact them. Even if they said “starting at £5,000” if you only had a budget of £1,000 you would know they are not the right company for you.

What we do instead

Like many other companies, the price for our web design packages varies depending on what you want. But we know that most of the websites we build cost between £3K–£5K. This is why we clearly state this information on our website. There are rare occasions that we might charge outside of this range, but at least you know what kind of figure we’re likely to quote.

We’ve also written a number of blog posts about our pricing structure and what you get for your money. We allow you to compare our service with other companies in your own time. You get to see our entire process from start to finish and make your own decision.

2. They might use a lot of jargon

Website design is a technical skill, and it can get pretty complicated at times. Web design companies like to use lots of jargon, some of which ends up on their website.

Phrases like CSS, HTML5 and PHP may sound impressive, but they don’t mean anything to ordinary business owners looking to hire a web designer for their new website.

It’s more likely going to confuse you and leave you with more questions.

What we do instead

We know that your website needs to look good, work well and deliver traffic and customers. You shouldn’t need to worry about the technical aspects of how it’s built. You just want results.

We understand that what we do may seem complex. It can be, but it doesn’t have to be complicated for you. We do our best to eliminate the fancy jargon when speaking to you about your project via Skype, email and phone and make things easy to understand.

We also created a jargon buster on our website which will help you understand all the fancy lingo that techie folk like to use.

3. They might not understand SEO

Search engine optimisation or SEO will play a big part in the success of your website. It’s about how well your website follows the guidelines that Google set.

Some web design companies focus entirely on DESIGN. They tend to focus on making your website look good and leave the SEO stuff to you.

That’s ok if you know what you’re doing but wouldn’t it be good if your web designer at least thought about search engines while building your website.

After all, you could have the best-looking website in the world but if nobody can find you on Google then what’s the point.

What we do instead

We have an extensive knowledge of SEO and have been lucky enough to work with hundreds of clients over the years. We teach SEO, run workshops and offer 1-2-1 private coaching.

We build every website with SEO in mind, everything we do will have some impact on your search engine rankings. This is why we take our time throughout the design process. We think about website content, page layout, menu structure, technical SEO, page speed and much more.

Yes, we STILL design great looking websites, but we also build search engine friendly websites too.

4. You don’t get the support you need when you go live

Another major problem with web design companies is the level of support you get from them once your website has gone live.

It’s only natural that you’ll have a few questions once your new site is live and you’d expect to be able to contact your web designer for a little support.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Some agencies feel that once your website is live, you are now on your own. They may even try and charge you hourly for any additional support time, every email or phone call.

It’s sad, but it happens.

What we do instead

We love helping clients with their website. Especially after you launch. There may be the odd tech question you want to ask, or maybe you want some advice about blogging. We are always happy to help.

Depending on the level of support you need, we may suggest taking out a maintenance package with us, but this is optional.

Some of our web design packages include a 1-2-1 coaching session once the website is live so we can help you make the most of your new website.

We also send you a series of video tutorials showing you how to update your website yourself without having to speak to us.

Whatever you need we are here for you.

5. They don’t take the time to understand your business

A lot of web designers don’t take the time to truly understand your business. They tend to focus on surface-level information, e.g. how many pages do you need, what do you sell, how can people get in touch.

By only focusing on the basics, they will miss some really important information that could lead to you getting more enquires and sales later down the road.

To design a high performing website your web design company should understand:

• Your target market
• The features of the products/services you offer
• The benefits of these products/services
• What makes you different from your competitors
• Your future goals for the business
• Any much more

Without gathering this information, it’s pretty much impossible to create a website that’s good enough to do what you want it to.

What we do instead

Before we start building your website, we arrange a video call so we can gather as much information as we can. This usually lasts for an hour.

Once we have done this, we’ll send you a questionnaire to fill out where we ask more questions about your business. This will allow us to get a clearer understanding and set an action plan for moving forward.

Once we have all this, we’ll then do our own research into your competitors and your target audience and come up with a plan to designing a website that truly works for you.

Summary

As you can see, there are many key issues you will want to look out for when approaching web design companies about your new website.

Be very careful to do your research before hiring a web design agency for your new project.

Over to you

Have you ever hired a web design agency? What were the problems that you faced? I’d love to you hear from you, so please leave a comment below.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post 5 common problems with web design companies appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

It’s a decision that we didn’t take lightly but one that we are happy with.

SEO has been a huge part of our business, and it’s going to be an interesting transition going forward.

Did we fall out of love with SEO? Did we have a bad experience? The answer to both questions is NO.

We love helping our clients get incredible results (who wouldn’t) this is why it took us a long time to make this decision. Stopping something you enjoy doing, and are good at, is difficult for anyone.

Even if you’re doing it for the right reasons.

1. We love building websites

We want to focus all our efforts on building the best websites possible.

I actually started my journey as a web designer 5 years ago. I only added SEO to the mix later on once I learned as much as I could about it.

Learning SEO and getting great results for our clients has helped us build better websites. They tend to rank better, they’re more user-friendly, and we can advise our clients what they could do to improve SEO.

My real passion has always been in building websites. Taking an idea or basic sketch and turning into a reality is what excites me. Creating a website from nothing and see it make money for a client is the best feeling in the world, and we want to spend more time doing this.

Another part of what we love about building websites is seeing the finished product. It’s true; a website is never truly “finished” but there is a point where we launch a new website and hand over the reigns to our clients.

At that point I feel a sense of accomplishment.

However, the very nature of SEO means, it’s never-ending. It’s a continuous service that happens month after month and it never really feels complete. Although this is very profitable, I still miss that sense of completion that I get from my web design projects.

2. We didn’t want to hold anything back

We’ve always tried to be as giving as possible when it comes to our knowledge. SEO is a topic I personally love to talk about and could do so until I was blue in the face.

However, when you offer a service like SEO, there’s always a feeling that I should be saving some of the information for my paying clients. Surely the REALLY valuable stuff should be given to paying clients only…right?

NO!

This is another reason we gave it up. We didn’t want anything to be held back when speaking to clients and prospects.

Our goal is to be 100% transparent with our audience, and now we’ve taken money out of the equation, we get to spread our message without any filter.

And I feel really excited about it.

3. We want YOU to learn SEO rather than pay for it

SEO is easier than you think.

Over the past 4 years since I’ve been offering SEO, I’ve realised that Google are making it easier for small businesses to have an impact on the web.

SEO is easier to understand and less technical than ever before.

There are thousands of SEO blogs out there giving free advice on how to optimise your website for search engines. Not to mention all the books, video courses and podcasts that offer guidance too.

Content management systems like WordPress, Weebly and Shopify allow you to optimise your own website easily and start seeing results within weeks.

It’s far more cost-effective for you to learn and understand the basics and try your hand at at it first.

Even if you decide to hire an SEO agency later on, you’ll be able to understand the work that has been carried out. You’ll have a better grasp of what and why things have been done and save yourself some time and money in the process.

4. We get to spend more time helping our clients

We’re developing a new online training centre for our clients where we’ll put together a series of videos and downloads that will help them understand SEO better.

When you hire us to build your website, you’ll have the opportunity to join the training centre and learn everything you need to know to drive more organic traffic to your website.

We’ll teach you everything we’ve learned over the years, and you can implement it yourself without the need for an SEO company.

Now that we’ve stopped providing SEO services, it means we have more time to invest in training.

5. We are still offering SEO consulting

Although we are not taking on new SEO projects, we are not going anywhere, and we can still help you with your SEO strategy.

We offer hourly 1-2-1 coaching via Skype, and we also offer a website critique service where we’ll review your website and send you a video with our feedback.

These services allow us to help more people for a one-time fee. No contracts, no monthly fees, just 100% help and advice tailored around your needs.

What happens now

So what does this mean, is the last time I’m going to talk write about SEO?

Nope.

I’m planning on writing a lot more SEO content for my audience; I want to start recording more videos and creating ebooks too. I just want to give away my knowledge, rather than save it for my SEO clients.

Summary

It’s never easy cutting a service from your business. Especially one that’s been very profitable over the years. I made this decision even though it went against my business instincts. I went with my heart instead. And I’m happy that I did.

If you want to take advantage of our website critique service, hit the button below. We’ll send you a 30-minute website critique video telling you how to improve your SEO.

Book A Website Critique

Over to you

Have you ever made a decision that didn’t make sense on paper? Maybe like me, you chose to go with your heart rather than your head. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post Why we’ve stopped selling SEO appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

You know you need to hire a web design agency to create your new site, but you’re not sure where to start.

You could work with a small agency like us, or you could hire a big agency with a fancy office.

But what’s the REAL difference?

I’ll be honest; I would never class us as “cheap”. We charge between £3K–£5K for a website, which is significantly more expensive than WIX and your bog-standard local web designer. People often ask why we are more expensive. You can find out why we’re more expensive by reading this blog post.

That being said, we have ALSO been asked this question too…

“Why are you so much cheaper than larger agencies?”

You may be thinking:

• Are they cheaper because they’re not as good?
• Do they have the right skills?
• Can they handle my project?

How much do larger agencies charge for web design?

Many of our clients have been quoted 5K-10K for a basic website and upwards of 15K-20K for a website needing additional features. Comparatively, we usually charge between 3K-5K on average.

What’s the difference between us and them?

In this post, I’ll explain exactly what you will (and won’t) receive from us when it comes to getting a new website. And why I think we’re cheaper than other agencies.

1. No big fancy office

We work from home.

We make no bones about it. We love working from home. There’s no traffic for one thing, and my wife and I each have an office with all the space we require.

But many website design agencies rent spaces. Depending on the agency, some of these spaces can be extra fancy, complete with cool bean bag chairs and coffee machines.

After a brief search on Rightmove, renting a decent space, suitable for meeting clients, could set me back £2000 per month. That cost, along with public indemnity insurance, furniture and heating/gas costs, would need to passed onto you, the client.

With the exception of the slightly higher utility bills from using the kettle 18 times a day, there’s very little extra cost from me working from home.

Working with us:

• Overhead costs are lower, and these savings are passed onto you

Working with a larger agency:

• You get that ‘red carpet’ experience
• Bean bag chairs!

Understandably, some people are put off by this. They like the idea of a big agency who can roll out the red carpet for them in the style of a dedicated office space. And I get it, I really do. Having a website designed is exciting, and a fancy office adds to that experience.

But a lot of our clients, most of which live over 3 hours drive away, don’t really care that we work from home. They just want a good product.

Which brings us nicely onto our next point….

2. We don’t do in-person meetings

“Will you come and meet us?”

99% of the time, the answer to this question is no.

It’s not that we don’t want to see you. We love communicating with clients. And personally, finding out about you and your business is the favourite part of my job.

But we still won’t come and meet you. Instead, we communicate via video call, phone, emails and recorded videos.

Why do we do only communicate online?

How does this make the cost cheaper for you?

It’s true, the cost of travel isn’t much. Travel from Manchester to Edinburgh for two people is £150.00 (ish). A hotel is about £100.00.

So you’re probably thinking, ‘well £250.00 out of the three grand you’re charging for the website isn’t bad, right?’

And you’d be right.

The biggest issue for us is time. Say we did that two or three times a month. We could lose 4-6 days out of each month travelling and in meetings. It’s just not feasible.

Time is money, unfortunately. And the more time we spend dedicated to travelling for your project, the more we’d have to charge and the longer the project would take.

We’d have significantly fewer clients, which means we would have to charge a smaller pool of clients more for each project.

Plus, we’ve found a whole host of benefits when communicating online compared with face-to-face.

Working with us:

• You get to see your website and the progress as we go along. There’s not just one meeting and then a brand new website, we have a few video calls throughout the process.
• We’ll send you training videos which will last forever. If you want to update your website at 8 pm on a Friday night and you forget how to do something, you don’t have to wait until Monday to find out!
• You have time to formulate feedback – you’re not put on the spot as you may be in a face-to-face scenario
• Cheaper overall costs, which are then passed onto you.

Working with a larger agency:

• Sometimes it’s easier to explain what you want face-to-face, but we find a video call is always good for that too! Especially with our screen-sharing software.
• Free coffee – we can’t give you a frappuccino through the computer screen, but we are hoping technology catches up soon!

3. We don’t have lots of staff

A lot of agencies have project managers, a sales team and administrators as well as web designers and graphic designers, etc. This varies from agency-to-agency, however, comparatively we’re very small.

The obvious reason our projects are cheaper than other agencies is because we don’t  pay for a team of staff.

As well as the research and design, we also do all the admin, accounting (alongside an accountant), marketing and brew-making between the two of us.

This means we have to carefully plan-in each project, and a single web project usually spans over two months.

Working with us:

• You speak directly to the person designing your website – Martin. There isn’t a number of people you must go through in order to talk design.
• You don’t have to explain your point to numerous people
• You get to speak to the people at the top! We make all the decisions – there’s no waiting around for things to be signed off by managers
• We’ll never put you on hold with crappy background music
• You don’t get lost amongst so many different projects
• And the biggie…it’s cheaper

Working with a larger agency:

• It may take them less time to design a website – our websites take a minimum of two months to create (from research to launch).
• As long as you have the budget, larger agencies tend to be able to work with anyone. Whereas we work with fewer clients who we can truly help
• If you don’t like your account manager personally, you can usually request another one.

4. We provide one main service

We offer one service: Bespoke WordPress website design.

Don’t get us wrong; this service encompasses a lot of different things. We think about the whole process your user must go through, and how best to get them to do exactly what you want them to!

We don’t just design, there’s so much that goes on in the background, such as email marketing integration, online payments integration, and crafting attractive copy to increase click through rates, for example.

But, we still only offer one product.

Why does this save you money?

Firstly, this saves you costs because we don’t have to spend time and money learning and keeping up-to-date with many different things.

The second reason is that we don’t bundle in lots of services under one roof like many integrated digital agencies.

We’ve had to learn this the hard way.

In the beginning, we offered too many products and stretched ourselves way too thin.

However, a larger agency doesn’t have this problem. So you may find that many of these items are bundled into a large package, which of course, increases the cost, but can be a good thing depending on what you need.

Working with us:

• Highly in depth knowledge and skill about one particular subject – how to turn your visitors into customers using a bespoke WordPress website.
• Staff training costs are low
• No added extras bundled into our packages

Working with a larger agency:

• Can usually handle all of your marketing and branding under one roof
• No need to go to multiple suppliers – such as a web designer, logo designer and copywriter
• Your marketing and branding is consistent as it’s all completed in one place

5. We hate suits

There. We said it. We hate them.

We don’t wear them, and we don’t expect you to pay for them.

Summary

In some ways, we’re quite a low key agency.

We’ve created a business that we love, and it never feels like we’re working (except when we’re filling in a tax return). We don’t have any ambitions of becoming a huge agency complete with a team of staff and a fancy office.

That’s ultimately why we’re cheaper than some others out there. However, that’s not to say we’re the right agency for you.

It’s not just about the cost.

There are advantages and disadvantages to working with us over other agencies, and we hope we’ve made this a little clearer for you! Our aim has always been to minimise the small agency disadvantages as much as we can.

Over to you

So, have you ever worked with a smaller, cheaper agency? What did you like about it? Or perhaps you prefer larger agencies with a strong presence and name? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post Why Are We So Cheap? Working with us vs a Larger Agency appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

You might have a number of questions and concerns, but, without spending hours on the phone speaking to dozens of web designers, how will you know who to choose?

This is why I wrote this article.

I wanted to lay it all out on the table and show you our entire process from start to finish, so you know exactly what you get when you hire us.

Below, I’ll walk you through the 31 steps we use to create a high-performing website that works FOR you!

1. We talk, usually via Skype

Before we start working together, we’ll book in some time to have a chat about your project. We’ll usually do this on a live video call and discuss what you want to achieve from your new website.

We’ll take a look at your existing site (if you have one) and we’ll go through your ideas for the new site. We can use this time to talk about your goals and objectives so that we have a better understanding of how we can help.

Essentially, this call is to work out whether we are a right fit for each other. I work only with clients who I can truly help, which is why this call is important. We’ll also discuss your budget, and I can give you an indication of what we charge.

2. Questionnaire

Following on from our initial call, we will send you a website questionnaire to fill out. This will allow us to gather additional information so we know as much as possible about your business before we start designing and building it. The more information we have, the better the finished product.

3. We send you a quote

Once we have all your requirements, we will send you a full proposal for our services, including all the website features you requested. We may also include additional elements that we think would work well for your website. More often than not, the fee for our services is similar to the price we discussed on the call.

We can also include a quote for creating your website content. Most of our clients hire us to write the text for their new website. This is an option for you, too.

4. Research

Using the information you provided on the initial call and the questionnaire, we will begin our own research. We will do a deep dive into your world, learning as much as possible about your industry and your competitors. We’ll perform some keyword research to find out what your customers search for online. During this time we’ll look at dozens of different websites, leaving no stone unturned before moving forward with any designs.

5. Initial concepts

Once we have enough information from the research, we then move onto the planning stage. This is where the fun begins. This is the creative part that I personally love the most. We’ll start by sketching out some layouts on a whiteboard. We use a lot of post-it notes and marker pens to come up with a basic wireframe of your pages. This begins the initial framework of your new site.

We’ll also discuss the main colours we’ll be using and taking into account what you already have and what we would recommend. We’ll decide on the best use of fonts and where to place your headlines and content for the most impact. We’ll also decide where your calls to action will go and how to ensure they are clearly displayed for your users.

6. Mockup

The next stage of the process is to take all the rough sketches and post-it notes and turn them into a work of art. Your website. We use Adobe Photoshop to pull together all of the pieces from our planning to create a mockup. We’ll position each element one by one and add some content to bring it to life.

Everything from your logo to your social media icons will have its own rightful place. Every inch of the design will be considered, informed by the research and concepts we’ve previously completed. Some of the initial ideas won’t work when we add them to Photoshop. And that’s fine. At this stage, there will be a lot of testing and trial and error along the way.

Chances are the design will change numerous times throughout the mockup stage until we are happy. This is one of the most import steps, and we’ll keep working on it until we have something that looks spectacular, is user-friendly and ensures maximum results.

Here’s an example of us building a mockup

7. You see the design

This is the fun part for you. This is the first time you get to see the design since we’ve started working together.

Once we are happy with the mockup, we’ll send you the homepage design via a video link. In the video, we’ll walk you through the design and talk you through each element one by one. By using a video, you get to see the full design as if it were a real website. We’ll explain why we’ve designed it the way we have and you’ll get to experience it before we move forward with the rest of the project.

Please note

Some of the items on the mockup will act as placeholders. This means if we are waiting for images and text from you, we may use stock images temporarily until we have all the correct information. Currently, your mockup is still a static document; the extra content can be added later on in the process.

8. Feedback

Once you’ve watched the video and had chance to reflect on what you’ve seen you can tell us what you think. You can also ask us any questions, and we can discuss what you want to change, if anything. This is your opportunity to let us know if we’ve missed out any key information so we can add it before moving forward with the build.

9. Continue with designs

Once we have the homepage nailed down, we then design the layouts for your other pages. You will generally have 3 unique layouts to choose from for your website. A homepage, an inner page and a blog page. We’ll design the additional pages using Photoshop like we did before. The colours and style will match the homepage, but the structure will be different.

10. Domain name

When we are happy with the designs, we then move onto the technical aspects of the process. We will register your domain if you haven’t already done so. If you have already done this, then we will use a temporary domain, which we’ll work on while we’re building your site.

Please note

Even though we register (and purchase) the domain for you, you will own it. It will be registered in your name.

11. Hosting

Along with your domain name, we’ll also purchase hosting. This will allow us to install a coming soon page and set up your email accounts so you can use them while we’re building your website.

Please note

If you already have an existing site, this will already be set up for you.

12. Setup of emails

It’s time to register your email accounts. This is where you get to decide which emails you’d like to use. You can have as many as you like. A few popular choices are yourname@yourdomain.com, info@yourdomain.com, sales@yourdomain.com and enquiries@yourdomain.com.

13. Install WordPress

The very first thing we need to do before we build your website is to install WordPress. WordPress is the content management system we’ll be using for your site. It will allow you to make changes easily, so you don’t have to pay us every time you want to add something. If you want to know why we ONLY use WordPress, then this article will explain all.

14. Add coming soon page

Once we’ve installed WordPress, we will add a “coming soon” page. This means we can start working on your website and we don’t have to worry about your customer stumbling across a half-built website. Instead, they’ll be greeted with a nice, warm welcome in anticipation of your brand new site.

15. Install the Genesis Framework

We use something called “Genesis” to build your website. It’s a WordPress framework that allows us to have 100% control over the technical aspects of your website. It also allows us to take your truly bespoke design and turn it into a fully functional website without additional “drag and drop” software.

16. The techie bit – Photoshop to website

We then take the Photoshop files we created for your mockup and your other pages and add them to your website. To do this, we create page templates for each unique design using a number of fancy tools and techniques (Code editors, FTP, CSS and PHP).

This sounds complicated and confusing, and it often is. It can take a lot of trial and error and is probably the most time-consuming part of the project. It needs to be done properly otherwise the website won’t look like the initial design you fell in love with.

We also have to prepare the site for mobile devices. The website will need to look good no matter what device is used to view it. We’ll assign a specific layout for mobiles, tablets, laptops, etc,.

17. Add pages and assign templates

We will then create all of the pages for your website within WordPress. Usually, we’ll just add blank pages with the titles, to begin with.

If this is a redesign of an existing site, we’ll also need to make sure that the URLs for these pages are the same as the old site. This isn’t always possible, so we’ll need to be extremely careful setting up redirects as we don’t want any broken links when you launch your new website. More on this in step 25.

18. Choose page style

Once we have added your blank pages, we then need to choose how each page will look by selecting the relevant template which we created in step 16. Generally speaking, the homepage and the blog page will be unique, but most of the inner pages follow a very similar style.

19. Add menu items

We then add your menu items to their assigned position. This is where we choose which pages will appear within the main navigation area of your website and order them appropriately.

You may have more than one menu on your website (e.g., sidebar, header, footer, etc.) so we’ll need to be careful not to duplicate pages. We also need to keep in mind the end user and how they can navigate through the site easily.

20. Add content

Once we have added all the menu items to your website, we can then add the content. We take the text and images for each section of your site and place them on the correct page.

We will arrange your content in a way that makes it easy to consume. There’s nothing worse than blocks of text with nothing to break it up. We’ll use images and headings to make it as readable as possible.

21. Plugins

We then install any relevant plugins to your website. Plugins are like website add-ons, and we’ll use them for most of the advanced features on your site. There are over 45,000 plugins to choose from, another great reason to use WordPress. Things like image galleries, contact forms, and social media sharing buttons can all be added by using these pre-made applications.

We may also adapt the plugins to make them look more in keeping with the style of your website.

22. API integrations

Aside from using plugins, we may also need to integrate additional applications from third-party websites. Services like MailChimp and PayPal use APIs so they can communicate directly with your website. Think of them as plugins on steroids. They will make your life easier and most major companies make their software WordPress friendly.

23. Test contact forms

We’ll go through your website, testing all of the contact forms, ensuring that they work properly and that emails go to the right place.

We can edit the form so you can gain any relevant details you’ll need from your prospect. We can also add more email recipients, meaning multiple people can receive your enquiries.

24. 301 redirects

If this is a redesign of an existing site, we’ll need to ensure all of your old pages are correctly transferred over using 301 redirects as we said in step 17. On occasion, you may not want to keep the old pages, or you might want to change the URLs. That’s fine. But we will need to set up 301 redirects for each page you plan on changing.

Essentially, we’ll communicate with Google exactly what you’re changing, so it knows where to redirect traffic if users land on a specific page in the search results.

Take this example below:

Old URL: exsistingwebsite.com/about-us
New URL: exsistingwebsite.com/about

We’ll make sure that if your old URL is displayed on Google, the page will automatically redirect to the new one. So no lost traffic.

25. Mobile friendly test

We will then test your website on different sized screens to see how it looks. During the website build stage (step 16) we assigned a different layout depending on the size of the device e.g. iPhones, iPads, laptops and desktops. However, we’ll still need to check it to make sure looks OK now that we’ve added plugins.

26. Page load speed

We need to check one last thing before we feel comfortable releasing your website to the world. We want to test your page load speed to make sure the site is running as quickly as possible. Google advises that all websites should load within 5 seconds to avoid any kind of penalty.

We use a number of tools to confirm your new website is as quick as it can be and we might even install some additional features to improve it if it needs it. The quicker your website loads, the better the experience for your users.

27. Cross browser test

There are many different web browsers, Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer to name a few. Each browser will display your website slightly differently. There’s no real way to avoid this but we do make sure to catch any major differences and glitches.

28. Yoast SEO plugin

We will then install the Yoast SEO plugin to your website. This is the tool that will allow you to optimise your website so that search engines can find you more easily. We will set it up for you and use it to verify your website with Google in the next step.

29. Submit sitemap to Google Search Console

Using Yoast, we can connect your website directly to Google. This means they can provide you with extra data about your website, and send you an email if you have any errors going forward.

We then provide Google with a list of web pages from your site so they can start listing them in search results. This is known as your “sitemap”. Chances are they would find your site over time anyway but this way they will keep their records up to date every time you make a change to your site.

30. Google Analytics

Once we have given your site to Google, we can then create your visitor tracking account. Instead of using fancy plugins for this, we use Google Analytics. This is a free tool that Google provide to show you everything you need to know about your website visitors. This will show you everything from monthly visitor numbers to the most popular pages. It’s a very valuable tool which you want to keep an eye on.

31. Rank tracking

We’ll add your website to our rank tracking software and keep an eye on how well you perform. From the day we launch we’ll have a record of your Google rankings and keep track of how they adjust within a month of launching. The main reason we do this for you is to make sure there aren’t any technical issues affecting your website’s performance.

Summary

So there you have it, our entire web design process from start to finish. I didn’t want to focus on the technical aspects of what we do. Instead, I wanted to show you the broad outline so can see what’s involved when designing a website. Hopefully, I’ve answered a few questions along the way. But if you have anymore, feel free to comment below!

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post How we build your website from start to finish appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

Common misconceptions about WordPress

• “WordPress is that crappy blogging thing isn’t it?”
• “Why would I pay a web designer when I can get WordPress for free?”
• “WordPress is drag and drop, I need a proper web designer who knows code.”

I’ve heard these concerns plenty of times before. Usually from first time business owners who are just starting out or old fashioned web developers who are too stubborn to change their ways. Either way it’s time to set the record straight.

WordPress.org vs WordPress.com

Before I go on, I just wanted to clear something up. We use WordPress.ORG to build your website and everything we talk about in this article is in reference to that. WordPress.COM is different. This is a separate product all together and is usually used as a DIY blogging tool and it tends to be very restrictive. I wouldn’t recommend it for a business website.

Below I’ve outlined 9 reasons why wordpress.org is the only platform you’ll ever need.

1. You can make changes yourself easily

First and foremost, this is why I love WordPress. You, as the client have control over the website which means you don’t have to pay your web designer for every little change. WordPress is a content management system (CMS) which means that once the site has been built you can add, edit and delete things yourself.

It comes with a basic editor that looks like this…

As you can see, it’s very similar to the formatting palette on Microsoft Word or any email provider such as Outlook or Gmail.

If you’re still worried about the learning curve then please don’t be. We send all our clients helpful training videos on how to use WordPress. We’ll teach you how to make changes and keep the site up to date. There are also plenty of resources on the web that teach you how to use it, some of which I’ve included further down the page.

2. Complete control over the design

Some people think WordPress is a basic platform and doesn’t allow for much customisation. This is simply not the case. WordPress allows us to build completely bespoke websites that are tailored around your business.

Some platforms don’t allow for advanced customisation which make it’s difficult to create truly awesome websites. They only have basic options that deliver basic results. It is important to have complete control and you might not have this option with other platforms.

We design your website using Adobe programmes such as Photoshop and Illustrator. We make it look exactly how we want it to before we touch a line of code. We then build your site on WordPress by transferring each design element over one at a time. Your business is unique and your website deserves to be too.

3. Free & paid plugins

Another huge benefit of using WordPress is that you can install extra “add ons” to your website. These are called plugins and they will make your life so much easier.

Let’s just say you want to add an image gallery to your website, this can be achieved very easily by searching the WordPress plugin library for “image gallery”. You can then browse the extensive list of free and paid plugins, most of which can be installed in less than a minute and you can start adding your images.

There are over 45,000 plugins in the WordPress library and most things can be accomplished if your know what you’re trying to do. Below I’ve added a list features you might want to have on your website. I’ve also included a link to a FREE plugin so that you can achieve it.

• An online shop facility – Woocommerce
• Social media sharing buttons – Sharaholic
• Image Gallery – Envira Gallery
• Email signup form – Email Subscribers
• Display your testimonials – Strong Testimonials

We will obviously install what you need whilst we are building your website, however you may want to add additional features once you’ve gone live and plugins are a great option.

There are great benefits to using plugins. Imagine having to build everything from scratch – gallery, calendar, contact form etc. All that costs money, and it could send your web costs spiralling. Most of the time a free plugin will give you what you need for a fraction of the cost.

4. Free and paid Templates

WordPress allows you to quickly install pre-made templates very easily. Much like plugins, there are 1000’s of free and paid themes to choose from, each with their own own style and layout.

If we are building your website, you don’t have to worry about this as everything is built from scratch. However, it’s nice to know that if you wanted to change the style of your website in the future you can do so using a 3rd party template.

WordPress have their own template library you can browse to see if anything takes your fancy.

5. Free Online help

Obviously, if we build your website we are always happy to help where possible, but most of our clients end up learning a lot themselves too.

WordPress is the most popular CMS of its kind. This means that if you get stuck along the way, chances are you’ll be able to find articles and videos online to help you.

WordPress Support

WordPress do have their own support forum which is free to join and very useful.

Google

Google is the first place most people go to if they have a problem. A simple Google search for “how to install an image gallery on WordPress” will give you more than enough information.

YouTube

Youtube is a great resource for WordPress help. If you’re like me and you’re more visual, watching a few Youtube videos will save you some time.

Udemy

Udemy is another great resource. Technically Udemy is a paid service but they do have free WordPress courses from time to time. Here’s a cheeky link from me to you.

Udemy WordPress Training (free)

6. Paid support

Sometimes, free WordPress support just doesn’t cut it. If you need more urgent assistance and advice, then there’s no shortage of companies who can help.

If you’re looking for an in-depth WordPress course that walks you through the A-Z of what you need to know, then WP101 is a great option. They also have a very helpful community where you can ask additional questions and get support from a dedicated team member. For me, the WP101 community is the real benefit of this service. It’s also very cheap with prices starting at $19 per annum.

If you are a technophobe and you need (done for you) tech support then you might want to consider something like Go WP who offer dedicated monthly support for around $79 per month. They’ll make small changes for you and will keep your site running smoothly.

You can also find an abundance of WordPress experts on Upwork who are available for you to hire on an hourly basis. You can post your job and have people reach out to you or you can simply search the Upwork database for freelancers and approach them individually based on their skills, reviews, price per hour etc.

7. WordPress works with (almost) anything

This is another reason why we love using WordPress. We never have to worry about integrating 3rd party software with your website.

Due to it’s massive popularity, companies tend to bend over backwards for WordPress. Whether it’s an email services provider like Mailchimp or industry leading payment processor like Stripe, it has to be COMPATIBLE with WordPress.

Many software companies create their own WordPress plugins because they know how important it is. They also understand that if they didn’t make it easy for people they would lose a lot of customers. It’s in everyone interest to create WordPress friendly software.

8. Search engines love WordPress

In my experience, WordPress websites ALWAYS rank better in search engines than other platforms such as Joomla, Wix and Squarespace.

Why is this?

Clean URL structure

Your page URL’s are extremely important in how Google rank your website. They look at the keywords within your URL to determine what you should rank for. WordPress is great as it allows you to create unique URL’s for each page very easily and doesn’t add any messy gibberish like so many others do.

Website Speed

Some of the other content management systems and website builders are built with a lot of unnecessary code. This extra code can cause the site to feel heavy and load slowly. WordPress on the other hand is fairly lightweight and most themes and plugins are built with this in mind. There ARE some exceptions but generally speaking WordPress websites are quicker.

SEO plugins that allow you to optimise your pages easily

Every page on your website will need to be optimised for search engines. That way you have more chance of ranking on the first page of Google.

There are hundreds of different plugins that you can use to improve your on-page SEO in different ways but perhaps the most widely used plugin is Yoast.

Yoast SEO Plugin

The Yoast SEO plugin is free and you can use it on multiple websites. It comes with an extensive number of features that you can use to make your website more search engine friendly.

9. Mobile Friendly

Having a mobile friendly website is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. And if you want to keep Google and your users happy you’ll need to make sure your website passes the mobile friendly test.

When we build your website we make it responsive. This means it looks great when viewed on a mobile device or tablet. This is nothing new and should happen anyway but with WordPress it makes the whole process so much easier.

Responsive Plugins

Most plugins are built to be responsive. This means they look great on smaller screens and we don’t have to customise them manually which saves us a lot of time.

Responsive Templates

Again, because we are building your website for you. you won’t really need a template but it’s good to know that if you did in the future it would likely be responsive.

You can make your website responsive

WordPress have a number of tools that can actually turn your website from non-responsive to responsive. That means, if Google change their guidelines in the future you can use the tools to stay inline.

All round, WordPress will make it easier for us to deliver a fully responsive website.

Summary

So there you have it, 9 reasons why we only use WordPress to build your website. As you can probably tell, I’m pretty fond of WordPress and hopefully after reading this article you now understand why. I need to be able to trust the tools I use 100% so I can continue to build the best possible websites.

Over to you

Have you tried using WordPress in the past? How did you find it? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post Why Do We ONLY Use WordPress To Build Your Website? appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

Below, I wanted to outline the main reasons why we think you shouldn’t work with us.

1. You can’t afford it

Website design prices can vary. The average website can cost anything from £500 to £10,000+. Our web design prices range from £2997 – £4997. This can be off putting to some business owners. We get it. Our websites are a significant investment, but they’re exactly that, an investment.

The reason we charge this amount is based on the time it takes and research that’s involved. We create a design concept that is tailored around your specific goals, whether that’s getting your users to sign up to your email list or to fill out a contact form on your website. We have to understand your business fully to be able to build you an effective website.

Some business owners don’t want that. They just want an online billboard. If that’s what you want, we’re probably not right for you.

We want to deliver you a healthy return on investment. For a more detailed idea of what you can get for your money, read our recent post, How Much Does It Cost For A Website?

2. You don’t want to do any work

To able to create the best possible website, we need some help from you. If you were hoping that we’ll do 100% of the work and that you won’t have to lift a finger then things are going to be difficult.

Before we begin building your website we’ll have a meeting, usually via Skype. We’ll spend an hour or so talking about your business and finding out more about your products and services and overall business goals. We’ll need to ask you a few questions to try and understand as much as possible before we move forward.

We’ll then send you a questionnaire to fill out, where we ask you more detailed questions. It’s a worthwhile process, but it does take some effort on your part. We really want to understand your audience, the benefits of your products or services and why someone would choose you over your competitors. All of this valuable information will add to the final design which makes it extremely important. It takes some time but it’s worth it.

3. You want a website fast

If you’re looking for a rush job, then we are not the agency for you.

Our websites take 6-10 weeks on average to complete and for good reason. Your website is the most important tool in growing your business online.

Below, I’ve detailed our process and why it takes longer than you might think.

Research (1-2 weeks)

To be able to design a website that’s right for you, we need to spend a certain amount of time researching you, your market and your competitors. Along with doing our own research we’ll be gathering information from you via our initial Skype call and your questionnaire. We’ll also send you a few emails if we need any more clarification.

Planning (1-2)

After we have enough information from the research, we can start planning out your website. This will include lots of sketches on a whiteboard, post-it notes and lots of coffee. After all, we want to be wide awake when we’re getting the blueprints together for your new site.

Mockup (1-2 weeks)

Once we are happy with the plan of attack, we then move onto the design stage. This is where we bring together all of the research and planning to create a mockup of your new website. We will design you a homepage layout on photoshop that shows you how the website will look before we build it. We’ll also send a helpful video explaining why we designed it the way we did.

Build (3-4 weeks)

After you’ve seen the mockup and are happy, we then get to work designing your new website. This includes all the geeky stuff such as; coding your website, adding plugins, creating search engine friendly URLs and all the other stuff that comes with creating a high performance website.

Factoring all these things in, the whole process can take 2-3 months and believe it or not we see that as a good thing. I think we’d be doing you a serious disservice if we could get your website up quickly, which is why we just don’t work that way.

4. You don’t have time to provide us with information

We understand, you’re busy and you have a business to run. We will need around 5 -10 hours of your time if you choose to hire us to build your website. If you can’t find this time, we might not be the right fit for you.

Below, I’ve included a breakdown of how much time you will need to set aside.

• Initial chat – 1hr
• Filling out your questionnaire – 1hr
• Reviewing the mockup and giving feedback – 1hr
• Emails conversations and phone calls – 1hr
• Creating content* – 5 hrs
• Sending us images and text – 1hr

*Some of our packages include content writing so you should consider using this if you’re short on time.

Let’s face it, you know your business more than us, and we treat you as the expert.

Yes, we will research, plan, design and build your website. However, for it to work effectively, we need your help. The more information we have, the better the website will be.

5. You want a Yes Man (or woman)

Some people know exactly what they want their website to look like. They’ll have the exact design in their heads. The colours, the layout, the font…everything. They just need a web designer to do it for them. Unfortunately, we are not that kind of agency.

Unless you’re a digital marketing specialist with years of experience, it’s likely that your ideas need some improvement. It’s ok to have a vague idea of how you want the website to look, however, you need to trust that we know what we’re doing. That’s why you’re hiring us, after all.

We have years of experience in building high performance websites that look great, convert visitors and work well on search engines, why would you not want to use our expertise?

We view the relationship with our clients as a partnership, where we invest ourselves into your business and it’s success. Sometimes, that might mean we come up with new ideas, or make suggested changes. Plus, if I’m being honest, I’d struggle to keep my mouth shut if I thought something wouldn’t work. It’s in my nature.

6. You want to sit back and let the money roll in

Build it and they will come, right? Not exactly.

It would be great if you could just pay a web designer to build you a website and then you sit back and let the money roll in. This is rarely the case. If this is you, then you may have to go back to the drawing board.

Once your website is live, it will require some work from you to promote it or you could always pay someone to do it for you. Either way, you would have a plan of action in place to attract visitors to your website such as;

• A Content marketing strategy
• Facebook advertising campaign
• SEO strategy
• Google AdWords campaign
• Email marketing strategy

If you do understand that marketing is important and you’re prepared to do the work then we have some good news. After we build your website you get a free 1 hr digital marketing coaching session via Skype or a personalised marketing plan as a PDF. That means you’ll have a marketing strategy to go along with your brand new website.

We want you to have every possible chance to succeed and if you’re prepared to do the work, we’ll be right there with you.

7. You want the next Facebook

Unfortunately, we’re not Zuckerberg, making the next Facebook, Google or Amazon is going to be difficult. If you wanted the next big social media thing, you’ll need a team of developers available 24/7 to keep the site going. We just don’t have the capacity nor would we want to.

Summary

So there you have it. The 7 reasons you shouldn’t work with us.

We pride ourselves on being upfront and transparent, which is one of the reasons for this particular post. We would hate for any business owner to hire us for the wrong reasons.

If you’re still here and excited, then great! We’d love to hear more about your ideas, your business and what you want to achieve.

If you’re interested in getting a website, call us on 0161 410 1990

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post 7 Reasons You Shouldn’t Work With Us appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

But wait!

Before you run off and hire the first web designer you find, you might want to take a minute. Over the years I’ve reviewed hundreds of websites and had many conversations with customers who have been burnt in the past. There are quite a few mistakes people make when getting a website and I want to help you avoid the pitfalls as best I can.

1. The final design doesn’t look how you want it to.

This happens a lot. You pay for a new website, and you wait weeks or even months to see the final design before it goes live. It’s only then you find you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit within your style or branding.

This is a common issue. It’s too late to start the project again and trying to change it to something else entirely can take just as long. You’ve spent money, and you’re now stuck with a design you don’t like or want. It’s not your fault, you trusted a designer and their expertise.

We’ve heard this story plenty of times, and in most cases you’ll end up sticking with what you have. A lot of people end up resenting their website. Not much fun all-round.

Before committing to a project, ask your web designer how they will prevent this issue from happening. Will they show you a mockup or at least a wire frame of their proposed design before you invest too much money?

What we do to solve this problem.

At Jammy Digital, we don’t take a penny of your money until you know exactly what your website will look like. We design a mockup of your homepage before we send you an invoice. That way, we can talk about the design together and what you like/dislike about it before we build it.

If you decide you don’t like it, you can simply walk away. No harm done.

2. The website doesn’t appear in search results

Your website is live and has been for a few weeks. But there’s just one problem. You can’t find your website in search results. Maybe you’ve searched for your business name and you’re nowhere to be found on Google. Understandably, you’re a little concerned.

This can happen for a number of reasons, there might be a technical issue preventing it from being indexed by search engines. Your site might not have been released to Google or maybe there is an underlying issue with the website that’s causing search engines to ignore you.

What we do to solve this problem.

All of the websites we build appear highly in search results. This is because we use our extensive knowledge of search engine optimisation (SEO) to plan and build your website.

The way your pages are laid out, the menu structure, the URLs all count towards a search engine friendly website. This means that you will already have a solid foundation to start with, even if you don’t hire an SEO company further down the road.

On the day your website goes live, we create an account with Google Search Console (previously Webmaster Tools). This is the system that communicates with Google and tells them that your website is live. We then give them a list of your website pages so they can start listing them in search results as soon as possible.

If there are any technical issues with your website, we will receive an alert directly from Google. That way we can address any issues immediately.

3. You don’t have access to update the website yourself

It always surprises me when business owners don’t have access to update their own website. I understand if you’d rather NOT do it yourself if you haven’t got the time or skills, but still, the choice should be yours.

These days you don’t need a web developer to make minor changes to your website. Most websites come with some kind of editing system which makes it very easy for you to change text and add images.

Your website will continue to change and evolve, and you will need to be able to update it when you want. You really don’t want to have to ask your web designer for every simple edit. Knowing how to make changes yourself will save you time and probably some money too.

What we do to solve this problem.

Every website we design is built using WordPress. WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that makes it very easy for you to make changes. Even if you’re a technophobe (like my dad).

WordPress is by far the most popular CMS and it’s used by some of the biggest companies in the world.

The main reason WE use WordPress is so you can update the site yourself whenever you like. We will also send you a training video on how to make changes. You will get to log into the backoffice of your website and edit things as you wish.

4. The website is difficult to use on mobile devices

Over the past couple of years, search engines have made it essential to have a mobile friendly website. This means if your site doesn’t work smoothly on mobile devices (smart phones & tablets) then you are less likely to appear in mobile search results.

Although your site may work on mobile devices, it may not be classed as responsive. This means that it’s more difficult to use than it should be.

To check if your website is “responsive” you can use Google’s very own mobile friendly test.

Some web designers treat this as an afterthought, so they don’t spend the time and effort to make an effective mobile design and opt for a “smaller version” instead.

Before you hire a web designer, tell them that site will need to be RESPONSIVE – no, you don’t want a “mobile version”, you don’t want the website to be just “accessible”, you need it to be responsive. You shouldn’t really have to ask as it should come as standard. But you’d be surprised by how often I see new websites that are terrible when you use them on a mobile device.

What we do to solve this problem.

We build responsive websites that pass the Google test every time. Simple. This means that you are more likely to appear higher up in mobile searches.

However, we go one step further. We build your website with a “50/50” mentality. This means that when we design your desktop site we are also considering how this will work on a mobile phone or an ipad.

Your site will not only work on smaller screens, it will be user-friendly and convert more visitors into enquiries.

5. Your traffic numbers are low and you don’t know why

This happens all the time. Your website is finally live and has been for a few weeks but when you check your visitor numbers you want to cry. Nothing but crickets.

Yes. It can take time to build up your numbers, but there are things you could be doing to speed the process along. You shouldn’t be waiting around, hoping that it will naturally increase by itself.

Ideally, you would have a strategy in place before you launch. Marketing is much more than clicking “go live” and shouting about it on social media, which is why having a plan as vital.

What we do to solve this problem.

When we take you on as a client we first spend some time understanding your business. We send you a questionnaire to fill out before we begin building your site so we can discover your goals, your target audience, your place in the market. This will help us develop a site that performs well from day one.

As well as this, we also include a free digital marketing strategy session which consists of a 1 hour Skype call to enable you to get off to the best possible start once you’ve launched. This is where we’ll discuss a plan of action to increase your visitor numbers and enquires as quickly as possible.

This might consist of things like:

• An email marketing strategy
• How to develop a content marketing plan
• How to use videos to reach more people

This will be a unique plan built around your business. We’ll only give you the advice that will work for you.

6. You don’t know how to track your visitors

So you have a new website which you love. There’s only one problem. How do you know if anyone is visiting it?

You should be able to check some statistics on how your website is performing. Things like:

• Visitor numbers
• Popular pages viewed
• How people found your website
• How people are accessing your site

These are basic stats that will allow you to measure your success and it’s important that you know where to find this information. In my experience, what gets measured gets improved.

What we do to solve this problem.

Every single website we build will have visitor tracking enabled. We will create a Google Analytics account and link it to your website so you can view your stats any time you like.

We will also send you a free training video on how to use Google Analytics, so you don’t have to scratch your head trying to work out how to use it.

7. Your pages take too long to load

If your website runs slowly, you might have a problem. Slow loading websites can be very frustrating for your visitors who won’t stick around if they have to wait.

Search engines care about their users and want to deliver the best possible experience. This means you have to keep your site running smoothly if you want the best possible rankings.

There are many reasons your site may take longer to load, such as:

• Images not optimised properly
• Bad web building software
• Low quality hosting
• Too many add-ons or plugins
• Unnecessary functionality and code.

All of these are contributing factors in slowing down your website.

You can check your page load speed for free using GT Metrix. It will measure your load speed in seconds and will also give you a performance grade out of 100.

What we do to solve this problem.

All our websites are built to be lightweight. This means we’ll keep the site updated and free of any excessive plugins and extravagant code that may slow the site down.

We’ll optimise your image sizes individually before we add them to the website so they are the smallest possible size without losing the quality.

We also use a high quality hosting company to keep your website running smoothly. Our hosts come with unlimited bandwidth, 20GB of disk space, 2GB Ram and 99.9% uptime.

Wow, that sounds geeky!

Essentially, it means our websites are speedier than a Gazelle, and yours should be too!

8. Your website isn’t generating any leads or sales

Getting traffic to your website is one thing, converting your visitors into enquiries is another. Your website should have one main purpose and that should be to generate its own leads and sales.

Here’s a list of things you might want from your website:

• More phone calls
• More email enquiries
• More call back requests
• More applicants
• More donations
• More prospects to build your database

Whatever your intent, if you haven’t thought about this before your website has been built then you may find it hard to convert your users.

What we do to solve this problem.

As part of our discovery session at the start of the process, we’ll find out what the overall purpose of the website is.

Before we even think about coding, we will know exactly what you need from your site, meaning we build it with your overall goal in mind. This will then inspire the whole design, including the layout, the colour scheme, menu structure, images, the headlines. Everything.

Before we begin building the site, we’ll design you a mockup of the homepage and record a video walkthrough explaining the different elements of the site. In this video we’ll show you how the design will persuade your visitors to do what you want them too .

Summary

Take your time to find the right web designer for you. Please don’t buy based on price alone. It’s almost always the wrong thing to do. The majority of the issues in this article can be avoided as long as you find someone who really understands your business goals and has the experience to advise you correctly.

Over to you…

Have you faced any of the problems listed above? Or have you encountered any other problems that gave you a headache. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post Problems that occur when you get a new website… and how we prevent them appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

But just how much does a website cost? And how much should you spend on a website so it delivers what you need, without paying over the odds?

My personal guide to how much a website costs

I’ve experienced what it’s like to invest in a website. Eight years ago, before Jammy Digital was born, I paid a company £1400 to design me a website for my first business. This was a huge amount of money for me at the time. After stock, it was my biggest investment.

However, my return on investment was pitiful. I barely made a thing from the website and what I did make was mainly from kind friends and family who felt a bit sorry for me.

Why am I telling you this?

Ultimately, I’m going to tell you what I tell all my clients and potential clients. My service and price might not be right for you, and that’s okay. There are plenty of options when it comes to website design, all with their own pros and cons.

I don’t want any client or business owner to experience what I did eight years ago.

Why do you need a website?

It’s tempting to start researching or contacting web designers straight away. Before you start looking for a solution you need to identify what you want to achieve from your website. Every website should have a purpose aside from being just another online business card.

You need to be sure that your site is generating a return on investment. It shouldn’t be written off as a business expense. Your website should come equipped to provide enquiries and sales on an ongoing basis.

Here are a few ideas for your own website purpose…

• Collect website enquiries
• Increase the number of phone calls you get
• Sell your digital products online
• Showcase your work
• Increase donations
• Build an online community
• Promote your event
• Share your knowledge & expertise
• Build an email list of prospects

You may need your website to do numerous different things but it’s important you know what they are before you build your website.

Your website should be crafted around the overall purpose of your business. So every aspect of the website’s design, copy and usability should be focused on driving your end user to do what you want them too.

What do you get for your money?

Self-build DIY services like WIX, Godaddy, Weebly etc.

Approximate price: free – £20.00pm

Building your own website using a service such as Wix, GoDaddy or Weebly is an attractive solution to many business owners, bloggers and entrepreneurs. And it’s easy to see why, these websites are usually free or cost very little on a monthly basis.

Limitations with Self Builders

As attractive as these low cost websites are, they do come with some limitations. The first one being design. These services work by getting you to choose a template from a selection of prepared designs. This means you’re usually working within the limitations of that particular design.

The good thing is, these website builders are generally very easy to use with their ‘drag and drop’ features.

Attractive Designs

Some templates are very attractive. Some not so much. And some are downright awful! But from personal experience, I’ve had a lot of clients’ approach me having tried a DIY service and failed to get anything remotely like what they want.

Some of my clients have had success by starting out this way, but as their business has grown they’ve wanted something a little more tailored.

How Search Engine Friendly Are DIY Websites?

There’s also the small factor of SEO. There’s a lot of talk about DIY builders and what impact it has on your search engine rankings. Does it work? Or does Google dislike DIY builders?

If you’re thinking of building your own site using this method then make sure you consider this beforehand to prevent any headaches later on.

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Pros and Cons of DIY Websites

What to do before investing in this option:

• Research what people say about the company. Forums are a great place to see what people are struggling with!
• Look at what others have done with the templates. Templates look great when designed by a professional, so check them out after a novice has looked at it!
• Check the other costs – URL, hosting, email accounts, help from a coder/designer if you need it etc. It all adds up!

A Basic Business Card Website

Approximate fee: £99 – £500

There are hundreds (if not thousands) of website design companies in the UK who offer website design packages within this price bracket. Unlike the first option, these are suitable for those who simply don’t have the time or skills to invest in building their own website.

These websites generally display your information, just like a business card. They are usually built using pre-made html templates.

They tend to be very basic in terms of design and they’re not usually built with SEO in mind. That doesn’t mean they won’t rank highly in search engines, it just means that certain things won’t have been considered before or during the build. This means it might take a lot of work on your part to get the site up to scratch once it’s been built.

The low cost might be appealing to some but there are a few things I recommend you ask before hiring a company.

Firstly, does the website come with an easy to use CMS (content management system). This enables you to easily update your website once it’s been built. The likelihood is, you won’t be able to edit anything extensive, but you should be able to edit the text and images with ease. If not, the company may charge you for this, so you’ll need to ask them how much they charge in order to avoid costly headaches in the future!

Secondly, you’ll need to make sure the website is mobile/tablet friendly. Almost 50% of web searches happen over a mobile or tablet. Google have actually said they will favour mobile friendly websites in mobile search results! If your website isn’t mobile/tablet friendly, you’ll be missing out on potential customers.

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Pros and Cons of a Business Card Website

What to do before investing in this option:

• Make sure the website comes with a content management system. Even ask to see how it works beforehand. If it doesn’t, be clear on how much it will cost to update your site.
• Check that the website is mobile/tablet friendly
• Check what is included! Will you get a blog, social media integration, URL, email accounts, hosting, images (stock photos cost) etc.

A template website using WordPress / Joomla / Drupal.

Approximate Fee: £399 – £1200

Sometimes, website designers will build your website using pre-existing templates on WordPress, Joomla or Drupal.

These kinds of websites usually achieve a more polished and professional look than those who go for the DIY or basic options. In fact, I used to use this method for some of my clients, as it was an affordable alternative to the more expensive options. However, even though the website looks better, it’s still a template, and therefore still quite restrictive.

The appeal of this option is you get a decent looking website (designer depending, obviously) along with the easy-to-use CMS of WordPress, Joomla etc.

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Pros and Cons of using Wordpress Template

What to do before investing in this option:

• Ask the designer what they can do with the design, how much can they change to tailor around your needs?
• With any design company – check that the website is mobile/tablet friendly!
• Check what is included! Will you get a blog, social media integration, URL, email accounts, hosting, images (stock photos cost) etc.

A Custom Made Website

Approximate Fee: £999 – £5000+

Many web design agencies and even some freelancers will charge within this price bracket for a custom built website, myself included.

At this price, you should expect more for your money than the three options above. Your website should be designed in line with your branding and should appeal to your target market.

Your home page should be completely bespoke, along with your standard pages and perhaps your blog/contact page.

The agency or freelancer can often spend a lot of time in the research and preparation stage, making sure everything is to your liking and set up for ultimate conversion. Every element of the design should encourage your reader to do something, such as contact you, fill in a form, or hit that buy now button.

You may also get added extras to the option above, such as a bespoke blog, email marketing integration or even copywriting and on-page SEO.

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Pros and Cons of Custom Made Website

What to do before investing in this option:

• Ask the web designer what their process is. Will they show you a version of their design before you invest? Or will you receive different design versions to choose from?
• Ask if the website also comes with a CMS
• Check what is included! Will you get a blog, social media integration, URL, email accounts, hosting, images (stock photos cost) etc.
• Will you need to provide the stock images or will they provide some of them as part of the service.

Big Project Website

Approximate fee: £5000 – £100,000+

This option is suitable for those looking for the ultimate bespoke website design service. You may find you need every single page of your website to be tailored to your needs. Or you may need a website that fits within your business’s internal processes.

These websites are generally very technical and intelligent. They have a large amount of functionality and attention to detail…hence the price tag. You’re paying for a knowledgeable and experienced team of people who can build you every single thing you need from scratch.

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Pros and Cons of Custom Made Website

What to do before investing in this option:

• Consider whether you really need this level of support and technical help
• This is a big project, I’d certainly recommend meeting the agency!
• Put a full proposal together and go out to tender. It’s more time consuming but it’s worth it to get the right company for you.

Final thoughts.

You may be tempted to head over to Google and type in “cheap web design” and try to save some money in the short term. I would ask you to consider the REAL cost of getting a cheap website. What will a basic online presence do for your business in the long run? The amount of business you lose from not having a high quality website may leave you worse off.

On the flip side, think about your average sale amount, how many customers will you need to pay for a £5000 website. If the numbers seem out of reach then it may be worth going for one of the cheaper options to begin with.

My advice is to spend some time doing the research and find a web design company you can rely on, someone who truly understands what you want to achieve and can build a website that performs well and delivers a return on your investment.

Over to you

What is your experience of hiring web design companies? Have you found it to be an easy process or have you had a few catastrophes along the way? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

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