Things are going well: the Awesomeness Consulting sessions have been a blast, and I now have a regular consulting client (sweet!). There’s been some great response to the website heresy series; our daily visitors are up, and we’re selling copies of the Website in a Weekend course without doing anything to market it.
But right now [...]
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Author Archives: Catherine Caine
Website heresy: The lie of social media
Website heresy: Change the goddamned world
What topic do you need to be writing about in order to change the world?
Any of them, dearest. Any of them.
Most people have the wrong idea about how to change the world. They look at the big players and think “My plumbing supplies* website isn’t Gandhi. It isn’t Nelson Mandela. Therefore I will sell tap [...]
Website heresy: You don’t have to be an expert
Content writing does not have to be put off until you have sixteen doctorates and three Nobel prizes. Whatever level of edumacation you’re at with your subject, you can still write about it NOW.
Level Zero: Newbie
Your audience: other complete beginners
How you write it: You’re brand-new to the subject and starting to feel [...]
Website heresy: You can definitely criticise your competitors
“Write positive content! Don’t get into the negativity game! Don’t badmouth your competitors!” runs the conventional wisdom. In general, it’s okay advice. Certainly you don’t want to get a reputation for being a sarcastic jerk-off that sneers at everyone. (Unless that’s your position in the market. It’s not my style but some people like it.)
But [...]
Website heresy: It IS all about you, a little
“Your website is not about you. It’s all about your visitors.” Makes sense, right? Lots of experts say it. I used to say it. Now I don’t say it any more, because I think it has two gigantic problems if you want to create awesome websites.
You aren’t Santa Claus
Santa Claus can work all year making [...]
3 tips to make your site more social
We interrupt the stream of heresies for a guest post by Mike. Less controversial, but it’s funny and makes a lot of sense.
Whether you’ve paid much attention to it…err…scratch that. Whether you’ve jumped into the social media trend or not, one clear fact remains: Social media has taken over the web as we know it.
And [...]
Website heresy: Websites are worth the pain (maybe)
Websites are not for the faint-hearted. Now I’ve firmly discouraged you, let’s talk about why they’re worth it.
You’re the kid with all of the Muppet Babies
(You probably have to be my age and raised in Australia to understand that one. Muppet Babies were the craze when I was six.)
Maybe you’re big and tough and you [...]
Website heresy: Websites aren’t for everybody
Websites are simple, and almost anyone with internet access can start one. But not everyone should.
Do not start a website if…
No-one is searching for your topic
There are few things sadder than a party that no-one comes to. Don’t make your website be the one dude standing in the corner with a silly hat and a [...]
Website heresy: Methods are magical feathers
Methods. Processes. Systems. Turn-key solution. Plug-and-play. Just add water. We have a hunger for processes, especially for tested and repeatable processes, in our website-creating. What, we ask imploringly, is the Right Way to run my website/write my content/build my followers/scale my offerings/make $17,263.97 in the next month?
The internet is new(ish), and [...]
Website heresy: Don’t start with goals
Website goals: Important. Useful. Done waaaay too early.
Imagine your new website is your child. You’re so proud of her, so convinced she’s the best at everything. You see her running around the backyard and you think, “Damn, lookit her go!” So of course you enter her into the marathon. No, wait! Actually, you let her [...]