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Which website platform should I choose?

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I see this question so much on Facebook groups and elsewhere. ‘I want to build a website – what tool or program should I use?’ Or variations of ‘I don’t have much money and I want to use something that doesn’t cost a lot’.

The answer to me, is quite straightforward, but I need to give some information – it’s not a simple one word answer.

First of all, I want to acknowledge there are several platforms out there that can be used:  Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, Joomla, WordPress amongst others. And for the short term some of these could be ideal. I do believe, however, when building a website for a business, you should be looking at the long-term and big picture for your business.

I get that not all can afford to pay someone else to design so they want to use a program that’s easy to manage and get a site up quickly. My first preference and recommendation is always WordPress. There are default themes you can use and you can literally have a 4 page website up within an hour – if you already have your content prepared. Then it’s just a case of searching through themes for a look that suits your needs for now. Themes can be changed quickly so it’s the content that is important, in my opinion – then you can change the look again later.

Some reasons I prefer WordPress over the other programs:

  • It is easy to create in the free WordPress and export to a paid hosting version later on, without having to recreate the site.
  • It’s SEO friendly – that is, easier to manage your SEO on the site.
  • Google and WordPress are a match made in heaven. Google loves WordPress.
  • WordPress started as a blogging platform but is now a powerful web design platform. You can keep y0ur blog and website in the one space which is ideal for SEO purposes.
  • There are tons of plugins you can use on WordPress to increase the things you want to do, such as ecommerce, list building, social media connections, etc.
  • As your own abilities grow in handling the website, so will your website grow. I started with a one page website in 1996 – today it has over a thousand blog posts and hundreds of pages which are searchable.
  • WordPress has tons of themes, literally thousands, some paid and others free.
  • WordPress has a visual editor which makes it easy to use (I install the Classic Editor plugin for this).

When you begin with WordPress you can set up at the free .com version. I highly recommend you purchase a domain which is very low cost. This will help with your branding.  When you’re ready for paid hosting, you can get a hosting account (cpanel option I use) and export from the .com version of WordPress to the paid hosting version.  Hosting accounts have the ability to install WordPress with just a simple click and then it’s just a case of importing the export file from the .com version. From there you choose or install the theme you want and you’re live again – once you have re-pointed your domain name to the new server (the hosting provider or domain name provider can help guide you in this). Usually takes an hour or two for it to redelegate. And you won’t lose the audience you’ve built because they know your domain name already.  Sounds great, doesn’t it?

This chart below shows you why I prefer WordPress over the other platforms:

 

 

Do the research!

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I feel saddened when I hear about VAs who have set themselves up as a trainer, or coach, or mentor or something and then start giving inaccurate advise.  It’s so important for you, the one who is wanting to learn, to do the research and make sure that whomever you’re going to pay for advice, is qualified to give you that information.  Or that the information they are giving is accurate.  This includes how long they’ve been operating as a VA. Generally if it’s less than five years – they’re still getting established even if they have years of experience behind them working in the corporate world. Operating as a self-employed business operator is very different to being an employee.

So, if the advice relates to legalities, taxation and other important matters, check with an accountant or legal officer in your region, to make sure that what you’re being told definitely applies to you. It’s possible that generic information might apply to some, but not all.

And for those sharing information, please qualify if it relates to your region, state, country or otherwise. For example, talking about contracts probably should be very much country or state driven – make sure you explain that when sharing your post. If talking about rates, start sharing which currency you’re talking about. No one rate fits all and can vary considerably depending on the cost of living, currency and experience of those who want to be VAs.

Likewise, if you’re giving advice, make sure you’re qualified to do so, or have verified it with those who are in a suitable role to do so, i.e. accountant, tax officer, legal officer, copyright advisor or similar.

For those wanting to learn and those who want to share what they’ve learned, always do the research to ensure that you or others are not being led astray, no matter how good the intention.

 

 

The importance of building up others

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I’ve been feeling a bit down of late. A couple of pieces of sad news had come my way and things have been going somewhat crazy in my own life and business. I haven’t been feeling as much in control of my time as I usually like to be and also had to take over a project for a fellow VA who has had an unexpected life change take place. This added to the ‘stress’ of what was already happening but, as a Network owner, I have to accept that sometimes that’s the way it is and I’m here to support my members.

Add to that an event happening at the end of this week that I need to be at, another on Sunday because of a role I have in my life outside of my business (Rotary) and sometimes I realise that maybe I bite off more than I can chew. Easy to feel weighted down as a result.

And then comes a phone call from a fellow VA wanting a minute or two of my time and I agreed because that’s why I’m here – to help my fellow VAs. And I do love this industry very much. Had I told this person I didn’t have the spare time I would have missed what I very much needed. Some words of encouragement and thanks for what I do for the industry and how I’ve helped this person, even though I hadn’t really known that. And the potential for something new to be a part of my business so waiting to hear more details on this possible project.

If someone is instrumental in your life and business in some way – make sure you let them know. It’s always good to think it but others don’t hear your thoughts. So voice them or write them and share them – something because you just never know when the recipient really needs to hear what has been on your mind. It may just make their day shine when they really needed it.

The day I stop learning

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I’ve shared on this topic before, particularly back in July 2017 and sharing on it again. It’s so important when we’re in business to make sure we make time for us – for our own professional development and personal learnings. We get busy with client things, we get busy inside our businesses managing it daily and also busy with family and external activities. BUT, do we make time for improving on our knowledge and keep learning, or do we only do it when a client asks us about something and suddenly that learning becomes urgent?  Don’t worry, I know how that feels, I’ve been there too!

I believe it’s a good idea to always set aside time for learning:  reading a book, magazine, blog post or article, listening to a podcast, watching a video or webinar, trying something out via youtube, experimenting with new tools, programs and skills. Technology changes so quickly and so does our industry. If we don’t keep up the learning, then our business dies and so does our passion and enthusiasm with it. We begin to die inside and that’s not a good thing.

It’s also equally important to ensure we have time for ourselves – time for rest, time for exercise, time for hobbies – our business and work should not take over all aspects of our lives. And we can’t let it do that to us. We must make the time to go and do other things so our minds can relax and refresh, new ideas can spring forth and we can be ready to get stuck into things again.

Just yesterday I read something and also heard something that got me on this bandwagon again and thought ‘yes! They’re right.’ An article one of my clients had written about the importance of those in his industry (arboriculture) keeping up their training and education, plus a webinar by someone in our industry educating business people on how to engage a VA and the importance of a ‘growth mindset’.  This is the same mindset we must have in our own roles as business owner operators. Maintaining a growth mindset is what propels us forward and keeps us moving rather than stagnating or treading water.

On that note, I have three things to suggest to you:

  1. If you are looking to become a VA and haven’t yet taken the step, or have just begun but need help, I do have a course available at VATrainer that you can sign up for. This course is definitely aimed at the newbie or wannabe VA and gives you tips on setting rates right for you, how to find clients, creating your first website and a number of other things.
  2. If you are already a practicing VA but want to learn more skills and tools for your business then Freelance Uni is the place to go. That’s where I learn to increase my own skills too. And they are currently giving away a special report on the types of things that VAs do. They will also be holding a free Masterclass soon called ‘Discover Seven Powerful Income Streams to Ignite Your Virtual Success’ and will definitely be worth attending. So make sure you register!
  3. There is a conference coming up next week online specially for our industry with 35 webinars and a special discount offer leading up to Mother’s Day (this coming Sunday in the US and Australia). The conference is known as OIVAC which is the Online International VA Convention and I’m one of the speakers.

I hope you take up one or more of the offers above as these will definitely help you propel your business forward. Who knows where it might lead to?

                              

Where do you find your clients?

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I see VAs in many Facebook groups asking how they can find clients and that they’ve tried everything. The answers they often get are ‘Facebook, LinkedIn’ and other online places. For me it’s not just about online but it is very much about where people can be found. Just thought I’d share with you where I found some of my current clients:
 
NFP in the arbor industry – a 90 min speed networking event
NFP in the employment sector – a referral from a fellow VA
Professional speakers – attending networking events run by the National Speakers Association
Professional performer/singer – wife of one the above professional speaker
Other NFPs – via my website, LinkedIn and Yellow Pages (when I used to run the advert)
Architect – via website
Aircon company – via BNI
Charity group website – via BNI
Bushcraft survival expert – via website
Business Coach – networking event from a business coach association
Photographers x 2 – via BNI
 
I’ve had other clients come to me via LinkedIn, and many through word-of-mouth referrals. Don’t underestimate the value of word-of-mouth referrals. Do a good job and people will tell others about you.
My first two clients came via my church in 1994 and more have over the years too. Another client came via a photography workshop I attended (I’m a keen photographer).
 
What are some of the places you’ve gotten clients?

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