The Minima Guide to Launching Your Website provides you with the insights, tools and checklists that Michelle Martello of Minima Designs has developed and refined over the last 10 years of launching and managing hundreds of websites.
Never-ending tasks, to-do lists and ever-looming deadlines. The desire to get a site up and out there can make it easy to miss critical steps of the process.
This 81-page digital guidebook features 11 robust chapters with content specific checklists to cover every feature of your site.
Each chapter features detailed checklists that Michelle has created from years of experience.
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: Site Settings
Chapter 3: Site Security
Chapter 4: Design + Content
Chapter 5: E-commerce
Chapter 6: Communications
Chapter 7: Testing
Chapter 8: Site Speed
Chapter 9: Launching
Chapter 10: Beyond the Launch
Chapter 11: Master Checklists
Plus a Bonus Resource Section:
The best tools and people Michelle recommends to get the job done right and featuring some of her favorite resources to help you get your site up the right way (and where to get help when you need it!)
Whether you’re working on a brand new site or renovating an old one, this guide is perfect for site owners, designers, developers, virtual assistants and anyone involved in running a website.
Michelle Martello of Minima Designs is a Webby Award-winning designer, digital consultant and a sought-after speaker and trainer.
Launch like a pro.
Read the guide. Launch your site. Get it done.
THE MINIMA GUIDE TO LAUNCHING YOUR SITE – $29
Download Now
J&M Group WordPress Blog
New WordPress Content Marketing Platform
If you want to run an online course or set up a membership site and focus on your business, not your website … you really need to check out the new Rainmaker platform.
The WordPress Content Marketing Solution
Now you can build your audience with articles, audio, and video, grow your email list faster, earn more with marketing automation, craft killer landing pages, start profitable membership programs, sell online courses and digital products, and much more with the all-in-one WordPress solution – The Rainmaker Platform. It does it all for you!
There’s virtually nothing you cannot do.
Better yet, you can take a free, no credit card required 14-day trial just to see if it’s really for you!
Never waste valuable time searching for plugins, worrying about themes, or understanding complicated code … and forget hosting, maintenance, and security updates.
Focus on your business more, and your technology less.
Turn Traffic Into Money
Perform cutting-edge lead generation and email list building, sell ebooks, software, audio, video, and other digital products. Plus, build membership sites with community forums and dripped training content.
Simple, powerful, and affordable:
the all-in-one complete solution.
With Rainmaker, you can:
- Create powerful content-driven websites on your own domains.
- Build membership sites and online training courses.
- Sell digital products like software, ebooks, and more.
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- Optimize your content for search engines and social networks.
- Absorb cutting-edge tactics and strategy with included training.
- Avoid a patchwork of plugins, themes, and complicated code.
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“The @RainmakerHQ folks are making automated marketing available to everyone.” – Chris Lema
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Is this the right platform for the right set of problems you’re facing?
The nice thing is that Rainmaker has created a 14-day free, no credit card required trial that will let you decide on your own.
What are you waiting for?
How To Build A Stunning Interior Design Website
More than any other profession, except for my own, the Interior Design business requires a beautifully designed website that says loud and clear HOW GREAT YOU ARE! At designing, that is.
‘Sloppy’ and ‘unprofessional’ cannot apply to your website … or how can I trust you to design my home decor? The likely answer is, you can’t.
Big, beautiful pictures. Smart, sophisticated, contemporary design. These are the defining factors for websites in today’s Interior Design and decor industry.
Here are some of the key ingredients of an interior designer’s web presence:
An Impressive Portfolio
This is one of the most important pages of your site where you show off all your hard work. The best portfolios are organized by style (modern, traditional, commercial, showcase, etc). Organizing your portfolio by style will make it easier for clients to find examples of work you’ve done that aligns most with their taste. Keep it simple. When it comes to your portfolio, less is more.”
Your ‘About’ Page
Since Interior Design is a client-facing profession, it’s important to make your bio professional and personal. Clients are looking to hire someone they will enjoy spending time with, so sell yourself! It needs a picture of you and should be written in a friendly and genuine voice to make your site more personal and trustworthy.
Services
Because not all clients are looking for a full-blown makeover for their home, you need to specify the full range of your services from space planning to consultations to full service design.
Inbound Marketing
If you have a limited budget (or for that matter an unlimited one), you need to build your brand and target your audience with today’s Inbound Marketing tools. These include: content marketing or writing/maintaining a blog; posting to all the relevant social platforms (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Houzz); and email marketing or setting up a newsletter.
Here are some great marketing resources:
How to Market Your Interior Design Business on Social Media
9 Ways Interior Designers Can Reach New Clients Using Houzz
The Perfect Interior Design WordPress Theme -> Interior Pro by Studio Press
Interior Pro’s classic color and clean lines are a perfect match for your brand. Your images take center stage, whether they’re the full-stretch focal point of your page, or anchoring a post that shares your latest exciting tips.
Its dreamy palette and inviting typography make Interior Pro classy but accessible. It puts forth the hospitable welcome you want to convey to prospective clients. With multiple column classes to choose from and a straightforward, streamlined landing page, you’re ready to serve up content beautifully via desktop or mobile.
As always, Interior Pro features everything you’ve come to expect from StudioPress themes:
A mobile-responsive design that looks amazing wherever it’s viewed.
Support, documentation, and the StudioPress community forum.
The best rankings possible because of our clean code and mobile-friendly design.
Super-fast page load times.
One-click theme updates.
Airtight security so you can rest easy.
Click to step inside the Interior Pro Demo now.
Do get in touch with Marcia at 561.906.3436 to get started on your new Interior Design website and marketing.
Find Marcia on Google+
Call Marcia @ 561.906.3436.
Follow @jmgroupdesign
6 Reasons Why Small Business Needs Twitter
Recently, a longtime client of mine described Twitter as “crappy”.
While I was rather unhappy with the adjective, I came to understand why many small business owners often misconstrue social media marketing altogether, never mind wonderful Twitter.
They think it’s Selling, and Twitter like the other platforms is Marketing which takes time, consistency, and sadly … PATIENCE.
“ Marketing always changes but selling stays the same.” Read this interesting article in Forbes.
Twitter is really a basic tool and lacks the clutter of Facebook. Most important, particularly for B2B businesses, it allows you to target your audience. Think of it as the direct mail list in the old days with zip codes that have the demographics of your prospective customers.
But if you don’t know who your target audience is, this is maybe not the platform for you!
Below is a great article by a pro in the business, Ahna Hendrix. “If your business isn’t investing in Twitter, then it’s time to rethink your strategy because you’re missing out on MAJOR value for your business.” she concludes.
http://www.socialquant.net/twitter-for-business/
Do get in touch with Marcia at 561.906.3436 to see how she can help you with your content marketing.
Find Marcia on Google+
Call Marcia @ 561.906.3436.
Follow @jmgroupdesign
Why Video is A Big Sales Tool for Small Business
There are two BIG reasons small business needs to start taking video seriously.
1) Facebook and 2) Frugality
The Explosion of Mobile On Facebook
“Mobile today equals mass media, a trend that offers brand marketers unprecedented opportunities to connect with people in incredibly personal ways on devices that are by their sides nearly 24/7.” – Rebecca Lieb of Altimeter Group
Last year Facebook announced that its video viewership doubled from 4 billion views per day to a staggering 8 billion views per day in just seven months. Facebook now lets users watch video while browsing the news feed and is testing a dedicated video feed stream to let viewers only watch videos shared by their network.
“Facebook has added features in the last few months that point to the fact that they are increasing the amount of attention they give video: view count, embedding options, video for website conversions. This means there is more to come.” writes Gary Vaynerchuk
The Special Scaleability of A Video Investment
It’s frugal. One video (investment) can be embedded in all your social platforms, website and newsletter. One cost multi-tasking your brand!
There are other factors boosting the popularity of video:
SEO Benefits
Videos have a direct impact on search results. It is common knowledge that rich media, which includes videos, is favored by search engine algorithms.
Viral Potential
Users are more likely to share and re-share video than other forms of content. It is a great tool for businesses and professionals to showcase their vision, expertise, products, services, company news and announcements for maximum outreach.
Kills Many Birds With One Stone
Whether you are educating, entertaining, inspiring or increasing brand awareness, they can all be achieved through videos. More and more people today educate themselves through product reviews and blog updates before making a purchase decision.
Video is one medium above all others that requires professionalism. A second-rate video on your website will do more harm than good.
Introducing … My Videography Partner
For all your video projects I heartily recommend Darin Perron at Digital Motion Studios in Stuart, Florida, servicing Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie and the West Palm Beach area, and nationwide. Darin provides video product services for commercials, web marketing video, corporate presentations, documentaries, realty TV, training videos, infomercials, product videos. The company also features a Green Screen Studio for in-studio shooting.
Check out Darin’s new “Explainer Video” below!
Resources:
What the Growth of Video on Facebook Means for Businesses
How Video Marketing Will Change the Game for Marketers in 2016
The Rise of Video Marketing on Social and How It Affects Your Business
Get in touch with Marcia at 561.906.3436 to get started with video marketing for your business.
Find Marcia on Google+
Call Marcia @ 561.906.3436.
Follow @jmgroupdesign