Website 101 Podcast

Nevin Lyne and Sean discuss the ins and outs of webhosting, including shared hosting, vps hosting, dedicated hosting, and recommendations of offsite backups. Nevin has been running Arcus Tech for 17 years, which makes it one of the longest running web hosting companies ever. We talk about the various types of hosting including: shared hosting, VPS hosting, and Dedicated hosting and when to choose which option for your site. Additionally we briefly go into website aging as it relates to hosting security. and then follow up about backing up your site using Cpanel or Plesk backups as well as other options for offsite backups. Show Links Arcustech Media Temple Go Daddy Name Cheap Blue Host Host Gator Digital Ocean Shark Tank Cpanel Plesk

An introduction to the topics in Season 2 and a new co-host starting in episode 4. In this espisode Sean introduces Mike Mella our new co-host for season two. We also give a brief summary of the episodes for each episode. Finally we discuss a fun and exciting episode we have planned on the road. Looking forward to season 2. Show Links Craft CMS Dot All Conference More Website 101 Podcast Email the Podcast! Twitter Sean on LinkedIn  

In this episode I give a brief wrap up of season 1 and a teaser of what's coming in Season 2. A summary of season 1 and a hint of what's coming up for season 2 including a release date of late June or early July. Thank you for listening. Show Links Caffeine Creations More Website 101 Podcast Email the Podcast! Twitter Sean on LinkedIn  

In this episode we discuss the pros and cons of do it yourself (DIY) vs a custom bespoke design. We also talk about when DIY is the correct approach and when it may be time to switch from DIY to a bespoke website. DIY may be unpolished and unprofessional. With an established business that doesn't already have a website, DIY is probably the wrong choice as the wrong decisions could negatively impact your business. On the other hand a newly established business with untested premises and a limited budget DIY is probably the correct choice. Choosing the correct DIY platform: Website builder or Wordpress What is the best ROI on your time? Is it in DIY your website or is it spent serving your clients and building yoru business. There's a lot that the DIY person may not be aware of that goes on behind the scenes including UX, SEO and technical issues that are easily misunderstood or skipped entirely. As a website novice the DIYer doesn't know what they don't know. Hosted platforms such as Wix or Squarespac

In this episode I talk with Emily Lewis and Lea Alcantara about website accessibility. What it is, why it's important, and how it is more than just websites for blind people. Emily and Lea start off by providing a definition and example of what accessibility is related to websites. Accessibility is more than making websites accessibility and they also address isssues of why it's a good business case to ensure your website is accessible. Some businesses are federally mandated to meet specific standards of accessibility. This will vary by country but Canada and the United States both require it in certain industries. Emily and Lea discuss the business case for accessibility - and it's a very compelling reason: Better SEO and increased customer base. We also discuss remediation which is essentially retro-fitting a website to be accessible. This is not an easy process and there is no silver bullet that will make your website accessible at the push of a button. Show Links

In this episode I talk with Isaac Rudansky about what a landing page is and how to get the most out of landing pages for your business. Isaac defines what a landing page is and when you would create a landing page for a specific campaign or market. We also talk about what makes a successful landing page, successful. What is a conversion and the different typs of conversions that you may want to track.A/B testingLanding pages are best built in a landing page builder optimizer, not your website CMSCall to action, goal of the page Show Links Landing Page Design (Udemy Course) Google Optimize Optimizely Visual Website Optimizer Unbounce Lead Pages Webflow Conversion XL Nielson Norman Group More Website 101 Podcast Email

What is PR and Marketing - a look at the traditional approach and then a discussion of how Lyndon is turning that approach upside down. There were a couple of technical issues from 30:00 to 31:50 resulting in some overlapping voices. Once past this section everything is back to normal. Public relations is the process of building strong mutually beneficial relationships between a stakeholder and an organization.Marketing is getting people to do things that have a commercial value.We talk about how a small business can get PR and Marketing without the deep pockets of a large conglomerate. And how your company website can be utilized in this area.Relationship strength and mode of communication is very important. Show Links Startup PR, Marketing & Publicity – The Future is Lean The Lean Communications Framework Maserati’s SuperBowl “Strike” Was Public Relations NOT Advertising

I talk with Dan wood on pay per click advertising and google adwords. It's much more fascinating than it sounds. Dan starts by explaining what PPC is and how it helps generate traffic including the difference between organic and paid traffic. Search intent is very important. Google wants to show results to what the user is searching for. Relevance is more important than paying to get to the top of the results. You have the ability to fine tune the target of where ads show including location and a radius around a pin on a map. It's also possible to exclude variables from results to more accurately target your ads. Ads are checked by humans, no adult products or ads for products that alter the mind or body: pharmaceuticals, cannabis, alcohol, tobacco. Basically the Disney of advertising. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. RemarketingBidding on the phrases that your target market uses to solve their problems (Speak the language your customer speaks)Customer lifetime valueSpea

A discussion with Luke Stevens talking about the basics of SEO including advice on how to improve your SEO as well as what to avoid and how to choose an SEO specialist. In this interview with Luke Stevens we discussed SEO. We began with a definition of what SEO is and then some general ideas on building your content and expertise to improve your results. We also talked about E.A.T which is Expertise, Authority, and Trust.. Luke also talked about technical SEO, how to improve your search results appearance with more details and appropriate meta data. Other talking points include: Improving CTR (Click Through Rate) is easier than improving your ranking.Structured DataA/B TestingSEO MythsContent MarketingHow to choose a good SEO Agency Show Links Toku (Luke Stevens) Google Search Quality Guidelines for SEO Dominic Woodman Slide Deck Moz Google Search Console

In this episode Andrew and I talk about why websites need to be continually developed and maintained contrary to expectations of one and done. A lot of businesses tend to ignore the maintenance on their website and look at it like it's a one and done project. The expectation that a website will work without maintenance is unrealistic. Maintenance doesn't always have a tangible benefit that you can see. The benefits however include not dealing with downtime, bugs, or the site not working like it did when it first launched. Technology doesn't last forever, this is common in all industries. Support for older operating systems on computers or phones is no longer available. CMSs also get retired, for Example ExpressionEngine 3 retired in December 2018 and Craft CMS 2 will retire in March 31 2019. Older un-maintained sites may reach a point where it's not possible to upgrade. The only options are to rebuild completely or do band-aid fixes to keep the site limping along temporarily. By being proactive and m

In this episode myself and Mike Mella discuss several webdesign shortcuts you should never take and the reasons why many businesses continue to make these mistakes. We talk about some things that businesses often do to save money by cutting various parts of their websites. Avoid shortcuts if you can, but sometimes its unavoidable. Usability testing should be conducted to help you make your website the best it can be. It's not as expensive as you think it might be. Testing should be done with people in your target audience but not from your organization. They should be unfamiliar with your website to get the best results. Do not use a predefined theme for WP or a website builder if possible. You content should determine the design not the design determine the content. When using a theme, the design shapes the content and copy which results in sub par messaging and a website that is not memorable or unique. Common issues include avoiding pop-ups, don't use the phrase click here, and pdfs. There is no

In this episode we discuss project management and the various strategies and tools that will help you to with building a successful website. The website is for the client not for you. It should be addressing what your potential clients are looking for. Take some time to plan your website and online presence before starting. Your customers are not everyone who breathes. It's important to choose a niche and narrow down your target before building your website and writing copy. Themes are one size fit all. You can use a website builder and it will get you online quickly but it won't be as effective as a design that is custom to your clients and needs. Themes look like every other site, but a custom site is unique and driven by your content. Don't get caught up in the tools, use what works for you. Try a couple of different tools until you find one that fits. It's not necessary to use what other people use. Plan before you build. You won't have to start over and will not regret the extra focus it provid

In this episode I talk about the guests, topics and format of the show. An introduction to the podcast, the goal of the podcast, the format and the target audience. A brief introduction to Sean, the host of Website 101 Podcast. Advice for both DIY website owners and for those working with a web professional. I hope you enjoy the show and continue to listen. If you have any questions or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you; send me an email. Show Links Caffeine Creations More Website 101 Podcast Email the Podcast! Twitter Sean on LinkedIn