How to set the image when sharing

How to set the image when sharing

Aug 21, 2019 | Useful Info., Websites

Do you have a WordPress website? Want to change how the image link shows up when sharing to your social media like Facebook? This short guide will help you do that.

First you have to install and activate the plugin Yoast SEO. To do this you need to go to the plugins section > add new > then search for Yoast SEO > install > then activate.

Next you need to find the Yoast plugin down the left hand side and click on ‘social’.

Click on the Facebook tab and then under ‘Default Settings’ you will see the spot to add your image URL and upload the image you would like, then save changes.

Next you need to go to www.developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/sharing/ and type your website URL in the box and click debug.

This will then display possibly some warnings but it will also show you a link preview of what your link now looks like when you share your URL.

Once that’s done your set to start sharing your links with your new updated image.

Who’s involved in creating a website?

Who’s involved in creating a website?

Jul 29, 2019 | Websites

Creating a website is a big deal!

There are quite a few parts and people involved in creating and designing a website. You have the ‘Business Owner’ the final decision maker. The business owner plays a huge part in creating a successful website, why’s that? No one knows your business like you do.

In order for the ‘Web Designer‘ to create your website they need the content that only you can provide. The more content and information the better. From there the Web Designer will create a design based on your content, design requests and branding. They can incorporate CTA’s (call to actions), messaging function, contact forms, online shops and much more depending on your requirements.

If you find it difficult gathering your content then you can engage the services of a ‘Copywriter’. A copywriter will help you put together content that not only sounds right but has the right keywords to help increase your SEO.

What’s next? The ‘SEO Expert’. If your main aim is to be found on Google then you need the SEO Expert. Not everyone can get results with SEO as it is a niche field. SEO takes time, and it involves finding the right keywords, meta tags, descriptions, and even blogging. It won’t happen over night but with persistence and the proper support you will get the results you are looking for (being found on Google).

What about paid advertising? This is where a ‘Digital Marketer’ comes in to play. Now that your website has been created and the SEO has been implemented to get you the best results on Google you now need a Digital Marketer to help you explore other avenues to drive traffic. This can be in the way of Google Ads or Facebook Ads. Specify your budget, and campaigns can be set up to drive traffic to your site depending on your desired result.

How about good old fashion organic posting on Social Media? The success of your website comes down to your marketing efforts. The more active you are in promoting your website the better the results. Sometimes just being active on your social media accounts and sharing advertisements with links to your website can drive results.

These are all points to consider, as you can see everyone plays a valuable part in determining the success of your website.

Two of the best chat plugins

Two of the best chat plugins

Apr 19, 2019 | Useful Info., Websites

How do your customers contact you? Is it just by contact form on your website or do they message you through Facebook?

I found that alot of my clients prefer to message me through Facebook rather than emailing. Sometimes it’s easier to chat online as opposed to emails back and forth. These are two of the best chat plugins that I found from experience.

Tawk.to

Tawk.to is a free chat plugin for WordPress where you can chat to your customers in real time. You also have the ability to;

  • create support tickets
  • assign requests
  • keep a transcript of your conversations
  • see your live website statistics
  • enable live,away and invisible mode
  • create a series of questions for your customers to answer before you initiate a chat
  • download the app on your phone and you can chat to your customers on the go

Tawk.to is definitely a great plugin but I feel it is more suited to businesses that really need to watch their analytics and they have a large online customer base.

Facebook Messenger

Last year Facebook released the chat plugin that can be added to your website by enabling a couple of settings on your Facebook page and copying some code to implement on your website. 

These days nine out of ten people are on Facebook and it’s just an easier way to keep in contact with your customers on Facebook via your website. With Facebook adding more and more features for businesses to utilize it makes it easier to keep notes on your customer conversations and also booking appointments directly from their platform.

I am currently using this feature and it works well for my business, but it is all about finding what works for you and what is simple.

WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org

WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org

May 25, 2018 | Websites

Lately I’ve come across so many unsuspecting people that have fallen into the WordPress trap. Yes that’s right. If you’re a newbie and you have decided you need an online presence but want to take the plunge and create your own website good on you. But make sure you have all your facts and go in with your eyes wide open.

For starters you probably have heard a lot of chatter and people recommending that you build your website on WordPress however what they may have not told you is to build on wordpress.org. WordPress.org is the most popular platform that is used by thousands and thousands of businesses.

WorPress.org is free however you do need to organise your own hosting which can be done for as little as $6.95 per month. Once you have set up your hosting and domain installing WordPress.org is free and can generally be done through your hosting provider, with this platform they have many free themes and plugins for you to use to create your website.

However sometimes the themes aren’t exactly user friendly and may require you to purchase a paid theme to customize.

I’m writing this post in the hopes that atleast a couple of people will become aware of the differences, because it can be daunting enough starting your business but then add creating your website on top of that can make you totally overwhelmed.

Websites, what platform should you choose?

Sep 7, 2017 | Useful Info., Websites

Have you just taken the plunge and started your business? Or are you established but come to the realization that you need a website? No matter what the reason is choosing a platform for your website can be really confusing. You’ve got options like WordPress, Wix, Magneto, Shopify, WooCommerce, DIY website builders and the list goes on. You’ve probably looked at that list and thought I don’t even want to go there!

While free website builders like wordpress.com and Wix can seem great you have to take into consideration how your potential clients are going to perceive you. What they sometimes don’t tell you is that with the free sites yes you don’t pay for hosting or a domain but you will have their own branding attached to yours, which can seem unprofessional.

A month after I started my business I realized I needed a website as there is only so much you can do on social media to build your brand awareness and I noticed that a lot of people after speaking to me initially wanted to visit a website to know more. I started with the DIY website builder from Go Daddy and purchased my own domain name and hosting through them. While this was a start now looking back on what my website looked like I’m surprised I got anyone to visit my website but at least I had an online presence and managed to get my second client through my website.

Personally for me I find WordPress.org to be my preferred platform. With hosting starting anywhere from $6 a month for Australian hosting, and domains from $22 you’re already half way there. With wordpress.org there are so many free plugins to use to create your site as well as free themes. What they don’t tell you with wordpress.com is that if you want premium features you have to pay and it will end up costing you more whereas some of these features actually come with the .org version. There are some paid themes available that have the ease of allowing you to drag and drop to create your website, this is great if you want to add your own personal touch and create it yourself.

Around 74.6 million people use WordPress so really that’s a good indication that it’s a great platform to use. Generally I find that WordPress.org goes hand in hand with the Yoast plugin for your SEO, this can be used as a free plugin or you can purchase premium.

So remember while free can be good it’s not always best especially if you want to grow your brand the right way. Wouldn’t you rather do it right in the beginning than later on having to spend more time and money having to change it?

If you would like more information or want to check out some of our previous blog posts you can read them here.
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