VA Website Builder Certification Class on May 27th

March 31, 2009

Today I put the finishing touches on a new program meant for Virtual Assistants and other support professionals to get “certified” on my website building software.  I license the Web Power Tools program to Practice Pay Solutions and I’ll be offering the new certification program in conjunction with their Ecommerce Specialist program for VAs.  For $39 a VA can take a 90-minute class and then build out a sample website to show they’ve mastered the skills.  Easy peasy.  THE CLASS IS NOW ON THE SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 27TH.  Sign up now.  Click here.


Choose your colors carefully…

March 30, 2009

One of my colleagues sends out a newsy little tidbit every month using the same email newsletter system I use (Constant Contact.)  But…she’s been using her favorite color for her newsletters…a rich magenta/pink color for the background.  She just loves that color and until I pointed out to her that this color does not read well when used as an Internet background.  Red, intense blue, intense pink or green are just too jarring as background colors.  Use something paler with dark type to be readable.


How to subscribe to this blog

March 27, 2009

Ok, so I’m a newbie to blogging.  I just figured out that you can subscribe to my blog.  Do that by choosing Blog Info/Subscribe to blog.  Then you’ll get notified when I post something new.  See above right hand corner with drop down arrow.


New Web It Yourselfer Monthly Webinar Education Program

March 27, 2009

If you are creating your own website and Internet marketing, you’ll need to stay on top of things.

Join me every month —lunchtime ET—on the third Thursday of the month for a live webinar on an Internet marketing topic in the news that you need to know about. First one: Thursday, April 16th. Thinking “Getting Found on the Internet.” Other topic ideas? Please submit!  Sign up online by clicking here.


“Do It Yourself” is now Hot!

March 26, 2009

I get literally dozens of email newsletters daily and they pile up until I have time to scan them.  In my inbox, I found a great article “Save Now is the New Buy Now” from MediaPost’s Email Insider.  Click here to read Chad White’s whole article.

Strategy #2 is “Do It Yourself.”  People are on budgets and if you help them do some of what they outsourced before, you’ll be in the right mode.  And that’s what I’m all about with Web It Yourselfer.

I believe you can build your own website.  Yes, a good, professional website.  And optimize it for search, keep it fresh and up to date.

Sure, this stuff seems complex, but it really is do-able.    Yesterday I sat in on a B2B webinar about web analytics that was completely over my head.  But I plan to revisit it, digest it and then tell you what you really need to know!


OMMA Hollywood

March 24, 2009

Today I ventured to the OMMA Hollywood conference at the Renaissance Hotel in LA.  The sessions seemed crowded though the exhibit hall was distinctly underpopulated…maybe ten exhibitors.  But someone there had the bright idea of letting us freeloaders (ie free exhibit hall registrants only) attend two content sessions.  So I drove in to see what was what.

I liked what I heard from Jason Calcanis (we were actually on a panel together in 1997 in New York!) who is currently building up his new-fangled search site Mahalo.  I do buy into the idea that people want better search results…his concept is to deliver content, search results and user interaction instead of long unsorted lists.

But what was really fun was hearing Jason predict the demise of traditional advertising.  If you haven’t caught his ideas for how Facebook can put the Superbowl out of the ad game, check it out.  (Someone must have caught it with their cameraphone).  And Twitter search results.  Cool stuff, Jason is still out leading the way.

Wasn’t so crazy about the panel discussion on BUYING BUZZ.  The idea:  paying bloggers to write about you.  Even if its transparent, it seems kind of icky to me.  Just my opinion.

Okay, one last thing.  I visited every exhibitor in the hall, can you believe that not ONE asked for my business card?  What kind of marketing is that, people?


Day 2 As A Blogger

March 23, 2009

The irony has not escaped me.  For years I’ve been telling people that they don’t need to blog.  And yet, here I am blogging.  For me its kind of an experiment.  I do still think that the website software from Web Power Tools is a bit more logical and easier to use, but for quick posts, this certainly seems easy.  Of course, I don’t think anyone has found the blog yet.

I was really proud of myself for figuring out how to embed my WordPress blog right into my Web Power Tools website.  For anyone interested in doing this themselves, you can find the directions posted in the Web Power Tools helpdesk site:  http://www.wpthelpdesk.com.


Hello world!

March 23, 2009

Web It Yourselfer will help small business owners figure out this bewildering world of Internet marketing.  In plain English.  With helpful ideas, suggestions, tools.  Stay tuned for great stuff.