Posts by Amy Masson
Tips for selecting a web agency
If you are landing here, you may be in the market for someone to develop a website for you. Maybe you’re launching a new book, starting a new business, or just want to write a blog. Those are great reasons to have a website! But, how do you know how to choose someone to set…
Read MoreThe Ins and Outs of A/B Testing
Getting websites that convert can take a lot of trial and error and one of the best ways to figure out what appeals to your target demographic is through A/B testing. What is A/B testing? A/B testing is when you offer your site users the same page/content with slight variations, to see if one performs…
Read MoreHow to Grow a Successful WordPress Business
I spent this weekend in Kent, Ohio at WordCamp Kent, where I was given the opportunity to speak on business growth. This was the perfect venue to me to tell our story since it really began at WordCamp Las Vegas 2013. Our business started in March of 2006, bur our real story started in December…
Read MoreUsing Genesis ENews Extended with MailChimp
This is an update to an older post from 2015, found here. That post has started to get a lot of questions, and I thought I’d write an update since not all those instructions are still accurate. In the original post, I wrote that I liked Genesis E-News extended as my preferred newsletter sign up.…
Read MoreDo you have a great call-to-action?
I was talking to a potential client recently, and giving him my feedback on his current website. I said, “Well, you don’t have a clear call-to-action. What do you want your user to do? Do you want them to call you? Then you should say that.” Potential client, “Don’t you think they already know that?”…
Read MoreHow to update the navigation menu in WordPress
I actually get this question a lot. When you spend all day everyday in WordPress, you sometimes forget that a task you think is super easy can be scary and daunting to someone with less experience. You add a new page to your website, but then it doesn’t show up in the menu and you…
Read MoreYou should be backing up your site. A lot.
Are you backing up your site? If your answer is “I don’t know” or “I think so” then you need to keep reading. You should be backing up your own website. You should be doing it frequently, and you should know where your backups are stored. I hear these arguments from people about their backups:…
Read MoreEverything you always wanted to know about subdomains but were afraid to ask
When we’re talking about the Internet, most people know that your domain name is your online address, also known as your URL or your .com. Our site is sumydesigns.com, for instance. That is known as the root domain. But what some people don’t know is that you can partition your domain off using subdomains. What does…
Read MoreConvert your dated HTML website to WordPress
When we first started this business, over 11.5 years ago, we built all our websites with HTML and CSS. If you look really hard, you can probably still find some of those websites online. However, along the way we discovered WordPress and since then, have completely switched to offer only WordPress sites. If you’ve had…
Read MoreA bad website can be worse than no website
Many people don’t see the value in having a great website, and think they can easily put together one using some of the build it yourself tools available. Then when they don’t see much return on their work, they feel justified for not spending money on a professional. I’ve always told people that a bad…
Read MoreWant to get more subscribers?
These days, almost every website has an e-newsletter signup on it, but how do you get people to enter their email address? It’s going to take more than just putting an email box with the word ‘subscribe’ next to it! Make it clear you are offering value: Why should someone subscribe? What will THEY get if…
Read MorePerfecting the FAQ page
The FAQ page. It’s pretty important, and yet so many people either neglect it or dismiss it completely. I’m a believer in the FAQ page and here’s why: Having a solid FAQ page will save you time by not having to answer the same questions over and over again. A good FAQ page will drive conversions.…
Read MoreIt’s okay if you can’t afford a custom designed site
The majority of what we do are custom designed websites, meaning we start with a blank page, your feedback and ideas, and we come up with a concept we hope you’ll love. But the truth is, this can be pretty expensive. It takes time to research, create, and develop a design into an effective websites.…
Read MoreHow to get better at WordPress
I make a lot of WordPress sites. It seems like every day I’m setting up a new one, logging in to another one. Some days I’ll log into 20 or more different WordPress sites before the day is over. That’s a lot of WordPress! When it’s time for a new client to take the reigns…
Read MoreSelling Products with WooCommerce
More and more potential clients are coming to me with the same request – they have a product they want to sell online. Great! But the first thing I tell them is that successful e-commerce is hard. However, once you’ve established that yes, you really want to have an e-commerce site, then the best option is to go…
Read MoreDo backlinks still matter?
If you’ve been on the web for a while, particularly if you had an older blog or website in the early 2000s, you may remember that most websites had a page for “links.” This was where you linked to other great websites that you thought were relevant to what you offered. Why did people do…
Read MoreWhat to do if your site isn’t meeting your goals
On Monday, I wrote about how important it is to set measurable goals for your website. Knowing if your users are doing what you want them to do is important to knowing if your website is working for you. So part two of this is, what do you do if your users AREN’T doing what you…
Read MoreSetting Measurable Goals for your Website
Is your website successful? Yes? No? How do you know? Have you considered that question at all? Frequently, when working with a small business or individual about their website, I’ll ask them two questions: What do you want the user to do when they come to your website? How will you know if they’ve done…
Read MoreThings your service business website needs
We have done a lot of websites for service-based businesses. Contractors are a good example. If you offer a service to clients at their home, especially if it’s an expensive service, then you need a good website. Here’s why. In 2017, most people are going to research you before they call. They want to know they…
Read MoreThings to know when looking for a web development services company
If you’ve never hired a web development services company before, the very idea can be daunting. How do you find someone? How do you know if they are any good? How do you know if they are giving you a fair price? These are all good questions, but finding the answers can be hard. Here are things…
Read MoreSetting up online book for tours
I pretty regularly get inquiries from companies that offer tours. As a regular traveler, these inquires excited me, because I have a pretty good idea of what the customer is looking for and how to accommodate them. What I always tell them is they need to offer ONLINE BOOKING. Many people balk at my suggestion. They…
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