The Dumbest Blogging Mistakes I've Made
When it comes to blogging mistakes, I've made a ton. Today I'm going to share them with you so you can avoid making the same, dumb blogging mistakes I did.
Getting Too Fancy Pants For My Britches
I added too much CSS and bedazzled graphics to one of my Wordpress websites back in the day. First off, that was a mistake that would make someone have a stroke. Second, and more importantly, it made my website so very slow.
There's an art to adding CSS to a website, well frankly any kind of coded stuff that only nerds can decipher.
On top of that, adding large sizes of graphics make the website take longer to load and that means people leave my website.
Changing Domains All The Time
Mupplebee, Casa Moxie, AJW Design Co, Designers Club, Club 26, Society, Iron & Magnolia... yes, I hang my head in shame.
I've always been attracted to creating brand new websites.
Don't do this. Pick one domain to be your primary. Let it "grow up" AKA age so your website because they say that an older domain gets a leg up when it comes to search results.
Using The Wrong Keywords Or None At All
Keywords and SEO are key to your success. Seriously, you want people to find your business so it's critical to use the words that they would to find someone like you or a solution to a problem that they are experiencing.
It's not too hard to find the right keywords (and I go over how to do your keyword research in Content Goldmine hint, hint) and use them.
If someone wants to find out how to pick the perfect white paint color, then research the phrase "pick the perfect white paint color" and use a variation of that phrase that has a search volume (meaning people are searching for this phrase).
So if you use "paint" as your keyword, it's not specific enough for someone who wants to find the perfect white paint color, right?
Then make sure you know how to use your keyword phrases. If you have a Wordpress website, use Yoast to help you learn the best practices. If you're on Squarespace, you can use a tool like Textmetrics like I do.
Caring What Mean People Think
There are trolls and jerks online. I know, duh.
When they pop into your inbox or on social media you have two choices. Delete/Block or tell them where to stick it, then delete their message and block them.
I know some people say you should just ignore them because everyone is going through something and they are just angry at something in their own life.
Blah, blah, blah. As I've become an old lady I do not have the patience or time to coddle some troll.
Save your sanity and get rid of them quickly from your life.
Wasting Time on Facebook
Have you ever documented how much time you spent on Facebook to promote your page for your business?
I spent who knows how many hours growing my page and as it became more and more a pay to play platform to get anyone to see my posts.
Looking back now on how much time I put into a platform that wasn't my own? I hang my head in shame.
The only place you should be spending a lot of time is on your own website.
Creating Content To Just Publish Something
There was this one time I had nothing set to publish, so I just wrote some random thing. There was no thought to keywords so that post didn't get much traffic.
It's better to not post anything at all if you miss one of your posting days.
And remember to sell something in most of your posts, too.
Thinking That By Listening To Everybody Else That I'd Be A Success
Everybody else has their own ways they do things. And they have goals that I didn't have. So by absently listening and following advice from people who weren't where I wanted to be, but simply people that I liked - I could've gone farther in a shorter amount of time.
Scared To Grow A List
I signed up with Mailchimp and resisted asking people to sign up for my newsletter. And once I started getting subscribers I was scared shitless to email them.
Terrified.
What you must realize is that the money is in your email list, not your Facebook fan page. Email your list, because they signed up to hear from YOU!
Avoid My Blogging Mistakes, PLEASE!
All of my blogging mistakes were related to fear and being short sighted. Either fear of missing out on the success I could have if I listened to some guru, fear of seeing mean comments from people I don't know.
Or being short sighted and having more energy than direction.
Because we all know everything is fun in the beginning without a plan.
Everything is also more expensive and delays success when you don't have a plan.
So, there's that.
Avoid my blogging mistakes. You'll make your own and you'll learn from them like I did. But maybe this will keep your mistake list way shorter than mine.
Hola!👋I'm Alycia. I help eDesigners land dream clients + get profitable with smart online marketing methods. Want in on the only membership group that will help you get organized, get visible AF, and get majorly PROFITABLE? Hell yes, you do. Follow me.
Hola! I'm Alycia Wicker and I help online interior designers grow their business.
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