Articles
My tried and tested advice on how to generate more leads and more clients online.
Busy work is basically the same as procrastination
How to recognise when you’re in procrastination mode and how to shift your focus to the important work you need to be doing to sustain and grow your business.
How to generate leads with SEO
How can you get clients through Google Search / SEO? 3 Simple Steps to More Traffic and Clients If you want to reach more people online, maybe you've done a bit of research into SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). SEO is the process of making your site more visible on...
Dealing with hosting Dramas
Dealing with Hosting Dramas I want to talk with you about hosting - a big pain in the bum most of the time. This came up for me, because, recently I had to change the host. When you change hosts there’s a terrifying moment – for up to 72 hours your site can be...
Are you making these 3 common mistakes on your homepage?
Are you making these 3 common mistakes on your homepage? Another three things you need to check on your website today. Specifically, I’m talking about your homepage this time. So, are you making these three common mistakes on your homepage? Mistake #1 – Social media...
How to really get clients through your website
How to really get clients through your website I help client facing business owners to look at their website and figure out how to use it to get more leads and clients. There are three pillars that I lean on: Attract Engage Convert With the enforcement of GDPR...
Is your website your shop window or sales rep?
Is your website your shop window or sales rep? Is your website having an identity crisis? Do you see your website as your shop window or your top salesperson? I’ve been making websites for over 10 years and a lot has changed in that time, from the technology used to...
Is it possible to make a website in under an hour? Yes it is and here’s how you do it.
Is it possible to make a website in under an hour? Yes, it is and here’s how you do it. I’ve seen a lot of promotions recently for “Make your website in less than a day, less than a week, less than an hour". And I agree that it is possible (in theory) to make a...
What do websites and pancakes have in common?
What do websites and pancakes have in common? First pancakes If you ever made pancakes you probably noticed that the first one is not the best pancake. With pancakes we kind of accept that the first one is a trial run, but we need to get this first one made before we...
Don’t lose leads! Check these 3 things on your website ASAP!!
Don't lose leads! Check these 3 things on your website ASAP!! Have you let the weeds grow on our website a bit? With a growing business, we sometimes intend to get back to “fine tune” or improve our websites. Maybe there's a new offering or a shift in positioning. But...
Planning a launch for your online business
Planning a launch for your online business During the launch period, you are extremely busy, you’ve got a lot of things to do and every single day is jam-packed with preparations. Maybe you're launching a site for the first time, you could be launching your entire...
Mailing lists are a complete waste of your time… unless
Mailing lists are a complete waste of your time... unless Is your mailing list a complete waste of time? I want to ask you this question, because I think a lot of people lose sight of the purpose of their mailing lists. The purpose of a good mailing list is to build...
How to create a website that really resonates and inspires action
How to create a website that really resonates and inspires action When your website resonates with your target audience they are much more likely to stick around, engage with your content, read your offers, and take action. Here are my three simple rules to create a...
Which platform to use, WordPress or Squarespace
Which platform to use, WordPress or Squarespace Today, I want to talk to you more about the choice between WordPress and Squarespace. This is a question I often get asked when I’m helping people to start their website or to redevelop their existing website. The choice...
MVP – Minimum Viable Product for small business
MVP - Minimum Viable Product for small business Today I want to talk with you about MVP – Minimum Viable Product. It’s a kind of marketing–business term and I don’t like using marketing-business terms, because they put a little bit of distance from the real meaning of...
SEO – One thing you need to understand before investing your time and money!
SEO 1 thing you need to understand before investing your time and money! Let’s have a quick talk about SEO, shall we? It’s essentially the first question that I get asked in all of my new client meetings and I always say the same thing: SEO is indirect. SEO is the...
Google Analytics for your business website
Google Analytics for your business website Let’s talk a little bit about Google Analytics. Are you familiar what “Google Analytics” is? It’s a free service powered by Google whereby you can track people’s behavior on your website. It came up a lot recently because of...
Finding the right online business idea
Finding the right online business idea Today we are talking about getting your idea ready for business. This little tutorial is a little snippet of my online business course. Have you ever wondered if some idea could bring you money online? Maybe there is something...
How to get more engagement with your freebies
How to get more engagement with your freebies Freebies, opt-in incentives, content upgrades, we create them so that people are more likely to join our mailing lists. Bottom line, you offer something of value for free in exchange for their contact details. But are you...
My story. How I made real changes to get the business and life I wanted.
My story. How I made real changes to get the business and life I wanted.When my daughter was born in 2016, everything changed, but not in the way you'd expect. I set up my company Claire Creative in 2012 when my son was on his way so that I could have more...
Growing your business online? Avoid digital overwhelm with this simple strategy.
Growing your business online? Avoid digital overwhelm with this simple strategy. When you're growing your business online you're often on high alert to all the things that you could be doing to attract leads and enroll clients on the web. This can often lead to...
Is your website generating leads or repelling them?
Is your website generating leads or repelling them? The 3 pillars of an effective website. When you have a small business or you're a company of one, you're probably doing a lot of the work yourself. When it comes to your website it's very easy to get caught up and...
The most important aspect of choosing your domain name
The most important aspect of choosing your domain name When you're stuck on what domain name to chose your entire website project gets put on hold. You can't launch your website without a domain name. If you have a domain name and you're not happy with it you can lose...
GDPR for small business. What you need to do before May 2018.
GDPR for small business General Data Protection Regulation changes What you need to know before May 2018 If you have a mailing list or website that collects even simple personal data you need to know about GDPR. But don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds. I've...
Case study: Artist website created with Claire Creative
Artist website created with Claire Creative Case study: EIBHILIN CROSSAN Eibhilin Crosson creates beautiful contemporary artworks inspired by nature. But her site wasn't showing off her work properly. When we first met, Eibhilin explained that the site had been...
Getting started with WordPress (video guide)
Getting started with WordPress A friendly video guide to help you set it up If you've decided to create your own site, you'll have a lot of questions. What platform to choose, how to use it, how to make the site rank well in Google and a million others. In this...
Keep your project moving with an activity trap escape plan
When we work alone especially when taking on a promotion or website project, it can be easy to get caught up in the details or stuck on technical issues. Here are a few things to look out for to be sure you keep moving in the right direction, not scurrying ’round in circles.
Planning time off when you have your own business
Planning time off when you have your own business 5 tips for stress-free time off Summer holidays are rapidly approaching! Are you planning for your time off? The idea of going on holidays when you're working so hard building your business can actually feel more...
3 Mistakes you’re making with your Facebook ads
3 Mistakes you're making with your Facebook ads Guest post from Colm Baker of Whabang.ie In the social media world, it’s easy to become downbeat and disheartened because we are constantly bombarded with the highlights of people’s lives. Typically, it’s only the best...
This simple mistake could be costing you new customers
So you’ve got the website, you’re doing all the social sharing. Maybe you’re running ads. But the enquiries aren’t coming. What’s going on? There is one obvious mistake that I come across ALL.THE.TIME! It’s so obvious in fact, that it’s easily overlooked but it may be costing you customers!
Hiring a Virtual Assistant and Working Remotely
Hiring a virtual assistant and working remotely Guest post from Claire Ann Digital Hiring a virtual assistant can save you a lot of time. You can delegate tricky or time-consuming tasks and admin allowing you to focus on the bigger picture. But how does it work? I've...
Getting started with video
There’s no doubt that video is the medium to use to get yourself out there. Whether you’re promoting a brand, product or personal service, video is where it’s at! Just look at your Facebook feed, there’s so much video being shared. In fact, all the social platforms now have some option to do a live feed or video sharing.
Starting a business is like having a baby
Yes, I am that idiot who tried to do both at the same time! Claire Creative was (officially) born a few months before my first baby. ‘Start your own business’ they said. ‘You’ll have more free time’ they said.
Is this bad habit stunting your business growth?
Is ‘As soon as’ syndrome holding you back? What is ‘as soon as’ syndrome? It’s a bad habit. It’s a form of procrastination. And it can cause your project to stall before it gathers any momentum.
How an end of year review can help move your business forward
Why bother with an annual review? If you wrap up your year with a review, you’ll have the drive to get you moving forward in the right direction from your first day back.
7 Ways to Boost Productivity and Save Your Sanity (no apps required)
Do you find that there’s a great emphasis these days on being “busy”? Especially as a freelancer or small business. But being busy and being productive aren’t necessarily the same thing!
Website must-haves: 10 essentials for a successful DIY site
With so many ready-to-use platforms available you can get online in a matter of hours. But what really makes a successful website? Here are my top 10 essentials for your website. Let’s get stuck in.
3 quick tips to improve your Facebook business page in less than an hour
Do you want your Facebook page to lead fans to your website or mailing list? Here are a few quick tips (that will take you less than an hour) to take control of your Facebook presence.
Growing your social media following (+Free cheatsheet)
Who has the time to tweet, post and pin several times a day while building their business? NOBODY, that’s who! And yet people do it and do it well. Here’s how to get started!
“So, what do you do?” 5 steps to your perfect elevator pitch
An elevator pitch is a 30 to 60 second summary of what you do. It’s like a verbal business card and you can use it on your website and social profiles as well as in person. Here’s how.
Editing images for your site and social shares, without Photoshop
Here we’ll have a peek at some great free sites where you can modify images to suit your site, your style and crop them to fit perfectly in social posts.
Website strategy: Why you need one and how to write one
Making your own website and tearing your hair out? There are so many things to think about. Don’t get overwhelmed. Write a website strategy. Here’s how. (+ Free Worksheets).
Free images: Where to find them, and how to use them
A good image on your site can grab attention, encourage sharing, communicate concepts…. so you wanna’ get it right.So where to start? (+ Free downloads).