Articles
My tried and tested advice on how to generate more leads and more clients online.
Saying “no thanks” to the hype of Seven Figure Income
Saying "no thanks" to the hype around a seven figure incomeHow you can make it work online without buying into the hype.As an online business owner, I get bombarded by emails, ads and posts like... ... the six and seven-figure income with "One Magical Webinar Formula"...
Ecommerce website with a growing and loyal following
DressFabrics.ie Improving the user-friendlyness of an eCommerce website with loyal customer base.The Brief: Make a more branded website for DressFabrics.ie improve the eCommerce functionality and navigation as a way to encourage more sales through the site....
A unified message from multiple ideas – website and digital strategy
Good Enough Counsellors Coach website for a brand new niche. Combining multiple ideas into a simple and effective website and lead generation strategyThe Brief: Create a new website for Josephine's coaching service and set up a lead generating strategy to reach her...
Language coach website – New messaging, services and site
ProEnglish Language coach website. Reaching a new audience with clear messaging, specific services and effective call to action.The Brief: Improve the functionality of the ProEnglish website and make it visible to a more targeted audience. Background: Vera, the site...
We recreated the site and traffic increased by 1364%!!
Living with the Moon Website rebrand and interactive calendarThe Brief: Update the Living with the Moon website and calendar system to be more appealing to its target audience and repair broken links and subscriber features. Background: Jutta, the site owner, had been...
How uncertainty keeps you broke
How uncertainty keeps you brokeUsing your obstacles as a way forwardIf you want to get leads and clients online you need to have a specific plan that you can rinse and repeat to get clients every month. But what usually happens is more like: You try something - it...
How to prepare when you hire a web designer
What do you need to prepare when you hire a web designer?5 things to prepare to get off to a flying start with your website rebuild.So you're ready to invest in your website. You're looking for a designer or developer to work with. You want to get a website that...
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 ClientsIf 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...
How to choose a host for your website
How to choose a host for your website And dealing with hosting transfer 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...
Are you making these 3 common mistakes on your homepage?
Are you making these 3 common mistakes on your homepage? Your homepage is prime real estate on your website. It's where Google looks first and it's the page that people are most likely to land on first. It can be a make or break moment. People who visit your site are...
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!!!
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 out of the way...
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…
The purpose of a mailing list is to build trust. A mailing list can be an extremely valuable business tool and a huge asset to growing your business and getting more clients. But are you spending all of your time building your mailing list and very little time engaging with your subscribers? Is your mailing list actually bringing you leads and clients or do you see your list as a totally annoying, time-consuming part of your job that doesn’t show any return?
Here are my 3 tips to stop wasting your time and get more clients from your mailing list.
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 SquarespaceToday, 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 websites Today I want to talk with you about MVP – Minimum Viable Product. It’s a kind of marketing–business term and I don’t usually like using marketing-business terms, because they put distance from the real meaning...
Before you invest your time and money in SEO!
SEO: The one 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...
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
Blog 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 getting engagement from the freebies that...
My story. How I made real changes to get the business and life I wanted.
How I made real changes to get the business and life I wantedWhen 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, James was on his way. Going out on my own seemed like the...
How to grow online but avoid digital overwhelm!
Blog 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 a mix of different strategies running all at once and it can feel a bit...
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 with a print shop
Case Study: Artist website with eCommerce How I helped Eibhilin to take control of her site and sell her work onlineEibhilin Crosson creates beautiful contemporary artworks inspired by nature. But her site wasn't showing off her work properly. When we first met,...
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).
Oh Lookie! A Freebie...
The Leads Online Handbook
This step by step guide will show you exactly how to consistently fill your business with leads and clients without the digital overwhelm!
