The Simple Sidebar Offers More Options to Keep Readers Engaged

While sidebars aren't as important as navigation, they still take careful consideration and need to be set up in a way that will be easy for your readers to use. Done right, your sidebar can draw your reader deeper into your website. Done wrong, and it could be a big turn off.

A good rule of thumb is to keep your sidebar as simple as possible and clear of clutter. It should not be a virtual junk drawer! Don't add anything and everything to it just because there's space to do so. Just like mentioned above, if your sidebar is busy and confuses the reader, they'll more than likely end up leaving your site. A confused mind can't take action. And once you have someone on your site, you want them to take action!

Not sure what to put in your sidebar? Here are some of the most common items:

• Mailing list opt-in box - collecting names and email addresses of people that visit your site can be one of the most important things you do. Utilizing the space on your sidebar, above the fold, for an opt-in box is one of the first things you should set up on a sidebar.
• Category navigation - be sure to let your readers know what they'll find on your blog. You can do this by including your blog categories (or even tags) in the sidebar.
• Recent posts - when people come to your blog, they want to see recent content you've published. Use the sidebar to display recent posts. This will allow your reader to quickly and easily see what they may not have read yet.
• Ads - be careful if you're going to include advertisements. Make sure they are relevant to what your readers are interested in and don't get carried away. Keep it to 1-2 at a time.
• Archives - use a dropdown option to include your blog archives if you like, although in a typical WordPress blog, the date archives aren’t very reader friendly.
• Bio - you've probably seen the blogs where the sidebar has a little 'about the owner' box with an image. You can do this or you can reserve this information for the about page.
• Search bar – If readers can’t find what they want in your navigation, or your category or tag structure, a search box will do the trick.

You'll more than likely be making all these side bar changes by using widgets so you'll need to make sure that during your theme selection process, you choose one that is widget ready. Also note that when you change themes, you may lose some widgets you already had in place. If you find some of them missing, check the “Inactive Widgets” section on the widget dashboard.

Sidebars are an important part of your blog makeover and it's important that you take the time to make sure they are set up in a way that is appealing to your visitors. Make content stand out by using bold, italic, different colored font, etc. If done properly, your sidebar will encourage your readers/visitors to engage with you.

Getting Around: Creating an Intuitive, Meaningful Navigation Structure

Want to know how to make visitors crazy and drive them away from your blog? Make your navigation confusing! We’ve all landed on a website only to be greeted by some weird navigation structure that not only doesn’t tell us what is available, but doesn’t let us return to the page we were on easily. Want some advice? Don’t do this to your readers!!!

Your navigation sets the pace for how visitors move through your site. And this is another important piece of your blog makeover puzzle. In fact, this element may be even more important than your header design.

You want to keep it as simple as possible so that it's user friendly and easy to understand. The worst thing is a busy navigation bar that leaves readers feeling confused and unsure of where to go. A confused reader doesn't end up doing anything but clicking away from your site, never to return. With that in mind, here are some navigation tips you should know about:

• Make sure your header is linked to the homepage.
• Keep it consistent across every page of your website – don’t move your navigation to another location or change the tabs from page to page.
• Properly name each tab on the navigation bar so people know exactly where they’ll go if they click on it.
• Keep it simple - in the case of the navigation bar, less is more. You don't want to give your readers too many options.
• Easy to find - your site visitors should be able to find what they're looking for within a few seconds of being on your site.

Another thing to consider is whether you'll use a single layer navigation bar or a drop down one. The drop down option may seem like a good idea because you can combine things into one tab and have them show up when someone hovers. For example: your main navigation tab 'about' can drop down and give a visitor the option to 'contact' you. However, if you can avoid a drop down navigation bar, then don't use it. It’s far better to have all the important pages visible than to hide them below something else. Remember, simple is almost always better.

One last thing to keep in mind when setting up the navigation of your site: make sure that your readers always know where they are on your blog. Do this by making a ‘Home’ link in your navigation, or by using ‘breadcrumbs’ to give the reader a way to backtrack.  

Once you have the navigation menu set up, ask someone to test it for you. Have them spend a few minutes on your blog to see if it's easy to navigate. You built it, so you may find that you simply don’t notice things that are out of place or not clear. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can see things you didn't.

Take it From the Top: Redesigning Your Blog Header

It’s the first thing people see when they land on any page of your website. Just as you make a first impression when people meet you in person, your header is also the first impression people have of your blog. Ideally, you want people to look at it and immediately know what your site is about. It should build a connection with your reader by ‘telling a story,’ and that story will depend on the type of blog you have.

If it's a business blog, your story will probably be more on the serious side so your header should reflect that. But if it's a personal blog and your personality is fun and creative, then let your header show that.

Regardless of the type of blog you have, there are several things to consider when redesigning your header:

Size - shoot for a header image that isn't more than 250 pixels high. The header is important but you don't want it so big that it's taking up valuable above-the-fold real estate. In fact, many modern blogs and websites are using smaller headers than that, some as small as 150 pixels or less. If a small header will work for your blog, then go for it, because a small header leaves more room for content.

Image - if you're going to use any sort of picture in your header, it's really important that the quality of the image is the best possible. One of the quickest ways to ruin a great looking header is by using poor quality images in it. 

Text - decide what text you're going to include in your header. Make sure your site name is in the header. If you have a tagline that goes with your site, then put that in the header too. Just don’t get carried away with fonts. You want them to be readable, and use no more than two to avoid confusion.

Visually appealing - we're all visual creatures so we're drawn to things that are attractive to us. Make sure your colors go together, that your fonts are clear, that the text is readable, and that the images convey the message you are trying to send. Remember, your header will set the tone for the rest of your site.

Keep in mind that you can always outsource this part of the process. If you don't have enough time or experience to mess around with creating a header, then it would make more sense to let someone who knows what they're doing handle it so you can focus on other aspects of the makeover. 

Time for a Makeover?

It's that time of year again.  Time to take a look at your business and prepare for the coming year.  Time to review the previous year's successes - and failures.  The start of a new year is a good time to make some changes!  Is it time for a makeover?


Lately I've been looking a my blog, for a couple of reasons.  I love writing it, but sometimes it doesn't seem to resonate the way I would like.  I get views, but not much interaction.  Plus I now have access to MLSP Sites, which is a great WordPress tool.  So is it time to move to another platform?  Lots to think about!


Since I am going to seriously look at my blog and consider what moves or changes I need to make, I thought perhaps you would like to join me.  And so I am going to be doing several posts on giving your blog a makeover. 

The first thing you should do before you begin your blog makeover is to sit down and plan things out. Take some time to think about the 'why' behind the makeover. Once you’re clear on why you want to make a change, it will be much easier to plan.

When you’re still in the planning stage, take time to consider:

SEO - you probably already had SEO in place on the old design of your site but now is the chance to reevaluate and step things up a notch. Or, if you hadn't done any - or very little - optimization with the 'old' blog, this is the perfect opportunity to start and do it right. You're going to have to spend some time researching keywords and phrases to find ones that will be a good fit for the audience you reach and the purpose of your blog.  I just attended a fabulous webinar on SEO so now's the time to put all that knowledge to work! 

Layout - think about how you want your site to look. Get a piece of paper and a pen and literally 'map' out how you want things to look. Draw (make note of) what you want to be above the fold and below the fold. How many sidebars do you want. Do you want them all on the same side or a sidebar on the left and then one on the right?

Opt-in - don't forget to think about your opt-in box and where you're going to put this. Are you going to create a landing page for it, put it on the sidebar of every page, or both? A good rule of thumb for an opt-in box on the main page of your blog is to have it above the fold on the right hand sidebar.  I have never had one on my blog so perhaps it is time. 

Research - take some time to look at several other blogs. Jot down notes of the things that you like, as well as the things you don't like. A little 'cheat' trick - if you notice something you like but aren't sure what it is or how they did it - is to view the page source and more than likely with a little sleuthing on your part, you will find the info you're looking for.  Once you have a list of things you like, try to incorporate them into your blog makeover.  I've been doing a lot of research and studying lately! 

Color - think about the color scheme you want to go with during your blog makeover. One thing to keep in mind is to stay away from dark backgrounds (like black) with light font colors (such as white). It's hard on the eyes, and won’t work for most audiences. The exception to this is if your market is young men in the music or gaming industries. Then a dark background is fine. For most other markets, your best bet is to go with white background and black or dark gray text. Then pull colors into your site in the header, sidebar, headings, and graphics.  All the research I have done lately says this is true.  So this is one thing I may change even if I don't switch platforms. 

If you take the time to plan things out first, your blog makeover with go more smoothly and it will be easier to stick to the goal(s) of the site and what you want the makeover to accomplish.

The Advantages of Network Marketing on the Internet

Do you know how many thousands of people are making money in network marketing on the internet today?

Not only are they staying at home and avoiding the company rate race, they're working the hours they would like to and making thousands of dollars each month - living better than they ever did working a job.

Network Marketing on the Internet

The internet doesn't discriminate.   It doesn't matter how old you are.  Many seniors are supplementing their retirement savings by network marketing on the internet.  I should know.  I'm one of them!  

There are also students who are making a living while attending school, and finding it much more rewarding than flipping burgers.  In fact, many are able to paying their college tuition instead of racking up thousands of dollars in student loans.  Stay at home moms.  Single parents.  Individuals who just want more time freedom.  Anyone can learn to build their network marketing business on the internet.   

Network marketing on the internet requires only a few things to get started. You need a basic understanding of how effective online marketing works.  You also need to know why successful
online marketers are successful.  Both of these come with training and experience.

But if anybody tells you it is easy, they're not quite telling you the whole truth..

Network marketing CAN be simple - if you follow some very essential guidelines and do all the right things. But it can be difficult at the start.  But then again, isn't any new job while you are learning the necessary skills?   And after laying a solid foundation and gaining a comprehensive understanding of network marketing and attraction marketing, you will be able to kick back and enjoy passive monthly earnings with just a little effort on your part.

There isn't anything more thrilling than finding deposits in your PayPal account when you wake up in the morning, or checks in the mail.  I often joke about how I love the smell of money in the morning.  But I have to admit - even after all this time, it is still exhilarating to wake up to find commission notifications in your inbox.  

So where do you learn the necessary skills?  The first step is to find a good coach or mentor .  But be careful.  When hunting for info regarding network marketing on the internet, you'll come across many people making an attempt to sell you information.  Often, these "gurus" don't even practice the sales systems they preach.  You are driven through to a capture page immediately which bombards you with other "one-time" offers that may "never be offered again".  Been there?  I have!  And you know what?  It's all a bunch of crap!  Do not even go there!  Yes, many of these people do earn great incomes.  Unfortunately, the majority of their money comes from people who want to do things the simplest way possible and magically earn a six-figure income overnight. 

I'm not saying all these people are lying.  But it's tough to find the very few honest people that are going to show the right way to do things.  Fortunately, there is a community where it seems most of them have chosen to plant their flag.

What should you look for in a coach or mentor?  A good mentor is someone who is already successful at network marketing, achieving the results that you would like to achieve.  They can also tell you that internet marketing is all about building relationships, and that this takes time and effort. This is a genuine business.

This is unquestionably NOT a "get-rich-quick" opportunity.  If you really are looking for the "make thousands overnight while you sleep with no effort in 6 months" type of business, this isn't it! 

And although it has everything to do with becoming skilled at sales and marketing, it's not a matter of selling... It is a matter of training and presentation.

Show and tell. Not sell, sell, sell.

Oh, and that community I mentioned...you can find it here!

My To-Do List For Today

Yup!  I'm sharing my to-do list.  We all have one I'm sure.  That list of all the tasks and chores we need to accomplish each day so we can check them off, one-by-one, and end the day feeling satisfied that we had a day well spent.

I do have one of those.  But that's not the list I'm going to share.  Because too often we get so caught up in checking off those daily activities, that we forget what's really important.  This is true whether you are an entrepreneur or whether you work for someone else.  Whether you go to an office all day, work on a production line, or are a stay-at-home mom (or dad!). No, the list I'm talking about is one I learned about in a workshop on gratitude.  It's where I learned to journal about my day.  Many of those journal entries become the basis of future blog posts.  And though they may not seem important to my business, I promise you - I would not be successful without this to-do list.  So here we go!

1.  Count my blessings!  I do this every evening.  Just before bed, I list 5 things that I am thankful for today.  It can be something as wonderful as a #1 bestselling book.  Or it can be as simple as a phone call from a friend or a walk with my husband.  But I never go to bed without remembering how blessed I am.

Why is this important for my business?  Lots of reasons.  There is so much negativity in the world, especially now, that sometimes it's hard to keep positive.  And when that happens it impacts everything you do.  When you let that negativity become so strong, it begins to show up in your relationships with others, that's when you're going to see its impact on your business.  No one wants to hang around or do business with negative people. 

A positive attitude will also help you when you do hit a stumbling block.  Life is not always easy.  But facing obstacles with a positive attitude, knowing that this is merely a temporary hiccup, will help you face and deal with your challenges more effectively and efficiently.

And it's good for you health!  Negative people suffer from much higher levels of stress.  And stress can cause all kinds of health issues. 

2.  Be kind!  You wouldn't think I would have to add that to a list of things to do.  But sometimes when someone or something is pushing you to your absolute limit of patience, it's hard to remember.  So yes, it's on my list - especially since patience is not exactly one of my strongest virtues. 

How does being kind help my business?  That's easy!  There's a saying you probably have seen posted on several social media sites.  "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."  I've seen it attributed to several people, most notably Theodore Roosevelt and John Maxwell.  I don't know which one actually said it - maybe neither!  I do know that it's true.  People will remember the kindness you have shown much more readily than they will all the facts about why they should join your business or buy your product.  Do you do business with particular people just because you like them?  I know I do!  All other things being fairly equal, I will frequently make my choice just because I like the salesperson or owner or waitperson or whoever I have been interacting with.  And the opposite is just as true.  I have often walked away just because of how another person was behaving towards me or someone else.

This doesn't need to be some huge act of charity.  It can be, by all means!  But it can be as simple as calling a team member to see how they are doing, providing a testimonial for a friend whose business you trust, writing a thank you note to a mentor, or reaching out to a business newbie and sharing some of what you have learned along the way. I promise it will come back to you a hundredfold!

3.  Let go of what I can't control!  This is a hard one for me as I am controlling by nature.  Years ago, my mom gave me a wall hanging with the Serenity Prayer on it.  You know - God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  I sometimes have problems with that "wisdom" part!  So this is on my list as a reminder.

Why is this important?  How often have you spent your time worrying over some perceived obstacle, or chasing some impossible goal when you could have spent your time much more profitably?  Let go and go do something you can accomplish.  No internet?  Been there!  Read a business book.  Or start writing one of your own.  Spend time with family.  Relax!  Upline not being supportive?  Forget them!  Go learn what you need to know on your own.  Find another mentor or coach.  Downline not performing like you hoped?  Don't spend your time on those who aren't willing to do the work.  Focus on the ones who are.  Dogs barking in the background during the recording of your podcast, husband's hoard of papers visible during your Hangout, Tshirt showing reversed on your Facebook Live?  Hey!  This is LIVE people and I am a real, genuine person. You want perfect?  Look elsewhere.  It's been a hard lesson to learn but I have accomplished much more since I have learned not to worry about all those things beyond my control and just focus on doing what I know how to do.

4. Listen to my gut.  Have you ever been going to do something and you're about to make a decision?  Your head says this is the right choice.  Go for it.  But there's this little nagging voice in your gut that says walk away.  Listen to your gut.  It's almost never wrong.  And yes, this is on my list.  My husband is a very logical man.  He will research something absolutely to death before he makes a final decision.  And yet we often find ourselves on opposite sides of a decision because my gut is telling me he's wrong.  And because there has been a time or two when I didn't speak up because all of his facts and figures looked so good, how could I be right about what I was feeling, that I keep it on my list as a reminder.  Because he was wrong and it cost us, sometimes dearly.  (P.S.  He has learned to trust my instincts.  He hates admitting that sometimes it's not logical, but he listens!)

The same is true in your business.  You have a chance to work with what appears to be a great new client.  Or join a fabulous new business opportunity.  Or buy some wonderful new marketing tool.  It all looks amazing.  What could go wrong?  But your gut says no.  Listen to your gut!

5.  Be still and just breathe.  In our hustle and bustle busy lives, this can be difficult.  Especially when you are trying to build a business.  And there are those out there that will tell you to do whatever it takes.  Work non-stop.  You can sleep after you are successful.  I am here to tell you just the opposite.  You know what you get when you do that?  Burn out!  Poor health.  Damaged relationships. Yes, you need to work.  So when it's time to work, get to it.  But set some time aside everyday to take a break and just breathe.  Spend time with your family.  Go for a walk.  Read.  Go to church.  Take a nap. Meditate.  Whatever it is that helps you recharge, find time everyday to do it.

Oh by the way - my other to-do list?  Write a blog post.  Write my list.  Post in Facebook groups.  Finish laundry.  Meet 10 new people.  Work on new sales funnel.

What's on your to-do list?

Video Blogging With the Quick and Simple Tools You Already Have

Congratulations on making the decision to start video blogging, also known as vlogging. It's an excellent way for you to share your expertise in your niche and to provide your audience with a new way to consume your information as well as a way for them to connect with you on a more personal level.

With the advance of technology and all the different geeky gadgets out there including webcams, vlogging is easier than ever. This article is going to give you some tips on how to use your webcam to create some video blog content.

If you're using a laptop, it probably already has a webcam built right into it. Be sure to check that out first before going out and purchasing one. If you do need to buy one, you don't have to spend a lot of money. You can pick up an inexpensive one for around $20.

The biggest challenge you're going to have to deal with using a webcam is finding a way to make yourself look good. If you don't have it angled properly, or it's too high/too low, you're not going to look your best. If you're using a laptop webcam, you may need to put a few books underneath it so that you can raise it up and be eye level with your camera. If it's too low and you have to look down, or it's too high and you have to look up, you’re not going to be happy with the quality.

Another tip for vlogging with your webcam is to use a headset if possible. This will help keep out any background noise that your computer’s built-in microphone will pick up.

You'll also want to take into consideration anything in the background that may show up when you start recording. If you have a busy background (such as your kitchen or living room) it's going to distract your viewers and they'll lose focus on what you're saying. Besides, do you really want people to see piles of laundry or kid’s toys in the background?

Try to find the 'perfect' spot in your home or office for creating videos. Set up a background (something as simple as hanging a sheet up will suffice) and add any additional lighting elements you'll need. Keep this space specifically for videos so that there isn't a lot of preparation you'll have to do the next time you want to create a one.

Once you have all the preparation done and you're ready to start recording, it's best to make a trial run. This will help you figure out if the lighting is right, the angle is right, etc. After your trial run, you can then record the real thing.

Remember to keep your video as short as possible so you don't lose the interest of your viewer. Don't get discouraged if you find yourself stumbling over your words - this is normal especially if you're a newbie. It takes time to get used to seeing yourself on camera. To help prevent stumbling over words or forgetting what you want to share, make a short outline that you can glance at during the recording process to help stay on track.

Remember, too, that all those glaring mistakes will likely not even be noticed by your viewers. We are, after all, our own worst critic!

Once you have your content all recorded it's just a matter of editing it and publishing. There are plenty of video editing options out there. It's just a matter of finding one that you can work with easily. Or, if you aren't comfortable with doing it, you can always outsource it. After it's edited and ready to go, you just have to upload the file to YouTube, Vimeo, etc.
 
And there you go, the quick and easy way to use your webcam to
create video blogs. It doesn't have to be overly difficult and once
you get the hang of it, it'll get quicker and easier.