Everything you need to know about websites

Do you want a website, have a website that needs updating, hate your website or have questions about how to keep your website up to date and secure?

Susie Tobias aka Wise Genius has been designing and building websites since 2010, helping new businesses get started and established business stay relevant and up to date.

The process of creating a website for your business can be daunting, and every business is unique, with its own set of challenges.

Susie brilliantly explained the basic site set-up, where to start with planning & strategy, important things to consider, how to keep things secure and up to date and how to check that your site is performing as it should.

Your website is the on-line home for your business

Imagine building a website is like building a house:
The land is the hosting and platform you build it on
The address is your domain name*
The post box is your email address*
* YOU need to OWN these.
The foundations are your strategy, who you are and what you do
The floor plan is the pages and how they're arranged
The decoration is the images, colours, fonts, etc.
The furniture is the content

Step One - Define a goal

What do you need the website to do for you?
- Act as an on-line brochure?
- Drive sales?
- Collect data?
- Prompt enquiries?
- Act as a shop or just a shop window?

Step Two - Define who the site is for

- Who is your ideal client?
- Why do they need you?
- What do you want them do when they find you?

Step Three - Decide who will supply the decoration and furniture

- Research competitors and role models to get inspiration and ideas (not to copy)
- A graphic designer will help create the look that most appeals to your potential clients (not to you or your friends) and along with the developer should be able to advise on accessibility issues. They can also advise on using great images, copyright etc., rather than using tired stock photos.
- A content or copywriter will write copy that appeals to your ideal client which is hard to do for yourself and causes most delays in website builds. They will also be able to advise on incorporating keywords for SEO.

Step Four - Decide on your website developer

- Always talk to more than one developer to get the best fit
- Research the difference between platforms, e.g. Wordpress and Squarespace and understand the limitations of sites like Wix and Weebly
- Look at the portfolios of the sites that your short list of developers has created
- Check credentials and testimonials
- When you have a discovery call to see if you're a good fit you should do most of the talking and they should be listening and taking notes, not selling you their solution
- Make sure you'll own the finished site and all the content and can switch developers easily if needed
- Check that you can make small changes yourself
- Choose a developer who involves you in the process, encourages you to ask questions and listens to your feedback

Step Five - Understand the ongoing maintenance process

- A website is never finished and done, it needs regular checks to make sure everything works as it should
- Either you or your developer needs to do regular back-ups, security checks, broken link checks and test forms and buttons to make sure they work properly.

Later ...

- Use Google Analytics to check how people use your site, which pages they visit, how long they stay, the bounce rate, where traffic comes from and the behaviour flow.
- Use this information to improve and update as necessary

For more information and regular tips about how great websites work follow Susie on LinkedIn or get in touch at Wise Genius

More resources

• A question about how domain names are controlled led us down a rabbit hole - this is how it works:
  Domain Tools Know How
• An appraisal of different platforms: What should I use to build a website
• Tools to check accessibility: WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool
  W3C's easy web accessibility checks
  A11Y Project checklist

by Ann Hawkins

Why our network is like a jazz band

Have you ever wondered why some people prefer one kind of music to another?

Apparently there have been lots of studies on the subject - all of them inconclusive.

I like jazz. I don't know why. It just connects with me in a way that no other music does, so I was interested to read recently that more than 450 well-known jazz solos have been studied by physicists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization together with psychologists from the University of Göttingen and they have unraveled the secret of what makes jazz different to other forms of music.

They were able to demonstrate that jazz musicians use certain systematic deviations in timing that gives the jazz its unique rhythm - but that they use them unconsciously. Co-incidentally, many years ago, Charlie Watts (first and foremost, a jazz musician) was surprised to discover that this is what created the unique sound of the Rolling Stones.

If you've ever seen a jazz band play you'll have noticed that they don't need a conductor, rarely use sheet music and rely on a great deal of improvisation. They really listen to each other and move in and out of playing a lead role and then make way for others players without any direction.

So here's my segue ...

I'm often asked what makes this business community, Drive the Collaborative Network, so special. I didn't design it to be the way it is. It's become a unique and very special network because of the people who are in it and they way they respond to each other.

Our members have a lot in common with a jazz band:

* Everyone is talented
* Everyone respects each other's talent
* Many people are talented in the same area but they all bring different qualities to their work
* Everyone is more than their work: their character and values influence everything they do and how they interact
* Members never try to grandstand or sell themselves, they turn up to contribute
* They play off each other's strengths

It's a subtle and unconscious way of creating a great feeling with no egos involved.

It's taken me a long time to figure it out but now when some asks "What makes the Drive community so special?", I'll tell them maybe scientists could work it out but for us, its just like jazz - we do it without thinking about it!

If this style of collaborative networking appeals to you, come and try us out, see if we're a fit for how you like to work and explore what we can do together.

by Ann Hawkins

How to have conversations about climate change

Climate change conversations can be a bit challenging

Overview: These techniques are useful for any conversation that might feel difficult or awkward: 

• Have a conversation about having the conversation, don't just launch straight in.
• Figure out what's getting in the way: anxiety, guilt, shame all stop people from talking.
• Think of everything you know about the topic and don't mention any of them.
• Listen more than you talk.
• Evangelising doesn't work.
• Ask how people would like to take it forward to keep talking.

Jo Twiselton is an organisational change consultant and coach.
She is a certified Carbon Literacy coach and has had many conversations about climate change and how it affects our personal wellbeing as well as how it is handled in organisations.

Many people avoid talking about climate change or get into heated discussions  because the subject is so emotive.  Jo gave us some great tips about how to have these important conversations with colleagues, friends, family, employees, employers and more.

Is anybody bothered?

Because many people avoid getting into these conversations it would be easy to believe that they're not bothered so its worth noting that in October 2021, 75% of adults in Great Britain said they were either very or somewhat worried about the impact of climate change. Survey by the Office of National Statistics

Jo started by exploring what stops people from having these conversations.

What comes to mind when you're having a conversation about climate change?

Responses to this included:

Anxiety, frustration, where to start, apathy, innovation, defensiveness, fear, anger, its hard to see the impact of what we do, money, fear of change and fear of not changing.

Conversations don't have to be about the science

Weighing straight in with information on the methane emissions of cows and the carbon footprint of a banana won't stop people from eating either. Jo says that  Charly Cox, Climate Change Coach changed the way she approaches these conversation by explaining "Climate change is a human behaviour problem." If the conversation is about what moves things forward it's more likely to bring about change. Helping people to understand that they don't have to be perfect and give up everything they like but that its enough to do something is the best way to start.

Avoid preaching and trying to persuade people

Confronting a group of friends about their plans to take a short haul flight will only damage the friendship and make them avoid you. You can't change people who aren't ready so start with the people who are willing to meet you half-way and with things that are close to their hearts until you get more confident about having these conversations. Discussing a local project, something that feels closer to them, is more likely to get people's attention than talking about melting glaciers and depleting rain forests.

What are we trying to avoid when we don't have these conversations?

This is how people responded:

Defensiveness, conflict, switching people off, upsetting people, shutting off the opportunity before it gets going, worried about how we're perceived by others (not being seen as a geeky weirdo), withdrawal, virtue signalling, committing to something we can't deliver.

How to have different types of informal conversations

1. Dive straight in:  People who have a common interest in the topic and are comfortable chatting about it. Share information and ideas.
2. Go easy:  People who are slightly engaged, who may be exploring, looking for ideas and answers but don't want to to be preached to. Climate Scientist Katherine Hayhoe says, "If I'm going to have a conversation with someone, I first find out what we have in common."
3. Move gently:  People you're not sure about, you don't know where they stand. Ask questions, listen, meet them where they're at. Don't judge. Some people are just getting by and don't need anything else to worry about.
4. Don't wade in:  When a family member of colleague installs a plastic lawn or otherwise signals that they're not up to thinking about the effects of their actions on the planet and you need to maintain a relationship with them, wait until they give a signal or the opportunity arises, indicating that they may be open to a discussion. Offer information only if you're asked or it feels right. Find out what's important to them or what could be a conversation-starter - how to save money on energy and how that can help this wider topic is a great place to start.

Conversations in groups or training situations

Prepare: People need to know what they're being asked to take part in and given enough information to help them avoid feeling uncomfortable, guilty, ashamed etc.

Space: Physical and emotional space are equally important and will help people move to new perspectives.

Don't lecture or grandstand: You may be the expert in the room but think of everything you know about the topic and don't say it. Offer information only if you're asked.

Ask Questions: Be genuinely interested in other people's perceptions and positions. Find our where they're at without creating comparisons, league tables etc. Avoid making anyone feel awkward or left out.

Share stories: Stories connect us, tell people how you got interested or tell stories about other people who are taking action they can relate to.

Allow people time to get on board: Creating change, especially changing hearts and minds takes time. Let people come at it at their own pace and give them opportunities to learn more as they need it.

Audience contributions

• Talking on social media is generally much more difficult than having a conversation face to face or even on Zoom so its best not to get involved but invite anyone who is interested to a different way to take things forward.
• As a consumer be really nosey about the products, institutions and processes you use. Many try to disguise their true credentials - or lack of. The Ethical Consumer is a good place to start.
• If people are already defensive and talking about what they're "not allowed" to do, it can be disarming to say of course they're allowed to do whatever they choose, but they do have a choice so what would the consequences be of doing something different?
• Share positive achievable and relatable examples of what has been and can be achieved.
• Know your audience. Language is really important. Climate change can be seen as a middle class issue so combating stereotypes is a good idea.
• If you suspect someone is just out for an argument try calling them out on it, "Are you genuinely interested in my views on this?" can save a lot of grief.

Finally - the three Ps

Before you leave and get on with your day take a pen and paper and write down three things you'll do as a result of reading this post. Consider actions in these three areas:

• Your Personal Life
• Your Professional Life
• Your Political Life

How would you like to take this conversation forward?

If you'd like to keep talking about this topic, find out more about Jo's work at Twist Consultants  and follow Jo on LinkedIn to let her know you're interested!

Useful resources:

• Climate change coaching – Charly Cox and Sarah Flynn
  https://climatechangecoaches.com/our-book/
• Katherine Hayhoe – climate scientist – she does some great work in translating science to conversations
  http://www.katharinehayhoe.com/
• Active Hope – how to face the mess we’re in without going crazy
  Joanna Macy and Chris Johnston
  https://www.activehope.info/
• Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without losing hope
  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/18/ten-ways-confront-climate-crisis-without-losing-hope-rebecca-solnit-reconstruction-after-covid
• For solid background facts
  How bad are bananas - Mike Berners-Lee
  The Carbon Almanac – Seth Godin and loads of other contributors!
  World Wide Waste – Gerry McGovern (recommended by Berenice Howard-Smith)
• Jo's personal favourites that support conversations
  Losing Eden – Lucy Jones – a review from Jo: https://www.twistconsultants.co.uk/blog/book-review-losing-eden?rq=Lucy%20Jones
  From What is, to What if by Rob Hopkins - a review from Jo:
  https://www.twistconsultants.co.uk/blog/book-review-from-what-is-to-what-if-rob-hopkins?rq=imagine

A free climate impact calculator that lets you and/or your business as a whole calculate the carbon footprint of your vehicles, properties and any form of travel: https://miabazo.com/climate-impact-tool

by Ann Hawkins

Six tips for getting organised

Do you regularly run out of time or wonder where the hours have gone?

Andy Boothman has been running his design and branding business Busy as AB for over 25 years. He has managed many hundreds of clients, teams of freelancers and in-house teams all while enjoying a busy family life, enjoying live music gigs, outdoor pursuits and, four years ago, launching DressCode Shirts, a business that required him to learn many new skills and manage production schedules, ethical manufacturing processes, wearable tech, e-commerce and much more.

To keep all these balls in the air, deliver great work and still enjoy life requires great organisational skills so we asked Andy to share his top tips for getting organised.

During the Q&A we quoted Douglas Adams:

“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”

This was misheard by Anne-Marie Miller and resulted in this doodle which has been added to the many works she has produced to illustrate things said at our meetings!

Here are Andy's tips:

• Play to your strengths, don't try to do everything yourself and outsource as much as possible of things that are routine or boring.
• Speed is important but don't set unrealistic deadlines. Often we put pressure on ourselves when it doesn't matter to the client. As you get better at something you may get faster but that doesn't mean you should charge less. The value to the client is what's important.
• Tracking systems help in lots of ways:  check actual time v estimated time, check billing. check who does what and who gets paid what, check time spent waiting for clients to do things.
• Doing work on paper can be simpler and easier than using digital tools, especially if the digital tools are shared with a team.
• Planning:
  i) use Friday afternoons to plan for the following week while work is fresh in your head, Checking what work has been done gives you a sense of achievement and clears your head for the weekend. Starting fresh every Monday with a plan already made is a big advantage.
  ii) plan each meeting and leave time between meetings to review, reflect and prepare for the next one. NEVER jump from one meeting to another without a break, you won't be focused and everything will take longer.
  iii) plan your own business development every week or you'll miss opportunities.
• Set firm boundaries and manage clients expectations. Have clear working hours and channels of communication. Do not answer queries outside of these. One demanding client can ruin your relationship with others and clients know when they're being bumped because someone else is shouting louder so make sure you treat everybody, including yourself and your family, fairly.
• Recognise when you're not being productive and don't flog a dead horse. Stop and do something different, take a walk, go for a run, play a game, read, doodle, bake, anything that takes your mind of the work. When you come back to it you'll be much more productive.
• Protect your personal time. We all work for ourselves because it gives us more freedom to do the things we really love so build these things into your schedule and stick to them. They're the most important of all.

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn 

by Ann Hawkins

How to use social media, especially LinkedIn, for B2B marketing

Are you trying to figure out what to do with all the social media advice that gets thrown around?

Dan Ince of BrandWorks Social is in the Ask the Expert chair.

Dan uses his many years experience in marketing consultancy with big name brands to give small businesses access to a more strategic approach to social media. He recently did a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing with the Institute of Data & Marketing.

Focusing on small service businesses who mainly use LinkedIn, his advice helps us identify the best strategic approach based on what we want to achieve.

Here's what Dan recommends:

Get some clarity

Before diving in and potentially getting overwhelmed, be clear about why you’re using a particular social media platform for your business.

For a small B2B service, it's best to use your activity to create brand awareness and showcase your skills and knowledge rather than try to fill a sales funnel and find leads. Treat it as a long game in building strategic* relationships.

*Strategic means people who may become clients or recommend you - not your peer group or friendship group.

Be really, really, really clear about who you want to reach (potential clients), what their needs are and how you can help them. Write posts with the intention of being useful and engaging for that audience.

Remember that your social media footprint – the things your audience sees – includes your likes and comments on other people’s posts so make sure you don’t slip into becoming irrelevant to your audience by liking posts that will make them unfollow you. (That sympathy like / emoji for your friend with a bad back is best handled in a private message).

Take it slowly and discover a need before you try to sell. If someone doesn’t need what you do, trying to sell to them is a waste of time and will just annoy them.

Be consistent

The tagline “Mr Kipling makes exceedingly good cakes” is 60 years old.
“I'm lovin' it” was first heard on a McDonalds ad in 2003
“Every little helps” has been used by Tesco since 1993
“Creating a buzz for your business” has been Andy Boothman’s tag line for Busy as AB for over 25 years.

You may not have a memorable tag line but you can create consistency by being clear on your values, key messages and in the way your posts look as well as their style and tone.

*Ring the bell  on LI profiles of people you follow to get notified about posts as they're published.

Don't worry too much if people don't appear to be "engaging" with your posts. 90% of people on LinkedIn never engage with anything but this doesn't mean they're not reading your content. Lots of enquiries come from people you may never have been aware of until they contact you. This is why being consistent matters.

Ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and relevant to your audience – if people like your content, they’ll take a look at your profile next. Your tone of voice should reflect who you really are. If someone who has been reading your posts has a call or a meeting with you they shouldn’t discover that your posts give a different impression to you in person.

Don’t get sucked into trends that don’t suit your style or purpose. Selfies are not always a good idea, especially just because everyone else is doing them. In fact, if your content looks and feels the same as everyone else, you won’t stand out.

Advice on "being personal" 

This is the most misunderstood advice on social media. If you're using a platform as part of your marketing strategy to connect with potential clients think carefully about the impression you're giving them. While most people are nosey and people buy from people, sharing personal content is a fine balance between helping you look interesting (hobbies, activities, interests etc.,) and a big red flag to potential clients who may see inconsistency as a liability. If you wouldn’t walk into a meeting with a new client and start the conversation by saying “I’m having a shit day” its probably not a good idea to share that on social media. Also be mindful of the impact your ‘too personal’’  posts may have on other people who are just trying to get through another day in business.

How often to show up

It’s worth remembering that 95% of your target audience aren’t ready to buy what you have to offer at any given time, hence the need to be active on social media frequently but it’s always better to post when you have something interesting to say than scrape something together that’s pretty flimsy just because you’ve been told “it’s good to post three times a week”.

No-one will notice if you don’t post but they will notice if you post drivel!

The best time to post is whenever works for you. There are no rules. Some people get a good response if they post at weekends or in the evening and others stick to Mon-Fri, 9-5.

To get results from social, it’s vital to not only share great content, but also engage with your audience. If someone comments on one of your posts always reply and try to say something more interesting than "thank you". It’s called ‘social’ media for a reason!

Set aside regular time to curate and engage with your network.

Most of all be human, be you and remember, if you look & feel the same as everyone else you’re just average!

===================

This is a big topic and how we each handle social media will vary a lot, depending on what we’re trying to achieve. It can be very time consuming to figure out what works so to find out what’s best for you and your business we recommend contacting Dan who has lots and lots of useful strategies to ensure you get the right results.

Dan Ince
Brand Works Social 
07770 738323

by Ann Hawkins

Is staying small the next big thing?

Growth is often seen as a measure of success in business but it's not what everyone wants

When you're booked to capacity and your earnings are limited by how many hours you can work, and you don't want to employ other people or outsource, what's the next step for your business?

This is the question many small businesses, freelancers and consultants face. They're often urged to adopt tactics that move them away from doing what they love and into the realms of managing other people which is not everybody's idea of fun.

Bianca Botten was pondering similar questions about developing her busy VA business Neon B when she read the book Company of One by Paul Jarvis.
Jarvis is a veteran of the online tech world who realized that working in a high-pressure, high-profile world was not his idea of success. He now works for himself and no longer has to contend with an environment that constantly demands more productivity, more output and more growth.

Bianca wrote the following review of the book:

Company of One is a book about improving business and providing the best service to your current clients. It questions whether growth is right for you, or if having a business that fits around your lifestyle is better.

I found myself nodding along with the author for the first half of the book, agreeing that you should build long-term relationships with clients, (so they send you repeat business). Continuously searching for new customers is time consuming and costly whereas, “maintaining good business relationships with customers doesn’t require superhuman efforts. Rather, you simply need to do what you say you’ll do and customers will be grateful”.

I love the idea of becoming better at what you do by improving systems and processes to be more efficient in how you run your business. For me this feels like mastery and being the best version of myself.

The end of the book didn’t hold my attention and I found it a little repetitive. Throughout the book the author kept mentioning being a “Company of One” at an organisation, and I felt he was trying to appeal to people who work as contractors inside big businesses rather than microbusiness, freelancers and solopreneurs.

Company of One confirmed how I felt about my business and reinforced that I would prefer to provide a good service to a small group of loyal clients, as opposed to exponential growth, which would mean more noise and chaos.

I much prefer a business that fits around my lifestyle of raising children and being the best, least stressed version of myself.

I can recommend reading this book and give it 7 out of 10.

If you've read the book or find yourself asking the same questions as Bianca we'd love to hear from you - leave a comment below or get in touch at info@drivethenetwork.com

Follow Bianca and Neon B on
LinkedIn
or
Instagram

by Ann Hawkins

Challenges of networking and neurodiversity

How do people with neurodiverse conditions cope with networking?

There used to be a joke that you know when an introvert is networking because they look at your shoes instead of their own.  Introversion isn't a neurodiverse/neurodivergent condition but I mention it because so many people find networking challenging so being aware of this helps us find ways to give more people the chance to connect and build great relationships.

Nathan Whitbread is a Neurodivergent Coach and offers some great insights into the challenges people with neurodiverse conditions face when networking. I think they're challenges that a great many of us face and his ideas can be applied equally to neurotypical people. See what you think: 

Walking into a room full of strangers that you are supposed to be interacting with can be incredibly daunting. Add on top of this anxiety around who you are and how you communicate and suddenly there is a bit of a recipe for potential problems. Welcome to neurodiversity and networking.

As a neurodivergent person, I have always found networking a little bit challenging as it seems everyone else knows exactly what they are doing. So here are some things that I feel can help make what is a tricky area into something far more manageable and something you can achieve at.

Being ready to talk

The best spontaneous conversations are well practised!

This may sound like a completely bizarre statement, but the truth is if you want to be spontaneous and have something to say you need to practice. This could be as simple as practising engaging with strangers in conversation or just being ready to start more conversations with your friends about topics that you think they may be interested in.

Asking questions that make connections

With networking the key thing is finding out what the other person wants, not telling them what you want. I would encourage you to start conversations by asking questions about how you can help. For example, you might want to ask:

• why someone is there?
• or what challenges they are experiencing, that you could help with?

Telling real punchy stories

Think about your own stories, the things you have done, the people you have met and how they can be relevant to the people you are talking to now. No one can resist a story, especially when they help them solve problems. When telling stories it’s important that they are punchy and to the point and that while you’re telling them you are seeking feedback to make sure they are relevant to the person you’re talking to. (if their eyes glaze over or their face changes make sure you ask them if this is useful – if in doubt ask!)

For example, you might have a story about a recent client (you do not have to use the client’s name) or a problem that you solved as part of your work.

I would always recommend using stories as they illustrate not only the benefits and strengths that you can bring, but they also bring you alive as a person.

Being ok with who you are

Believe it or not, you are the very best person at being you, and there is no one else quite like you. Do not try and be someone else, be yourself that’s why people want to get to know you. It is important to celebrate who you are as well in terms of your attitude towards yourself. I can assure you that you have value, things to offer, you do things other people cannot do and you are the very best at being you. – Be yourself!

It takes a village to successfully network

What I mean by this is that contacts you already have will provide you with information that allows you to connect with others. This will help you engage in conversations and communicate better with new connections. No person is an island, utilise people you know, learn from them, and ask for feedback.

Drive, the Partnership Network has been this place for me.

What can hold you back

Mindset is key, when getting involved in networking start with what you want to achieve then ask others what they want and see if there is space to build something. People never stop talking about what they need. If you can tap into that you will network effectively because you will be able to help them find solutions for their problems.

Do not be the limit to your network

Research shows that we love to talk to people like us but unfortunately there is only a subset of the human population that are anything like us. If you are looking to network the chances are your skills and experience are going to be more useful to people that are nothing like you. Don’t be afraid because people are different they still breathe and have a pulse just like you.

Be proactive

You are not an impostor you have every right to share what you are doing and mix with others to find common ground. You need to accept no one knows what you know the way you know it, and no one will ever know it unless you interact and have real conversations with them. Also do not be afraid to ask for help there are a lot of people out there in a similar position who want to help and see you succeed.

Find allies and champions

Allies and champions are vital especially if you have got questions about things like, what is the value you bring?

These people will often know you best and can help you cement this value. They will also be the people that open doors for you and invite you to new places, and you will be able to support them. This is not an awkward thing to do, it just starts with a conversation

So do not be afraid to ask!

What do you think?

Do Nathan's tips apply to you? Do we all have our own quirks and insecurities around networking? What's your favourite tip?

If you would like some help please get in touch with Nathan.

This post was originally published on The Neurodivergent Coach blog.

by Ann Hawkins

Make your life a little bit brighter!

Who would have thought that your greatest guide in life could be a puppet?

When we're running a business, we can sometimes get stuck in a certain way of thinking.
A light hearted and playful approach can often get through negative barriers and encourage new ways of thinking.
When we're asked to predict what plans we have, options to take and decisions to make, we need to use our imagination.

Jo Bryant and The Hands On Company transform lives through creative puppetry and Jo has adapted the way she works to make this on-line workshop.

Please download the workbook and use the Sock Puppet or Origami Puppet instructions (or borrow a soft toy with a face) to enjoy the full effect of the workshop!

Make Your Life a little Brighter Workbook
Sock Puppet ideas
Origami Puppet instructions

Get inspired, motivated and focused to make the most of opportunities and build your business.

by Ann Hawkins