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	<title>Bourn Creative</title>
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	<link>http://www.bourncreative.com</link>
	<description>Transforming Businesses into Extraordinary Brands</description>
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		<title>Keep Visitors On Your WordPress Site Longer With YARPP</title>
		<link>http://www.bourncreative.com/keep-visitors-longer-with-yarpp</link>
		<comments>http://www.bourncreative.com/keep-visitors-longer-with-yarpp#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:35:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jennifer Bourn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging & Blog Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Design Tips & Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wordpress Tips & Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Related Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wordpress Plug-ins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wordpress Website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yarpp]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bourncreative.com/?p=5290</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[YARPP (Yet Another Related Posts Plugin) for WordPress is used to show a list of related content at the end of a blog post or in a widget. Out of the box it simply displays a list of related posts after your main content, yet the plugin can be highly customized through its own settings [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="YARPP - Yet Another Related Posts Plugin" href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/yet-another-related-posts-plugin/" target="_blank">YARPP (Yet Another Related Posts Plugin)</a> for WordPress is used to show a list of related content at the end of a blog post or in a widget. Out of the box it simply displays a list of related posts after your main content, yet the plugin can be highly customized through its own settings and the use of <a title="YARPP - Yet Another Related Posts Plugin" href="http://mitcho.com/blog/projects/yarpp-3-templates/" target="_blank">custom templates</a>.</p>
<p>We like adding related posts at the end of blog posts to entice readers to <strong>consume more content as a step in our conversion funnel</strong>. We have found through studying our stats in Google Analytics that conversions on our site (like opt-ins, affiliate clicks, etc) are split among visits with one page view and visits with multiple page views.</p>
<p><strong>In simple terms, less than half of our visitors opt-in on the first page they land on. The rest read more content first.</strong> Displaying related content is an easy way to give visitors what they want.</p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/YARRP-Example.jpg" alt="YARPP WordPress Plugin for Showing Related Posts" title="YARPP WordPress Plugin for Showing Related Posts" width="590" height="350" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5291" /></p>
<p>Like I said, YARPP can be used without any configuring, <em>but I don&#8217;t recommend it</em>. The defaults are not the prettiest and with a few simple changes, the display of your related posts can be greatly improved.</p>
<p><strong>Here is a step by step list for our standard configuration of YARPP (after the plugin has been installed and activated):</strong></p>
<p><span id="more-5290"></span></p>
<ol>
<li>Navigate to the YARPP settings page (From the main WordPress Settings menu)</li>
<li>In the upper right corner of the WordPress window click &quot;Screen Options&#8221;, then check the boxes from the screenshot below.<br /><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/YARRP-Screen-Options.jpg" alt="YARPP WordPress Related Posts Plugin Screen Options" title="YARPP WordPress Related Posts Plugin Screen Options" width="600" height="112" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5292" /></li>
<li>Change the Relatedness Options. The most important is to lower the match threshold from the default of 5.<br /><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/YARRP-Relatedness-Options.jpg" alt="YARPP Relatedness Options" title="YARPP Relatedness Options" width="600" height="400" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5293" /></li>
<li>Change display Options to ul instead of ol and p to h3 or h4. Here you can also change what the &quot;Related Posts&quot; text says. Our standard is: <strong>&lt;h3&gt;Related Posts You May Enjoy&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;ul&gt;</strong> in the first box. <strong>&lt;/ul&gt;</strong> in the second. If you are super awesome like us, you could add CSS classes/id&#8217;s here to target the h3, ul, and li elements, otherwise it will inherit the defaults fom your site (which is just fine).<br /><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/YARPP-Display-Options.jpg" alt="Display Options for YARPP - Yet Another Related Posts Plugin for WordPress" title="Display Options for YARPP - Yet Another Related Posts Plugin for WordPress" width="600" height="350" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5294" /></li>
<li>Delete &quot;no related posts&quot; from &quot;Default display of no results&quot;</li>
<li>If you want related posts to show up in your RSS feeds, duplicate your settings there.<br /><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/YARPP-RSS-Display-Options.jpg" alt="YARPP RSS Display Options" title="YARPP RSS Display Options" width="320" height="128" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5295" /></li>
<li>Save and you are done.</li>
</ol>
<p><em><strong>Remember to perform a complete backup to your site before adding any new plugins and test for compatibility first.</strong></em> YARPP will add to your database tables, so be sure to include them in your backup settings after a successful implementation.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Who is Your Ideal Client? Do you know?</title>
		<link>http://www.bourncreative.com/who-is-your-ideal-client</link>
		<comments>http://www.bourncreative.com/who-is-your-ideal-client#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jennifer Bourn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business & Entrepreneurship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Tips & Marketing Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brand Design & Brand Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Client Attraction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ideal Clients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bourncreative.com/?p=5277</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While getting started on brand strategy and design and website strategy with my clients, one of the first things I want to know is who the ideal client is. Who is the person the brand and website must resonate with and speak to. Who does it need to attract to my client? How do you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Grade-Your-Clients-Make-More-Money.jpg" alt="Find Your Ideal Clients By Grading Your Current Clients" title="Grade Your Clients Make More Money" width="250" height="177" class="alignright size-full wp-image-5278" />While getting started on brand strategy and design and website strategy with my clients, one of the first things I want to know is who the ideal client is. Who is the person the brand and website must resonate with and speak to. Who does it need to attract to my client?</p>
<h4><strong>How do you know who your ideal client is? Your Ideal Client is some one who:</strong></h4>
<ul>
<li>Has problems and challenges you can easily fix and solve with your eyes closed</li>
<li>Sees you as a valuable necessity they treasure, instead of a necessary evil</li>
<li>Likes you, appreciates your hard work, and will tell their friends, peers, and contacts about you</li>
<li>Will pay you what you&#8217;re worth and will be happy to do so because they know you&#8217;re worth it</li>
</ul>
<h4><strong>But how do you find out exactly who they are?</strong></h4>
<blockquote><p><strong>Grade Them.</strong>Look at all of your clients for a set time period and give each one a grade &#8212; A, B, C, D, F. Don&#8217;t think about it too much. Just go with your gut instinct and be honest &#8212; Don&#8217;t worry! No one will see this but you.</p>
<p><span id="more-5277"></span></p>
<p>Your <strong>Grade D and F clients</strong> are ones you should fire and transition elsewhere right away!</p>
<p>Your <strong>Grade C Clients</strong> are on the fence. If they can become Grade A or B clients with better training, keep them. If they really should have been Grade D or F clients but you were being nice, think about a staggered exit plan for these clients too.</p>
<p>Not look closely at your<strong> Grade A and B clients</strong>. These are your best clients &#8212; The clients you want a lot more of. All of your best clients have at least one thing in common (if not more) and you need to find out what it is: <em>Are they all men? Are they all the same age? Are they all moms? Do they all have the same problem? Are they in the same industry? Do they attend the same events?</em></p>
<p><strong>If you&#8217;re not sure what your Grade A and B clients have in common, ask them!</strong> Ask them what events they attend, who they look to for mentoring, what websites/blogs they frequent, what challenges they have, what they dream about, etc.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Once you have a clear picture of who your ideal client is, create a Client Persona for reference.</strong></h4>
<p>A Client Persona is a profile of a person who would be the perfect client for you. Start by giving them a name and find a stock photo online to represent them and make them real to you. Then describe in detail everything you now know about them (the more specific the better):</p>
<ul>
<li>List what they are passionate about, what is important to them, and what they cherish</li>
<li>List their hobbies, likes, dislikes, and pet peeves</li>
<li>List their demographic information</li>
<li>List their challenges, needs, and struggles</li>
<li>List the events they go to, the people they follow, the media they consume, etc.</li>
</ul>
<h4><strong>When you have completed your Client Persona, put it somewhere that is easy to see and reference.</strong></h4>
<p>Every time you work on marketing your business, writing blog posts, editing your website, filming a video, etc. do it with your Client Persona in mind. Tailor the content to speak directly to them and to address things that are important to them. <em>If you can do this, your ideal clients will &quot;click&quot; with your content, resonate with your message, and feel compelled to read more, contact you, or click that buy link.</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>How to Automatically Change the Copyright Date On Your WordPress Website</title>
		<link>http://www.bourncreative.com/how-to-automatically-change-the-copyright-date-on-your-wordpress-website</link>
		<comments>http://www.bourncreative.com/how-to-automatically-change-the-copyright-date-on-your-wordpress-website#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:30:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Bourn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging & Blog Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Design Tips & Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wordpress Tips & Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Copyright Date]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Footer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WordPress Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wordpress Website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bourncreative.com/?p=5273</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With 2012 officially off to a start, one thing to remember that many people forget to do at the beginning of a new year is to change the copyright date on their websites. WordPress sites can be built in various ways, so depending on how your site is built, there are a few ways that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/automatically-update-website-copyright-date.jpg" alt="Automatically Change the Copyright Date on Your WordPress Website" title="Automatically Change the Copyright Date on Your WordPress Website" width="250" height="194" class="alignright size-full wp-image-5274" />With 2012 officially off to a start, one thing to remember that many people forget to do at the beginning of a new year is to <strong>change the copyright date on their websites</strong>.</p>
<p>WordPress sites can be built in various ways, so depending on how your site is built, there are a few ways that copyright dates are handled.</p>
<p>If your website has the copyright date hard coded into WordPress theme files (most likely footer.php) you can replace the current year with <strong><?php echo date("Y"); ?></strong> and the copyright date will change to the current year and change again automatically next year.</p>
<p><em>Always remember to make a backup copy of your theme before making any changes to your theme files.</em></p>
<p><span id="more-5273"></span></p>
<p>If your website copyright information is in a text widget, you will have to change it manually, but at least this article will hopefully remind you to do so.</p>
<p>Finally, if you are in luck and use a quality WordPress framework like <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=346200&amp;u=550869&amp;m=28169&amp;urllink=&amp;afftrack=" target="_blank">Genesis by StudioPress</a> the dynamic footer copyright date will be built into your WordPress theme and your website will already be up to the latest date.</p>
<p>Changing your website copyright date is a simple task that is often overlooked, but important; so either set a reminder for the first of every year or add a simple bit of code and set the annual task on autopilot.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>An Upgrade and A Stand Against Hyped-Up Infoproducts That Don&#8217;t Deliver</title>
		<link>http://www.bourncreative.com/infoproducts-that-dont-deliver</link>
		<comments>http://www.bourncreative.com/infoproducts-that-dont-deliver#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:27:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jennifer Bourn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Brand Design & Brand Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business & Entrepreneurship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Email Marketing & List Building]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Tips & Marketing Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Design Tips & Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What's Up With Brian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What's Up With Jen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clarity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infoproducts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Information Products]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quick-Start-Guide]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bourncreative.com/?p=5263</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In our last ezine, we launched a new infoproduct and a new email newsletter template with a simplified design and layout &#8212; I LOVE the new template because it really focuses on getting our loyal subscribers awesome content in a way that is easy to read and digest. Brian and I are also working on [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Anatomy-of-An-Optin-Quick-Start-Guide.jpg" alt="Anatomy of An Opt-in Quick Start Guide" title="Finally Fix Your Opt-In So You Get More Hot Leads, More New Clients, &amp; More Money " width="250" height="344" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5267" />In our last ezine, we <strong>launched a new infoproduct</strong> and a <strong>new email newsletter template</strong> with a simplified design and layout &#8212; I LOVE the new template because it really focuses on getting our loyal subscribers awesome content in a way that is easy to read and digest.</p>
<p>Brian and I are also working on an <strong>upgrade to our own website design</strong> (we&#8217;re so excited), but we won&#8217;t be ready to debut that until later. We&#8217;re in the design facelift phase right now and, as you can imagine, we&#8217;re nitpicking everything from the menu and the flow of content, to the paths our visitors travel, and every pixel of spacing.</p>
<p><em>The new upgrade is already so good, I&#8217;m having some website shame of my own (unheard of, I know) in regards to this one!</em></p>
<p>Why upgrade the site? Well first <strong>we do it every 18 months to 2 years</strong> as we continue to learn. Second, <strong>we&#8217;ve gained immense clarity</strong> (I&#8217;m talking crystal clear) about our brand and we need refine things a bit.</p>
<p>Now, along with gaining complete clarity about the Bourn Creative brand and where we want to take it, I&#8217;ve gained clarity in other areas too!</p>
<h4>But My Clarity Lead to Infoproduct Irritation</h4>
<p><strong>This all came to a head while Brian and I were strategizing for 2012/2013.</strong></p>
<p><span id="more-5263"></span></p>
<p>You see, we were cleaning out my office and my office closet. At the same time and as we were making decisions, getting focused, and narrowing things down &#8211; I came across a bevy of information products. I found ebooks, binders, audio courses&#8230; and in debating on whether I should keep them or not, I had to ask myself &#8211; <em>&#8220;Did they really provide value worth holding onto?&#8221;</em></p>
<p>Unfortunatey (except for two) the answer was no. <strong>Most were over-hyped and didn&#8217;t deliver the goods.</strong></p>
<p>So Brian and I got to talking and I don&#8217;t know about you, but&#8230;</p>
<ul>
<li>I&#8217;m sick and tired of over-hyped information products promising to be the answer to all of your problems, and I am sick of them falling short big time.</li>
<li>I&#8217;m sick of products only delivering the what and the why and leaving out the how &#8212; the part you really need &#8212; just so they can sell you down the road!</li>
<li>I&#8217;m happy to have bought infoproducts that were awesome and provided value and saddened to see them lost in a see of bandwagon-ers who don&#8217;t compare.</li>
<li>I&#8217;m sick of downloading at 60 page ebook, only to find 30 pages of it is more selling, the authors history, and filler.</li>
<li>I&#8217;m sick of every product ending in the number 7 because at some point in product history, someone said 7 sells better.</li>
<li>I&#8217;m sick of the overpriced nature of the industry. Incredible authors spend years writing books that truly transform lives and business that sell for $14.95. Why should the ebook you created last week (I have to print myself) cost me $97? Don&#8217;t get me wrong &#8212; if you have a good reason, I&#8217;ll pay it happily and pay you what you&#8217;re worth &#8212; but most people just make up a number.</li>
</ul>
<p>I know tou need resources, tools, strategies, and information you can use right now. I know you&#8217;re sick of spending $47, $97, $127 or any other number ending in 7 to get a product that is half mediocre content and half filler. I know because I want the same thing.</p>
<h4>It&#8217;s time for a change and we&#8217;re taking a stand</h4>
<p>This year, In the spirit of <em>&#8220;be the change you want to see,&#8221;</em> we&#8217;ll be rolling out a series of quick-start guides and resources &#8212; without filler and fluff. </p>
<p>We are committed to bringing you the information you need to transform your business into an extraordinary brand and create a website that works when you&#8217;re not working &#8212; <em>and we&#8217;re committed to doing it with integrity</em>.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m excited to share with you that our first Guide: <em><strong>Anatomy of An Opt-In: A Quick Start Guide to Creating an Irresistible Opt-In Offer That Does More Than Build Your List</strong></em> was launched in our ezine last week!</p>
<p>This Quick Start Guide, in 17 focused, step-by-step, content-only pages, will walk you through how to <strong>finally fix your opt-in so you get more hot leads, more new clients, &#038; more money</strong> by covering:</p>
<ul>
<li>6 Basic Steps to A Successful Opt-In</li>
<li>10 Key Points to Remember About Your Opt-In</li>
<li>8 Components Of A Successful Opt-In Box</li>
<li>4 Things You Must Know When Creating Your Irresistible Free Offer</li>
<li>Create The Best Irresistible Free Offer For Your Niche in 5 Easy Steps</li>
<li>How to Use Your Free Opt-In Offer to Create More Clients and More Money in 4 Easy Steps</li>
</ul>
<p>Our subscribers have been snatching the Guide up like crazy &#8212; first because it&#8217;s awesome, and second because it&#8217;s only $5!</p>
<p>I won&#8217;t make any claims that it is going to completely transform your life, but I will tell you that the content is awesome and it will help you make your opt-in more effective.</p>
<p><strong><em>All of our Quick Start Guides will be launched through our ezine, and made available to our subscribers and community members for only $5. That&#8217;s the only place you can get them for now, and the only place you&#8217;ll ever get them for only $5!</em></strong>. With the debut of the new site, you&#8217;ll find the guides available everyone else for anywhere from $10-$20.</p>
<p>If you want access to our Quick Start Guides for only $5 &#8212; and you want to receive tips on WordPress, website marketing, and online branding, subscribe to our weekly ezine in the <strong>upper right-hand side of the page</strong> <em>(and get our basic SEO course for free)</em> &#8212; we publish every Saturday or Sunday (depends on our weekend plans).</p>
<p>Our next guide will be released in February!</p>
<p><em>I&#8217;d love to have you join our community!</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Success Story: Horizons Developmental Resource Center Custom WordPress Website</title>
		<link>http://www.bourncreative.com/success-story-horizons-developmental-resource-center-custom-wordpress-website</link>
		<comments>http://www.bourncreative.com/success-story-horizons-developmental-resource-center-custom-wordpress-website#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:43:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jennifer Bourn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bourn Creative Success Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Custom WordPress Theme]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FlowPlayer Pro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Genesis Framework]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horizons Developmental Resource Center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nicole Beurkens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[StudioPress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wordpress]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bourncreative.com/?p=5127</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nicole Beurkens, founder of Horizons Developmental Resource Center, hired Bourn Creative to create a more dynamic and user-friendly website for the practice. Her site www.horizonsdrc.com was already a WordPress site, so we were hired to design a new custom WordPress theme and reorganize the content and flow of the website. The home page of the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/043-HorizonsDRC.jpg" alt="Horizons Developmental Resource Center" title="Horizons Developmental Resource Center" width="600" height="342" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5131" /></p>
<p>Nicole Beurkens, founder of Horizons Developmental Resource Center, hired Bourn Creative to create a more dynamic and user-friendly website for the practice. Her site www.horizonsdrc.com was already a WordPress site, so we were hired to design a new custom WordPress theme and reorganize the content and flow of the website.</p>
<p><span id="more-5127"></span></p>
<p>The home page of the Horizons DRC website uses a custom template that incorporates five widget-ready content areas and below, three additional widgets above the footer for displaying content site-wide.</p>
<p>On the home page, the main featured area features the <strong>email marketing opt-in and a welcome video</strong> that uses the FlowPlayer Pro video player. This lets Horizons show videos on their website without any third-party branding (like the YouTube logo) and with a custom splash image.</p>
<p>On the interior pages that use standard WordPress page templates, we created a <strong>unique widget area above the primary sidebar</strong>, with it&#8217;s own design &#038; CSS to make the free email marketing opt-in offer (a video series) stand out and get noticed. We stripped out the vendor supplied styling in the email marketing opt-in code and created our own, complete with a custom submit button.</p>
<p>The <strong>custom WordPress theme</strong> we created also supports custom primary and secondary navigation bars with smooth drop-downs as an option.</p>
<p>Besides the custom programming and FlowPlayer Pro integration, the Horizons DRC site also got a more user-friendly navigation menu and a completely custom website design and visual makeover as part of their new WordPress theme built on the <strong>Genesis Framework by StudioPress</strong>.</p>
<p><a title="Horizons Developmental Resource Center" href="http://www.horizonsdrc.com" target="_blank">You can check out the site at: www.horizonsdrc.com/</a>.</p>
<h4>Here&#8217;s what Nicole Beurkens had to say about her experience working with Bourn Creative:<br />&nbsp;</h4>
<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="20" class="testimonial2">
<tr>
<td>
<h4 align="center">Working with Bourn Creative has been one of the best business decisions I have made.</h4>
<p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Nicole-Beurkens.jpg" alt="Nicole Beurkens" title="Nicole Beurkens" width="124" height="165" class="alignright size-full wp-image-5100" />&#8220;My name is Nicole Beurkens and I am a clinical psychologist specializing the evaluation and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, etc.) in children and adults.  I have a clinic, Horizons Developmental Resource Center, that serves clients throughout the United States and internationally using innovative research-based treatment approaches.</p>
<p>My company has had a website for a long time, but I was never completely happy with the appearance or function of the site.  I’ve had various people work on the site over the years, but all required a great deal of input and work on my end to generate ideas and keep the projects moving.  It has been a struggle to find someone who can address the backend technological aspects of the site, as well as the front-end appearance, branding, and usability.</p>
<p><strong>Working with Jennifer and Brian was such a positive contrast to my previous experiences with website designers!</strong>  From the very beginning of the project Jennifer saw my vision for the branding and aesthetics of the site, and created a design that was perfect from the first draft. Brian was able to make the website much more functional, and the training he provided once the site was done has been so beneficial to having my staff and I be able to manage site updates on our own. They have always been responsive to my questions and requests, and turned the site into something I am proud to show people.</p>
<p><strong>The video training and support after the project was completed has been excellent.</strong>  They have gone above and beyond to make sure that not only do we love the way our site looks, but understand how it functions and can make changes as needed day to day in our office.</p>
<p><strong>Working with Bourn Creative has been one of the best business decisions I have made.</strong>  They turned my company’s web presence into something that attracts prospective clients and portrays us in an inviting and professional light.</p>
<p>I highly encourage other business owners to use Bourn Creative for their website needs. <strong>They are efficient, effective, and create a final result that is heads above what other website companies can produce.</strong>&#8220;</p>
<p>— Nicole Beurkens, Horizons Developmental Resource Center, www.horizonsdrc.com</p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>4 Things You Must Know When Creating Your Irresistible Free Offer</title>
		<link>http://www.bourncreative.com/4-things-you-must-know-when-creating-your-irresistible-free-offer</link>
		<comments>http://www.bourncreative.com/4-things-you-must-know-when-creating-your-irresistible-free-offer#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:52:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jennifer Bourn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging & Blog Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Email Marketing & List Building]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Tips & Marketing Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Design Tips & Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ideal Client]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Irresistible Free Offer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opt-In]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Successful Website Opt-In Box]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Opt-In Box]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bourncreative.com/?p=5121</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Now that you know the 8 components of a successful website opt-in box, you have all the information you need to create an awesome opt-in box. But, even though your opt-in box has all the right pieces and works the right way &#8230; it may not actually work to build your list? What?! If your [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/irresistible-free-offer-value.jpg" alt="How to Create a Good List Building Irresistible Free Offer" title="How to Create a Good List Building Irresistible Free Offer" width="250" height="226" class="alignright size-full wp-image-5123" />Now that you know the <a title="8 Parts Of A Successful Website Opt-In Box" href="http://www.bourncreative.com/8-parts-of-a-successful-website-opt-in-box">8 components of a successful website opt-in box</a>, you have all the information you need to create an awesome opt-in box. But, even though your opt-in box has all the right pieces and works the right way &#8230; <em>it may not actually work to build your list?</em></p>
<p><strong>What?!</strong></p>
<p>If your free offer — <em>the thing you’re giving away for free in exchange for their name and email address</em> — isn&#8217;t what your visitors want or need, they won’t sign up and enter their name and email &#8230; even if your opt-in box is awesome!</p>
<p><span id="more-5121"></span></p>
<h4><strong>Here’s the first thing you need to know about your opt-in free offer:</strong></h4>
<p>Your free offer needs to be irresistible. It needs to be extraordinary. It needs to be incredible. It needs to be valuable. It needs to be amazing. It needs to be so good that your first instinct is to charge money for it, and that it hurts a little bit at first to give it away for free.</p>
<p>Why? Because it really isn&#8217;t free. You may not be asking for money, but you are asking for their email address, and in today‘s climate of overcrowded, bulging inboxes that pretty much never reach zero, <em>an email address can hold just as much value to your prospect as cash</em>.</p>
<h4><strong>So how do you know if your free offer will be irresistible to your prospects and ideal clients?</strong></h4>
<p>You’re in luck, because figuring this out isn&#8217;t as hard as it sounds. There are only three other things you must know before creating your opt-in free offer to ensure that it is irresistible to your ideal clients.</p>
<p><strong>1. You Must Know Who You Want On Your List</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>The first step to creating a successful free offer to use for your website opt-in box is to make sure you know exactly who you want to attract with your offer. Who is your ideal client? Who do you want to attract to your site? What type of person to you want to join your list so you can continue to market to them?</p>
<p>How do you know who your ideal client is? Your Ideal Client is some one who:</p>
<ul>
<li>Has problems and challenges you can easily fix and solve with your eyes closed</li>
<li>Sees you as a valuable necessity they treasure, instead of a necessary evil</li>
<li>Likes you, appreciates your hard work, and will tell their friends, peers, and contacts about you</li>
<li>Pays you what you&#8217;re worth and is happy to do so because you&#8217;re worth it</li>
</ul>
<p>By knowing who you want to attract with your free offer, you can tailor the development of your irresistible free offer (and the marketing for it) to speak right to them, making sure every bit of content is relevant, valuable, and useful.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>2. You Must Know What Your Ideal Client Struggles With</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>The number one reason consumers go online, search the web, or perform a search with a search engine is to solve a problem or fulfill a need. That means that new visitors to your site have a problem or a need and they are looking for a solution.</p>
<p>They need help. Will you be the one to provide a solution?</p>
<p>It is critical that you understand the top three biggest challenges, pains, struggles, and frustrations that your ideal clients have — They are at best, looking for a solution, and at worst, looking for help to make it better.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>3. You Must Know What Your Ideal Client Wants and/or Needs</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>To make your opt-in free offer irresistible to your ideal clients and ideal website visitors, it must provide something your ideal clients and visitors want and/or need  — something they are looking for.</p>
<p>It needs to address or solve at least one of their top three problems. That way, when they reach your site and see your opt-in, they will:</p>
<ul>
<li>Identify with the problem you mention — <em>&#8220;Oh my gosh! I have that problem.&#8221;</em></li>
<li>Know they are in the right place — <em>&#8220;It’s as if you are speaking right to me.&#8221;</em></li>
<li>Feel relief at finally finding help/a solution — <em>&#8220;Yay! I think this will help me, I should opt-in.&#8221;</em></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>If you know who you want to attract with your free offer, what they struggle with, and what they are looking for, you can craft the perfect irresistible free offer that will provide the solution they have been looking for (or at least a taste of it).</p>
<p><strong><em>Just make sure you make it so good, you really want to charge for it.</em></strong></p>
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		<title>4 Critical Keys to a Wildly Successful Website</title>
		<link>http://www.bourncreative.com/4-critical-keys-to-a-wildly-successful-website</link>
		<comments>http://www.bourncreative.com/4-critical-keys-to-a-wildly-successful-website#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:56:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jennifer Bourn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging & Blog Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Client Attraction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Design Tips & Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[being of service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[building websites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales conversion strategies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Successful Website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildly successful website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bourncreative.com/?p=5111</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At Bourn Creative we approach websites differently! And we want you to think about your website differently too &#8230; I challenge you to stop thinking about the pages and the pieces you need to include in your site and how they are all going to fit together. That’s the old way of building websites. Instead [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Successful-Website-Wireframe-Sketches.jpg" alt="Successful Website Wireframe Sketches" title="Successful Website Wireframe Sketches" width="242" height="408" class="alignright size-full wp-image-5116" />At Bourn Creative we approach websites differently! <em>And we want you to think about your website differently too &#8230;</em></p>
<p>I challenge you to stop thinking about the pages and the pieces you need to include in your site and how they are all going to fit together. <em>That’s the old way of building websites.</em></p>
<p><strong>Instead I want you to think about your site in a more strategic way.</strong></p>
<p>I know “being of service” to your clients and audience is important to you. I know you want to follow your passion, help others, and make a difference in the world. I know you want to change lives – and you can.</p>
<p>But I also know that to do all of those things, you also need to make money. As one of my premiere clients, <a title="Suzanne Evans" href="http://suzanneevans.org" target="_blank">Suzanne Evans</a> always says, <em>“Money  isn’t everything, but it touches everything that is.”</em></p>
<p><strong>This is why your website exists – to make money.</strong></p>
<p>But the key to a wildly successful website that works when you’re not working is a seamless blend of sales conversion strategies and being of service to your audience. When you can meld these two concepts into a website, you will get more clients, shorten your sales cycle, help more people, and make more money.</p>
<p><span id="more-5111"></span></p>
<p align="center"><strong>First, I want to you think about your website as having four different sections, each with a different purpose:</strong></p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Successful-Website-Know-Like-Trust-Conversion.jpg" alt="Successful Website - Know Like Trust Conversion" title="Successful Website - Know Like Trust Conversion" width="600" height="68" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5113" /></p>
<h4><strong>Section 1: Know </strong></h4>
<blockquote>
<p>This section of your website is dedicated to helping website visitors  get to know you and your business. The “Know” pages of your site are designed  to help people learn more about you and your background, what you do and how  you do it, who you serve and why, and what results you get.</p>
<p>These pages answer  all of the “What’s In It For Me?” questions your visitors have, and <em>include  your Home page, About page, Services page, Products page, Speaking page, and  Contact page</em>.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Section 2: Like</strong></h4>
<blockquote>
<p>This section of your website is dedicated to forging a connection with  your website visitors and building a relationship with them. The goal of the pages in this section is to help them learn more about you, form a connection  with you, and start to like you – and the key is to get personal and to provide  value! </p>
<p>These pages may offer glimpses into your personal life, showcase your  personality, and offer your opinions;<em> they include your About page, Media page, Portfolio page, and even a Photo Gallery</em>. These pages are also your &quot;education&quot; pages, where you teach your audience something, help  them, and provide real value; <em>they often include How-to Articles, Blog Posts, Tutorials, Resource Lists, and more</em>.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Section 3: Trust</strong></h4>
<blockquote>
<p>This section of your website is dedicated to building credibility, reliability, and trust by positioning yourself as an expert, providing value and quality content, and showing a history of proven results. </p>
<p>The goal of these pages is to make it a no-brainer to hire you, buy from you, or join your list because they trust you and believe in you. <em>They include your Testimonials page, Portfolio page, Blog Posts, Media Page, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer pages, As Seen On page, and Affiliate page.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Section 4: Money/Conversion</strong></h4>
<blockquote>
<p>This section of your website is dedicated to getting your visitors to take a specific action – to click, register, enroll, sign up, buy, subscribe, download, opt-in, call, email, contact, submit, get instant access, join, or purchase. </p>
<p>The goal of these pages is to convert a new visitor into a client, customer, or subscriber that you can continue to market to, sell to, and work  with in the future. <em>They include your opt-in box/area, Sales pages, Landing pages, Squeeze pages, Contact page, Teleseminar/webinar registration pages, Free Offer pages, and Product pages.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>By applying the “know, like, and trust factor” to your website – and adding in the crucial step of conversion,</strong> you’re naturally leading your website visitors to the action you want them to take without icky in-your-face marketing tactics, ugly and cheap-looking blinking arrows, and giant, obnoxious call-to-action buttons.</p>
<p>With this approach the natural flow of your website is crafted specifically to help your ideal clients self-select themselves right into your products, programs, and services without ever having to “sell” them.</p>
<p>As a result, your phone rings and your inbox is full of requests from new clients ready to get started and pay you what you’re worth &#8230; and nothing feels better than that!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Anatomy Of An Opt-In: 8 Parts Of A Successful Website Opt-In Box</title>
		<link>http://www.bourncreative.com/8-parts-of-a-successful-website-opt-in-box</link>
		<comments>http://www.bourncreative.com/8-parts-of-a-successful-website-opt-in-box#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:00:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jennifer Bourn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging & Blog Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Email Marketing & List Building]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Tips & Marketing Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Design Tips & Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opt-In Box]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Successful Website Opt-In Box]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Opt-In Box]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bourncreative.com/?p=5103</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let&#8217;s talk about your website opt-in box visitors will see when they come to your website, and the eight key parts of an opt-in box that ensure maximum success (and conversions). In the example to the right, all eight components of a successful opt-in are used to create an irresistible offer for a free video [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Kendall-SummerHawk-Sample-OptIn.jpg" alt="Kendall SummerHawk Sample OptIn" title="Kendall SummerHawk Sample OptIn" width="250" height="377" class="alignright size-full wp-image-5104" />Let&#8217;s talk about your <strong>website opt-in box</strong> visitors will see when they come to your website, and the <strong>eight key parts of an opt-in box</strong> that ensure maximum success (and conversions).</p>
<p>In the example to the right, all eight components of a successful opt-in are used to create an irresistible offer for a free video series.</p>
<p><strong>If you already have a website opt-in box,</strong> use this checklist to confirm that you have implemented each item listed and aren’t missing one key component that could increase your conversion rate.</p>
<p><strong>If you’re in the process of planning or creating a new website,</strong> use this checklist to ensure your designer includes all eight elements in your website opt-in box so you can build your list effectively.</p>
<p><strong>Here are the 8 components of of a successful website opt-in box:</strong></p>
<p><span id="more-5103"></span></p>
<h4>1.  Attention-Getting, Compelling Headline</h4>
<blockquote><p>The headline must instantly catch your visitors’ attention and peak their interest. Make sure the opt-in headline stands out visually by making it bigger, bolder, a different color, or a different typeface.  The headline also must be relevant to what your visitors are searching for by addressing or solving a key problem, challenge, or need your visitor is struggling with.</p>
<p>When writing your opt-in headline, use “exact match” keywords and/or key phrases wherever possible. When a new visitor lands on your site, the first thing they ask is, “Am I in the right place?” and you want their answer to be YES! Visitors will connect with your site more quickly, recognize they are in the right place, and stay longer on your website if they immediately see they keywords and phrases they were searching for in your headline.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>2.  Eye-Catching Photo Or Graphic Image</h4>
<blockquote><p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Deborah-genovesi-sample-website-opt-in-box.jpg" alt="Deborah Genovesi Sample Website Opt-in Box" title="Deborah Genovesi Sample Website Opt-in Box" width="250" height="224" class="alignright size-full wp-image-5107" />People do judge a book by its cover and a product by its packaging. Also true, is the saying: A picture is worth a thousand words. Just as a physical product’s packaging or book design needs to make you want to pick it up and buy it, your ebook, special report, digital product, or information product needs to have a compelling and appealing cover design or packaging design – even when you’re selling it or offering it online.</p>
<p>In a store you can pick up a product and check it out in detail. When it comes to selling a book or a product online,<br />
you want them to have as close to the same experience as possible. By offering a 3D book cover or report cover, 3D audio CD or video DVD, or other 3D product design, you are not only adding interest, you are simulating a tangible feel for your information product.</p>
<p>The key to information marketing success and information product sales is solving a problem, building trust, and delivering a valuable solution. To accelerate the sales and marketing process, and translate the value associated with a tangible product to a digital product or information product, you need to make a great first impression with a custom 3D graphic.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>3.  Brief Copy (Text) About Offer Benefits</h4>
<blockquote><p>There isn’t a lot of space in your opt-in box for long sentences and drawn our descriptions — but there is room for a short, brief, right to the point benefits statement. Don’t list boring features like the number of pages in your ebook, or the length of your audio recording. Instead tell your visitor how your gift will change their business, their life, or both for the better. They want to know in as few words as possible, What’s in it for me? Why should I care? and How will this help me?</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>4.  Use The Word “Free”</h4>
<blockquote><p>Don’t forget to use the word FREE in your opt-in box. You’ve hopefully got an incredible gift to give your website visitor and you need to know that you’re giving it to them for free! Don’t use words like no-cost, zero-investment, complimentary — just cut to the chase and say free. The words is understood by everyone, it is easy recognizable, and people just can’t resist free!</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>5.  Tell Audience What To Do Next</h4>
<blockquote><p>If your visitors have to guess what to do next, or even think about it, you may have already lost their opt-in. It may sound silly because you assume by now everyone would know what to do when they see two boxes labeled Name and Email, but they don’t. Tell your visitors exactly what you want them to do next. Tell them to put their name and email in the boxes below to get instant access to your gift.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>6.  Opt-In With Name And Email Fields</h4>
<blockquote><p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Joy-Chudacoff-Smaple-Website-Opt-In-Box.jpg" alt="Joy Chudacoff Sample Website Opt-In Box" title="Joy Chudacoff Sample Website Opt-In Box" width="250" height="361" class="alignright size-full wp-image-5108" />The actual opt-in to capture your new leads is the cornerstone of the entire opt-in box. These fields are the key to building your marketing list with new names and email addresses. Keep in mind that the more information you ask for, the fewer sign ups you will receive. Don’t scare people off by asking for every bit of contact information they have! </p>
<p>Ask for the absolute minimum amount of information to get new visitors onto your list, then focus on keeping them on your list with great content and value. Then when you have established trust, you can always offer more awesome free gifts and ask for additional information in that opt-in.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>7.  A Clear Call To Action Button</h4>
<blockquote><p>When you create your opt-in code with your email marketing provider, it will include the lead capture fields (Name, Email, etc.), and the “Submit” button. You can copy and paste this code right into your website and use it as is, but unfortunately most of those Submit buttons are boring, dull, and ugly.</p>
<p>A small, grey, lackluster Submit button doesn’t compel your visitor to take action in any way! Instead customize your Submit button. Make it a bold color, and give it some added visual interest with some bling, a gradient, or a shadow, and replace the blah “Submit” text with a compelling call to action like Sign Me Up, Send My Free Gift, or Get Instant Access.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>8.  Add a Short Privacy Policy</h4>
<blockquote><p>Including a short privacy statement at the bottom of your opt-in shows your visitors that you respect them, their inbox, and their privacy. Promise them that you hate spam just as much as they do and that you won’t share their information with anyone else. Make them feel safe and secure with you.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Often people know all the best practices and all of the components that make up a successful website opt-in box, but they don’t follow them or use them because it takes more work.</strong></p>
<p>If you take the time to use each of these eight items in your website opt-in, you’ll already be heads and tails ahead of the competition in converting visitors into subscribers and leads and all you’ll have to worry about is delivering an incredible free gift.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>74 Ideas to Market Your Website and Get More Website Visitors</title>
		<link>http://www.bourncreative.com/74-ideas-to-market-your-website</link>
		<comments>http://www.bourncreative.com/74-ideas-to-market-your-website#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:21:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jennifer Bourn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging & Blog Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Tips & Marketing Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Design Tips & Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Market Your Website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Strategies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Your Website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[More Website Visitors]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bourncreative.com/?p=5093</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Once your website is complete, it&#8217;s time to focus on marketing your website and getting people to your site. After all, they can&#8217;t opt-in to your list, download your free offer, sign up for your free teleclass, register for your event, contact you, or buy from you if they never get to your website in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.bourncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/website-marketing-ideas.jpg" alt="Website Marketing Ideas" title="Website Marketing Ideas" width="372" height="210" class="alignright size-full wp-image-5096" /><strong>Once your website is complete, it&#8217;s time to focus on marketing your website and getting people to your site</strong>.</p>
<p>After all, they can&#8217;t opt-in to your list, download your free offer, sign up for your free teleclass, register for your event, contact you, or buy from you if they never get to your website in the first place!</p>
<p><strong>The old way of thinking, &#8220;If you build it, they will come.&#8221; Simply isn&#8217;t true.</strong></p>
<p>There is so much competition on the internet these days that there are literally millions of other websites, opportunities, and distractions available that you have to complete with. If you just sit back and wait for people to find your website, you may be waiting a very, very long time.</p>
<p>Instead, your responsibility as a website owner and business owner is to get the word out there and market the heck out of your website and business so those people who are looking for and need what you&#8217;re offering can find you.</p>
<p>If you don&#8217;t like to market, you don&#8217;t want to promote yourself, or you&#8217;re hesitant to get you name out there in a big way, think of it this way – if you don&#8217;t you&#8217;re actually hurting and stealing from other people. In a way, you&#8217;re robbing them of the opportunity to get to know you, to learn what you do, and to get the help and solutions they have been looking for. </p>
<p><span id="more-5093"></span></p>
<h3>With that in mind, here&#8217;s a list of all kinds of things you can do to market your website and get the word out about your business:</h3>
<ol>
<li>Attend networking events</li>
<li>Join the board/leadership for a networking group</li>
<li>Start a new networking group</li>
<li>Host a seminar, workshop, or event</li>
<li>Referrals from past and current clients</li>
<li>Speak at events for leads</li>
<li>Referrals from centers of influence</li>
<li>Speak at events for free and sell from the stage</li>
<li>Build relationships with centers of influence</li>
<li>Speak for a fee</li>
<li>Host a teleclass or telesummit</li>
<li>Sponsor events and have a booth</li>
<li>Be a guest on a teleclass or telesummit</li>
<li>Publish content regularly to your own blog</li>
<li>Host a webinar or video training</li>
<li>Make your blog available on the Kindle</li>
<li>Be a guest on a webinar or video training</li>
<li>Publish guest blog posts on other blogs</li>
<li>Send targeted press releases to media</li>
<li>Link and/or ad exchange with another blog</li>
<li>Leverage online press release distribution</li>
<li>Comment on other blogs of influence</li>
<li>Respond to HARO requests</li>
<li>Create a Smart Phone app for your site/blog</li>
<li>Leave testimonials on other sites</li>
<li>Start a podcast and publish on iTunes</li>
<li>Participate in Joint Ventures</li>
<li>Create strategic partnerships</li>
<li>Join boards with other centers of influence</li>
<li>Volunteer and get involved in your community</li>
<li>Participate in online forums</li>
<li>Publish a print newsletter</li>
<li>Article submission to online directories</li>
<li>Publish an online or email newsletter</li>
<li>Article submission to print publications</li>
<li>Host a contest or giveaway</li>
<li>Consistently improve your website</li>
<li>Add new, valuable resources to your site often</li>
<li>Send direct mail to your list</li>
<li>Publish videos on YouTube and other video sites</li>
<li>Send direct mail to a purchased list</li>
<li>Get listed in trade/industry directories</li>
<li>Send a warm letter or referral letter</li>
<li>Serve as expert faculty for a group/association</li>
<li>Be a guest on BlogTalk radio shows</li>
<li>Optimize your website and content</li>
<li>Be a local or national radio show guest</li>
<li>Print brochures and display at partner businesses</li>
<li>Be a local or national TV show guest</li>
<li>Distribute and/or mail flyers</li>
<li>Host an internet TV show</li>
<li>Write and book and get published</li>
<li>Create and market an affiliate program</li>
<li>Write and self publish your own book</li>
<li>Wear branded t-shirts with your URL</li>
<li>Give away branded t-shirts with your URL</li>
<li>Advertise on Radio and Television</li>
<li>Advertise in print publications</li>
<li>Advertise with swag in event goody bags</li>
<li>Advertise with Google AdWords</li>
<li>Advertise on Craigslist and classified sites</li>
<li>Advertise with Google Image/Banner ads</li>
<li>Advertise on authority website</li>
<li>Advertise with Facebook ads</li>
<li>Create an active network on Facebook</li>
<li>Create an active network on Twitter</li>
<li>Create an active network on LinkedIn</li>
<li>Create an active network on YouTube</li>
<li>Participate in LinkedIn Groups/Discussions</li>
<li>Create an active network on Google+</li>
<li>Answer LinkedIn Questions</li>
<li>Write and share case studies and success stories</li>
<li>Apply for awards and industry recognition</li>
<li>Get featured as a case study or success story</li>
</ol>
<p>While this list is pretty extensive, this isn&#8217;t nearly all of the different ways you can market your website and get your name out there. All you need to do is get thinking, get creative, and get moving!</p>
<p><strong>Just Remember: DO NOT try to implement a whole bunch of the marketing strategies listed above at the same time – that&#8217;s a recipe for overwhelm and burnout!</strong></p>
<p>Instead pick one or two you know you can commit to and get started. Give yourself time to find your groove, get comfortable with the skills, and make them a habit. Then add another marketing strategy, find your groove, get comfortable, make it a habit, and repeat.</p>
<p>Marketing isn&#8217;t a single event, it&#8217;s an ongoing process. It&#8217;s not a sprint, it&#8217;s a marathon. You&#8217;ve got to get started and keep going. So if you need to, start small and take baby steps – <em><strong>you can always add more marketing strategies to the mix later</strong></em>.</p>
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		<title>Success Story: Logo Design and WordPress Web Design for Lisa Rickwood</title>
		<link>http://www.bourncreative.com/success-story-lisa-rickwood</link>
		<comments>http://www.bourncreative.com/success-story-lisa-rickwood#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jennifer Bourn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bourn Creative Success Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Custom WordPress Websites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lisa Rickwood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Logo Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Success Story]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WordPress Website Design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bourncreative.com/?p=4301</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When Virtual Assistant Lisa Rickwood and I met at an Ali Brown&#8217;s Shine Event in 2009, we knew we were going to work together on her new website! When the time came, Lisa&#8217;s business focus had shifted and not only was she ready for a new custom WordPress website, she was ready for a rebrand. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>When Virtual Assistant Lisa Rickwood and I met at an Ali Brown&#8217;s Shine Event in 2009</strong>, we knew we were going to work together on her new website! When the time came, Lisa&#8217;s business focus had shifted and not only was she ready for a new custom WordPress website, she was ready for a rebrand.</p>
<p><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Success-Lisa-Rickwood.jpg" alt="Lisa Rickwood WordPress Website Design" title="Lisa Rickwood WordPress Website Design" width="595" height="339" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4322" /></p>
<p>Due to the <strong>brand equity and brand recognition</strong> Lisa had already built around her business, she was keeping her business name the same but shifting the focus from pure Virtual Assistance to Business Stress Relief and Relaxation consulting with a focus on creativity and art. This shift would allow Lisa to meld her artistic talents with her business!</p>
<p><span id="more-4301"></span></p>
<p><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Success-Lisa-Rickwood-2.jpg" alt="Lisa Rickwood Brand Design and Information Product Design" title="Lisa Rickwood Brand Design" width="300" height="171" class="alignright size-full wp-image-4321" />Bourn Creative created a completely new look and feel for Escape The Pace, including a new logo, color palette, and typography, which we pulled through to a full stationery package.</p>
<p>When the brand redesign was complete, we got started on designing a custom WordPress theme for Escape The Pace and the 3D information product graphics for her new irresistible free offer that will help her build her list.</p>
<p>I love the green and turquoise color palette of Lisa&#8217;s new brand. It really pops on the white page and makes the headlines and subheadlines easy to read.</p>
<h4>Here&#8217;s what Lisa Rickwood of Escape The Pace had to say about working with Bourn Creative on her logo design and WordPress website design projects:<br />&nbsp;</h4>
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<h4 align="center">&#8220;I instantly knew I made the right decision!&#8221;</h4>
<p><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/LisaRickwood.jpg" alt="Lisa Rickwood of Escape The Pace" title="Lisa Rickwood of Escape The Pace" width="124" height="165" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4258" />&#8220;When I hired Brian and Jennifer Bourn to create my new website, I instantly knew I made the right decision!</p>
<p>Their combined experience of: marketing, graphic design, social media, Internet, programming, and technical skills make them an amazing team. What made this whole process easier is that all I had to do was share my ideas and fill out their simple intake form &#8211; and then they did all the work. I didn’t have to struggle through pages of web designing. It was such a relief to hand over this huge project to them.</p>
<p>I recommend Bourn Creative to anyone who’s looking to update or create a new website, image or brand. Not only will you get a great product, you’ll get amazing service!&#8221;</p>
<p>— Lisa Rickwood, BFA, CPCC | www.escapethepace.com</p>
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