2024-04-23 17:23
When I was in my twenties, I bought my first house. My husband and I scrimped and saved and were ready for our big investment – or so we thought. There were so many costs involved with… Read More
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Janet Barclay's Blog
janetbarclay.com
Website and online marketing strategies along with Janet's thoughts about business and life.
2024-04-02 15:11
Have you heard of Bill Porter? I hadn’t, until I watched the made-for-TV movie, Door to Door.
Despite having cerebral palsy, which affected both his mob… Read More
2024-03-05 16:14
When you first go into business for yourself, money’s usually pretty tight. You pay for your business expenses and your personal expenses, and if y… Read More
2024-02-20 16:01
Do you remember how excited you were when you launched your website? Do you still feel the same way about it?
I bet you don’t, especially if it was more than three years ago. Design tr… Read More
2024-01-15 18:17
We’re already a couple of weeks into the new year – how’s it going so far? Have you kept all your New Year’s Resolutions?
Even if you don’t make resolutions, se… Read More
2023-12-18 17:57
Thank you for reading my blogs and newsletters!
In between spending time with family and friends over the holidays, I’ll be doing a year-end review and will share my findings with you… Read More
2023-11-06 16:59
Tea has been part of my daily life for many years. It’s more than just a hot beverage – exploring different flavours and brands of tea is a fun and rewarding hobby.
Earlier this… Read More
2023-10-16 16:45
Now that you’ve read my last few posts about keyword research, if you’ve done your homework, you may be staring at your list of keywords and asking “Now what?” My fin… Read More
2023-09-20 17:33
My last post, Keyword Research: Getting Started, outlined the process for creating a list of keywords and phrases that might be used by people searching for what you offer on your website.
I… Read More
2023-08-25 11:33
In order to attract search engine traffic, you need to discover the words and phrases that your target audience uses when searching for the information, product, or service you offer. This p… Read More
2023-07-25 17:39
If the primary goal of your website is to attract search engine traffic, it’s essential to know what words your audience uses to search for your content.
Using these search terms in yo… Read More
2023-06-16 14:10
You might assume that I’m a Website Caregiver because I love technology, and you would be correct.
Many people whose jobs involve a lot of computer use are all too happy to set it asid… Read More
2023-05-30 10:32
Are you considering a new website? How exciting!
Although you’re probably anxious to get your site up and running, there are a few decisions you need to make first. I talk about some o… Read More
2023-04-12 11:31
When potential clients contact me about creating a new WordPress site, they usually ask at least one of these questions:
How much will it cost?
How long will it take?
In this post I&rsq&hell…Read More
2023-03-17 17:28
According to Paul Cassarly’s article, Why Introverts Make Better Solopreneurs, more than half of the world’s freelancers and solopreneurs are introverts.
But even when we’r… Read More
2023-02-14 16:28
I’ve been working with WordPress for over 10 years and has it ever changed!
Once a simple blogging platform, WordPress is now so powerful and flexible that it’s been chosen for 4… Read More
2023-01-01 20:29
I’ve been thinking a lot about the past year, what went well and what didn’t, and how I’d like the next 12 months to look. If you’re going through the same process, I… Read More
2022-12-19 12:49
Every year it seems to get harder and harder to say the right thing.
Is it okay to say Merry Christmas?
Is it better to say Season’s Greetings… Read More
2022-11-29 16:56
If you have an email address, you probably receive spam.
If your email address appears on a website, you probably receive lots of spam.
Even if you’ve put a form instead of your email… Read More
2022-10-26 20:23
Lately I’ve noticed that some of my activities encompass two or more of my interests. Since I tend to be task-oriented, I appreciate being able to tick… Read More
2022-09-26 13:10
As a WordPress consultant, I'm often asked about my favourite plugins. I usually decline to answer, because it's best to source a plugin that meets one of y… Read More
2022-08-11 18:15
Business is often slow during the summer, making it the ideal time for small business owners to work on their website and other marketing activities.
This summer has been different than most… Read More
2022-07-21 12:00
You’ve created an awesome online course, and you know it will have a huge impact on people’s lives, if they’d only sign up!
Although you’re probably great at explaini… Read More
2022-07-14 06:54
When I was a regular contributor to Introvert Retreat, I’d often do a Google search on ‘introvert’ to see if I could find something to blog about. One day my search led me… Read More
2022-06-25 12:33
It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that I launched my business twenty years ago today. It doesn’t seem very long ago that I wrote What I’ve Learned in my First 10 Ye… Read More
2022-06-16 15:43
As a blogger and web designer, I’m always looking for ways to make the process of resizing photos less labour-intensive for myself and my clients. So… Read More
2022-05-24 12:13
During recent meetings with some of my clients, I discovered that nearly everyone wants to know more about search engine optimization.
There’s a ton of information out there, but most… Read More
2022-04-22 15:12
If you’re facing a lot of start-up costs, you might be thinking about creating your own website rather than hiring a designer or developer. Before you make that decision, I encourage y… Read More
2022-04-09 18:07
As a matched Big Sister for many years, I once answered a few questions from someone who was interested in becoming a Big Sister. In case you’re also considering this volunteer ro… Read More
2022-03-24 14:59
As a website caregiver, I’m often asked to take over a site created by my client or their previous service provider. In both cases, I’ve found a lot of mistakes which could easil… Read More
2022-03-15 13:26
After two years, it seems that our days of dealing with lockdowns, masks, and vaccination passports are finally reaching an end.
As celebration-worthy as this is, it’s hard not to feel… Read More
2022-02-11 13:13
When you have a website, there’s always something that needs to be done. You may not have a solid chunk of time to devote to website tasks, but that’s no reason to just let thing… Read More
2022-02-05 07:12
Many people, when introduced to the concept of introversion, automatically think of “shyness.” Although it’s true that many introverts are shy, not all introverts are shy… Read More
2022-01-20 12:53
It’s always an honour to be mentioned in someone else’s blog, and it’s one that I received three times last month.
My Thoughts on Life Balance
First, Linda Samuels of Oh! S… Read More
2022-01-06 13:00
Wasn’t it exciting to have the world open up for a while, allowing many gatherings that weren’t possible for most of 2020? I especially enjoyed overnight sister visits, attending… Read More
2021-12-02 12:48
With the end of the year in sight, you’re probably starting to think about your goals for 2022. Me too! But first, we need to see how we made out this year. In this post, I walk t… Read More
2021-10-21 12:17
Have you ever shopped online for a course or a carpet cleaner and got frustrated when you couldn’t make a decision?
All their sites may look professional, they all seem to offer the sa… Read More
2021-09-30 10:00
Today is the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, established to honour survivors of the residential school system, their families and communities.
“The residential school… Read More
2021-08-25 12:00
As a consultant or coach, you naturally want to help people. You can’t help everyone though! There’s only so much of you to go around – and not everyone can pay your fees… Read More
2021-08-19 19:51
I’m often struck by unexpected similarities between the books I choose to read. One year I read several novels and a magazine article that were all involved mining. It wasn’t as… Read More
2021-07-29 11:25
Using a web hosting service is a lot like being in a relationship.
Things usually start out great. You might have bad days sometimes, but if the issues aren’t too serious, you can work… Read More
2021-05-27 11:45
In the excitement of planning the content and design for your website, it might be easy to think choosing a hosting service is a minor decision. It’s not. Your hosting service is your… Read More
2021-04-29 12:00
Are you excited about creating your first website? You should be!
With all the great website building tools out there, you may be tempted to jump in with both feet. Please don’t.
Take… Read More
2021-03-25 11:52
One of the best things about WordPress is its flexibility. Thanks to thousands of plugins, you can add just about any function to your website that you can imagine, without needing to write… Read More
2021-02-25 12:48
Remember when you logged into your WordPress site to make a quick change and a bunch of plugin updates were available?
You didn’t have time to deal with them, so you just did what you… Read More
2021-01-28 13:00
Did you know that 40% of people abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load? Just like Jerry Seinfeld and his friends at the Chinese restaurant, if they can’t get what the… Read More
2020-11-15 16:45
If you follow me on Goodreads, you've probably seen at least a few of my book reviews, and you may even know that I'm several books ahead of schedule on my 2020… Read More
2020-11-05 12:40
Media coverage is an excellent way to get your name in front of potential clients without investing in expensive advertising. Having your business mentioned on the air, in print, or onl… Read More
2020-10-08 11:53
Next in my series about the key pages of your website, we’ll be looking at the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
Read on to learn why it’s important, find out what you shoul… Read More
2020-09-17 11:58
In my last post, I explained how testimonials and reviews on your website tell potential clients how great you are at what you do.
How about taking it a step further and showing them the res… Read More
2020-08-13 12:05
Displaying testimonials and reviews on your website reassures visitors that your business is the real deal, making them more likely to reach out to you. I’ve already suggested str… Read More
2020-07-16 12:13
Whether ecommerce is your primary business or you’re selling products to supplement your professional fees, for your venture to be successful, your products page must make it easy for… Read More
2020-06-18 12:17
It goes without saying that if you offer services, you need to put them on your website.
What may be less obvious is that a simple list of services on your home page, or even on a dedicated… Read More
2020-05-28 12:30
The response to my current blog series has been amazing, and it warms my heart to know I’m helping so many of you improve your websites.
Although today’s topic might not be as ex… Read More
2020-05-14 12:01
Blogging may not be for everyone, but you can’t dispute the benefits that a blog brings to your website and your business.
Millions of blog posts have been published offering tips on w… Read More
2020-04-23 12:26
In this third post in my series about the key pages of your website, I’ll be discussing the contact page. In case you missed them, the previous posts were:
Is your website giving you s… Read More
2020-04-09 12:13
Welcome to the second post in my series about the key pages of your website!
If you missed the first post, I encourage you go back and read Is your website giving you strong results? Creatin… Read More
2020-03-20 12:30
You know the important role of a website in growing a profitable business. But is your website doing its job?
Is it presenting the best first impression of you and your brand?
Does… Read More
2020-02-18 13:01
I’ve been hosting the Productivity & Organizing Blog Carnival (formerly Professional Organizers Blog Carnival) on Your Organizing Business every month since June 2009. This month… Read More
2020-02-06 13:23
Good communication is the key to all successful relationships, including the one between you and your web designer. When things don’t go as planned, it can nearly always be attributed… Read More
2020-01-16 13:31
When you launched your blog, did you develop a plan first, or did you just dive in?
Although it may be easier just to start writing, you need to decide on a number of factors, including the… Read More
2020-01-01 15:57
I haven’t blogged about my photography hobby since the end of 2017, so I’ll start by bringing you up to date.
I participated in 52Frames throughout 2018, but skipped a couple of… Read More
2019-12-31 16:30
One of my favorite year-end activities is looking back at the books I’ve read over the past 12 months, and Goodreads makes this pretty easy.
I wanted to t… Read More
2019-12-12 12:52
With the new year less than three weeks away, it’s time to reflect on your successes and failures from 2019 and set new goals for 2020!
A couple of years ago I learned about YearCompas… Read More
2019-11-28 13:00
Today, I’m going to talk about one of the most important steps in creating content, which is writing a strong Call to Action.
And when I say “talk about” I mean that litera… Read More
2019-10-17 13:30
Do you find it difficult to toot your own horn?
I didn’t think I did, but I’ve been promising a “recent project showcase” to my newsletter subscribers for a couple of… Read More
2019-09-19 11:44
If we’re connected on social media, you’ve probably noticed that I’m an avid photographer.
A big part of digital photography takes place in the editing process, after the i… Read More
2019-08-29 11:48
Since I became Care Plans Certified and introduced my Website Care Plans, dozens of smart business owners have chosen me as their Website Manager.
Not one of them has to worry about things l… Read More
2019-08-01 12:22
People become self-employed for many different reasons. Sometimes it’s by choice, because they want a more flexible schedule, for example. Sometimes it’s out of necessity, becaus… Read More
2019-07-25 12:06
Background
The Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group was established in 2008 to facilitate face-to-face networking in an industry that works primarily online. As Founder and Director, my… Read More
2019-06-27 12:07
If you follow me on Twitter or read my latest newsletter, you already know that my favorite session at WordCamp Hamilton 2019 was SEO is Evolving Faster Than Ever. How to survive and take ad… Read More
2019-05-30 12:35
Broken links are bad. I don’t think anyone will argue with that!
In this post, I explain WHY broken links are a problem, HOW to track them down, and WHAT to do with them when you do.
W… Read More
2019-05-16 12:04
I blogged about some of my favorite visual marketing tools back in March 2015 and November 2015, but since then a lot of new apps have been developed to help us create appealing graphics.
Ea… Read More
2019-04-25 12:16
Blogging is a great way to drive traffic to your website, demonstrate your expertise, and grow a following for your business. It can be a lot of work though, so you may be wondering how ofte… Read More
![What’s Your WordPress Personality? [quiz]](https://cdn.blogarama.com/images/posts_thumbs_site_id/1420/142005-3174379003.w320.jpg "What’s Your WordPress Personality? [quiz]")
2019-04-11 12:24
Did you know that approximately one-third of the internet is powered by WordPress? That makes it the most popular software in the world for building websites! It also means there’… Read More
2019-03-28 12:31
A lot of people don’t like social media because it’s so hard to separate business from personal. Some create multiple accounts for that very reason.
I really don’t mind tha… Read More
2019-03-14 12:36
Because a website is primarily visual, many business owners consider design to be the top priority, but it shouldn’t be. An attractive website may be eye-catching, but if your message… Read More
2019-02-28 13:33
Blogging was pretty easy when I started in 2006. An idea would pop into my head, I’d log into my blog, type something, and maybe add a photo or some clipart. Yes, clipart! It seems cra… Read More
2019-02-17 18:13
My sister recently wrote a blog post with the title “25 Random Things About Me.” It began:
A friend recently sent me a “Memory” of hers that popped up on Facebook. It… Read More
2019-02-14 13:35
One of the biggest compliments a web designer can receive is to have the owner of a site they’ve created return for a redesign a few years later.
Background
Basic Organization was esta… Read More
![An Easy New Way To Create Blog And Social Media Graphics [app Review]](https://cdn.blogarama.com/images/posts_thumbs_site_id/1420/142005-2773239552.w320.jpg "An Easy New Way To Create Blog And Social Media Graphics [app Review]")
2019-01-31 13:28
A lot of people ask me to link to their article or review their product on my blog. Most of their emails end up in the trash, but occasionally one piques my interest.
Not long ago, I receive… Read More
2018-12-29 18:57
It’s been a rough year personally, but my best year ever for my web design business, and a truly amazing year for reading. I’ve been looking forward to writing this post for mont… Read More
2018-12-13 13:50
With 2018 drawing to an close, you’ve likely been thinking ahead to next year. But before you begin developing your marketing plan for 2019, let’s pause to review and celebrate t… Read More
2018-11-29 13:41
Are you spending too much time on blogging activities?
Has it been months since you updated your blog due to time restraints?
Have you avoided starting a blog because you can’t figure… Read More
2018-11-08 13:45
As a business owner, you’re probably concerned with driving traffic to your website. That’s good — you should be!
But it doesn’t stop there.
Having new people di… Read More
2018-10-28 17:42
Although it’s been a pretty rough year for me, a lot of good stuff has happened too, especially in my reading life. After already enjoying tons of wonderful books (which I’ll tal… Read More
2018-10-25 12:45
I’ve been on Twitter for over 10 years, and wow – has it gone through a lot of changes!
In early days, you were limited to 140 characters, including links, so you had to be creat… Read More
2018-10-11 12:26
After you generate traffic to your website, you need potential clients to learn about your products and services and discover your areas of expertise. It’s therefore essential to lead… Read More
2018-09-27 12:14
The time is long past when you could just post an article on your website and hope to hold readers’ attention. These days, people expect to see big bold beautiful images – and lo… Read More
2018-09-13 12:19
You’ve launched your website and developed some great content for it. Now it’s time to generate traffic!
But not just any traffic – the best website traffic is targete… Read More
2018-08-30 12:44
Running your own business is exciting, isn’t it?
If you’re like a lot of people, one of the things that makes it so appealing is that you can do things your way instead of follow… Read More
2018-08-02 11:55
How many hours have you spent developing content? Probably more than you care to think about!
If you’ve been marketing online for a while, I bet you’ve created enough blog posts… Read More
2018-06-28 12:41
Many of my clients come to me for help because they lack either the technical skills or the time required to create or maintain a website or a blog. Whether you handle these tasks yourself… Read More
2018-06-13 12:23
Summer’s right around the corner! How will it affect your business?
For many, business slows down during the summer months. This can happen if many of your clients are busy with their… Read More
2018-05-03 12:54
When many people think of branding, what comes to mind is a company’s logo and perhaps their tagline. That’s certainly part of it, but it’s not the whole picture… Read More
2018-04-12 12:34
Kathy Stinson has been a well-known author since the publication of her first book in 1982. Red is Best is considered a children’s classic, and she’s had new titles published nea… Read More
2018-03-29 12:47
One of the many things I love about blogging is building relationships with my loyal readers. Sabrina Quairoli of Sabrina’s Admin Services is one of those readers, and she recently ask… Read More
2018-03-15 12:42
I’ve been very busy working on new websites lately, and I’m thrilled to show you one of them today.
Background
Andi had been operating her professional organizing business, Good… Read More
2018-03-01 13:06
As technology evolves, website software is constantly being updated to make it more secure, faster, and more visible to search engines. Just like the software on your computer and your smart… Read More
2018-02-15 13:46
As a professional, you probably rely heavily on email to communicate with clients, prospects, colleagues, suppliers, friends, family members, and many others. Even though we now have more wa… Read More
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