Here’s that email explaining WordPress conversion:

Your website was made at a different time time in web history, when it was customary to create a website and then consider that task ‘done.’

Meanwhile, discussion, information and news about the work of the organization continued to be created in the offline community, perhaps on a daily basis, but this information was not visible to an online community because it resided mostly on paper and then later, in emails and online via 3rd party sources. The organization website would not reflect these discussions.

Now these discussions are also held on social media sites – Facebook, Twitter, etc.

For an organization to maintain control, they need to have a website that can serve as the official center of their message at all times.

A website needs to stay flexible, current and connected.

The content – the words and images – need to stay separate from the presentation, the structure of the site.

On your current site, knowledge of html is required to make the smallest change or addition. The pages mix content and presentation in their static code, and changes can only be done by editing each page by hand. This means that adding another page to the site would require the image link for the new page to be added to the menu sections for each page manually.

Almost all current websites no longer use this method, but instead are database driven, using a website software that allows a one-time change to propagate across an entire site.

Website software choice is generally divided between proprietary (licensed paid) and open source (license free) choices.

There are many choices for proprietary website softwares. One problem with this approach is that the site will be completely dependent on a small group of developers for new features and support. This tends to drive up ongoing costs.

If the site is also hosted by the developers, this can place further restrictions on flexibility. In some cases, the proprietary route makes sense because the unique needs of the business require it, and the software is focused on that aspect, for example, a wholesale business site.

I work in many proprietary website softwares, but recommend and specialize in using WordPress open source software as the basis for almost all of the informational sites I build.

The basic functions of this license-free software continue to evolve. A world-wide community of developers contribute improvements to the core software on an almost daily basis. It is one of the most popular softwares in the world.

With the addition of add-on free and premium plugins, it is possible to replicate the kinds of functions found on high budget/high traffic sites using WordPress. In fact, some of these sites are using WordPress.

A feature such as donation capability can be relatively easy to add to a WordPress site, and if a new and better service or integration comes along for this function, it is also relatively easy to upgrade.

For your project we would be looking at a conversion of the existing page content, or your updated content, into the new WordPress version of the site.

Accessible via the famously easy to use Dashboard, you would have the ability to edit or add to this material in-house or continue to use my services as a webmaster.

Some of my clients update their sites daily on their own, only needing my help when they would like a new feature or strategy for their promotion efforts.

The existing site presentation graphics can be replicated as a WordPress Theme (a collection of files that controls the position and display of information on the site) or we can engage in a new Theme design process.

I have worked with outside graphic designers to realize WordPress Themes and on other projects I have been both the site and custom Theme developer.

The cost for a WordPress conversion is generally divided between setup of the site structure and function and Theme creation. I can provide prices when I have a clear understanding of your requirements for both.

This scenario allows you to have an attractive and useful web presence, while saving costs by using in house staff to make changes to the site.

I hope this overview helps to understand the process. Please let me know if you require more information.

The post Still True Today appeared first on Tom Stier-Promote Globally.

We are focusing totally on Classic Editor here because it’s a classic!

First step is to always be logged in or log into your WordPress Dashboard. It’s amazing how many how-to videos I’ve come across that don’t start with this essential step. How many people have made a Post without being logged-in?

You’ll need to go to your Dashboard web address which is usually something like
https://mywonderfulsite.com/wp-admin

There you enter your Username and Password. If you are a Tom Stier customer, you will have received these important items by email. If your Firefox or Chrome browser asks if you want the browser to remember these credentials, go for it! Anything that shaves time off of creating those Posts is a huge plus.

You will eventually see a screen that looks very much like the screen at the 18 second mark in the video below. Pause the video after that point and continue reading below.

This video miraculously begins with a blank ‘Add New Post’ screen.

People will not see an ‘Add New Post’ screen after logging in. Not until they click on one of the two wonderful add new Post links.

In the WordPress Dashboard there are two places where you can click “Add New” to create a blank ‘Add New Post’ screen. On the left side of the screen, you’ll see a ‘push-pin’ icon and ‘Posts’ with an ‘Add New’ choice. At the top of the window you’ll see a black bar with a “+ New.” Hovering on that link brings up the first choice in a drop-down menu: ‘Post’. Click one of these links to create a blank ‘Add New Post’ screen

If you accidentally click on ‘New Page’ don’t worry about it. Try again on ‘New Post’.

Then, you are on the ‘Add New Post’ screen!

There are  three vertical sections on this screen.

One is the left side menu.

A middle section with two fields – Title and Post Body.

A skinnier section on the right has the very useful ‘Publish’ section, plus additional settings for your Post. If your screen doesn’t look exactly like this, it’s because some genius has tarted-up the site.

The Title and Post Body section

For now, ignore the ‘Add Media’ button. To the right of that button, you’ll see two tabs. ‘Visual’ is the default and it should be slightly lighter than the one that says ‘Text’.

Add a Title. And don’t spend a lot of time worrying over it. You can always change it later. Don’t call your Post “My First Post.” Be original.

Add the Post Body. Most people write the ‘body’ of their Post in a text editor like Microsoft Word.

They ‘Select All’ in their Word doc, select Copy. Then they click the blinking cursor in their WordPress Post Body field and select Paste.

Or, you can do like I do and just start writing in the Post Body field.

Now, scroll back up to the top right of the WordPress screen and click ‘Save Draft’.

See all those little icons at the top of the Post Body field? The ones you’ll  use at first are the Bold, Italic and little ‘chain link’ icon that makes a link.

You always highlight the text first, then click one of these icons to make that text Bold, Italic or a link. Want to find out what the other icons do? Make a test Post and go wild on it.

OK, now we get to the ‘Add Media’ button!

This is where we add images to your WordPress Post. Click your blinking cursor at the beginning of a paragraph in the Post Body field. Click on the the ‘Add Media’ button.

A pop-op screen will give you the options of selecting an image from the Media Library, selecting an image from your computer or dragging an image from your computer desktop into the pop-up screen.

Small images can be left or right justified to paragraphs. Bigger images should be centered between paragraphs. Experiment with the icons you see when clicking on the images. All your choices will show.

This should give you a very good start.

Now, scroll back up to the top of the WordPress screen and click ‘Save Draft’.

Let’s now go over to the skinnier column on the right side of your screen.

Here are the sections (Some genius may have re-ordered these):

Publish – choose ‘Save Draft’ after every few changes, click Publish after you finish your Post. Made a mistake? Need to change something? You can always return to the edit screen and make changes.

Featured Image – skip this until your web-guy tells you you need it.

Categories – these determine placement on the public side of the website. Pick one or two or make a new one. I suppose they are also informative.

Tags – Ugh. Too much work. Skip it.

Format – Leave it alone.

As you become a Posting maven, there’s plenty of time to get into these other aspects of posting.

The post Step-by-Step WordPress Post Using Classic Editor appeared first on Tom Stier-Promote Globally.

Here’s the definition of a virtual telecom. “A virtual network operator (VNO) is an entity that does not own a telecom network infrastructure but provides telecom services by purchasing capacity from telecom carriers.”

In my case I needed to transfer the number from a virtual telecom to a real telecom – ATT.

The phone number was bundled into the plan with our Internet Provider. At the time, this was a great setup. We were able to dump the $65 monthly charge with Verizon for the bundled $12 a month phone plan with the Internet provider.

One drawback was giving up a physical landline for a virtual phone that only worked over the Internet connection, in a rural area that had at least one major power outage a year. That Trimline phone had it’s own power!

The other drawback became apparent when we needed to leave our Internet Provider and take our phone number with us.

This resulted in a protracted process of contacting the previous Internet Provider, who in turn needed to contact the bundled virtual telecom, and then contacting a REAL telecom. We were only able to ‘rescue’ our phone number after the situation was escalated to the highest levels at all 3 companies. This took twenty phone calls.

This virtual scenario also happens in web hosting and domain name registration. Many hosting companies make things easier for customers by allowing them to purchase hosting and a domain name at the same time.

Some hosting companies, such as, say, CartoonHosting (not a real host) are not real domain name registrars. So, in CartoonHosting’s case they farm out your domain name to a real registrar – say, Launchpad – and CartoonHosting becomes your ‘virtual’ registrar.

In this virtual setup, the customer has no direct login to manage their domain name at Launchpad. They need to manage the name in CartoonHosting’s rudimentary domain options panel. I know of one instance where renewing the domain in CartoonHosting’s panel did not actually renew the name at Launchpad. This resulted in downtime for the website the domain was attached to.

Some other hosting companies who act as virtual registrars have no options panel for managing domains. You need to call and spend time on the phone with their virtual support for any change.

A bigger issue becomes apparent when you want to leave your hosting company and take your domain name with you. That process will put you right in the middle of the same three way tug-of-war I described with virtual and real telecoms.

I’m no fan of GoDaddy, but they are a real domain Registrar. They have a good do-it-yourself options panel for changing domain name settings. You just have to avoid all their endless marketing.

If your web hosting company provides virtual domain registration, don’t use it. Keep your domains registered with a real Registrar like GoDaddy.

Remember that Registrars are only required to contact you at an email address you likely used 10 years ago to setup your account.

Remember also that short domain names are very valuable, and Registrars would much rather  make thousands of dollars compared to the $20 or so they make when selling a long, hard to remember domain name.

The post Virtually Stuck appeared first on Tom Stier-Promote Globally.

Tom, how do I get people to come to my website and see all the cool stuff I’m putting up?

1. Add interesting content to your website as frequently as possible. What separates the champs from the scrappers is frequency. Successful people just produce a heck of a lot more of whatever they are producing. One trick is to realize that a post is not an “article.” A post is 3 or 4 short 2, 3 sentence paragraphs on one topic, plus a nice picture. Spread your other ideas over several posts. I’m actually violating this right now. Darn.

2. Get your name “in the papers.” Do public appearances. Podcasts, video, radio, TV. This requires being an annoying presence to some, but who cares about them. Toot your own horn.

3. Have more popular websites link to your website. I have seen what a mention or link from NYTimes or a major news outlet can do for traffic, and it is awesome. Robbing a bank can get you this notoriety temporarily. But try to think more long-term. Unless you plan to write that great prison novel.

4. Have changing home page content. Something new for visitors and Google to latch onto. Show those latest posts on your home page. Don’t use licensed images without a license. What goes on Wix, stays on Wix.

Credit: Joshua Woroniecki

5. Enable visitors to subscribe to new posts. This is semi-automatic. You write a post, and when you Publish, an email ‘teaser’ is sent to all your subscribers. They need to go to your website to read the whole post. Pro: The post doubles as a post on your website and as an email blast to subscribers. Con: You don’t get the same in-depth reporting about “opens” like you’d get on MailChimp or Constant Contact.

6. Enable visitors to sign up for email blasts. Create and send email blasts as often as you can. Pro: Great for sending well designed emails about events, excellent reports on opens. Con: More work than subscribe to posts.

7. Use an automated posting app for social media – Write once, schedule to appear on multiple social networks. Because some of your audience is on Twitter and some is on Facebook and some is on Instagram. And never the Twain shall Mark my words.

Credit: Matteo Panara

8. Post on social media as often as you can. Use the exact address (URL) to a post on your website. Stick to a schedule. Fall off the treadmill. Get back on the treadmill. You are supposed to interact with other peoples’ social media. But, that is just asking for too much.

9. Determine how many of these tasks you can handle, and stick to a routine. Don’t worry about the other stuff too much.

10. Realize that a one person operation, busy creating the reason for all this promotion, can’t do it all. No “Social Media Guru” can understand what makes your topic unique as well as you can. The website owner needs to take on as many of these tasks as they can, and decide which tasks to entrust to other people. All within a scenario where cost maintains some reasonable balance to benefit.

The post How do I get more visitors to my website? appeared first on Tom Stier-Promote Globally.

woodstovegallery.com – WordPress site by Tom Stier

WordPress is portable, while Squarespace and other website services are not.

The hours and hours of work you or your web designer put into a Squarespace site stays on Squarespace. So, you better be nice to Squarespace!

WordPress has more developers making more Themes with more cool “effects” that emulate the kind of experience people see on current sites they visit.

Squarespace sites tend to be built by novices and, since there is an inclination to “tart” up the provided templates, these sites can end up looking amateurish. They take professionally designed templates and “improve” ’em.

Sad to say,  many businesses have an irrelevant website. They don’t use it. It becomes a useless appendage that they are eventually ashamed to tell anyone about. About as reverse a search engine optimization strategy as humanly possible.

Some people’s only test of how relevant their website begins and ends in their own small circle of family and friends. Judgement is based on how the website looks. Meanwhile, 99% of the world visits dull-looking hard to navigate websites like Facebook, Google, and confusing bank portals all day long.

The driving force is always usefulness. I want to see what my friends are doing. I want to find out why this thing in my program is grayed-out. I want to find out if that deposit cleared.

The usefulness of a website begins at the home page. The search or the link on Facebook or Twitter brings visitors there to find out the who, what, why and where that has momentarily intrigued them. If what they see in that one or two seconds does not explain and expand on the intrigue, they leave.

A website is essential, just like having a place to live is essential. But if you stay in your home all the time, nobody knows who you are. Uh Oh!

People who have a successful website do the following:

• They understand that the web is a writers medium, but pictures and fancy design are a nice plus. Very nice if you have beautiful images!
• They are active daily on some social media for the sole purpose of driving people they have never met to their website
• They login to their site on a regular basis and add something that will be of interest to everybody
• They don’t waste time on changes that won’t be of interest to everybody
• They see the website as a part of a larger strategy that will continue indefinitely, keeping a mostly uncaring world informed of what they are selling, thinking and doing.

Happy posting!
Cheers, Tom

The post Did I Say That Out Loud? appeared first on Tom Stier-Promote Globally.

This article is a further look into Task 2, which I mention in my article  Intro:5 Tasks For A Website That Works For You.

Writing on my personal social media has helped me with writing longer pieces on my website for the simple reason that the more you do something, the better you get at it.

So, as my first tip, I recommend that everyone have personal social media accounts as a prerequisite to using their website and social media for promotion purposes.

My second tip: turn on your Spell-check!

Do you spend time answering questions by email for customers or clients? Think about re-purposing that answer for something you can post on your website, and then share on your social media. That is how many of the posts on this site started.

Is business slow? Create a Post about past projects. A local concert venue has been posting stories and pictures from past performances during the current pandemic. They are closed, but keeping active in the minds of concert-goers.

Here are some additional “real world” tips that have helped me.

Set up Google alerts on various topics related to your business niche, and your locale.

I have Google Alerts set up for my business topics, such as WordPress, ecommerce, trends in social promotion and for the area and events close to where I live.

I post daily to Facebook, Twitter. LinkedIn and Instagram.

Commit to sticking to a posting schedule. I have made a commitment for myself to posting at least twice a day on four social platforms, and semi-monthly on my website. I should be posting more frequently on my website. But, like many others, I find longer form writing to be not as easy to do.

My postings related to web design and web promotion have  good response. My posts about my locale (the beautiful Berkshires of Massachusetts) and local happenings have a greater response.

Use a social posting service. Post once, share to multiple social platforms. I currently use Postfity.com to create two daily posts that are then shared to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Vary the soft and hard sell. Don’t overdo the sales pitch. Remember the ‘social’ part of social media. You will ‘find’ your voice over time, and that will be the reason your audience enjoys seeing your posts. Not that they will ‘Like’ them

It’s no longer true that “if you build it, they will come” for the traditional website. It is true that if you build a consistent personality online, you are in a sense conditioning your simpatico audience to look forward to what you have to say. Find your voice.

The post Task 2: Add New Content To Your Website On Some Regular Basis appeared first on Tom Stier-Promote Globally.

I’m talking about the Dark Side of web and computer applications that suddenly ‘don’t work‘ and don’t tell you why they ain’t working!

The Error Massage

One thing that hasn’t really changed about working with applications, both on your laptop and the internet, is the Error Message.

Error messages are just as cryptic and useless to real people as they were back in the 1990’s.

A computer still can’t tell you in plain talk what exactly is wrong and how to fix it.

And then, why doesn’t the computer just go ahead and fix it for you!

Thanks, Hal!

This situation hasn’t improved since the 90’s.

I believe this created a market for the smartphone.

Just like the difficulty of handling and playing vinyl record albums created the market for compact cassette tapes in the 70’s.

A trend developed of people embracing something less good, as long as less angst was involved in using it.

The Buy Button Rules

A smartphone is a phone in a limited computer.

A smartphone is basically a purchasing device, not a tool for creating.

If you stick to using your phone to make calls, messaging, buy things, generally waste time, and buy things you cannot go wrong!

This article is for the poor slobs who are using a computer to do work.

Alarming text and bleeps

When I do tech support calls for my wonderful clients, whether it’s for apps or website woes, I know the person I’m talking to has just taken a trip through the Loop.

The Loop consists of retracing your steps and going through the same routine over again, clicking the same buttons over and over again, wishing for a different result.

And that different result is “Why doesn’t this gosh darn thing work like it did yesterday!?”

Which is really not such a ‘different’ result!

Is Anybody There?

We’ve been working on this since 2019

Then, there is the dread of calling tech support, assuming that there even is a phone number for tech support.

Facebook has a bazillion business pages on their platform and no phone contact.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. The purpose of online tech support is to get you off the line or Chat as soon as possible.

Otherwise, why would the person on the other end of the Chat be called a Happiness Engineer?

Engineered Happiness

After waiting in a Chat queue for a “Wait times are longer than usual due to the _______”  amount of time, it’s suddenly your turn!

You need to tell the Customer Satisfaction Agent what the problem is.

But, you don’t know what is wrong with your app because your computer refuses to tell you what’s wrong!

So, you revert to the old standby. “The gosh darn thing doesn’t work.”

You have already exceeded your Customer Satisfaction Agent’s satisfaction with you.

Oops, An Error Occurred

Oops, an error occurred

When something doesn’t work like it did yesterday, many folks are totally at a loss.

And apparently, so was the fellow who coded this message for Instagram.

On top of that, the fear factor makes continuing to try to fix the issue on your own problematic for fear of making the problem worse.

What To Do

OK, so you are happily being productive writing your blog Post and there’s a message saying “Connection lost. Saving has been disabled until you’re reconnected. We’re backing up this post in your browser, just in case..”

First thing to do is to select all your writing and copy and paste it into your favorite Text Editor on your computer. That app always works!

Then you can take a break, go outside. Breathe.

If you are curious about what the error message means, do a Google search on that exact text “Connection lost. Saving has been disabled until you’re reconnected. We’re backing up this post in your browser, just in case..”

You may find some interesting results by people in the same quandary.

This applies to any error message you receive. Copy the message exactly.

Do a Google search on the exact error phrase. At the very least, you may find that you are not alone in your misery!

And when you do get to the front of the queue on the Chat, you’ll have the exact phrase to paste into the text box there.

Tell me about your tech support stories, and Happy Computing!

The post The History Of The Computer – The Dark Side appeared first on Tom Stier-Promote Globally.

It’s work, like cleaning the cat box. Maybe with a little imagination added.

Apps A Platform

For whatever website software or service you use to create your website, WordPress, Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, you will need to do at least a cursory search on “__________  get more visitors on my website” with the blank filled in with the name of your web app or service.

If you search on a blank space, you’ll need to read all my posts before you can leave this website.

As punishment.

Doo-Hickeys And Widgets

You’ll want to know the names and locations of certain tools these platforms provide to help with the tasks I mention below. Not all of them, just the ones you’ll be using regularly.

Like when you describe what’s wrong with your vehicle at the auto repair shop.

The thingy making a noise.

Don’t Complain!

These web apps want you to succeed so that you will tell your friends all about how wonderful they are!

For whatever web app you choose, concentrate on it’s positive aspects.

It is counter-productive to obsess over an option or feature that is missing or not perfekly done on your chosen platform.

Remember to turn on the spell-checj also.

Gideon’s Garden by Tom Stier

Self-Host For The Self-Most!

If you opt for a self-hosted WordPress site, your hosting plan should be at least in the $20/month range.

Business level hosting plans are better able to handle the amount of resources required by your site as you build your initial visitor base.

If you have a budget in mind and would like to hire someone to help you create your website, ask them what would give you the most promotional bang for that budget.

If you have no budget for setting up and creating an initial website on your app of choice, expect to spend hours reading tutorials for your chosen web platform.

You’ll learn a valuable skill that will last for days!

Optimizing For Visitors

Your visitor wants to see what they expect to see on your website.

The imagery and message need to jibe with that expectation.

If they came for a product, they need to see detailed images, information and cost.

Asia Luna by Tom Stier

If they came for high-end design, your presentation and ‘wow’ factor will be a priority.

The requirement for both is a a quick loading, logical, convincing presentation.

Be A Tool

Sadly, visitors will see your website as just another informational tool on the web. A brief stop on their never ending quest for whatever.

That’s why you should only ever ask just your friends how much they love your website!

Being a tool can be discouraging.

Especially if you’ve spent thousands of dollars and sweated decisions over each and every pixel.

Themes And Templates

WordPress has the most extensive choice of page templates (called Themes) of any of the web apps.

WordPress lets you see how your website looks with different Themes before committing to one. Other web services don’t have this feature.

I’m favoring WordPress here, see. Wink, wink.

Keep in mind as you look through the templates and Themes that the highly regarded ones were designed by professionals.

These Themes can represent hundreds of hours of design and coding.

If your reaction is negative toward everything you see, you are probably not being realistic about how websites are used by the public.

Which is Whambam thank you, mam.

The Money Pit

The biggest cost involved in website creation is usually due to a site owner wanting every page to look exactly a ‘certain way’.

If you are a designer, promoting cutting-edge design, this might be required.

But, going against convention can be expensive. You can do it, but human visitors and Google probably won’t care.

When in doubt, or with no design budget, go with a simple template or Theme.

Your images, headlines and body text will become the design.

The Wine Cellar Of Your Website

When Google comes by, they check the basement of your website first.

Is all your HTML properly bundled and tidied?

Does your site look great on a phone and tablet?

Do your pages have title & description meta tags?

Are you paying Google for ‘protection’?

Google wants your website to have title & description meta tags for every page.

If you persist in making pages that only have a video or image on them, you will want to made sure there is at least something entered for these tags.

The individual page title and description meta tags and page thumbnail are what Google and social media platforms use for your listing.

Google is also interested in the content on your site pages, specifically new content that they can match up to a specific search term a specific searcher is specifically searching for.

So, be specific.

Sweet Success

There comes that day when a certain product-poem-picture-post-article-newsitem you have posted on your website strikes a chord with the public.

There is a swell of music. The clouds part.

You’ll know just how well your piece of content is doing because you are tracking analytics data for your website.

Google sends you a congrats email!

You’ve created the teaser link to your website page on social media. You can see who’s coming to your page from those platforms.

People who aren’t family members start sharing your post!

The Formula

You now know the formula that works and have the opportunity to capitalize on that success by doing it again.

Your page is linked to from other sites that have more visitors than you. People click through to read your post.

Some stick around to read more stuff.

Some people subscribe to your site.

And best of all, after having done all the tasks I mention in this article, your web presence is firing on all cylinders, and you are ready, ready, ready to rock ‘n roll!

The post Task 1: Optimize Your Website For Visitors And Google appeared first on Tom Stier-Promote Globally.

That Safe and Restful Sleep, Sleep, Sleep…

In the 90’s, I had clients who taught me a thing or two about the importance of spending the time on researching what was needed to attract visitors to websites.

At the time, I was mostly struggling with getting web pages to look just right in those prehistoric days of web design!

I’ve had clients hire (and fire) so-called search engine gurus who would claim to know all the tricks for getting their site on the fabled “First Page of Google Search!”

Sad to say, the techniques they used were often based on some defect in search engines’ algorithms that eventually were corrected.

For the clients who are successful, I’ve learned there are really only 5 tasks that worked then, and work now.

Success Defined

Success is mostly about staying with a schedule of tasks and being ready for the fruits when they come.

It’s about not getting hung up on aspects that don’t translate to increased visitors.

For one client, success is an ecommerce site with modest sales for many years, until a better payment method, tutorials with yours truly, and isolating in place came along.

For another client, it was years spent tweaking  content on their site as they gradually shifted their focus to a career that became their main source of income.

Other clients became Influencers (before the term was actually coined). They posted daily on topics they were interested it. They were not out to sell anything directly, but by becoming well-known in their particular niches, opportunities emerged. Opportunities such as collaborations, public speaking events.

You’ll see that these success stories share the word years. It’s a hard sell for someone in a hurry!

The 5 Tasks

1. Optimize the website for Google and for visitors
2. Add new content to the site on some regular basis
3. Use social media to bring traffic to the site
4. Monitor visitor stats
5. Offline advertising and activity

In spite of Google’s indifference, I do great design!

A Stunning Design

You’ll notice that the list does not include “Have a stunning website design.”

Being a ‘web designer’, and having that be the search term people find me on, it does stick a bit in the craw.

The number one priority for people and bots visiting your website is to find what they want as fast as possible.

They appreciate a clean, intuitive presentation. After that, they will stay if there is more of what they like.

Boxes flying in from the left, boxes flying in from the right, a movie playing in the background, 10 slideshows, they are outta there!

In my next article I’ll be going into more depth on each of The 5 Tasks For A Website That Works For You, and expanding on what each task entails.

The post Intro: 5 Tasks For A Website That Works For You appeared first on Tom Stier-Promote Globally.

They don’t Like. They don’t Retweet. They don’t do nothing. They just.. keep… rolling alonggggg…

They are not doing what you had hoped they would do, which is Like your darned social media post!

Wikipedia says:

“In Internet culture, a lurker is typically a member of an online community…who observes, but does not participate.”

Tom Stier

Lurkers avoid the tools they are supposed to use to let you know their reaction to what you are spending a not inconsiderable amount of time to put out.

Is a Like too much to ask?

They stare at your post. They might cringe. They might laugh. They might get mad at what you are saying.

But in the end, they just scroll or swipe away to the next bright shiny posting.

Come On, Do The Lurk

Why do Lurkers Lurk?

For some Lurkers I know personally, they simply don’t trust anything online.

That is a valid point in this age of privacy concerns.

Some think any action they take will put them immediately on the radar of a Government Agency.

Or worse, somebody they had a grudge with in High School!

The 90-9-1 Lurkers Rule

This article by Jakob Nielsen,  from the Internet of 2006, is still relevant to social media today.

“In most online communities, 90% of users are lurkers who never contribute, 9% of users contribute a little, and 1% of users account for almost all the action.”

As this graphic pointedly shows, those at the top are tiny with pointed heads.

What Do Lurkers Mean To My Business
Or
When A Tree Falls In The Forest Does It Land On A Lurker?

Lurkers are still a good thing for your business social media campaigns.

If the Lurker clicks through to your website from a Facebook or Twitter post, your website Analytics will pick them up in a way that lets you know where they came from. (Don’t have Analytics on your website? Contact Me).

Since Lurkers represent the largest demographic (90%) you will definitely want to keep posting on social media to connect with them.

Even if the relationship is very similar to Unrequited Love. If you are persistent, it might someday get upgraded to Pen Pal!

Measuring The Lurk

Social media platforms can now tell you through Analytics or Insights the likely quantity of Lurkers you are attracting.

For most of your postings it will be a much larger amount than Likes.

But even if you have not yet attained that level, consistency will continue to be your best ally, so keep right on posting.

If you keep up with your social postings on your chosen platform, you will someday Convert a Lurker with that Irresistible Post!

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