Website Bootcamp Weekend: some questions you might have

We launched our Website Bootcamp Weekend this week and we’ve had a few questions come through, so I thought it would be useful to post them here (with our answers, of course!).

Our payment plans go away at close of play this Friday (26 March).

If you want to find out more then you can read all about it here.

Setting up a website sounds complicated and I’m not very technical, how hard is it?

If you know how to type (one fingered and slowly is fine!) and can use a mouse, you have enough skills to set up your website! WordPress is a content management system, which means that it is already written to provide a framework for you to use to manage your site. You really just have to add the content / fill in the gaps and we will be there to help you to do that.

As you know we have limited spaces on this weekend; we only have 5 places. We have 3 other people (all small business owners with existing WordPress websites) coming along to provide support on the day as well as me, so for this first weekend there is almost a teacher / student ratio of 1:1. So even if you are a tad nervous about getting to grips with the behind the scenes part of your website, there will be someone available to guide you through it as I demonstrate what you need to do on the screen.

What will the weekend entail?

On the Friday evening we will meet and introduce the weekend with an overview of what we need to achieve at each stage (then we’ll have dinner, and maybe a glass or two of wine, but not too much – you will be working hard the next day!). Saturday will be all about determining the keywords for your website and planning and writing the content and then on Sunday we will get your website online, add in the content and ensure that it is optimised for your keywords. The last thing we will do is ‘press the button’ to launch your site online to the world!

At each stage I will be teaching you what you need to know in theory and also showing you using my laptop and screen. When we’re setting up your website, you will be able to follow along and copy me so that we are all in the same place. And remember there will be 3 other people, all who have WordPress websites, hovering around ready to jump in and help you at the same time.

I haven’t got any content together for my website yet, and I won’t be able to before the weekend as it’s not far away. Is that a problem?

That is one of the main benefits of this weekend. You don’t need your content to be written beforehand and in fact that could be detrimental to the process as the first thing we will be doing is explaining what content you should have and how it should be written to ensure the best chance of being found by search engines and to be able to convert visitors into leads and/or customers.

If you have some ideas and maybe some photos you should bring them along but if you haven’t got anything yet then that won’t be a problem either. The only thing we will need to do before the weekend is to get a domain name and some hosting for you, which I will talk you through as part of our pre-weekend call.

Why is it better to set up my own website?

I wouldn’t say it is better per se but it certainly has some advantages, which we have talked about before like not being held to ransom by your web designer once the website is up and running, i.e. you won’t need to pay anyone to make any changes. Obviously there also won’t be any delays in getting the website set up, as we will be doing it there and then! I also think that having your own website gives you the opportunity to connect more with your potential customers as there is more opportunity for almost real time discussion through your site especially if you use it in conjunction with social media like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. And you can post up-to-the minute information on your site that would take a few days if you needed to get someone else to do it.

Another key advantage is understanding how well your website is working for you and why. Many websites that are set up by web designers have little or no search engine optimisation capabilities but the small business owner doesn’t know that and just assumes that the internet doesn’t work for them. With your own website you will be able to see the metrics from from your site, such as numbers of visitors and how they found you, and know what you need to do to make it work better, and you can implement those changes immediately.

Isn’t WordPress just for blogging websites?

That is a myth that I think is often precipitated by web designers who don’t use WordPress! WordPress started as a blogging content management system but it has the functionality to create static web pages too. In fact you could create your whole website without using the blog function, but that wouldn’t be a great strategy as the search engines want fresh content and the blog facility is a great way to provide it. Don’t think that if you have a blog you need to ‘become a blogger’, using your website like an online diary. You can do that but you can also just use the blog functionality to add an ‘article’ to your site every so often providing useful information to your visitors and sharing your expertise: both strategies that will help your potential customers to ‘know like and trust you’, which will hopefully bring in some sales.

WordPress is free, why would I need to pay to come on this weekend?

You’re absolutely right that WordPress is free but remember that this is just for the software and some technical instructions. What you will be getting on our weekend is easy to follow steps showing you how to use WordPress to set up your website there and then (as well as ongoing membership to our WordPress support site). And then there is also all the stuff (technical term!) around keyword optimisation and conversion and how to write your content to maximise both. Without getting those bits right you won’t end up with a website that increases sales in your business, and if that’s the case, then what’s the point of wasting your time?

Imagine how long it would take you to do all this on your own. You most definitely can, but I would suggest that it would take you a lot longer than one weekend. I have some personal coaching students who are going down that route but want some help from me along the way. They will get there eventually but it’s taking a while. Can you afford to wait months or maybe even over a year to get your website done?!

Oh, yes, and did I remember to mention the laptop that you will be taking home with you at the end of the weekend…

Can it really all be done in a weekend?

Yes, of course, we wouldn’t be offering this otherwise! Having said that as you already know, you do need to continue to add fresh content to your site on a regular basis to ensure that the search engines continue to find it so this weekend won’t be the end, just the beginning!

We are, of course, also influenced by how long it will take you to get the content together but the whole of Saturday will be about pulling that together and we will show you some short cuts to make getting it planned and written easier and quicker than just staring at a blank page for ages before you start! And remember you will have other small business owners there (both teachers and students) who will be able to help you to shape what you are writing. Not to mention a lovely, calm atmosphere to create your content in – you can even have a wander round the cathedral for inspiration if that would help

What about support after the weekend, does it all just end there?

You get access to our WordPress membership site where there are step by step videos and instructions for you to follow to help you to manage and further develop your new website. As part of the membership site we have a forum where you can ask (and answer!) questions and you do have access to me by email. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am very helpful! I want your website to be a success for your business and I will support you to ensure that is the case.