Starting A Blog

Starting A Blog

Starting A Blog

A blog is a site run by a person or group written to evoke conversation and education its audience.

Before the term “blog” was created, a blog was referred to as a “web log.” A web log is essentially an online diary of information organized chronologically with the latest “logs” appearing at the top of the page. Blogs became more prevalent in the late ’90s and were used by many businesses and individuals to promote products, provide reviews and disperse information on a wide variety of topics.

Since blogs are written from an individual perspective, it immediately creates a connection between the blogger and the reader. Comment sections are often seen below the blog post, opening the door to further contact.

This casual, open dialogue is one of the most significant benefits of starting a blog. You can bounce ideas back and forth with others and connect with those who share the same interests. Your readers will likely trust you more, seeing you as a person and not just a business. More trust leads to more potential sales, whether it be your services, an affiliate lead or product.

Anyone with a computer and a web host can start a blog. The start-up cost is minimal, and if you learn how to do it right, you’ll make your money back in no time.

At first glance, starting a blog can seem overwhelming. But breaking it down one by one, it’s not so difficult. Here are 5 steps to help you walk through this process seamlessly.

How to Start a Blog in 5 Steps

  1. Choose a name for your blog. Check  the availability of potential domain names here
  2. Get your blog online. Choose a hosting provider and purchase the domain name. Check out this article about GreenGeeks and why we recommend them.
  3. Set up your blog setup on WordPress.
    If you are using GreenGeeks, click here are step by step directions
  4. Choose a theme (free or paid).
    A theme is the basic design of your site (layout, fonts, background colour, etc). Click the blue ‘activate’ button and you’re ready to start designing!
  5. Write your first Blog!

You’ve got your website set up—now start writing!

On the left menu panel, click “Posts.” A default post will appear.

Add the title of your blog in the top text box.

Type up your blog post content in the main text box.

To the right of the window, you’ll find a place to add categories and tags. Use these to organize your posts. Create your own unique categories and tags, which appear in the sidebar or below the blog title.

At the very bottom is the featured image link. Click this and it will pull up your media library. Select an image and it will appear on the main blog post feed as well as the blog post itself.

Once you complete the blog post, go ahead and click publish! And just like magic, your post will appear at the top of your website.

You can schedule the blog to be posted at a specific time if you’d like. Want to add to it or fix a typo? You can edit it at any time. Now get ready to write your next blog post!

How to do a Google Review Using Mobile

How to do a Google Review Using Mobile

When looking for a new restaurant to try, have you ever picked one based on the rating you find in Google?

Most of us have. We live in a reviews-driven business world, and you could say it’s paramount to the livelihood of every business.

To gain more clients, you need to gain more trust. A business with a 4 star rating out of 20 reviews is going to generate more confidence than a company with a 4 star rating out of 3 reviews.

So how do you get people to leave reviews? It’s not an automatic response for people to leave a raving review, even if they are thrilled with your service. Thus it is essential you provide clear instructions for how to do so.

See how easy it is to leave a review on mobile.

1. Find Google Maps application and open it.

2. Type in the name of the business you’re reviewing.

3. Scroll down until you see the “reviews” tab and select it.

4. Click how many stars you’d like to give and you can give an optional review.

Below is a handy dandy downloadable you can use for your clients!

Google Review for Desktop

1. On your computer, open Google Maps and make sure you’re signed in.
2. Search for a place. Then select it
3. Scroll down until you find “Write a review.”
4. Once in reviews, click the stars to score. Write a review (optional).

Get Your Google Review Link! 

Be sure to share your review link with your customers.

Follow these steps and you will find the link you need..

1. Open Google Maps app (On your computer, open Google Maps and make sure you’re signed in.)
2. Type in your search location.
3. Click the share link.
4. Copy URL.

It’s that simple! Do this and you will see the reviews start trickling in and more business flow as a result.

Want to Review Us?

Since we are a small design studio our business success relies on referrals and customer reviews. If you could take a moment to provide feedback, we’d greatly appreciate it.

Hosting Provider We Recommend

Hosting Provider We Recommend

Are you in search of a reliable hosting provider for your website? Look no further! At Zesty Design Co., we highly recommend GreenGeeks as our preferred hosting provider. With their outstanding features, top-notch customer support, and commitment to sustainability, GreenGeeks is the perfect choice for hosting your website.

Why GreenGeeks?

Environmentally Friendly: GreenGeeks is committed to eco-friendly hosting. They offset three times the amount of energy they consume by investing in renewable energy sources. By hosting your website with GreenGeeks, you’re contributing to a cleaner, greener environment.

Reliability and Performance: GreenGeeks offers robust hosting solutions with guaranteed uptime and excellent performance. Your website will load quickly, ensuring a seamless experience for your visitors.

Exceptional Customer Support: Need assistance? GreenGeeks provides 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone. Their knowledgeable and friendly support team is always available to help you with any issues or questions you may have.

Easy-to-Use Control Panel: Managing your hosting account is a breeze with GreenGeeks’ intuitive control panel. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, you’ll find their platform easy to navigate and use.

Scalability: Whether you’re running a small personal blog or a large e-commerce website, GreenGeeks offers scalable hosting solutions to meet your needs. You can easily upgrade or downgrade your hosting plan as your website grows.

Ready to Get Started?

Signing up for a hosting account with GreenGeeks is quick and easy. Simply follow these steps:

  1. Click on the following link to visit the GreenGeeks website: https://www.greengeeks.com/track/zestydesignco/cp-default
  2. Click the “Get Started” button to begin the signup process.
  3. Choose the Pro Account option and input the domain name you wish to register or select “Use A Domain You Already Own.”
  4. Fill out all your contact information, including your phone number.
  5. The best coupon value will be automatically applied.
  6. Complete the signup process and start enjoying reliable, eco-friendly hosting for your website.

Experience the difference with GreenGeeks and take your website to the next level. Join thousands of satisfied customers who trust GreenGeeks for their hosting needs.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact us. We’re here to help!

Best Regards,
Zesty Design Co.

Impactful CTA Button Design

Impactful CTA Button Design

Would you believe the colour of your call to action button could encourage your user to click that “Buy Now” button? Because colours influence one’s emotions, it also can influence decision buying. And that is definitely worth taking a few minutes to explore. Needless to see, we all want to maximize our results as well as the size of our wallets.

Trending Colors

You may have noticed the multitude of red, green, orange and blue buttons. Why is that? Because those particular colours cause an emotional reaction, and could potentially lead toward a buying decision.

1. Red – it’s bold, powerful, heart-pounding and makes you STOP and take a look at what’s in front of you. It is arguably the most effective CTA colour to use because of its intense passion and attention-grabbing quality.

Source: Dispatch.com

2. Green – a calming colour associated with the “Go” traffic light, nature and prosperity. Easy on the eyes, green is an excellent choice of colour when you want to give your client the OK to purchase your product.

Source: Spotify.com

3. Orange – a bright and cheerful colour that also reflects creativity makes it a winner. Amazon, the most successful online company, uses orange to highlight  “Add to Cart” buttons. It must not be a bad choice, considering Amazon’s success.

   Source: Amazon.com

4. Blue – conveys trust, has a calming effect and is the favourite colour for men and women alike. eBay makes use of blue buttons on their shopping cart button.

Source: ebay.com

It’s All About That Contrast

When it comes right down to it, the most important thing is for your button to be as obvious as possible. A higher contrast equals higher conversions.

Image Source: Smashing Magazine

You want to ensure the text is also extremely visible on the button. Don’t use a scripty, hard to read font.

Likewise, be sure the button colour contrasts well with your background.

For instance, A bright orange button is going to stand out especially well on a sky-blue background. They are complementary colours.

 WordStream nails this colour scheme on their “Get the free report today” CTA button. Also effective is their captivating headline “40 Hours of PPC Analysis in 60 Seconds or Less!” and the subtitle “Fast, Secure, Free” which helps reassure the user that they are not going to instantly regret their decision to click.

See how easily Netflix entices you to join Netflix (assuming you’re not already one of the 118 million subscribers).

Source: Netflix.com

They keep the message brief and they assure you that you can cancel at any time AND get the first month free. Colourful movie and shows in the background pique your interest to “See what’s next” in their massive collection of entertainment.

Note that the button message is extremely important as well. Would you have been as motivated to click that red button if it simply read “Join Now”?

Stay True to Your Brand

Whatever colour you choose for your CTA button, make sure that it ties in with your brand. If your Brand Colors are Orange and Green, don’t use a blue CTA button which will probably confuse your user.

Consider who your audience is and select a style that reflects their personality.

If you are a wedding planner, for instance, a pink button that matches your brand colours would be more effective than a BOB (big, orange button.)

Conclusion

Ask yourself these questions: 

1. Does my CTA button stand out?
2. Does my copy convince users to take action?
3. Is my CTA button easy to find?
4. Does my CTA button reflect my brand?
5. How will my prospects benefit by clicking?

Don’t be afraid to experiment and switch up the style until you reach your desired goal. Make a few versions of your product page and test it out on users. Google Analytics Solutions and Optimizely are a couple of great options.

Marketing trends are constantly evolving and what was popular in 2015 may look completely outdated in 2020. Keep your style fresh and engaging.

How to Create Attention-Grabbing Facebook Ads

How to Create Attention-Grabbing Facebook Ads

1. Use only the finest media

Use only top quality photos and videos on your Facebook ads. Make sure you are using the correct image file type and a decent resolution. Check out the Facebook Ads Guide.

2. Choose a focal point

Make sure your design has a focal point where you want to direct the user’s attention. It’s very important that you do not confuse or overwhelm with too much information. You can crop the image, add bold text, or add an interesting image. Learn More Here

3. Think like your audience

Tailor your design around what would appeal to your spectators and make sure you emphasize how it will help them. Learn More Here

4. Keep it short and sweet

If you are using a video in your ad, make sure you limit the time to 15 seconds or even LESS. Attention span is becoming increasingly limited and you want to ensure your video is not ignored. See How

5. Use carousel ads

Take advantage of Facebook carousels to promote your product. It allows you to showcase different products or services you are offering, explain your features in more detail or display multiple images/videos to captive your audience’s attention. See How

6. Convert your photos to videos

Try using Adobe spark to add animation to photos. It is a free application and it can be very effective to add some interesting effects to your images. See How

7. Create multiple ads

Adobe spark allows you to create a plethora of ads from just 1 or 2 images. Learn More Here

8. Don’t be afraid to experiment

Try one or all of the tips listed and see what works best. You could also create a split test to help you decide what ad is most effective.

How to upload a product in WooCommerce

How to upload a product in WooCommerce

If you are a proud new owner of a brand new website we congratulate you! Woohoo, Congrats haha!! Now, although we know you are ambitious and are eager to dive right into your new site and start selling your products online we do have a few suggestions to help you become that big success you’ve always dreamed of.

Owning your own website is a big deal… it now connects you with your clients online and will give you the brand awareness you deserve. If you follow the suggested steps below will help you keep your product shop looking fly reather than a hot mess.

Alight, let’s imagine you are all ready to go… logged into your WordPress site.

1. On your Dashboard…click ‘All Products’ on the left-hand side.

2. Click create a new Product.

3. Choose an existing product (One already created so it is all correct). Hover over product and click “Duplicate”

4. Edit product name match the new product. Try to include what the product is rather than just “Forrest Birds”. Include “Die” or “Stamp” in the title as well.

5. Update Catagory checks. Check the category it belongs to (Example: Stamps) and the subcategory it may fit into (Example: Nature).

6. Update your tags. Tags to include catagory, brand, designer, what it is, color, pattern, size etc.

7. Replace Product Image. If the product has multiple images then use the best image as the “product feature image” and the secondary images as “product gallery” images. Include the product title and any other relevant information on your product image. This will make it easier to find again in the future.

8. In the “Product Data” section located under the title please update
The price (Under the General Tab).
The stock and SKU (Under the Inventory Tab).
Linked products (Under the Linked Products Tab).

9. Lastly, update the description at the bottom in the “Product Short Description” section.

Now to create a variable product you do everything about but also:

1. In the product Data section, in the drop-down menu that says “Simple Product” please change it to “Variable Product”.

2. Click on the “Attributes” side tab. In the drop-down menu choose how your product varies (by color, size, pattern etc). Click “Add”.

3. In the Values box type in your different variations.
(For example, if you had an ink pad in different colors you would type in the first color and find it in the list)

4. If the variation you are looking does not come up in your search click on “Add New” to create a new variation.

5. Once you have chosen all your variations (You are allowed up to 50). Check the box that says “Used for variations”. And click “Save attributes”.

6. Now go to the “Variations Tab”, click on the drop down and choose “Create variations from all attributes”. Two pop-ups will appear, click “OKAY” for both. All of your attributes will show up underneath.

7. For each attribute, assign a price, SKU, stock, and image.

8. Assign an image by clicking on the blue square. (This will help clients when they choose the color or size from the product drop down it will bring them to the image this chose. )

9. When you are done editing all of the variations, click “Save changes”.

10. Lastly, assign a product image from one of the variations (The best photo). And add all other variation images to the product gallery. (This is so when they click through on the product page they see all the variations.

TIPS:

All product images should be square and 700 pixels by 700 pixels. Try to center them if you can with some space around the product. For a clean professional look. The more photos the better (for showcasing your product).

Good luck! And don’t be afraid to ask questions!