Establishing a presence for yourself online can be really scary. It definitely requires being vulnerable to put yourself out there!

But personal branding is an opportunity to influence the public perception of who you are. It empowers you to achieve your goals and build meaningful connections with other people.

How do you make sure your website actively generates growth for your business? Make sure you have these 5 website essentials.

Metrics can be daunting, but having even a basic understanding of the key terms can give you a clear idea of how to improve your website or your marketing strategy to achieve better business results.

Here's a quick primer on the most important website analytics terms to look for, and how to interpret the data.

If you're a small business owner — especially a local business — search engine optimization (SEO) is one of your most critical marketing strategies.

People won't just ~show up~ to your website — you have to find ways to send them there! And SEO is one of the best ways to increase quality website traffic.

Here's a quick primer on why you need it and when's the best time to invest.

Businesses evolve and change over time, and it's important that your website also changes to reflect these shifts and to continue bringing in new business.

Incremental website updates only get you so far until it's time for a total refresh. But how do you know when it's time?

One of the most frequently overlooked considerations of launching a successful business is that it's not simply about the product — it's about the brand.

It's really tough to think of your business as something separate from you — especially if it's you that you're promoting, and when it's so connected to your identity!

But it's key to separate yourself from your brand to some degree so that the brand can flourish as its own entity. Here are some tips!

Social media marketing is NOT easy. I've been doing it for well over a decade, and I've learned a lot by trial & error… and some lessons have been harder to swallow than others.

Now, my goal is to share those lessons with you so you don't have to learn the hard way like I did!

In our digital world, brand photos are a MUST for any small business and service-based entrepreneur to promote themselves online. But many of us were not meant to be models!

So how do you get past any awkwardness to achieve brand photos that show confidence and reflect your brand?

As a website designer, I spend a *lot* of time browsing the interwebs and checking out websites… which means I see a lot of faux pas!

These are some of the most common website mistakes I’ve seen — and how you can avoid them.