It is absolutely WILD to me how quickly TikTok went from bad to worse, in the span of just a few days. TikTok’s terms of service got even creepier, citing their right to use information such as your mental health or your physical location. Additionally, reports of censorship of political content were already mounting within 48 hours of Larry Ellison’s takeover, with new posts from left-leaning creators being held in moderation or rejected.

That’s been the final straw for a lot of users (myself included): uninstalls of the app had spiked 150% just a few days after the takeover.

It’s BAD, folks. Between recent TikTok developments, and the ongoing shenanigans at Meta, now feels like a good time to ask (again): what alternatives are out there? 

Let’s talk about a few of the photo/video-centric options–some you may know about, and some you might not.

Upscrolled wants to prioritize freedom of expression

Upscrolled bills itself as “the social platform where every voice gets equal power,” and that makes sense when you learn its story. Founder Issam Hijazi, who has Palestinian roots, reportedly created the app partly in response to the censorship of stories about Gaza that he saw taking place on other social apps. 

From a user standpoint, Upscrolled may be the most Instagram/TikTok-like of the bunch; it offers a media grid and is image- and video-friendly. It also accepts text-only posts, however, which could be appealing to creators who don’t always want to create an image or video to go with everything they want to share.

Upscrolled has also seen a bump in new subscribers over the past week-or-so since the U.S. TikTok deal took effect: they crossed the 1 million users mark just last week, and have been hustling to add the infrastructure to support all of their new users. 

When I downloaded the app a few months ago, the content in my Discover tab was pretty heavily weighted towards news about Gaza, and creators in and around that region, so I’ll be interested to see how it evolves as new users come into the space.

Flashes offers an Instagram-like makeover for BlueSky users

Flashes is pretty much what it says on the tin: a photo and video app for Bluesky. It even offers Instagram-like features like photo filters. You do need to create a BlueSky account in order to use it, but once you do, your postings go out into their network of 40+ million subscribers.

There are a couple of limitations to be aware of before you dive in: videos are limited to 1 minute in length, versus 3 minutes on Instagram, or up to 60 (?!) minutes on TikTok. Additionally, Flashes allows posting of only 4 images at a time. When you compare that to Instagram’s upper limit of 20 images per post–or 10 per post, if you’re using a 3rd-party scheduling tool–it can feel pretty constrictive.

It does make up for those constraints with noticeably fewer constraints in how users see your content, though: because it’s built on BlueSky’s framework, users can browse content with custom-built, algorithm-driven, or even (gasp!) chronological feeds. It also offers customizable profile tabs and a portfolio mode, so you can tailor your profile to better fit the types of content you’re sharing.

Is it time to make a change in your social media, but you feel paralyzed by the options? I don’t do social media management like the other guys: my team runs your feeds with a zero-jargon, AI-free, tailored-to-you approach. Learn more here.

YouTube is a natural next step for video creators

When news of the potential TikTok ban broke early last year, TikTok creators started looking towards YouTube, and it makes sense: YouTube is the OG of video-centric platforms, and it actually boasts more active users than TikTok. 

With the addition of YouTube Shorts in 2021, it offered short-form video structure that competes directly with TikToks and Instagram Reels. The view rates from YouTube Shorts reportedly lag behind Instagram and TikTok, but this could easily change as more creators, and users in general, peel off from TikTok.

Also worth considering: as I noted recently, Creator Spotlight’s recent overview of content usage rights concluded that YouTube’s terms of use were the most creator-friendly of the big three video-centric platforms.

Suffice it to say, we’re in the midst of some “interesting times” in the social media space. It’s worth considering what pivots might be in your future, and what feels aligned with the values you want to lead with in your business.

You almost certainly did NOT hear it here first. A lot of the marketing bros and self-proclaimed thought leaders are acting like this is a big revelation or a masterful prediction, too. 

However, any marketer who’s being remotely honest with you knows: of course storytelling will be vital in marketing in 2026… because every year is the year of the storyteller.

AI-generated content has become predictably predictable

As the buzz around LLMs and AI-generated content grew louder, a lot of us in creative industries predicted that AI-generated content wouldn’t measure up in terms of quality. Visual artists, in particular, say that a machine simply can’t bring the human element into the work it produces. It creates without soul.

Even the more practical-minded of us–designers, copywriters, people who create to solve specific problems–warned that AI-generated content wouldn’t bring anything new to the party. 

LLMs are trained on content that already exists–often without express permission from the original creators. It then churns out it content based on that learning… which essentially means that nothing it creates is entirely new.  

Now, at the end of 2025, the AI boosters in marketing are finally noticing: as more AI-generated content enters the online space, everything has started to sound the same. This brings us back to the same, unavoidable question that businesses and marketers have been asking for ages: how the heck do we stand out from the other guys in our field?

Storytelling in marketing never actually left

We’ve seen this before: storytelling is the hot strategy, the key tactic, the thing you must implement, unless you want to get left behind. Storytelling is far from new, though–it’s older than the internet, and older than a lot of the guys who think that AI can somehow replicate or replace it. 

How old? Well, a colleague of mine left her big agency job, armed with her knowledge of marketing, and determined to bring storytelling to small business.

That was well over a decade ago… and at the time, the big agency she left was over 50 years old. Do that math.

And yet, capitalists, and optimization wonks, and AI fanboys, and, frankly, all of us who feel too frazzled by the act of trying to survive to even think about marketing, desperately want there to be a shortcut. And, there are folks in tech spaces looking to “optimize” or build shortcuts for us to collectively latch onto.

In the end, though, this keeps happening: launching a website doesn’t make your business boom? Try storytelling! Viral social media posts don’t solve your problems? You need storytelling! AI-generated content doesn’t move the needle? STORYTELLING! 

It always comes back around to this, because storytelling has always been the fuel that powers ANY good online marketing effort. No matter what tactics you’re using, you have to share a message that your audience cares about. If the story isn’t there, your audience isn’t motivated to listen.

Fundamentals, fundamentals, victory

Back in the day, the captain of my roller derby team loved using catch phrases to remind us why we worked so hard. We’d drill out something mind-numbingly basic, because you’re never too good for the basics.

Then, when the fancy strategies didn’t gel, and the game was spiraling out of our control, my captain would say, “fundamentals, fundamentals, victory!” We’d remember what we practiced, and those basics would get us the win.

The thing is, the same thing that applies to sports also applies to, well, just about everything we strive to do in life: we have to get the fundamentals on lock before we can start winning.

That means we can’t keep grabbing at shiny objects and shortcuts, while we ignore the things that really matter.

No LLM will be able to do our storytelling for us.

No number of Likes or Shares on a social media post will bump your revenue if it doesn’t earn you any clickthroughs.

No website is going to serve your business’ growth if it doesn’t get your ideal audience to actually book you.

So, yes, 2026 will, indeed, be the year of the storyteller… and 2027 will be, too. It’s high time for us all to leave behind the shortcuts, and start actually telling our story.

“But really, how DO I stand out?”

Whether you need a whole new website, or just someone to hold your hand while you draft your next marketing email, I’m here to help you answer that question.

Originally published on The Radical Marketer, our weekly newsletter about dealing with online marketing when you’re a bleeding heart with a business. Subscribe here to receive every issue, straight to your inbox.

Maybe you didn’t even get the details, and you just heard that “something” was happening between WP Engine and WordPress.

Tech folks like me had some Big Feelings about it. (nerds having strong opinions? Who could’ve predicted?! ) For business owners, however, it all probably just sounded like another potential stressor that you don’t need!

So, let’s just get this out of the way now: no, you don’t need to panic!

…okay, now that you’re breathing a bit easier, let’s distill all the mess down into what matters for You, a human whose organization may just happen to have a WordPress website:

A longtime beef between WP Engine and WordPress came to a head.

If not, here’s the abbreviated version: the co-founder of WordPress (Matt Mullenweig) has been big mad at WP Engine, a dedicated WordPress webhost. Mullenweig doesn’t love that WP Engine is, essentially, making big bucks because of WordPress, without giving more back to the open-source community. 

(side note: if you’re like, “what’s the deal with web hosting?” here’s an oldie-but-goodie where I explain what a web host is, and what makes a good one)

After Mullenweig called out WP Engine publicly, they hit back with a lawsuit claiming defamation, and even extortion.

So, long story made very short, WordPress.org blocked WP Engine from accessing their servers. This meant that, if your website was hosted by WP Engine, all of those quick-and-easy “Update Now” buttons on your Plugins page stopped working.

If you love other people’s drama and want to know the full story, here’s the top of the rabbit hole: WordPress’ post stating that WP Engine is banned from their servers.

“Wait, do I need to quit WordPress forever now?!”

I’ve talked for a loooong time about how outdated plugins can leave your website vulnerable to hacking. Not being able to easily update plugins is a big deal! Understandably, a lot of folks wondered what they should do in response to this drama. 

Is it time to run screaming from WordPress altogether?! In my humble opinion: no, you don’t need to cut WordPress from your tech stack.

• If your web host is anyone but WP Engine (or Flywheel, which is owned by WP Engine), none of that drama affects you at all!
  
• If you are on WP Engine and still feel concerned about this dust-up, you do have the option to move your website elsewhere.
  
• Hosting aside, WordPress is still a completely FREE platform, which lets you update content without knowing how to code, and it’s a powerful, extensible platform that can offer a lot of helpful functions for your business. 

So, yeah, take a deep breath and relax. WordPress is still a reliable tool, and you don’t have to completely rebuild your website anytime soon. (well, unless you want to)

You don’t really need to worry about moving to another web host, either (yet).

If you’re on WP Engine and you’re stressed about it, never fear: WP Engine has already created and deployed a workaround so they’re able to run automatic software updates again. That means things are basically back to normal from a customer perspective.

If you still feel uneasy after hearing all of this, though, I don’t blame you. I’m a longtime Flywheel fangirl from the days before they were acquired by WP Engine, and I feel wobbly about this situation, too.

The main thing to remember is that, if you were already thinking about changing things up, this could be a good excuse to start exploring alternatives. And, better yet, you have some time to think about and test those other options, and determine if they’re the right fit.

“So wait, how do I protect my website in the future?”

I believe that your website should be YOURS once it’s built, and there’s a lot to be said for being able to take your website wherever you want. There are a couple of things you should make sure are happening, so you can move house when it’s time:

• Regular backups. Most any decent web host will do nightly backups of your website, in case anything goes wrong, so if yours doesn’t, it’s time for an upgrade.
  
• Regular plugin updates. So many websites get hacked or break down entirely because their plugins weren’t updated regularly. You’re keeping your website more stable, secure, and easier to move by doing those updates–and some web hosts will do this for you.

If reading those two bullet points made you start sweating, I’ll point you towards Kronda at Karvel Digital, who wrote up an awesome overview of updating your plugins manually, setting up backups, and even migrating your entire website. Her Automation Club is a great resource for this and other time-saving integrations in your business tech!

If you just don’t want to tangle with ANY of this, however, you can always find a website pro to handle it all for you. As a starting point, take a peek at our very affordable and all-around-awesome WordPress Website Maintenance Plans.

Overall, I’m annoyed that this kerfuffle between WP Engine and WordPress caused so many small business owners to panic over something they may not even fully understand. But, hopefully this helps you make sense of it all, and breathe easier!

Find us on DesignRush: Discover web design services here.

They’re usually not as earth-shattering as we think, and even when it feels dire, we learn from those stumbles and figure out how to do better next time. 

Still, I’d like to help you avoid a few of those early mistakes, by sharing a few things I wish I’d known during Upswept Creative’s first year of business:

1) Your Small Business is Not For Everyone.

I’ve asked a lot of business owners who they think their offering is for, and they’ll often say, “oh, I think everyone could benefit from this!” They’ll rattle off several audiences or reasons why, and sure, it all sounds reasonable.

And yet, that’s often where new businesses start to lose their way: even if “everyone” could conceivably benefit from what you offer, it’s not really FOR everyone! 

Don’t believe me? Consider this: your offer is not for people who aren’t ready to make the change you’ll bring them. (not everyone is!)

It’s not for people who will have you losing sleep, because they don’t respect the boundaries you’ve set around your work. 

And it’s definitely not for people who aren’t willing to pay what you’re worth. 

If you want to dodge this mistake, start thinking about who’s READY for you. Who has the right mindset? Who has the resources? Who is ready to put their money where their mouth is and invest in your services? 

Then, start zooming in on what those folks have in common. You’ll likely find that it’s far easier to sell your work!

2) Don’t Go All-In on Social Media.

This is maybe a funny thing for me to be saying–I literally offer social media services, after all. And don’t get me wrong: social media can be a valuable investment!… as long as you’re ready for it.

What often happens, however, is that a lot of scrappy entrepreneurs start from zero, thinking that social media will be the magic bullet that gets everyone buying. 

I was no exception! But then, reality hit me: success through organic social calls for a LOT of consistent effort, put in over time. When I was in that early stage of business, I didn’t really have the time or money to throw at social, so my feeds were inconsistent–and inconsistency is often the thing that kills your visibility on social. 

I couldn’t patiently wait for the return on my organic social media efforts, either. Newer businesses usually need a faster return on a smaller investment, and that’s often an investment of time. When you need to book new clients fast, dusting off your Instagram account after several months of ignoring it won’t do the job.

The fact is, as a brand-new business, I’d have been better off focusing on networking, partnerships, or email marketing to build my foundation–and so will you. Then, you can move onto social media to widen that circle once you’re well-established.

3) Only Sell the Work You Want to Do.

In that first year as a solo entrepreneur, I needed to get paid! That led to me taking on a downright unhinged variety of projects: 

• I designed posters and flyers. 
• I dug into hand-coded HTML web pages. (a more common occurrence 13 years ago than it is nowadays!) 
• I worked with all kinds of folks, from tiny budgets to big needs. 
• I took product and real estate photos. 

Here’s the thing: I knew the online space is where I really shine. I knew I wanted to work in WordPress. I knew that in my heart, but for some reason, I slapped all of those other services up onto my website anyway, because I knew I could get paid for them. 

Basically, anything in the design and marketing realm that I thought I could do reasonably well was fair game… but so many of them WEREN’T things I wanted to do all the time! They were merely paychecks.

There are two HUGE reasons why you should only actively sell the work you really want to be doing in your business: 

1. it’s much easier to market and get really good at two services than 20!
2. There will be times when no amount of money is worth doing something you don’t want to do.

Note that this does not mean that you can’t accept other work, if you need to! If you’re feeling the baby business blues and are strapped for cash, it might bring you more peace in the short-term to take those less-than-ideal projects. But, if you don’t enjoy doing those projects, don’t actively sell them.

How did my small business fare in the end?

Well, I’m writing this blog post, so clearly, I made it through the ups and downs. I definitely learned some things the hard way (oops), but now I have a team, and have focused down into websites, social media, and email marketing. It’s 13 years later, and my workdays are much simpler, money comes more easily, and I’m working on projects that I’m actually excited about!

Hopefully, you’re well on your way to a business that lasts 10 years, 20 years, or more! (?!) But if you’re over those early humps and feeling growing pains, jump onto our weekly email series, Social Media Snack Break, to get some help delivered straight to your inbox.

When you’re a new service business, there’s the temptation to take on every client that pays. Even if you may not want to work with a client, you might say yes just to get revenue flowing. (We’ve all been there!)

But, if you’re an established business, there’s the fear of shifting who you serve. Maybe you’re bringing in a stable income with clients who were really exciting to work with back in the day… but now the work doesn’t quite light you up like it used to. Or, maybe your existing client base doesn’t align with your vision for the future.

Whatever the reason, that awkward twinge in your gut is your body telling you to think about client fit. Paying attention to client fit benefits your business, and starting now will bring you more peace and profit in the year to come.

Client fit builds an audience that’s absolutely right for you.

It feels scary to say no to bad-fit clients when you’re new. It’s even scarier to start building a new audience when you’re comfortable with the one you have. 

But, when you think about where your business could be a year or two from now, do you want your inbox to be full of inquiries from this type of client? If you don’t want that, but you keep saying yes to them anyway, you could end up growing an audience you never wanted in the first place.

You’ll save time by ensuring a clear and respectful relationship.

Even when a client needs what you have to offer, the client fit could fall short in other ways:

• Do they work in an industry that doesn’t fit you, or that you even find to be… boring?
• Does the client expect you to be available 24/7, or outside of business hours? 
• Are they asking for fast turnarounds or last-minute changes that you aren’t able to easily accommodate?
• Do they micromanage you when you’d rather be given creative freedom?
• Do they want to be totally hands-off when you prefer to build a more collaborative relationship?

When a client’s needs don’t align with your work style, you take on a bigger headache than you would for a client who fits you well… and you won’t even get paid more for your trouble! Sounds like a bum deal, doesn’t it?

Paying attention to client fit means that you’ll have a client who understands what you need from them and respects your boundaries. You get paid and get to work with someone delightful!

Client fit builds the potential for more ideal clients to come through with less effort from you.

If you’re building a referral-based business, it’s even more important to pay attention to client fit!  When your existing clients refer others to you, they’re most likely to refer you someone who’s just like them.

Think about it: if you just wrapped up working with the Client From Hell, would you want them to send you even more clients like them? Whether working with them was boring, frustrating, or just more than you bargained for, you know you don’t want to do it again.

On the flip side of that, if you just finished your work with an ideal client who was absolutely lovely to work with… do you want them to tell all of their like-minded friends and colleagues about you?

I think I can guess which option sounds better to you.

It doesn’t have to be hard to assess client fit, either.

Not sure whether you have the bandwidth to suss out whether a client fit is pitch-perfect? Even a brief conversation with the client can give you enough information to feel sure in your choice, or enough red flags that you know to pass them onto someone else. Spending that 15 minutes of time up-front could save you hours upon hours of time and frustration!

How can you shift your marketing or your consultation process to start making sure those dream clients come thru?

“But wait, I haven’t done email marketing–I don’t even have a list!” you might be saying.

It’s okay. A lead magnet is just what you need to grow your list, get a foothold in email marketing, and grow your business! 

If you’re not sure how to create a lead magnet, or even what one is, we’ve got you covered.

What is a lead magnet?

A lead magnet is a free item or service that you offer in exchange for a visitor’s contact information. 

You’ve likely seen a lead magnet before, in forms like these:

• 15% off your first order from an online shop
• A free trial of a software subscription or service
• A downloadable checklist or guide
• A webinar or other online learning

There are other ways to get creative with your lead magnet, but it can also be really simple, if that’s what feels right for your business.

Why do I need a lead magnet?

Simply put: a lead magnet is the extra incentive your audience needs to sign up for your list! 

The online space gets more crowded by the day, and “Sign up for our newsletter” just isn’t enough to motivate your audience to subscribe anymore. 

By offering your audience a bonus, you’ll motivate them to sign up. For service providers, you’re also giving yourself the opportunity to build trust, and remind them of what you offer, so each person who signs up is more likely to buy from you.

How do I create my own lead magnet?

Okay, so you’re all-in on creating a lead magnet for your business… but how do you get started? There are a few things to keep in mind, as you come up with an idea for yours:

Solve a (small) problem your ideal client has.

A lead magnet should provide some value to your audience, so they feel that they’ve gotten some benefit from signing up for your email list. Whether you offer a discount, a consultation, or a free guide, it should help your ideal client solve a problem they deal with.

Make it short, sweet, and easy to use.

When we say “small problem,” we mean that! You don’t want to give away all of your genius for free–you just want to offer a taste. Then, they’ll be more motivated to book you for deeper work.

Show yourself as the expert you are!

Your lead magnet isn’t just for getting subscribers–it’s there to help you build trust, too. You know so much about what you do for work, and your audience is signing up to get a sample of that. 

Share info and strategies in your lead magnet that show off your expertise, and your audience will remember you as an expert!

Deliver it instantly!

Your lead magnet should give folks that sweet dopamine hit of accomplishment, by delivering your offer right when they sign up! The more you delay on delivery, the less likely they are to engage with it and discover how great you are.

You can set up most email platforms to deliver an email right away when a new subscriber joins, so make sure to take advantage of that.

Feeling lost with creating your own lead magnet?

We offer Lead Magnet Coaching and Creation, to guide you through identifying the slice of genius you want to share and distilling it into an enticing offer that gets folks signing on, and gets delivered in a snap. Find out more about how we can help you attract more clients!

I get it, too–it’s a tool with a lot of potential, if you know what you’re doing! Some of those changes, however? Mmmmaybe aren’t so positive.

I won’t tell you how to live your life  But if you’re going to embrace AI, I do want you to know what you’re getting into.

First, answer this question:

• Will you be writing all of your copy yourself?
• OR, do you want to hand off copywriting entirely?

“I have to write my own copy.”

If you’re writing your own copy, using AI for marketing copy can actually be a helpful time-saver. Got a topic to write about, but find yourself staring at a blinking cursor and feeling stuck? Asking an AI such as ChatGPT to write about that topic can give you a starting point to work from. 

If you go this route, make sure that you: 

1. check the copy for accuracy, because there’s a lot of misinformation out there.
2. make edits to fit the type of marketing (social, email, blog, etc.).
3. revise the copy so it sounds more like you, and less like a robot.

So, if you’re a newer business that doesn’t have a marketing budget yet, it could actually be appropriate to tag that robot for some help. You’ll be putting your own time into your marketing copy anyway, so a time saving measure like this one is a HUGE win for folks like you.

What if I want to hand off my marketing copy?

If you’ve been reading about AI and thinking, “why don’t I just save some budget and use AI for marketing copy across the board? What’s the problem with that?”

I know, you don’t WANT to write your own copy. You’re busy, you don’t like writing, you’d rather be going on a hike or having some oh-so-precious quiet time.

But sorry, friends, here’s the harsh truth: AI is NOT a substitute for good marketing.

“But why not,” you ask? WELL, here are just a few things our robot overlords can’t do:

• AI doesn’t do unique strategy for your business–it just does exactly what you ask it to. A good copywriter or marketer will come up with strategy as part of their content creation.
• Copywriters and marketers check for accuracy. ChatGPT doesn’t have that kind of quality control built-in.
• An AI “learns” by looking at existing copy… which leads to it generating content that sounds just like everyone else in your industry. (womp wommmmp) Copywriters and marketers, on the other hand, know how to create content that stands out.

The long and the short of it is, if you’re big enough to have a marketing budget, you’ll get much more out of your investment by working with a human being. There’s no algorithm for creativity (well, not yet anyway), and it doesn’t pay to cut corners on quality.

What can I do instead?

If handing off all of your content to a copywriter or marketer feels cost-prohibitive right now, consider hiring an editor or a copy coach to support you! Having an expert eye on the content you create will help you learn to create better content faster, and you’ll see better results from your marketing.

Are you looking for support with your online marketing? Get in touch with us! We can help you rework it all–marketing copy included!–or connect you with a trusted copywriting expert.

As tempting as it is to take it off your to-do list, it is worth it to keep your email marketing efforts consistent year-round! There are a few reasons you might not have considered, too.

Email marketing helps improve sales.

You’ve probably experienced this as a consumer: a major holiday comes up, and suddenly you’re bombarded with promo emails from every list you’ve joined, and every website you’ve ever purchased from. And then, they disappear for 6 months or a year.

It can get irritating, and also feels, well, kind of gross, right? It’s like that business only thinks about you when they want something from you.

Right now, you probably send out an email blast when it’s a typically busy day or season for you. Still, you’ll often see even more benefit with consistent email marketing.

Every email you send throughout the year is an opportunity to upsell to your current clients. It also keeps you top-of-mind, so when a potential client does need you, you’re the first person they call.

Email marketing can teach your audience.

When I say “teach,” I’m not just talking about giving away free advice. 

Email isn’t constricted by character counts or image requirements, which makes it a great way to educate your audience about what you do.

By using email marketing year-round, you can answer common questions, and talk in more depth about what makes you different from your competitors. People will be able to read your emails and know if you’re the right person to help them before they even reach out to you.

Best of all, email can give your readers a clear sense of who your audience actually is. If they learn that they’re not for you, they can simply unsubscribe–leaving you with a curated list of folks who ARE right for you.

Your email list is all yours!

A lot of your small business pals are probably buzzing about social media, whether they love it or hate it. The thing none of them talk about often enough, however, is that the social media platform controls everything you do on it. Your posts, your connections, the loyal fan base that you worked so hard to build–even whether you have access to keep using it.

With billionaires buying social platforms, banning users for flimsy reasons, and generally behaving badly, you may not even want to stay on a given social platform. They’re not exactly the most uplifting spaces on the internet, after all.

The good news? With your email marketing, you’re in control! No matter what platform you use, you’ve built your list, you’ve created your content, and you decide what gets sent. Research still shows that it’s the best way to reach your audience, and no mysterious social algorithm is going to get between you and your audience, either. 

In short, it’s worth it to keep up with your email marketing all year. It’s going to be the most consistent, and consistently rewarding tool you can use for your business.

Are you excited to level up your email marketing, but don’t know how to get started? You can book an email marketing consultation now, and we can point you in the right direction. 

That kind of energy is huge this time of year, in life and in business. We want to make the most of it, so it’s tempting to do ALL THE THINGS… and yet, you probably don’t have room to do ALL of the things right now, right?

So, if one of your big changes is about a redesign of your website, I’m going to suggest you pump the brakes for a second. (A web designer telling you to slow down with your website? What?!) 

Yes, seriously, because as excited as you might be to dive in, it’s worth your while to do a quick sanity check! There are a few big things to think about that’ll help you decide whether the time is Now or Not.

Is your website actually reaching your goals?

Think about it: if your website is doing the job it’s designed to do, then there might be other parts of your business that need your attention more.

If it’s not bringing you those leads or sales or email newsletter signups, though, then now is the time to fix that!

If you’re thinking, “What do you mean, goals?” then the answer is probably No. That also means you have some thinking to do! 

Before you start to redesign your website, you’ll want to know what results you want to see from it! Even a simple website plan can be a huge help for the web designer you plan to work with.

Does your audience know how to find what they need?

Outside of serving your goals, your website’s job is to give your audience what they want. So ask yourself: can they find it?

If you’re getting constant emails and phone calls with questions that you know your website is supposed to answer, your website likely does need a tune-up.

Or, maybe your website used to be a great fit! …But now it feels more like you’re trying to fit an entire circus’ worth of content into a tiny clown car. If you’ve outgrown what you have, it could be time for something new.

Does your website feel like a maze? Simply sitting down and planning your website can help you and your web designer get a handle on what content needs to be there–and what’s most important.

Does it look appealing to you and the people you want to attract?

I’ll be the first to tell you that even the prettiest, most dynamic website won’t sell a damned thing without appealing and inviting content. 

Even so, I’m not going to tell you that looks don’t matter, because, well, they do. 

Good content does a lot of the heavy lifting on any good website, but it can’t do any lifting if you’re embarrassed to show your website to anyone!

It may be high time to redesign your website if:

• it doesn’t visually align with the look of your other marketing materials
• the design doesn’t appeal to the audience you want to attract (note: the audience you want may not be the same as the audience you’re already getting!)
• the look and feel doesn’t fit with where you want your business to go next.

So, how much do looks matter to you? They could be a good enough reason for a redesign.

If you redesign your website, do you even have time to think about it?

This is a really hard question for small businesses, because we always seem to be busy! Still, even if you hire a professional to redesign your website, it’s still going to take some of your time.

Any good web designer will at least some of your time for things like:

• giving them a sense of what you want your website to look like
• telling them what you want your visitors to do on your website
• giving them feedback about whether things are headed in the right direction
• making sure all of the information that needs to be there is included.

If it’s your busy season, and you don’t even have 5 seconds to reply to your web designer with a thumbs up emoji, you might have to put redesigning your website on hold for a bit.

Do you know you’re too busy now, but want to make sure you don’t put it off? You can book a web design consultation now, and let them know when you’ll be ready to start! Your dream web designer may not even be able to start right away, but even if they are, no creative is ever going to complain about being booked out into the future.

If all of this talk about website goals and content has you reeling, my Simplify + Sell Website Planner is just the thing! Get your own copy, organize your thoughts, and get clear on your goals for the new year.

So what’s the catch? Even if it makes you feel warm and fuzzy, not every testimonial is gold for online marketing. 

Not every testimonial is helping your website sell for you, either. In fact, the way you use testimonials on your website could actually be hurting you.

There are a few things to watch out for when you’re choosing your next website testimonial.

Testimonials that are too vague

We know that a good testimonial can build a potential client’s trust in your business. 72% of folks say testimonials help them trust a business, in fact. Even so, some testimonials don’t do the best job of that.

Consider this: have you ever asked a friend about a service you’re looking for, and they give you a recommendation. They’re glowing with praise, saying, “they’re so great! Totally the best in town!” When you get that service for yourself, however, you find that it’s… well, not so great?

That’s because what makes them great for your friend doesn’t necessarily make them great for you.

Testimonials on your website are like that, too. All the “greats,” and “bests,” prove that someone loved your work, but they don’t tell your audience why that is.

When you’re choosing which testimonial deserves to be on your website, look for that why. Testimonials from clients who talk about the problem you solved, the positive changes they felt, or the parts of your approach they loved are way more convincing than a bunch of vague superlatives taking up space.

Testimonials that take up too much space

Speaking of taking up space, one of the biggest ways that testimonials can cost you sales is by taking up too much space–especially on your homepage.

I’ve seen testimonials that are practically a novella pasted onto a business homepage, and let me be real with you: nobody is going to read that testimonial. They may skip over it entirely.

And when they skip over it, they may also skip over something important–like that button to book a session with you. Or they could leave your website entirely.

So, keep it brief. Choose the one or two sentences from that endless string of praises that actually communicate what’s so special about your work. Give folks just enough to keep them interested, without distracting from the most important elements of your website.

Testimonials on your website that are hidden away

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I stand by it:

Testimonials pages on your website are a waste of time.

Sure, having a testimonials page is better than having no testimonials on your website at all, but you’re missing out on a lot of the benefits of a really juicy testimonial.

Having testimonials on their own separate page just hides them away from your audience, hoping that they’ll just happen to click on the right link to see them.

Wouldn’t it be much more powerful to share the details of one of your services on your website, and then have that perfect testimonial right there alongside it, telling your audience exactly why they should book you right now?

Yes, yes it would. 

If you have that social proof, don’t hide it away. Try pairing it with your other web content for that extra punch.

Want some help figuring out what should go on your homepage instead of that college-essay-length testimonial? You can try a Website One-on-One to get some of my quick insights, or book a Website Design consultation and my team and I will hook you up with a full project that guide you through it.