Liz Wiltsie

WordPress and the Small Business Owner

I want to talk about self-reliance. Specifically, website self-reliance. As a small business owner, how many times have you wanted to change or add content to your website and not been able to? If you had your website built even 2 or 3 years ago, that is ok. Today, it is unnecessary.

Many of my clients and friends know, I am a GIANT WordPress fan. The ease with which non-coders can edit and adjust web content is stellar. I know some people like Joomla or Drupal better. That’s cool, the theory is the same. A content management system (CMS) lets a business owner edit content for both pages, blog posts, and sidebars. The content is not hard coded into a website, so changing certain parts is super easy.

Take a look at some examples of websites built on WordPress:
Timbuk2
WooThemes
Altitude Branding
Love and Kale

There are many people/companies that can take a design and translate it into a WordPress/Joomla/etc theme. But as a client, you have to ask for this. If you don’t ask, you may get stuck with a website you have to pay to update. When cash is tight, spend the money for a great theme in which you can control the content.

There are also excellent themes (free and paid) that already exist. This is another way to get started. Google WordPress Themes for lots of examples. WooThemes is one of my favorites because they build extra functionality into their themes. WooThemes takes extra time to make sure that you, the small business owner, can change a lot about the look and feel of your theme without having to be a code master. I’m using the Canvas theme on my site now.

Whether you decide to go with a theme that was custom designed, or buy one WordPress will allow you the freedom to update on a whim without worrying about breaking your site. Because let’s face it, small business owners are not often web developers.

Small Biz Tools: SugarSync

What is it?
Online backup plus multiple computer sync. SugarSync allows you to keep your important files constantly backed up AND in sync across multiple computers.

Why should you use it?
SugarSync is seamless. For many of us, we have more than one computer we need to work on. Many times one is a Mac and one is a PC. SugarSync, by way of a small desktop app, keeps your chosen files up to date on any computer you assign. It also has web access, so if you are away from your personal computer you are never away from your most important files. They also use the same encryption that banks do so your data is as safe as it can be on the internet.

Who can get the most out of it?
Professionals on the go, teams sharing files across large distances, anyone who has ever lost a file.

Where do I find more information?
SugarSync Website.

Excellent Ad Campaign

As you well know, I am a fan of excellent ads.  Also, I am very picky.  The Pedigree commercial from the 2009 Super Bowl was my favorite from that event.  The concept of “shouldn’t you get a dog?” was well executed.  I find myself remembering more commercials that make me laugh, and a fair few with dogs.

Here is the Super Bowl 2009 Commercial:

The new campaign talks about dogs and love and dogs and poop.  Anyone that can weave that together well has my vote.  See the whole campaign on my playlist on YouTube.