Category: Online Marketing

Bad Web Host: The What, Why and How
How do you know if your web host sucks? How do you check if you are using a bad web host for your website? Or even worst, are you struggling to keep your server uptime on a positive side?

In today’s web hosting market, there are just too many web hosting services that are under performing. Searching for the term “cheap WordPress hosting” on Google will gives you an approximately 1,010,000 search results.

The truth is, there are many (and I mean M-A-N-Y) web hosting companies that offer super cheap hosting services but comes with subpar performance. Downtimes, inaccessible websites and above all, unsecured ports that leads to website hacks are just a few to name.

I’m sure you get the point and even heard about them!

How do you determine a web host is bad?

The million dollar question, if you ask me.

I used a fair share of shared web hosting services and this often comes lingerring in my head.

How do I know the web host I’m using is a bad web host?

How do I determine if the web hosting service I use is not ideal?

Carry on reading below on some of the ways you can determine if the website is good (or bad) for your website.

1. Bad web host makes your website slow (slow website loading speed)

How fast does your website loads? Does it takes over 5 seconds to load or under 1.5 seconds?

Here’s what Google says.

2 seconds or less — that’s how fast your website should load if you want to retain the happiness of your website visitors and getting love from Google.

And here’s a BIG, BIG fact to take note.

You don’t need to use premium WordPress hosting like WP Engine (click here to see its latest pricing review) to make your website loads under 1.5 seconds. You can achieve that simply by using a shared web hosting like I do in the test below.

As you can see above, my homepage is massively 2 MB and it takes 1.37 seconds to load completely. So, how do I achieve such results?
- checkI used an optimized web hosting build specially for me and my tribe (click here for more information)
- checkServers are based on LiteSpeed servers for better speed
- checkLiteSpeed Cache plugin (that works extremely well with the server)
- checkAutoptimize plugin
- checkOptimized images
- checkRemoval of unwanted plugins (I use Thrive plugins heavily as they are 100% optimized for speed)
- checkStudioPress theme which offers super fast website loading and inbuilt SEO features
It is important to understand that the above combination is required to achieve the fastest loading speed for your website. Of course, a good web host will outdo the bad web host at anytime of the day!

If you want to dive more into website loading speed, here’s a quick video for you.

How to check for website loading speed?

My favorite go to tool would be Pingdom Website Speed Test. It is free to use and works like charm. It also comes with a good reporting feature that allows you to understand which part is slowing down your website and how you can solve the issue for a faster website.

Diving through the reports will give you an idea especially if you are using a bad web host. The response time (in milliseconds or ms) will help you to easily weed out the bad web hosting services.

2. Bad web host gives you a lot of errors on Google Search Console

Another way to check if you are using a bad web host is through Google Search Console.

Head over to Google Search Console and select your account/website of choice.

This is what you will see on the dashboard.

A bad website hosting company will often lead to many errors including server errors and 404’s. At some cases, you will also get server connectivity issues which means website visitors will have problem trying to access your site.

If you are a freelance website developer, freelance writer or affiliate marketer who uses website to generate leads, you are going to literally cry because you are not getting sales!

I’m using a bad web host! What should I do now?

You are at the cross road and I totally get it. We all make mistakes and the pain is real. You might also feel sad and disappointed with the current web host because they are making you lose business.

If you are looking for a good web hosting service that doesn’t burn a hole in your wallet, Host With me (web hosting for beginners) is a great option to start with. At only $6.99 per month, you are going to get a way much better shared web hosting performance and experience — and I can guarantee you that or 60 days money back guarantee no matter what your reason!

If you are looking for an enterprise web hosting or web hosting for high traffic sites, WP Engine is an excellent choice. The performance, security and support levels provided by WP Engine is best to none that I have tested.
May 4, 2024
Start A Web Design Business With No Experience: How To Find Your First Client?
With many businesses digitizing their operations and shifting their focus to the online market, there are several opportunities created for the computer-savvy. For one, more web designers are needed to meet the rising demands for such services. As you’d expect, every business that’s joining the current trends needs a functional website to boost its online presence.

Therefore, if you have the necessary skills, you can make a killing in this field. However, like any other industry, competition is an expected barrier for any beginner. Inasmuch as starting a web design business with no experience can be difficult, and sometimes frustrating, there are few tips to keep in mind for long-term success.

In this article, you will discover the exact steps you can start a web design business with no experience at all. This article will give you insights on how to start your very own website, run your own ads on social media, and even work with other professionals that can help you.

I recommend you to bookmark this article because I’m going to share some important facts and tips not shared anywhere else — and more importantly, I don’t see anyone is talking about this because it will affect their business!

*P.S. Web design business often requires some level of copywriting/essay writing skills. If you don’t have it, make an essay for me using DoMyEssay.

How To Start A Web Design Business With No Experience?

The most important keyword here is not “web design business” but it is “no experience. How can anyone start a web design business successfully, let alone without experience? It can be intimidating at first, but it’s not an impossible dream. With proper strategy and framework, you can achieve a lot of fame within a short time period.

As you prepare your strategy, keep in mind that web design and digital marketing go hand in hand. Therefore, as someone with no experience in the field, it would be a good idea to outsource marketing-related tasks to reputable agencies like Black Digital Group. This way, you can concentrate on matters design and integrate digital marketing tools here and there as advised by your selected agency.

Important note: The goal is to start a web design business with the shortest time possible without experience. As your business grows, you need to start focusing and growing your company (hiring web designers for more advanced features etc.)

Question: Can I really make money as a web designer without experience?

Absolutely! You will not get tons of business when you just start, probably just one or two for the first month. From there on, you will need to sharpen your skills in lead generation and converting leads to paying customers.

Ultimately, the goal is to convert the home-based web designer business into a full-fledged, thriving business. This can only be achieved when you have the right strategy and the right team member to support your work.

Getting Started As A Fresh Web Designer

With zero testimonial and nothing to show in your portfolio, it can be very challenging to find a client. It’s important, though, that you don’t panic, especially when you can’t find a single person or company to work for.

What should you do? Freelancing is your best way because it instantly expose you to thousands of potential clients. More importantly, you can start for free.

The first step is to sign up for a freelancer account. Make sure you create a new account to enjoy the free upgrade to Professional for 30 days. Again, click here to sign up.

Verify your account and make your profile as complete as possible. Be descriptive of what you can offer — always remember that clients hire you because of what you can offer them.

Here’s a sample profile for you to refer to. Of course, I only offer copywriting and marketing on Freelancer.

Why choose Freelancer?

It is a professional and prominent platform where clients are often looking for freelancers. And at one given time, there are thousands of web designing projects up for bidding.

Take a look at the image above. 2,231 web design projects are up for bidding at this point of time!

Do you know that the average web design project is approximately $300?

Imagine you have one project per week. That’s $1,200 for you per month, even without you leaving your day job!

Crazy right?

Cold Calling/Email To The Local Businesses

You should be bold and be daring to reach out the local businesses to help them create an online identity.

The easiest way to start this is rather simple. Randomly search on Google for joints or businesses in your area.

If the Google search results show only Facebook or Twitter account, I’m pretty confident that they do not have a website.

What you do next is to reach out to them and focus in speaking or emailing directly to the person in charge.

While cold calling is one of the best ways to make get clients for your web designing services, be prepared as this is one of the toughest ways as a sales person.

Nonetheless, if you are desperate to get for sales, you should use cold calling (with a template) to ensure that you are using the right words and convincing the potential clients on your services.

Get web designing clients using the Internet

There are over a billion questions asked every day on Google and it makes all the sense for you to rank on Google.

After all, organic traffic from Google is one of the best ways to get sales and clients for your web designing business.

But, how how to start a web design business with no experience?

Solution #1: Start by creating a website

A blog serves as your online branding machine and I love to consider my blog as my PR Manager.

You don’t have to create 500 pages WordPress blog to talk about your experience and skills in web designing.

You can start with only under 5 pages website that showcase your skills.

My favorite go-to website builder is Thrive Architect and it allows me to create simple, beautiful and high converting single page website designs in minutes (see below).

By having an online presence, you will stand a better chance to get more clients directly from Google when you are targeting on the right search terms.

With proper strategy, you can easily increase your Google ranking by multiple folds.

Looking for alternatives to Thrive Architect? Here’s a complete comparison between Thrive Architect vs Divi vs WP Beaver Builder.

Solution #2: Social media advertising to the rescue

The second solution to starting a web design business with no experience is through social media advertising.

After creation of a website, you should create ads to drive traffic back to your site.

Social media advertising can be costly if you have messed up the targeting. Therefore, be really specific on who your target audience are and the interest groups that most likely to convert.

Generally, you should have a complete persona which includes:
- Age
- Location
- Gender
- Work experience
- Work title
- Industry
- Company size
With proper targeting, you can reduce the cost of advertising by multiple folds at the very least!

Why Work With A Web Design Agency?

Once you’ve grown your web design business and you gain many clients, you might want to consider working with a web design agency. For instance, you can work with FatCat Studios or any other reliable web design firm while you’re still hiring and building your in-house marketing team.

In this way, you can assign other tasks from your clients to them without worrying about the output result. You’re confident that the digital marketing agency will provide excellent services that you also aim for your clients.

Summary: How to start a web design business with no experience?

There are many ways you can start a web design business with little to no experience. While the start is often rocky, there shouldn’t be any reason stopping you to achieve your dream!

If you don’t have formal training or background in web design, it makes sense to learn from the best web design agencies in the market. There are many free tutorials, certification courses, and training seminars that web design agencies offer nowadays. Some agencies even have a dedicated section on their website that provides design tips and how-to guides that you can read or download for free or for a small fee. You can get started from there.
May 4, 2024
Website Design Proposal: Your ULTIMATE Guide To Close More Sales
How do you create (if that’s the right team) a great website design proposal?

As an entrepreneur, I’m always finding for quick ways to make money online, on the side and without leaving my day job.

Managing a website design company on the side is definitely one of the easiest ways to achieve such. It is also one of the highly recommended tips especially if you are looking for small business ideas under $50 and something that you can start this weekend.

Without further adieu, let’s dive right into creating a website design proposal.

What is a website design proposal?

There are many versions to this and for me, the definition of a website design proposal is simple.

A web design proposal is your opportunity to sell yourself as well as your work.

This is the only platform you need to convince your potential client on your skills, expertise and knowledge in this field.

And your website design proposal will determine whether you make it (or you don’t).

How to create a website design proposal?

These are the steps you need to do before, during and after creating a website design proposal.

Step 1: Creating a website design proposal template

Template creation allows you to churn out web design proposals fast and without needing to spend hours creating one from scratch.

The template should includes information such as:
- Introduction of yourself (and your team)
- Advantages/Benefits working with you
- What you can offer
- check-circle-oSamples of your work (or mock ups)
- check-circle-oContacting you for quote
Step 2: Getting started with the website design proposal

You should start by introducing yourself. A professional photo of yourself and your team is critical to create the great first impression.

In this part, avoid selling yourself or the services. Instead, focus to be as human as possible and being real is important.

Give a short and interesting summary to avoid your potential clients getting bored.

Step 3: What are the benefits working with you?

Website development projects are always similar and what makes them different is the experience before, during and after the project.

If you want to be a successful freelance website developer, you need to wear many hats including being a sales person.

Always remember that having the best skills is not effective if you are unable to produce sales.

Here are some of the benefits you can consider:
- Fast turnover
- Affordable prices
- Addons and perks which are free of charge
- checkMultiple website design revisions without charge
- checkInclusive of web hosting and domain name
- checkSSL certificate and other security features
- checkInstallation of plugins
Step 4: What are you offer (more than your competitors)?

You are not the only one in the market and you should know your competitors.

In this case, your website design proposal should include offers and benefits which are not offered by your competitors.

These are your unique selling points (or known as “USP”) which can possibly make your clients say “Yes!”

Include these USP in your website design proposal to ensure that you stay a higher chance of closing the deal.

Step 5: Samples of your previous web designing work or provide web design mock ups

The next step is to show your clients on your previous works. If you are brand new in this industry and struggling to get your first web design client, consider using web design mock ups to portray your skills.

How to create your web design portfolio?
- 1Purchase a domain from Namecheap
- 2Get a web hosting service from BlueHost
- 3Install WordPress as your website content management system (CMS)
- 4Install a professional website theme (I recommend Thrive Themes)
- 5Create a landing page that serves as your portfolio
Important note: I recommend Thrive Themes because it is easy to use and comes with 9 Thrive plugins that allows you to market your website and help you increase your sales. Read my 2018 Thrive Themes review or click here to see the Thrive Themes demo page.

Step 6: Make it easy for your clients to contact you

This is one of the biggest mistakes done by web developers when they are sending their website design proposal. They did not provide a point of contact for the clients!

I’m a huge believer in making it easy for your clients to contact you. You need to provide these in all your website design proposal:
- 1-click email (use mailto:email@yourwebsite.com)
- Direct number
- WhatsApp or WeChat phone number
- check-square-oPhysical address (if applicable) for clients to find you
There are clients who are less ‘techie’ and therefore, you need to make it really easy for them to reach you.

Take a look at my digital marketing agency website, Marketing Lancers. There’s an automated chat box for them to contact me or my team at any time!

The whole idea is simple. You need to reduce any barriers or reasons for them NOT to contact you for further discussion.

Are you ready to send your first website design proposal?

I hope you find this guide useful especially in creating your own freelance website design business.

Need help in starting a web design business? Click here to read the guide!
May 4, 2024
5 Side Hustle Ideas For Single Mums

May 4, 2024
The ULTIMATE Guide In How To Start Freelance Writing
How to start freelance writing?

If this is your concern, you are at the right place. In this article, I will share with you some quick and efficient ways to start freelance writing in just 3 hours.

But before that, freelancing makes my day … every day.

I love freelancing and I have been doing for years. As a matter of fact, this is what happens to me when I talk about freelance writing.

Wait, who am I?

My name is Reginald and I’ve been a freelance writer since 2004. It all started as a hobby and soon, it turned out to be a full-fledge business.

Freelance writing is also my base which helped me launched my creative agency.

During my freelance writing career, I was lucky to be featured on many authority websites and recently, by Freelancer.com as one of the top freelancers in Malaysia. You can read the article here.

Question: How much can you make through freelance writing?

I believe there is many concepts and ideas pertaining to this topic. Here’s what I can tell you.

You can make at least $10 per article (approximately 350 to 500 words) and on average, a moderate freelance writer can earn around $20 to $25 per article.

You can earn even more when you are doing ghost writing for eBooks and website contents/redesign — that’s an easy $200+ per project.

The total amount you can earn often comes hand in hand with your experience. For example:
- What is your writing experience?
- What are the perks you are offering?
- How fast can you complete an article?
If you are serious in starting a freelance writing career, you can easily earn at least $500 or $1,000 a month by just writing!

In most cases, this is often more than what you earn from blogging or through Google Adsense.

1. How to start freelance writing?

The first step is often the easiest of all — take some time to determine the type of content you want to write.

For example, you should have some sort of writing experience now (be it blogging or any other forms of writing).

Defining the niche of your writing allows you to create a better portfolio to attract the right and potential employers (more on this below).

For me, I am very into business writing. Therefore, all my freelance writing projects are aimed heavily on small-medium sized businesses who require professional ghostwriting services.

Note: You should take your time to understand the capacity of writing as well as your target audience before moving to the next step.

2. Choosing a freelance writing platform

There are many freelance writing platforms and for me, my go-to platform is Freelancer.com.

The advantage of using Freelancer.com is the free account creation. You can easily try out the platform for free (30-days trial) which is extremely important especially when you are new to the freelancing writing industry. You can register a free account here.

Once you get several projects in, consider going for a paid account for better visibility and faster withdrawal rate.

Want to get a free 30-days trial? Register for a free account using this link and enjoy 30-days complimentary upgrade to Plus account worth $9.95!

3. Creating a professional profile

If you want to attract potential employers, having a professional profile is critical for success.

What should be included in a professional freelancer profile?

A professional freelancer profile should include information such as your past experience, a little about you and of course, what makes you different from the rest of the freelance writers.

Your profile should be short but precise. Here’s an example.

About

Reginald Chan

A TEDx speaker and Chief Marketing Officer, Reginald is highly passionate in writing. His writings had been published on authority sites such as Harvard University, Yahoo! Small Business, Entrepreneur Magazine and SEMrush.

You can also see my Freelancer profile here.

If you have a blog, you can even create a single page profile page to sell your services. Single page landing pages can be created easily using WordPress website builders. I use Thrive Architect and head over to this post to learn how you can easily create a landing page under 15 minutes.

4. Bidding professionally

Want to know how to become a freelance writer?

You need to have a highly effective template when it comes to bidding for a project.

I know. There are guru’s and coaches out there that tell you not to do so. But hear me out.

Having a template allows you to bid faster and sending the relevant information to your potential employers.

What should be included in the template?
- checkA quick introduction of you (people like to know who they are dealing with)
- checkAn overview of what you do (sharing experiences for example)
- checkHow you fit into the project?
- checkWhat makes you different from the rest of the freelance writer?
- checkWhat are your commitments and promise?
- checkThe expected completion time
- checkPitch for future works
Having the right pitch at the end of your bid is critical because you want to showcase your interest for long term work and not just one off projects (like what most freelancers are looking for).

5. Communication is key

If you want to be a highly sought after freelance writer, you need to be really good with your communication.

This means that be courteous during the conversion and ensure that you respond with an acceptable time frame. For example, I love responding within 10 minutes and if it is in a different timezone, within the day will create a lasting impression.

The key to successful freelance writing business is creating a clear path for communication before, during and after completing the project.

6. Ask for more future jobs

Lastly, do not be afraid to ask for more future jobs. If you have done a great writing job, then the employers will have no problem giving you more jobs in the near future.

The trick here is to make it clear that you are always looking for long term business partnership and have no problem working with him/her again.

Are you ready to start freelance writing?

I love doing freelance writing as it is not only fun but extremely rewarding.

Have you started freelance writing?

Tell me what you think in the comments below!
May 4, 2024
Best Podcast Equipment: Helping You Find the Best Podcast Gear
Planning to start your own podcast but no idea which is the best podcast equipment?

In this post, we will discover the best podcast equipment including the best headphones for podcasting, the best podcast recording software and of course, the best USB micrphone.

Why should you use the best podcast equipment?

Buying equipment for podcasting is an area that can be incredibly frustrating. Many podcasters suggest poor equipment, software, and set-ups.

What equipment you decide to purchase will depend on your technological comfort level and your budget. However, it’s important to understand all your options before deciding.

Using the right podcast equipment is going to produce better (and often times higher quality) podcast output. In return, you will be able to create better user experience and engaging with your listeners in a way that most new podcasters couldn’t!

Without further adieu, let’s start going through the best podcast equipment (without burning a hole in your pocket).

Best microphone for podcast recording

Audio-Technica ATR2100 is a popular microphone for podcasters

When it comes to recording a podcast, sound output and recording is critical.

As a podcaster myself, I wouldn’t recommend you to go with the cheap microphones available.

Luckily for you, there is a wide range of microphone recommendations that you can find on Amazon.

How cheap is cheap microphones?

I would say buying a good microphone for podcasting will cost you under $100.

For me, the best USB microphone is Audio-Technica ATR2100 which you can purchase for only $74 on Amazon.

Wait, how good is Audio-Technica ATR2100?

With 1,684 customer reviews averaging 4 out of 5 stars review, this is the best microphone for podcast recording that is used by top podcasters!

If you are looking for cheap microphones for entry level podcasters, this is a great USB/XLR microphone.

Click on this link to get the best deal for Audio-Technica ATR2100 on Amazon.

Best podcast recording software

There are many different audio editing programs that will work to edit podcasts, but we’re just going to focus on the best podcast recording software.

Getting the best podcast recording software is important because it allows you to:
- Record audio without issue
- Perform advanced setting to make your audio clearer and sharper
- Manage and edit your audio easier (especially during the podcast editing stage)
Best podcast software for Windows

I’m a Windows user (for ages now) and Windows users are pretty darn lucky.

There is the all-time-popular Audacity which is free to use and Adobe Audition which is a paid version.

1. Audacity

Here’s what you need to know about Audacity — it is a free cross-platform audio editor.

Audacity is a very popular podcast equipment for podcasters and it is comes packing with some features (even when you can download it for free).

The only downside about Audacity is that it lacks the intuitive user interface and it can be very confusing when you are first getting started. Once you get the hang of it, I’m sure you are going to love it!

2. Adobe Audition

If you are looking for the best podcast equipment, Adobe Audition must be in your list of tool!

This software is designed for podcast production and editing, and comes with many advanced tools just for that matter. There are a number features including noise-reduction capabilities, advanced compression and EQ.

Want to perform batch processing and saving time? You can do so with Adobe Audition! In just a few clicks, you can apply various effects to one file, save it, then apply those same effects to a “batch” of other files.

Best podcast software for Mac

There are several podcast equipment you can install on your Mac for podcasting. The top two podcast software for Mac are GarageBand and Logic Pro.

1. GarageBand

GarageBand is a free digital audio workstation (also known as DAW) and it is a great podcast software for podcasters, regardless you are a beginner or advanced podcaster.

Using GarageBand, you can create separate tracks for music, intros and outros, ad spots, and many other features. You can also easily fade them in and out as needed, move them around and adjust levels in just a few clicks.

If you are a Mac user, GarageBand is definitely a no-brainer for your podcasting business.

2. Logic Pro X

Logic Pro X is a pretty interesting podcasting software for Mac. In short, Logic Pro X is a full-featured music production and audio editing program.

Logic Pro X does a lot of features similar to GarageBand and the biggest advantage of this software is the Remote App which you can use on iPhone or iPad.

The only downside using Logic Pro X is that it comes with a one-time purchase fee of $200.

The best headphone for podcasting

If you are planning to publish lengthy podcast episodes, getting yourself a decent quality headset microphone is an awesome choice.

Most of them are super easy to use, generally pretty inexpensive, and they serve double duty by also helping you out with better quality when you’re using Skype or Google Hangouts day to day.

Here are the top 3 podcast headset I highly recommend you to use.

1. Sennheiser PC 8 USB – Stereo USB Headset for PC and MAC with In-line Volume and Mute Control

I love this podcast headset because it is light and comfortable. Plus, it comes with in-line volume and mute control which are definitely pluses for me.

You can check out this product on Amazon (it costs like $32+).

2. Audio Technica ATH-COM2 Stereo/dynamic Boom Mic Combination Headset

Audio Technica isn’t just selling cheap microphones for podcasting, it also offers a nice range of podcast headsets such as this one.

This headset is great because it gives a very comfortable grip when wearing it and offers very good build quality (feels expensive).

It is sold on Amazon for only $35 (purchase link).

3. Logitech High-performance USB Headset H540 for Windows and Mac, Skype Certified

This Logitech podcast headset is one of the best value for money headphone. For only $29, this is the by far the cheapest headset for podcasting and offers one of the best features.
- checkVery high build quality of the group – big and chunky (in a good way)
- checkPadded headphones and headband offer excellent feel
- checkThe microphone arm is solid, easily adjusted and kept to the side of your mouth
If you are looking for a cheap podcast headset, go for this one and you will never regret it. Check out the product page here.

Best mixer for podcasting

Mixer for podcasting isn’t cheap — but they are important podcasting equipment if you are looking for success.

Question: Why should you use a mixer for podcasting?

Answer: Using a mixer will improve your audio quality. The pre-amps will be nicer and will really help your microphone shine. Podcasters buy mixers for the advanced features/options and the control that they offer, as well as the efficiency they can bring to your recording workflow.

So, which is the best mixer for podcasting?

1. Yamaha MG10 10-Input Stereo Mixer

If you are looking for the best budget mixer for podcasting, you don’t have to look any further. The Yamaha MG10 mixer is going to serve you well.

The Yamaha MG10 is a brilliant little mixer with an amazingly quiet noise floor, especially at this price. It has features normally found only on expensive units, such as in-built compression, and it also has Aux Out so that you can run a mix-minus setup.

For $150+ on Amazon, this is definitely one of the best podcast equipment you need to have in your toolbox. Check out the product features and review here.

2. Behringer XENYX X1204USB

Behringer mixer is not your average mixer. As a matter of fact, it is one of the best mid-range mixer for podcasting, alongside Yamaha MG10 mixer.

The Behringer Xenyx 1204 is a fully featured mixer that’ll do the job for any podcaster out there that needs a lot more channels and the full set of mixer features.

You can check it out on Amazon (price tag at $179+) here.

Summary: Best Podcast Equipment

If you are serious in starting your own podcast, you should focus on getting good podcast equipment to produce the best audio experience to your audience.

Using the best microphone, mixer and podcast recording software are all equally important and you should not take lightly on.

What is your favorite podcast equipment? Share me with it using the comment form below!
April 19, 2024