• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

AreWeConnected.com

Custom WordPress Websites that Rock!

  • Home
  • About
    • Hire a Tech Dude!
    • Recommendations
    • Add your testimonial
  • WordPress
    • Custom WordPress Website Build
    • The Managed EVERYTHING Website!
    • Making your site “SECURE”
  • FAQ
    • Making Your Site SECURE
  • BLOG
    • Posts about WordPress
    • Guest Post and Comment Policy
  • Contact

New Years Resolutions For Your Website

Wordpress · January 2, 2019

60
SHARES
FacebookTwitterSubscribe

I’ve had this post planned for a while but every year it just doesn’t feel right unless it’s the first day of the year (or in this case the first biz day of the year. That’s kind of funny as I’m not a big maker of resolutions and even if I was I have always felt that you don’t wait for a starting gun, you start the minute you make the resolution. What evs.

I read a lot of blog posts. Some are insightful, some are thought provoking and then some are just for fun. Sad and Useless falls into that category and as I was struck by one photo that would be perfect in my ‘resolution’ post. I wont bore you with memes and useless pics – I promise. 😉

Don't chase shiny objects

#1 Don’t Chase Shiny Objects

When I mention shiny objects it’s usually referring to apps or services that promise to do everything for you and do so automatically. Because your site is built on WordPress that usually means they have a corresponding plugin that can be installed in your site.

Hey, I get it. I’m an early adopter of everything. That doesn’t mean that everything new that comes out isn’t worth adopting into your biz and marketing plan. What it does mean is to take a little time to explore and understand what the new SO does and doesn’t do before jumping on the wagon. That’s all.

#2 Define Your Goals and Work Your Site

Before I build a site I generally ask you WHO it is that you are hoping to attract to the site, WHAT type of content you are planning on producing, WHERE they are coming from, WHEN are you going to be adding content, WHY do you need a site at all, and of course – HOW do you plan to attract and retain your target audience.

If you have those answers well defined you can start to work your site. If you don’t you are just wasting your time hoping and like I’ve said before Hope Is Not A Strategy. (go read that)

#3 Develop an Editorial Calendar

Develop an Editorial Calendar

If your plan is to create content on a regular basis you need to…

  • Decide what kind of content you are going to create,
  • Decide what topics you need to cover,
  • Decide on how much time you have to create the content,
  • Decide on how often you can update your site with this content.

I won’t do this all over again for you because I’ve written it all out in ‘Creating an Editorial Calendar and you should also go read that!

#3 Learn Something New

(nope. going to break that promise as some of these are too good)

Learn Something New - Like WordPress new block editor!

Like WordPress’ new block editor! They are going to stop calling it Gutenberg but that’s exactly what I mean. It’ll be tough at time but the learning curve will be easier the more you use it.

  • Start writing a post.
  • Follow my tutorials at https://areweconnected.com/gutenberg/
  • Add a picture, a video, a block of colored text.

The fact is, your site is running a new block editor and the longer you avoid it the less your site will be updated and well we go back to #2 and abandon all of our goals. IT’s going to be ok – make it a postive and learn something new. 🙂

#4 Learn From Past Misatkes

(see what I did there?)

Making mistakes is great as long as we learn from them.

Making mistakes is a great learning experience. Go ahead branch out – try video, try podcasting, try something that makes you a little nervous and pushes your boundaries. If you make a mistake it’s ok. Learn from it and try again, and again.

As you look back a year ago at this time you probably tried something similar. You didn’t like the way it turned out and so you never did it again. Instead, this year, let’s look at that and see what it is you could do to do it better.

When I started doing video, just like you I didn’t like the way I sounded, I didn’t like the way I looked. I started trying to reduce the amount of ‘Ummmms’ in my speech pattern and well there’s not much I can do about the way I look so I just got over it. My YouTube channel has around 1,000 videos right now in it and I can say that while I’m not perfect I’m much more happy about the way they look and sound today than when I started.

#5 Try Something New

Try Something New

Doing the same thing, the same way, over and over again might be ok for some people. Personally I get bored and start losing my enthusiasm. Adding a new thing to your site might add a whole new amount of enthusiasm, for you and maybe for your readers too.

What that new thing is – I can’t say. Let’s start with this. If you haven’t written on your site on a regular basis, maybe having and sticking to an editorial calendar might be that new thing. Try that first.

If you are a regular writer, how about a new series of posts based on a single topic. “Market Mondays” – just a thought? I have seem wonderfully personal series of posts like “Thankful Thursdays” where each week the writer shares what they are thankful for (obviously). I had my 2 Minute Tuesdays for a while there, I really need to get back to doing those.

Try doing video, try doing a podcast, try doing anything that get’s your creative juices flowing.

Remember: you’ll make mistakes and that’s ok. Lather, Rinse and Repeat.

Oh, and that thing about cheese. Some of you might know that I am pretty handy with sourdough. I’m working with a bavarian starter that dates back to the mid 1600s. This year I plan on adding cheesemaking to my fun. I’ll be starting out with a nice chèvre and then work my way up to hard and aged cheeses.

Mike's Sourdough
Mike’s Sourdough 🙂

BONUS #6: Keep your site safe and up to date!

That should go without saying. But seriously nothing is worse that being hacked or brought down by malware. Keep your site backed up, Updated and safe in 2019!

Here’s to you and have a great and prosperous New Year!

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Mike Mueller
Connected?
Mike Mueller
VP of Happiness at AreWeConnected.com
A former professional hand model, Mike builds Custom WordPress Websites that rock!


He's an avid hockey fan, rides a mountain bike, sometimes rides a road bike, has a few motorcycles (he had a really fast one, bought a cool orange one, rode a really slow one, and now,a perfect "BDR Weapon"). If that isn't enough, he makes cheese and sourdough bread, loves strong beer and good red wine, and poorly plays the Mandolin.
Mike Mueller
Connected?
Latest posts by Mike Mueller (see all)
  • 8 Questions Your Web Developer Should Have Asked - April 27, 2021
  • Slack, Chat or Discord? - April 6, 2021
  • Unsplash Bought by Getty Images - March 30, 2021
60
SHARES
FacebookTwitterSubscribe
New Comment Policy:
If you see something, say something!
(shamelessly borrowed from Homeland Security but really, let's bring commenting on posts back!)

Filed Under: Wordpress

Previous Post: « How to write a “basic” post in Gutenberg
Next Post: What does BLOG stand for? »

Primary Sidebar

Who runs this Pop Stand?

Mike Mueller
Mike@AreWeConnected.com
PH: (925) 456-4567

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Look, it’s Just a Newsletter!

  • While I might write a bunch, the newsletter is set to go out only on Wednesdays. That's it!  Just one day a week! Can you handle that?
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

FREE Downloads

Icon
1827Small Biz Websites Built so far…

Let's Build Yours!

Expert Google Workspace help

Get Started and then hire the right help!

Lighten up!

Search: (anything)

Sign In / Up

  • Account
  • Website Management Subscription
  • The Managed EVERYTHING Website!

DM me. Really!

Have a question about anything I do? DM me! Message @mikemueller

Who to host with?

It's the #1 question I'm asked - where to find inexpensive shared hosting. Here's who I recommend.
Data Servers are a HUGE drain on the power grid. Here's a host that sources 300% of it's power from Wind and Solar! On top of that, their service ROCKS!
Check out GreenGeeks

Need more power?

WPEngine has it!

Hacked?

Sucuri Security
Creative Commons License
This site was built, is hosted, and backed up, and maintained by Mike Mueller. AreWeConnected is about the open sharing of ideas without a hidden agenda. Assume any link on this site is an affiliate link, Clicking on affiliate links costs you nothing extra (probably saves you $) and helps support this site.
PRIVACY POLICY

MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT

CHAT
...another Custom Wordpress Website by Mike Mueller Hi!