Organized Assistant » website

Three Types of WordPress Websites

Janet — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:16:22 +0000

It’s been quite a while since I blogged about any client projects, but that’s not to say we haven’t been busy here at Organized Assistant®! We’ve actually had a lot of different things on the go, and I can’t wait any longer to tell you about some of them. Above is a screenshot of a website we recently created for Neaten Up With Nancy. As a new organizer, Nancy opted for our Basic WordPress Package, choosing the Yukon Theme by iThemes for her design. WordPress is ideal for starter websites, because it’s easy for most people to add new content as needed, and we can easily give it a new design later on without rebuilding the entire site. We’re especially proud to have been selected by some seasoned organizers to redo their older HTML website in WordPress, including Pat McArthur of Home Definition. Pat’s original website looked like this: After implementing a new design created by Snapdragon Design, her site now looks like this: I’m excited about learning to develop mobile versions of WordPress sites as well, and had fun creating this one for Smart Space Organizing: I can’t wait to mobilize my own sites when I get a break in my schedule! I guess it’s a case of shoemaker’s children syndrome… But don’t let me scare you off if you’ve been thinking about contacting us about a new website or other project! I have some great people working with me, and we’re committed to helping you enhance your online presence in any way we can.

We’ve Got a Fresh New Look!

Janet — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:14:18 +0000

One of the great things about being a web designer is the ongoing opportunity to learn about new trends, tools and features as I work on various client projects. The downside of this is that I frequently become disenchanted with my own site and find it challenging to make the time to do anything about it. After squeezing in time to develop a new design for the Organized Assistant website and Your Organizing Business blog over the last few months, I'm finally ready to share it with you. What do you think? I've also added a new feature that I think you'll enjoy. Every month I'll be posting a new poll on the home page and you're invited to participate. All polls will be archived on the site so you can refer to them at any time. I have a few more ideas up my sleeve, but you'll just have to wait for them! In the meantime, I am here to serve you, so please don't hesitate to let me know if there's a poll question you'd like me to ask, a topic I should cover in the blog, or a particular feature you'd like to see on the site.

Another Professional Organizer Joins the Blogosphere

Janet — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:00:29 +0000

If you were to ask me what I like best about my work, it would be a toss-up between developing new WordPress sites and providing blog support to professional organizers, so naturally, I was thrilled when Clare Kumar contacted me about setting up a blog for her.

Clare and I had spoken briefly in the past, but had a wonderful opportunity to get to know one another when we sat together on the train to Montreal for the POC Conference in November 2010, and I was really impressed with her enthusiasm, her professional manner, and her outgoing personality. She already had an up-to-date website which represented her brand quite effectively, and after considering several different options, she decided upon a blog that not only had the same look and feel as her website, but that would integrate with it seamlessly. She also had several unique features in mind which I had not seen before, and as a result I'm pleased to have several new items in my toolkit that I'll be able to apply to future projects – and maybe even my own blog! I had a wonderful time working with Clare and her graphic designer to create her new WordPress blog, and I'm sure you will enjoy reading her posts.

Writing Website Content that Effectively Promotes Your Organizing Business

Janet — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:02:24 +0000

The new year is here, and I'm sure you've got lots of exciting plans for growing your business! If your list for 2011 includes a new website or revamp of your existing site, there are many questions for you to consider. One of the most important elements of your website is your content. It's a great idea, especially if you're new to the organizing profession, to look at other professional organizer websites for inspiration. Seeing what others have done can give you a good sense of the type of information to include on your own site. You might even see one and think,

I offer the exact same services as this organizer. I'm sure he/she won't mind if I use the same wording. After all, we're hundreds of miles apart, so it's not like I'll be taking away business from them.

Guess again! Even though technology makes it easy for us to simply copy and paste text and images from other websites, it's no different than a student copying information out of a book and submitting it to the teacher as their own work. It's both unethical and illegal. Furthermore, technology also increases the likelihood that you'll get caught, potentially damaging your reputation or even having your website taken offline by your hosting company. Taking that text and mixing it up a bit isn't enough. According to Wikipedia,

Plagiarism is not only the mere copying of text, but also the presentation of another's ideas as one's own, regardless of the specific words or constructs used to express that idea.

In other words, your website content needs to be original. As it should! You may not be the only professional organizer in the world, but you are the only YOU. Your website needs to express the reasons why clients should choose YOU to help them solve their organizing challenges. At a minimum, it should answer the following questions:

What services do you offer?
What areas do you serve?
Who is your target organizing client? How will they benefit from working with you?
What are your qualifications?
Do you belong to any organizations?

And most importantly,

What makes you different from your competition?

To get indexed by Google and other search engines, it's recommended that you have at least 250 words on the main pages of your website. Keep in mind, however, that when gathering information online, most people prefer browsing over reading. You should therefore avoid dense blocks of text and instead use a combination of lists and short paragraphs. When writing your content, be sure to include the keywords and phrases that people are most likely to use when searching for your business online, but remember, it's more important to write for human visitors than for search engines spiders. We've all seen websites that were so heavily laden with keywords that it was a challenge to understand the actual message. That's a surefire way to get people to leave your site in a hurry! For some excellent guidance in writing your own website copy, I highly recommend The Longman Guide to Style and Writing on the Internet. And no matter what your writing ability, be sure to ask someone else to proofread your work before you publish it online. When you know what something is supposed to say, that's what your mind sees, whether it actually says that or not. On the other hand, if there are other things you'd rather do with your time, let's talk! I'd love to help you find just the right words to describe you and your business, and attract the type of clients you're looking for. Photo source: iStockphoto

Get Your Website Up and Running in No Time!

Janet — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:51:15 +0000

There's nothing like a custom designed website or blog to give your organizing business a professional online image, but it's good to know there are other options if you don't currently have the budget or the need for a custom site. When I discovered premium WordPress themes, it opened up a whole new world for me – and it can do the same for you and your business. There are literally thousands of themes available on the Free WordPress Themes directory and elsewhere on the Internet, and I used to spend hours looking for just the right one for a client's site or one of my own. Sometimes, when I finally found one that was just right, I'd find it didn't work properly or wasn't up-to-date to handle all the current features of WordPress. Last year one of my clients introduced me to iThemes and I haven't looked back. Their themes are gorgeous right "out of the box" but someone with knowledge of HTML and CSS can easily customize them to more closely match your business branding or your personal vision. Because they're so easy to use, Scott and I were able to create new websites for three clients in one month without working overtime or falling behind on our commitments to other clients. The two screenshots above represent our Basic WordPress Package, with little to no theme customization. Fresh Appeal Staging is based on the Edmond theme, and Amazing Space on the Yukon Theme. The third site, 3 Step Solution by lk, is based on the Flexx Theme. This site required our Enhanced WordPress Package in order to customize the colors to match our client's logo. The Flexx theme is really quite amazing, because it allows to you customize your layout without any technical expertise. This is the same theme I used for the Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group and W.P. Consulting & Associates websites. You have to look pretty closely to tell, don't you? If you're ready to try building your own premium WordPress site, here's how you can get started:

Purchase your domain name from your preferred domain registrar (I recommend MyDomain).
Purchase a hosting account from Hostgator (affiliate link) or another service that allows one-click installation of WordPress.
Purchase the theme you like best from the iThemes Theme Store.
Install WordPress, upload your theme, and your site is now ready for your finishing touches!

If it sounds like this will take more time or technical skill than you have, contact me for a free consultation. I’d love to help you make your ideas come to life.

A “Smart” New Website

Janet — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:58:44 +0000

Perhaps you created a website when you launched your organizing business. Over time, you may have added or discontinued some services or decided to specialize in a certain area, and it's important that your website reflect these changes. It's equally important to update the design of your site to effectively represent you as an established professional in the organizing industry.

Heather Burke has been working in the field of organization for over 10 years, and in residential and commercial interior design for over 15 years, and she had a very basic website to market her business. Due to her current studies through the NSGCD Certification Program and her active involvement with the Kingston/Frontenac Region Hoarding Coalition, Heather wanted a website that would effectively promote her expertise in hoarding and chronic disorganization. Rather than simply updating the information on her existing site, she decided to start a whole new website dedicated to the organizing side of her business. She worked with a graphic designer to develop a logo, and asked me to create a WordPress website around it. I am now very proud to show it off:

We were able to import the posts from her existing blogs on Blogger in order to take advantage of the full power of WordPress. Heather now has her website and her blog all in one spot, which is great for branding, as she no longer has separate sites that don't look and feel the same way. Furthermore, every time she publishes a new blog post, it will generate traffic to her website, which is great for search engine optimization. Another benefit of using WordPress is that it's not a major task to add new content to the site, even when that involves making changes to the navigation menu. If you've ever tried to change the menu on a regular website, or asked your webmaster to change it for you, you know that it can sometimes be a big job! And you can be sure that Heather has some amazing plans for her site, which is going to continue growing over the next while. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Heather to bring her new website to life, and I'd love to do the same for you! If your website doesn't reflect your professional image as well as you'd like, please feel free to contact me for a free 30 minute consultation.

Seven Ways to Make the Most of Summer Downtime

Janet — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:29:59 +0000

Although some organizers are extra busy in the summer, for others, work seems to slow right down while their clients are in vacation mode. Fortunately, there are many ways to fill your time that will benefit your business in the months to come. If you don't already have a list of projects to work on when you have the time, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Start a blog. You’re good at what you do, and blogging is a great way to show the world what you know. In addition to being very search engine friendly, blogs allow website visitors to interact with you, making it more likely that they’ll return on a regular basis. If you're worried that you may not have time to keep it up when business picks up, take advantage of the summer lull to write posts you can keep on hand to publish at a later date. Check your website for broken links. Websites come and go, and pages may be deleted or moved, causing some of the links you’ve placed on your site to no longer work. Broken links make your website seem out-of-date and can cause visitors to move on very quickly, so it’s important to take the time to verify the links on your site. To save time, use a tool such as Webmaster Toolkit's Link Checker or the Broken Link Checker plug-in for WordPress. Learn something new. The lazy days of summer can be the perfect time to sign up for a teleclass, webinar, or live training event. If nothing is scheduled that tickles your fancy, check out the recorded teleclasses available from A Red Bench, or the webinars on demand offered by ProfessionalOrganizers.com. There is a world of information out there; why not take advantage of it? Add new content to your website. If your website hasn’t been updated since it was launched, you probably offer products or services that aren’t advertised on your site, and you may be missing out on potential business as a result. Even if you haven’t made any significant changes, it’s a good idea to update your site from time to time, as fresh content gives both website visitors and search engines a reason to return. Updates may include information about recent or upcoming projects, or new testimonials, awards or certifications you’ve received. Look into affiliate programs to supplement your income. There are hundreds of affiliate programs available that allow you to earn commission for promoting certain products and/or services on your website. You may already recommend books or other products to your website visitors and blog readers, so why shouldn’t you make a little extra money for doing so? Just make sure that you select programs that complement what you do, and don’t clutter your website with so many affiliate ads that it looks junky or that visitors are distracted from your main content. Write articles. Articles you’ve written can be an excellent addition to your website or blog, and can also be submitted to article directories such as EzineArticles.com, where they may be picked up by other websites, featured in newsletters, and sent out in ezines, creating additional traffic and more exposure for your business. This will also enhance your search engine ranking, by increasing the number of links pointing to your website. Take a well-deserved break. Try and get away for a week, a weekend, or even a day! Taking time for rest and relaxation is one of the best gifts you can give yourself, reducing stress and renewing your energy for the busier days ahead. If you never have time for these activities because your business thrives all year long, maybe we should talk! After all, even professional organizers need an Organized Assistant!

Recent WordPress Projects

Janet — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:57:10 +0000

I love anything and everything to do with blogging, I love working with professional organizers, and I love customizing WordPress themes, so when an opportunity comes along that lets me do all three at once, you can be sure that I am in geek heaven! Today I'm excited to share with you my most recent project:

I first met Tina Blazer of Spot On Organizing back in my organizing days, when she drove all the way in from Toronto to help me de-clutter a client's home, in preparation for putting it on the market. We've stayed in touch since then, and I was really pleased when she asked me to create a blog to match her newly redesigned website. Although for the most part I work directly with my clients, it was great collaborating with Tina, her webmaster, and her graphic designer to bring her new blog to life. Scott and I look forward to supporting Tina with her blogging activities and other projects over the coming months. Earlier this year, we created a new WordPress site for another client, using the Red Essence theme from iThemes, which is one of the 100+ premium themes in our collection. We've got several other WordPress projects on the go for professional organizers and other small business clients, and I just can't wait to show them off! If you're thinking about starting a blog, giving your existing blog a facelift, converting your website to WordPress, or launching your first website, please let me know. I'd love to provide you with the perfect theme, whether it's one from our theme library or a custom design just for your organizing business.

Developing a Plan for Your Website

Janet — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:50:44 +0000

So, you're thinking about a new website for your organizing business – how exciting! No matter if it's your very first site or you've been online for a while and are ready for a change, whether you're a do-it-yourself-er or are working with a web professional, you can make the project go more smoothly and increase the ROI of your new site by drawing upon your strong organizing skills.

Although you may be anxious to get your site up and running, over the years I have learned that taking the time to make a few decisions right from the beginning can save much aggravation later on, and increase the likelihood that your website will help you achieve your business goals. Whether you use a whiteboard, a notebook, a Word document, a spreadsheet, or some other system, the answers to following questions should be planned in writing before the web development process even begins. Do you already have a domain name? Choosing a domain name which corresponds to your business name will make it easy for people who already know about your business to locate your website. If your ideal domain name is not available, think hard about what else might be effective. Using hyphens to separate words is one option, but keep in mind that you'll have to mention those hyphens each and every time you tell someone your website address. Using your full business name might work, but not only is it a mouthful to say, "my website is thebestprofessionalorganizingserviceintheworld.com," but just try and fit that on your business card! Do you already have a logo and/or colors to represent your business? For maximum impact, you will want the design of your website to complement your logo. Even if you don't have a logo, you should use the same colors on all of your marketing materials to strengthen your brand. What is the purpose of your website? Do you simply need a basic brochure-type site you can direct people to when they ask if you have a website they can look at, or are you relying on your website to bring you new business via search engine traffic? Do you plan to sell any products (either your own, or through affiliate programs)? Who is your target market? Do you prefer to work with young families? Seniors? Home-based businesses? Non-profit organizations? Corporations? You will need to tailor both the look of your site and your content to appeal to the people you are trying to reach. Who will write your website content? You may choose to hire a professional copywriter who will ensure that you have a compelling marketing message that is also search-engine friendly. If you're comfortable preparing your own copy and your writing skills are good, then go for it! If someone else is creating your website, be sure to ask if they will proofread and edit your work, as many designers do not provide this service. Another option is to choose a web designer with experience in the organizing industry, such as Organized Assistant, who will work with you to make sure that your website represents you and your business effectively. What type of design appeals to you? Would you prefer a menu across the top, on the left, or on the right side of the screen? Do you like dropdown menus? Do you want to include a photo of yourself? Before and after pictures? What about clipart or photos to enhance your text? Where will you get them? Take some time to study websites that you like, and make note of what it is about them that appeals to you – is it the layout, the colors, the overall feel, or something else? Of course, you don't want to copy someone else's site, but being aware of what you like and don't like will help you (or your web designer) to create the right look for you. How do you plan to keep your site up-to-date? If you want to be able to make your own changes in the future, make sure that your web designer is aware of this fact so that he or she uses WordPress or another user-friendly technology. You don't want to find out after the fact that you'll need to invest in and learn to use a specific software program if you want to add a new page to your site! Adding new content on a regular basis will do wonders for your search engine positioning. That's one of the reasons that blogs are so popular! Even if blogging is not in your immediate plans, WordPress is an excellent Content Management System that will easily allow for the addition of a blog at a later date. How much can you afford to invest? Notice I said "invest" and not "spend?" Your website is an investment in your business, and a professional design should not be considered a luxury. That being said, a quality website doesn't need to cost a fortune. Our WordPress Packages start at $325.00 and include your first six months of web hosting at no additional charge. The above considerations are even more important if you're replacing an existing site. If your current website isn't working well for you, you need to identify how it may be lacking and make sure that your new site addresses those issues. If a new website is in your future, let's talk! I'd love to help you make your ideas come to life.

Before and After Photos: Yea or Nay?

Janet — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:50:41 +0000

It's frequently recommended that you display samples of your work on your website in the form of before and after photos, because of the powerful impact they can have on potential clients. Yet, only about half of the professional organizers I work with have before and after pictures on their sites. Why do you think that is?

One of the organizers who chooses not to display before and after photos is Porter Knight. Here's what Porter tells people who ask her, "Where are the before and after pictures?" Occasionally, in my 14 years as a Professional Organizer, folks have asked to see "before and after" pictures of my work with clients. A visual image is powerful, but that is precisely why I don’t show them. Though I have had dozens of clients give me permission to take and share photos over the years, there are three reasons why I don’t use them to illustrate the transformation people experience when we work together. 1. Organizing is about you. It is personal and subjective. If you can’t find what you need when you need it or you aren’t accomplishing your goals, you’re likely not feeling very productive, regardless of what it looks like. If you want things to be different, I can teach you a way. I’ll meet you where you are and take you where you’re ready to go. Whether you are functioning at a very productive level and want to streamline your systems to achieve even greater output, or whether you have created piles so deep in your office that you have to work in another room -- if you want to create change, my methodologies will help. But looking at someone else’s "before" photo might give you the wrong impression – either that you are too far gone for help, or that because you aren’t so far gone you can’t benefit from additional training. Other people’s pictures aren’t relevant – organizing is about you: where you are and what you want to achieve. 2. Organizing skills are tools you use as part of an ongoing process. And that process is a means to an end, not an end unto itself. We don’t organize for the sake of organizing. We organize to improve productivity in pursuit of a greater goal. You start by identifying what it is that you want, what you really want to accomplish. Then we design systems to help you get there. But once the systems are in place, you still have work to do. Before and after pictures imply that there is a "before" and an "after." But really, there is only "during." A picture taken after sessions dedicated to improving productivity doesn’t show an "end" point, just a point. It’s an on-going process. 3. The internal transformation is more important than the external appearances. Fundamentally, getting organized is about improving your decision-making capacity and exercising discipline to actually make decisions. A picture doesn’t capture this internal learning. A picture only shows how things look, but an "after" picture doesn’t give you insight into a client’s improvement. What matters is that the client experiences a break-through in his or her own ability to make decisions and be productive in pursuit of his or her goals. Finally, I must make a point about neatness. "Neat" and "organized" are not synonymous, though neat can often be a product of the organizing process for two reasons: First, deliberate decision-making results in less being kept in the first place – you won’t be keeping things you don’t need (less stuff = neater environment). Second, creating a system for accessing those things you do need results in things being more clearly grouped and contained (named homes for things = neater environment). But while a neater appearance is a common product of the organizing process, rarely is it the sole or even primary goal. The goal of organizing is to be able to find what you need when you need it so you can accomplish what you set out to accomplish. Improved decision-making is the key. An "after" picture doesn’t capture this internal transformation. I know we all derive voyeuristic pleasure from seeing pictures of other people’s challenges, so I’m sorry to deprive you of that! But now you know more about organizing, and you wouldn’t have learned that by looking at pictures. We can learn from each other’s experiences, however, and that’s why I include an hour long DVD with my book Organized to Last: 5 Simple Steps to Staying Organized. The beauty of the DVD is that you see real people working through the decision-making process. You see their struggle and transformation as the concepts click into place for them. The DVD ends not with perfectly decorated spaces, but with spaces and systems that are on the way to achieving just what the clients needed. And you hear their triumph: they discuss how they learned the skills that will now last them a lifetime, allowing them to pursue their dreams and maintain a more centered lifestyle. This, then, is the true benefit of getting organized. Just picture it! Porter Knight is a dynamic and popular presenter, life-changing consultant, and author of the book/DVD Organized to Last: 5 Simple Steps to Staying Organized. She specializes in workplace productivity, office organizing, speaking, and training. More information at www.OrganizedbyKnight.com (802) 453-3940. What are your thoughts on this subject? Do you show before and after pictures on your website or blog, or in your printed marketing materials? Why or why not?