Pippas Web story – it was just the beginning
This is my story.
When I was growing up my parents splashed out and we had our own computer (just like the ones we had at school the BBC “model B” that loaded games via a tape recorder, and you could programme with simple little codes to do draw on the screen. I loved playing with it, and tried the coding several times from codes in the odd book or magazine my Mum had found. I used the computer on and off through my school and college life, but not to any big extreme, just the basics.
Then in 1997 I moved in with my then fiancé and other than the flat one of our first big buys was a home computer. I couldn’t see the point of having a computer at home. He was the one pushing for it, he’s heard about the Internet and couldn’t wait. Me I wasn’t fussed and was just looking forward to re-learning the wordprocessor and spreadsheets. However after we got it, I spent more and more time on the Internet finding more and more things of interest to learn.
Then I found a site that let you create your own website, “ wow how exciting”, but what could I possibly do it on. Other than being on the computer and working I didn’t do much but my Hubby played cricket for his local friendly side. So I thought I’d do a site for them to share team news etc. so I created my first site. Over the next few years I found out that you could learn a code to create sites not just use the online software, but didn’t have the time or now where to start learning it. However having slipped down some steps at work and one swollen ankle later meant that I had some time one my hand so I spent the week with an online course teaching myself HTML on the computer, my foot up resting. So having worked through the course I wanted a challenge. So I decided to re-design that cricket club web site and coded every page by hand. Well that site did the trick the club loved it, and I was really proud of my achievement.
From there I created several different sites over the years for different reasons but all for either me or my family. I created a site for my Mum who had re-trained as a hypnotherapist and a year or so later for a theatre group. I got enough feedback from people that they loved the sites that I decided to do more reading to see how i could develop my own html coding. So through online courses again I learnt about CSS and JavaScript, and then turned my attention to SEO (search engine optimisation) to help my Mum’s site out.
I was working as an analyst for a utilities company when I went on maternity leave with my second child, my department was relocated 45mins down the road. So I took the opportunity to leave and decided to give Pippas Web – web design a try to see if there was a need for my work. So here I am, this is me and my story.
So what can you take from this to start out on your own.
Enjoy what you do – find something of interest , a hobby, a craft, computer coding. If you’re going to go into business for yourself, then you want to enjoy what you do.
Continue to learn – read around your chosen business, expand your knowledge, the theory and then learn new related skills things that will give you an edge.
- what do they want from you, do you need to change anything, do you need to be able to do anything different?
Make the most of your opportunities – I had a week off work, where all I could was sit there. I made good use of that time by teaching myself a new skill. You never know where that new skill might just take you.
This is my story why not share yours with me below.
Happy Customer – Pink Personal Training
Let me introduce you to Pink Personal training run by Yvonne Grayson.
Pink Personal Training operates around the Hampshire / Surrey borders. 1-2-1 personal training, pilates classes and a Fitness Boot Camp are all on offer to get the people of Headley, Grayshott, Bordon and beyond up and on their feet.
Pippas Web was brought in originally to get this new site onto Google. Then together we have been making changes to the site and Pippas Web is now working on some SEO to help with its rankings.
This is what Yvonne has to say.
“Thank you so much Pippas Web – you saved my life! Pippas Web helped me with SEO – AND tweaked my website into something I can now be proud of.
Efficient, friendly, and sympathetic to untechnical sorts like me. An affordable service for small businesses just starting up.
Pippas Webb – Pink Personal Training will be back – so look forward to doing business again”.
Customer: Yvonne- Pink Personal Training.
Service: SEO and site review.
Site: http://www.pinkpersonaltraining.co.uk/
Pippas Web website design for start up companies and small business, check us out.
Don’t Sell Yourself Short – You ARE Clever.
Last night, I was making some changes to the Cricket Club website ready for the new season, when my husband turned and said what to him was a heartfelt comment,
I took it almost as a throw away comment because to me, I don’t feel clever, I think what I do, everyone could do, so what make me special.
Yet I still don’t think of myself as clever????? Time for a change of mind set I think.
Then I got thinking about it and I realised that I and probably many others are just selling ourselves short. Our interests and skills are OURS, we learned them, we put the effort in, something’s are easier than others to learn or do. However something’s are harder for other people but they still do it.
As part of learning, developing and your SEO campaign you’ll be busy reading blogs, articles and websites from people in your area of expertise. This can have a two-fold effect
It can help you learn new things, give you new ideas,
or
it can make you think all these people know so much more than me.
Don’t let yourself worry about or get upset about the second one. Remember that chances are the person behind the blog your reading has been working in this area a lot longer than you. But behind the blog, the article is a real person, just like you.
For your own blog, it’s your personality as well as your knowledge that people are interested in, try to put something of you into everything you do, it’ll give you more personal satisfaction, and make it more interesting for you readers.
Value Your own judgement, Your knowledge. Use others as a source of knowledge, a source of authority for your link building, but Not Gods, they’re real people using their knowledge and experience to their advantage so go forth and do the same.
I’ve told you why I’m clever, so now it’s over to you. Please leave a comment below to tell me and everyone else, what you do that is clever too.
To see how Pippasweb could help your start up or small business, check us out.
New Year Resolutions 2011
I have been promising to do more work on this blog and now seems as good a time to get going on it.
My New Year Resolution is to post at least two posts a week, on Monday and Friday.
My plan is to try start at the beginning and give info for small businesses, the first post has already been posted today about 5 things to consider when naming your business.
The posts will include:
- tips for small businesses and how to set one up.
- Web design information and tips
- SEO things you can do to help your own site.
This blog is here to empower you, so whether you use it to develop your own website, or just to give yourself an understanding before employing someone, (after all you have your own business to run too).
I will also post onto the blog in between if I can with, but I have to be realistic with my time. My kids come first, clients sites second and then my own site and blog.
So don’t miss out, subscribe to the blog using the options on the right and receive the posts directly to your inbox, or blog reader.
What are your business New Year Resolutions? Why not share them here.
To see how Pippasweb could help your business, check us out.
Pippas Web 1st Birthday
Wow it’s now been just over a year since Pippas Web first paying customer. I’m so happy, I couldn’t have had a better start to running my own business.
A quick round up.
1) Customers came with ideas and I made them into reality, into real sites that have helped them to generate more business.
2) Customers we’re so impressed they told their friends, and a lot of business has come recently from referrals
3) I have increased my services from just web design to include regional SEO and even more recently hosting for the sites created using flash-based technology.
Things are now slowing down for Christmas, although I do have some work lined up for early in the new year, so no time to relax. It also gives me time to stop and re-focus my efforts for the Pippas Web site, plan the blogs I want to do, that I never got around to this year.
I would like to thank, everyone that’s been involved with Pippas Web during this last year, and Wish that 2011, is a prosperous time for us all.
To see how Pippasweb could help your business, check us out.
Happy Customer – Bright Eyes Pet sitting
Let me introduce you to Bright Eyes Pet Sitting run by Sue & Joan.
Bright Eyes Pet sitting offers pet sitting and dog walking services between Bromsgrove & Hagley . Caring for a range of animals including, horses, cat, dogs and small animals. Pippas Web designed their website earlier this year, when they launched their new company.
This is what Sue has to say.
“We are delighted with the website that Pippa has designed or use. Its an easy to use, informative and eye catching website. In fact the various links and wording that Pippa incorporated gave use our first customers within week one of going live. The customer base has grown month on month since the creation of the website. We want our website to evolve as time goes on and this is being left in Pippa’s very capable hands.”
On Google – Nov 2010 Bright eyes currently occupies 2nd, 7th and 9th position for “pet sitting bromsgrove” from over 4000 sites.
Customer: Sue & Joan – Bright Eyes Pet Sitting.
Service: Original site design and some inital SEO.
Site: http://www.brighteyespetsitting.co.uk
To see how Pippasweb could help your business, check us out.
Happy Customer – OvenMagic
Having relocated in the summer I needed to change my sites SEO to Stafford
as part of this on going project in betwen client work I have also been asking for some reviews from some of my clients on Google places to let others know what my clients think of me. I am pleased to say that several responded so I would like to share them on my blog over the next few posts.
Let me introduce you to OvenMagic run by Kevin Kemp.
Oven Magic is an oven cleaning company based Droitwich, Worcestershire.
Cleaning residential and commercial oven, hobs and ranges in Worcestershire and south Birmingham. Making greasy, dirty ovens, sparkle again like new.
Kevin had a site that he’d launched early last year and wanted some SEO work carrying out. Having re-coded his site into CSS rather than it’s original table format making it easier to make future changes.
This is what Kevin had to say about my work.
“Oven Magic would like to thank Pippasweb for the continued support with the www.ovenmagic.me web site on keeping it at page One on google in the worcestershire area for all of 2010. Pippa has given me a better understanding of how seo works and i would without hesitation recommend pippas web service to any start up company looking for affordable seo. pippa has also up dated my web site with a super fast turn round time thank you pippa”
As Kevin said for most locations in his target area for the term “Oven Cleaning” he is on the 1st page of results and for “oven cleaning Worcester” as of Nov 2010 he actually occupied the No1# slot from over 53,000 results.
Customer: Kevin Kemp – OvenMagic.
Service: SEO and site Maintenance.
Site: http://www.ovenmagic.me
To see how Pippasweb could help your business, check us out.
Who is your site for?
When designing your website (whether you are doing it yourself or getting someone else to do it for you), it is important to consider who your site is for and what is it’s purpose.
I’m guessing the answer will be your site is to attract customers, but who are your customers, and what do they want.
For example are you selling to business to business, providing information that organisations, councils etc might want to read, or directly to the client. The style of the site could possibly reflect the content, for example if you’re providing something to help people relax, for example hypnotherapy etc then a calming style to your site. Sites do look good when kept simple and spacious, however you still need to ensure that all the relevant content is present. Google relies on content to help it decide your keywords and when to return your site in the results. Therefore the more information you put onto your site, will only help.
The balance you need to find is keeping the content user-friendly for the people reading your site and using the relevant keywords in the relevant places for search engines to find you too. Remember your site may look aesthetically pleasing but unless you have the information your users are looking for, or using keywords for search engines then it’s unlikely to be found by your potential buyers, site users.
To see how Pippasweb could help your business, check us out.
Low on energy and motivation
For those of you who don’t know, I recently moved 50miles from Worcester to Stafford. It means my family is now re-united as prior to the move my husband was working in Stafford all week and travelling home to see us at weekends.
Before the move, I was busy updating my facebook page, my blog, getting links, doing work on sites. I would look after two children all day, get them to bed between 7:30 and 8, then work until somewhere between 12 and 1am yet still wake up ok with them in the morning ready for classes. Since the move my energy levels have crashed. I only have one child most of the day because my oldest started school, so there’s more routine during the day. Daddy arrives home just after 5pm and generally he does bed times, yet I sit at the computer and I fall asleep. So I’m sorry, if you’re wondering why it’s all so quiet.
I’m still working on sites, but not really doing much else right now. My little internet bubble has temporarily popped, I don’t have a clue what’s been going on, with facebook / twitter or anything else.
I’m sure also that once I settle in to Stafford life I’ll be catching up, and adding more onto the blog and my facebook fansite.
I’m sure everyone has times like this, if so drop me a comment on here and share you’re experience.
A quick update from a Pippas Web work point. I’ve finished the Educational recruitment site I was having to work on down the pub straight after the move because my wifi / broadband was out of action for several weeks. (How I suffered having to go down the pub every night). I’ve got a few other sites at different stages of development, and someone suggested that I take a look at WordPress as an alternative to moonfruit. Well it’s something I had thought about but hadn’t got round to. So I’ve signed up for a wordpress blog, and I’m looking round. So any suggestions for any good wordpress books, courses or sites would be greatfully received.
To see how Pippasweb could help your business, check us out.
Happy Customer – Lucy Owen Catering Company
I know it’s been a while since I posted anything, but I’m still busy working on sites, SEO for others and of course my own site, as well as preparing to move house in the next two weeks, looking after the children…… Therefore the blog I’m afraid does tend to suffer. I do try and keep my fan page updated every couple of days so if you need a short fix come check us out.
However I got a wonderful email last night, that helped me to see it is all worth it. What I do, the site I create help other people and their businesses.
Let me introduce you to Lucy Owen Catering Company run by Debbie Saunders.
Lucy Owen Catering Company is a family run, home-based catering company in Hampshire. Creating wonderful food using locally sourced produce where possible. So whatever your event; business, party, engagement, christening, baptism, wedding, civil ceremony or funeral they have a buffet menu for you.
We designed the website at the end of last year and due the company doing well Debbie needed to add additional menus onto to the site a few months later.
This is what Debbie has to say.
“Thank you so much for all the help and guidance you have given me. I have been singing your praises to anyone who has commented on the website. I’ve had nothing but complimentary things said about it.”
Customer: Debbie Saunders- Lucy Owen Catering Company.
Service: Original site design and additional pages.
Site: http://www.lucyowencatering.co.uk/
To see how Pippasweb could help your business, check us out.
