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Month: November 2021

Self Hosting – Cloudron

I have been using Cloudron recently, and after initially trying it out a couple years ago, I found it to be a really easy, awesome way to create my own, personal, cloud, keeping the peering eyes of big-tech out of my life.

So far I have been using Cloudron to manage my OnlyOffice office instance (better than MS Office or Google Docs) and my instance of Nextcloud, a Google Drive-like file storage and sharing center. They integrate with each other to create your own, secure, private office suite with file storage.

The best part is that you can do all this simply from the DigitalOcean Marketplace – a one-click shop for easy installation of everything. All you need is a domain name to point at it.

Once you have it installed, you can set it and forget it, as Cloudron will keep itself updated, patched, and secure.

Cloudron Coupon Code

It isn’t cheap to run Cloudron, but it lets you host 2 app without a subscriotion. I have yet to find a working Cloudron coupon code out there, but there are Cloudron referral codes such as my own (https://cloudron.io/?refcode=901142a319d1498b) which earn the referee a small discount. Once you have your own Cloudron account set up, you can use your own referral code and encourage others to use.

So that is me encouraging you to use my referrer code 😀

7 Steps For Creating A Profitable Website

Let’s face it: some websites aren’t worth much, whereas others rake in several thousand dollars each month in revenue. The surprising truth about the latter is most examples aren’t operated by well-known businesses.

It might shock you to learn that many of today’s profitable websites come from humble roots and typically start off as side projects by individuals with full-time jobs. These days, various Internet resources make it easy to build profitable websites.

With that in mind, what is the “secret sauce” for building a website that can offer an excellent passive income stream? Take a look at the following steps for inspiration if you wish to become next year’s Internet entrepreneur of the year:

1. Choose A Niche

One of the biggest mistakes some would-be Internet entrepreneurs make is being too broad about the aim of their website. It’s a far better idea to look at specific niche markets and determine which one is the right fit for your ideas.

The niche you choose should be one where there is little competition, yet you’ll be providing a valuable online resource or service. Consider using free online tools like Google Trends to help you find the popularity and competitiveness of specific niche phrases and keywords.

2. Buy A Relevant Domain Name

Once you’ve determined which niche is right for you, the next stage is buying a relevant domain name. There are a couple of options open to you; it’s worth considering which ones are most appropriate to your objectives.

For example, you could register a fresh new domain name that no one owns. Another idea is to buy an existing domain that isn’t getting used by the owner. A domain broker can help negotiate the best price for purchasing a domain owned by someone else.

3. Use A Reliable Yet Low-Cost Host

After you’ve organized a domain name for your new online project, the next step is finding a hosting company that you can pay to host your new website. Your goal is to find one that is reliable, offers the features and benefits you need, and is affordable.

Thankfully, the Internet is awash with hosting companies that tick all those boxes, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding the right web host for your needs. Always read online reviews and feedback of potential web hosts you shortlist before coming to a decision.

4. Install WordPress

Now that you’ve got a hosting platform sorted out, you can begin building your website. The thing is, how can you achieve that goal? There was once a time where you would have needed to code some HTML or use software like Microsoft FrontPage.

Nowadays, most people use the free and highly versatile WordPress CMS (content management system). You can easily apply themes and add-ons (plugins) in WordPress to create a unique website that fully meets your design and function requirements.

You can use WordPress as a fully functional website, e-commerce solution, blog, and community forum, to name but a few examples.

5. Start Monetizing Your Website

So far, you’ve invested some time and money into your new website. Now is the time to make it pay for itself and provide you with a passive income stream. You might be asking yourself, what are the best ways to monetize your new site?

There are several options at your disposal. For example, you can publish regular content on your site and use affiliate links to earn a commission from any sales made via your site. You could even allow advertising on your site like banner and text ads from Google AdSense.

6. Supercharge Your SEO

Your website is now up and running, and you’re adding fresh new content to it regularly. You’ve started monetizing your site, but you notice that you aren’t getting thousands of visitors to your website each week. The way to correct that problem is through SEO.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is necessary for links to your website to appear in relevant search engine results pages. Take a look at Google’s SEO Starter Guide for help in supercharging your SEO.

7. Decide Whether To Continue Or Sell

Once you’ve got more unique visitors accessing your content each month, and your passive revenue increases, you should decide whether you want to continue with your project or sell it to the highest bidder.

Many online entrepreneurs build profitable websites and sell them afterward, either to other entrepreneurs or companies looking to integrate your content into their own sites. The choice is a personal one; don’t feel pressured to keep your site or sell it.

Good luck!

8 Steps To Establish Your Company Voice

condenser microphone with black background

A strong brand is important regardless of your industry. Without it, your business will fail to maintain consistency and struggle to compete with more established companies, meaning you’ll quickly fall by the wayside. 

One of the best ways to establish a strong brand is through your company voice. The problem many smaller businesses encounter is not knowing what type of voice they want to present. Rather than decide on one tone, they chop and change depending on the day and the customer. While this can help appeal to a broader audience, it also means they fail to stay in line with their key values. So, how can you establish a recognizable company voice? Here are eight ideas to consider. 

Know Your Company Values 

Without knowing your company values, you will never be able to establish a clear and consistent voice. Before anything else, ask yourself what you stand for. Do you want to provide something different from the norm? Are you focused on eliminating the tricky tedium of complicated processes? 

Once you know what you stand for, you can establish your voice more easily. If you want to offer something different from the minimalist and distant approach of many businesses (and you can blame Apple for that), think about how you will approach your communications. Rather than short, almost abstract information, opt for warm and welcoming language that makes people understand that this is something different.

Establish What You Are Not

Often, you can establish what you are without knowing what you are not. There is more to this than a simple mind-mapping session, though, especially as your team may have a range of different ideas about what you are not. 

To overcome this and get everyone on the same page, This, Not That exercises are exceptionally useful. Tell yourselves that you are using something positive and then back it up by reminding ourselves that you are not a negative aspect of this, such as We are friendly, but not sycophantic. Other ideas could be Caring, but not disingenuous. With this, you can focus on being something rather than trying not to be something else, which comes across as more authentic.

Evaluate Your Content 

If you have decided to re-establish your company voice, there could be thousands of words worth of content lurking on your website waiting to trip you up. This means you will need to evaluate your content to consider how it aligns with your new voice. 

Adjusting your content to match your voice will save any embarrassment, especially if someone comes poking around trying to highlight any hypocrisy. Besides this, it can also increase your ranking, as you will be able to refresh old content that is out of date, misinformed, or simply irrelevant when compared to your current image.

Be An Authority 

If you have confidence in your knowledge, people will listen. Becoming an authority in your industry allows you to establish your voice quickly and often without anyone having the guts to doubt or challenge you. 

Using online courses is one of the most efficient and dependable ways to become an authority, and considering the benefits of Podia vs Kajabi will help you choose a hosting resource to develop a course that clients will get plenty of value from. Sharting this course and marketing it as a must-have for customers and clients will further increase its reputation and make your company voice more commanding. 

Let Your Website Do the Talking 

Sometimes, you don’t have the opportunity to speak loudly. Instead, you must rely on how the company image is to do the talking for you. Still, you can use this image to establish a strong brand voice, especially in moments where you don’t need to say anything at all. 

You can start this by understanding how to improve your homepage and grab attention. For many people, your website is the first point of contact, so you must make a good impression. Immediately, visitors will get an idea of who you are and what you’re all about, and you may not even need to say anything at all. 

Research What Your Market Wants 

Businesses can often struggle to establish a successful voice because they do not know what their audience wants. Instead, they make assumptions that fall wide of the mark, and this can put your company in abject peril almost immediately. 

It’s always beneficial to research what your market wants and needs. You may discover some elements are missing, whereas there is an abundance of other elements which you can ignore. This not only helps you cultivate the right voice, but it also makes you more efficient in delivering the right service. 

Create a Chart 

You want your voice to be authentic, but this is not always possible, especially when introducing new employees to the business. Use a voice chart that will help them get to grips with how to approach different interactions and communications. 

This chart can provide the Dos and Don’ts of your company voice and it will avoid any mistakes or sending out correspondence that sounds unlike you, which could confuse consumers. 

Make It Consistent 

With this chart, you will find it easy to maintain consistency. As time goes on, your brand’s voice will become second nature to everyone at your company. It’s important to match this brand voice across all of your channels. You don’t want a friendly Instagram account but a sarcastic, almost rude Twitter presence. 

The more consistent your voice is across all platforms, the easier it will be to establish your voice online and in the local community. You will slowly but surely build a recognizable image and boost your company’s reputation as a business that knows exactly what it is about, and this is one of the most appealing elements to consumers. They don’t want wishy-washy uncertainty. They want confidence. 

Shout It Loud and Proud 

Your company voice is one of the most significant elements of your business. Because of this, establish it as quickly as possible and make sure this voice remains. Whether it’s press releases, social media, content marketing, or other communications, a powerful brand voice will make you stand out and make you a business that customers, clients, and competitors recognize instantly.