Is it time to shut down, or just a refresh? 6 Questions To Ask Before Revamping Your Blog

Back at the beginning of the year, we did a refresh of the direct sales blog, along with an overhaul and re-launch of my personal site that had laid dormant for almost a year. We also launched a website for the new web series, and laid plans for a re-fresh here as well. That’s a lot of stuff in only 90 days.

I’ve been tracking the stats on these changes, and while I’m happy with the progress we’ve made, and now it looks like it’s time to start the re-fresh here. But a question came at me, that I thought would be valuable to answer here for everyone.

What if you’ve been blogging for a while, and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of interest (not many comments) from readers? Should I consider a re-fresh/re-launch or just scrap the entire thing?

In my online history, I’ve built dozens of sites under my own business umbrella – and chucked a few, too. Some get a re-fresh, but others, quite frankly, are not worth the time and effort to try to salvage, so they get cut. Here’s the short list of criteria I use for deciding what to keep and what to scrap:

1. Do I truly enjoy this topic?

Whether or not I get a lot of comments, if I really enjoy writing about the topic, I may hang on to it and try a different approach to marketing/increasing readership. I’ll also try other mediums: video, podcasts, guest posts, etc. When I have a passion for the topic, it’s much easier to stay determined. On the other hand, if I am getting burned out, don’t seem to be able to come up with “inspiring” things to write about, or feel exhausted from trying to attract readership, it’ll probably get scrapped.

2. Is it a technology issue?

Sometimes a site just gets clunky and difficult to navigate. If the interface needs a refresh, that’s one thing, but if the entire platform you’re running on is cumbersome, it may be a good time to scrap it and do something else. One of my first sites was a makeshift blog that I cobbled together. It worked for a while, but when I discovered Blogger, I jumped ship. Later, when WordPress developed import capabilities for Blogger, I jumped again, leaving the old site in the dust.

3. Am I giving it the time/focus it needs to flourish?

Different niches have different marketing demands. If you don’t have the time to dedicate to marketing the site, you may need to outsource content development, marketing, or both in order to keep it afloat. If you can’t take the time to invest the resources in that, it needs to go.

4. Is it just ugly?

Sometimes you and your audience gets tired of looking at the same old boring theme. Sometimes you’re feeling a bit of website shame. When we did our refresh, I wanted to put video front and center on the home pages of the new sites. We don’t have a lot of video at Business Action Hero, and I worked hard to create my background photo, which I still love to pieces. But I’m tired of the Adventure Journal theme and a handful of clunky issues I have with it. So I want to try some new things and “pretty up” the place a bit. Plus, I’ve got some new ideas for categorization and navigation that I’d like to test behind the scenes before I unleash it on the world. That’s not a reason to scrap the site, but it’s certainly a good reason to shut things down for a bit.

On the other hand, if the site was beyond help, or if the domain name was rotten, it might be a good idea to close permanently.

5. Can I afford professional help?

If you’re like me – with an armload of ideas for blogs I’d love to see come to fruition – it’s next to impossible to build them all yourself and feel good about how they all turn out. Richard Branson didn’t launch all his Virgin companies at the same time. He took them on one at a time and brought in qualified professionals to run them.

Whether you’re looking for a designer, a VA, a coach, or guest bloggers to help lighten your load, before you go website crazy, you need to check in with your budget. What exactly can you afford? If you’ve got more time than money, a little DIY can go a long way. If you’ve got no time and no money, you may need to curb your enthusiasm a bit and focus on one small tweak at a time.

6. Where’s my revenue coming from?

If I’m relying on this site for my major source of income, you’d better believe I’ve got a vested interest in keeping it running until I can transition that revenue to another site. In December, I did that with the launch of my Real Results program, which picked up the financial slack while Direct Sales Classroom was under renovations (and unable to produce any revenue while down).

Time was of the essence however, so we kept the site offline for no more than a week, and welcomed everyone back as quickly as possible.  If the site isn’t producing revenue, this isn’t as much of an imperative. However, if it is going to be a major piece of your revenue generation machine, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a transition plan in place so things move effortlessly from one site to another.

These are the major considerations I take when I’m looking at making modifications to my online presence. This doesn’t just apply to my blogs, but also my social media presence on various sites as well. Anywhere that I’ve got a business presence, I look critically at how it’s serving me (and how I’m serving my clients) before I decide what to keep and what to scrap. Sometimes, it just needs a little spit and polish. Other times, it has to go.

Categories: Action Plans | Tags: , , , | 1,214 Comments

So You Wanna Be A Rock Star? #Duets Is Looking For You!

So I’m browsin’ the web, being nosy about someone else’s business, when I fall upon an article announcing the new ABC series “Duets” – which just so happens to be looking for applicants to be potential singing partners with the likes of Robin Thicke, Jennifer Nettles, Kelly Clarkson, and Lionel Richie.

Whoa. Hold up a minute. Did you say “Lionel Richie”?

Indeed I did.

So on a “whim” I decide to put in my application.

“They’re not asking me to sing yet, they just want some background info. I probably won’t make it past the pre-screening, but what the heck? If I don’t at least try, I’ll kick myself for years.” I say to myself.

After all, this isn’t like American Idol, where there’s some arbitrary age restriction. It’s not “The Voice” where you’ve got a singing “death match” against your other contestants.

There’s actually an opportunity to sing with AND learn from your super-talented musical partner.

This is Music Biz 101 right here, folks!

And guess what happened?

I got asked to submit a video!

Yeah. Kind of freaked me out, too!

That’s when I realized there’s no such thing as “on a whim,” but that’s a post for my other blog.

I spent the weekend scripting/shooting and obsessing over it. I submitted it this morning.

And that’s all I can say for now. I’ll be charting my progress over at my personal site, but as I come up with useful business nuggets, I’ll be sharing those here.

The first thing I can say is this: You’ve got to be willing to put yourself pretty much through a wringer to be on a show like this. I’ve talked with my friend, Fitarella, and she offered some great advice about handling the criticism and downright venomous responses that can come from the public when you take on something like this. She said that it’s key to be able to let it roll off your back and not lash out, or try to talk back. She was the top vote-getter in Oprah’s OWN network contest a while ago. I figured, if I’m going to do something like this, I should talk to someone that’s been there, done that, right?

So now, it’s just a wait and see kind of thing. They may not even call me back. But if they do, you’ll be hearing from me!

Categories: Interviews, Journeys | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 169 Comments

Why Setting Goals Won’t Work

Sometimes, it’s a good thing to set goals.

Other times, it’s better to not. A recent post by Carol Roth led me to reconsider the drive to set goals – not because they’re not important, but because we can often use our “best efforts” as a cop-out for not achieving them.

See, sometimes, we work really hard at something, and it isn’t working. It’s sweaty, nasty, and even painful. It’s downright hard. So hard in fact, that no one would fault you for quitting.

“Heck, look how far you’ve come!” people will say. You might even say it to yourself. I know I have.

I used to take pride in doing things the hard way. Then I learned that there’s a time and a place for effortless as well.

The trick is figuring out which is which. Sometimes, to achieve real success, you need to throw the goal away, and keep striving. Put on a blindfold to the rest of the world and just do that thing you are “giving your best” to – and assess the outcomes later.

Sometimes, that means deleting and unsubscribing from all the newsletters that dump into your inbox every week. Sometimes, it means clearing your calendar, your home, or just getting away from all the distractions so you can focus on that thing you’re about in the world.

Sure, goals still have their place, but they should never be used as a guidepost (or excuse) for mediocrity.

Do you want to quit on the 50 yard line because that was your goal, or do you want to be in the end zone – where the points are made?

No, not every at-bat is a home run, but if you never swing for the fences, you’ll have a hard time hitting a homer. And that takes practice.

Practice at setting and achieving goals – not at giving up half way there because it was hard.

This is a voice of experience, mind you. I’ve seen a failure or two in my recent past. It’s rare for me to quit. Even when it’s hard. I’m more likely to stand over the dead body and keep trying to revive it than I am to quit “while I’m ahead”.

My experience has shown that while it can be incredibly painful to have a loss, persistence and patience are strong indicators of your ultimate success.

What are you willing to stick with – no matter what?

 

Categories: Action Plans | 1,745 Comments

Pushing Through The Faith Crisis

I was cruising along on Facebook today, when I saw an image similar to the one I’ve created here. I added the red “x” and the “IAMNOWHERE”, but otherwise, the image is essentially the same.

 

Before I added my embellishments, it summed up exactly how the entrepreneur’s journey can be. Afterwards, it cleared up in my own head where and whymy business has been stalling. Read more »

Categories: Journeys | Tags: , , , , , | 964 Comments

Get More Comments On Your Blog: 7 Ideas You Can Steal

There are essentially four reasons why people don’t comment on your blog:

  • They don’t know it exists
  • They don’t read your posts
  • They aren’t compelled to comment
  • They think it’s too hard to comment

There are likely other reasons, but overcoming these four hurdles make it much easier to get people to comment on your posts.

So how, exactly do you get more comments on your blog?

Well, instead of talking in theories, I’m going to share with you specific examples from across the blogosphere that worked like gangbusters. Ready? Read more »

Categories: Action Plans | Tags: , , , , | 2,163 Comments

How To Tame Your Inner Critic

I really wasn’t planning on talking about love this week. At least not on this blog. I mean, we’re all about taking action here, and getting stuff done, so hearts and flowers really isn’t meant for a space like this.

Well, usually. In this case, I’m making an exception, because as action-oriented entrepreneurs, I think we all need to practice a little self-love every now and then. Specifically, I’m thinking of that character that lurks inside you: your Nemesis, your Shadow Self.

Also known as your Inner Critic.

I’ve been slowing down the writing on this blog because I’ve been doing some exploration of my more “touchy-feely” emotions on my personal blog. This isn’t the place for that kind of work, thus, you’ve seen less content in recent weeks. That said, I firmly believe that the nature of business is such that the outer work is a mirror to the inner work. So for all the tough stuff I’ve been dealing with on my personal blog, it’s all creating some juicy, helpful stuff that I can use over here.

Today’s case in point: Recently, I shared deeply about my own experience in discovering and building a relationship with my Inner Critic (I call her “The Devil Inside Me“). I’ll also be sharing more on my direct sales blog, but for now, I want to tell you that this doesn’t have to be a painful, arduous experience. In fact, it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Now that I’ve got a grip on my own Inner Critic, I’m still boggling at what’s been happening. Here’s a short list of what’s been going on just since Friday:

  • I received an acceptance for an interview from someone whom I’ve admired for months. We’re now making plans.
  • I finished the first draft of my new book and sent it to my editor.
  • I connected with a screenwriter who’s ready to take my web series project idea and turn it into something we can film.
  • My son graduated from camp, and when I was asked to speak to the audience, I kept it short, sweet, and to the point.
  • An unexpected check came in the mail today.
  • An opportunity to guest post for a very powerful blog series was presented yesterday (and I said YEAH!)
  • I’ve set new boundaries around my personal time, work time, and family time that are serving everyone involved.

And that’s just since Friday, when I sat down to go through Andrea Patten’s Inner Critic to Inner Ally program. What I thought would be brain surgery wasn’t. It was easy-peasy, and wasn’t even a teensy bit painful! Here are the five steps that I took to finally tame The Devil Inside Me once and for all:

1. Name it and Claim it to Tame It. I learned that when I give my inner critic a name, I have a way to interact with her. I can talk to her like she’s a real person, instead of dehumanizing her. Without a name, without accepting her as truly a part of me, she became this dominatrix or inhuman machine that just ran things. Now, as a more personable character, I can converse with The Devil Inside Me and get to the root of the problems that are causing her to rear her head.

2. Give it a voice. I found that as The Devil Inside Me became more human, she was more fragile, with her own faults, flaws and weaknesses. She not only became easier to tame this way, but also became easier to relate to. What surprised me most about Andrea’s exercises was that they caused me to realize that The Devil Inside Me is actually pretty likeable, and the source of several of my more positive traits – like getting stuff done, and being able to get over tragedy and trauma when it happens in my life.

3. Let it be heard. It doesn’t matter if you name it and give it a voice if you choose to ignore it all the time. I had a habit of pretending that my inner critic didn’t exist. Trying to shove it into a corner, and keep it on mute. The more you try to ignore the elephant in the room, the worse the problem gets, they say. So I’m giving her time and space. Kind of like “scheduled worrying/kvetching/what-if-ing”. I give her time each day to have her say, so she doesn’t feel like the little kid that nobody every listens to.

4. Set boundaries. Like the little kid, however, I don’t have to do everything she says. I mentioned on my personal blog that I’m the Chief. She needs to follow me, not the other way around. Yes, sometimes she’s giving me useful information, but she’s the product of thousands of years of living in a fear-based paradigm. That’s a paradigm I am trying earnestly to shift to a paradigm of love.I can’t do that if all I ever hear is her voice. I’m setting boundaries and clear goals, then consulting her so that she has her say. Beyond that, I get to decide, not her.

5. Recognize the value. Your inner critic is actually a throwback mechanism in your brain to help keep you safe and stable. Sometimes she’s incredibly helpful. As I’ve mentioned, it’s her relentless pursuit of forward motion, not standing still, and getting stuff accomplished that has helped me to achieve as much as I have in my short time on this rock. She’s helped me not dwell on painful stuff like deaths, divorces, separations, my kid being away at camp for 25 months, rocky bumps in the marriage, etc. She’s also been instrumental in keeping me from celebrating some of my wins, so it’s up to me to seek the balance. Recognize that like any good friend, there are some things for which she’s very helpful, and other things I’m better off trusting to other people.

These five steps, while not always easy, are the key elements of taming your inner critic once and for all. If you’d like more in-depth help, Andrea and I worked out a way to help you while helping out an awesome cause at the same time. As I mentioned, for the past 2+ years, my oldest son has been living in residence at a wilderness camp for boys with emotional problems. Andrea has graciously agreed to give half the profits of her program to the camp when you use this link. I don’t make a dime off recommending this program to you. I feel so strongly about how her work has impacted me personally, that I’m proud and even a bit excited to share this with you in such a special way. If you think you’d like to tame your inner critic once and for all – and even turn it into your ally – you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Categories: Action Plans | 155 Comments