Bridget Willard | SaaS Marketing Agency

Author: Bridget Willard

  • Do You Still Need to Blog in 2024, 2025, etc? Yes, Yes You Do.

    Do You Still Need to Blog in 2024, 2025, etc? Yes, Yes You Do.

    Instead of asking if you still need to blog in 2025, ask yourself if you still need customers in 2026 or if you still need sales.

    Here’s the short answer: yes.

    Yes, you still need a blog in 2026.

    Yes, even though people are using AI to write (the school calls it plagiarism), you still need to write and publish on your blog in 2025.

    Why?

    Let me count the ways.

    Oh and before this becomes way too hard to read, let’s agree that “blog” can be a verb meaning publish your writing. Blog is also the noun referring to the archive of articles you publish on your website.

    And I may just say “write” instead of blog. I would presume you’re also publishing these articles on your website (aka blog). Sound good? Let’s go.

    1. You write to establish yourself as an authority.
    2. You write so people can validate you as a business/service.
    3. You write to stay top of mind.
    4. You write to educate your customer base.
    5. You write to provide helpful tips for your existing customer base.
    6. You write because your competition isn’t writing.
    7. You write so you can be found on a search.
    8. You write to rank on Google.

    As another caveat, let me ask you a few more questions.

    1. Do you print materials like brochures to give out?
    2. Do you hand out business cards?
    3. Do you have radio commercials or TV spots?
    4. Do you have billboard or print ads?

    If the answer to any of these is “yes,” then your website better deliver. (We’ll come back to “validate your business” in that section.

    You write to establish yourself as an authority.

    Regardless of the nature of your business, you need to establish yourself as the authority. This means ensuring your author profile says your name and has a bio. Yes, the byline matters when Google/AI are deciding what to show.

    Are you a dry cleaner? Your website should help a consumer trust your business with their $500 suit. Are you a website designer? Your website should help a client choose you for their $2,500 website build. 

    You’ve read it so many times you can probably guess that I’m about to say that people do business with people they…? Know. Like. Trust.

    In a digital world where consumers are researching solutions to their problems way before you invented your plant trap (I so want one, thanks Instagram), you have to be trusted. Who do we trust? Subject matter experts.

    No seriously, look at the Instagram account for Plant Traps by RailScapes. It’s pretty great and they have a blog. Or Sam & Louie’s Pizza in Corpus Christi. It’s real. Authentic. Pam Chavez cared enough to go to school and learn the trade. Her story is why my BFF and I eat there. Now, is she blogging? No. But she is creating content which is a start. (Always back up your video content with blog posts on your own site. You don’t want your IG account to get hacked and then you lose everything. But that really is another blog post.)

    You write so people can validate you as a business/service.

    Remember earlier when I asked if you hand out printed materials and or business cards? So people know your website because they met you at a mixer, say. They don’t need window blinds right now but they keep your card. You’re a nice enough fellow so when they decide they want shutters — who do they look up first? You. 

    Your website has to back you up. In fact, your website is the best salesperson you’ll ever have. That is, if you maximize it. And you maximize it with your blog posts. Why? Websites don’t work 9-5. They don’t take vacations. Websites don’t call out sick (when you’re on a good host.) People can read and process the information on your website at their own pace. They can watch the videos. 

    You write to stay top of mind.

    As you think about all of the connections you’ve made over the years, how many people can you think of that you know are roofers? Go ahead. I’ll wait. How about a lawyer? I don’t mean Greg Hermann or Thomas J Henry. I mean a business lawyer. Oh yeah, there was that one guy who talked about LLCs back in 2021. But do you remember his name? Nope. Nada. Why? Because the interaction is gone.

    Now, people tend to not subscribe to blogs anymore (the best practice is email marketing campaigns with Mailchimp, for example). 

    People always ask me what they should post on social media. Blog posts. You should post links to your blog on your Facebook Page, on LinkedIn, and on X. You can even make a video out of your blog post with a service called Lumen5. I do it all of the time. 

    You write to educate your customer base.

    Educating your customer base is one of the most important reasons to have a blog. You want to clear up industry misconceptions, manage expectations, and have the customer closer to a yes by the time they call you. 

    Educating your customers means you’re using the same vocabulary which makes communication clear. How many times can you think of when you thought you bought something but was delivered something else? Too many.

    “I didn’t know I needed that!”

    In roofing, for example, you never know if the plywood sheets need to be replaced until — guess what? — the roof is removed. So that conversation is had during the bidding process. Any reputable company will give you the per sheet price in that bid, if it needs to change.

    This can also happen with a website build. “I just want a button.” Well, what does the button do? And are those services connected? And did you pay for the software? Getting on the same page is so much easier if you have articles and helpful FAQs on your website.

    You write to provide helpful tips for your existing customer base.

    If people are already customers, maybe they need help using your product. This is where Plant Traps does well on their blog. They’re doing presales work and giving ideas for current customers. If you’re providing an accounting service, publish articles so that your clients are ready for tax time. My CPA DiMercuiro Advisors does a great job with this (though I wouldn’t call it a “Learning Center”).

    Green Cremation does this very well with aquamation here in Texas. They write articles about obesity and the cremation process, the process of water cremation, as well as a complete guide to natural burial. Things you might not know about until you need to know. And none of us want to talk about death – again, another blog post. 

    You write because your competition isn’t writing.

    Everyone wants to compete with their competition. Wait. That sounded weird. Every business owner thinks other businesses are competitors. And, they very may well be. But the truth of it is that consumers make choices based on variations we can’t always account for. Maybe your business is chosen because customer A only wants to support women in business. 

    With that said, having an active blog on your website is a great way to stand out from the competition. To me, an active blog tells me that you’re in business. You’re not going anywhere. I won’t have to change service providers, find a new dentist, etc.

    (But you haven’t published in forever, Bridget. I know. I was in a car accident in December and had 8 herniated discs. That was a lot of pain and quite a bit of treatment. I’m finally feeling like myself. Thus, today’s blog post. And two more drafts in my head.)

    You write so you can be found on a search.

    Where was the last time you searched for a product or service? Was it Google? Bing? Siri? Alexa? Yelp? Reddit? Pinterest? Facebook? Maps?

    The truth is, our search intent has a lot to do with where we’re searching. For example, if we’re going out to eat and the restaurant is closed, we may open up Google Maps (my BFF is definitely opening up Yelp) to find a place nearby that is open now. If I’m watching a movie and just want to see where else I saw Chris Evans, I may just ask Siri.

    Of course, you want to be found. But you may also be found on a search in X, a hashtag on Instagram, a job title on LinkedIn, or even on Facebook. 

    Search doesn’t always equal Google.

    You write to rank on Google. (This is the worst reason to blog.)

    A lot of people believe that ranking on Google is the primary reason to blog. It’s not. Google’s search has been idiosyncratic for about a decade. Your search history frames the results that Google will show you. SEOs call this SERPs: Search Engine Results Page. Unless you’re in a private browser, your results will be different from Jack in Miami. 

    Everyone forgets about Local SEO. Meaning, most of us search for things around us: dry cleaners, roofers, dentists, restaurants, movie theaters, bars, etc. And most of the time, we’re making a purchasing decision with that intent. 

    Everything that you do in all of the reasons above has a cumulative effect on whether or not your website shows up on a search result for a user. 

    Are you going to start writing now?

    I hope the answer is a resounding yes. Send me your blog link. I’m happy to make suggestions. But the main thing is that you now understand that blogging isn’t a frivolous activity. Blogging is vital to the long-term success of your business. 

    More Resources

  • Launch With Words, Texas Residential Care Homes, and Cyndi Pressler

    If you’ve been following me on Twitter for a while, you know about my free WordPress plugin, Launch With Words. It was built with the Starter Pack in mind, a spinoff of my free eBook, “If You Don’t Mind Your Business, Who Will?” At my core, I am a teacher and encourager. I love helping other small businesses (gen pop and web dev shops) thrive. This is what makes me feel like the best version of myself. 

    It’s the best feeling in the world.

    Launch With Words Care Home Pack

    Recently, a friend’s mom launched her consulting business. So, naturally, I created a companion content pack to support her goals and those of her new clients: residential care homes.

    You can even see some of the posts on the Consult Cyndi blog. So who is the trusted source in all things residential care in Texas? Why, Cyndi Pressler, that’s who.

    Meet San Antonio’s Cyndi Pressler – The Best Consultant in Texas For Residential Care Homes

    Texas native Cyndi Pressler is a big deal in regulatory compliance for Senior Care, specifically Type B Residential Care Homes. Like, she was involved in writing Texas compliance and regulations type of Big Deal. So, when Cyndi had the opportunity to start her consulting business, I was all in. 

    Can Cyndi Pressler Help Me Start My Residential Care Home?

    The short answer is yes, Cyndi Pressler can help you start your Residential Care Home in Texas. The first step is getting you ready for your Life Safety Code Certification.

    Located in San Antonio, Texas, Cyndi Pressler is the expert in state and local requirements that guide the foundation, existence, and operations of senior care homes here in Texas. She recently helped The Montgomery Home with their new facility in Palacios, Texas.

    “We value each residents’ experiences from their personal life. We honor them by listening to their thoughts and ideas of what an autonomous and dignified home environment entails.” The Montgomery Home

    Cyndi Pressler is An Inspiration to Women Business Owners

    Cyndi Pressler has been an industry expert for decades. Her ability to deeply understand regulatory compliance and present that information in a friendly way is unmet. If you’re lucky enough to know her, then you’ve laughed with her, cried with her, and maybe lost at Hand and Foot.

    One of my favorite things about her is the way she coaches business owners to advocate for themselves. This is a huge step for any entrepreneur and is often hard to see without a mentor like Cyndi.

    “Taking the next step in your assisted living business is called the advocate stage and the reason I call it that is ’cause you need to advocate for yourself.” Cyndi Pressler 

    If you’d like to book a meeting with Cyndi Pressler, you can do so on her public-facing calendar. Tell her Bridget sent you and she’ll give you a virtual hug, too!

    What Business Owner Inspires You? What Content Pack Do You Want Next?

    Hey, Launch With Words was built with you in mind. So, what content pack would you like to see? And which business owner inspires you to keep going? Have you told them lately how they’ve had an impact on you? I bet they’d sure appreciate it.

  • Small Business Owners — Are You Looking For Opportunities to Learn?

    If you’re not learning, you can’t grow your business. Heck, you may not even be able to maintain it.

    In my professional career, I’ve come across peers and clients who don’t need to read a book because “they already know it.” They don’t go to sessions at a conference on SaaS Marketing because they “already know it.” They don’t ask people questions at networking meetings because “they already have a marketer in their BNI group.”

    Sadly, these scenarios are not made up.

    Yes, Business Owners Still Need to Learn

    It’s impossible to know everything so you must keep learning. You can learn how to do something better. You can ask yourself why you’re operating a certain way. Is that reason still applicable?

    Learning includes customer insights. These insights come when you ask questions. For example, though this video is from January 28, today is April 1. I’m in a Residence Inn in St. Louis. There is no coffee pot in this room. The coffee maker is here, but not the pot. 

    If I mention it to the front desk, I’m predicting one of two reactions: a) she’s just a Karen (GenX, short hair, likes to complain) or b) how did we miss that? Ain’t no thing since I brought Suiss Mocha instant coffee – just in case. Thankfully, there is a microwave in the building.

    So, here I am as a customer. How can I learn from that?

    Business Owners are Customers Themselves

    Yes, I’m a business owner. Though I don’t have employees (I have a couple of vendors), I can still learn from every experience – especially those when I am a customer.  

    In the case of the coffee pot, I know I just can’t even with telling the front desk. Why? I’m tired. It’s not my job to tell the front desk to check rooms before they’re available. And maybe they do. But the person who does it, skipped room 304. Who knows? I just don’t want the friction today. You know?

    But if I were here for business (not moving 1,550 miles away), I would tell them.

    Where is the insight from Coffee Pot Gate? Not every customer will give you insight. They won’t all tweet. They won’t all complain. (And, are complaints really just to bust your ass? Probably not.)

    What makes you loyal to a brand? That’s another question that business owners can learn as customers themselves. What do you like about going to Starbucks? How does it make you feel when you get your T.J. Maxx $10 Rewards Certificate? 

    Business Owners Can Learn As Employees

    Recently, I’ve taken a part-time job at T.J. Maxx. Firstly, to have extra money to pay debt faster. Secondly, for travel and fun money. Thirdly, to get out of the house (single lady with a cat works alone, hello). Fourthly, because my client work dropped significantly Sept-Dec 2022. That’s another sad story. 

    I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve learned being an employee again – especially in retail. I’ve learned that 21-25 year-olds have work ethic and are some of the best managers I’ve ever had. I’ve learned that there are career opportunities in retail. 

    I’ve learned about systems and processes and checklists – stuff that I “already know.” But it makes me think. What should I do every night, every week, and every quarter? How can I reward loyal members with exclusive members-only events three times a year? It’s more than just emailing people. I’ve learned that even when the TJX Rewards Card emails members, they don’t necessarily read or remember information.

    I’ve been reinforced that looking people in the eye is valuable. 

    I’ve been reinforced that asking people questions is never a bad idea.

    I’ve been reinforced that there is always something positive you can say to everyone.

    Does a smile or a laugh really make that much of a difference in someone’s work day?

    Spoiler alert: it does.

    Video Highlights

    00:24 Do you learn by asking questions?

    01:31 Empathy only works if you do the work.

    02:17 Are you teachable?

    03:22 You can learn from what not to do.

    04:10 Don’t pass on information you “already know.”

    Raw Transcript 

    (00:01):

    Hey, YouTube. I love my hair, but it’s driving me banana pants. And I thought I would come to you and do a little video about something I get asked about a lot, or actually something I encounter a lot, and that is being unteachable.

    (00:24):

    So I like to ask people, uh, questions because that’s the best way to learn about them. And sometimes I’m a little flabbergasted at how close-minded people are. Now, I knew this because I was, um, a teacher and sometimes when you’re tutoring people and you’re teaching them about math or whatever, then it’s really easy for them to get unfocused and decide they already. They are so frustrated, they’ve already closed their mind. There’s nothing they can possibly learn. You know, there’s nothing they can possibly learn. And that puts you in a really precarious position because as a business owner or somebody who wants to advance in your career, the most important thing you can do is have an open mind and to think about things in a different way, to experience things, um, new of the way your customers are, um, experiencing them. Try to put yourselves in their shoes.

    (01:31):

    We talk a lot about empathy lately, but that means going through those exercises. What is it like downloading an app without the wifi? What is it like signing up on a form on your website? Does it work for everyone? Are you asking when people, are you asking someone who’s never used your, your website to um, tell you what you do?

    (01:57):

    You know, is for me, the third time I got, somebody asked me if I specialized in marketing for bars and pubs, I was like, okay, I have to change this language. Right? Because that was my analogy and I love that page cuz it was clever and witty and fun, but it’s too disguised, right?

    (02:17):

    So are you teachable? Are you able to take in information from other people through your experiences and sort of apply them to a) what you, what you are doing correctly? There is a huge value in understanding and validating and, um, and reengaging the knowledge you have. We call that reinforced learning and it is so valuable. Another reason is what you shouldn’t do.

    (02:52):

    Remember that show What Not To Wear? Now, I know they have new versions of it, but Trinity Woodall who, uh, if you’ve seen me, me on Facebook or whatever, I’m obsessed with her. I’ve, I’ve just, I’ve thought she’s awesome forever. But she used to have this show, uh, called What Not To Wear and explained why things aren’t working right. So there’s a lot of people, we get stuck in our ruts and stuck with what our, what we’re wearing without thinking about the utility of what we’re trying to achieve. So it’s being open for that.

    (03:22):

    So sometimes you can learn what not to do, you know? Um, are you in a coffee shop and, uh, somebody takes your order and then you’re waiting for them to make the order before you pay? That is inefficient. I’m not sure why anybody does that. But, um, it happens a lot. It happens a lot in Door County. Um, if you’re listening to this and you’re offended, I’m sorry. <Laugh>. Um, but the, that’s the reality. The reality is why are you doing it this way? And it could be that there is a unique part of the culture that I’m misunderstanding. But to me, coming from California and then San Antonio, it makes zero sense.

    (04:10):

    Um, so I try to look at every client and every experience I’m having as what, what reinforced learning is there? What should I not do? What insights am I getting on processes or ideas on, oh, this is how this person is doing it? I wonder if I could do that? If I wonder if I could learn from this thing that I’m liking. 

    I’m noticing that I like this thing, this experience, this shop. 

    What of that can I bring into, uh, my business, my products, my customer service?

    (04:50):

    So reinforced learning, what not to do, and insights. So that’s, those are my tips for you today on keeping your mind open. Of course, I also recommend that you watch documentaries, um, read non-fiction, and from a variety, a variety of sources that may not be exactly your industry.

    (05:14):

    Because where, where we get stuck in ruts is by putting those blinders on and only looking at things that are from our industry instead of opening up our mind to different experiences.

    (05:27):

    And I will talk to you later. You can find out more about me on BridgetWillard.com. Bye.

  • Are Websites Actually Using Launch With Words Packs?

    Are Websites Actually Using my Agency Launch With Words Packs? Yes. Yes, they are.

    It may seem that $500 is a lot to throw down on a pack of blog posts. Maybe it is in comparison to using a $20 ChatGPT-written article. If that’s your point of view, this article isn’t going to convince you. I think AI writing assistants are a race to the bottom. But, that’s another blog post.

    The thing that makes Launch With Words different is the experience and expertise behind the writing — namely, mine. Sure, you can throw in prompts for AI writing assistants. People have been outsourcing writing for years — both overseas and abroad.

    To write copy that educates and convinces, however, takes more than cursory Googling or whatever the AI assistants think is right.

    That’s why Launch With Words is such a great deal. If you hired me to write these 12 articles just for your website, you’d be looking at over $2,500. And, unlike syndicated content, you can actually edit the blog posts.

    Why would you edit blog posts that are already written? Local SEO.

    “Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your website for a specific local area. If you have a local business, like a shop, restaurant, or agency, you want your web pages to rank for certain search queries performed by a local audience.” Willemien Hallebeek

    Websites That Use Launch With Words Content Packs

    The Centerville Chamber of Commerce, designed by Fat Dog Creatives is using the Chamber of Commerce Pack to supplement their own articles. 

    Creative Woodworking of Windsor is using the Residential General Contractor Pack to supplement its own articles. This pack was installed by the owner of the business. 

    Consult Cyndi used the Care Home Pack to boost visibility and SEO upon website launch. They’re now writing their own articles.

    Bauerle Roofing, a client of Highbridge Consultants, is using the Roofing Contractor Pack to boost its SEO efforts. 

    Cami MacNamera used the Roofing Contractor Pack when her new client EDCA Roofing wanted to add blog posts to their website. The Launch With Words Pack helped them publish their first blog post – ever. Now, the roofing pack serves to supplement their custom-written articles.

    Michael Grubbs, a Door County Handyman, launched his site with posts from the plumbing and contractor packs. Yes, you can combine them. Also, in fairness, I built this site, too.

    BuilderMarketers, a brand-new marketing agency focused on building websites for residential general contractors, is using Launch With Words. I built this site and used posts from the residential contractor pack, the WebDev SEO mini-pack, and the chamber of commerce pack. (That one has great posts about small business marketing.) I changed the CTA paragraph to the BuilderMarketers default closer. Copy/paste FTW.

    What About Duplicate Content?

    “What about duplicate content?” is a question I’m always asked. What about it? Is duplicate content the problem your client has? I doubt it. Right now, the problem is no content.

    What’s more is that WordPress developers have been sold the tale that duplicate content gives a website a bad mark for SEO. That’s simply not true.

    “Still worried about your page ranking? Ensure you highlight your new post on social media channels. Your audience can help promote your page through clicks, likes, links, and shares so it secures the visibility and reach it deserves.” Neil Patel

    “Duplicate content gives us choice. Duplicate content catches our eye. Duplicate content challenges us. With most of our websites beginning to look like identical block towers, duplicate content will make our websites great again!” Warren Laine-Naida

    “Matt Cutts said twice that you should not stress about it, in the worse non-spammy case, Google may just ignore the duplicate content. Matt said in the video, ‘I wouldn’t stress about this unless the content that you have duplicated is spammy or keyword stuffing.’” Search Engine Land

    Launch With Words Helps You Save Time and Add Value

    The reason I created Launch With Words (Media Ron LLC did the dev work) is to help small business owners with blogging prompts. Often, they don’t know what to write about.

    The reason why I wrote Premium Packs is because Developers are constantly waiting on clients to produce content. These packs, though blog articles, are a fantastic source of information for page content as well.

    Stop waiting for clients.

    Build the website.

    Add the content.

    Bill the client.

    Get paid.

  • Business Owners — Look For Patterns in Your Online Reviews — And Change

    It’s easy to brush off or even ignore poor online reviews? But if there are patterns in these reviews, maybe it’s YOU who needs to change.

    Do Online Reviews Matter?

    Yes, online review matter to potential customers. They’ll read bad and good reviews to get a feel for how you respond and whether or not the sizing is correct if you’re a clothing brand, have bugs if you’re a SaaS company, or poor service if you’re a coffee shop.

    Why Should My Small Business Care About Bad Reviews More than Good Reviews?

    Small businesses live and die on word-of-mouth referrals – this includes social media and search. So Suzie tells me that I must go to Chimichurri Palace for their Argentinan Steak, and I look it up. You do the same. 

    When I read that the Chimichurri Palace has repeated issues with their reservations or that the Chimichurri sauce isn’t authentic, well, then I take pause while considering Suzie’s recommendation. Maybe she doesn’t know what’s authentic. 

    As a business owner, looking at patterns in words used in negative reviews helps you spot problems in the way your business operates. It may give you insight into servers’ attitudes. Maybe all of the negative reviews are on Thursday nights when Brad is working. 

    You get the point.

    Watch the video to see more. 

    When’s the last time you read your online reviews looking for patterns?

    When’s the last time you used that insight to change your business for the better?

    Key Highlights

    00:02: Intro

    01:11: Read your worst reviews and track word counts. 

    02:58: What are the commonalities in your reviews? 

    04:11: Does your website help manage expectations or create gaps in expectations?

    04:49: How does a client know what it’s like to work with you?

    05:49: “What if that [negative review] is true? What on Yelp is true? What on Trustpilot is true?”

    06:31: But as business owners, we should do as much as we can as far as it has to do with our side of the street, with how we present ourselves, with the expectations that we have to communicate in a way that has hospitality, joy, honor, integrity, and, and quite frankly, that all boils down to respecting our customer.

    Raw Transcript

    (00:02):

    Hi, Bridget Willard here. I just wanted to have a chat with you real quick about online reviews. First of all, when is the last time that you, as a small business owner, went and left a review for another small business? Uh, whether it’s a supplier, a vendor, um, a colleague, a new restaurant in town, um, possibly even your competitor, like what. That’s some intellectual integrity right there, right? So the thing is that reviews are a big deal, and it’s so hard to get positive reviews because we are really quick to add a review when we’re upset. This place has bedbugs. There was a snail in my escargot. <Laugh> You know what I mean, like something extreme? Or you have the three-star Yelpers who wouldn’t be happy if they won a million dollars because you didn’t give ’em to ’em, give it to them in twenty-dollar bills.

    (01:11):

    <laugh>. So the thing is reading your reviews with a grain of salt, but read the worst ones. Read the worst ones with a notebook and start writing down. Like, you know, it’s, I have notebooks. I have several notebooks right here in my, in my office to go. I got this one says, “some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it,” “doing my best,” whatever it takes. I have a book with you, I really like. You know, people in all their notebooks. And like, it doesn’t, this is from CVS, it’s not that big of a deal. But like one, one thing that’s good about it is this, which means it lays flat. It is small enough to be in your purse, briefcase, backpack, and you could just go, okay. So I would write down, for example, with a pen, I would take it down and be like, okay, what’s the first thing in this bad review is, uh, “rude.” Okay? Like, that’s a word that’s being used. And then read through all the other reviews and just start tallying it up like it’s your domino score. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. How many times did somebody say in your online reviews that they had it, that someone was “rude” or “bad service” or, uh, “TV doesn’t work?”

    (02:41):

    Or, um, like it’s common with restaurants, right? Um, or in hospitality industry to, to have these. But there, there will be reviews, um, written online, uh, if you’re big enough, uh, maybe they’re on Glassdoor.

    (02:58):

    Uh, if you’re in travel, it could be on Expedia, Bookings.com, those kind of marketplaces. It could be a book, uh, like the book that Warren and I wrote, “The Only Online Marketing Book You Need for Your Small Business,” which is on Amazon. Um, and maybe, maybe once you get into the two to three stars range, maybe it’s just lackluster. What things are, where are the commonalities in those? So bad review, people have distinct opinions; good review, people have distinct opinions. The people in the middle kind of get passed off. Like, well, they were, they had ridiculous expectations. Here’s where I am asking you to participate in your own business and your own business marketing. Is 10% of that true? 20%? 30%? How much of what that online review said is true? And if so, how much of that is in your control to fix it?

    (04:11):

    For example, we manage expectations with the copy we put on our websites. This is why, for example, I have public-facing pricing that’s transparent. It’s right there on slash pricing. BridgetWillard.com/pricing. You’ll see my pricing, you’ll see what it includes. I don’t believe in this kind of shell game that a lot of marketers do. Well, it depends. Yeah, it depends. And you just add ’em all up. <laugh> You know, of course I could do custom pricing and I have, and I do. But what, what is that expectation?

    (04:49):

    When it comes to being a WordPress developer? What is it gonna look like for them to work with you? Um, what is your process? How do you bill and in what increments? Are you like a lawyer and every time you get an email, that’s a 15 minute charge? You know? And, and then if you see that happening as a web developer, why, why are you not pushing that client onto a care plan? First of all, the, that gives you predictable income and it also helps them get the things done.

    (05:25):

    You know? It’s not. Clients don’t write wire frames and organize their content. This is why we have jobs, y’all. I write content. You put it on the website. They get customers. This is what we do as writers and WordPress developers, right? Marketers. Copywriters, I should say ’cause I’m not a novelist. <Laugh>

    (05:49):

    So the thing is like, what if that is true? What on Yelp is true? What on Trustpilot is true? What in your previous, when you were an employee, what in those performance reviews is true? And is any of that being, uh, is any of that carried over to your new business? To how you deal with clients? Do you think that they should know? Are you upset when they do X, Y, and Z? You know what of that is something that we <laugh> as business owners need to take to our therapist? And how much is it that the client is being difficult?

    (06:31):

    Sometimes difficulty with clients means the underlying situation is there is a lack of communication or in <laugh>, Cool Hand Luke, “what we have here is a failure to communicate.” So communication, some of it’s on them, some of it’s on us. But as business owners, we should do as much as we can as far as it has to do with our side of the street, with how we present ourselves, with the expectations that we have to communicate in a way that has hospitality, joy, honor, integrity, and, and quite frankly, that all boils down to respecting our customer.

    (07:20):

    So if you like this video, share it with your friends. Uh, if you don’t like it, press thumbs up twice. <laugh> I’m back to doing videos. Uh, the, the farm partnership didn’t work out. That’s okay because I tried and I love chickens. I can’t wait to buy a house and have chickens. Uh, for now I just have a cat. Where are you cat? Meow. Meow. There he is, <laugh>. So thanks for tuning in. I would love to answer any of your marketing questions. Drop me a line. Hello@BridgetWillard.com. See you on the next one.