What the ‘Press?

How can you build a more efficient and profitable agency when it comes to offering WordPress maintenance?

A dirty little secret that has been hidden is finally revealed.  

In this episode, we talk to Phil Storey, founder of Glow, a product that helps agencies manage multiple WordPress websites from one dashboard. In the episode, Phil discusses how to increase the lifetime value of your WordPress maintenance clients by using Glow and some of the core problems you can solve for your clients. 

Episode Highlights and Topics:

How did Phil get into the WordPress space? 

Avoiding the feast or famine dilemma: Why Phil started an agency to offer ongoing website maintenance

Business mindset switch: How and why Phil changed from service to product offering

What does Glow do for clients? 

Pain points—Glow stresses the importance of maintenance via education:

Prove value to clients consistently

Improve efficiency

Understand bad versus good communication 

Benefits: Save time and perform updates for numerous sites with one click 

Common agency mistakes: 

Using email to handle support requests

Not suggesting maintenance early on

How reports are delivered and not understood by clients     

Resources/Links: 

Glow

Phil Storey on LinkedIn

The entrepreneurial operating system (EOS) is a simple set of tools and disciplines that have been around for generations and is now used by more than 14,000 businesses. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel to compartmentalize everything in your business to know what needs to be worked on in the right priority at the right time    

In this episode, we talk to Andrew Stevens, a professional and certified EOS implementer, about systems. Andrew has more than 20 years of experience working in technology and agencies. He helps entrepreneurs and their leadership teams solve root problems, lead more effectively, and gain Traction® in their businesses through a simple, proven operating system.

Episode Highlights and Topics:

What is EOS? A system specifically designed for businesses with 10 to 250 employees

What is the EOS lifestyle? Control your business, do not let business control you

Why is a system important? Entrepreneurs need the right people and the right processes to move forward 

Vision, Traction, and Healthy: EOS is a methodology/framework that tracks these 3 things

6 Key Components of EOS Model: Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction 

Andrew’s Advice: Find a system that works for you (it doesn’t have to be EOS) to help you and your business       

Resources/Links: 

Andrew Stevens on EOS Worldwide

Andrew Stevens Email

Andrew Stevens on LinkedIn

Traction by Gino Wickman

Get a Grip by Gino Wickman

How do you build partnerships and strengthen business-to-business (B2B) relationships with agencies or introducers to grow your business?   

In this episode, we talk to Jonny Miller, WPMaintain Agency Partner and Director/Founder of Outlines Design. Jonny explains his approach to implementing partnership or affiliate programs for his business. 

Episode Highlights and Topics:

Outlines Design: Builds websites for recruitment and professional services

Why WordPress? Challenges an internal content management system creates

Niche down or not? Jonny is not a website designer for everyone—started with startups

Recruitment Route: Greater scope with broader sales approach to expand the network

Pain Points: Know and understand your clients to offer help and recommend solutions

Partner Program: Reflects on client referrals and rewarding team experience

Affiliate Program Structure: Pros, cons, and challenges of exclusivity or not?

Getting Started: Businesses should keep partner programs as open as possible       

Resources/Links: 

Jonny Miller on LinkedIn

Pay Monthly Websites for Recruitment and Professional Services

If you run a business online, what are the legal essentials for small businesses - regardless of whether you have a WordPress website or not? Startups and small business owners must follow basic legal strategies and methods to grow to the next level. Don’t get yourself and your business in trouble or waste time and money embroiled in some legal drama.   

In this episode, we talk to Reena Popat, Managing Partner at Carter Bond Solicitors, about how small businesses can stay legally compliant by sharing guidance and tips for entrepreneurs. 

Episode Highlights and Topics:

How Reena started, built, and grew her legal business from one to 15 offices

What would Reena have done differently? Hire slow and fire quick

How to Grow a Business: Learn and acquire management, leadership, and people skills 

Trial and Error: Low barrier to entry to start a business leads to potential legal problems

Bare Basics: Things business owners need to be aware of when starting a business

What is the entity? Limited company, partnership, or trader - consider limited liability

Legal Documents: Shareholder or partnership agreements and wills for your business

Legal/Website Compliance Requirements: What do you need and why do you need it?

Terms & Conditions: Avoid cookie-cutter, copy-and-paste methods - could harm business

Cookie and Privacy Policies: How and why a business collects data and uses it

Startups and Small Businesses: Your responsibility to stay up-to-date and in compliance      

 

Resources/Links: 

Reena Popat on LinkedIn

Carter Bond Solicitors

Carter Bond Solicitors on YouTube

Gary Vaynerchuk

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Why are search engine optimization (SEO) techniques important and how do you actually implement them in WordPress to grow your business? 

In this episode, we talk to Alex Murray from Tilious, an SEO agency that helps ambitious independent businesses grow with a revenue-focused approach. Alex shares how he helps his customers rank higher on search engines and what it takes for businesses with a WordPress website to get quick wins and long-term success. 

Episode Highlights and Topics:

COVID Pandemic: Positive and negative business impacts on work/life balance

Tilious: Story behind the name - paying great attention to details in the SEO world

SEO vs. Ads: SEO gives a better return on investment (ROI) and accumulates over time

SEO Misconceptions: The majority of WordPress sites are self-built, and handle SEO, as well

SEO Foundation: Nobody knows what’s going on or how things work - even at Google

Content, Content Marketing, and SEO: Mistakes made when setting up a website

Competitive Data: Follow data, conduct research to fill in gaps closest to revenue

Search Intent: Google doesn’t rank keywords, but ranks website pages for keywords 

Resources/Links: 

Tilious

Google Ads

Google Tag Manager

Google Analytics

Yoast

Rank Math

Autoptimize

Imagify

UberSuggest

Ahrefs

Semrush

Keyword Planner

Do you prefer a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to build, grow, and maintain a business and its website using WordPress? It’s all fun and games in the beginning, but as soon as something goes wrong or functionality needs to be added, that’s when most challenges arise and people start to struggle or get stuck.  

In this episode, we talk to Lee Rickler from Point and Stare, a London-based WordPress agency. Lee shares some of the basics of looking after your own WordPress website properly and building a business website that works. 

Episode Highlights and Topics:

WordPress: Changed from hand-coding everything to a content management system 

Assumptions/Perceptions: WordPress is really simple, but in reality, it’s more complex

Downsides to WordPress: Maintenance, security, and potential problems afterward

Misconception: WordPress is free, cheap, and easy, but functionality/features add up

Best Practices: How to build a WordPress website for a business to not get hacked

Free vs. Paid: Limitations and restrictions of WordPress.org or WordPress.com

Hosting: Ask questions, get advice, search Google, and conduct due diligence

Current Content: Make sure backups, SSL certificates, plugins, and themes are updated

Pure Luck and Transparency: Be honest about what you can/can’t do and outsource 

Networking: Everyone likes to buy something, but no one likes to be sold to       

Resources/Links: 

Lee Rickler on LinkedIn

Point and Stare on Twitter

Point and Stare

WordPress.com

WordPress.org

WordPress makes it easy to publish blog posts and simple for businesses to thrive online. Why and how does having a blog on your website increase traffic, inquiries, and help you to become an expert in your field? 

In this episode, we talk to Angela Squires, Accounts Director at WordHound, which writes WPMaintain’s blog posts using WordPress.   

Episode Highlights and Topics:

Why blogging is important - to tell people what you do and why you do it

How the pandemic of 2020 impacted WordHound and other businesses

White Label Services: Copywriters helping copywriters to speed up the content process

Benefits: Blogging boosts business by being honest, giving people what they want/need

Potential Pitfalls: Prepare to outsource to get better results faster with insider knowledge

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools: Creates compelling copy but lacks human element/input

Angela’s Big Takeaway: Just write, you can always change it

Resources/Links: 

Angela Squires on LinkedIn

WordHound Limited on Facebook

WordHound

Where should you start when setting up a WordPress website for your business to get it created in just one day? 

In this episode of What the ‘Press? Podcast, Suraj Sodha talks to Cheryl Laidlaw, CEO of Website in a Day, who shares tips and ideas about building WordPress websites.   

Cheryl is passionate about making accessible and affordable websites using WordPress. She proves that you can quickly get a website built on WordPress to get a business up and running. 

Episode Highlights and Topics:

Eliminate the Gap in Market: How and why Cheryl started Website in a Day

Why WordPress? Favorite choice for flexible CMS and platform

Rubbish or Remarkable? Cheryl describes Website in a Day concept and process

Two Perspectives: Cheryl understands the developer’s and business owner’s POV

Superpowers: Speed, efficiency, and simplicity are WPMaintain’s core values

Pain Point: Not starting, finishing, or launching website, but getting content from clients

Feel Good Factor: Cheryl watches clients go from complete disbelief to confidence boost

Common Challenges: Make sure clients have managed and maintained hosting services

Website Necessities: Copy, professional photographs or stock images, and passwords

How to build a healthy business to attract clients, give good customer service, get paid  

Resources/Links: 

Website in a Day

Cheryl Laidlaw on LinkedIn

Cheryl Laidlaw on Instagram

Are you passionate about business and WordPress? Looking for insights from agency founders, customers, and peers to grow your businesses?

Listen to shared lessons learned over the years and WordPress knowledge and business ideas that will help you scale your business faster. Hear from other successful business owners, entrepreneurs, and experts from different industries.

Welcome to the first episode of What the ‘Press? It’s a brand new podcast that features conversations about business and WordPress. The podcast is brought to you by WPMaintain and hosted by its founder, Suraj Sodha. 

The common thread in all episodes will be how WordPress is used to grow a business. Listen for insightful conversations with successful entrepreneurs and innovative business owners. 

Episode Highlights and Topics:

What is WPMaintain? A UK-based WordPress maintenance and support agency 

How to grow a subscription business with recurring income vs regular agency model

How to recruit to grow your business

How to manage remote teams better

How to achieve work-life balance as a business owner

How to look after your and your staff’s mental health in a remote working environment

How to deal with from imposter syndrome when facing challenges in your businesses

Resources/Links: 

Design Pickle