With all the marketing Talking Heads out there telling you that a podcast is the “new blog” I'm sure you're asking yourself, “Should I have a podcast?” (Right alongside should I do Tiktok, start a YouTube channel or just go old school and start that cotton pickin’ blog). Well, in this article/podcast episode my goal is to help make that decision -  is podcasting the right marketing tool for you?  Because let's face it you can't do them all. You need to do the one that fits inside your strengths zone, effectively tells your story and connects with your audience.

To get you to that point where you feel super comfortable and in control, I'm going to review 10 categories I feel you should discuss with your potential web developers. Within each of these categories, I’ll also give you specific questions to ask, so you know exactly what web lingo to use, and you can understand what you might be getting from this relationship.  For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/web-design-company-interview-guide/

Are you in the market for a new computer? Then this episode is for you. We sit down with Jamie Cote from Personalized Computers in Columbia, MO and ask all the questions you need answers to when searching for the perfect computer.  Timestamps Introducing Jamie Cote and Personalized Computers - 0:32What is the CPU and what does it do? - 4:30Which processor should you pick? - 8:42What is RAM? - 14:38How to reduce the amount of memory you are using - 15:42What size of RAM do you need? - 19:01What else can affect how your computer runs? - 22:06What to look for in storage - 25:15What is the SSD? - 26:11What size of SSD do you need? - 31:18What is the GPU? - 34:07Do you need a desktop or a laptop? - 37:49Should you get Windows 10 or Windows 11? - 43:17How to reach Jamie and Personalized Computers - 44:39 For a full transcription, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/picking-the-right-computer-for-your-marketing-with-guest-jamie-cote/

We welcome our first international guest to the podcast, Marc Muehlberger, with Content Creation Studio Academy. We discuss how to get the best marketing photos using just the phone you already have in your pocket. Learn how to spot a good shot, why more photos are always better than less and what you can do with those photos to make your designer’s life a little bit easier.  Timestamps Introduction of Marc Muehlberger - 1:18Pros and Cons of using your iPhone for marketing photos - 3:50Finding the best light for your photos - 7:32Paying attention to what is around you in photos - 10:48Editing photos on your phone - 13:57Using the right lens setting - 16:43Tips for those in front of the camera - 19:57Posing for photos - 22:21Taking more photos than you think you need - 26:54Image format suggestions - 34:12Naming your photos - 39:29Practicing really does make perfect - 42:49Where to find Marc Muehlberger - 45:31Creating an FAQ video - 47:42Check out the full transcript for this episode on our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/getting-great-marketing-photos-using-your-phone/

Discover the do’s and don'ts of content writing! Learn how to rank high on Google, engage your audience, get organized, and elevate your web writing skills. We have a free downloadable offering on the MayeCreate website. It's called What to Put on Your Website. And on the success page for that download, we asked people what else do you need to know in their web planning journey. Many people said they wanted to learn about writing for their website. They are stuck trying to figure out the writing.   I’m here to say we heard you! I even dedicated an entire learning sequence about writing for your website in our upcoming Better Than DIY Website program.  So, thank you so much for your feedback, everyone. It really does help me help you on your journey to getting an awesome website that's going to grow your business.  With that in mind, let's figure out this writing thing. For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/dos-and-donts-of-content-writing-for-websites/

There are all kinds of ways you can, through a supported system, build your website. But do you have what it takes to build your website? Let's walk through it together. For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit: https://mayecreate.com/blog/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-build-your-own-website

Unlike some other products or services, websites have a lot of moving parts that allow them to be seen and work, and they require upkeep. These moving parts also have associated costs, but many people don't know that. Some web providers put additional costs in a package and just charge you a monthly lump sum. It’s hard to know what is all covered by your monthly payment, it just falls under the category of “WEBSITE”. You might think it's for them to update your site. And it might be! But it also probably includes things like the cost of your domain name, hosting, or other hidden costs. To view a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit: https://mayecreate.com/blog/the-hidden-and-recurring-costs-of-building-a-website

You’ve decided it’s time to update your website. Or, maybe you don’t have a website yet, but you’re ready to take that step.  Let me be your guide today as we go through my tips and tricks to help you get through the design process as quickly as possible. I want you to get through this process without belly-flopping in the middle.For a fully-formatted blog post of this episode, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/time-saving-tips-for-a-website-redo

I’m going to help you figure out which site builder is right for you.  If you're doing a complete overhaul on your website, then you're asking yourself a lot of questions. What type of website should I even have? Should it be on Wix? On WordPress? Somewhere else? Where should I build this thing? My goal is to help you get a big picture view of the differences between these systems and their features. Hopefully, this overview will jumpstart your decision making process, so you can pick the right type of site that will ultimately help you grow. For a fully-formatted blog post of this episode, visit: https://mayecreate.com/blog/wix-weebly-squarespace-wordpress-whats-the-difference

A theme can make or break your website. It controls how it looks, functions and limits (or expands) your ability as a web administrator to expand and build your site. In this post, we'll cover Themes VS Templates, What Themes Do, Free vs. Paid Themes, and The Evolution of the MayeCreate Theme.   We'll also provide you with your very own Theme Selection Checklist.   For a fully-formatted article version of this content, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/picking-the-right-wordpress-theme/

I know it's an undertaking, but without a good website, growing your business is hard. Your website should be a bridge between an Internet user and your business. It's the first face of your business they see. If your website’s not good, it's a roadblock to growing your business. If you believe these myths, you’re building roadblocks, not bridges.For a fully-formetted article version of this episode, visit our website at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/7-website-myths-that-are-total-crap/

The first step to building an awesome website is creating an awesome plan. The first step to planning your website isn’t creating a pinterest board of million dollar kitchens to inspire your peanut butter and jelly budget project.  You need to make some foundational decisions first. Decisions that will ultimately make it easier to plan and build your new site to meet your needs AND stay in your budget. As an added bonus the answers to these questions will allow you evaluate potential web designers and enter conversations about your site with confidence (even if that designer ends up being yourself). Five decisions to make before building your new website: What is going to be on your site? What does your site need to do? What are your future plans for your organization? Who is going to build it? How is it going to be built?   For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit our website at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/5-decisions-you-need-to-make-before-you-build-your-new-website

Here at MayeCreate, being web designers and all, we kinda think almost everyone should have a website. But notice I said “almost everyone” not “absolutely”.  But someone recently asked me, “Do businesses even need websites anymore?” (After which I almost fainted in shock.) But it prompted my wheels turning.  Maybe we need to take a teensy step back.  And instead of all this constant talk about what to put on your site and how to build it and what features it should have we need to first address those of you who don’t even know if you need the stinking thing. So we made a quiz! So we put together a simple quiz to help you decide if you’re one of the special exceptions who actually don’t need a website. Keep track of your responses; by the end, you’ll have your answer!For a fully-formatted article version of this content, visit: https://mayecreate.com/blog/quiz-do-you-even-need-a-website

You may've seen our recent posts about projects sections on construction websites. In them, we talk a lot about how useful online portfolios are for building your construction company’s credibility, increasing time visitors spend on your site, & displaying your amazing abilities as a construction crew. What these posts don’t cover is the types of layouts you have to choose from, how they look and which would work best for your own construction business. It’s about time we talked about all that.For a fully-formatted article version of this information, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/construction-company-website-portfolio-types/

Around here, we love Halloween, and what’s Spooky Season without a few scary stories? In my over 23 years of website development, I’ve collected several stories that will make your skin crawl. From sites that just won’t die to havoc-wreaking hackers, we’ve seen just about everything. Let’s explore some of the scariest.  To view this content as a fully-formatted blog post, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/11-true-tales-from-the-crypt-website-horror-stories/

Determining whether or not to add a portfolio to your construction website is the easy part (you should). Planning your portfolio’s layout, functionality and features opens a whole other can of worms. Have no fear, because we put together a solid list of important factors to consider while you map it out.For a fully-formatted blog post featuring this content, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/making-a-website-portfolio-for-your-construction-company-things-to-consider/

Today’s hiring market is worlds away from where we were even just a few years ago. So we asked our new friend, April Lopinot, Vice President at L. Keeley Construction, how she’s found success hiring in this new landscape. Unsurprisingly, it’s going to require making some changes, but she walks us all through how her company did, and how to implement some of those practices yourself.    Episode Highlights Introduction to April Lopinot and Keeley - 1:35Navigating the current hiring market - 5:23Adjusting your business and recruitment practices - 10:00Offering incentives and showing appreciation - 14:15Finding quality candidates - 17:33Treating hiring like running a business - 25:27Testing new hiring practices - 27:00Thinking outside the box - 30:48For a fully-formatted blog post of this episode, visit our website at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/hiring-in-todays-market-with-guest-april-lopinot/

Don’t let your domain name suck.  Your domain name is the navigator for your business's digital footprint. It's important to get a good one, because we've all dealt with bad ones, spelling them on repeat on the phone, giving up and sending an email with a link instead. If you’re currently stuck doing this, it is a sign your domain name sucks. Let’s change that. What makes an awesome domain name? There are simple steps you can take to get a great domain name, perfect for your company or organization.  Choose the right domain name extension Make sure your domain name makes sense and is as close to your organization name as possible Keep your domain name short If your company name is hard to spell, buy variations of your domain name Make sure it can be read easily, and doesn’t say any bad things Purchase general domain names available for your industry and location, but get your company name as well Choose a registrar, and stay up to date with your payments   To read a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit our website at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-to-pick-a-domain-name-that-doesn39t-suck

People like LinkedIn because the content is more positive than on other platforms. It's a social network worth investing in for construction companies. And I’m not just saying that. This past spring, I went to trade shows and surveyed commercial construction companies, engineering companies, and suppliers. Almost everybody I spoke to said LinkedIn was their number one network to get new hires and business. In this podcast/blog post combo Elizabeth, our MayeCreate social media expert, and I will cover: How to get started on LinkedIn Best things to post Tricks for hiring on LinkedIn And more!   To view a fully-formatted blog post of this information, visit our website at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-to-promote-your-construction-company-on-linkedin/

As a department of one, Cindy Cox, Employee Relations Manager for Lionmark, has hands in hiring, evaluations, team building and so much more. We sat down with her to learn the secrets to doing it all. Come to find out, it’s all about finding a shared purpose, building a community, and yes, sharing a walking taco or two. Timestamps Introduction of Cindy Cox - 1:12 Overview of Lionmark - 5:30 Incorporating company values to keep employees - 9:24 How to break up staff cliques and encourage team building - 15:01 Best practices for finding new staff - 19:03 Utilizing HR software to lighten the workload - 25:10 Creating systems for time and people management - 33:01 Holding effective employee evaluations - 36:31 Where to find more about Lionmark - 42:20   For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/what-team-building-and-walking-tacos-have-in-common/