Just Get Started!
It is so easy to get caught up in getting things right. I need to have the right URL, the right theme, the right plugins, the right cover image, the right picture, the right ….. the list goes on!
These conversations can run around in your mind for way too long and before you know it you have been completely stopped for weeks, months and even years and taken no action whatsoever .
Let’s address a few of these:
Having the right URL – When I first started online I was offering life coach services and my website was ExpertMotivator.com. What soon happened was that when I went to write a blog I started asking myself if what I was going to write about actually fitted in with the theme of ‘Expert Motivator’. Sometimes it did but sometimes it didn’t. It soon became a big problem because I would spend way to long contemplating if it was a fit, instead of just writing.
I ended up moving my site to www.staceymyers.com – the one you are on now. I am so much more comfortable here as this site is about me and my business and what I get up to. As my business morphs and changes over the time I don’t need to worry if it fits with the URL – of course it does, it is still all me. I can guarantee that your business will change – the overall topic may stay the same but the content and who your market is will change over time.
If you don’t want to use your name that is fine too, but just pick something and go with it. You can always change it later. Even if you change the name later you don’t have to build a whole new site – you can just change the name of the one you have now and keep all the content, images and other information.
Just get started – the longer you worry about the detail the longer it will take you to get moving and the more you will lose confidence and enthusiasm in your ability to do it.
Having the right tagline – Confession time – this is where I was really stuck and in some ways still am. By business is slowly transitioning and I have been trying to come up with ‘THE' tagline. I have been having to tell myself the same thing that I am telling you. Don't let it stop you taking action because it isn't exactly right yet.
Having the right theme – I am going to add the right cover image, the right picture and all those other ones in here.
Guess what?!? It doesn’t matter. The theme and the cover image I used when I first started I no longer use. They were great for me when I started but as I became more experienced and started to get a feel for how I liked to work I changed themes. When you change themes you do not lose any of the content, it is just how it looks that change. Also, if you change it and you don’t like it it is easy enough to go back to what you originally had.
I personally use Headway Theme and I really like it. It is drag and drop and great for the beginner, but has the capabilities inbuilt for people that know about HTML and CSS (which, by the way, I do not). It is a paid theme. There are benefits to paid themes over free themes but while you are looking around at which paid theme you might like to use a free theme is great.
I don’t know many people that are using the same theme that they started with. If you search for ‘free wordpress themes’ there will literally be thousands of them to choose from. Pick one, or use the default one that comes with WordPress and get started!
I have assumed in writing this that you will be, or already are, using a WordPress self hosted website and not a blogging site. If you are not sure why WordPress is the way to go you can read about it in my post ‘Why I Love WordPress’.
I just want to add a little caveat here – I am definitely not saying to just throw up some rubbish site and get cracking. You will want it to look professional and a place that people want to come back and visit. I know that you wouldn't, but I wanted to make sure I said it.
Your point about your site name struck a chord with me. Ultimately I want to use my site to showcase my writing as well as boost my copywriting and social media business so I opted to use my name. It’s a strange name, so I thought I may as well make it work for me! People remember it, at least.
Yes, I have been much more comfortable with it since using my name.
thanks for that article Stacy. Do you have a direct plug-in into my mind?? 🙂 I’m stuck because I don’t know where to start. I’m so stuck I stopped writing for ages and for the first time for years, because I felt guilty, like I was only writing to avoid learning all the other things I needed to know to promote myself. Now have decided to finish this latest novel and not start another until I’m up and running with everything else. Now I feel more interested in the ‘everything else’, and will join your webinar in May. You’re a great help. Keep on keeping on and thankyou 🙂
Hi Dana!
Thank you so much for your comment! It is a common problem that people have. I am pleased to see are getting up and running with some things.
Stacey
Thanks Stacey for the reminder to get moving rather than dither over getting things too perfect – at least if we don’t get it right first time we are likely to learn more that way than not getting started at all.
An online marketer I have followed for some time always says to “fail forward” – and the act of doing stuff brings far more experience than if we deliberate and try to perfect everything. I’ve found when do this – it gets me stuck! – so thanks for the reminder!
That is so true, Moira! Fail forward is a good way to think about it. I find it amazing the little things that can really stop us moving forward.
For me, it is trying to get everything perfect and to match up with the Last Good Tip I heard…trouble is, that advice keeps changing. You are so on target Stacey, with just doing something!
Thanks
Yes, the advice does keep changing. It is a matter of starting something and just sticking to it. It is so easy to get caught up in the next thing we should be doing.
I have found that when I get overwhelmed (which seems to happen a lot lately 🙂 ) I do the one or two things I know how to do. And then send out the call for help on what I don’t know how to do.
Just getting started with what you know is many times the answer.