m squared

Does The Technical Stuff Really Help Me Grow My Biz?

Mynde Mayfield — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:08:52 +0000

It’s 2010. Another day in a new economy. The one we are in the midst of redefining and rebuilding as we go.

The Internet has become an everyday tool. It certainly doesn’t appear to be going anywhere (as in going away) and instead is opening up our views and perspectives, making things from across the planet appear instantly in a web browser.

When we need something (directions, find the new book we want to read, even to hire someone for something), we usually head straight away over to Google.

I tell my clients incessantly, “Google is your friend!” and I can generally find just about anything I need or want with Google’s powerful search engine.

It’s kinda like how the Dewey Decimal system impacted the local library, right? Except, now information is at the tip of your fingers, via Google.

Why Blogging Is A Smart Idea For Small Biz Owners

Today’s new economy. The one we are rebuilding together. Seriously leaning into the optimysm here.

Yet if anything is going to change, it’s starts with each of us on an individual level. I mean, isn’t that why you’re in business? To help others with what you’ve got? To contribute on that individual level?

And even if you’ve stayed the traditional methods of growing a business, you would be remiss if you’ve not looked at leveraging the Internet. Except, chances are you are overwhelmed with where to start and which path will promise an end-result for your business.

And even so, while we’re doing nothing web-wise, it does nothing to change the fact that more and more people are going to Google instead of digging around in the hall closet for their Yellow Pages.

Specific Advantages of Being Web Presenced

I love this idea of leverage. Leverage, to me, is so smart. Because it’s about doing more with less. And that’s a huge state of grace for me. Leverage is smarter, healthier, more sustainable in the long run for me.

Leverage works in a ton of ways online. But, for now, I want to talk about the leverage of good content.

The piece I love about being web-presenced is that every page of content I create is like a member of my virtual business staff. Hanging out. At the storefront. Waiting for the next passer-by.

So even if I am away, I don’t really have to be… which is the game-changer itself.

And then my challenge as a biz owner becomes more about connecting, revealing, and telling stories that resonate with those that only my voice speaks to. And once I get that piece; the more I put out, the more I get back.

Speaking of connecting… another advantage is with virtual relationships. It’s where it’s at, if you’re growing a business online. Whether I am connecting with clients or collaborators of any kind (coaches, biz partners, etc.), I’m doing it virtually. Twitter, Facebook, Blogging… connecting (networking) in the new economy!

The biggest advantage to having your small biz online: Leverage; in content, in relationships and much, much more.

Beginnings… And Not Knowing If You Need A Blog Or Web Site

Here you go, a bit of peace of mind… what if I said it’s not an either/or decision? Yes. You can have both or one or none (hopefully none is off the table at this point).

Your options:

a traditional website
a website with a newsletter or some other opt-in
a blog and a tribe (community of people)

Traditional website is fine and good. It works. But it just sits there. We are human beings. We like interactivity. We’re looking to connect in some way. Going (I think) is people hiding in corporate-y entities and biz structures. Coming is the new economy where I contribute by doing my own thang; leveraging new systems, tools, relationships.

Website with newsletter or other opt-in, well now we’re getting somewhere. You’re actually asking visitors to part with something they have and is actually very highly prized in the Information Age… their name & email address. But, if you have something cool they want (ebook, tips, help with their specific challenge, etc.), they’ll happily give it up!

Blog & Tribe, the big kahuna. :) Tribe: A following of people who are somewhere between “I think you’re cool” to “I’m totally freakin’ nuts about you and will do anything you ask me to.”

Blogging is how you build the tribe. Telling your version of the truth. Helping other people. Everyday. One post at a time.

For more on Blog or Web Site, I have another post where I talk about it.

Using Blogging Tools For Your Business

Part of being a business owner is cutting costs, lowering expenses. Using blogging tools is the smartest, most efficient way to build any of the three web-presence-y options. Even if you are not going to be blogging, you can set it up to look like a traditional web site. True story.

Plus a blog is already built and set up in a way to leverage the Internet itself. All blog platforms will have a built-in RSS feed, which is just a fancy way to say that it’s ready to easily pass your content on (get viral). Plus the search engines treat blogs a little differently because they know content is written/updated almost daily… so it’s checks for those frequently. This is called indexing and it’s a really good thing.

Plus you don’t have to learn (much) HTML. ;)

You’ll get real-time feedback (comments) which help you begin building relationships immediately. Relating to your visitors, helping them.

So, you see, it’s not just about the technical stuff… it’s about helping people. And getting the technical stuff to help you so you can help them.

How can I help you today?

More Optimysm

Bravery – A New Core Value

Mynde Mayfield — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:09:34 +0000

Stories are the recipe, life is the medicine.

I’ve been working with a new client. The label ‘client’ doesn’t quite fit but that’s beside the point/another post.

I am helping her face some challenging or difficult stuff in her biz. And I sometimes also help people do that in their lives.

Anyway. We were talking. We had just navigated through a pretty considerable bump called misunderstanding.

And there are all kinds of misunderstandings. Some can make you laugh or smile. But, depending on how big it is, a misunderstanding can be quite painful and hugely destructive. And that was the kind we had just faced together. The kind that completely derails a project, sometimes to leave only a smoldering tree stump.

She (my client) was telling me about how long she had wanted a web presence. For nearly 10 years she’s been dreaming about it.

And in the process of working together, there had been an unfolding of some deeper layers of information. A very personal experience (for both of us). And surprise, vulnerable now had a starring role in this particular web creation process.

Also vulnerable because she doesn’t know or understand the technology so she was trusting me to help her there.

And vulnerable because she was beginning to see just how possible it is to have it (a web presence she loves), and contemplating the process of going live, revealing herself in a grandiose, internet-viral-y way.

And guess what? Your stuff shows up. And you realize you didn’t expect it (building your web presence) to be deep and emotionally stirring.

New recipe, new medicine: Add four to five heaping tablespoons of bravery

I learned a lot from this experience too. Because the truth is, to the degree my client’s stuff shows up, mine does too! And now I’m adjusting my recipe.

I get lost in the excitement of lending you my skill set to help you bridge your technology gap, and get way too far ahead in the game, sometimes completely leaving my tender, vulnerable client behind. So I intend to be more aware of this and support myself to “just stay” with my client. My presence is really all the moment needs. I honor my clients by remembering their tenderness.

Later (and back to the story), she said something I hadn’t really seen until she said it. She mentioned the word bravery. She called me brave. And I thought, “Oh, yeah. I guess so.” And then I started to see it. Every where. So much bravery. From both of us.

Bravery. For turning to face a radical, scary misunderstanding.

Bravery. For coming to the table, to have the difficult conversation. To want clarity above anything else. To want to see. Clearly.

Bravery. For showing up. To keep coming. For her to keep wanting to create it… her small sanctuary on the web she can call her own and create beauty, art and help heal our world. (Note to self: add to Note To Self post, ‘Remember, just keep showing up.’)

Bravery. For trusting. Me and a process she has no clue about. Not any. Code, Web Design, Hosting. Blak! Email has got her covered and she’s just fine with that. And herein I step. A tech whiz. To help her make sense of it. One bite at a time.

Bravery. For stepping out of comfort zones. Both of us. I haven’t really worked with clients in the way I’ve been working with her. My packages and stuff are all pretty new. I’m following the flow of what feels good and easy because I am an artist too.

Bravery. For discussing how it would end, if/when it does. May sound counter intuitive, but, hey, I’ve learned there is so much good stuff in the counter intuitive. I care about endings as much as I do beginnings and sometimes middles too. I care about it all.

Bravery. For loving ourselves, each of us individually, so much… we wanted clean and clear.

And so here I am. Sharing with you. How I crystallized one of my latest core values in business and I guess life too. And that’s bravery.

I am willing to know this new value because it leads me to the best (working) relationships. Each core value I identify becomes the red velvet rope that Michael Port talks about in Book Yourself Solid.

Bravery is kinda a new one for me, although when I look back at all the clients I’ve worked with in any capacity, I can see the value there. Singing steadily. They wanted something they felt I could help them get and together, we both bravely found a way there.

Considering getting some help from me? That would be awesome if you did. Here’s how to get started.

More Optimysm

Speak

Mynde Mayfield — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:30:18 +0000

A book review.

So I mentioned in my post-vacation post that I read two books. One was a Buddhist book, which was meaty and deep. I’m almost always reading the meaty stuff.

But for the vacation, I thought, “If I even get to these books, I want one to be a vacation, like my vacation.”

I went to the bookshelves in the garage and looked through to see what would pique out at me. And I grabbed a skinny little thing with a beautiful cover called Speak.

Yeah, just Speak. So profound. How could I not take it with me and read it? Especially with all this creative doubt I’m constantly processing and sometimes blogging about and yet still manage to keep pushing the publish button.

On the cover is a pretty silver sticker that I only partly peeled off during my handling of it. Eventually I did look at this round shiny silver-dollar sized attention-grabber. So much for shiny. If it had been a scratch & sniff…

American Literary Association –
Michael L. Printz Award For Excellence In Young Adult Literature

Young Adult? Are you serious? I grabbed a book that was meant for my daughter?

“Ha Ha,” I thought, “Joke’s on me!”

I’m not sure how old Laurie Halse Anderson is or if she wrote this based on her own life (flipping to inside back flap now…) Ok, she’s married with two kids living in Pennsylvania. This is her first novel. Good to know, I guess.

Speak is memoir-style and a quick yummy read. What I appreciated most about this story is seeing the same struggle I have, that we all have, in speaking our truth.

Melinda is the 14-year old main character who holds our hands through her first year of high school, holding in and holding onto a deep dark secret that is eating her alive.

Have you ever been eaten alive?

Melted into this cathartic tale of how saying our truth sets us free is lots of humor for a 14-year old; maybe that’s really Laurie’s experience showing through, not sure.

Anyways, I recommend the book not just because it reveals the universal truth of the cost of holding secrets & telling the truth and learning how to set ourselves free, but because I needed a simple vacation book for my cruise, that wouldn’t be meaty and deep.

But I still got meaty and deep. In a young adult memoir-styled book about a ninth grader from Syracuse.

Melinda did it. And I will (continue) too. Speak.

Special Video Bonus

Watch the author read a poem written from letters she’s received over the last ten years. And when you decide to pick up this book, I hope you also find the courage to open your mouth and Speak!

More Optimysm

Note To Self

Mynde Mayfield — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:18:10 +0000

More Optimysm

Cruisin’ To Divine Insight

Mynde Mayfield — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:30:54 +0000

I’m back from a long 8-day cruise of the Mexican Riviera. Second cruise of my life. Probably not the last even though my girlfriend, Andrea, and I have both reaffirmed some travel preferences (we like to stay longer at a destination to experience it more and cruising is really not about that so much).

It’s more-or-less day two back at the proverbial grind. And what I’ve noticed is NOW is the time when clarity comes… not during the vacation. Unless of course, you intend to take a vacation like that… with solitude and quiet reflection. Which may not guarantee you gain desired clarity, but hey, we do still intend to find it.

This wasn’t that kind of vacation.

Three Divine Insights

Now that I’m back, and actually deciding on things I’d like to do. And what’s important to continue taking action on… yati yati yah (I am not minimizing; life is IN the yati!)

First,

Live Healthfully. Which means getting my health & wellness thang in gear. It has slipped. A lot. Which is OK. Well used to be. I’ve been saying to myself, “Mynde, you’ve been in a huge die zone for the last 3-4 years.” But now it’s starting to sound a little bit like an excuse.

I’m grateful for all the support and opportunities to begin again. All around me. Seriously. It’s everywhere. And I’m so glad I see that.

Me: Today, am I willing to participate in my wellbeing & healthfulness?

Me: OK

Me: In what way would you like to participate?

Me: I’d like to drink more water/tea. I’d like to eat proportionate, well balanced meals. I’d like to take vitamins & supplements. I’d like to take a walk. I’d like to go to the gym. I’d like to be strong, fit & healthy today.

Next,

Writing is epic shit for me. Charlie Gilkey time. Yeah, his appearance is pretty regular here, on msquared. Well and on Twitter (@CharlieGilkey), and in my head in tiny bits and pieces of conversations & concepts. Charlie talks about doing “epic shit” and I’m sure he’s mentioned where he first grabbed the idea but I don’t remember that part of it. I only remember “epic shit” and contemplating that.

I had no answer for awhile, which was OK. I’m happy to say that I noticed a difference in how I treated myself while in the uncertainty of not knowing what my “epic shit” might be. I did a really good job at being gentle and relaxing, instead of giving myself epic knockouts (which I am highly trained at).

Yesterday, Charlie’s vlog mentioned it again. Epic shit. And I realized that for NOW (thank you Steve Hagen for your book on Buddhism which I read on the cruise), my epic shit is writing.

Writing in any way where I’m not hiding behind something else. A corporate product, or set of processes & diagrams and/or especially my own perceived notions. The mantle of relationship… as in businesses, with trees. Or I guess even personal, romantical ones also.

Writing is a way of stepping out. Using my voice. Being who I am. It’s practice. Because it’s not always easy and I don’t always want to do it. And at other times, I realize I’m healthier when I do, like eating well and exercising regularly.

So writing, and being me (with my grammatical errors and run on sentences, and extra 20 pounds or whatever) is my epic shit. For now.

Finally,

Self-compassion is the key to everything. While cruising, I read two books. However, here in this post, I’m only going to talk about one. The one I’ve already mentioned called Buddhism, Plain & Simple by Steve Hagen.

And I read this book and did some noticing. Because Buddhism is about awareness and noticing and stuff like that.

And what I noticed the most was my own judgment. How it flies up in a nano-second. I would look out my eyes and see something and instantly have a thought of judgment about it.

I mostly noticed how my judgment leaned into negativity. And it sucked. And then I noticed how much I wanted that to be different. To be more neutral. To have the ability to suspend my judgment for just a nano-second longer. Get better at that. Practicing over and over until I was maintaining a bigger gap of innocence with others (and myself) before jumping into judgment. Innocence, for me, is that place where we have not assigned labels like good/bad, black/white, male/female, right/wrong.

And not necessarily because of the book I read, but probably because I was in a Buddha-state-of-mind I recalled a quote “All compassion begins with self-compassion” or something like that.

And anchored again that any kind of change starts with self-compassion. And my judgment is a sore spot that I can heal with self-compassion.

The decision to see my own judgment, began with self-compassion. Getting back into my health & wellness routine will begin with mounds and mounds of it. And the new story I’d like to tell about writing is, that each time I begin, I sit down with self-compassion first and continue all the way to the publish-button finish line.

That’s what I’ve got; two days post-8-day-cruise vacation. In case you were wondering. ;)

More Optimysm

3 Simple Tips For Writing Blog Post Titles

Mynde Mayfield — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:45:22 +0000

Client: My blog post or article titles suck. Do you have any ideas to share with me?

What a good problem to be having. It means you are writing more. You are passing through those voices of perfection that, in the past, have kept all your good ideas locked up in your head. It means you’ve opened Word on your computer and put some words down. Or, if you’re old-fashioned-like, you opened your notebook and scribbled some goodness out.

It doesn’t really matter the way you did it, only that you did.

And now, one more time, perfectionism is showing itself, this time asking you if you know enough about titling your blog posts. The right way.

And here’s what I’m saying, “It’s right enough for right now!”

Please, try it on. See how it fits for you.

And then, read what’s working for me, and then chuck it all out the window and remember to just keep writing.

The Importance Of Killer Post Titles

So when I was in corporate, I had the privilege of working with some hired-in copywriters. It was always so fun to give the consultant the “creative brief” (an outline of what the project was about) and see what came back.

I was always surprised at the headlines. And I learned early on, it’s really the secret to getting your readers past the two-second threshold (we’ve only got about that long to pique a reader’s interest and convey to them that what we got is what they’re looking for!)

So headlines obviously become a very important thing in getting your web presence on.

My Approach

Sometimes, when I’m writing a post/article, I already know what the title is going to be. But that’s only sometimes.

I go ahead and title my draft the title I think I’m going to be using.

Mostly, it serves as an anchor point. I can go back to the title, while I’m writing the article, and it helps me stay focused. Because when I write, I usually do not know each and every word that will be written before hand. There is a lot of trust in the process. At least for me.

So I open the Word doc, write the title, maybe a few bullet points of things I want to highlight (if I know the post might be a long one or a “how-to”) and then let my fingers do the talking, literally.

Sometimes, after editing the post, the title actually sticks. Sometimes. Though this isn’t usually the case.

What I find is that after the article is written, I can scan it and pull directly from my own writing a title that suits the article much better than the one I originally chose.

And then I go through the process of applying some basic rules that I’ve learned from other expertish people. People I met in corporate. And people I’ve met out here, on the intertoobs.

3 Basic “Getting-Started” Places

This is not meant to be a comprehensive this-is-how-you-do-it kinda guide. This is meant to be a beginning point for getting better at writing killer post titles or headlines.

Numbers. As in, “3 Must-Haves For Your Blog” How many times have you seen that one? A gazillion, right? So again, this might be great for when you know ahead of time exactly what you’ll be writing about. And that’s exactly how I wrote my last installment; with a topic in mind and I narrowed down to super simple. Three things. Kinda like what I’m doing here with this post.
Problems. Because that’s one of the top reasons anyone is online looking at anything to begin with. They want help with a problem they have. When we say the problem in the headline, we are actually speaking directly to our perfect person’s need. When a person feels seen or heard (a common thread in humanity) we’re on our way to making the deeper connections that happen after the 2 seconds part. The part about where you and they intersect. Also, speaking to solutions as much as problems can be very effective too so try switching it up.
Short. Short, sweet, to the point. Remember, two seconds. Most people are scanning online. Sorting through boatloads of information. Likely in information overwhelm. Two seconds. That’s it. Short & sweet. And if you are getting your social networking on, you’ll want to make it re-tweetable by keeping the tweet length down; aiming at using around 100-120 characters of the available 140.

In case you are wondering about the all-inclusive comprehensive guide for writing killer post titles or headlines, I recommend CopyBlogger’s Magnetic Headlines blog post series. It’s got plenty for your perfectionist to chew on.

And personally, I’m not so sure there is a right or wrong as much as there is a getting better at it. I find this approach helps me have more fun with myself and my writing as I go.

Did this post support you? Buy me a cup a coffee with this link to my tip jar. :)

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3 Must-Have’s For Your Blog

Mynde Mayfield — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:24:03 +0000

Let’s face it, the blogosphere is a big and intimidating place when you’re just starting out. The internet provides us access to so much information. It can be overwhelming.

The best way I deal with overwhelm is to break my steps down into ever smaller steps. This helps to keep me in action, versus panicking about all the stuff I get to read and learn before actually doing something.

I’ve prepared this post to help you do just that… get it back to simple and easy. And give you three easy places to start and grow from. Because your web presence will grow. It’s the nature of everything.

Must-Have #1: Domain Name

If you are the type that needs it explained for you before you can move forward, I get that. I’m kinda like that too sometimes. It’s like my questions or non-understanding of something prohibit me from moving forward, no matter how much I try. So if you need a full explanation of what a Domain Name is, please check out this post in my Tech Savvy 101 series or click the big banner that says Web Presence Essentials.

A Domain Name is going to help you feel like your web presence is more real & legitimate. Even though you can get a sub domain name for free when you create a web presence on a free service like Blogger (which I recommend for new new newbies who think they’ll never be able to do anything more than email). Many people simply can’t hang with the http://yourwebsitename.blogspot.com.

Your free sub domain works just like a regular domain name except there is no way around the required …blogspot.com part. That’s why it’s free. Because Blogger is doing advertising. For some people, this feels not as legit or real or professional than if it just simply said http://www.yourwebsite.com.

A Domain Name is one of the most inexpensive parts of creating a web presence. For as little as $10 a year, you can have that professional, more legitimate feeling for your web presence by purchasing a domain name. I recommend and use GoDaddy (here’s my affiliate link). You can purchase as many domain names as you like and point them all at a single web presence.

Once you have purchased your domain name, you can apply it over the top of your Blogger web presence or use when you set up your self-hosted WordPress blog.

Luckily for you, I have already outlined how to use your GoDaddy domain name with your Blogger blog. And, if you are ready jump into WordPress, using GoDaddy’s WordPress Hosting Package (here’s my affiliate link) is the easiest way I’ve found to use a custom domain with WordPress. As part of the set-up process (which I’m happy to help with), you’ll be required to select which domain name to attach your hosting to.

So must-have numero uno is a domain name!

Must-Have #2: About/Contact Page

The next most vital part, when you are just starting out, is an About page. Typically the about page might contain some biographical information about you, the web presence owner. Some like to include their credentials or education and on the less formal side, just a short write up of who they are, in their own writing voice.

If you’re not sure where to begin and what exactly to put on your About page, start with simply providing your contact information. Think about the ways in which you’d prefer to be contacted by people on the web visiting your website or blog. Do you prefer email over phone calls? Tell them! Outline it. It’s best to help your visitors do that thing you want them to do.

We have a rule in the designing/usability world… it goes “Don’t make’m think!” You know what happens when we have to think too hard to figure something out? Yep, we end up bailing on the process altogether or telling ourselves, I’ll do this later.

So make it super easy for people to know how to be in touch with you by using an About or Contact page. Combining them into one page is a really great start for beginners.

Must-have number two is an About/Contact page.

Must-Have #3: Email Subscription

Last and oh-so-not least is an email subscription feature (or link). Email subscription is a way that readers of your blog can receive your posts by email. This way, readers don’t have to remind themselves to go check out what you’ve been up to because every time you write something new, it appears in their email box.

Now by default, your blog will come with another type of subscription service called RSS. I will try not to go all scary on you here. But this is good information to know.

RSS is typically for intermediate to advanced web users. It’s for people who don’t want to increase the noise in their email box (the amount of emails they receive). Instead, they use a free online service called an RSS Reader (Google has one, and Bloglines is another one).

When you sign on to your RSS Reader account, BINGO, all the blogs you’ve ever subscribed to show up in reading panes, making it easier to digest the information you’re interested in.

The good news here is all blog platforms by nature include this link invitation to have your readers subscribe by RSS. So there is nothing you really need to do. However, not all blog readers (including your blog readers) may be as technically advanced and may prefer receiving an email from you instead. So providing the email subscription link in addition to the already provided RSS link helps you cover your blogosphere booty for more of the web-reading population: the tech savvy and the getting their tech savvy on.

So how to you get email subscription added to your blog? The service you’ll want here is called Feedburner and it’s free. You set up the account, it provides you HTML code and you install it as a widget on your blog.

Don’t worry though, I’ve already written about RSS Feeds and Feedburner and the post includes a short 5-minute video tutorial on using Feedburner.

So that’s it! The 3 must-have items for any beginning blog/blogger. Now that wasn’t too painful was it?

If you’re interested in getting your web presence started, I have packages starting as low as $99 that include all 3 must-haves (naturally).

More Optimysm

How To Use Your GoDaddy Domain Name With Blogger

Mynde Mayfield — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:05:52 +0000

Prefer a printable version? Download the PDF.

A frequent question I hear from people I’m helping is “If I choose to use a blog to create my web presence (specifically Blogger), can I use my own domain name with it?” The answer is Yes.

If you don’t care for the “.blogspot.com” that comes with your free Blogger account, this post will provide you step-by-step instructions for using your GoDaddy domain over the top of your Blogger web presence so that…

this: http://yourcoolwebsite.blogspot.com

becomes this: http://www.yourcoolwebsite.com

Using your own domain name means that you’ve purchased one from a service provider. Blogger refers to your new domain name as custom domain name.

I personally use and recommend GoDaddy (here is my affiliate link) and this post is all about applying and using your GoDaddy domain name as a custom domain on your Blogger blog.

Purchasing Your Domain Name

There are two ways to purchase your GoDaddy domain name to use with Blogger.

Go directly to GoDaddy or
Have Blogger complete the purchase process for you.

Using GoDaddy

Every product or service has its pros and cons and GoDaddy is no exception. Although the interface can be clunky at times and you are overfed upsells (would you like to buy this? Or this? Or this?) during your purchase process, once you’ve established your account, I find completing the custom domain tasks to be pretty straight-forward.

If you are unsure about any of the upsells GoDaddy offers, just say No. If you don’t understand what the offer is, pass on it for now. Trust me. GoDaddy will give you another opportunity to buy something else from them or you can upgrade products and services at anytime. Baby steps, get your domain, period!

Using Blogger

You can purchase your domain name through the Blogger interface and then Google (the owners of Blogger) will process and fulfill your custom domain name order via GoDaddy automatically. By going this route (aka, getting your domain name via Blogger) you only have to complete Steps 1 and 2 below because Blogger will actually handle step 3 for you from “behind the scenes.”

Applying The Custom Domain

As I just mentioned, there are three basic steps for applying your custom GoDaddy domain name to your Blogger blog.

You won’t need to understand the technical terminology as much as you need to be able to read and follow directions. So let’s just get that out of the way.

The three basic steps are: 1) Tweak some DNS settings in your GoDaddy control panel, 2) tell Blogger what your custom domain name is using your Blogger dashboard, and 3) utilizing GoDaddy’s free hosting that comes with every domain name you purchase via your GoDaddy control panel.

Again, do not worry if you do not understand what any of the above “DNS, free hosting” stuff means. You really just need to be able to read along and apply the following directions. Think of it as your personal user guide to applying your custom domain.

Step One

Tweaking Your DNS Settings (GoDaddy)

Log in to GoDaddy with the user ID and password you have received when you purchased your domain name. On the left hand side of the screen under My Products, click Domain Manager.
Select the domain name you’d like to modify by clicking on it.
Last item in the center column is Total DNS. Click Total DNS Control
Edit the CNAME record for the “WWW” entry. To do this, click the pencil icon on the right which will allow you to edit the WWW “points to” field and type in ghs.google.com. Click OK.

Step 1 is complete.

Step Two

Point Your Blogspot to Your Custom Domain Name (Blogger)

Login to Blogger Dashboard > Settings Tab > Publishing. Click “Custom Domain”
Next click “Switch To Advanced Settings”
Enter www.yourdomainname.com, check the checkbox “Redirect yourdomainname.com to www.yourdomainname.com, prove you are a human being by entering the word you see into the box in Word Verification section and click the orange Save Settings button.

Step 2 is complete.

Yay, you’re almost done! And if you bypassed GoDaddy’s clunky and riddled-with-upsells purchase process and instead got your custom domain name using Blogger’s interface, you are done!

Step Three

For some reason, this is where it gets tricky with applying your custom domain name to Blogger. You see, the wonderful people at Blogger have a little bug. I’ll show you.

Open a new browser window and type in your custom domain name with and then without the “www” part and you’ll see what I mean. If you’ve done everything right up until this point, when you type in http://www.yourcoolwebsite.com you should arrive at your Blogger’s main page. Bravo!

However, now simply remove the “www” part and reload your browser (hit enter)… uh oh! No Blogger main page. Instead you’ll see a GoDaddy parking page and this is the Blogger kink we get to work out next.

Take Advantage of Your Free Hosting Account (GoDaddy)

The idea here is to redirect all traffic from http://yourcoolwebsite.com to http://www.yourcoolwebsite.com and we start by setting up the free GoDaddy hosting account you got when you purchased your custom domain name. Trust me again, you don’t need to understand the terms as much as you just need to complete the steps.

Log on to GoDaddy and click “My Hosting Account” from the Hosting tab
Click “Use Free Credit”
On the right-hand side of the page, select the custom domain name you are setting up from the drop down menu > Continue
Refresh your browser screen by hitting your F5 key or the refresh icon on your browser. At New Account, click “SetUp Account” and complete steps; mostly mouse clicks like ‘agree to terms & conditions’, create a hosting user name & password, etc. and finally a Finish button (about 5 clicks). Now wait 15-20 minutes for GoDaddy to apply the changes before moving on (sometimes it takes as long as 24 hours so be patient).

Create and Upload an index.html Redirect

Create a new .txt file by right-clicking your desktop and selecting New > Text Document.
Rename the file “index.html” by right-clicking the new file from your desktop and selecting “Rename”
Open the document and cut and paste the following code:
Make sure and change http://www.yourdomainhere.com into your actual domain name and save the file.

Logon to your GoDaddy console > My Hosting Accounts > Manage Account
Click the first of four large button across the top called “Your Files”
Click “Upload” > Browse to the index.html file > click Upload button

Step 3 complete!

Wrapping Up

You should be good-to-go.

Be sure to test everything by opening a new web browser and typing in your custom domain with and without the “www” and be impressed as you watch your technical savvy at work!

You will need to exercise a little patience with the process while Blogger and GoDaddy do their thing. I mentioned before that GoDaddy puts 24 hour disclaimer on all their setting changes, but in my experience, it happens a lot sooner than that. Sometime as soon as 20 minutes or so.

If you have any questions, please do email me and I’ll see what I can help you with.

Also, if my mini user guide has supported you, here is a link to my tip jar.

More Optimysm

Does More Traffic Mean More Clients?

Mynde Mayfield — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:56:26 +0000

On Sunday, I signed up for Michael Martine’s 5-day course on blog traffic-building. It was free. And he’s a big fish in the blogosphere. So I figure he knows what he’s talking about.

Today, I listened to module one – which is about blowing up the myths everyone who’s ever built a blog has. Like blog traffic is the cookie, only given to the special ones. The little fishes get no cookie. And I’ve been a little fish looking for a cookie for just about three years now.

This is one of the biggest challenges a lot of the people I work with have. After, of course, getting their tech savvy on and building their first blog (or website). Because after you’ve built it, you sit there and wonder (as I’ve said before in other posts) why the phone isn’t ringing off the hook or your email box isn’t exploding with requests for your services or e-junkie notifications that you’ve just sold another product.

Someday, I’ll have a waiting list long enough to increase my rates to $500 an hour. But not today. Today, I’m happy to work with one person, at a time, at $60-95 per hour. Seriously, deliriously happy. Just one-at-a-time.

And I’m still left with the conundrum of why aren’t they (my people) flocking to me?

When I first left corporate America and had a savings account to invest in my business, I fell prey to one of those services that promises to get your website ranking and get your phone to ring with qualified leads.

I spent about $300 per month for about three months.

I would google the keywords this company was helping me place for and sure enough, there I was. Sitting there. Waiting to be clicked on. This company even had tracking in place to measure when people were clicking on my link, and the number was pretty decent. However, their sales pitch about paying for the investment (if I landed one new client each month, I would be even) was not materializing. Not one new client from that investment.

And I did ask. I try to remember to always ask, “How did you find me?” And retrace steps they took, where they clicked and specifically what did they find on my website that caused them to pick up the phone call (besides my big bold “Free 30-Minute Session” disclaimer in 72 different places).

After three months, I pulled the plug because I had figured out what was going on. It wasn’t that the company I was paying to help me rank was underdelivering. They were placing me high in Google at keywords we had worked on together and chosen.

What I realized is that when people landed on my website, they weren’t connecting. It was all about what I was saying. And who I was speaking to. And I realized that everything has to do with that. The content. The writing. The what-I’m-saying part. And if it doesn’t resonate or connect with a reader, well you know the drill. You’ve been there. Everyday we go there. Open Google, search for something, visit a few links… all in about 2.5 seconds.

2.5 seconds. That all I have. So using my words to connect became an increasingly important objective for the success of my business.

And today, Michael Martine’s first module only underlined fiercely this exact learning. From three years ago. It’s all about being clear. Crystal-like.

Like knowing who, exactly, my people are. What keeps them up at night? What are they aching and hungering for? And really write about that in a way they feel heard and seen.

And that’s not all of it. The next piece was figuring out how to say to them that I have something to help them with that. That thing that keeps them up at night. Something different than what they’ve tried before.

It’s an art form. Writing. And a process. That unfolds itself in iterations. Everything I’ve done online has been an experiment in what works and what doesn’t and continues to be.

And not one iteration that has brought me to my today would exist if I didn’t begin with writing it down first. Finding a way to crack open the Word doc or get out that legal pad and answer the questions.

I just keep polishing and polishing the words. And they continue to become clearer and clearer.

And trusting that in the process of iterating it, what’s unique about me will show through. I’m less worried about competition than I am about getting those first questions answered clearly (mostly because I don’t believe in competition).

So if I could give you one small tip, if you’re just starting out. Don’t go spending a ton of money on getting your website ranked. Unless you’re ready. If you’re not ready, and you’re like me, working on this art form of writing so my perfect peeps feel heard and seen and understand exactly how I help them solves their problems… these are wiser places to invest in your business.

Mark Silver has a heart-centered approach to answering these questions. Michael Martine’s free 5-day blog traffic building course is another place. I’ve also worked with Isabel Parlett who helped me like 1000 iterations ago… to begin reaching for and finding the words to rock the world.

And I’m not even looking to rock the world. I just want to do what I love and help you do it too.

More Optimysm

Comparing – A Gift For Learning To See Ourselves?

Mynde Mayfield — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:25:27 +0000

I have this habit. I used to not even see it. Now I see it, but at the same time, still see myself doing it and wonder if I will ever stop. Or what thought I might have that finally releases me from this habit’s grip.

Comparing.

I remember Tom Stone saying something like 80% of our sensory perception is affected by sight. I can really notice this when I simply sit quietly and close my eyes. How I sense and what I’m aware of is inner directed instead of being stimulated by what my eyes are constantly taking in and processing.

I wonder sometimes if I just shut my eyes, will I then stop comparing? And I don’t want to miss anything. I don’t want to miss the richness of sight. And at the same time, I’m also tired of not doing stuff because I’m in a state of stuck because I’m watching too closely what others are doing.

I might not even think I am comparing anything. But if I’m watching, comparing will shortly be there. Materializing out of thin air. In the form of my own private thought-bubbles that speak to me, out loud in my head.

“What if this story isn’t important to anyone else but me?”

“Isn’t it selfish to write for myself or to myself?”

“The others, who have written books and published them, are in another league… waaaaay outside of my orbit!”

“I am not trained and have taken no higher education courses around writing. I probably suck and everyone can see that in the evidence of my posts. Whatever I write needs to be and mean a whole lot more than the scribbled ‘I love you honeybee’ messages on my daughter’s lunch napkin.”

That’s what it sounds like in my head sometimes. Really, a lot more than I care to admit.

I’ve learned that comparing comes from my fear. A pretty deep one that shows up in disguises. Fear is a master of disguise.

When I’m comparing, I’m usually coming from a place of less-than. Which is tiresome. So so tired of hatin’ on myself. My ideas. My creativity. My choices.

When I’m comparing, I let someone else’s light eclipse my own.

This week, I’ve been contemplating comparing. How and when it shows up. How much I beat myself up in it. How much I want to do something else besides compare. Understand why I focus on comparing… and discover the gift in it.

What am I not doing while I’m comparing?

A lot. It’s an energetic stall. It’s a cover up. A distraction. A procrastination.

And what would better than this? Better than a cover up would be a revealing. Better than a distraction would be great love in the form of focus. Better than procrastination would be a decision. The decision to just do it. For just five minutes (thank you Pace & Kyeli for this wonderful anchor). Do it, whatever I’m not doing that wants so badly to be started or fed or created or worshipped or loved.

And so I’m closing my eyes. And going within to ask what wants to be done? What wants to be written? What wants to be spoken? What wants to be prayed for? What wants my inner attention?

And I believe it’s me in there. A connection to my creative source that wants my attention and wants my voice, my fingers on the keyboard, and my heart wide open.

For now, comparing is keeping me from seeing me and connecting to the very thing I think I want more than anything. The thing that I ache for…

And that voice sounds like this:

Sometimes, you just have to stop looking at what other people are doing. And start doing your own thing. Now, strike sometimes.

That was the message I received from the me that is free from the stuckness of comparing.

Have you noticed comparing? I would love to know how you care for yourself if you have. And if comparing stuckifies you, how do you help yourself with that?

What does comparing look like for you?
What does comparing tip you off to?
What would you be doing if you weren’t busy comparing?
What works for you to help you reframe comparing?
What are the hidden gifts you’ve discovered hiding out in your comparing?