Category: Blog

  • How to Give Your Content Marketing Strategy a Complete Makeover in 2019

    How to Give Your Content Marketing Strategy a Complete Makeover in 2019

    8 Steps Content Marketing Strategy For Complete Website Makeover (And Traffic Boost)

    Is your website suffering low traffic either from the recent Google Updates or simply because the content sucks?

    If you are reading this, you are probably know that your content sucks — and you want to take drastic steps to get the traffic you deserve.

    And even if you are at the top, you still need to have a solid content marketing strategy (which I have outlined below).

    Do you know that there are 8 steps to perform a complete content marketing strategy makeover?

    Now, don’t worry if you are scratching your head to find for answers. Scroll down below to learn more about planning and implementing a complete content marketing strategy makeover in 2019.

    Step 1: Define your content goals

    Define Content Goals

    This is by far the most important step to take — especially when you are planning to generate more traffic to your website.

    By defining your content goals, you will be able to construct, plan and take appropriate actions to generate more website traffic.

    Goals are what take us forward in life; they are the oxygen to our dreams. They are the first steps to every journey we take and are also our last. It‰’s very important that you realize the significance and importance of goal-setting and apply this knowledge in your life. Source: Code of Living

    Whatever your goals are, you got to have it layout!

    Do you know that you can also integrate content marketing with podcasting?

    Step 2: Define the target audience

    Define Target Audience

    When you publish a content, the content should be geared towards a specific audience and not the entire world.

    The reason behind this is simple — “No one size fits all.”

    Before even starting a content marketing makeover, ensure that you have the target audience in mind. This way, you can easily craft the right type of content (tone of voice, promotion method etc.) that resonates with your audience.

    When you resonates with your audience, you are going to be able to convert them into paying customers.

    Step 3: Audit the existing content

    Update Content With Fresh Information

    This step is time consuming but is definitely a step needed to be taken.

    Your content may not be relevant with the new content goals that you want to achieve in 2019. Therefore, steps needed to taken to ensure that these content resonates with your overall content marketing makeover strategy.

    Need help? Here’s a guide quite from Content Marketing Institute on performing content audit in just a few hours. Click for guide.

    Step 4: Map key content to a website content map

    How To Do Content Mapping

    Head over to Google Analytics (if Google Analytics is complicated, here’s a good alternative) and Google Search Console to discover the best performing content on your blog. Select the top 10 or 20 and ensure that there are interlinking between one another.

    These content are doing very well for various reasons — solving the customer’s pain point or providing answers to questions.

    There are many content mapping tools and software that you can use, including:

    Step 5: Create content assets

    What Is Cornerstone Content

    Content assets are cornerstone contents — Content that represent a huge part of your blog. These content are powerful content that are often long form and provides ton of value to the readers.

    A blog may have 100 or 1,000 blog posts but often time, only a handful will be generating the most traffic. Ensure that these blog posts are constantly updated with the latest content and having more internal links in these blog posts than outgoing ones.

    Bonus tip: Learn more about content asset here.

    Step 6: Upload and optimize current content assets

    How To Optimize Content

    If you have created several cornerstone contents like I do, then it is high time to keep these content updated.

    On average, I recommend revisiting the content once every quarter to update the content with new information. Always remember that Google loves content that are constantly updated.

    Step 7: Promoting your content

    How To Promote Content In Content Marketing Makeover

    Content marketing strategy doesn’t just involve content creation. Promoting your content is an extremely important step that most marketers overlook.

    How to do you promote your content to the mass public? Here are some sure-fire ways to get your content in front of the mass population.

    • Paid marketing (social media ads, Google ads)
    • Search engine optimization (SEO)
    • Non paid marketing (shares from other bloggers or industry leaders)
    • Rewrite the content and publish on various content sites (Medium, Quora etc.)
    • Outreach to other bloggers and writers within your industry

    Step 8: Analyze and further improve

    Analyze and Improve Content

    The last step includes analyzing and further improving the content marketing strategy makeover (over time). 

    The honeypot is often discovered only after various tests and implementation are done. In other words, analyzing and improving once or twice wouldn’t be that effective in a long run.

    Keep a planner and schedule constant content marketing makeovers to ensure that your blog is getting the traffic you deserve — as well as doubling the chance to convert first time website visitors into paying customers or subscribers.

    Analyzing goes a long way, including analyzing your content on your landing page. Here’s a list of tools to help you customize your landing page.

    Summary: Start giving content marketing a makeover right now!

    When was the last time you gave your blog and website a content makeover? If it has been awhile, get started right now as this is an important step to grow your traffic!

    Tell me what you think in the comments below.

  • BlueHost Shared Hosting vs WordPress Hosting (WP Pro) Review

    BlueHost Shared Hosting vs WordPress Hosting (WP Pro) Review

    Which Is The Right BlueHost Web Hosting Plan For Me?

    BlueHost is a well known web hosting company that hosts millions of websites every single day. Just like other web hosting companies, BlueHost offers a wide range of web hosting plans.

    Here’s a list of BlueHost web hosting plans that it offers:

    • Shared hosting
    • VPS hosting
    • Dedicated hosting
    • WordPress hosting
    • WP Pro
    • eCommerce hosting

    As you can see, there really many BlueHost hosting plans that you can choose from — and it can be really complicated (trust me when I say this).

    Two of the most common web hosting plans is Shared Hosting and WordPress Hosting.

    Let’s dive into both of these, and I sincerely hope that this information is going to help you make the ultimate decision.

    What is BlueHost shared hosting plans?

    BlueHost Shared Web Hosting

    BlueHost shared hosting is the most common and popular web hosting service. It is an excellent choice for bloggers, website owners and business owners who don’t require much from a web hosting company.

    In other words, the BlueHost shared hosting plan is best for small websites (or for those who is looking for cheap web hosting services.

    With web hosting pricing that starts at $2.97 per month, BlueHost shared hosting plan is definitely a deal not to be missed!

    What is included in the BlueHost shared hosting plan?

    BlueHost Shared Hosting Malaysia

    As you can see, there are four common shared hosting plan with different features and prices. 

    Basic is the cheapest shared hosting plan at only $2.97 per month with limited features. There are also Plus, Choice Plus and Pro which all serves different features and come with unique pricing structures.

    Is BlueHost shared hosting right for me?

    BlueHost shared hosting is a great option for those who don’t require a lot server resources and have a low traffic website. This package is best for new websites as it is highly affordable with low monthly commitment.

    What is BlueHost WordPress hosting?

    BlueHost Managed WordPress Hosting

    If you are looking for managed WordPress hosting, BlueHost WordPres hosting is definitely one option to consider. Currently, BlueHost managed WordPress hosting is known as BlueHost WP Pro (you can read more about it here).

    The pricing for WordPress Pro by BlueHost starts at $19.95 per month and there are several other options that you can choose from. Here’s the pricing structure for WP Pro.

    What is included in the BlueHost WP Pro plan?

    BlueHost Managed WordPress Hostign Features

    As you can see above, WP Pro web hosting plans are hevaily based on fully-managed WordPress hosting. Both the Build and Grow plans are excellent for non eCommerce websites and Scale plan is best fitted for eCommerce on WordPress.

    Is BlueHost WP Pro right for me?

    WP Pro isn’t for everyone. It is best suited for website owners who want a peace of mind, top notch security and excellent server performance 24 hours a day. If you are having more than 300 traffic in a day, you should definitely consider BlueHost WP Pro.

    BlueHost Shared Hosting vs BlueHost Managed WordPress Hosting: Which is better?

    As a summary, BlueHost shared hosting a good option for beginners and website owners with limited traffic. This web hosting service is very affordable and doesn’t cost much.

    BlueHost managed hosting or WP Pro is a great alternative for website owners who want superior performance, bulletproof security and excellent customer support.

  • 5 Reasons Why You Need To Work Harder (Even When You Are At The Top)

    5 Reasons Why You Need To Work Harder (Even When You Are At The Top)

    Work Even Harder When You Are At The Top

    This is not a rant — but serves as a reminder not only to me, but to all of you (bloggers, entrepreneurs and business owners).

    We work hard to be at the top … and you are required to work even harder to maintain the status quo.

    And I have a story to back me up on this.

    Read. It only takes two minutes or less (I promise)!

    I have been doing affiliate marketing since 2004 and until date, I am capping averagely $2,500.00 per month easy. And for a part time blogger, earning that much money online is no small figure.

    As a matter of fact, it is so important that it helped me with my financials.

    I was happy, my family was happy and everything was good.

    So much so that I became too complacent with the whole make money online thingy and let my blog run on automation for a month.

    Do you know what happens next?

    My income went from $2,500.00 per month (easy) to a mere $1,300.00 per month. Now, if you do some math, it’s a 48% drop and I gone crazy. 

    I scrambled to find what’s going on — and how to rectify the messed I had made.

    It. Was. Bad.

    I found out that I thought it was easy money by not doing anything. And as the saying goes, “easy come, easy go.”

    I tripled my work the next 30 days — and I not only achieved the target of $2,500.00 per month in blog earnings, I exceed it by $1,210 … making it a whopping $3,710.00!

    So, here’s the moral of the story.

    Success is easy to achieve. Maintaining success is the hardest part of all.

    Carry on reading below to learn the 5 reasons why you need to work harder when you are at the top.

    Reason #1: The top spot is ALWAYS for grab

    First On Google

    No one ever last at the top, especially when they don’t take the needed action.

    Everyone wants to be at the top because it fame, glory and all the good vibes you can ever imagine.

    So, it is definite that being the top means more hard work.

    Do you know that you will easily garner at least 50% of the entire business opportunity just by being at the top in your industry?

    Reason #2: Success is NEVER final

    How To Stay Top

    This goes dearly to my heart — and I’m sure you know what I mean.

    As the economy and industry changes, what works yesterday may not work today. And what works today will not be working tomorrow.

    We need to be on our toes to make sure that we are constantly working on our strategies to ensure that we will always be dominant.

    Reason #3: Work harder means getting AHEAD

    Stay Ahead Of Competitors

    Years ago, my wife would ask why I would stay up all night working on my side gigs a.k.a. blogging. Back then, I was making dollars a month and I told myself to keep trying hard.

    Now, she understood.

    On average, I earn around $2,500.00 per month from blogging — and that does not include the leads I generated for my other businesses.

    I co-founded Marketing Lancers and last month itself, I generated four new clients with over $10,000.00 for business consultation and digital marketing services.

    Reason #4: Businesses are going GLOBAL

    Business Going Global

    Do you know that only 15% (or less) of businesses around the world were visible online in 2015?

    Now, there are around 45% of businesses around the world who have strong business presence in the digital world.

    In order to compete, business owners are going online and having an online visibility allows you to be global.

    Always remember that the Internet never sleeps. We do though.

    Building a website for online presence is easy, and you certainly don’t require thousands of dollars to do so. You can start with a simple web hosting at only $2.95 per month that comes with a complementary domain name. Click here to see what I mean (or to grab the deal)!

    Reason #5: Technology makes it even more COMPETITIVE

    Technology In Business

    Do you know that the advancement of technology makes everything more complicated and challenging?

    While Toys R Us closing down, big brand such as the Lego group are leveraging technology to garner bigger market share. Here’s the snippet of their press release:

    “We are especially satisfied with our performance given the challenges of the changing retail landscape, including the closure of Toys R Us in the US, UK and Australia.

    We are well positioned to capitalise on new opportunities to delight consumers and shoppers across all channels and are particularly encouraged by growth from activities across digital and e-commerce platforms. 

    We will continue to work closely with our retail partners and in LEGO-branded retail channels to create great experiences for consumers whenever and wherever they want to shop or play.”

    Conclusion

    It pays to work hard and be at the top of your game.

    But here’s the thing – It doesn’t come easy.

    And even if you are at top, you shouldn’t settle. 

    Focus on dominating the market, not just being the best.

    What do you think?

  • 5 Best WordPress Theme You Should Be Using In 2019

    5 Best WordPress Theme You Should Be Using In 2019

    The Only 5 Best WordPress Themes You Should Be Using In 2019

    Are you searching for the best WordPress themes to use in 2019?

    If the answer is “anything related to yes,” you came to the right spot!

    In this article, you will discover the best WordPress themes you should be using in 2019.

    When it comes to WP themes, there are actually quite a lot of themes that you can choose from — both free and paid WordPress themes inclusive.

    The biggest challenge for many bloggers and website owners is to determine the best theme that fits their needs.

    But wait!

    What are the requirements to choose the best WordPress themes?

    While the niche and expectations varies a lot, here are the common requirements when choosing a WordPress theme:

    • Easy to use or low learning curve
    • Drag and drop builder (if coding skills are required)
    • Clean codes
    • Level of support
    • Reputation of the theme developer
    • Theme pricing
    • Constant updates
    • SEO features
    • Fast loading speed

    The WordPress theme is more important than ever

    A WordPress theme is more than just a theme. It displays professionalism and above all, a brand design that resonates with your website visitors.

    Do you know that a website design contributes to website conversion, bounce rate and stay duration?

    Which are the top 5 best WordPress themes for 2019?

    • Divi by Elegant Themes
    • Thrive Architect by Thrive Themes
    • OptimizePress
    • StudioPress
    • Elementor

    Top Rated WordPress Theme 2019: Divi Theme

    Divi Theme Review 2019

    What is Divi theme?

    Divi is a stylist, drag and drop website builder that used not only by beginners but website developers as well.

    Divi Theme allows you to create your own customized WordPress website design without coding knowledge — through its powerful drag and drop website builder.

    Divi Theme Demos

    Want to know how Divi theme looks like? Scroll below to learn more!

    Part 1: Five Divi theme templates

    Divi Theme Demo

    Part 2: Another five more Divi theme templates

    Divi Theme Templates

    Impressed?

    Divi themes are not made for bloggers — it has a wide range of themes (over 100 of them) that are suitable for a wide range of business.

    Regardless you are a blogger, entrepreneur, website owner or business owner, there’s definitely a Divi theme that is right for you!

    Advantages using Divi theme

    • Inbuilt drag and drop builder (visual editor)
    • No coding skills required
    • 100+ pre-made layouts and templates
    • 1-click installation
    • 24/7 professional support
    • One simple ad affordable pricing

    Disadvantages using Divi theme

    • Users may experience some lag or server performance (if using poorly configured web servers)

    Conclusion and Divi theme demo

    Divi is really an awesome choice if you are searching for the best WordPress theme in 2019.

    With it premade demos and templates (along with customer support), this is definitely the top best theme that I personally recommend.

    Popular WordPress Themes for Bloggers: Thrive Architect by Thrive Themes

    Thrive Architect Best WordPress Themes 2019

    What is Thrive Architect?

    Thrive Architect is a drag and drop builder plugin by Thrive Themes. This plugin helps you to create powerful website designs without coding skills.

    Used by over 10,000 website owners, Thrive Architect is one the best heavy-hitters when it comes to the best WordPress themes in 2019.

    Thrive Architect Demos

    Thrive Architect allows you to copy and launch pre-made templates and demos in just a few clicks.

    At this point of time, there are over 274 ready-made website templates (consists of landing page, homepages, blog posts etc.) that you can choose from.

    Thrive Architect demo templates

    Thrive Architect Demo Templates

    Editor’s Note

    Thrive Architect is my personal favorite when it comes to building customized WordPress themes and the reason is obvious. 

    The Thrive Architect drag and drop builder is extremely intuitive which is able to operates even with the smallest / lowest server resources.

    Advantages using Thrive Architct

    • Instant drag and drop visual builder
    • No design or coding skills required
    • Pre-build conversion elements
    • 274+ templates and demos to choose from
    • Instant preview on different screen size
    • Toggle visibility of elements and the entire content block
    • Mobile responsive theme
    • 24/7 support via forum and email
    • Affordable pricing

    Disadvantages using Thrive Architect

    • Can’t think of any (as of now)

    Conclusion

    Undeniably, Thrive Architect excels perfectly well in the WordPress theme marketplace.

    Bloggers and website owners had long used Thrive Architect to build their website — and this is one of those WordPress themes that I will recommend.

    Newly Updated Theme: OptimizePress

    OptimizePress WordPress Themes 2019

    What is OptimizePress?

    OptimizePress was once the most sought after WordPress website builder. To be exact, it was around seven years ago. Soon after, OptimizePress was not being updated and lacks drag and drop builder which, at that time, was extremely popular.

    But that was history.

    With the latest and updated OptimizePress version, this is definitely one of the most popular option in the market today.

    OptimizePress Demos

    Just like most of the WordPress themes in this post, there are many ready made website templates that you can use with OptimizePress.

    OptimizePress demo templates

    OptimizePress Premium WordPress Themes 2019

    If you are looking for the top WordPress themes in 2019, OptimizePress is definitely a great choice to go with.

    Did you know?

    OptimizePress comes with theme and plugin separately. So, you can easily install OptimizePress plugin to your existing WordPress themes — without having to perform all the messy and time-consuming uninstallation. OptimizePress also includes an inbuilt membership site which is a plus point for many.

    Advantages using OptimizePress

    • Visual editor allows you to create landing page, webinar pages, sales pages, blog post and homepages
    • Drag and drop website builder plugin
    • Intuitive visual editor
    • No coding skill required
    • Easy to use for beginnners
    • Marketplace to purchase additional/customized themes

    Disadvantages using OptimizePress

    • Visual builder isn’t extremely intuitive
    • The entire theme and plugin requires a lot of server space
    • Some users are experience slower website load speed when using OptimizePress

    Conclusion

    OptimizePress is “okay” and if you are not require much from a drag and drop builder, this is a great option to go with.

    More importantly, it is very affordable which is a plus point for many newbie bloggers and website owners.

    Simple And Yet Stylist: StudioPress by WP Engine

    StudioPress by WP Engine

    StudioPress was the first premium WordPress theme that I used. 

    While I don’t actively use StudioPress anymore, I still recommend StudioPress to my clients — especially for those who don’t require much website features and simple website layout.

    StudioPress was recently acquired by WP Engine (just thought that you may not know about it).

    StudioPress Demos

    There are many StudioPress themes that you can choose from … which you can purchase as a standalone or through a one-time payment to have unlimited access and usage.

    StudioPress demo templates

    StudioPress Genesis Framework Child Themes 2019

    Advantages using StudioPress themes

    • Unlimited usage with one time payment
    • Professional support
    • Beautiful and many minimalist website designs

    Disadvantages using StudioPress themes

    • No drag and drop builder
    • Coding skills required

    Conclusion

    StudioPress is a fine WordPress theme to use if you are looking for a theme that is ready to use out-of-the-box.

    While configuring StudioPress child themes requires coding skill, this is still one of the most popular WordPress themes in 2019 (especially for website developers) as the codes are very clean and SEO ready.

    When Free Meets Premium: Elementor

    Elementor Best WordPress Themes 2019

    Elementor is the next generation WordPress website theme.

    They call themselves as the world’s best builder — simple, powerful & flexible WordPress theme builder.

    And they nailed it. BIG TIME.

    Elementor combines powerful drag and drop technology into a tool that is free to use (yes, Elementor plugin is free to use) with Elementor Pro version that provides additional features (chargeable).

    Advantages using Elementor

    • Free to use (with premium plans available)
    • Powerful drag and drop visual builder
    • Feature rich
    • Excellent customer support
    • Supportive community

    Disadvantages using Elementor

    • Limited features in the free version
    • Limited support in the free version

    Conclusion

    Despite the several weaknesses in Elementor, it is still one of the best WordPress theme in 2019.

    With an inbuilt drag and drop builder with powerful add-ons, this is definitely one of the top themes you should be using to create beautiful website designs this year.

    Which is the best WordPress themes in 2019?

    For me, the above five are the best themes for any WordPress websites.

    If I would choose, I would recommend Thrive Architect and Divi anytime of the day — thanks to the intuitive drag and drop builder, easy to use features and super affordable pricing.

    How about you? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think!