Website under constructionShow Up Like You Mean It”

This is one of my favorite lines to use when I speak about everything from managing one’s own online presence to how to prepare for a job interview. If we are not going to put our best selves out there, why bother showing up at all? It takes hard work to stand out from the crowd. If we are lucky enough to be noticed, we have only a brief opportunity to make an impression. If all goes according to plan, the impression is a good one.

With that in mind, I realized it was time to take my own advice and seriously up my game on my own site. Lately, I’ve been speaking about social media more often than ever and doing more individual coaching and business consulting. Until now, my site was created and managed by a relative tech novice – me. While what the reader saw up front appeared clear and functional, behind the scenes was quite another story.

My webinars were run through software which did not integrate with my blog. Registration for the webinars was on another site (Eventbrite) and payment to attend required visiting a third site (PayPal).? I also host networking events for professionals in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Registration for these events was equally complex.? Email distribution lists are housed on yet another site to manage newsletters and updates (ConstantContact). Confused yet? Managing all of this has been exhausting, plus many of these sites charge monthly fees. More importantly, though, it has not provided you with a seamless way to take full advantage of the information and resources available to you.

Understanding the importance of sticking to what I know and seeking outside expertise when it’s needed, I called upon Kimberly Beaven of Blue Wave Media to work her magic on my site. She’s a creative genius, in addition to having wicked coding skills. What you see here is a work in progress. Though it is not yet finished, I asked Kimberly to publish the site as is to give those of you interested in how a site comes together a chance to peek behind the curtain. You’ll see a number of issues still needing to be addressed. For example, not all of the text formatting made it to the new design intact, the online store does not yet have anything in it and so on.

I would love for you to take a stroll around and let me know what you think of the site. How do you feel about the overall look and feel? Kick the tires, click on buttons and links – do they work and make sense to you? What would you change or add?? What is clear and works well, and where do we seem to miss the mark?

Your perspective is important to me. I look forward to hearing your ideas and suggestions.? Bring it on!