<p><em>Listen to the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0kps7ENLspygKnJqncCyEl?si=EMaZefxIQcqPaS-q9u_V_A">related podcast episode</a> for this post.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>As a freelancer, it can be difficult to separate work and the rest of your life. Freelance work is commonly depicted as working at home from your couch, bed, or kitchen table. However, for most people, this is not the most productive or ideal situation. Being in a space that is utilized for other purposes can create unnecessary distractions. Your workspace should be just that: space where you work and nothing else. Clearly delineating this area can improve both your work and personal life. So, what factors should you take into account?</p>
<h2>Deciding Factors</h2>
<p>When considering a freelance workspace I think of the three C’s: convenience, comfort, and cost.</p>
<h3>Convenience</h3>
<p>When it comes to freelance, you should have as few barriers as possible between you and your work. Therefore, you’ll want a workspace that is convenient for you to access. If your workspace is only available for a few hours or is far away then you will be less likely to get your work done. Think of the gym. If your gym was 30 minutes away and was only open for an hour would you go? The same can be said for your freelance work. Make sure your area is convenient whether it’s at home or a nearby co-working space.</p>
<h3>Comfort</h3>
<p>Make sure you are comfortable in your space. One of the main benefits of choosing where you work is setting your own comfort level. You can control the aspects of your space, such as the temperature or the type of chair sit in. The freedom to go on walks when you’re sick of sitting down is part of this. If you are comfortable in your space you are more likely to be focused on your work. Just don’t get too comfortable, working in bed is a guarantee for me to fall asleep and not do any work!</p>
<h3>Cost</h3>
<p>As with almost anything cost is a big factor when considering your freelance space. This not have to mean renting an office or co-working space. Costs can include increasing your internet speed, buying a new monitor, the three cups of coffee, and a pastry you buy while sitting at Starbucks. There are always costs involved so be sure to assess your costs and make sure they’re at an amount you are comfortable with.</p>
<h2>What Are Your Options?</h2>
<p>So, we’ve determined the factors that come into play when deciding on the workspace you want to create. Now let’s go over a few of the location options that are available.</p>
<h3>Working from Home</h3>
<p>This is of course the most common location for freelancers. It costs nothing in terms of additional rent and the commute is amazing! However, working from home involves an almost endless amount of distractions if not executed properly. Kids, housework, TV’s, food availability, the list goes on and on. The most important factor to consider for any of these spaces is to <strong>know yourself</strong>.</p>
<p>For me, I know my weaknesses at home: the TV, cleaning, playing with the dog. I can be a very bad procrastinator especially if the options are constantly in front of me. So, I need to minimize this weakness. I created a home office in its own room of the house. If I had the option of moving it outside of my house in a guest house or room over a garage I would ideally take that route. But for me, this is not an option, so I created my own space with the resources I have.</p>
<p>I made sure not to put a TV in this room and I minimized the number of distractions. My office has a plain Ikea desk with as much free space on it as I can get. I only have a monitor, laptop, podcast microphone setup, and a few toys to fidget with. My desk is against a wall to remove any visible distractions in the room, which I try to keep to a minimum anyway.</p>
<p>This is how I work the best, with minimal distractions to reduce my procrastination. Of course, your space may be different. Perhaps you work best with a TV playing for some background white noise. Again, know what creates an optimal workspace for you and what doesn’t. Eliminate distractions and create a separate space to work. These are the keys to a successful home office.</p>
<h3>A Coffee Shop or Other Public Place</h3>
<p>An obvious next step from the house is to go to a public place with free wifi, typically a coffee shop. It can be great to get that dose of a social aspect without being in a space where you see the same people every day (most of the time). This also creates a further separation between work life and personal life.</p>
<p>A coffee shop also does not have to be an everyday workspace. Maybe you go a couple of days a week just to get a fresh perspective that differs from your home office. Working alongside other people without the obligation of interacting can provide a needed boost of productivity on those difficult days. Not being inside your house provides a refreshing change of scenery.</p>
<h3>Co-Working Space</h3>
<p>Co-working spaces are a great option for freelancers. They give you the benefits of office space with a lower price tag. They are usually set up as multiple small-sized office rooms that companies or freelancers can rent out. The terms can be like a lease either annual or month to month so they are a bigger investment. But you’ll be able to take the space and make it your own.</p>
<p>Co-working spaces come equipped with everything you’ll need to start working: desks, chairs, an internet connection, and more. A lot of these spaces come with added amenities as well. They can have shared conference rooms that you can utilize for client meetings. Or a shared kitchen space to give that real office feel. Plus, it can be great to interact and network with the other freelancers, startups, and small businesses that are also renting in this space.</p>
<p>(For anyone near me I recommend the <a href="https://www.charlestondigitalcorridor.com/">Charleston Digital Corridor</a>)</p>
<h3>Short-Term Office Rental</h3>
<p>These are a version of a co-working space. Short-term office rentals are typically found in bigger cities but you are starting to see them crop up all around the world. Essentially, you rent the space for a short amount of time, a couple of days or even a couple of hours. They can be a great substitution for a coffee shop if you find them to be too noisy. Do a <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=short-term+office+rental+near+me">local search for short-term office rentals</a> to see if there are any near you or check out a service like <a href="https://www.regus.com/">Regus</a>.</p>
<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>
<p>There are many places and ways to create a solid freelancing workspace. Remember to define your needs for convenience, comfort, and cost. These are different for everyone. The most important part is to determine how you work the best. Decide if you need a more public or private space, or somewhere in between. Then set up your workspace in a way that produces the best work results for you. Maybe you need 100 action figures and knick-knacks around because it helps improve creativity. Perhaps you’re like me and you need to have minimalist space to eliminate distractions. Find what puts you in that creative mindset and helps you be the most productive that you can be.</p>


Creating Your Freelance Workspace

<p><em>Listen to the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ZGZNewNVFE09liT0Cwo11?si=6KQItElMTQy0253h5DFtbA">related podcast episode</a> for this post.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>So, you’ve decided to start your own freelance business. Great choice! Freelancing can be very rewarding as an extra source of income or as a full-time job. You will gain a lot of experience on each side of freelancing: business and creative. But how do you get started? Today, we will learn how to name your freelance business.</p>
<h2>Your Name vs a Company Name</h2>
<p>The big choice when starting a freelance business is typically between whether you should use your name or a company name. There are pros and cons to both which we will explore below. Just remember that the name you go with can be difficult to change in the long run. Make sure you are ok with using the name for many years. This will be your brand that you are promoting and will be directly attached to your successes.</p>
<h3>Pros of Using Your Name</h3>
<p>Your name will provide recognition, especially if you are already established as an expert. If you have built a personal brand, whether locally or nationally, you can leverage that brand equity for your business.</p>
<p>Associating your name with your business shows a commitment to it. Customers and clients will know that your business is something that you will literally put your name behind.</p>
<p>If you have a unique name you’ll be a large way ahead on SEO. This means that if anyone searches for you there is a high likelihood that your business will come up. This could be a good way to start your business if you want to be found easier online.</p>
<p>People typically like working with other people and not a faceless company. Putting your name on it tells the clients exactly who they will be working with.</p>
<h3>Cons of Using Your Name</h3>
<p>If your name has no brand equity the impact may fall short. Seeing a company with a random person’s name does not provide any information or clarity for the potential client.</p>
<p>If you just use your name it can be difficult for people to understand what you do. It’s best to make sure you include what you do in the name as well.</p>
<p>If you intend to sell your company in the future having your name directly attached could make that problematic. Your name would be on something you no longer own. Yikes!</p>
<p>This could also limit the amount of privacy you will have because everyone will know your name. It pushes you more into the limelight rather than being the owner of XYZ Company.</p>
<p>Just as I mentioned people like to work with people, there could be larger clients that don’t abide by that. Some clients or companies might think that a company with someone’s name does not take it seriously.</p>
<h3>Pros of Using a Company Name</h3>
<p>You could potentially attract bigger customers with a unique company name. Some feel like they want to work with another company and you could use that to your advantage.</p>
<p>It can be easier to hire employees with a company name for a couple of reasons. A company name looks better than a random name both on a resume and on a job posting. Also, with a company name, the employees may feel like there is more opportunity to advance internally.</p>
<p>Additionally, it may be easier to secure intellectual property rights for a unique company name than a more common personal name.</p>
<h3>Cons of Using a Company Name</h3>
<p>Smaller businesses may not want to work with a “company”. They might be looking for another local small business and mistake yours for being bigger than it is.</p>
<p>It can be difficult to come up with a unique and creative company name. If you’re like me you don’t want to waste time thinking up a name. If you want a company name but are having trouble coming up with one check out a few of these business name generators. They don’t give perfect names but they could at least generate a few ideas for you!</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.shopify.com/tools/business-name-generator">Shopify Business Name Generator</a></li>
<li><a href="https://businessnamegenerator.com/">businessnamegenerator.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://namelix.com/">namelix.com</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Ultimately, determining your business name comes down to knowing what customers it will serve. Your business name will become an important part of your marketing strategy. Make sure you put a lot of thought into it. Speaking from experience, switching names is not that easy.</p>


How to Name Your Freelance Business

<p><em>Listen to the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3rvOB1VekaI923ribcDOAA?si=RzANa2aYSviTPbPlXLxWVg">related podcast episode</a> for this post.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Podcasting is one of the top modern channels to connect with people. At first, it may seem less engaging than a video or other form of content, but in reality, it connects with your listeners on a deeper level. Your followers can listen to your episodes almost anytime because audio is not restricted like a video is. They can listen while actively doing other tasks: grocery shopping, running, driving, etc. No other media form allows for this kind of engagement.</p>
<h2>Voice Trends</h2>
<p>Over the past several years there has been a large movement towards voice. We’ve seen it all around us from Siri to voice-assisted devices like Alexa and Google Home. These voice devices come out of convenience. Some tasks that we ask them to do could be done in the same amount of time ourselves. But we don’t have to which is the attraction. We can do other tasks while our devices do it for us. And the capabilities of these devices are only improving to accomplish more complex tasks.</p>
<p>The growing trend in voice has also shaped how we consume content. In a world that seems to get busier by the day, we typically can no longer sit down and watch a one-hour informational video. However, we can listen to a one-hour podcast episode while we complete our to-do list. Podcasting has also shown a deeper connection to the end-user. They feel like they are having a conversation with you.</p>
<h2>Podcasting and Business</h2>
<p>With a trend that is growing with this much speed, there are of course people that want to capitalize for business purposes. However, in my experience, there is a fine line. No one wants to listen to a podcast that is all about self-promoting. It just is not interesting! People want to learn or be entertained, they don’t want to be sold something in the podcasting space. That is not to say you cannot sell, but it must be done correctly and strategically.</p>
<p>When creating a podcast you should set forth clear goals for it and the main one should not be to promote your business. That is a secondary outcome, not a primary goal. For example, my primary goal for my podcast, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0YBqtNJ4TLAqUEUZ3qkv6O">Business for Designers and Developers</a>, is to teach creatives the business side of freelancing. I share my experiences and knowledge without self-promoting. Let the podcast promote for you by presenting you as an expert. So, here are some ways you can utilize podcasting to grow your business without directly self-promoting.</p>
<h2>Podcast for Your Clients</h2>
<p>By this I mean create a podcast that your potential clients would want to listen to. If you are a realtor, create a podcast that talks about the ins and outs of buying or selling a home. Design firms can discuss the benefits of good branding as well as current design trends. This is providing listeners with the information they want and presents you as an expert. If you give accurate and useful information maybe when they are looking for a house or a new logo they will think of you. You’ve already built a relationship without even meeting the person.</p>
<h2>Interview Ideal Clients</h2>
<p>Another great way to podcast for your clients is to podcast WITH your ideal clients. This involves interviewing previous clients, potential clients, or other relevant people in your clients’ space. These types of interviews provide your listeners the value of hearing your work with someone just like them. Getting interviews is not as hard as it seems, especially in a local market. Just ask, you never know who you might get.</p>
<h3>Be a Guest on Another Podcast</h3>
<p>Alternatively, you could choose to be a guest on someone else’s podcast. Again, this promotes you as an expert in your field. Just make sure that it is a relevant podcast to your industry. A lot of podcasts are looking for guests, so it is similarly not so hard to find one to be a guest on.</p>
<h2>Leverage Your Current Audience</h2>
<p>Your podcast is a great resource and takes effort to produce. Make sure that you don’t forget to promote to your existing audience. Include social media posts about new episodes. Send an email to your mailing list. Keep yourself on top of mind for people that already follow you in some capacity. I cannot stress enough how important referrals and repeat business are to sustain a business. It will be easier to convert someone who already has a relationship with you.</p>
<h2>Final Tips</h2>
<p>There are several methods to gain new clients but it is important to reiterate that you should not go for the hard sell. No one wants to hear self-promoting content. Make sure that your podcast is interesting and not a dry podcast about your business. Remember that organic podcast growth takes time but even one client gained from podcasting can make an entire year worth it.</p>


Podcasting to Gain New Clients

<p><em>Listen to the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YEKGF8vlQIEQnpIGGXdnb?si=dFrTsEGZSpST2aZeRoyJJw">related podcast episode</a> for this post.</em></p>
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<p>The holiday season is typically a time for wrapping up presents and anything you need to accomplish before the end of the year. Not many people use this time to think about their business for the coming year. And I’m not saying that you should not be enjoying time with your family because that is incredibly important. However, there are some small ways you can utilize this time of year (including time with family) to help set up your business for the next year.</p>
<h2>Referrals and Repeat Business</h2>
<p>As most of us know the best ways to get new work for your freelance business is from referrals and repeat business. Referrals can come from anyone that knows you, but the highest return would be from a previous client. These clients have worked through a project with you. They know and trust you, as well as your work. A satisfied customer is the best advocate for you and your business.</p>
<p>This leads to the reason that the client could return for repeat business. Again, they have built a relationship with you and could be looking to work on their next project with you.</p>
<p>So, how can we apply these concepts during the holidays to create more business for ourselves in the coming year?</p>
<h2>Reach Out to Previous Clients</h2>
<p>Like I mentioned above, previous clients are our best asset for future business development. So, reach out to them! Send them an email, give them a call. This doesn’t have to be a marketing message from you. It could simply be reaching out to thank them for their business this past year and wish them a happy holiday season. Continue to build the relationship you have with the client.</p>
<p>Why do this? It keeps you fresh on their minds as they go into the new year. They could realize that they have more work for you or they could refer a friend or family member to you. This is the time of year that people are seeing friends and family that they may not have seen since last year. Having a good customer experience from you fresh on their mind makes them more likely to refer you when the topic comes up during the holidays.</p>
<h2>Talk to Your Family and Friends</h2>
<p>Countless times I have been talking with friends and family members that I have not seen in a while and they ask me, “What do you do, again?”. I then explain that I create websites and every now and then the reply is, “Oh really? I need a website!” or “I know someone that needs a website!”.</p>
<p>Use the holidays to enjoy time with family but also reiterate what it is exactly that you do. This could get you clients that you never would have reached before. I personally live in South Carolina and most of my family lives in New Hampshire and Maine. Through a family member referral, I gained a client based in New Hampshire that I never would have gotten otherwise.</p>
<p>This is the same concept as clients referring you but with family and friends. It can really help you grow your reach. As a word of caution, it is also important to clarify your work and expectations. If your family is anything like mine they would recommend you to anyone. This can be a blessing or a curse. They might recommend you to a client that you don’t want to work with. Or they might set unreal expectations for your work, “My son can build you a website in three days!”.</p>
<h2>Closing Out 2019</h2>
<p>As 2019 draws to a close it is important to look back on all of our accomplishments over the past year. Assess what went well, and turn our failures into opportunities for future success. Use the tips above to kickstart your business for the coming year to make 2020 even better than 2019!</p>


Bring in More Clients for Your Business During the Holidays

<p>Query strings are great for saving and generating data through a URL. There are many different applications and you have probably seen them before. Below I’ll explain exactly what they are and show you some use cases for them.</p>
<h2>What is a Query String?</h2>
<p>A query string is a string of code that is attached to the end of a URL. It allows the web page to dynamically pull data from it without passing it through a database. For example, if you search my name in Google you can see that it attaches a query string for the search term to the end of the URL: <code>google.com/search?q=morgan+m+spencer</code>.</p>
<p>This creates dynamic content that fills in the search information on Google. If I refresh the page or send the link to a friend the page will always search “Morgan M Spencer”. Google takes the search query and runs it through the search function automatically.</p>
<p>The query string does not have to pass data visibly either. One of the most common query strings is one for tracking analytics campaigns and ad traffic. By passing a value on the end of the ad URL Google can track the analytics for that ad and pass additional data through the query string. Query strings are also commonly used to track affiliate data. So, if you click on an affiliate link on someone’s blog, the data is passed to the destination to recognize that the user was referred from the blog.</p>
<h2>Using Query Strings</h2>
<p>How can we apply this to our own websites? I personally have used this several times, typically to create a more advanced search functionality.</p>
<p>For example, let’s say we have a search page with a list of options that filters as we type. So, as the user types in the search box, the list filters to only show matches to the input.</p>
<pre><code class="language-javascript">$('#search input').keyup(function() { // as user types
	var entry = $(this).val(), // get what user types
		url = window.location.protocol, // get current url
		newURL = url + '?s=' + entry; // append the search query
	window.history.pushState({ path: newURL }, '', newURL); // change the url without reloading
	filterListing(search); // run the function to filter the listing by the search query
});
</code></pre>
<p>This function will generate a search query at the end of the URL in real-time as the user types it. It then uses whatever function is desired to filter the listing on the page.</p>
<p>This is great but if we refresh the page the search field resets and so does the filtering. All we have done is stored a value in the URL but we haven’t done anything with the value.</p>
<pre><code class="language-javascript">if (document.location.search.length) { // if there is a query
	var search = document.location.search.replace('?s=',''); // get the query without the key
	$('#search input').val(search); // autofill the search field
	filterListing(search); // run the function to filter the listing by the search query
}
</code></pre>
<p>Here we checked to see if there was a query on the URL. then got the query value without the key. We then added the value to the search field. This would not filter the listing by default so we run the filter listing function to filter with the value provided.</p>
<p>Now if we refresh the page or send the link to someone the function will realize that there is already a default value and apply it to our search!</p>
<h2>More Advanced Applications</h2>
<p>We can also add multiple query strings to a URL to auto-populate a form. This involves adding multiple query strings. To do that use the ampersand (<code>&amp;</code>) for additional queries.</p>
<p><code>example.com/my-form?first_name=Morgan&amp;last_name=Spencer&amp;location=Charleston</code></p>
<p>You could then write a script to pass the data to the appropriate fields. Note that there are many different form plugins and features available and each one might process queries differently. For example, Ninja Forms has some <a href="https://ninjaforms.com/docs/querystrings/">documentation on how to properly call queries</a> that do not involve writing a script.</p>
<p>There are a wide variety of uses for query strings and you’ll soon find that they are incredibly useful in web development. My most recent example is using it on a page that users can report website issues to me. I use a query string to get the last page they came from and pass that to the form submission. When I get the submission from the user I can see which page they came from to report the issue so I don’t have to go searching!</p>


How to Use a Query String to Pass Values Between Pages and Forms

<p>I go through the top 10 tools, services and software that I use to run my design business, Spencer Creative Co. Leave me a message on other tools you use!</p>
<p>Listen to the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3yKTF1YLsAIR4plkwhST2K?si=Jp6PmscOTBezX-s8C-hV2Q">podcast episode</a> to find out more.</p>
<h2>Links</h2>
<p><a href="https://bit.ly/mms-kinsta">Kinsta</a> (affiliate)<br>
<a href="https://bit.ly/mms-wp">WordPress Hosted</a> (affiliate)<br>
<a href="https://bit.ly/mmswporg">WordPress Self-Hosted</a><br>
<a href="https://bit.ly/mmsmailchimp">Mailchimp</a><br>
<a href="https://bit.ly/mmsasana">Asana</a><br>
<a href="https://bit.ly/mmshb">Honeybook</a> (affiliate)<br>
<a href="https://bit.ly/mmsgooten">Gooten</a><br>
<a href="https://bit.ly/mmsbuffer">Buffer</a><br>
<a href="https://bit.ly/mmsqb">Quickbooks</a><br>
<a href="https://bit.ly/mmsanchor">Anchor</a></p>


The Tools and Services I Use for My Business

<p><em>Listen to the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/73Geen6xP539RHCjKEWxEC?si=f6169G8AQySJK6qxVISVfQ">related podcast episode</a> for this post.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>This post is a follow-up to my previous post, <a href="/learn/business/wordpress-multisite-new-clients">Earning New Web Design Clients with WordPress Multisite</a>. In that post, I outline how to utilize WordPress Multisite to quickly prototype a website to send to a potential client. The process involves using a multisite setup to quickly create a new website with a personalized link that you can send to the person. This is all great and you can certainly stop there and achieve huge success. But you could also provide even more value to the client and money in your pocket.</p>
<h2>The “Easy” Way</h2>
<p>Let’s say you followed along with my last post and set up a quick prototype website for a prospective client. Now, they are interested in working with you. You could up-sell them when you start the process of a contract by saying that you will host and maintain the website for an additional fee. You would then just need to make any edits they request to the existing site you made and point their domain at it.</p>
<p>Multisite provides the option to map an existing domain to the sub-site. What does this mean? I could domain map the client’s website, new-client.com, to my subsite so that the sub-site content is what shows up on the client's URL. So, what used to appear to be a sub-site of mine now looks like their website.</p>
<p>This is a crazy next step because after the project is complete you can now offer an additional service: web hosting. At the close of the project, you could offer to host the site for a monthly fee. You could include maintenance in the price or charge for that as well.</p>
<h3>Words of Caution</h3>
<p>It is important to note that you will need a great hosting plan yourself and some back-end knowledge to maintain the system. But if you can do that you’ve not only secured the client by providing value, but you’ve also given additional value and some extra ongoing cash in your pocket.</p>
<p>I call this the “easy” way because the path to get the client’s website up and running is fairly quick and painless. However, be aware it’s not an easy thing to host a website and maintain it as well. There is a lot that goes into it and although I talk about it in this post I don’t necessarily recommend it. Unless you are a well-established company that can manage a more sophisticated structure or only hosting a handful of small, local websites.</p>
<h2>The Recommended Way</h2>
<p>As I mentioned hosting the websites can be a great additional revenue stream for your company. If the website goes down the client is coming to you and you have to find and fix the problem. If the company wants to move its website elsewhere there is an additional hassle. Personally, I prefer to offload this plethora of problems that may arise to professionals.</p>
<h3>Hosting</h3>
<p>Find a good hosting provider to send your clients to. Make sure they have great customer service and are both affordable and reliable. You wouldn’t skimp on hosting for your website so don’t send your client somewhere bad. It will reflect poorly on you. Find a solid host and set up their website for them there.</p>
<h4>Additional Revenue</h4>
<p>While in this scenario we won’t be getting the recurring hosting revenue there are a couple of opportunities to tack on some additional income. You could potentially add an additional fee for hosting setup. Also, a lot of hosting providers have affiliate programs where you could get a small cut for your client’s signup. Again, make sure it is a quality host for your client. Don’t just go where the biggest affiliate cut is. Once the site has been handed off you can offer a maintenance plan. This can involve updating plugins, themes, and software. Or a holistic approach of managing everything including interactions with the hosting provider.</p>
<h3>Export the Theme</h3>
<p>If you’ve developed the prototype website with a theme (or child theme) you can export it to their new website. Just download the theme file, zip it, and upload it to the new site. An added bonus here is because your multisite environment is a live site you can use the WordPress export feature for any posts, pages, and images.</p>
<p>I would highly recommend hosting your custom theme and plugin files on GitHub. This allows you to have a place where your code lives and you can make changes for the client from a remote source. I use the <a href="https://github.com/afragen/github-updater">GitHub Updater</a> plugin to maintain these plugins and themes. It creates an update notification when you change the version on your code. The update notification works like the native update options from the WordPress repository. So, there appears to be no difference.</p>
<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>
<p>If you took the advice from my last post and use a live prototype to gain new clients remember to charge appropriately. You may have done the mock-up for free but you still took the time. Include the time you took in the proposal for the client. Never undervalue the cost of your time.</p>
<p>Soon you’ll be gaining new web design clients left and right!</p>


Host Client Websites with WordPress Multisite

<p><em>Listen to the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1SoO9fQAvJCQnSBOqcAqUI?si=7YZEhoigS4yafA7dSPTWxA">related podcast episode</a> for this post.</em></p>
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<p>WordPress Multisite (WPMU) allows website owners to create a network of sites on a single WordPress install. It’s great because it allows you to create a new website by simply clicking a button. The pure simplicity of this makes it ideal for providing unique value to clients. You can the following information the get new clients or impress the ones that have already signed a contract with you.</p>
<p>What do I do exactly? I created a WPMU setup for my business, <a href="https://spencercreative.co">Spencer Creative Co</a>. Now, I can generate new websites quickly and the URL is even created using my business’ URL as a base. This enables me to quickly create a website that I think the prospective client will like. I can then send them the link and now I’ve provided value to them as I introduce myself.</p>
<p>Let’s go through a more in-depth rundown of this process!</p>
<h2>The Multisite Setup</h2>
<p>Most of you will either know how to set up a Multisite install or already have one. If you don’t know how to please check out the <a href="https://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network">WordPress documentation for creating a Multisite network</a>.</p>
<p>As I mentioned earlier, I set up my network on my business website. With WPMU you need to have a main or home website that everything on the back-end can be based on. When the Multisite network is established you can choose between subdomains and subdirectories for your new sites. What this means is each new website created will be based on the URL and the choice between these two. So your website’s URL would either be spencercreative.co/client-business or client-business.spencercreative.co. This can be changed, but I’ll get to that good bit later on.</p>
<p>Because WPMU is actually just a single install of WordPress all the sub-sites you create share themes and plugins. This is great for managing multiple sites because you only need to update the plugins and themes once across the whole network.</p>
<h2>The New Client</h2>
<p>Once WordPress Multisite is enabled you are ready to start creating a website. Start by creating the new subsite with the business name. Then utilize an existing theme or download a new one to the network that you want to use. This enables the creation of a quick mock-up of the website.</p>
<p>For prospective clients, I do some quick research into their current website and some competitors. For clients that are already interested in my services, I have them fill out a quick form to better understand what they are looking for in a new website.</p>
<p>This makes it easier for you to provide some value to the client or give massive value to a prospective client who has no idea who you are. What looks better: me reaching out to just tell you that you need a new website or reaching out and showing you what your website could be.</p>
<p>Many people like to give static mock-ups, but why not give them a real working website when it can be made at the press of a button. Putting the four hours in upfront to secure the client pays off in a big way. Especially because that’s four hours less than you have to do after you get hired.</p>
<h2>Taking It a Step Further</h2>
<p>Want to take this to the next level and make some additional income while doing it? Check out the follow-up post, <a href="/learn/business/host-client-wordpress-websites">Host Client Websites with WordPress Multisite</a>.</p>


Earning New Web Design Clients with WordPress Multisite

<p>Instagram has released an amazing new feature that changes the way we experience social media. You can follow hashtags. This unique feature sets Instagram apart from (and ahead of) competitors in the social media industry.</p>
<h2>What’s New</h2>
<p>Before now Instagram limited users to three main buckets for content consumption. You could see the content from the friends and other accounts that you follow, explore custom content that Instagram thinks you would like, and you could search for hashtags for more specified content. However, now you can follow hashtags to bring them up quickly and easily. Not only does this save time, but it provides an easy stream of relevant content for you.</p>
<h2>How to Follow Hashtags</h2>
<p>Let’s say you want to follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/webdesign/">#webdesign</a>. Simply head over to the Instagram app and search for the hashtag. When you click on the hashtag it will bring you to the usual page with top and recent posts. The difference now is that there is an option on the top to follow the hashtag, similar to following a profile. Click follow and you’re all set!</p>
<h2>Where to Find Followed Hashtags</h2>
<p>Now finding the followed hashtag is perhaps not as intuitive as one would hope, but when you find the location it makes a lot of sense. Once you have followed a hashtag (or a few) all you have to do is navigate to your profile and click the “following” option. Before this area was just the home for the friends and accounts you follow. Now there is a new tab that allows you to switch to the hashtags you are following. Click “hashtags” and there is the list of the ones you follow!</p>
<h2>The Best Part About the Update</h2>
<p>Now I know what you’re thinking: “This is cool and everything, but what is so great about following hashtags??” I’m glad you asked! Following is just the first half of this update, the second half is your feed. When you follow a specific hashtag, like <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/graphicdesign/">#graphicdesign</a>, Instagram will start to insert top posts from your followed hashtags into your feed. This means that not only will you see the accounts you follow in your feed but also selected posts from your followed hashtags.</p>
<h2>Important Things to Note</h2>
<p>Now I’m sure you’ve realized that there could be some margin for error when following hashtags. Let’s say you follow something generic like <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/design/">#design</a> or a hashtag with multiple meanings. This could bring up some content that you do not want in your feed. To fix this you can click the three dots in the upper right of the post and select “Don’t Show from This Hashtag”. Selecting this option will let the Instagram algorithms know and it will show you less content related to that. Alternatively, if you like something that Instagram inserts in your feed you can like the post, just like you would any other, and Instagram will know to show you more content like that.</p>
<p>It is important to note that when you follow a hashtag on Instagram that anyone will be able to see what you follow under your following tabs. The only slight exception is if you have a private account. In that case, only your followers can see the hashtags you follow. Therefore, make sure you only follow hashtags that you don’t mind your followers (or the general public) seeing.</p>
<h2>How Marketing Fits In</h2>
<p>We here at <a href="https://spencercreative.co">Spencer Creative Co</a>. use Instagram as one of our favorite marketing tools (make sure to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/creative.cache/">follow us</a>). Before this update, we used to search specific hashtags to find potential clients and other important connections. After the update, these users come to you! Following the right hashtags can land target users right in your feed for you to interact with. Even more than this approach is the ability to go searching through your list of followed hashtags, rather than typing them individually. Now, what you do once you find those ideal users is best saved for its own post (coming soon!). However, as you can see the possibilities for increasing your marketing reach are endless. And the best part: this is free! All it takes is a little of your time to reap the extensive benefits this feature has to offer.</p>


Web Development