3 Things For December 3rd, 2022
10x, Website Hosting, Clarity is Kindness
10x
This is going to sound crazy, but I remember when I did not think Ryan Gosling was attractive! Shocking, I know. 
Two hours, 4 minutes later (running time on The Notebook) and I think Ryan Gosling is just dreamy. Me and (most) everyone else. More on this in a sec…
We often under-communicate our ideas? Why? Because they are so familiar to us that we underestimate how much exposure an audience needs to comprehend and buy in. If we want people to accept our ideas, we need to speak up, then rinse and repeat. 10x more than we think we need to. It’s called the mere exposure effect – the more we encounter something, the more we like it….just like Ryan Gosling in The Notebook.
Familiarity doesn’t breed contempt, it breeds comfort. Unless, our familiarity is just noisy and annoying. That’s why it’s always good to ask ourselves: are we making a difference or are we just making noise? As with life, there’s a lot of nuance to consider when it comes to our marketing messages and how they are perceived. Not every person will have the same response which is why it’s important to know our audience. Sure, some people don’t think Ryan Gosling is dreamy, but many do, especially the ones who watch Nicholas Sparks movies.
The more out of the norm our message is, the more it needs to be repeated and normalized. We often decry ideas that are new. And then one day we wonder why we every doubted that video would kill the radio star.
Strategy 3 will be launching client reports for all hosting clients beginning in January 2023!
Have you ever wondered what am I paying for when I host my website with Strategy 3? Below are the actions we take on a monthly basis to keep your website running optimally.
1. WordPress Updates
-We keep your plugins, themes, and WordPress version up-to-date.
2. Backups
– We run daily backups, saving your site files if we ever need them.
3. Security
– We have active monitoring and preventatives in place to keep your site secure.
4. Site Optimization
– We use the latest technologies to keep your site fast and performant.
5. Content Updates
– You have up to one hour of minor modifications made to your site monthly.
Beginning in January you will receive a detailed report letting you know the status of all of the above actions. In addition to this we will also be including basic Google Analytics data so you can keep track of your website traffic. The data we will be reporting on:
1. New Users
– New users are users who have never been to your site before and have
visited for the first time. New users = potential new business!
2. Returning Users
– Returning users are defined as users who have been to your site before
within a pre-determined timeframe, using the same device and browser.
3. Sessions
– Total sessions are the sum of every single time someone visits your
website, regardless of if they are a new or returning visitor.
4. Average Time on Site
– Average time on site is the average duration of time users spent viewing
your site. The longer, the better!
5. Bounce Rate
– Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who navigate away from your site after viewing only one page. The lower, the better!
6. Traffic Sources
– Traffic sources are the origin through which people have found your site.
7. Devices
– This gives you an idea of what type of devices your users are on when visiting your site, primarily made up of mobile, tablet and desktop.
8. Page Visits
– These are your top performing pages on your website, determined by number of visits to each one.
We hope this gives clarity as to what you are actually paying for when you host your website with us and we hope the data you receive on your website traffic will help you be more informed about the performance of your site.
As always if you have any questions or concerns feel free to reach out and we be glad to help any way that we can.
CLARITY IS KINDNESS
This may seem an obvious statement, but let’s slow down a moment and unpack it a bit. In our personal lives, we tend to get into rhythms of communication with those who know us well. This isn’t always a good thing, but assuming it is a healthy rhythm, it can be nice to just let someone fill in the gaps of logic so you don’t have to.
Now let’s transition to our professional world. There’s so many nuances from personalities, learning styles, communications styles, roles & responsibilities, internal/external resources, and so on… it can be very frustrating when the obvious – isn’t so obvious to those we’re interacting with. We make ASSumptions which often leave disappointment in their wake. I’ll also take this moment to say, if you have a need and you’re seeking professional support, you owe it to yourself, your business, and your internal/external team to slow down and offer the kindness of clarity. Set them up for success, not frustration.
I’ve never been sorry when I’ve slowed down to make sure I have a clear understanding of expectations. Others may wish I’d stuff a sock in my mouth and just keep moving… or wish they didn’t have to read the verifying bullets of confirmation, but these are the same people who are almost certain to be frustrated if I don’t. Here’s a few filters I try to apply as often as I can, or remember…
- Recap understanding of the discussed scope, schedule, budget, and next steps, don’t assume just because it was discussed, it was clear.
- Document and share action items and their owner (who’s doing what, and when).
- If you are a consulting professional, bridge the gap of understanding between yourself and the client by asking questions that are commonly misunderstood. There’s a reason they hired or employed you, it’s because you add value to their blind spots.
Also, people believe you – if you believe you! If you confidently ask these questions and are clear why it’s so important to slow down and gain clarity, even if it’s not their preference, they will respect and appreciate that their expectations are met, maybe even exceeded. Peace of mind is priceless… and clarity offers this kindness.
Last, take a moment to clarify if they are happy with the result. Provide them an opportunity to be clear about opportunities for growth in the future… because that means there’s a future to be had. Humans are imperfect, and errors will happen; but if we apply due diligence, they have confidence it won’t be a perpetual issue.
Go in peace and remember… clarity is kindness!
