Spam comments on your WordPress website: what to do and why I don’t get them

Spam comments on your WordPress website: what to do and why I don’t get them

by | May 12, 2023 | Time saving, Website

Do you get emails about comments on your website that are clearly spammy? Spam is unsolicitied messages, comments with links that don’t relate authentically to what you are sharing about or inapropriate content – I usually get a good mix of Viagara, porn, gambling and flat out pointless.

Actually, I don’t get those emails or comments anymore and in this video I show you how to manage your comments, why I don’t get any and some options for what you could do for yor own website. 

watch the video

What will you do for your website? Let me know if I can help you at all – you could comment below haha. 

 

more from the blog

Easy tools to run an online business: Acuity

Easy tools to run an online business: Acuity

by | Nov 8, 2021 | Time saving, Website

If you are new in online business, it can be helpful to know which steps in which order. 

As long as you have an ABN you are ready to roll and start making money in your business.

In my other blog “Do You Need a Website” I mentioned having made 10k in my business before I even had a website. I said that if you just have a booking tool like Acuity and a social media account you can definitely make money and start your business online without a website. That’s how I did it. 

So today I’d like to go into a bit more detail about Acuity and help you get started making money in your business. 

Acuity has lots of competitors that do a very similar service like Calendly. I am not against Calendly, or any other tool. All you really need is a place where people can book and pay. So it doesn’t have to be Acuity. The basic principles of this article are the same no matter which service you decide to use. 

Acuity is an online scheduling tool. It allows you to create different types of appointments.

You can then share the link to those different types of appointments with clients and they can book themselves into your calendar.

You can also have one page where people can see all your different kinds of appointments if you like to let them choose from different lengths or style of meeting. 

The main things I love about Acuity are:

  • It saves you loads of time
  • Let’s you have a page where people can go without a website
  • You can collect payment
  • You can synchronise it with your Google calendar
  • You can send email reminders and follow ups

Some of these are free features and some are paid so let’s run through in a bit more detail.

It can save you loads of time

Setting up appointments can take 2-10 back and forth emails or messages. I have heard that some people enjoy this back and forth but for me, sometimes it can seem like a waste of time. It is so easy to send a past or potential customer a link to book in with your availability all marked out and ready to go. 

If you are getting started with Acuity, you might like to watch this video set up tutorial I did on YouTube

Basically, I would encourage you to follow along with the setup wizard for the first couple of steps. Once you’ve read the rest of this article, you will know whether you need the free or paid version but you should get a free trial so just go with that before you pay anything. 

It creates a page where people can go and book in without you having to set up a whole website

When you’ve created your availability and a couple of appointment types, click on “Scheduling Page Link” and click the link there. You should see a page with all of your appointment types listed.  

You can check out my scheduling page for Bush Flower Essence sessions as an example here: https://australianplantsforhealing.as.me/schedule.php 

If you like, you can edit what words appear on this page to give an overall description of your services, as well as the description for each appointment type. 

You can give people a good idea of what they will receive, what you are about AND let them book in for a session. All without a website and even for free if you don’t want the following 3 features.

You can collect payment

This is only available on the paid plan. You can take payment when people book in! 

This is not essential. You can get around it by using an invoice instead of Acuity for payment, or use PayPal buttons. 

If you do want to take payments through Acuity, you will need a Stripe or Paypal account. 

Yes: they both charge fees but you are going to need to  pay if you are in business. There is no way to collect money on the internet without fees. Direct bank transfer is the way around this which is fine for Australian customers.

Of course there are more options than this but I am thinking about keeping it simple for Australian biz babes. Plus, I’m just sharing tools with you that I am familiar with so I could help you if you needed help.

You can synchronise it with your Google or Apple calendar

If you have other appointments or commitments you might like to synchronise Acuity with your calendar. This is another paid feature but it does save a lot of rescheduling and apologising when you double book.

You can get around it on the free plan by blocking in your regular commitments when you set up your availability, but if you have commitments that don’t happen at the same time every week, you might like this feature.

You can send email reminders and follow ups

On the free plan you get an immediate email confirmation sent out. This is customisable and is a great way to share the link to a Zoom meeting and other appointment instructions. 

However, on the paid plan, you can also create hour-before reminders and post-meeting emails. 

If you have loads of time because you’re not fully booked, you can send out emails manually. Or if you are just busy or forgetful like me, you can pay and use this feature. 

I hope this article saves you thousands of dollars on a website and a whole lot of headache from creating a website too early. You can spend at least a year in business without a website and have a beautiful online business using a few simple tools. 

If you found this helpful and you like, you can make a small donation.

Learn more about Online Marketing and Business that doesn’t require you to sellout on your soul.

“I pay my respects and acknowledge the people of the Yuin Nation, traditional custodians of the land on which I live and work. I also pay respect to all Elders — past, present and future.”

Video content

Video content

by | Nov 2, 2021 | Canva, Facebook™, Instagram™, Marketing, Mindset, Podcast, Productivity, Social Media, Strategy, Video, Video & YouTube, Website

Video is a great way for people to get to know you while you do other things like laze on the beach or make dinner for your kids or even sleep.

But maybe you don’t feel like getting dressed up, doing your face and getting yourself onto video. Can you still use video for your business? 

I don’t want to spend ages convincing you a video is a good idea. 

If you are here you clearly want to start making videos for the marketing of your business. 

If you do not want to show your face don’t stop reading now because it is entirely possible for you to create videos in lots of different ways.

There is no denying how good it is if you can bring yourself to do videos of your own face especially if you are service-based. But if you can’t do that for whatever reason I do not want you to navigate away and not make a video for your business because it seems too hard.

There are loads of ways to get around not showing your face and all the ways of creating video give you some benefits.

I know that people always like to hear what I do personally so I will start with that and then I will also share a couple of other ways that I think you can create video if you want.

My current 2 favourite video processes are:

60-second (or less)

10-minute or so videos

I like to create short videos and publish them on Instagram. I try to make these 60 seconds long or less.

I create these on my phone and record them directly so they go onto my camera roll. Then I pop onto Instagram and share them in my feed with a small caption.

I love this method because I can experiment with ideas without investing too much energy in the process. I also find that people like to see me and they like to hear from me. These feel light yet intimate.

They are the quickest and easiest way for me to create video and they also feed into my entire content creation strategy. I have another blog post about that which you can check out over here.

Basically I test the water with new ideas in my 60 second videos so if they are well received they may get turned into a longer blog or video. I usually don’t overthink these and I get important feedback from my people when they do well.

The other way I love to make videos is using Zoom. I begin a Zoom meeting with myself, click record then I just chat away to the screen in my own meeting with myself.

When I click “end meeting”, the recording gets downloaded onto my computer. I am then able to share it directly to YouTube which I also embed onto my blog.

The fun thing about these Zoom videos is that I can often use the audio download to create a podcast as well. I just love it when one piece of content can be used in lots of different places.

I also like to use this video on IGTV (if it is not a how-to demonstration style vid).

One other cool thing about these podcast episodes is that I can create a video from the episode using Headliner App really easily. I have another post about how to use Headliner App over here.

If you don’t want your face in the video.

If you don’t want your face to be in the video for whatever reason you can still use the Zoom methods and just don’t worry about how you look on video.

You can then use the audio component of the zoom recording and turn it into a podcast.

The podcast episode can be turned into a video using Headliner app. This means that people can experience your energy through your voice without you having to even get out of bed.

Literally some of my podcast episodes I made late at night in bed or early in the morning in bed. That’s how easy it is to use Anchor. I then turn those podcasts  into a video without having to show my face at all.

If you don’t want to deal with a podcast and Headliner App you can also use Canva to create videos with an audio recording you have created.

These audio recordings can be created on the voice memo app on an iPhone or a similar voice recording app on an Android phone. You can then upload those to canva and add a couple of little animations and a nice stock image and then you have basically the same thing as the Headliner app video without having to create a podcast and without having to show your face.

There is a part of me that does want to kick in and start telling you how important video including your face is so I do just want to touch on that lightly.

A lot of people who come to me for a free 30 minute chat have already ”met me”  through watching my videos.

People often tell me how nice it is to finally meet me in person and that I am exactly like my videos and how comforting that is for them. Usually they watch my videos while I am on the beach, making dinner, sleeping or doing other things in my business.

I find this duplication of myself really great.

It means that people who are referring their clients or friends to work with me have somewhere they can send those people to figure out whether they want to work with me or not.

The other thing that is good about video is: if you’re posting them on social media the algorithm which decides who sees what content will slightly favour a video over other kinds of posts.

That is the end of my convincing you about why video is good.

There are just so many places and ways you can share video.

Here’s a hard and fast list:

    • YouTube video
    • YouTube short
    • YouTube live
    • Instagram Reel
    • Instagram feed video (60s max)
    • IGTV (15 minute max)
    • Instagram Story
    • Instagram live
    • Facebook live
    • Facebook feed Facebook Story
    • LinkedIn
    • On your blog
    • Twitter
    • Tik Tok
    • Slideshow with you talking over the top
    • Plus all the ways I mentioned in this blog

    I think if you are not doing video you are missing a really potent opportunity so if you’re not ready to get your face on I would recommend trying one of these other methods for creating video content for your business.

    If you found this helpful and you like, you can make a small donation.

    Learn more about Online Marketing and Business that doesn’t require you to sellout on your soul.

    “I pay my respects and acknowledge the people of the Yuin Nation, traditional custodians of the land on which I live and work. I also pay respect to all Elders — past, present and future.”

    “Why” to create content

    “Why” to create content

    by | Jul 28, 2021 | Content, Email Marketing, Facebook™, Instagram™, Marketing, Mindset, Social Media, Strategy, Website

    Yesterday in the “Sharing your Brilliance: loving content” course and the “Grow an aligned Audience group program we talked about Content creation and the “Why” that sits behined it.

    Creating content can be hard if:

    you aren’t clear on your why

    or

    your motivators are extrinsic

    First up – before you read this, I would encourage you to set a 5 minute timer and do some journalling about your own why.

    If you are coming up question marks you might be interested in these 4 “Why”s…

    And here’s a video to tease it all out. :

    Here are 4 “Why”s you might like to experiment with:

    1. Curiosity

    2. Generosity/service

    3. Develop a body of work

    4. Share your energy signature with those you need to journey with

    I acknowledge the Djiringanj people of the Yuin Nation, the custodians of this beautiful land on which I live and work.

    I also pays respect to all Elders past & present.

    Thank you for taking such good care of the wild, beautiful places of Araganu, the coastline and forests where I get nurtured.

    1. Curiosity

    Some ways that I stay curious are to ask questions. Like: 

    I wonder how I can share this in a 60 second video?

    I wonder how my audience feels about this topic? 

    Do people agree with this or not? 

    Am I the only one who thinks this? 

    How could you be curious in creating content?

    2. Generosity/be of service

    If you are like me them you just love to be helpful, and you have a value to be of service to others. 

    It’s tempting to work for nothing, or to under-charge. 

    Creating content is another way to be generous and be of service. Let your loving heart shine and share those goodies inside you!

    3. Develop a body of work 

    I really never thought it would be me, but it is actually possible to start now and develop a body of work. Your contribution to humanity. 

    Creating content happens one post and one blog at a time. And so your body of work can grow, post by post, video by video. 

    This is YOUR light and y our perspective. Let it rip. 

    4. Share your energy signature with those you need to journey with

    You are emanating a unique energy. Your vibration is a conduit to the transformation of others and vice versa. 

    But how can those people find you if you are hiding out, or too busy or too whatever to share your goodness??

    And you know, it’s not just for their benefit; you have so much to learn through journeying with your clients. 

    Goodness knows how much I have learned about boundaries by working with some challenging clients over time!

    So, what’s your why?

    Got thoughts and questions about this? Hit me up in the comments. I can’t wait to see your work in the world. 

    If you found this helpful and you like, you can make a small donation.

    “I pay my respects and acknowledge the people of the Yuin Nation, traditional custodians of the land on which I live and work. I also pay respect to all Elders — past, present and future.”

    Websites need terms and conditions and privacy policies don’t they?

    Websites need terms and conditions and privacy policies don’t they?

    by | Jul 6, 2021 | Marketing, Strategy, Time saving, Website

    Part of having a website built is considering whether or not to include Terms and Conditions. And what should they say?

    I can help you to create a Terms and Conditions page and get your privacy policy onto your website if you need it.

    Do you?

    “If you advertise goods or services through a website you MUST have T&Cs under Australian Consumer Law.”

    Michelle Marie Whitehead

    As long as I’ve been in business, I’ve been refering my clients to Michelle Marie Whitehead for all legal concerns. 

    We were both in a business building online course back in 2015/6 and I was lucky enough to connect with Michelle’s unique and loving approach to legals as I got to know her. 

    I actually used Michelle’s Do it Yourself Terms and Conditions package to craft my own Terms and Conditions. 

    Michelle is also a complete ninja at Intellectual Property and Trademark law if you want to get legal advice around your unique services.

    Read her latest blog all about T&C’s here

    Ok ok back to Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Let’s look at one at a time.

    Privacy Policy

    You need a privacy policy if your business generates $3million a year or more.

    If you don’t have a revenue that high there are a few situations where you still need one, like if you offer private health such as naturopathy or support people with weight loss.

    Check out the details from the Privacy Act here to clarify whether you need a Privacy Policy or not:

    privacy act details

    According to the Australian Government your privacy policy should include:

    “

    • your name and contact details
    • what kinds of personal information you collect and store
    • how you collect personal information and where it is stored
    • the reasons why you need to collect personal information
    • how you’ll use and disclose personal information
    • how users can access their personal information, or ask for a correction
    • how they can lodge a complaint if they think their information has (been) mishandled, and how you’ll handle their complaint
    • if you are likely to disclose their information outside Australia and, if practical, which countries you are likely to disclose the information to

    “

    I highly recommend using Michelle’s DIY product for the human face of your legals. She really does make it a loving process rather than all this blah blah.

    Terms and Conditions

    I am not a lawyer so I am not happy giving advice about this topic in depth. Iinstead, I’m going to let Michelle explain her approach to T&C’s which I love. 

    “If you advertise goods or services through a website you MUST have T&Cs under Australian Consumer Law. Even more importantly, well-written Website Terms and Conditions can create a connection between you and those thinking about buying from you, increasing trust, reducing anxiety, letting people know that they are in the right place, and educating them about what it is like to work with you so they can give informed consent.”
    “When you have T&Cs that are not a good fit – that have been found on the internet or drafted by someone who didn’t truly understand and adore your business – there is an energetic dissonance.
    They feel out of tune and unreliable, like an uncomfortable alien appendage hanging off your website because “should” have it, not because you want it to be there.
    This is even worse if you have “borrowed” your T&Cs from someone else, because this is a breach of their intellectual property.
    Trusting your safety to something stolen is never going to feel wonderful.
    Do you really want to build a sense of wrongness into your business foundations?”
    “Imagine how it would feel to have legals that were working with you to draw in your ideal clients and manifest the working relationships you desire?
    This can happen when you have poured your own heart and soul into their creation, when you feel like they empower you rather than weighing you down.
    When you write your legal documents in the same language you use for your marketing, when you understand every word of them and when they are in complete alignment with your values and vision, your T&Cs become an essential tool that supports you in doing business YOUR WAY and saves you a huge amount of ENERGY & EFFORT.”
    Above in quotes by Michelle Marie Whitehead.
    I hope this blog has been helpful and I wonder if you have figured out whether you need T&C’s + a Privacy Policy? 

    “I pay my respects and acknowledge the people of the Yuin Nation, custodians of the land on which I live and work. I also pay respect to all Elders — past, present and future.”

    Learn more about Online Marketing and Business that doesn’t require you to sellout on your soul.

    Book a free chat about your website

    book now

    Case Study: Tamara Protassow’s website

    Case Study: Tamara Protassow’s website

    by | Jun 22, 2021 | Case Study, Marketing, Website

    Tamara Protassow is a writing coach, editor and more. Her main ninja skill is helping you get your book out of you and into the world. She does this by helping you understand your writing style and giving you tailor made recommendations in her free quiz. Or, if you are ready to birth that thing, you can use her Quick and Easy Book done for you templates so you can write straight away.
    She came to me for help with her website. Any time Tamara was asked for her website she would shrink, cringe and hope like hell that they didn’t find it. A major case of website shame.

    “I had a website that I’d made myself, which I was ashamed of. I’m not a designer, not a web tech person, but I can google stuff and work things out just fine. I’d gone from one that looked fine about 6 years ago to absolutely hideous because I tried to change it in a hurry and then got busy with actual work with clients and then left it as is. I was definitely hoping no-one was going to see it!! (Also, I’d not really needed a website because I was fully booked by word of mouth, however I decided to change the way I do business and suddenly needed a website I could send people to without wishing the floor would eat me).”

    We all know how it goes…she had help to create a WordPress site that she was pretty happy with but things changed over time. So Tamara tried to do some new things on the website herself. She is smart and could figure out how to create pages and edit them. 

    But pretty pictures are not her thing. She just couldn’t get it to look good and was sick of trying to do it herself.

    Plus, she was missing opportunities because she didn’t want to share her existing website. 

    Tamara and I went through my usual website building process:

    • Initial 1hour call to map out the project and set timelines
    • I ruffle off and create some draft pages to find the right look and feel
    • A second meeting, 30-minutes this time, to review the draft pages on a Zoom call and finalise the look and feel for the site
    • I ruffle off and build out the pages of the website which I then email over for review and refinement before our:
    • Final 30-minute Zoom call to wrap up the project

    “Natasha made building my website with her easy. From the intake questionnaire to the meetings and set actions, it was smooth sailing. I really enjoyed my calls with Natasha – seeing her cheery face made me feel really at ease, and her use of systems to keep track of all the moving parts was reassuring. She really listened to feedback, and was perfectly fine with the opinions I had about the aesthetics for my website. 

    Whenever I got a little bit lost, I just emailed and asked the questions, and got set straight. 

    Communication was terrific – we emailed and had zoom calls, which were quick, happy and fun. 

    I loved how having the agreed website deadline/timeline, which included deliverables I had to provide, kept me on track. That was stellar.”

    I set up WooCommerce and 3 products for Tamara, we created a great “Freebies” page and we developed a super simple website logo and colours. She had some new photos taken which really gave the site a lift and now Tamara is happy to report – no more website shame. 

    But further to that – Tamara emailed me and said she is feeling a profound sense of confidence in her business now. She is so excited to share the website and feels more open to new opportunities.

    “I absolutely love my website now. I feel super proud of it, and one massive perk is that it didn’t cost me my sanity or 2am Googling sessions. I am so happy with it, and with Natasha’s service!

    Outsource your website build to Natasha. She’ll get it done, it’ll look fab, and you’ll have your time and sanity to enjoy!”

    I am so humbled by Tamara’s kind words and I really do love the creative process of building websites or refurbishing them. I would say that Tamara’s site was more of a refurbish that a new build, because she already had all of her hosting and domain set up. But I am happy to start from scratch too. 

    Generally websites cost about $222 per page including mobile optimisation and then all the calls are billed at my hourly Face to Face rate of $166/h. Other little tricks like WooCommerce set up ($200) or products (around $50 each) bundle up for a project a bit over $1000. Book a free chat if you’d like to chat about your website project.

    “I pay my respects and acknowledge the people of the Yuin Nation, custodians of the land on which I live and work. I also pay respect to all Elders — past, present and future.”

    Learn more about Online Marketing and Business that doesn’t require you to sellout on your soul.

    Book a free chat about your website

    book now