HOW Mad Mimi: Dena Testa Bray & Creating Your Web Personality
Thanks everyone for joining us, and Dena Testa Bray, on HOW Mad Mimi! Dena runs a culinary journal call "Gathering Flavors": http://gathering-flavors.com/ and has a web design business for creative people: http://www.denatestabray.net/
She joined us from Etna -- a part of Hanover, New Hampshire, but she started out as a family therapist in Chicago, where she also went to culinary school. In 2007 she began a cooking school out of her house which grew to a point where she had to decide whether to take it outside her home, or do something different. Dena decided that she really like writing about food. She tried to monetize the blog with affiliate links and advertising, but none of that felt authentic enough for her.
The business came from folks calling her, asking her to create a website for them -- starting her web design services business. All her clients are artisans, crafters, yoga instructors, etc. who greatly benefit from having a collaborator on their side, like Dena. Understanding her clients' personalities, and how they want to tell their own story is crucial. One of the first conversations that she has with her clients is about what do you want your site to say, when someone visits it for the first time.
Some great examples she shared with us include:
Michele George Yoga: http://www.michelegeorgeyoga.com/ (a Blogger site)
Sewn in Vermont: http://sewninvermont.com/ -- along with a show&tell of the actual dolls that Sharon creates.
Whippletree Yarn Shop: http://whippletreeyarnshop.com/
Tocco Terra Pottery: http://veronicadelay.com/ -- who's always hand painted designs were also featured in the Gathering Flavors Marinated Winter Vegetable Salad post: http://gathering-flavors.com/2015/01/...
and author Alan Bray: http://thehourofparade.com/ and http://alanbrayfiction.com/2014/08/21...
But Dena didn't start her cooking school with all those growthful web assets in place. An accident requiring her to postpone classes prompted her to start a traditional email newsletter with recipes and techniques. This was a copy & paste operation, in a basic email inbox provider. (No Mad Mimi, yet!) Her readers loved the newsletters so much that they asked her to publish them somewhere. And so her blog was born! Over the years Gathering Flavors has seen a lot of iterations, including all the different platforms it's been built on. Dena has a lot of experience that she utilizes for her clients, today, depending on what their needs and skills dictate.
Dena recommends Blogger.com for folks who don't want a lot of involvement with their site, and it's always free. WordPress is a better option for showcasing and customizing your page layout. And the WordPress.com options are still limited -- perfect for someone who might get overwhelmed by too many options. And Wix is great for those who know a little about website creation, but want a quick way to get it done. Additionally, we have a Mad Mimi integration with Wix! https://madmimi.com/wix
And big thanks to Bill Adelstein, who provided us with a recommendation for another great drag-and-drop site builder for Mac, RapidWeaver: http://realmacsoftware.com/rapidweaver/
As far as actual marketing strategies, Dena really values reaching out to people in a personal way, which is why she writes a newsletter -- and how this whole adventure began. Reaching out to people with a direct voice is critical And you can get more of a feel of how Dena "giftwraps" her emails in this great blog post she wrote, called "Meet Me In Your Inbox": http://blog.madmimi.com/gift-wrap-ema...
Pacing yourself is some good advice Dena shares with her clients. Always make sure your goals are doable and within your skill set, while still allowing you to grow and develop. And even though there are scary stories out there about the web, it's just a tool. And if you're looking for someone to work with you on that, make sure that they get you and get your story, and you feel like you can trust them! Don't be scared, and start out simple.
And for folks looking to start businesses, or take their projects to the next level -- stay positive, be creative, and be patient! You don't know where you might end up, but it's all going to be invaluable in whatever you end up doing. Don't worry about failing, because failing leads to the next thing. And eventually it will all come together.
And you can reach out to Dena with any questions you might still have or anything you'd like to connect with her about: [email protected] -- And of course, as always, I'm available at [email protected]
So keep tabs on HOW Mad Mimi: https://madmimi.com/signups/112223/join and join us next Wednesday, at 4p ET!