5 Ways to make your website a 24/7 employee (who works even when you don’t)

By Guest Post | January 12, 2023

This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.

As a creative business owner, you wear a lot of hats. You’re the CEO, the CFO, the CMO, and the janitor all rolled into one. And while you wouldn’t have it any other way, there’s only so much one person can do in a day.

That’s why it’s important to have a website that works for you even when you aren’t.

By adding fresh content regularly, utilizing an email opt-in, setting up simple funnels, adding a scheduling calendar, and creating passive income streams, you can make your website a 24/7 employee that will help you reach your business goals—even when you’re asleep.

1. Add Fresh Content Regularly

As a creative business owner, one of the best ways to ensure that your website is working for you around the clock is to add fresh content on a regular basis. Whether it’s a blog post, a new video, or an updated product page, new content keeps people coming back for more. It also shows search engines that your site is active and relevant, which can help you rank higher in search results.

Plus, adding content to your website regularly can help you connect with your audience on a deeper level – which is what we’re all looking for, right? Fresh content shows that you’re active and engaged with your audience. This, in turn, helps to build trust and loyalty.

Furthermore, by adding new content on a regular basis, you’re inviting your audience to take a deeper dive into your website. They can explore new pages, learn more about your products or services, and get to know you and your business on a deeper level.

In short, adding fresh content to your website is a great way to stay connected with your audience and keep them coming back for more.

2. Utilize an Email Opt-In

If you’re like most creative business owners, you want to turn your website visitors into leads. And one of the best ways to do that is with an email opt-in form. By offering something of value—like a free download or access to exclusive content—in exchange for an email address, you can quickly grow your list of people who are interested in what you have to offer.

One of the best things about an email opt-in is that it’s a low-commitment way for someone to show interest in what you do. They’re not making a purchase, so there’s very little risk involved. And if they do decide they’re interested in what you have to offer, they’ve already given you their contact information so you can follow up with them.

How to Create an Email Opt-In Form

The first step is to create an opt-in form that you can add to your website. There are a few different ways to do this, but one of the easiest is to use a tool like MailChimp or ConvertKit. These tools will provide you with a code that you can add to your website, and they’ll handle the rest.

Once you’ve created your opt-in form, it’s time to decide what you’re going to offer as an incentive for someone to sign up. This is where you get to be creative! Some ideas include:

A free report or guide
Access to exclusive content (like a video series or behind-the-scenes look at your process)
A discount on your products or services
A free consultation or discovery call
The sky’s the limit, so think about what would be most valuable to your ideal customer and go from there.

An email opt-in form is a great way to turn casual website visitors into leads that you can nurture into customers. By offering something of value—like a free download or access to exclusive content—in exchange for an email address, you can quickly grow your list of people who are interested in what you have to offer. So if you’re not already using an email opt-in on your website, now is the time to start!

Plus — once you create that new content we spoke about earlier, you can blast it out to your email list and you’ll have an audience that’s ready to consume what you’ve newly created!

Here’s an opt-in!

3. Set Up Simple Funnels

You know how important it is to have a website that converts visitors into leads and customers. But what’s the best way to do that? One of the most effective methods is setting up simple funnels. You can turn people into lifelong fans and customers by guiding them toward taking action that benefits your business.

Think about it this way: when you go to a store, there’s usually a clear path that leads you from the entrance to the checkout. That path is there for a reason—to funnel customers toward making a purchase. Similarly, when someone comes to your website, you want to funnel them toward taking action that’s beneficial for your business. It could be signing up for your email list, taking a quiz, or downloading an ebook. Whatever it is, funnels can help you get more leads and customers with minimal effort on your part.

How Do Funnels Work?

Funnels work by taking someone from awareness to interest to desire to action. In other words, they take someone who doesn’t know about your business and slowly guide them down a path until they’re ready to buy from you. The key is to provide value at every stage of the funnel so that people keep moving down the path towards becoming a customer.

For example, let’s say someone comes across your website while they’re scrolling through Facebook. They click on your link and land on your homepage. From there, they see an ebook that they can download in exchange for their email address. They decide to opt-in and download the ebook. Now they’re on your email list and receiving valuable content from you on a regular basis.

Eventually, they see an offer for one of your products or services that they can’t resist. They click through and make a purchase. And voila! You’ve just turned a complete stranger into a paying customer—all thanks to your funnel.

If you’re not using funnels on your website, you’re missing out on a big opportunity to increase leads and sales. But don’t worry—setting up funnels is easier than you think!

You know that email opt-in we spoke about earlier? That’s a type of funnel that you can easily implement – make sure that once someone signs on for your email list you send them a targeted welcome sequence, or welcome offer at a low ticket price, to get them active in your business ecosystem.

And once you have the simple funnels working for you, you can move on to more complex systems that will support your business as it grows (without having to do more work. Win!!)

4. Add a Scheduling Calendar

If you offer services like consulting or coaching, it’s important to have a scheduling calendar on your website so people can easily book appointments with you.

There are dozens of different appointment scheduling software options out there (many of which are free), so find one that works for you and add it to your site.

This will save you time by automating the appointment booking process and allow people to book appointments with you, without the back-and-forth emails trying to get on one another’s calendar.

Why You Need an Online Scheduling Calendar

As a business owner, your time is valuable. You can’t afford to spend hours each week playing phone tag with prospective clients just to schedule a 30-minute meeting. Nor can you afford to miss opportunities because someone couldn’t get in touch with you during business hours. An online scheduling calendar solves both of these problems.

An online scheduling calendar allows people to see your availability and book appointments with you without having to pick up the phone or send an email. This means that you can spend less time managing your schedule and more time actually meeting with clients. And, since most online scheduling calendars send automatic reminders before appointments, you can say goodbye to no-shows.

How to Choose an Online Scheduling Calendar

There are dozens of online scheduling calendars on the market, so how do you know which one is right for you? The answer depends on your needs and preferences. Some things you may want to consider include:

Ease of use: The last thing you want is a scheduling calendar that’s so complicated that neither you nor your clients can figure it out. Look for a calendar that’s easy to use and set up.
Integrations: If you use other software programs for your business (like QuickBooks or Gmail), make sure the scheduling calendar you choose integrates with them. This will make your life much easier.
Pricing: Many online scheduling calendars have free versions that offer basic features like appointment booking and reminders. However, if you need more features (like automatic payments or detailed reports), you may need to pay a monthly fee.

Adding an online scheduling calendar to your website is a great way to streamline your business and save time. There are dozens of different options on the market, so take some time to find one that meets your needs and preferences. Once you’ve found the perfect fit, adding the calendar to your website is quick and easy – usually through adding a simple line of code.

Your clients will appreciate being able to book appointments with you without having to pick up the phone, and you’ll love not having to play phone tag anymore!

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5. Create Passive Income Streams

Last but not least, one of the best ways to make your website work for you 24/7 is to create passive income streams. This could be anything from selling digital products like ebooks or courses to setting up affiliate links on your blog posts. The key here is to find something that requires minimal effort on your part but still generates revenue while you sleep.

Here are four simple ways to turn your website into a passive income stream:

Sell digital products like ebooks or guides. If you have expertise in a particular area, why not share it with the world in the form of an ebook or guide? You can easily sell these products through your website or blog, and earn money while you sleep.
Set up affiliate links on your blog posts. These days anyone can become an influencer in their industry, and chances are you already have products and services that you recommend to your readers. You can earn a commission on these sales by setting up affiliate links on your blog posts. Simply include your affiliate link to the product or service in your post, and when someone clicks on it and makes a purchase, you’ll earn a commission. It’s that easy!
Sell physical products through your website. You can sell physical products through your website with minimal effort with Print on Demand services like Printful. If you have a beat on the lingo + inside jokes of your industry, try creating some simple designs in your favorite design software, uploading them to Printful, connecting Printful to your website, and selling the products with absolutely no other work necessary from you.

Take a Break Without Everything Falling Apart

Running a creative business can be overwhelming and it’s important to have systems in place so you can take a break without everything falling apart. A well-designed + strategic website is key to keeping things running smoothly while you’re away. By adding fresh content, utilizing email opt-ins, setting up simple funnels, letting clients schedule directly on your website, and creating passive income streams, you can have peace of mind knowing that your website is working hard, even when you’re taking a nap, folding the laundry, or having cocktails with your besties.

Dive Deeper:

I’m Christina Marie Anderson, owner of Wandersoul Co — a web development studio packed with personality.

I make investing in a WordPress website fast, simple and approachable for confident creative business owners, alongside offering white-label development services to brand designers and creative studios who are tired of building websites in-house.

Learn more about Wandersoul Co at wandersoulco.com and learn all about using Elementor to build WordPress websites @wandersoulwebdesign

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Posted in Scale