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Black Cactus Creative

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25.01.2022 Now is a GREAT time to work ON your business - including your website. So Im doing free mini website reviews for service based businesses. These will be 10 minute recording on three things that I feel need work and lovin. If thats something that would interest you, shoot through an email! ... [email protected]

25.01.2022 Anyone else 99 fans? This has to be my fav moment. Literal chills. Excited for the new Season. My Friday night it set

24.01.2022 My blood type is Caffeine.

24.01.2022 Woodwark Bay Retreat is hidden gem not far from the hub of Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays. It's a secluded haven with eco cabins nestled amongst the Aussie bush. It was a pleasure creating their website! They now have somewhere to direct their guests to complete their bookings and bypass the AirBnB fees!

23.01.2022 Looking to up your Product Photography game? Check out Like A Boss Photography's 'Like a Boss' course. I just know Liz is going to have it CHOCK FULL of gold.

23.01.2022 Where the feck does one start when trying to come up with text and images for your websites? The best place to start (after sussing out your Target Market and Competitors of course!) is planning which pages you are needing! The most common pages you will need is: ... + Home (obviously!) + About + Services + Faqs + Contact Us These pages are a generally a good starting point! Tell me in the comments what you are finding difficult with your content creation for your website? See more

23.01.2022 Have you been keeping on top of your Wordpress Maintenance? Have you actually, though?? Its a common perception that Wordpress websites are set and forget. Not the case, unfortunately. ... Check out my story for a really quick Lo-down on the two main things you defs need to be doing ... Updates and Backups!! See more

23.01.2022 Link Tree is great and all BUT let's be honest it's got it's limits. Having an Insta Bio Link page on your website gives you, in the words of William Wallace, "FREEEDOM". You can add branding, icons, videos, pictures, gifs. Whatever you're rad little following is gunna love. ... Add a link to your latest blog, chuck in a sneaky (disclosed) affliate link, slide in a sales funnel. The sky's the limit, my friend. Insta Bio Link pages are now part of my web pages! YUSSS! Go check out my Insta Bio Link, funnily enough, in my Instagrams Bio Link! See more

22.01.2022 I just announced that we're launching Facebook Shops today the basic idea is that any small business can easily start a shop to sell things directly across ou...r apps. If you visit someone's shop, you'll be able to see that small business's story, see their featured products, and buy them in our apps. I think this particularly important right now because so many small businesses are moving online to deal with the economic fallout from Covid-19. As people are being told to stay home, physical storefronts are having a hard time staying open and millions of people are losing their jobs. I've been personally working with our teams on Facebook Shops every day for the last couple of months so we could accelerate launching it to small businesses who could use tools like this now. Facebook Shops are free and easy to create. When you set up your shop, it will appear on your Facebook and Instagram accounts to start and soon on Messenger and WhatsApp too. Shops are native and fast, which means no more app-switching to a slow mobile web browser where you have to reenter your credit card when you tap on an interesting product you see in feeds. We're also working with partners like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Channel Advisor, CedCommerce, Cafe24, Tienda Nube and Feedonomics so that small businesses can easily integrate into a strong, open ecosystem of tools to help them manage their customer journey end-to-end, and it's up to the business to decide what level of integration they want. On top of that, were building a bunch of features across our apps to help people discover things from small businesses that they might want to buy. We're building a dedicated shopping tab on Instagram and a destination inside Explore where you can find and buy products you might be interested in. Soon, we'll also be launching new Live shopping features across Facebook and Instagram, which will allow you to shop on Live in real-time. Lastly, in the near future Shops will use our AI and augmented reality tech to create better shopping experiences. We'll automatically identify and tag products in feeds so people can easily click-through to purchase when they find things they like. Small businesses will also be able to personalize their storefronts to first show products that are most relevant to you and use augmented reality to let you virtually try on things like sunglasses, lipstick or makeup to see how they might look on you before buying, or what furniture might look like in your room. This all adds up to something quite powerful. If you're running a small business or you're thinking of starting one even from your living room you now have a whole suite of tools available that can help you serve people. You can build out your online presence across Facebook and Instagram. You can use Messenger and WhatsApp to communicate with your customers. You can reach new customers through our ads. And now, you can also set up a full online store experience with Facebook Shops. All of these tools are open for business, even when your physical storefront can't be. Hopefully this helps relieve some of the pressure that small businesses are facing right now and helps them prepare for a more online future. I look forward to getting Shops into the world more widely -- let us know what you think!

22.01.2022 Todays Tuesday Tip is on how to create your own Social Media Graphics using Canva. Canva is free to use and has a buttload of templates for you to use. There are a lot of free ones, but there are some from their paid version which are locked unless you sign up. You can create a few in Canva at once to batch create your content and use a scheduling tool like Planoly (my favourite) or Preview.

21.01.2022 How great is this advertising by flight centre? The Corgi is such a huge part of the queens identity (or BRAND ) that Flight Centre have only needed to use an image of a corgi for the audience to easily identify who they are referring to. (Though being strategically placed below the massive article helps too.)

20.01.2022 Working from home now? Keep track of the hours worked, you can now claim 80c per hour at tax time from March until end of Financial year.

20.01.2022 My printer, IBS Print, is running their big 25% Point of Sale special! And I'm passing the savings onto you! + Flyers + Posters + Pull Up Banners... + Banners + Wall Flags + and more... Have your print and signage looking schmick for Christmas and 2021! Hurry though, it's only for this month. Contact me for a quote: https://blackcactuscreative.com.au/contact/contact-general/

19.01.2022 Yes, we build on Wordpress, but all of website are easy to edit yourself And we record a Walk-through with you at handover so you can watch it back any time if your stuck on how to edit something. https://blackcactuscreative.com.au

19.01.2022 Last chance to get in and grab this offer!!

18.01.2022 Whitsunday Regional Council is hosting a number of low cost seminars in Airlie Beach and Proserpine which would be extremely handy for those looking to up their marketing game in 2020. So far they have: Get your marketing sorted for 2020! - Airlie Beach PCYC Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 9 AM 11 AM... Get your marketing plan sorted for 2020! (Proserpine Community Centre) Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 9 AM 11 AM Create your own videos in-house! (Airlie Beach PCYC) Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 9 AM 11 AM How to Get Started with Google Analytics (Proserpine Community Centre) Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 9 AM 11 AM Check out the Council's event's tab to snag your tickets. https://www.facebook.com/pg/WhitsundayRegionalCouncil/events/

18.01.2022 A rebrand for Coastal Pools & Gardens.

17.01.2022 SPECIAL PROMO Premium - Pull Up Banner Set $200 including design and delivery. The Pull Up banners are made of 340gsm Premium Polyester, making them tear, water and scratch resistant. They also come with a carry bag for easy transportation. ... Hurry! This amazing promo only lasts for 2 weeks!!

16.01.2022 Hows everyones home office Zoom meeting going?

16.01.2022 "It's too expensive." A statement I sometimes receive when I send our clients a proposal. First of all, I totally get it. It's a buttload of money for some and it's bloody scary parting with your moolah for an investment. But that's exactly what your branding and websites are: an investment. ... Truth is, creating logos and branding and kickass websites takes a considerable amount of time. Its not just ABC. Its not because we are slow. But its because we truly understand the importance of getting it right. Trust me, going the cheap and fast route could leave you with Spoodermun when instead you could spending the wee bit extra for Spiderman. #blackcactuscreative #mumswithhustle #socialmediamarketing #socialmethodsociety #womensupportwomen #ladystartup #startupstory #brandstrategy #brandstory #brandingtips #designerbossladies #businesschicks #adelaidebusiness #standoutfromthecrowd #virtualassistant #womenindigital #brisbanebusiness #sydneybusiness #mackaybusiness #whitsundaybusiness #websitestrategy #websiteexpert #tradiesinbusiness #tourismqld #fingerprickingoodwebsites #caffeinateandconquer #dreamjobmakers #lmbdw #graphicdesigneraustralia #websitedesigneraustralia See more

15.01.2022 Double spacing after a full stop is a loooong gone practice from the days of the trusty typewriter. Microsoft Word is now rolling out an update that THANKFULLY flags them as errors. *enter hallelujah GIF here* Hopefully, this will be the beginning of the end of the great double spacing debate! (And yes, I have had them with clients.)

15.01.2022 Someone send coffee! Homeschooling has started today and the woolies delivery dude is 5 hours late and he has my milk for coffee Looks like Ill be busting out the green tea today.... Hows everyone travelling in this weird arse world? Psssst... Im doing free website audits! DM me to find out more. See more

14.01.2022 Are you getting the itch and thinking about changing up your logo and branding? Maybe your logo is starting to look a bit dated or starting to look a bit stale amongst your competitors? Working out whether to just refresh or completely rebrand is relatively easy. + Are you still offering the same services? ... + Do you have the same Target Market? + Are your Mission, Values & Ethos the same? If you answered yes to all of the above, then you may only need a refresh - tighten up those graphics, maybe a modernised font. If you answered no to the majority of those questions then it may be in the best interest of the business to look at rebranding. It'll help realign your branding with your values and what you are currently offering, which will attract your ideal customer! Flick me a DM or an email and we can have a cuppa and chatses about which would be the best direction for your business.

14.01.2022 This weeks Tip Tuesday is on Website Backups! Boring, I know, but I promise they are SUPER essential!!

13.01.2022 Having an SSL certificate installed on your website is becoming more and more vital. I have come across quite a few websites my browser has tried to block me from entering because they either didn't have an SSL Certificate install, or their SSL Certificate had expired. Most good hosting companies supply an SSL certificate with the hosting (I recommend @ventraip).... Hosts like GoDaddy will charge extra for an SSL certificate and then not always automatically renew it, which means the integrity of your website goes down and visitors can't access your website. Google also give preferential treatment to websites with an SSL installed because the website is considered more trustworthy and credible. Did you know: we also provide hosting plans - all of which come with an SSL certificate? Chat to us about switching to reliable, Aussie hosting. See more

13.01.2022 If youre NOT using Wordpress, READ THIS One of my most asked questions is: "Why should I be switching to Wordpress when Wix/Weebly/etc seems to be working for me?" One of the biggest reasons: you don't own the website if you go through a platform lik Wix or Weebly. They can cancel your subscription at anytime and remove your website without notice and you'd be up Shits Creek in a barbwire canoe. And yes, it's happened. Recently, Shopify closed down a bunch o...f stores without notice because they can. However, with Wordpress that website is YOURS. You can download your website and easily migrate it to another host. Platforms like Wix, Weebly and Squarespace are a good starting point for those wanting to DIY and have a web prescence. Customisation-wise, you are mostly limited to what those platforms provide out of the box. They are generally simple to use with drag and drop builders, which is why they are a go to for DIYers(plus Youtube makes dollaroos from their advertising). These platforms do have some plugins and addons, but generally they are paid and THEN add it to the platform's monthly subscription fee and it starts getting costly. To be frank, you can tell when a website has been built on these platforms (and not only because it has "Powered by Weebly" down in the footer). Believe it or not, but Wordpress is actually the most preferred CMS (Content Management System) with over 27 million users. With Wordpress, your customisation options are pretty much only limited by your imagination. Wordpress drag and drop Page Builders (like the one I use) are increasing in popularity. While these make building websites for Designers and Developers a faster process as there is generally zero to minimal coding involved, it helps their clients easily edit and add to their website! There also literally are thousands of free and dirt cheap add ons and plugins. Need a plugin to book in clients and have them pay at the time of booking and then have a place for them to leave a kickarse testimonial? No sweat, there are a bunch of great options for that. Interested in the health of your website? I'm offering free mini website health checks! DM me! https://blackcactuscreative.com.au

13.01.2022 This is a must read. You can't be everything. Be kind to yourself. Self care is so important. You can't be the best version of you if you're not taking care of yourself and your business will suffer for it. Happy International Womens Day

12.01.2022 Have you noticed? I have a thing about stripes. The other week, my kids asked me: "What's your favourite colour, Mum?" I replied: "Stripes". They all nodded knowlingly. My wardrobe is mostly stripes and if they see someone dressed in stripes they ask if they are dressing up as Mummy today. They are one of my favourite things, so I have incorporated them into my business' branding. I'm known for my stripes.... When branding yourself and your business, incorporate the things you love and what makes you YOU. It makes running your business that wee bit easier because it feels familiar and authentic.

12.01.2022 Did someone say Avo Bagels Starting the week off with my usual breaky. On the agenda this week: + Responding to the enquiries from the weekend. + Get in and write another blog. Its been a while and fresh content makes Googles heart grow fonder.... + Hopefully finishing 2 websites this week. Whats everyone got planned for this week?

11.01.2022 What’s a wireframe? A wireframe is the skeletal outline of what a website page will look like. They can be hand sketched or digital. This is part of my process and is my foundation before I move on to fully designing the website in Adobe XD.... See more

11.01.2022 Support your locals! Pick a business a day over the next week to leave a review. It takes 5 minutes of your time. Positive reviews make AALLL the difference, especially for service based businesses.

10.01.2022 May your Coffee be strong and your Monday be short. Have a rad week!

09.01.2022 Whitsunday locals! Who is excited for the opening of 22 Buttercup Lane in Proserpine!? Will be my new go to spot to work out of office. If you look closely, the tables near the walls all have a power point. Perfect for a laptop

08.01.2022 For anyone applying for JobKeeper, apparently the ATO has opened applications a day early. Log in to ATO through your MyGov account and it should have an alert banner at the top with a link.

08.01.2022 Tip Tuesday - Is your website mobile responsive? 51.53% of the world web traffic is via mobile browsers (statsia.com). Basically, this means at least half of your website visitors are using a mobile device. So it’s more important now than ever to ensure your website looks just as good on a phone or tablet as it does on a desktop.... If your website isn’t functioning correctly on a mobile device, your website visitors will bounce (leave your site). Google is also beginning to penalise websites who aren’t mobile friendly. Give your website a quick mobile health check - go through every page on your website in your mobile device and screenshot places that may not look right so you can go back and fix them. See more

06.01.2022 Creating content for your website can be a downright pain in the arse. I get it. Trying to create content can be stressful and overwhelming. If you've felt these, trust me, you aren't alone. To make your life easier, I have created a Website Content Planner Guide. It will help you find the direction you want to head with your website, what you want now and in the future and what you want your customers and clients to do once they land on your website. ... It will help plan the content for each page as well. YUSSSS!! Awesome, right? Head on over to my latest blog. https://blackcactuscreative.com.au/plan-website-content/

03.01.2022 Whats your shade? Bit of a caramel myself @tom.lowe

03.01.2022 HOLY SNAPPING DUCKS QLDERS!! YOULL WANNA READ THIS Did you know there is a Queensland Covid-19 Small Adaptation $10k Grant that you can use for website development, digital training and development, SEO and marketing? You may be eligible if your business:... + was closed or highly impacted but the Covid-19 restrictions, + can demonstrate your revenue was impacted from March 23 for a minimum 1 month period + employs between 1-20 staff + had an active ABN from March 23 + be registered for GST + have an annual turnover $75k+ for the 2018-19 or 2019-20 financial year + have a Qld headquarters + have a payroll less than $1.3 million + not be insolvent or have an owner/director thats undischarged bankrupt Need your website jazzed up and ready to be found on Google? LETS CHAT! We can organise a free proposal to apply for funding! Grant funding is paid upon approval of you grant application. Lets get the ball rolling! Email us to get more info or to organise a chat [email protected]

02.01.2022 Who's heard of Parkinson's Law? I had NO IDEA the act of me leaving every school and uni assessment until the last minute and slamming it out the night before had an actual name. Parkinson's Law. It's pretty much how I rolled. Cyril Northcote Parkinson (ie. the dude that is the Parkinson in Parkinson's Law) says 'work expands to the time you give it. So basically what old mate is saying is if you have a deadline of 2 weeks then that work is going to take you 2 weeks.... BUT if you move that deadline up and tell yourself it's now only 1 week, you will still get that work done in that time frame. And it works. I discovered Parkinson's Law halfway through my uni course and started giving myself self-imposed deadlines. While I was still leaving it to my own last minute and smashing it out the night before, I was still finishing my assessments well before the due date! I apply it now in my business and client work! It seriously saves stress and overwhelm. It's a great kick up the bum for productivity. Let me know your thoughts! Are you a last minute smasher-outerer or are you one of those unicorn freaks that just float it on out, no stress? See more

02.01.2022 Turns out we had a lot in common.

01.01.2022 Newsflash: Wordpress Websites aren't set and forget! I like to liken website maintenance to car maintenance. Basically, if you don't look after your car and don't service it, shit starts going wrong. Then it kinda gets forgetten and sun gets at it so the paint starts fading and no one likes looking at it. Then perhaps the auto electrics stop working so it no longer locks and becomes easy to break into. Same with a wordpress website. If you don't have regular maintenance pla...ns in place, it lowers the integrity and you have the awful possibility of being hacked. If it's not updated regularly, Google begins to lower your rankings. It happens. Read more https://blackcactuscreative.com.au/5-reasons-why-you-need-/

01.01.2022 Hands up if you delayed updates on your phone and then after 12 months its decided to shit itself? And then you kick yourself for pressing the Remind Me Later button every time the Software Update notification popped up because the reason why your phone isnt working properly is because YOU HAVENT UPDATED IT. AND you havent backed it up for about 8 months. You just couldnt be stuffed plugging it into the computer and you havent yet gotten around to setting up ...those cloud back up thingies. This is the EXACT same scenario when it comes to Wordpress websites. They arent set and forget. (Its not Wordpresss fault, they just grew waaay too quickly so now it kinda needs a bit more lovin). They need regular updates to keep it running swift and smooth, like a puma. They need back ups in case something goes wrong and you can restore it to before it broke. They need security monitoring to make sure its free of malware. And funnily enough, I have Wordpress Care Plans. Check out my plans in the link https://blackcactuscreative.com.au/website-maintenance-pac/