Today we’re going to address one of those unspoken challenges that lurks in the minds of many an aspiring actor:
I’m worried about what people will say if I pursue my dream to study acting.
There’s a wonderful show streaming on Stan right now called Rise, which is about a high school theatre director who’s staging a student production of the musical, Spring Awakenings.
In his team of actors is a leading football player who comes under no end of criticism for being a part of the show.
There’s also a young man whose parents don’t want him to be in a production with questionable values.
There’s a young woman whose single mum is just scraping by and in order to help the family, she is asked to miss rehearsals in order to work to help pay the rent.
There are numerous other characters whose participation in the show is also challenged by others.
Although it’s just a fictional story, if you want to become an actor, you’ll find there are people out there who don’t think as highly of the profession as you do.
People who think you should have other priorities and who think you are making a very big mistake.
Some people will think you’re silly for wanting to become an actor.
Some will even say it to your face.
Some people will tell you to “go get a proper job” or do something that’s more worthwhile with your life.
Some people will tell you you’ll never make it, and it’s all a fantasy.
So you’ll need a comeback.
But what do you say to the people who criticise you?
Here are a few tips:
So as you embark on your journey to become an actor make sure you also have friends who do “get it”, who do understand what it’s all about, and can offer you support and encouragement when others can’t or won’t.
In time, you may find that some of the naysayers are won over - once they see you perform on stage, or see a film you’re in, and they find themselves inclined to admit... you’ve been on the right track all along!
1 – Start with preparing a website strategy
Any successful small business website has one commonality: a well thought through strategy. With a plan in place, you’re teed off for success when it comes to supporting lead generation goals. Your website plan should answer the following ten questions:
2 – Set a clear page hierarchy
After you have developed the overall goals and a blueprint with tips on creating a website for your business, the next step is making it easy for website visitors to find content. To do this, make sure your page hierarchy is clear.
Social Media Today suggests bucketing your content by theme and importance. Try physically drawing a plan as you create a high-level outline. Most people freeze up at this point so it’s important to visualize your website structure!
3 – Keep it (so so) simple
Simple design and text are essential to an effective small business website. An overly complicated website doesn’t convert. Too many page elements lead to website visitor confusion.
So, long story short, uncluttered visuals and text have the most significant impact on your audience. And, while we’re on the subject of simplicity, keeping your color scheme minimal is key, too. Two to three colors is all you need to make an impact.
Be pragmatic in your color selection and fortify the use of white space within your small business website design. “This is not the time to show off your design acumen, with lots of distracting sounds and lights on the site and every icon known to web-kind,” says Nationwide.
4 – Maintain well-defined calls to action
As a small business, you don’t need to be coy, Roy. Clearly state what you want people to do.
Use phrases like, “Subscribe to our newsletter,” “Book your reservation now” or “Email us for a free quote today.” After you identify your page structure, sketch out your content sections and maintain well-defined CTAs, then layer in conversion opportunities like pop-ups, alert bars, and more! Your lead forms should be prominent and enticing as well.
5 – Make your design responsive
Did you know 90% of small business websites don’t keep the smaller devices’ screen size in mind when creating websites? And around 30% of all website traffic is mobile.
Before publishing anything on the web, always consider desktop and mobile devices. “Having a site that isn’t mobile optimized can drive away customers, hurt your SEO and look unprofessional,” notes Small Business Trends writer Ann Pilon.
The finale: last tidbits on small business website tips
So there you have it… we hope these 5 tips for building an effective business website were consumable and prompt action as you embark on creating your small business website.
Madeline Carpenter is the founder of Market ‘Til You Make It. When she’s not serving her clients, she geeks out on board games, cider, and challenging her friends to top her awesome karaoke skills. She calls Bloomington, Minnesota home.