Living and working in Bali as a Squarespace web designer - Guest Episode on The Goal Achievement Podcast
Hello hello! I’ve got some exciting news to share with you today - I was featured as a guest on another podcast!
Matt East from The Goal Achievers Podcast recently had me on his podcast and I’m thrilled that I can finally share our conversation!
We had such a fun chat and I know you’re going to love this episode. It’s filled with practical information, a deep dive into email marketing and sales strategies, the story of how the heck I ended up moving to Bali, and so much more!
Psssst! This isn’t my first time being a guest on a podcast :)
Listen to other podcast episodes that I’ve been a guest:
Alright, I know the real reason why you’re here - to listen to the episode! Click HERE or on the link below to listen now.
Living and working in Bali as a Squarespace web designer - Charlotte O’Hara on The Goal Achievement Podcast
Matt and I originally connected through my email list (of all places!). He’s been subscribed for months, loved my weekly emails and was interested in learning more about my business - so he reached out and asked me to join him as a guest on his podcast, which is just so cool!
In this episode, we talk all about email marketing, the importance of a solid & strategic website for your business (no matter what type of biz you have), sales, social media, and running your own business from the other side of the world.
Here’s a look at our conversation:
Matt and I connected … through my email list!
It’s all thanks to my email list - Matt originally signed up for one of my freebies but then stuck around for my (awesome) weekly newsletters.
He noticed that my emails and marketing strategy is totally different from other people’s, especially in my niche, and that’s what sparked his interest! I’m so glad that Matt reached out so that we could share our conversation with anyone else who wants to learn more about my strategy!
We kicked off our conversation talking about the value of websites vs, social media, and how EVERY business (no matter what type) must have a website!
Remember, websites allow you to own and control your content online, which isn’t the case if you’re relying on another platform. It’s one thing to build up an audience and reach ideal clients, but when you can send them back to your website which is something you fully control? That’s the golden ticket to long lasting relationships.
Social media platforms come and go - personally I love social media but I recommend that if you’re going to use it for your business, it’s always a good idea build up an audience on the platform, but then encourage them to develop a deeper, long-lasting relationship by visiting your website (e.g., if you sell merchandise, want to promote blog content, etc.)
Charlotte’s email marketing strategy
Social media is fun for personal use but my bread and butter is definitely email marketing!
Matt and I chat about my email marketing strategy and how I use it in my business.
Usually people opt-in for one of my freebies but then I also send out weekly emails (Wednesdays) about Squarespace, SEO, web design/development, and online business.
These emails are usually based around a fun/interesting story then I loop it back into a sales pitch.
Email marketing is how I book out my services, sell my digital products, etc!
I ask myself, what kind of emails would I want to read? I always do my best to avoid filler, keep it real & engaging, and write emails that stand out in people’s inboxes!
We also talk about the inspiration for my emails - I don’t personally follow anyone’s email marketing as inspiration, instead I usually free flow it. BUT I do rely/turn to email marketing templates as guides (e.g., for launches, flash sales, etc.) and then customize it based on my own interests and what I think my audience will like.
Charlotte’s business
Digital products (e.g., my online course, Top Squarespace SEO).
Each of these parts of my business requires different marketing strategies but email marketing remains my biggest marketing
We also talk about why I build websites on Squarespace, why I chose Squarespace as the platform for the websites I build for my clients, and why it’s a cost-effective & fast platform for me to build on (compared to other platforms).
Next up, we talk about how my business evolved - from just services to selling digital products on my website. We cover passive income, diversification, positioning yourself as an expert based on your past experiences, and leveraging existing content and packaging it up. We also talk about who the customers are that are buying my digital products - new vs old customers.
The biggest mistake Squarespace users make with SEO
Easy answer - most people just aren’t doing anything in the first place!
When it comes to Squarespace SEO, there’s soooo much that you can do to set up your site the right way and make sure that all your digital content is being indexed by search engines like Google.
People usually have decent content on their websites but beyond that, most websites haven’t even touched SEO fields (like site or page titles & descriptions). Squarespace gives you these SEO fields as prompts yet sadly, so many websites don’t take advantage this.
They also aren’t building up backlinks either, which is another missed opportunity for SEO
Learn more about Squarespace SEO here.
Charlotte’s lifestyle of living & working remotely #DigitalNomad
Did you know that I’ve been living in Bali for almost two years?! Time flies when you’re having fun! It definitely feels like home now.
I share my story about how I moved my business overseas, how to find the balance between work/life when it feels like you’re on a permanent vacation, and how my business survives & thrives abroad :)
So much of the client work that I do and the projects that I’m working on don’t require face-to-face time - a Zoom meeting is always sufficient, and we also communicate via project management tools or email. My clients aren’t affected by me working here in Bali - so long as the work gets done, they don’t care!
Yes, there are early mornings/late nights occasionally but we call that the expat tax!
I also worked remotely from Cambodia (you can read about my experience as a digital nomad in Phnom Penh, Cambodia here) and several other places around the world!
Charlotte’s favourite part of running your own business
Creativity! If you have an idea for something or want to try something new, you can just do it! If something sparks your interest, you can get started without a barrier or checking in with a boss.
For example, that’s how I got into consulting - i offered the service and surprise, people booked! Same thing with digital products - I just created the products that felt cool to me!
It’s great to have creative outlets within your own business.
Run a training or workshop on whatever topic you’re interested in, purely because it’s something that seems cool.
The biggest challenges running my own business
Accounting/finance and admin tasks, for sure haha
Remaining self-employed or working for a company again
Ohhhh great question! I love working for myself (despite the ups and downs) but at this point i don’t think I would go back to working for someone - but you never know, depends on the opportunity! We talk about the finances of being self-employed, being a solopreneur or growing a team too.
Using a VA (virtual assistant)
Sometimes I work with freelancers & contractors but in the upcoming months, I’m looking forward to having an on-going relationship with a VA (virtual assistant). I’m realizing that I don’t have to do everything by myself in my business and if I want to stick to my “zone of genius”, I need to outsource more!
This is something I’m excited to explore over the next little while!
Getting excited for upcoming business projects
Relaunching my online course, Top Squarespace SEO in a few weeks! There’s a lot of marketing and planning that goes into a launch (email marketing, live video trainings, etc.) which will be really fun.
Branded photography shoot - definitely pushes me out of my comfort zone but I’m looking forward to the finished results!
Planning out email marketing in my business
Weekly newsletter gets sent out every Wednesday - I usually incorporate a story/experience and then loop it around to a services that I’m promoting. I write these weekly emails in real time, usually within a day or two of sending them out. I treat these emails as sort of a journal, very fun and casual.
IN addition, I have email marketing campaigns (e.g., for my birthday flash sale or to launch my online course, Top Squarespace SEO). These emails are pre-written in advance, then they simply get auto-scheduled and sent out to my list - yes, I often re-use emails haha!
I use MailerLite as my email service provider (random, I know, but it works!)
Thoughts on Squarespace’s email marketing
I talk about why I think that Squarespace’s email marketing campaigns is a fantastic feature that people can use - it’s user friendly and removes the barrier of entry! Most of my clients don’t use it but I love that the functionality is there and truly think that it’s a great built-in feature that Squarespace is regularly updating & improving.
What question should Matt have asked Charlotte that he didn’t ask?
Such a fun question! How about “have you had any flops in your business, or have you tried anything that hasn’t worked?”
I love talking about this subject and I shared my answer with Matt!
Teaser: it’s not always a great idea to create a product/service just because you’re interested in it, instead of actually thinking about your audience and what they’re asking for or what they need.
Also, it’s rarely a true flop - be resilient and don’t let your “fails” take over or destroy your attitude! You still learn something and are building up new skills that will make your work better/faster in the future.
Instead, repurpose content as best as you can - use content in different ways so that it makes more of an impact.
Have you seen any entrepreneurs/digital nomads come to Bali who try to start a business but aren’t successful?
YES!
These people spend all their time on social media and zero time on sales. They aren’t spending their time sharing their services or products with their audience, instead they just spend hours creating content that doesn’t move their businesses forward.
My best 3 pieces of advice to any new business owners or anyone interested in working abroad?
Just do it - you can always figure it out, people have done it before you, don’t let fear stop you
Have a good attitude (in work and your personal life) - mindset is huge, you have to ride the highs/lows
Ask for the sale - people need to hear your offer many times before they buy so don’t hold back - be shameless, promote your product/service, use direct language
Business is often a numbers game and knowing that will help you to handle the rejection better - you need X number of “No’s” in order to get a “Yes”.
