Divi Chat

We are taking our own advice! If you caught the previous episode, you know we all believe in the importance of taking a break. The many panel members who have been a part of Divi Chat have been sharing advice, tips, and lessons learned for almost 7 years. (‼️) All of the panelists participate voluntarily and are all running their own business (or multiple businesses!) in addition to hanging out with you virtually for an hour or so each week. The current panelists (Sarah, Tim, Steph, Mike, and Eric) have collectively agreed that we could benefit from a little break. We aren't leaving for good, just taking a hiatus to recharge our batteries and re-energize ourselves to be able to best serve the WordPress community we all love so much. In fact, we have some exciting things planned for our return, so stay tuned!

Sand and Saltwater may do wonders for you, but they are mortal enemies of your laptop! That's not the only reason to leave the laptop at home, though. Dive into the pool of work-life balance with this episode of Divi Chat, titled "How To Take a Vacation When You Own a Business." Come hear the strategies, tips, and resources the Divi Chat panel has learned after years of entrepreneurship. Believe it or not, you CAN actually take a vacation without sneaking away to check emails or take client calls.

AI is everywhere, including baked right in to your favorite WordPress pagebuilder! The Divi Chat crew will take you through their first impressions of this hot new feature and share suggestions for making the most of it. What are the best ways to use Divi AI? Is there reason for concern?

Tune in to this episode of Divi Chat where the panel will dive into not only where video use could be beneficial to your WordPress business, but also how to make the most of your efforts with the right equipment, software, and messaging. Don't miss this one, folks - even if you are camera shy!

What do you use to budget for your business? When do you decide to put yourself on a “salary” versus just drawing more from the business in those months when your revenue is up? This episode of Divi Chat will dive into how the panelists approach their business finances - what works and (of course) the hard lessons they've learned along the way.

Don't miss this episode of Divi Chat as we do a deep dive into the design phase of a website project. Typography and color schemes have a big impact on user experience and conversions. And, of course, we can't forget the importance of designing for accessibility! The panel will share practical tips to make your designs inclusive and user-friendly.

Get ready to decode the mysteries of Google Analytics 4 in this episode of Divi Chat. Joining the panel is SEO whiz David Zimmerman of Reliable Acorn and Curious Ants, an incredible resource for learning more about SEO.

Taking on a website you didn't build is like gazing at the beautiful tip of an iceberg above the surface. At first glance, it appears captivating and pristine, but beneath the waterline lies a complex web of hidden challenges and unexpected surprises. Just like the tip of an iceberg, the visible aspects of a website may seem appealing and functional, but you never know what lies beneath. It could be a messy code structure, outdated plugins, or a tangled web of dependencies waiting to be unraveled. Navigating the depths of someone else's WordPress creation requires a blend of curiosity, expertise, and a touch of daring. You'll need to dive deep, explore the unseen intricacies, and bring order to the chaos. It's a journey that demands both technical prowess and a sprinkle of magic. In this episode, the DC Panel shares their top tips for dealing with these potentially treacherous waters.

Marketing automation can help WordPress service providers to work more efficiently, generate more leads, and provide a more personalized experience for their customers. By leveraging the power of marketing automation, you can take your business to the next level – all while doing less of the stuff you hate! We are excited to have Chris Davis, Founder at Automation Bridge, and Former Director of Education at ActiveCampaign join the panel. With a resume that includes managing email marketing campaigns for multiple companies with email lists of over a million recipients, this guy knows his stuff!!

Join the DC panel as they chat about their personal experience with Heatmaps, recommendations for software to use, and how they blow the minds of their clients with the data collected from these amazing tools.

Ready to Level Up? If so, where should you go to improve your skills and how do you get started? You will need to find the right format and right trainer for your learning style and focus on skills that will increase your efficiency or profitability. Actually, should you even bother, or just hire someone with skills you desire? Lots of ground to cover in this ep – don't miss it!

We have a full panel for this fast moving episode where each panelist will share their absolute must-have, stranded on a dessert island apps. They can be Mac or Windows, computer or mobile apps...just no more than 10 each. Only the best!! If you had to choose your Top 10, what would make the cut??

In this episode of Divi Chat, we explore the world of Google Ads with special guest Sean Pierce. As web designers, it's important to understand the basics of paid advertising and how it can benefit our clients' businesses. Sean breaks down the key components of Google Ads, including keyword research, ad targeting, and budgeting strategies. We also discuss how to integrate Google Ads into a cohesive marketing plan and measure success with analytics. Whether you're new to advertising or a seasoned pro, this episode has something for everyone looking to boost their online presence.

In this episode of Divi Chat, the panel is joined by Steve Schramm of NorthMac Services to explore the website subscription model. Subscriptions are becoming an increasingly popular way for businesses to generate constant, reliable income, but does it work for web development?? We'll look at how to set up a website subscription service, the benefits to having a subscription model, and what factors you should consider when deciding if subscriptions are right for your business.

Properly Optimizing your Google Business Profile can increase visibility, attract more customers, and boost conversions. Oh and did we mention it's FREE? Tricia Clements, owner of Your Biz Watchdog, will join the panel discuss the importance of having a complete and accurate profile, how to optimize your listing with relevant keywords, and engaging with customer reviews to enhance your online reputation. Don't miss out on this valuable discussion that can help take your business to new heights on Google Maps - particularly if you are looking for local search results.

Are you employing animation in your WordPress websites or are you firmly against this trend? If you are pro-motion, what kind of animations are you using? Subtle text animations, fade-in’s, or maybe something more dramatic? Slide-in text plus SVG animation in the form of Lottie files is at the heart of what we are discussing in this episode of Divi Chat.

As web geeks we spend our lives in our browsers. Are you getting the most out of the tools and extensions available to supercharge your browsing? From productivity tools to ad-blockers, utilities to security, the Divi Chat crew will share their go-to extensions for getting the most out of their browsers. Our "Faves" eps are always fast-paced and fun, so don't miss it!

Dolphy is the jazzy code name for the first major WordPress release of 2023, version 6.2. As the foundation of our tech stack (and maybe even our entire business) it's important to keep up with what's happening with WordPress and what parent company Automatic has planned.

This episode is a continuation of our discussion on starting a podcast. We broke down the process into 3 Ts: • Tools: microphones, lighting, cameras, etc. • Topics: what to discuss and how to make it stand out from other podcasts • Tech: the software and services needed to publish and market your podcast Last week we covered Tools and Topics.

Have you ever wished you could start your own podcast, but don't know where to begin? Or maybe running your own show sounds like too much commitment, but you'd love to be a guest on someone else's show? The Divi Chat Podcast has been broadcasting weekly for over 6 years 😱 so we know a thing or two about this topic. Tim Strifler is one of the original DC panelists, started WP The Podcast, and maaaay have another something in the works. Divi Chat alum Josh Hall will also be joining the panel this week to share his experiences starting The Web Design Business podcast, which has racked up over 450,000 listens!