CJ Gilbert lives with his wife and 3 kids in La Mesa, CA. He first started in web design in 1995 and has been the CEO of GilbertStudios since founding it in 2004.
CJ has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners in San Diego and beyond with their websites and marketing needs. And he is constantly studying and learning more about social media, business, its operations, sales, and marketing.
- Remember that your website is the only thing you can fully control and own online. There are many platforms for website creation, but it is important to remember what you are actually trying to grow for yourself. Gilbert often asks clients- “Are you growing someone else’s thing, or your own”?
- Think of your website like a tool. If you think of it like a tool, you can use it to attract more customers, to make more sales and improve your customer service. All of those things add up to help you save time and money. You will ultimately serve your clients better, faster, and easier.
- What is the goal for your website? Do you want to use it to make sales? Do you want to use it for education, or customer service? Do you want to openly share the resources you provide? Recognizing the precise purpose of your website and how you can use it will tell you how you should be using it.
- Think of your website as a fluid object. It isn’t stagnant, it’s purpose is to grow and evolve with your business. On day one, your business will probably look very different than it will weeks, months, or years down the road. Your website should be the same. Give yourself the freedom to allow your website to be what you need it to be today, and allow it to change and grow as your business develops further.
- As your company grows along with your website, you need to pay increased attention to your demographic audience. Think about what your client would actually want to see on the website. When people are presented with an opportunity to learn about you and your company, they’ll be inclined to do some research. People want to do this due diligence, but they can also become lazy. If you can create a website where you have gathered all of the information for them, it is massively beneficial. Gilbert emphasizes that it is a low-pressure sales opportunity as well, because customers feel as if they have done their own research and a product isn’t directly being pushed.
- When looking for help with building your website, it may present challenges as many people don’t even know what questions to ask. Ask for recommendations from folks you already know, who’s websites you’ve seen before and you are familiar with. Gilbert recommends using LinkedIn rather than Yelp. Yelp is aggressive, and will try to make money off of you. Whereas on LinkedIn, you can make connections and see recommendations from people in your industry, mentors, friends, and advisors.
- Gilbert notes that many individuals ask him about website builders such as Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly. For some people this is the right thing to do- it is better to have something up rather than nothing at all. On the other hand, he notices that people over-design their websites, and they crash and burn because they were “designed to death.” The process simply takes too long. The issue with platforms such as Wix and Squarespace is that it is impossible to transfer data. If you want to move away from these platforms, one must create an entirely new website.
- Gilbert recommends both the softwares WordPress and Joomla. These are open source pieces of software that are completely free. One can learn how to create a website, in addition to having full ownership of the website. He adds that you can put it on a Host A or B, and if you change your mind you can pack it up to host C or D. The website belongs to you, and you can move it around as you see fit.
- As for social media, Gilbert strongly recommends identifying just two or three platforms that your target audience tends to gravitate towards. He says, “What I want you to recognize is that these are communities of people that are amid conversation. You would never jump into a room of people already having conversations and just start shouting at the room for people to buy your product. I mean, how annoying is that? Right? We hate that guy.” It is better to observe the ways people are communicating and interacting, and then connect with those people. It is essential to build relationships, and then offer resources and value.
- Lastly, Gilbert re-emphasizes using your website as a tool that unlocks everything else. Your website will help to give you a clear idea on what piece of your business needs to improve, such as sales or customer service. Gilbert also notes the importance of publishing new content on your website, such as blogs, articles, or podcasts. Doing this will help answer people’s questions, which will lead them to your website! Gilbert says to focus on search, sales, and service, and at the end of the day it is all about the content and value you are providing to customers.