Future Steps Creative

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This podcast is aimed at creative entrepreneurs and small businesses who want to grow their brand and stand out from the crowed online.

Marlon McPherson


    • Dec 13, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 12m AVG DURATION
    • 102 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Future Steps Creative

    Why Your Email Should Be Separated From Your Website Hosting

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2024 6:16


    It's very tempting to host your professional email account on the same hosting as your website. After all, there are lots of website hosts that offer emails for free with the hosting package, so it may seem to make sense to do this instead of paying separately for an email service. I don't think it's a good idea thought and I'll give you a few reasons why.

    Putting Together An effective Landing/Sales Page with AIDA | FSC Ep.101

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 9:20


    In this video, I break down the AIDA framework - Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action - and show you how to apply it to your landing pages. Whether you're selling products, services, or building an email list, this proven copywriting technique can significantly boost your conversion rates. I'll guide you through each step of the AIDA process, sharing tips on crafting attention-grabbing headlines, building interest with relatable stories, sparking desire with benefits and testimonials, and creating clear calls-to-action that drive results.

    Creating Strong and Memorable Passwords For Your Website

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 6:11


    This episode covers, how to make your website more secure by creating strong passwords that's hard to crack, without having to remember what they are. Doing this will help protect against brute force attacks and other security risks. Links: https://www.passwordmonster.com/

    3 Ways to Get a Website Privacy Policy or Legal Pages

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 4:24


    FSC Ep.99 - Website Privacy Policy or Legal Pages - 3 Ways To Get Them. As a dedicated content creator and online marketing strategist, my mission is to help you grow your online business effectively. This video dives into essential website strategies, including implementing privacy policies—a crucial step for any successful online business. With data laws tightening, I'll guide you through using online templates, dedicated services like Termageddon, and professional legal assistance to protect your brand and boost consumer confidence.

    Cheap Website Hosting Vs Managed Hosting

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 5:45


    This episode discusses whether to go with cheaper, unmanaged hosting or managed hosting. What's the difference, or what are the pros and cons? This is important to find out when you are ready to publish your website online.

    cheap website hosting managed hosting
    Why Is My Facebook Page Not Growing, Is It Worth It?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2024 7:22


    Is having a Facebook page for your service business worth it today? I see so many business owners neglect their page but I will talk about why they may not be gaining traction on Facebook and why you may want to keep it up to date.

    Get More Qualified Leads Through Your Website

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 4:53


    In this episode, I explain how to generate more qualified website leads and avoid getting low-quality form submissions. This naturally reduces your workload and increases the conversions from leads to sales as there is a filter in place. I discuss the strategy behind using a dedicated page and a custom form to achieve better results.

    Why Business Leads Fall through the Cracks.mp4

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2024 12:21


    Learn why some small service-based businesses lose out on leads. Is it because they don't get enough traffic to their website, because the website doesn't convert well, or something else? I explore these in this episode and address one key thing that solo business owners fail to do when it comes to leads.

    FSC Ep.94 - The ONE Automated Email Sequence Every Service Business NEED

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 8:24


    This is about the welcome email sequence and how the structure works. Here I cover a simple 3 touch sequence that goes out over a few days.

    Putting Together An Effective Website

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2024 7:10


    Having a website for your business is one thing, but having an effective website is a completely different thing. In this episode, I'm going to cover 3 things that make an effective website that works for your business so that you can attract and convert leads and customers.

    Why Your Website Need Transactional Emails

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 7:12


    In this episode, we're going to be talking about transactional emails and what they are. Also, we'll talk about some tools or services that you can use to get this setup.

    How to Get Better Organic Reach with Your Content

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 8:33


    You're publishing online content like should, but you don't seem to be getting anywhere and now you're getting frustrated… Let's explore how to get more organic reach.

    Email Marketing: When Not to email Your List

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2024 7:49


    Emailing your email list subscribers is very important to build relationships and make sales. But sometimes it's not a good idea to email them at all. In this episode, I'm going to give you 3 reasons why you probably shouldn't.

    Why Going Viral Isn't the Best Approach

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2024 4:18


    This episode explores whether we can control whether our online videos, posts, or other content goes viral, and look at how we can maximise the opportunities available in our content marketing for our business.

    Brand Message Tone: The Key to a Successful Brand Voice

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2024 7:40


    A strong brand relies on understanding the brand voice. This is one of the best ways to connect with your audience. This episode goes through the key points for a successful brand voice.

    Long-Term Nurturing Your Email List

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2023 7:59


    This episode explains a strategy for following up with email subscribers to keep them engaged for the long term. This will help you stay relevant in their minds when they are ready to make a purchasing decision.

    Things You Should Consider Before Building a Website

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2023 8:32


    In this episode, I cover some things to do in terms of strategy before you get a website designed and built. This will help you prepare for the website project and help you get more out of your website in the end.

    4 Key Tips for Backing-Up Your Website

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2023 6:41


    It is a nightmare to lose any file, and losing your website files is no different. In this episode, I'll share with you a few tips on how to back your website.

    How to do Personalised Double Opt-in Emails with Less Friction

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2023 11:40


    This episode covers how you can do double opt-in your own way so that there is less friction when new people sign up for your email list. The typical automated double opt-in is restrictive and you end up with a lot of unconfirmed contacts. This method fixes this and allows you to personalise your own double opt-in email.

    Tips for Choosing the Right Website Hosting

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2023 16:54


    Bad quality hosting could be what holds your website back. In this episode, I explain what to look for when choosing a website hosting service so that you can get the best performance out of your website.

    Double Opt-in vs Single Opt-in: Which is Better

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2023 14:55


    Knowing whether to use double opt-in for your email marketing is really important as it can determine the quality of your list. In this episode of Future Steps Creative, I discuss the pros and cons so that you can decide which one is best to go with.

    single double opt
    Getting started with Email Marketing | 3 Things You Need

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2023 14:14


    In this episode, I share some of the basics of getting started with email marketing. After all email marketing is one of the best ways to generate more revenue for your business and having it in place will help you convert more leads online. Free Resource: You can grab my Profitable Website Checklist here

    3 Ways Your Website Can Help You Save Time in Your Service Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2023 11:23


    Today I want to talk to you about utilising your website to help you save time in your service-based business.

    WordPress Website Tip: Native Blocks vs Page Builder

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2023 8:59


    Is it okay to use third-party WordPress blocks to fill the gap that Gutenberg has? That's what I would like to explore. In this episode, I'll touch on how I use a combination of my page builder and the native WP blocks.

    5 Key Systems You Must Have For Your Service Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2023 11:15


    Every business needs processes and systems in place to run properly and make money. If you don't have proper systems your business may end up getting out of control and running you instead. This episode talks about the fundamental systems that every business needs in order to be successful.

    Landing Page Vs Website: What Should You Use

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2023 13:14


    Ep.77 - Landing Page Vs Website: What Should You Use For a lot of people, this could be a decision that's hard to make. Not everyone needs a website straight away, and a landing page might be better to start with. I'll give you my take on which way to go in this episode of Futur Steps Creative.

    Best Tool to Edit Your Video Podcast - What I Use

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2023 14:43


    In this episode, I share some of my favourite tools I use to edit my video podcast to help you choose the best option for you.

    3 Ways to Drive Website Traffic with Online Content

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2023 8:49


    Creating online content is one of the best ways to organically drive traffic back to your website. But how can you ensure that you're doing this effectively? I have 3 ways that you can get more website visitors directly from your online content and turn them into leads.

    How to Get Better Audio For Your Podcast or Videos

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2023 18:35


    In this episode of Future Steps Creative, I'm covering how to get better audio in your videos or podcast. There's nothing worse than having to put up with poor-quality audio in podcast episodes or videos s this can be very distracting to the audience and doesn't provide a great experience. I'll share with you some of my top tips to improve your audio straightaway. Free Podcast Starter Guide: https://marlonmcpherson.com/podcaststarterguide

    Why You May Not Be Ready for Paid Traffic and What to Do Instead

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2023 11:12


    The whole point of marketing is to direct potential customers towards your product or service. In order for this to happen, you need to get website visitors and then convert them into leads. This episode looks at the two main ways you can generate visitor traffic back to your website and why paid traffic may not be the best place to start.

    4 Essential Parts To An Effective Website Lead Conversion System

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2023 11:12


    You can't afford to have the majority of your website visitors leave without a trace. Most people are not yet ready to take action so you want to give them a reason to reach out to you and become a lead. This episode dives into 4 ways to ensure that you convert more website visitors into leads.

    Overcome Writer's Block With Canva's New AI Generated Content

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2023 5:43


    I just wanted to share with you the fact that I discovered yet another way to get content ideas using Canva when I have writer's block. Canva's Magic Write feature is excellent for coming up with outlines, as well as writing the content for you using AI.

    How to Create an Effective Content Marketing Strategy in 2023

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2023 14:06


    This is the audio from one of my YouTube Videos that you can find here: https://youtu.be/Kw2xMTN_FqM In the episode, I share how my content marketing strategy works and how I practically manage my production and publishing process. The free template mentioned is here: https://marlonmcpherson.com/contentmanager/

    Ways To Use Chat GPT To Market Your Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2023 12:36


    Let's face it, Artificial intelligence is all the craze right now. Just like with any new, revolutionary technology, people are divided about what's going to happen and whether to accept it.  This episode explores several ways you can use ChatGPT to help your marketing.

    Clarifying Your Website Message to Win More Clients

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2023 10:31


    An unclear message can leave your website visitors confused and unsure about your business and whether it's for them. This episode is about making sure you hook your website visitors with the right message for your brand and target audience. After all, your website is a key part of your online marketing strategy and it needs to be able to generate leads and sales in order for your business to be profitable. This is one of the 4 key steps to making your website more profitable for your business. Grab the FREE Checklist that covers all the steps in more detail here: marlonmcpherson.com/profitablewebsite

    Why Your Website Appearance May Be Getting You Poor Website Results

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2023 8:47


    Here, talk about why your website's appearance may be costing you, customers, by having a bad first impression. I have some tips for how to improve your website's design and layout to get more leads and customers. ➕Resources: ►Free: Profitable Website Checklist: https://marlonmcpherson.com/profitablewebsite ►Get my direct help with your online strategy here: https://marlonmcpherson.com

    4 Steps to Start a Podcast For Your Business

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2023 15:01


    In this episode, I share how to start your own podcast for your business and connect with more of your ideal customers. You can also download my FREE Podcast Starter Guide to help you get started here: marlonmcpherson.com/podcaststarterguide

    3 Tips for Utilising Google Business Profile for Your Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2023 14:05


    Google My Business, now known as Google Business Profile is still one of the best ways businesses can get local leads for their services or products. This episode looks at some of the ways you can optimise your profile to stand the best chance of getting found in the search results. You can learn more about my content at https://marlonmcpherson.com

    What a Customer Journey Means

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2023 11:34


    Every business has a customer journey, but not everyone understands what exactly it is or what it means for a business. This episode raises the point of why you should be concentrating on what your customer journey looks like and see how you can use it to grow your business.

    3 Ways to Gain Focus (And Traction) in Your Online Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2022 13:06


    In this episode, I talk about having a single-focus approach to three key aspects of your online business. Doing this helps you move forward faster instead of stretching your resources and diluting your efforts.

    Should I Start An Online Business Or Stay A Creator?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2022 7:00


    A lot of people want to start online businesses these days, but not everyone is able to effectively run one. This episode explores whether or not you should stick with being a creator or maybe you have what it takes to carry out all the business operations. 

    Should You Install Free Plugins on WordPress

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2022 9:54


    In this episode, I talk about installing free WordPress plugins and what that might mean for your website. For more information about website strategy and content marketing, visit marlonmcpherson.com

    How to Choose a Good Domain Name for your Website

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2022 8:10


    Domain names are an extension of your brand and choosing the right one can be a big deal. It can get tricky as the most common names are taken and this might force you to become a bit more creative with your domain name of choice. This episode will give you some tips around how to choose a good domain name even if what you have in mind isn't available. Associated post https://marlonmcpherson.com/60

    How Many Blog Posts Do You Need to Get Good Website Traffic

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2022 9:38


    Blog posts are an ideal way to attract and keep more visitors to your website. But, how many do you actually need to begin with? Let's explore this in today's episode. Check out the related post here: marlonmcpherson.com/59

    6 Things You Need To Know BEFORE Creating A Business Website

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2022 11:03


    I've created several websites for myself and others and I have seen some common misconceptions or mistakes around how to approach things, and I want to share some thoughts on this. When creating a website for a business there are some things to bear in mind so that you can properly plan and get a good outcome. That's what I'll be covering in this episode. See the related post here: marlonmcpherson.com/58

    6 Ways to Protect Your WordPress Website From Hackers

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2022 13:54


    All websites are vulnerable to attacks by hackers who can leave malware or wreak havoc in other ways on your website.  In this episode, I share some ways that you can protect your WordPress website from hackers. Learn more at marlonmcopherson.com

    Buyer's Lifecycle Stages | Understanding the Purchasing Journey

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2022 7:55


    In this post, I touch on the various stages that a customer or client goes through in the buyer's journey or the purchasing lifecycle. Understanding this can help you improve the way your marketing and sales process work. Applying the principles will help you improve your approach to conversions on or off your website.

    How to Optimise Your Website for Conversions

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2022 10:00


    If you have a website for your business, the most important thing is that it needs to perform well when it comes to turning visitors into leads or buyers. It's not about looking pretty, flashy, cool because none of that matters if your website doesn't convert. So today I'll be talking about a few ways in which you can optimise your website for the best conversions. Learn more: https://marlonmcpherson.com/55

    Backing Up Your WordPress Website and Why it Matters

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2022 8:21


    Your website is always vulnerable to threats that can either damage your website or take it completely offline. If you are not prepared for this, you could end up losing everything you've put lots of hard work and money into. Today I'm going to talk about keeping up-to-date backups of your website so that you can always go back to a previous version if all else fails. Learn More Here: https://marlonmcpherson.com/54

    How to Be More Consistent with Online Content

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2022 7:33


    One of the biggest struggles with doing online content is to stay consistent. I'm sure a lot of people struggle with this, just as I have in the past. Today I have some tips for you that's helped me and hopefully they can help you be more consistent with your online content as well. Full show notes: marlonmcpherson.com/53

    5 Must Have Online Videos for Your Service-Based Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2022 8:31


    When starting out with online videos for your business there are some key videos you need to have from the get-go. and, spoiler alert, none of them involve talking about your brand, history or how amazing your company is. People are not that interested in that, what they really need is help! In this episode of the podcast, I talk about 5 must-have online videos every service-based business should have. See the full post or show notes here: marlonmcpherson.com/52

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