New Facebook Layout Being Tested on Some Users – Here’s Where They Moved Everything

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In March 2022, Facebook launched a new layout for a small subset of desktop users. While there doesn’t seem to be any change to the mobile layout, this is still a huge change. The new Facebook layout seems to be compulsory for those “selected” to receive it and Facebook doesn’t seem to be offering much in the way of support for it. Everything needed to navigate the site has been moved and some are finding it very hard to use. There hasn’t been any official word from Facebook regarding the new layout – or even that they’re testing it – but there are enough users who were “voluntold” to be Beta Testers that there can be no other conclusion.

Although no one here at Steady Radiance Design has had the change forced on us, we were able to get access to an updated account so we can show you exactly what’s changed and how to navigate this new Facebook layout. Check out the video below, or if you prefer to read through the differences, we’ve written out our full comparison, complete with screenshots below the video.

For the purposes of this description, we’re going to call the current/standard layout the “old” layout and the new Facebook layout the “new” layout. Don’t read anything into that though, we have no idea if this “new” layout is here to stay or not!

Top Navigation

The biggest change with the new Facebook layout is that all the navigation options across the top of the page have been moved to a menu on the left. Here’s a side-by-side comparison showing where the old navigation options are in the new layout. You can see just by the number of markers we had to use that they really did move everything.

 

Accessing Your Profile

One of the more confusing changes is the way you access your profile. On the old layout, you simply had to click your profile picture to view your profile. Although the location of your profile picture has changed once or twice, we’ve all been taught that clicking your profile picture – no matter where you see it – takes you to your profile. Not anymore! Depending on where your profile picture is on the page will determine what it does in the new Facebook layout.

In the new layout, if you’re on your home page (a.k.a. your Newsfeed, which you access by either clicking the Facebook logo or the “home” button), you can access your profile by clicking on your profile picture at the top of the page, just to the right of the Facebook logo or by clicking your profile picture next to the “What’s on your mind…” box where you can start a new post.

If you’re on any other page – such as a Group or another friend’s profile – the only way to access your profile is by clicking on your profile picture at the bottom left of the screen, then clicking your name/profile picture on the flyout menu that opens.

 

Group Pages

The last significant change in the new Facebook layout is the navigation on Group pages. A lot of people use groups as a main source of sharing/receiving information, so this change has caused quite a stir, especially among Group page admins who suddenly “lost” some options they use frequently. Here’s where you can find the navigation options and tabs in the new layout.

 

Final Thoughts

If you have the new Facebook layout and you’re having difficulties finding anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

Fast and Easy Products

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How many partially completed products, books, or group coaching programs do you have sitting around on your shelves or in your computer? If you’re like most entrepreneurs, the answer is a resounding “far too many!” And frankly, the reason you have all of those incomplete projects isn’t because you don’t know your subject, or because you’re a poor writer, or even because you don’t have time. The real reason is because you’re overthinking the whole process. Fast and easy products are much more simple than you may think.

Right now, you’re probably buying into the belief that you must:

  • Create something from scratch.
  • Make something that looks just like every other program or product in your niche.
  • Build something so comprehensive and massive that it encompasses every aspect of your subject, from soup to nuts.

And every one of these beliefs is holding you back from creating the exact program your target market is looking for—and it just happens to be something you can put together in an afternoon (or less) with the content you already have on hand.

Step 1: Identify The Problem

This is not a huge, overreaching problem such as “how do I build a mailing list” but rather a single problem that has a single solution. So rather than trying to solve the problem of building an entire list, try solving the problem of just setting up a mailing list.

It’s a single problem that you very likely have the solution for right in your business documentation. Easy products should be just that – easy!

Step 2: Define Your Process

Using the example of setting up a mailing list, chances are you have worksheets and checklists for your VA (or you) to follow. It’s a step-by-step plan that walks you or your team through the process of setting up a new mailing list.

For someone who’s struggling with getting their first auto-responder set up, this simple and easy deliverable can be a real lifesaver.

Step 3: Share What Works

Package up your already existing business documentation and viola! You have a new fast and easy product you can get up for sale in a single afternoon.

The only question now is, why haven’t you done it yet?

 

Image from Pixabay

5 Life-Saving Professional Services for Stay-at-Home Moms Starting a Business

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Guest post by Leslie Campos of Well Parents

Staying at home and taking care of your children is a challenge enough of its own, but simultaneously taking on the role of an entrepreneur can make your day-to-day schedule even more difficult to handle. The launch of your company is a vital and time-consuming period as a business owner, but you don’t have to do it alone. By hiring the right team of experts to stand by your side and assist with the details, you can set your business and family life up for success. Here’s a list of services that can help you with your business.

Business Consulting

While you may have expertise in a particular product or service you can sell, this doesn’t mean you’re fluent when it comes to the specifics of starting and running a business. This is where a business consultant comes in. Professionals in this field often have a business degree and several certifications, as well as experience, under their belt. They can help you focus on the most profitable business model, whether you are planning to make income through an e-commerce, affiliate, freemium, or subscription-based model.

Business Formation Services

Forming your business structure, whether that be a corporation or LLC, can be complicated and time-consuming. But you don’t have to take it on yourself, nor do you have to pay a pricey attorney to do the work. Online formation services like Zenbusiness are a convenient and affordable resource, walking you through and completing the process quickly. An LLC is a popular choice for startups, as it offers liability protection to your assets and avoids the double taxation of a corporation. LLCs also have tax advantages, and less paperwork is required during formation and later for filing (which an online service also takes care of). States have different regulations around forming an LLC, so check the rules in your state before moving ahead.

Website Development and Design

Having a space to call your own on the internet is an exciting step in becoming a business owner. A website allows potential customers to find your business, and it gives you a spot to write blogs, build out a shop, include a contact form, or display an impressive resume.

While there are several easy-to-navigate website building programs available online, a website development and design company like Steady Radiance Design can help bring your vision to life and make sure your site boasts fast load speeds and SEO. Additionally, you should take time to choose a professional you’re comfortable working with for a while since your developer may take care of hosting your website after it’s launched for a monthly fee.

Public Relations and Marketing

As soon as your business is ready to be released to the world, you need a way to announce your launch. Studies show you only have one chance to make a good first impression, so it helps to hire a public relations professional who can write great copy and start building a positive reputation for your brand. You’ll want to continue building your online presence and attract the right people to your company with the help of a digital marketing company.

Babysitting or Nanny Services

While you settle into your new role, you may want to consider hiring a babysitter or nanny to help care for your kids while you navigate the specifics of starting a new business. You may have chosen the work-at-home route so you can spend more time with your kids, but having help available when work gets stressful can help you focus on one task at a time, allowing you to dedicate your full attention to your family when the workday is over.

Even for the mom who can do it all, there’s no shame in enlisting the help of other professionals as you set your business up for success. By establishing a good foundation, you’ll be able to fulfill all your responsibilities more effectively in the long run and watch your startup grow. Let Steady Radiance Design help you in your journey — but don’t take our word for it!

Image via Unsplash

Generate More Sales and Repeat Customers With Automation

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As any smart business owner knows, the key to passive income is a well-established (and full) funnel.
So of course you’ve optimized your opt-in pages and monetized your download pages and encourage more buyers through well-placed upsells and downsells.

Well done! But what about the follow-up?

Do you contact customers about the products or services they didn’t buy? Do you encourage them to use the products they have purchased? Are you making sure they know about all your other wonderful programs?
If not, you’re missing the boat. But the good news is, this can be easily managed with just a bit of simple automation, and when done right, it will smoothly lead your customers from one purchase to the next, at the exact right time for them to take advantage of your best offers.

Segment Your Audience

Many autoresponder services allow you to target emails based on reader action. Want to send a follow-up email to those who clicked a specific link? Create a segment and mail away. Want to re-engage with those who haven’t opened your emails in a while? Easy to do, and you can potentially recover subscribers who have gone missing.
In more sophisticated systems you can dig even deeper, and move people from one series to another based on their buying habits. That way you’ll never promote a product a reader already owns. Not only that, but you’ll always be able to offer the very best next thing, no matter where a subscriber is in your funnel.

Still another way to segment your list is according to what they do not buy. If a subscriber has been on a list where you’re promoting your top-level coaching program, and she has not yet purchased, it may simply be too expensive for her at this time. Consider moving these readers to an autoresponder series promoting a lower cost option instead.

All of these tactics require that you know your audience and your products exceptionally well. Study your stats. Know your open and click rates. Pay attention to the promotions that work, as well as those that fall flat. With that information in hand, you’ll be better able to effectively segment your lists and make the most of all the parts of your funnel.

Common Mistakes That Send Affiliate Partners Running

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Affiliate Partners are a huge asset for any coach or product seller. They’re the ones who are out there singing your praises, spreading the word about your services, and helping you reach a larger audience than you could on your own. Not only that, but they generously lend their good name and reputation to your business, so it makes sense that you want to treat them as well as possible.
But there are some mistakes that product sellers make over and over again that will frustrate and even turn your potential affiliates away. Here’s how to fix them.

No Promotional Calendar

Busy entrepreneurs are obsessive planners. They know they need to produce content, mail their lists, create products, speak at events, and all the other marketing tasks that go with owning a business. They very likely maintain a calendar that helps them stay focused and on track. If you want them to promote you, it’s a good idea to publish your own promotional calendar so they know what’s coming up.
This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, and it doesn’t have to stretch for weeks or months ahead, but it should give them a bit of notice about upcoming launches so they can work your products into their schedule.

Launching Without Them

Got a big product launch coming up? Excellent! But don’t even think about launching without your affiliates on board. Your lists most likely have some overlap, and promoting to your list before you allow affiliates to mail will result in lost sales for them—and angry affiliates who won’t be anxious to promote you again.

Stealing Their Sales

This should go without saying, but if you’re considering creating your own affiliate link for your products, stop. Mailing your list or posting on Facebook with your own affiliate link will—in most systems—result in your promotions overriding those of your affiliates. In short, you’ll be stealing their sales, and no affiliate partner will want to promote you after that.
If you need a tracking link, there are far better ways to go about it than to create an affiliate link in your own system.

Slow Pay

No excuse is ever good enough for failing to pay your affiliates on time. If you promise to pay monthly, then you must make that a priority. It’s never okay to “borrow” from your affiliate payments to cover an unexpected bill or take advantage of an opportunity. To do so is bad form, bad karma, and will give you a reputation for unreliability.

Your affiliate partners are some of your most precious assets. Treat them as such, and they will return the favor with increased sales, more leads, and plenty of social love.

Quick and Easy Tweaks to Automate Your Sales Funnel

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure for more info.

When it comes to leveraging your time, automation is the sharpest tool in your toolbox. It allows you to get more done in less time, and to smoothly move people through your sales funnel.

For many small business owners, though, that’s one area that’s often overlooked is your website.

Use Your Blog to Build Your Mailing List

Like any smart business owner, you likely have opt-in forms on your website. They’re in the sidebar or maybe the footer, and you might have a pop-up to capture attention as visitors are about to leave. (If you aren’t using pop-ups, you should be! Here’s my favorite WordPress plugin for pop-ups.)

But do you have a solid call to action at the end of your blog posts? When a new reader is finished consuming your posts, are they primed to learn more? Give them the opportunity by offering an opt-in at the end of each post.

Even better, make it a logical next step by creating a related offer for each post. Called a content upgrade, these offers typically consist of a simple checklist or worksheet and capture attention by providing even more information about a topic they’re already interested in. You can even customize the forms on each blog post with tags so you can target them further in your sales funnel.

Keep Them Reading With Related Links

How often do you revisit old blog posts to link to newer content? This is an important maintenance job that will help provide visitors with the information they’re looking for by linking related posts together.

Not only is this strategy good for keeping visitors on your site, but Google approves as well. Posts that link to each other encourage search engine bots to crawl your site more thoroughly and help boost the rankings of your most relevant posts.

[Hint: This is a perfect job for your VA.]

Make the Best of Your Download Pages

Whether you’re giving away a free report or paid product, your download pages can pull double-duty by offering visitors a “what’s next” option. For free download pages, a related, low-cost product is best. It gives readers the chance to learn more about you with a small investment.

For paid products, consider offering a complementary product instead. If you’re protecting your download pages with a membership script, you can even offer upsells based on what they already own, making the choice even easier for them.

And if you’re using a double-opt-in mailing list, make use of that confirmation page, too! That’s the perfect place for a quick upsell or an invitation to join you in your Facebook group or weekly Periscope.

Here’s a good rule of thumb to follow on your website: Whenever a reader lands on a page, she should be offered the next logical step. When you write your blog posts or create your download pages, keep that in mind, and your sales funnel will practically fill itself.

3 Unusual Places to Find Affiliate Partners

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No matter how proudly you embrace the “solopreneur” title, there comes a time when you absolutely must reach out for help. And for savvy business owners, that help often comes in the form of affiliate partners.

Also called JV partners, affiliates act as your own private sales army, spreading the word about your products and services to a whole new audience—theirs. Not only do you reach people who might otherwise never encounter you, but you also benefit mightily from your affiliate’s existing relationships. By promoting you, an affiliate is endorsing you to their audience. They’re saying, “I know this seller; I trust them, and you should, too.”

But even with all those many benefits, coaches and product sellers sometimes struggle to find great partners. Sure, lots of people will register for your affiliate program, but the Pareto Principle is alive and well when it comes to affiliates: 20% of your partners will do 80% of the work. That means your goal is to recruit higher-performing partners.

The only question is, where do you find these great partners?

Pick Your Virtual Assistant’s Brain

Chances are good that your VA works for other business owners in similar niches. If you’re a business coach, they very likely work with several other coaches and they’re in a position to know…

  • Where their clients are in the business development cycle (ideally you want established partners, not newbies)
  • Their audience demographics (so they’ll know if they’re a good fit or not)
  • Their willingness to promote (some people simply don’t do affiliate partnership, so it’s a waste of time to approach them)

Look to Your Best Clients

Especially if you’re a business coach, your clients might just be your biggest fans—and they’re in a position to recommend you to friends, family, social connections, and elsewhere.

Be sure your clients all know that you offer a referral/affiliate program, how to sign up, and what the benefits are.

Your Competitors

It’s true—your competitors might just be your biggest affiliates if you give them a chance.

In some circles (such as business and relationship coaching) clients tend to “graduate” from one coach and move to another. This is normal and to be expected. And when you’re on good terms with your competitors, the coach their ex-clients move to might just be you.

Don’t be afraid to look in unusual places for your next affiliate partner. You really never know who can connect you with potential clients and partners. Think about all your relationships—from your team to your social circles to your competitors and colleagues—and consider all of their relationships and how far that might stretch. Then pick up the phone or draft an email and start leveraging your contacts!

6 Easy Ways to Energize Your Workday

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While you’re at work, it’s common to feel overwhelmed with all the projects you’re juggling. Concentrating for a long period of time can be taxing both emotionally and physically. This often results in a tired mind, aching muscles, and a complete lack of energy. What can you do to revive and energize yourself during your workday while still being productive?

Check out these suggestions for incorporating short breaks into your daily work routine:

  1. Close your eyes and listen to three songs. Most people have their favorite music easily accessible on their phone, MP3 player, or other electronic devices. Choose music that relaxes you and if you can, put your head down on your desk and listen to three full songs.
    • Let your stress float away and clear your mind as you let the music flow in.
    • Music soothes the body and soul. After three songs, you’ll be surprised at how relaxed and energized you feel. You’ll regain the strength necessary to make it through the rest of the day.
  1. Shut your office door, prop your feet, and lean back. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and count backward from 50. You’ll be comforted by the sound and feel of your own ability to inhale and exhale. Then, open your eyes and you’ll feel refreshed.
  2. Take a brisk 10-minute walk. No matter how big or small your office, you can always take a stroll around the hallways or between the cubicles. If you need some fresh air, go outside and walk around the block. Getting your blood pumping at an optimum level will energize you and make you feel revitalized!
  3. Splash cool water on your face. Go to the restroom, splash cool water on your face and wrists, and then dry them off. Sometimes, cool stimulation to those areas is not only refreshing but can also wake you up if you’re feeling sleepy.
    • If you prefer, wet a paper towel with cool water. Then you can continually blot your face, neck, arms, and wrists to stimulate your senses.
    • It’s amazing how much this little break can perk you up, energize your mind, and allow your positive energy to flow again.
  1. Relax and rejuvenate with a power nap. If your employer allows you a 15-minute break in the afternoon, use it to take a nap. Even if you don’t usually take naps, give it a try.
    • Set your cell phone alarm for ten minutes and try to snooze. If you have your own office, close your door, get comfortable in your chair, and grab a few minutes of shut-eye. If you don’t have your own office, go out to your car or use an empty conference room.
    • When the alarm goes off, you still have five minutes left to take a brief walk around your department, grab a refreshing drink of water, or have quick chat in the break room.
  1. Go for a change of scenery. You might break out of your rut when you’re able to change your view.
    • If you work in a large office, try working in the conference room. You can even try sitting in a different chair or on the couch in your office.
    • If you work from home, take your laptop outside and sit on the porch to work. Or try working in the living room today if you’re the only one home.

Although work can be tedious, you have some choices in what you can do to relax, revitalize, and energize yourself throughout the day.

Use music, deep breathing techniques, walking, cool water splashes, power napping, and scenery changes in order to keep yourself alert and focused. These methods will help you embrace that next big project with optimism and renewed energy.

Which of these have you tried? How did they work?

Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

Eliminate All But The Essential Tasks: A Guide to De-Cluttering Your Life

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If you have an endless list of tasks that need to be done, and most of us do, it can be overwhelming. The list just gets longer and longer each day because you can’t get today’s list completed, and more tasks just keep coming at you.

If you can pare your list of to-dos down the most important tasks, you can keep your planning and time management system simple. A simple list of the 3-5 most important things is all that nearly anyone needs to be very effective and successful.

Follow these steps to manage your time and make success your reality:

  1. Get rid of the extra stuff in your life. Unless you live like a monk, you have more stuff than you need or use. If it’s not important to your life, consider getting rid of it. You spend a lot of time and money on those things that provide minimal value. Eliminate the clutter in your life and you eliminate a lot of the clutter in your mind.
  2. Eliminate the trivial. Start by making a list of everything that you feel you need to get done. Cut the list in half, removing the things that aren’t absolutely necessary. Don’t worry; you can come back to those items later. Now go through the same process and cut the list in half again.
  3. Review your goals. What have goals got to do with eliminating all but the essential? Reviewing your goals allows you to see what tasks are most essential. Assuming that your goals are very important to you, they provide an excellent tool to evaluate which tasks are the most important to you.
  4. Be aware of what’s essential. The essential things are those that support your goals. Pay your bills on time, work toward your goals, and take care of yourself and your family. Life is short; spend it on the most important stuff.
  5. Evaluate your other commitments. Is the weekly poker game worth it? Golf every Wednesday? Clubs, charities, committees, and more all take time. Eliminate the extra activities that mean the least to you. This includes all the people in your life, too. Some people you’re stuck with, others are optional.
  6. Minimize your sources of information. We all spend too much time receiving information and too little time doing worthwhile tasks. Cut back on TV, newspapers, browsing the Internet, email, Twitter, and Facebook. It’s largely wasted time that could be better spent.
  7. Review your list regularly. Periodically, take a look at your list of things to do and go back through the elimination process. Don’t worry about the stuff that gets axed. If it’s important, it will come back around after the really important stuff gets done.

We have a tendency to do the things that are the easiest; what’s important is to do the critical few items each day. Simply ask yourself what the advantage is to getting an item done and what is the disadvantage to not getting it done. Don’t choose tasks based on what is the quickest or most enjoyable; that’s what average people do. Be exceptional and do the most important items. If you spend all day on important tasks, your life will be remarkable.

Life doesn’t have to be an endless list of obligations. The key is to recognize that only the most important tasks really matter. When you can see that, you feel free to start chopping obligations.

Most of us major in minor things. Focus on the most important stuff and feel comfortable letting the rest slide. You’ll have more free time and your life will change for the better.

Did any of these tips really “speak” to you regarding how to de-clutter your life?

Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.