It's Been A While . . .

Hello Out There!

If you've been reading any of my older posts, you might notice that things have not gone as planned as far as rolling out the DSL Yoga Website.

I ran into several technical challenges at the same time I got very busy with Clients. So of course, the website went on the back burner for a while, just doing a little here and there. I was getting pretty frustrated, though, with various problems that cropped up, so progress has been SLOW.

Yet the man who put together the software package I am using, Denis de Bernardy, has been extremely helpful. HE knows what great customer service is. I don't know if he could sustain that level of service if he got too many customers, but I am thankful I got involved before he got too popular.

For those of you who are interested, Denis' product is named Semiologic, an expansion of the WordPress Content Management and Blogging system.

http://www.semiologic.com/

If you are thinking of building a website that allows you to publish small and/or large bits of information on a regular basis, and keep in touch with your Students and Clients or Prospects, then take a look at his program. The main benefits are that it keeps all your writings organized so people can find them later, and provides pre-made templates so you can have a professional looking site immediately. When you are ready, there is a lot of customization you can do yourself or have done by a web master, as well.

WARNING! I discovered this software while trying to decide if I should spend two or three thousand dollars on an turnkey system. If you are a do-it-your-selfer, and can handle 20 or 30 hours of time on a learning curve, or have someone reliable that can manage it for you, this is a good way to go. This puts you in control of everything.

Be careful, however. I have talked to far too many people who could not get their web masters to do what needed to be done without a lot of delay or spending quite a bit of money, or both; which is why I decided to learn to do it myself. 50 or 100 dollars here and there on a regular basis adds up pretty fast. And if they go on vasction just when you need to put some important information out to your readers, you are STUCK!
If, on-the-other-hand, you are adverse to computer technology, it might be too much hassle and distraction for you. I was getting pretty frustrated myself with it all, but kept pushing, and with Denis' help, I think I'm over the hump of the learning curve.

His package is $300 dollars for the first year, and includes a LOT of great support.

There are also a set of teaching videos at Sherman Hu's webiste called WordPress Tutorials at:

http://www.wordpresstutorials.com/

If you sign up, his membership site is $27 per month. (I do not, as of yet, make any money off such recommendations. I am debating on whether or not I should become an affiliate of any products. It's nice to earn commissions, but I also want to remain as objective as possible.)

Also, if you want to try a basic version of the WordPress software — for FREE! — that you can have up and running in, literally, less than an hour, go to:

http://www.wordpress.com/

Here you will find a basic system you can sign up for, set up, and immediately start publishing information for your students and clients.

In this New Age of Information and Hi-Touch/Hi-Contact Marketing, the sooner you start doing stuff like this the better. . . . And it really is NOT that hard, compared to the potential benefits.

Though not necessary, I will be emphasizing these kinds of tools when I start my new offerings on marketing our kind of work, be it yoga, bodywork or bodymind/wholistic health programs.

Okay, More Later

David Scott Lynn