The Commission Code for Success

Digital First Impressions: The Website Revolution You Need

• The Commission Code For Success from Sims Training and Consulting, LLC • Season 1 • Episode 14

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Are you secretly embarrassed by your website? You're not alone. 

In this revealing episode of the Commission Code Podcast, host Morris Sims welcomes guest Lindy Nowak, founder of Up In A Day, who uncovers the hidden business blocker affecting countless entrepreneurs: website embarrassment. This powerful conversation exposes how outdated, unattractive, or poorly-functioning websites prevent businesses from launching marketing campaigns, sending traffic to their sites, and ultimately growing their revenue.

Lindy shares her fascinating journey from corporate creative director at brands like L'Oreal and Women's Health to entrepreneurship, explaining how she identified a critical need among small business owners for professional, conversion-driven websites without the typical headaches and high costs. Her company's focus on rapid turnaround isn't just about speed – it's about removing barriers that keep businesses stuck in place when "business waits for no one."

The discussion tackles essential questions every business owner faces: Does everyone truly need a website? How important is strategic messaging? What platforms work best for different business types? Through practical insights, Lindy explains why websites serve as crucial conversion platforms even when initial contact happens elsewhere, and how proper messaging attracts ideal clients while filtering out poor fits.

For those wondering how to drive traffic to a new website, the episode provides actionable strategies from leveraging warm networks to creating valuable content that solves problems for ideal clients. Lindy also unpacks the power of strategic email marketing that educates rather than constantly sells, keeping businesses top-of-mind during the multiple touchpoints of the buyer's journey.

Whether you're a solopreneur frustrated with DIY website attempts or an established business owner whose digital presence no longer reflects your evolution, this episode delivers the framework to transform your website from a source of embarrassment to a powerful business asset that drives growth and builds confidence.

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Speaker 1:

they're actually. The biggest problem, to be honest, is they're embarrassed by their website and that's keeping them from moving forward, and I see it and hear it all the time. I know I need to make more sales. I have this marketing campaign that's sitting on the side but I'm too embarrassed to send people to the website, or the website isn't set up for conversions because the messaging isn't set up for conversions, because the messaging isn't right and the design is ugly.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Commission Code Podcast. We're here to help you overcome the challenges that most of us face in our business. From time to time, you know things like feeling like you're on a plateau and you just can't seem to grow your business. Or maybe feeling overwhelmed, just trying to make ends meet and yet it seems like you're always working. Or maybe you've done quite well for a while, but now nothing seems to be working anymore. Well, we want to help you solve those problems and many more. Our objective is to provide you with practical solutions so you can grow your business and have more time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Speaker 2:

My name is Morris Sims and I'm going to be your host for this show spent years okay decades really in the corporate world, teaching business owners how to increase their revenue and use professional sales processes and run their business more effectively and efficiently. I started my own consulting and training business about seven years ago, I guess, and I'm helping my clients do just exactly that Get more revenue, increase their revenue and have more time to enjoy the fruits of their labor. But I got to tell you I'm having more fun than ever helping people build successful businesses. So, with all that said, let's get on with today's episode of the Commission Code for your Success. Lindy Nowak is our guest today on the Commission Code for your Success, and I got to tell you this is going to be good, because Lindy is all about websites and getting out there and making yourself visible and, as we've said so many times, it's not about who you know, it's about who knows you, and websites help you do that. So, Lindy, thank you so very much for being with us today on the Commission Code.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, Morris, for having me. I'm very excited to be here today.

Speaker 2:

Well, we're going to have some fun, no matter what. That's always the case. Tell us about what you do. I mean, you've got a wonderful little company called I say little, that wasn't very nice of me. You've got a wonderful little company called I say little, that wasn't very nice of me. You've got a wonderful company called Up In A Day and it's all about websites. Tell us a little bit about you and about the business that you do.

Speaker 1:

Sure, yes, I am the founder of Up In A Day and we build easy-to-use, turnkey, professional, conversion-driven websites for small businesses, micro-business owners, even solopreneurs, without the headache, and I'll go into a little bit more about that in a little bit. But a little bit about my background. I started my career in corporate in New York City and my first job was working for Peanuts at a small digital marketing and branding studio. So I started off as a graphic designer at post-college and from there I just moved really quickly into larger companies and up the ladder. My first real position was at L'Oreal and I was there for about four years. I had a couple years in Brazil and while I was in Brazil I worked at a studio, a branding agency, who had L'Oreal as a client. So that was my account and then, after Brazil, went back to New York and I was the art director at Carol's Daughter, which was then acquired by L'Oreal, and that was a beautiful transition into publishing, where I truly believe is how I ended up running the company today and the way we work and the philosophy etc. I started at Bon Appetit magazine and then went into Entertainment Weekly and People magazine and then from there I was. My last position was at Women's Health magazine and what was interesting in publishing was that, aside from the graphic design, I was actually the creative director in the marketing and sales departments at all of these brands, which was super cool because and incredibly rewarding because it was such a learning experience we're putting together advertisements, partnerships, sponsorships, events, everything built around advertising, because, you know, we're the business side of the magazine, and it was just so much fun and I learned so much.

Speaker 1:

Fast forward, we moved to Miami and I decided that corporate was not for me. I'm not sure if it ever was. Yeah, I understand, I am from a family of entrepreneurs. I'm the only one out of probably 40 of us that went to New York City and fell into a corporate position. So I decided to start my own business and I took everything that I knew at the time and built a small little digital marketing firm. It was called, you know, creative. We were doing really well.

Speaker 1:

This is small, freelance 1099s and I had some really small clients and I had some larger clients from my corporate days, of course, and that network in New York City and what was happening is, you know, a couple things. One, we were obviously retainer-based, being a digital marketing firm and that was great. But it was hard to scale just being on my own. And secondly, I started kind of dreaming of creating a product, a productized service, which, back in you know, six years ago, was kind of dreaming of creating a product, a productized service, which back in, you know, six years ago, was kind of a nuanced idea, didn't really exist. We're not really talking AI yet.

Speaker 1:

So while I was kind of scheming up some ideas on the side, we started getting a lot of referrals coming to us and at the time we were building really large websites in Squarespace and Shopify, but these were small business owners one to five people shops or one person shop, desperate for a website.

Speaker 1:

Yesterday, and it was incredible to see and hear the struggles that they were going through or had gone through in order just to get a professional website that actually worked for their business. So you know they were, they tried to design it on their own because they couldn't find one. You know, or they their developer disappeared, or they spent $10,000 on a website that's not found on Google and like all these like crazy stories, I was like, oh my gosh, why isn't, you know, the days of the buy it now button on Amazon. Why isn't there a turnkey solution for small business owners, micro business owners, to get really, really great websites up and running quickly, without the headache, without the high costs, hitting costs quickly. And so that was it, and Up in a Day was literally born in a five-minute just one, two, three and then, of course, five years of building the business model.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, five years of hard work. You know all these folks who become a vast, wonderful success. You know overnight yeah, right, overnight was five or six years ago. But, lindy, I love what you're doing now. This is really cool because I don't know about everybody else out there, but I've been through the whole thing. I've spent the $10,000 to get the website. That did nothing.

Speaker 2:

I tried to do it all on my own, and I am a Kajabi guy from the word go. I love it and I've built me a wonderful Kajabi website, but I didn't know what I was doing and finally got a friend of mine. I'm on my third or fourth website right now and it needs some work, but I don't know WordPress and I don't want to know WordPress and I don't really want to pay somebody thousands of dollars to go in and change a few words here and there. So websites are important though, aren't they? I mean not just any website, but a decent website. Tell us a little bit about your philosophy on that. I mean, does everybody really need a website lending? Does everybody really need a website?

Speaker 1:

lending. I do feel like you do need somewhere for someone to go after either they heard about you from someone or somewhere, or if they saw you on LinkedIn or Instagram or Facebook, twitter or X Sorry, I'm dating myself now and they need somewhere to go to find out more. I mean, let's face it, you go on to somebody's LinkedIn profile and the interface is so busy.

Speaker 1:

You have the ads on the right hand rail and then you have like all this, like stuff in your face and it's like, okay, just give me what I need to know in order to make a decision. And I truly, truly believe that a website doesn't matter how small, simple or big and complicated it is is the place where people go to convert. Even if they are going to your let's say, they go, you're chatting with them on LinkedIn or they come across your profile because you had a really great post they go to your website. They may message you on LinkedIn, but they're still going to your website for that confirmation. So we're true believers, like my team and I, of delivering websites where the messaging is strategic.

Speaker 1:

It's simple, it takes you. If you can capture somebody on that homepage, bravo. That's the goal. And really using language and design to capture the ideal client right? I know it sounds like that's such a kitschy word, but it's true. Ideal client, right? I know it sounds like that's such a kitschy word, but it's true. The ideal client, like someone that can relate, connect and then convert with you and for you especially, like your website is really important because for you personally let's say, you're in a service business, so all of your sales are done on the phone you have to have the consultation to make sure it's a good fit on both sides. So if your website is attracting the wrong people, they're ultimately wasting your time on the phone too, so it goes back and forth. So, yes, I'm a huge believer of having a website that works, but also a website that you're proud of, because it can be a very powerful marketing tool.

Speaker 2:

That sounds good. I mean, that's certainly the idea that we all have, is it certainly can be a great marketing tool. What you find is the general feel of the business owners out there that you work with. They come to you with a problem. What sort of problems do you solve for people, lindy?

Speaker 1:

We get a few problems coming to us. The first problem is the website is outdated and the services and or products have changed and they're not sure, frankly, what they need to say on their website or if they need a new website. But they know things have changed their services and they typically need a website revamp yesterday. So we see that very often. Other times we'll see individuals come to us I should be able to name this like lickety split, because I speak to people all day long. Or you know they need a second website, or they need a sales funnel website like yours, morris, or you know they need they're actually. The biggest problem, to be honest, is they're embarrassed by their website and that's keeping them from moving forward, and I see it and hear it all the time. I know I need to make more sales.

Speaker 1:

I have this marketing campaign that's sitting on the side but I'm too embarrassed to send people to the website or the website isn't set up for conversions because the messaging isn't right and the design is ugly. So we see that a lot and that's why we have such a fast turnaround, because we know that business waits for no one. Yes, we niche in fast websites, but it's not because we're trying to be like the quick go-to fixer-upper. It's really like no, we're fast because we have a system and process that allows us to really understand our business owner clients and their business and their ideal clientele quickly and to be able to deliver a website quickly, but also a website that's easy to use. So we build all of our websites in Squarespace and Squarespace we love because it can be easier to use at the end of the build out. It has a nice robust SEO platform because they're Google partners and you can add on to a Squarespace site on your own or easily and quickly add on to it with a freelancer or the same agency.

Speaker 1:

That's typically why we use it? Because our ideal clientele end up in a day are individuals who want to feel comfortable getting into their website to just update a button.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, I mean, that's that's I. I hey, I feel you that that's. That's. That's kind of where I am. I know there's several things on my site that desperately need to be changed, but I don't even begin to know how to get into WordPress. Is that right? Or whatever the heck it is to figure out how to change the to the. I mean it's just, it's not my business, not my expertise, not what I want my expertise. I don't want to spend time learning how to build a website. I want to hire somebody that knows that already.

Speaker 1:

Right, yes, Exactly. Your job is not to know how to build your own website. Yeah, Right, it's just. It's like any business, right? We we're? I just was listening to a podcast the other day and he uses this term called the 5%. As a business owner, you should only be doing 5% of what you're really good at, and if web development is not part of your 5% which for most business owners it's not- Right, right, that's for sure, it's not.

Speaker 1:

Right, right, that's for sure, but it's hard. It's hard to find an individual or a trusted agency that can deliver, that understands your business and that you trust. There are millions of agencies out there and I knew that going in when I started up in a day. I knew it out there and I knew that going in when I started up in a day. I knew it. I knew I was getting into a real like pool of $200 websites and $200,000 websites. So I had to really think about who we serve, but not just that, because we could serve anyone. You know, when you start a business, you're like I could serve anyone. But really, the value, so starting at when?

Speaker 1:

So when I started the business, it wasn't because it wasn't I'm going to go after these people, it was what is the value that I know I can bring to small business owners? Okay, Now, what is the tool that we can use in order to bring that value to those people? Cause I knew all of the referrals coming in six years ago. They were like so desperate and I felt so bad for them and I was like but it's so obvious and it's so easy and I was like well, there you go, the value of putting a smile on someone's face, a value of pushing their being, that one factor that gets them to the next level in their business, because they have the confidence and the pride and just to get to that next level. Okay, now my campaign is launching, let's do this. So I love that feeling, and the website, our service, is just a tool in order to provide that value to other businesses.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, and it is so necessary and so needed and so important. Boy, howdy is it important? Lindy, tell us how you define your niche. I mean, like you said, there's the $200 do-it-yourself website and there's the $200,000 website that you know has all sorts of stuff that you're probably never going to need or use or have anything to do with. What's your niche? How do you define that?

Speaker 1:

That is a really great question, one through a really great coach. When I started, I hired a coach to help me kind of compartmentalize who we can do this for, based on a price point because that's huge right your revenue goals, based on the service and the value and the execution that you provide, that you provide who can afford that. And so it started like that, I would say, our first year. We just kind of dotted around trying different industries. Then eventually, we hired another agency to help us with LinkedIn and some other social media platforms and it was really just to see it was seeing lots of factors, what kind of like what feels right, like who's a master market that we can go after. That we know needs our help. So that was. And then we have, I mean, pages and pages of different types of industries and breakdowns of of who these people are.

Speaker 1:

But I, we, we designed some websites in some like random professional services. Then we did finance finance. Okay, perfect, Finance is so great. You know why? Because these are these are really busy business owners, people in finance. These are really busy business owners, people in finance, bookkeepers, cpas, mortgage brokers, even real estate. They don't want to have anything to do with the website. They just want it done. They want it done right, so that's perfect for us. So then, okay, we know we like those guys. They're on the deeper pocket side, but we have price points for everybody. And then consultants, coaches, they're, they're great. A lot of our clients come to us with nothing but a logo, so we bring their brand to life through the website. And it was. And then eventually we realized this is a long-winded answer, but but it's. I know a lot of businesses go through this.

Speaker 2:

Oh, yeah, yeah, Really.

Speaker 1:

And eventually we just said okay, well, we know that these marketing channels work for us. We do very little paid ads, so let's just focus one marketing channel let's say LinkedIn only on consultants and coaches, for example. Let's just let that run and go and go, because our messaging is very strategic. And then we have another marketing channel where which we use and I can talk about that too where it's specifically going after finance professionals, for example or health and wellness, and not everybody hangs out at the in the same platform, so you have to think about where they are at.

Speaker 1:

Even if you don't have a specific, specific niche, at least you have your client avatar and you can pretty much Find out where they hang out online in order to capture their attention.

Speaker 2:

I have to believe that the whole thing really begins with what do I want to do all day long? What is this business I want to build? What do I want to do? How do I want my day to be? And to look, when I think of that, I think, gee, I would love to do podcasts all day long, I would love to do one-on-one coaching all day long and I would love to design and build training stuff all day long. So if I could have a business that would allow me to do those three things, boy Morris is going to be a happy camper. Now I can worry about, okay, who is my ideal client for those services? And once I can identify that, if you will ideal client, that ideal prospect, then you figure out where they live and figure out what they do to communicate, right?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I'm so glad you brought that up. I went through the same kind of that same journey where when we moved to Miami, I knew I would never go back into corporate again. I just I was, I'm a lone ranger, I I like to do things differently and I typically don't like to follow the pack.

Speaker 2:

I'm an individual in that way, and I mean, if'd stick around, though, if you just stuck with it, lindy, you'd be the CEO of L'Oreal right now. I know that's true. So with all that in mind, lindy, you know corporate was not my thing either. I have to agree with you wholeheartedly. I spent 32 years doing it and 20 years in New York myself, but I really wanted to get out there and do something on my very own and decided to go do this, and it sounds like you were pretty much the same way. Let me kind of rotate a little bit and change direction here for our last few minutes together. I build this website, or you build this website for me, and we've got this thing and it's a gorgeous little thing. It sits out there on the web and the ethereal space somewhere. How do I get my ideal client to even go there?

Speaker 1:

No, it's a great, great question. So let's talk about a new business getting traffic to their website. So and we help with this as well, because we understand that this is obviously a very common problem for a lot of service-based businesses who, let's call them, not locally owned they kind of service everywhere in the United States, for example.

Speaker 2:

So one, or in Spain, I mean, you know wherever you might happen. I just got to throw that in here. Y'all, lindy is actually in Spain today, but I'm in Texas, lindy's in Spain, and we're talking to each other. I thought that was pretty cool. Anyway, I'm sorry I interrupted. Lindy, go right ahead.

Speaker 1:

Very cool, yes, so I'm in Spain. Mindy, go right ahead. Very cool, yes, so I'm in Spain. So one tactic that we suggest business owners do is first reach out to their warm network. Send an email hey, I have this going on. Or hey, I just launched my new website. Put it on LinkedIn or whatever. Whichever social media channels you have. Sometimes you know we get in our own way as business owners. But it's okay to brag a little bit and you should be proud of this business and so announce it. Announce it to the world, get people interested.

Speaker 1:

Start creating content around different pieces of content on your website or, if it's pages, getting it out on social media. You could have a pop-up on your website, a freebie, a webinar, a free workshop things that will bring people into your site, and even having the workshop just a little blurb about it on your website with a quick sign-up. That gets people there. It gets people engaged, keeps maybe they want to check out your about page or your service page. It keeps them on your site and that is really good for SEO, because you will be rewarded for site traffic, obviously, and time on your website. So that's definitely helpful. Other tools you could have, and we're introducing new tools at Up in a Day to help small business owners get more conversions on their site, so chatbots or something like that.

Speaker 1:

Or, again, a downloadable freebie. However, you know there were different fun ways that you can do that freebie. However, you know there were different fun ways that you can do that. So that's typically a good place to start is just putting it out there to everybody, but be strategic about it, not just like, hey, check out my website, give them value. So every time you're posting on social media, it is not about you. The reason why you're taking all the time to post on social media is to get people to convert or to get people to do something right. We're posting to make sales, somehow some way to get revenue in the door. So creating that spark of huh or curiosity or hey, oh my gosh, you just totally educated me on that, that's amazing. Or hey, oh my gosh, you just totally educated me on that, that's amazing. That's going to drive visits to your website too, because clearly somebody is going to want to know more about you, the expert in the space.

Speaker 2:

And we're always trying to solve a problem for that ideal client, for that ideal prospect. To me, it's just really hard to figure out how to to do that. I've read a lot and I've seen a lot. I've had a couple of guests on talking about email marketing Lindy is that as exciting as everybody likes to make it out to be right now?

Speaker 1:

I am a huge proponent of email marketing. Again, if you are strategic about who you're talking to and the value and the service something that you are giving them, it could be a two-week trip campaign for new people coming to your website or people from a webinar, for example, or it could just be a newsletter with insights, and you can have more than one type of newsletter without spending a ton of time on each one. So, again, giving them something tangible that they learn from in a newsletter or something that they can sign up to or purchase is really in a mix of all of that is huge, because your newsletter shouldn't be all about you and what you're selling, because guaranteed you're going to get so many unsubscribes it's like it's not even worth your time. So, thinking about what it is that you want to share with your ideal clients through your newsletter.

Speaker 1:

Why is a newsletter important for revenue? Well, one thing that it does is it keeps you top of mind. So if your buyer or your lead or the person that you know would be like a perfect client or customer is not ready to buy, you have typically it's like seven touch points you have with this person, right? So a newsletter is beautiful because you're top of mind, you're offering something of value and, most importantly, they may know somebody who knows somebody who could use their service.

Speaker 1:

Which is always worthwhile.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, what was it In the six degrees of separation? You know, you know everybody in the world, or you know somebody that knows somebody that knows everybody in the world. It's, it's just crazy, lindy. Thank you so much for joining us today on the commission code.

Speaker 1:

You are so welcome. I had a great time. Thank you so much for having me, Morris.

Speaker 2:

Me too. Thanks for being here. Well, that does it for this episode of the Commission Code Podcast. This is the place where we want to help you find the commission code to success in your business. Remember, go to morrissimscom for more information and in the meantime, hey, have a great week, get out there and meet somebody new, and we'll see you again next time right here on the Commission Code. Best wishes. I'm Morris Sims, thank you.