Why Digital Nomadism Isn’t Just a Lifestyle Anymore
Why Digital Nomadism Isn’t Just a Lifestyle Anymore It’s a movement. A migration. A quiet revolution. Once seen as a fringe lifestyle for Instagram influencers and freelance copywriters, digital nomadism has become a serious, intentional way of life for high-skilled workers, tech founders, AI engineers, product managers, and creative professionals. And it’s not just about escaping winter or drinking coconuts on the beach. It’s about sovereignty — financial, creative, geographical. — Why People Are Leaving Let’s call it what it is: People are tired of the West’s noise. The political tension, the inflation, the surveillance, the performative workplace culture, the rent prices, the wars, the media fear loop. It’s overwhelming. Many people aren’t “running away” — they’re running toward something better. A different pace. A chance to own their day, to wake up with purpose and silence. To spend more time building and less time commuting, politicking, or doom-scrolling. Whether it’s relocating to Tbilisi, spending 6 months in Sri Lanka, or basing themselves in Bali’s startup hub — the pattern is clear: > The most talented people are no longer centralized. They’re distributed, agile, and global. — The New Nomad Class This isn’t a backpacker economy anymore. It’s ex-founders, agency owners, marketers, operators, and developers who are realizing they don’t need to play by the traditional rules. You’ll meet: A former PM from Berlin launching her second product in Lagos An AI engineer from Canada building client tools from Medellín A SaaS cofounder from Sydney managing a remote team from Sri Lanka A systems designer from Ukraine running paid cohort courses while traveling through Thailand These aren’t people avoiding work. They’re just doing it better — and with way less stress. — What’s Fueling the Shift? The rise of asynchronous workflows — Zoom fatigue is real. Async tools (Loom, Notion, Slack, Linear) allow deep work and flexibility. Startups can be built leaner than ever — One good designer, a backend dev, and an AI assistant can ship a product. Decentralized teams are now expected, not feared — Investors, partners, and clients don’t blink when teams are spread across continents. Living costs have spiked in the West — $4,000/month in rent for a 1-bedroom in SF vs. a villa in Ubud for $900 with meals included. Spirituality, health, and lifestyle matter — The gym, the ocean, the meditation center — they’ve become part of the founder’s toolkit. — But It’s Not All Paradise Let’s not pretend digital nomadism is without friction. Visas are inconsistent and sometimes a pain Healthcare access varies Time zones mess with meetings Loneliness creeps in if you don’t build community It’s hard to scale a team if you don’t have solid systems Nomadism demands intention. Structure. Self-leadership. Without it, you’re just floating — and floating doesn’t build anything. But for those who get it right? It unlocks the most potent combination in modern life: > Freedom + Focus + Flow. — Drifting Desk: Born From This Life We didn’t write this from an office in Manhattan. We wrote it in between sprints from Colombo, brainstorms on beach walks in Canggu, and product testing calls from a co-working hut in Dahab. Drifting Desk was built by nomads for a reason: We saw a gap: talented people had the skills to build, but not the infrastructure. We built the playbook: hire async, design MVPs fast, test with real users, don’t waste time. We created TeamHandle, a plug-and-play hiring solution, because we needed it ourselves. Now we help founders and operators do the same — without needing to uproot their lives or be in one timezone. We believe in products born from freedom — but backed by serious systems. — Want In? We’re not selling a dream. We’re sharing a way of working — and living — that’s real, raw, and powerful. If you’re: A builder on the move A creator done with the 9-5 hustle A founder tired of the “hustle porn” but still hungry to ship Someone with talent who wants freedom with fire Then you’re one of us. Join our Drifting Desk Discord Pitch your idea at our Startup Road Trip in Bali Or just follow the stories of a new breed of builder: the global nomad product team.
Where the Builders Are: Mapping the Rise of Remote Startup Hubs in 2025
The startup scene is no longer bound to Silicon Valley. The best products are now coming out of small cafes in Canggu, desert co-working pods in Morocco, rooftop offices in Medellín, and high-speed trains between Istanbul and Sofia. In 2025, the question isn’t “Where are the VCs?” — it’s “Where are the builders?” And the answer? Everywhere. A Global Rebalancing For decades, building a startup meant being in a major city: San Francisco New York London Berlin Today, people are trading skyscrapers for surfboards, glass offices for jungle views — without losing ambition. Why? Because: Remote tech has matured AI has leveled the playing field Talent is borderless And frankly, people are burnt out by Western cost and chaos The New Builder Hubs (You Should Know About) 🏝️ Bali, Indonesia Who’s here: Startup bootstrappers, indie hackers, UI/UX designers, crypto bros, and spiritual founders Why: Affordable living, creative energy, endless networking in co-working spaces like Dojo and BWork Bonus: Close to the Aussie market and startup events in Singapore 🏜️ Dahab, Egypt Who’s here: Solo developers, freelancers, climate-conscious founders Why: Low cost, laid-back Red Sea vibe, amazing diving and unplug zones Underrated: The internet is solid. Communities are growing fast. 🏔️ Tbilisi, Georgia Who’s here: Tech founders from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the EU escaping instability Why: Visa-free access for many, cheap housing, great food, surprisingly rich tech culture 🏖️ Colombo & Southern Sri Lanka Who’s here: Product teams, early-stage bootstrappers, design agencies Why: Big talent pool, culture of service, fast-growing tech ecosystem, and a chill beach-to-meeting ratio Drifting Desk was built here 🌆 Lagos, Nigeria Who’s here: Local founders, fintech builders, mobile-first startups Why: Explosive growth, underserved markets, incredible energy Reality check: Infrastructure challenges, but the payoff is massive 🌄 Medellín, Colombia Who’s here: Devs, agency owners, crypto startups, and US expats building MVPs Why: Fast Wi-Fi, low cost, a growing bilingual tech scene, year-round spring weather What’s Common Across These Places? No matter where they are, these hubs all share a few things: 🌐 Strong internet 💸 Low cost of living 🧠 Creative & entrepreneurial community 🛠️ Access to coworking spaces, accelerators, and service providers 🌍 A sense of global connection — but also off-grid quiet In short: they help people build better. With less bullshit. So What’s the Catch? Let’s be honest — relocating isn’t always easy. Time zones can destroy your calendar Visas are still bureaucratic (though improving) Local laws and tax policies vary It can be lonely if you don’t plug into the right community There’s still a learning curve to working globally But if you design your systems, use the right tools, and build a team that’s async-first, the benefits easily outweigh the hurdles. What It Means for Builders, Freelancers & Founders Whether you’re: Starting your first MVP Running a lean agency Or freelancing in AI, design, or dev… These hubs give you: Time Headspace Focus Creative support Lower burn rate Faster iterations That’s the true currency in startup life: runway and focus. Drifting Desk: Helping You Build From Anywhere At Drifting Desk, we don’t just work with clients in these places — we’re there ourselves. We’ve helped: A Middle East-based founder hire a remote dev team across Sri Lanka & Kenya A Bali-based solo operator launch a course with AI automations A US-based startup build and test a prototype with a distributed product team Our mindset is global. Our tools are async-first. Our network? Nomadic, but strong. Where Do You Want to Build From? It’s a wide world. You don’t need a San Francisco zip code to ship something legendary. You just need: The right people The right tools The right environment And maybe a little guidance along the way. We’re building a global tribe of makers, operators, and misfits. If that sounds like you… 👉 Join the Drifting Desk Discord 👉 Pitch us during the Startup Road Trip in Bali
Building in the Age of AI: Speed, Illusions, and What It Really Takes
Introduction: The Illusion of “Easy” We’re living through one of the fastest shifts in product development history. Tools like GPT-4, Claude, Midjourney, and countless no-code platforms promise to help anyone launch a startup in days. Want a landing page? Ask ChatGPT. Need a backend? Spin up Supabase. Need a cofounder? Try an AI agent. The result? A generation of founders and builders convinced that launching products is now effortless—that the only thing standing between them and the next unicorn is one great idea and a few solid prompts. But here’s the reality we’ve learned while building inside AI’s slipstream at Drifting Desk: > The speed is real. The illusion is dangerous. And success still depends on mindset, execution, and team. This is the real story of what it takes to build in the age of AI. 1. The Acceleration is Real (But Misleading) There’s no denying it: building has gotten faster. At Drifting Desk, we’ve launched MVPs, prototypes, and internal tools in a fraction of the time it used to take. Here’s how AI changes the game: 🧰 AI-Powered Advantage ⚡ Result Code generation tools Build features in hours, not days Image + design generators Bypass creative block Testing + validation scripts Catch bugs automatically Voice + chat agents Run product demos, onboard users Auto docs + spec writers Ship with clarity and alignment But here’s the kicker: > Just because you can build fast Doesn’t mean you’re building right. 2. The Mirage of “One-Person Startups” It’s easy to scroll past success stories on Twitter and think: “Wow, that person built a SaaS product over the weekend using AI. Maybe I should too.” What’s often missing in those posts: They’ve likely built 5+ failed products before this one. They have technical + product chops to catch AI’s mistakes. They spend weeks testing, iterating, rewriting. They’re not just using AI—they’re mastering it. The myth of the “AI solo founder” creates a false sense of ease. Yes, you can build alone—but no, it’s not enough. Execution still requires: Market insight Technical validation UX sensitivity Customer development Business strategy AI is a partner. Not a business plan. 3. What AI Can’t Do (Yet) We’ve experimented with nearly every tool in the AI stack—from building automated pitch decks to running AI-powered outreach campaigns. Here’s where AI breaks down: ❌ AI Falls Short At Why It Matters Product intuition Can’t identify real pain points Market positioning Lacks context of culture + timing Business model testing Can’t simulate actual user behavior Brand building Generic content ≠ real resonance Execution under constraints Can’t adapt to real-world chaos Handling ambiguity Needs clear prompts, not blurry visions We’ve seen AI create dazzling mockups and garbage UX in the same day. Why? Because good product comes from tension—between what’s technically possible and what customers actually need. AI doesn’t live in that tension. You do. 4. Shortcuts = Tech Debt (With Interest) Let’s talk speed. Yes, AI helps us move faster. But every shortcut comes with hidden costs: Generative code = high chance of bugs Auto-generated features = poor architecture Fast-and-loose design = bad user experience Missing specs = poor collaboration At Drifting Desk, we often inherit products that were AI-bootstrapped and founder-led… and we’re brought in to clean up the mess. We’re not against quick builds. We’re against unsustainable shortcuts. 5. What You Actually Need to Build Well Today If you’re a founder or team building in this new AI age, here’s what still matters: ✅ Clear thinking AI won’t fix a bad idea. You need to know what you’re building, for whom, and why. ✅ Strong product leadership AI can help you ship. It can’t help you decide. ✅ Collaborative teams Solo founders burn out. Great teams iterate faster, ship better. ✅ AI fluency You don’t need to be a prompt engineer—but you must know what AI can and can’t do. ✅ Adaptability The tools will keep changing. Your strategy needs to evolve just as fast. 6. How We’re Navigating This at Drifting Desk We’ve built products for clients who are solo founders, funded startups, even agencies trying to pivot. Here’s what’s worked for us: Blending AI + human teams: AI speeds things up, humans make it make sense. Rapid prototyping with feedback loops: Test early, test often, kill fast. Remote collaboration done right: From Sri Lanka to Bali to Turkey, our teams know how to sync fast and ship faster. AI training + literacy: Every team member is AI-augmented. We build playbooks to stay ahead. > We don’t just use AI. We integrate it into our way of thinking, working, and scaling. Our internal tool, TeamHandle, was designed and shipped using this hybrid mindset—and we’re now helping other builders do the same. 7. Final Thoughts: The Real Work Still Matters Yes, you can launch faster. Yes, you can automate 40% of the process. Yes, the age of AI is powerful and liberating. But no—you cannot skip the real work. Understanding your customer. Designing meaningful UX. Building sustainable tech stacks. Managing product-market fit. Testing and iterating. Leading with vision, not just velocity.
Building Products in the Age of AI: It’s Easier—But Only If You’re Ready
Building Products in the Age of AI: It’s Easier—But Only If You’re Ready Introduction It feels like we’ve entered a new era. Founders are building MVPs in days. Tiny teams are launching AI-powered apps with global reach. Remote teams—from Bali to Berlin—are collaborating faster than ever. And everywhere you look, someone’s tweeting: “AI is replacing developers.” But here’s the thing: That’s only half the story. At Drifting Desk, we’ve been building digital products and teams for over a decade. We’ve worked across multiple markets—from Australia to the Middle East, and now increasingly from tropical nomad hubs like Sri Lanka and Bali. And yes, AI has completely changed the game… But it hasn’t made product building “easy.” It’s made it different. Faster in some ways. Trickier in others. The real winners? They’re not the people who just use AI. They’re the ones who know how to build, what to build, and who to build with. Let’s break this down. The Illusion of Speed Today, it feels like the barrier to entry has been shattered. You can prompt GPT-4 to sketch out a business plan. You can spin up a UI with tools like Framer, Webflow, or Dora AI. You can test copy, generate code, and deploy prototypes in hours. But people forget: this is only the surface layer. What comes next—the real product thinking—is still hard: You can copy a template, but not a vision. You can ship fast, but not necessarily well. We’ve seen startups burn $10k on AI-generated MVPs that no one ever used—because they skipped the hard part: understanding users and building trust. What’s Actually Easier (Thanks to AI) Let’s give credit where it’s due—AI has made some things significantly easier: ✅ Rapid Prototyping Tools like Appsmith, Bubble, and custom AI scripts mean we can create and test workflows quickly. At Drifting Desk, our internal MVP for TeamHandle (our AI-enabled ATS) was drafted in days and tested within weeks. ✅ Testing & QA We now write better test cases and find bugs faster using AI. It’s sped up our dev cycles by 30–50% in some sprints. ✅ Content Generation AI helps us write documentation, onboarding copy, and internal comms without losing hours on low-impact tasks. ✅ Idea Validation You can generate landing pages, ads, and outreach in a day—then test with $50 on Meta or Google and get real feedback. ✅ Remote Workflow Efficiency AI-driven project management, scheduling bots, and even code reviewers let us manage a distributed team without missing a beat. What’s Still Hard (and Always Will Be) 🧠 Strategic Thinking No AI can yet tell you whether the idea you’re working on is worth building. That takes experience, gut instinct, and real conversations. 🧩 Building the Right Team Remote-first doesn’t mean chaos. You still need the right people. At Drifting Desk, we’ve spent years recruiting developers and designers who can work async, think independently, and solve real problems. That’s not something AI can filter yet. 🎯 Product-Market Fit AI helps you ship fast. But unless you’ve got feedback loops, customer support, and iteration built-in—it doesn’t matter. 🛡️ Security & Compliance Especially in products like TeamHandle, where we manage candidate and hiring data, you can’t cut corners. GDPR compliance, secure infrastructure, encryption—all still matter deeply. 🤝 Trust AI can generate scripts, but it can’t build trust with users, partners, or investors. That comes from humans. Always. The New Product Builder’s Playbook So what does it take to build right now? Embrace AI—but don’t rely on it Use it to accelerate, not replace. Automate grunt work, but make time for real thinking. Small team, high trust The best builds we’ve seen come from 2–4 person teams who deeply understand each other, communicate well, and take full ownership. Rapid validation loops Ship → test → get feedback → iterate. Don’t build in silence. At Drifting Desk, our Discord is where beta users test features before they hit production. Focus on outcomes, not vanity We’re not chasing likes or fake traction. We’re helping remote-first teams manage hiring, documentation, and onboarding—all through TeamHandle. Because that’s the real pain point. Stay grounded This new world is noisy. Everyone’s launching. But most products won’t survive six months. Stay focused. Solve problems people actually care about. So… Is Now the Best Time to Build? Yes. If you’ve got the mindset, the willingness to learn, and the patience to build—this is absolutely the time. You can build more for less, faster, with the right people. But don’t be fooled by the noise. It’s not “easy.” It’s just faster. And sometimes, faster leads to failure—faster. Where We Fit In At Drifting Desk, we’re a remote-first, product-led company. Our founders are on the road—testing, building, collaborating across time zones. We’ve been through the chaos of hiring, scaling, pivoting, and failing. Now, we help others do it better: If you’ve got a product idea, a startup concept, or a pain point worth solving… Talk to us. We’ll help you test it, build it, and scale it—without the BS. 🔗 Join Our Nomad + Builder Community Start a conversation. Pitch your idea. Find a team. → Join our Discord → Follow us on LinkedIn → Explore TeamHandle
Escape the Disruptions: How Global Politics Are Fueling the Digital Nomad Revolution
Introduction 1. The Political Pressure Cooker: Why People Are Leaving U.S. and Europe: Economic strain, polarization, and brain drain Conflict zones and authoritarian regimes Migration vs. nomadism 2. Surf, Startups, and Structural Shifts: Where People Are Going 3. But There’s a Shadow—Gentrification, Community Strain, and Backlash 4. The Nomad Equation: Realism + Opportunity Geopolitical push meets visa pull Nomadism as modern resilience Value generation zones 5. DriftingDesk’s Role: Tools, Community, and Purpose 6. Real Stories, Real Change British couple in Bali Employment Hero’s corporate retreat 7. What It Means for the Future of Remote Work 8. Tips for Conscious Nomads & Remote Builders Know why you’re moving—economics, freedom, politics, cost savings? Consider local impacts—avoid gentrified micro-communities, support local small business, treat spaces with care. Stay legally compliant—use nomad visas where possible. Build with intention—join communities like DriftingDesk, ship with tools that support transparency and fairness. Stay mobile, not transient—focus on connection over popularity or content. Conclusion The rise of the nomad era is inseparable from the political and economic shifts around the globe. People are not just drifting—they’re seeking clarity, freedom, and meaning in unstable times. And many governments are adapting, turning markets upside down in pursuit of remote talent. That’s where DriftingDesk fits. We don’t sell escapism—we build tools, foster community, and help people create real work from anywhere. Our vision is simple: design systems so you can live, learn, and ship—without needing to compromise. Whether you’re packing your life into a backpack or building remote products with global teams, we’re here to support the transition. Escape is never just escape—it’s evolution. And for many today, nomadism is the frontier.
Remote Hiring Hurdles: Strategies for Success in a Virtual World
The landscape of remote work has undergone a seismic shift in recent years, with more professionals than ever embracing the flexibility and autonomy of remote employment. However, along with the myriad benefits of remote work come unique challenges, particularly in the realm of remote recruiting. Here, we explore the top eight challenges posed by remote recruiting—and offer solutions to help you overcome them. Challenge 1: Lack of Sense of Belonging Prior to the pandemic, only 6% of employees primarily worked remotely. Now, an estimated 25% of professionals work remotely as of 2023. Despite the growing prevalence of remote work, many remote employees struggle to experience a sense of belonging at work, according to a Slack report. Solution: Foster a strong sense of community and connection among remote team members through regular virtual team-building activities, one-on-one check-ins, and open communication channels. Encourage team members to share personal anecdotes and experiences to help create a more inclusive and supportive remote work environment. Challenge 2: Mental Health Concerns According to CBInsights’ State of Mental Health Tech 2021 Report, mental health startups raised $5.5 billion in 2021—an increase of 139% over the previous year. The shift to remote work has exacerbated mental health concerns for many employees, leading to feelings of isolation, burnout, and stress. Solution: Prioritize employee well-being by implementing mental health initiatives such as virtual counseling services, mindfulness workshops, and flexible work hours. Encourage open conversations about mental health and provide resources and support to help employees manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Challenge 3: Freelancer Boom The number of Americans who freelance has increased from 59 million in 2021 to over 73 million in 2023. Google search growth for “freelancing” over the last half-decade has risen by 282%. This surge in freelance workers presents unique challenges for remote recruiters, including increased competition for top talent and the need to adapt to a more fluid and dynamic workforce. Solution: Embrace the gig economy by leveraging freelance talent for project-based work and specialized expertise. Cultivate relationships with freelancers through networking events, online platforms, and referral programs to build a reliable pool of talent for your remote projects. Challenge 4: Importance of Remote Talent Platforms Almost 90% of business leaders consider remote talent platforms important to their organization’s future competitive advantage. However, navigating the vast array of remote talent platforms can be overwhelming for recruiters, making it challenging to find the right platform that aligns with their organization’s needs and goals. Solution: Conduct thorough research to identify remote talent platforms that cater to your industry, skill requirements, and budget constraints. Seek recommendations from colleagues, read reviews, and request demos to assess the platform’s features, user interface, and support offerings before making a decision. Challenge 5: Market Dominance of Fiverr and Upwork As of 2024, Fiverr and Upwork have a combined market cap of around $3 billion, compared with less than $2 billion in 2019. While these platforms offer access to a vast pool of remote talent, they also face criticism for their high fees, competitive bidding process, and lack of personalized support. Solution: Explore alternative remote talent platforms that offer specialized services, lower fees, and a more personalized recruiting experience. Look for platforms that prioritize quality over quantity, provide robust vetting processes, and offer dedicated support to help you find the right talent for your projects. Challenge 6: Virtual Interviewing Another survey found that 93% of those who have adopted virtual interviewing expect to continue the practice in the future. However, virtual interviewing poses unique challenges for recruiters, including technical glitches, communication barriers, and difficulty assessing candidates’ soft skills and cultural fit. Solution: Prepare candidates and interviewers for virtual interviews by providing clear instructions, conducting test runs, and offering technical support as needed. Implement structured interview formats, behavioral assessments, and interactive exercises to evaluate candidates’ suitability for remote roles and assess their adaptability, communication skills, and problem-solving abilities. Challenge 7: Hybrid Hiring Methods 61% of survey respondents in a Jobvite poll said they’ll continue with a mix of virtual and in-person methods for the hiring process. But 22% said they’ll stick to all virtual. This hybrid hiring approach presents logistical challenges for recruiters, including scheduling conflicts, coordination issues, and disparities in candidate experiences. Solution: Embrace a flexible and adaptive hiring approach that accommodates both virtual and in-person interactions. Leverage technology to streamline the hiring process, facilitate communication, and ensure a seamless experience for candidates regardless of their location or preferred mode of interaction. Challenge 8: Maintaining Human Connection While remote recruiting is integral to today’s hiring process, it doesn’t come without its difficulties. Remote recruiting lacks the human touch of traditional in-person interactions, making it challenging to establish rapport, build trust, and convey company culture effectively. Solution: Prioritize human connection throughout the recruiting process by fostering open communication, active listening, and empathy. Schedule regular virtual meetings or video calls to establish personal connections with candidates. Incorporate team-building activities, such as virtual coffee breaks or casual chats, to strengthen bonds and foster camaraderie among remote team members. Additionally, leverage technology to simulate in-person experiences, such as virtual office tours or interactive onboarding sessions, to help candidates feel more engaged and connected to the company culture. Source
Minimum Viable Product a.k.a. MVP – A Modern Solution For Modern Entrepreneurs
You must have noticed, just a few days before the grand premiere of a movie, how a trailer is always released. No matter how the movie is, the trailer does give an abundant idea about the concept of this movie. And judging from the audience’s response, the producers and investors can almost predict the film’s future! MVP i.e. Minimum Viable Product is, more or less, the main trailer of a Startup’s journey toward success! A petrifying statistics: According to a recent study by IBM, almost 70-90% of start-ups fail within two years of initiation. And 70% of those who outlast the first two years, go out of business in the next five. This statistic is scarier if you are an investor who funds millions of dollars in concepts and ideas. In 2001, Frank Robinson first introduced the concept of MVP, where an investor doesn’t have to put in shedloads of money before his ROI is assured. Instead, he can proceed scientifically, experimenting with a smaller amount and recognizing the salability and scalability of the product and, simultaneously the potential of the business. And with this concept, the entrepreneur benefits equally as well. Not only do they improve their product quality, but also understand the shortfalls of the product from practical feedback. This widens the scope limitlessly as this enables a window of almost flawless anticipation of the future. So, is it like a Prototype of the product? Although it sounds like a prototype, there is a prime difference between them. The prototype demonstrates the core concept of the actual product. It gives you the what and how of the product. An MVP is the next step where you develop a Beta version of the product to test its potential before investing a large chunk of time and money. So, a Prototype can be called a pre-MVP and an MVP is the best form of the embryonic product. How did it become an entrepreneur’s messiah? The world is full of problems and it’s the duty of an entrepreneur to fix them! Whether you are sitting in a park or taking a bath in your bathtub like Einstein, it all starts with a “Eureka!”. It marks a phenomenal moment when you finally identify a viable solution to a prevailing problem that had been detained in your head for ages and all of a sudden you feel butterflies inside your stomach! You finally believe that you might make it to the League of Big Bickies if you execute your idea well. But just like Joey’s career cannot exist without Chandler, your project cannot turn into reality without sufficient Capital! And suddenly, the urgent need for seed funding overflows your mind. The only possible solution your brain figures out is to find an investor who will be able to see the vision you have. But the problem is, that an investor will always have to consider the ROI before investing anything. And what’s more assuring than a test drive before finally putting money on the table? That’s where an MVP becomes a Good Samaritan because once you build an august MVP that displays some impressive stats in the market, the investors will themselves seek to fund your product! However, since you are not developing a doughnut, your MVP might require a notable investment in itself! That’s where the majority of our young entrepreneur gets stuck, figuring out an efficacious strategy to keep the wheel rolling. Conclusion: MVP has gradually become the backbone of every modern startup because of its effectiveness and usefulness for both parties (investor and entrepreneur). Not only does it unmasks the hidden potential of the startup as well as the entrepreneur, but also it exposes the inadequacy. Hence, building a perfect MVP becomes as requisite as eating spinach for Popeye! Only when you ace the MVP, will you be able to actualize your vision and live the life you always dreamed of!
Perks of hiring a PPC campaign manager
In the never-ending battle of online marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO) and Pay per Click (PPC) are always been used to take down competitors. Today I am going to discuss the perks of hiring a PPC campaign manager. The experts will help you with keyword research.This is a crucial yet tedious part of PPC marketing. It’s what gobbles up most of PPC marketer’s time. If you pick the wrong keywords, your funds will be exhausted without delivering you any tangible result. There are free to use keyword search tools, but the good ones are usually paid for. Track with the right tools and setupAny good PPC campaign should be able to track where its traffic is emanating from. It helps you understand which keywords and placements bring in most conversions. To install a tracking code, you will need to have some technical skills (based on the platform your website is built on). This is something which most people don’t know much about therefore making it essential to hire an expert. Campaign settings can be confusingTo optimise your exposure, you will need to tweak your settings in a certain manner. For example, geographic settings can help you target localised regions of a country. There are other filters which can help you target certain demographics, interests, search patterns, retargeting etc… Finding the right campaign setup can help you save you time and money. They help create a perfect landing page and ad copyRelevance is crucial in the world of PPC marketing. You can minimise your expenditure on ads by improving the relevance of your landing pages. Hiring an expert can help you create the best landing pages, ad copies and can also test their functionality. ConclusionPPC marketing is never easy and unless you have the necessary experience and expertise. It’s okay to setup your campaign and run things on your own. But, it’s always best to look for help if you’re unsure about the process. As a professional campaign manager, I have the expertise to help you get better returns out of your PPC campaign. Drop me a line if you need any help to navigate the tricky waters. My first consultation is always free
How to analyse & optimise an eCommerce website without paid tools
I know not everyone can afford to pay for a subscription to analyse a website. I have been there, starting off I never had the money to pay for any of these tools either. I had to figure out my own ways to find the information I needed to make smart decisions. So today, I am going to list down how you can analyse and optimise an eCommerce website without any paid tools. First of all create a checklist for your SEO efforts, this way you are not getting sidetracked. This should include the following: Indexed URL lists: Go to google type in “site:example.com” this will show all the indexed pages, you can also get this from search console, sitemap etc… I personally compare the links I collect from the search results with the current navigation, secondary links, product lists, categories etc… . eCommerce platforms like woocommerce tend to generate a lot of duplicate and unwanted pages and even some 404 pages you might have missed out. Start making a list (google sheet) Map pages: Map out all the pages you want to optimise and their primary, secondary and longtail keywords. The key is not to stuff keywords. But if you can include some FAQ type content in the product page to get some longtail keyword rankings or answer some questions people often search for. I like to use answerthepublic.com to do this research. Optimising content: Start re-writing the title tags, meta descriptions based on your research above. You can also look at the content on the pages and product descriptions as well. This way you are not leaving out anything. If you are using WordPress use plugins like Yoast to make things easier for you. Social media tags: Make sure your links are properly displayed across social media, use the debugger tools Facebook and Twitter has to offer to test out your links. Once Opengraph and Twitter card data are properly implemented, the links that you share on social media should display the relevant image for that page (product picture if it’s the product page), title, and description.https://cards-dev.twitter.com/validatorhttps://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/ Tracking tools: Setup search console, bing webmaster and analytics if you haven’t. Find out what the most popular pages, keywords and positions using these data (if you don’t have a tracking tool) – You can do this along with the step #2, so you have the data to back up your decisions. I’d make sure these popular pages are not messed around while following step 3 – rewriting content and metadata. You don’t want to lose your positions while over optimising a page or reducing any values. Rich snippets structured data & ratings: Add schema tags and automate review plugin like Yotpo to generate reviews so you can increase some trust and overall search rankings. Redirections: Install redirect plugin and do all the 301 redirects to relevant pages based on your research you did on #1 and #2 (404, old to new, broken, empty pages etc..) Once these are complete, watch the site for a couple of days for bugs and issues, and submit a new sitemap for index. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any further questions I’ll try to help
8 Steps you MUST follow when you develop a website
It’s the end of 2020, and we all know that having a website is crucial to any type of business. As someone who builds and market websites for a living, I see this is hard to face the issue for many business owners. Mainly because a lot of people simply don’t have the skills to build one for themselves. On the other hand, you do have the option of hiring a developer to build your website, pay a content writer to populate and someone else to market. Usually, the costs associated with these services will keep this option out of reach for many small businesses and startups. But, honestly, even when people have this done for them, their websites tend to have an unsuccessful outcome. This is mainly because they don’t really have a solid plan. Most cases, all these are done by different people who have no knowledge of the business goals. To tell you the truth, building a successful website with a good plan, mostly involves some basic research and strategic planning. So today, I want to list down the few steps I take into consideration before building a website for myself and my clients. If you already have a website, take this as a checklist to find out what you may have missed while you were building your website and try to implement into it in the future or in the re-development phase. Either way, by having this handy list you will be able to save a lot of time, money and frustration in trying to build an online business or a website. So let’s get down to business! Step 1: Strategy This is the most ignored and frustrating stages of any business. But, once you get past this, you will find how useful it is to have a foundation. This will be your stepping stone for everything else you need to do. One of the major problems I have seen with my clients is that they don’t know what they want. They obviously, know that they want a website, mostly because their competitor has one so they think they need one. But, they don’t have a clear understanding of whats the purpose of the website is. Taking the time to map out the functionality, the information they want to display on the site, about themself or the business is important. After all, the entire world will see what goes on their site. So, spend some time to write down these things beforehand. The goal here is to create a successful website. To do that, you will have to spend quite a bit of time thinking about who you are, what your business goals are, core values, mission, vision, and what you are the problems you are trying to solve. If you don’t know what these things are or haven’t thought about these things, then how is a freelancer you hired on Fiverr going to build this for you? Imagine your website as a physical store, and each person passing by your store is a potential customer. What’s the vibe you want to give when they walk by your store? Would you have a welcome mat at the doorstep? maybe a sign that showcases your best offers? Always keep in mind that everything you put up on the website will reflect on yourself or your business. Your messaging should be clear and professional or it’ll be a confusing mess. This is why you need to have a clear strategy for your website. Step 2: Customer Journey By the time you get to the 2nd step, you should have a clear understanding of your business goals, values and what you want to do with your website itself. Another important aspect as I mentioned earlier is to have a clear understanding of the message you want to give your visitors. Now it’s time to figure out how you want the users to navigate through your website. The most important page of your website is the Homepage, always keep in mind what will be the first impression of a user when they visit this page. Another key component you need to keep in mind is who your targeted audience is. Who will find this information, service or product useful? Almost all the information you lay on your website will be based on this. For example, recent data indicate that the younger generation spends more time watching videos on platforms like Youtube, TikTok and Instagram. So it’s best to include video content on your website compared to written content if this is what your primary audience consists of. This way the user will spend more time your website and digest your content the way they ideally prefer. The goal is to consider your primary visitor or target audience and create your website in a way to increase stickiness. Once your narrow this down, you will have an understanding of what type of content you want to include in your website. But, never forget your initial message; since it’s the foundation of your website strategy. Envision the way how you would want the users to navigate through your website, from page to page. As you plan this along, you have to consider the user experience, the best way to tackle this is to map out all the pages you want to include. More of a mind map of your important pages and how they would connect with each other. Having these things written will help you get a bird’s eye view of your website. I like to write in a notebook or piece of paper, I am old school like that. If you prefer using mindmap tools or even MS paint to draw something out, feel free to do so. The goal here is to get an idea of how you would want your site structure to look like, just the top-level pages and categories that will go on your main navigation. Once this is out of the way, start breaking down