Summary: (http://www.virtualbusinesslifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Screen-shot-2011-06-11-at-12.51.28-AM.png) When it comes to designing a personal brand online it does, a lot of the time, come down to the real DESIGN aspects of the entire process, as to whether or not you get a good start. James Chartrand (pen name) of Men With Pens (http://menwithpens.ca/) is one of the web's foremost respected experts on this subject and I thought it would be awesome to have her on the podcast to share her wealth of knowledge with the VBL Community! As we discussed on Monday, making sure you have a great logo (http://www.virtualbusinesslifestyle.com/2011/06/why-your-logo-sucks/) is important, but building your brand through snazzy design goes a lot further than just creating a kick-ass logo. In this audio-only conversation with James we discuss, among other things: * The importance of creating clear, simple goals when starting out. * How to make your website look credible and professional for first-time visitors. * Why branding yourself with an eBook (http://www.virtualbusinesslifestyle.com/online-personal-branding-guide/) can help you get great social 'proof'. * Why people don't focus on real-world marketing and being 'personal', and why YOU should! * Why you should take your time in planning your branding for the ultimate success. * Much more... Play or download the audio of this VBL Podcast (http://www.virtualbusinesslifestyle.com/vbl-podcast/) (below) to listen to it on your iPod, iPhone, or iPad and be sure to subscribe on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/ph/podcast/virtual-business-lifestyle/id377846535), too! One thing is for sure when it comes to branding and the visual nature of web design - originality is by far the best route to take. Just look at James' website for evidence on that. There is no other website out there that looks like that one! Its awesome. My thanks to James for taking the time to do this interview, and for more details on what she's all about check out her site (http://menwithpens.ca/), where you'll find a bunch of awesome information on everything related to web design and copy writing, as well as great additional resources such as eBook's. I'll be seeing you on Friday again, when I'll be announcing what niche I've decided to get involved in for the 'VBL Niche Community Challenge', as well as more details on my aspirations for my niche site and how you can personally get involved, too! In the meantime, if you have questions about designing an online presence, please feel free to comment below, I'm sure James would be happy to pop over and answer them for you.
