Review of workshop: How to get online from scratch with Sue Bourke

Review:
How to Get Online from Scratch by Sue Bourke
FTAI workshop
10 November 2012 Ashling Hotel Dublin.
By Eugene Donohoe

Having discovered the joys of digital gadget freakery in late middle age, I was thrilled to attend this FTAI organized workshop presented by Sue Bourke. What was even better was that it was for free! Something not to be sneezed at in the middle of a recession, and what was even better than that again – it was of an excellent standard, delivered with humour and a lovely human touch. Those of you, who missed it, missed something really special and many thanks to FTAI (especially Ann, Trish and Terence) for doing this for its members.

Sue Bourke is Founder of the Product Launch Method, author and producer of “How to Get Online from Scratch” and in this she delivered a comprehensive, hands-on introduction to doing just that.

The presentation outline covered the following areas: Niche (work specialization area); Domain name and registration; Hosting; Squeeze (of the non romantic variety, I’m afraid); Email auto responders; Traffic; Content; and finally, Income.

Sounds all very technical, doesn’t it? However it was explained in a non jargonized manner which made unfamiliar territory exciting to explore.

So what, in common English did we learn? We learned the immense value of the amount of business one can pull in from the internet by having your own site and it is doable without having a PhD in computers and web knowledge. The key is to be clear about your niche or individualized area of expertise and to put it out there in a manner that those seeking help will find you in a Google search.

So for example, we learned the value of ‘Wordpress’ to set up your own site in affordable, easy, step by step templates using Google ad words in identifying relevant key target words to embed in your site so as you can be ‘found’ in Google searches. An advantage of doing this by yourself rather than a company would mean that you own your site/domain name rather than the company. We also learned the value of having professionally based accounts on sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, all linked into your own site in order to increase your profile, and therefore business, through the web community of various professional forums and social networks.

Resonating very well with systemic people, Sue told us to that in outlining the problems we work with, to emphasize benefits rather than negativities arising from what we do! Overall, a surprisingly nice fit of modalities during a highly interesting Saturday morning, even if after a few glasses of wine the night before.

(Eugene Donohoe is employed as a systemic psychotherapist in Mater C.A.M.H.S.)