A lot of businesses that come to me have a "skeleton website". Bare bones pages that fall short of informing, building trust, and definitely not ranking in search engines. I have 4 questions you can ask to see if your website is a skeleton website.

Enjoy the episode!

👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.

🌟 Wish your website pulled in more leads? The Website Power-Up Plan™ is built for service-based business owners who feel like their website should be doing more but aren’t sure what’s standing in the way. Let’s make that darned thing work!

🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.This week’s recommended tool is Keywords Everywhere.
It installs as Chrome Extension and keyword data shows in the search results page. If you connect it with Google Analytics and Google Search Console, it adds columns for search volume, CPC, competition and trending.

Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.

🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Shaman's tips for An Amazing 2026 Part 6 on the Jim Fortin Podcast.
I realize that not a lot of people are interested in content around shaman advice, however, this was a good episode around person responsibility and convenience.

🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing Takeaway

About This Show

Small Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that has actionable topics that grow our business and personal life. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.

Small Business Sweet Spot is a place for business owners wondering what matters in growing their business. Episodes range from quick, tactical advice on improving website visibility, marketing and analytics to guest interviews with experts on topics like productivity, branding, and mindset to support the "whole" business owner. Let’s find the sweet spot between business and life so you can enjoy both.

What a fun convo with fellow marketer Sarah Gemmell! She helps small business owners and solopreneurs who don't have a dedicated marketing team. Sarah has amazing advice around following up, whether to invest time and energy into free or paid networking and shares how we have gotten so scared of being salesy that we've flipped our possible business opportunities to the friend zone.

Enjoy the episode!

👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.

🌟 Wish your website pulled in more leads? The Website Power-Up Plan™ is built for service-based business owners who feel like their website should be doing more but aren’t sure what’s standing in the way. Let’s make that darned thing work!

🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.

Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.

🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing Takeaway

About This Show

Small Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that has actionable topics that grow our business and personal life. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.

Small Business Sweet Spot is a place for business owners wondering what matters in growing their business. Episodes range from quick, tactical advice on improving website visibility, marketing and analytics to guest interviews with experts on topics like productivity, branding, and mindset to support the "whole" business owner. Let’s find the sweet spot between business and life so you can enjoy both.

In this episode, I’m walking through six clues that help you figure out which marketing channels are actually working for your business and how they can help you decide what to keep, cut, or bring in.

Enjoy the episode!

👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.

🌟 Wish your website pulled in more leads? The Website Power-Up Plan™ is built for service-based business owners who feel like their website should be doing more but aren’t sure what’s standing in the way. Let’s make that darned thing work!

🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.This week’s recommended tool is BrightLocal.

A local SEO tool used by both business owners and SEO professionals. See who your competitors are in the Google map pack and track your keywords for the maps also. Super handy.

Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.

🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is from Diary of a CEO, called Anxiety Is Just a Prediction. It's one of their most replayed moments. The host, Steven Bartlett, interviewed Lisa Feldman Barrett. It blew my mind. I knew of the concept already but not quiet in this way. And it's one of the reason I continue to listen to episodes even if the title sounds like something I already know. Different people, different perspectives and ways of explaining things.

🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing Takeaway

About This Show

Small Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that has actionable topics that grow our business and personal life. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.

Small Business Sweet Spot is a place for business owners wondering what matters in growing their business. Episodes range from quick, tactical advice on improving website visibility, marketing and analytics to guest interviews with experts on topics like productivity, branding, and mindset to support the "whole" business owner. Let’s find the sweet spot between business and life so you can enjoy both.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jessie Geroux, a serial entrepreneur, travel expert, and passionate advocate for families navigating life with special needs. Jessie shares her journey of pivoting from real estate into the travel industry, how she’s built businesses that align with both purpose and profit, and why she believes travel is one of the most powerful investments we can make in ourselves. Whether you're in the middle of a business transition or just dreaming about your next trip, Jessie’s story is full of wisdom, warmth, and real-world insight.

Enjoy the episode!

Timeline

00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview

00:58 Meet Jessie Geroux: Entrepreneurial Journey

02:01 Networking and Business Pivoting

03:10 Travel Business and Special Needs Advocacy

10:02 Faith and Community Involvement

14:34 The Value of Travel

18:46 Conclusion and Contact Information

👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.

🌟 Wish your website pulled in more leads? The Website Power-Up Plan™ is built for service-based business owners who feel like their website should be doing more but aren’t sure what’s standing in the way. Let’s make that darned thing work!

🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.

Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.

🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing Takeaway

About This Show

Small Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that has actionable topics that grow our business and personal life. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.

Small Business Sweet Spot is a place for business owners wondering what matters in growing their business. Episodes range from quick, tactical advice on improving website visibility, marketing and analytics to guest interviews with experts on topics like productivity, branding, and mindset to support the "whole" business owner. Let’s find the sweet spot between business and life so you can enjoy both.

Zero-click searches get tossed around a lot in the search world, usually in alarmist posts that make business owners feel like they’re behind. In this episode, I’m sharing what it actually means and how to factor it into your website marketing strategy.

Enjoy the episode!

👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.

🌟 Wish your website pulled in more leads? The Website Power-Up Plan™ is built for service-based business owners who feel like their website should be doing more but aren’t sure what’s standing in the way. Let’s make that darned thing work!

🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.This week’s recommended tool is How To ClickUp.

If you're a fan of ClickUp, you're gonna love this! Learn ClickUp basics in just one day. Taught by ProcessDriven, one of the most knowledgeable teachers on the tool. It's one of the most comprehensive and easy courses I've ever taken. I took it when I first started using ClickUp.

Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.

🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Say "NO" to Awkward Networking with Special Guest, Ande Lyons on the Small Business Casual show.

Emily is doing a NO-vember theme and I really appreciate this episode. The word networking has such an icky connotation to it. This episode offers an angle to make it not-icky. Emily's questions are so great. Ande talks about how she follows up and Emily asked what I was exactly thinking, that's a lot of people! She asked how many do we follow up with. Ande also provides a way to help ease the anxiety before going into a magical meetup. When you listen to the episode, you'll understand why I call it a magical meetup.

🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing Takeaway

About This Show

Small Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.

Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

I was overwhelmed because my all-black, minimalist wardrobe didn't match where I was in my business, and I wanted a strategic, intentional closet. So I brought brand stylist Jackie Wheeler on the show to go through her entire process, starting with the core idea that your personal style is your most powerful nonverbal brand message. You'll hear us go through my color analysis and right into my closet, where Jackie showed me how to build combinations and a strategic shopping list. This episode is about ditching decision fatigue and gaining the kind of confidence that makes getting dressed feel like a strategic move.

Enjoy the episode!

👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.

🌟 Wish your website pulled in more leads? The Website Power-Up Plan™ is built for service-based business owners who feel like their website should be doing more but aren’t sure what’s standing in the way. Let’s make that darned thing work!

🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.

Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.

🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing Takeaway

About This Show

Small Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.

Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

 You've probably seen like 47,000 posts about how social media is ruining everything, how the algorithms are trash, and how we should just all delete our accounts and return to carrier pigeons. I even saw a headline from Marketing Brew that said, quote, social media use is plateauing as users face scroll fatigue.

Despite that and how I've been feeling personally, I'm not quite ready to poo poo social media as a marketing channel. For some businesses, it works for coaches, creators, and service providers who sell what they know. It can be incredibly strategic, and even for the rest of us, it serves a purpose. Just maybe not one that's commonly shared.

Enjoy the show!

👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.

🌟 Wish your website pulled in more leads? The Website Power-Up Plan™ is built for service-based business owners who feel like their website should be doing more but aren’t sure what’s standing in the way. Let’s make that darned thing work!

🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.This week’s recommended tool is SE Ranking
There are many apps out there claiming they are an SEO tool. This is one of them. My preferred one. It has a simple interface. Support has been responsive when I use it. I use it for site audits, page specific audits, and finding back links for client websites. I definitely underutilize this tool. (They claim they are an agency tool, but solopreneurs can benefit from it as well.)

Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.

🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Why Do You Always Feel Like You're Struggling on the Sabrina Zohar show.

🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing Takeaway

About This Show

Small Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.

Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.