Learn how to choose your word of the year for 2021 – and also how that very word can take your business website to the next level.
Have you picked out your word for 2021? If not, it’s not too late.
How to Choose a Word of the Year
Choosing a word for the year is kind of like picking your own personal theme and mantra to carry with you all year long (it’s pretty awesome). Have a goal of saying “no” to more things that don’t resonate with you this year? Maybe Boundaries is your word. Seeking more of a “hell yes!” feeling about the things in your life? Maybe Passion is the word for you. And if your top priority this year is to simply remember to take a moment every now and again, a great word for you might simply be: Breathe.
There’s no right or wrong word – you can’t mess this one up – but I have found that one terrific sign that you’ve stumbled across the right word is that just saying the word itself out loud feels really, really good!
If you’re having trouble knowing where to start, I really like this list of 300 idea words as a general guide. Go check it out and after you’ve found your word, come on back. We’ll be waiting for you here.
After I noticed that just about everyone around me this January was talking about their words for the year, I got to thinking about websites (you know, because I’m a web designer and all) – and I began to wonder: how could a person’s word for 2021 amp up their website?
I hope you’ll enjoy the following three ideas for doing just that!
1) Ask yourself this one question.
Is my website in alignment with my word?
If your word for the year is Boundaries, and yet your website offers visitors the chance to sign up for a call with you at any hour on any day, that’s a misalignment. If your word for the year is Vibrant, and your website is fairly stark with lots of text and no photos, that’s also a misalignment.
What’s so powerful about this question is that it ponders whether your website (which also equates to your brand and overall marketing messaging) is in alignment with what’s most important to you to year.
Allow me to use myself as an example. My word this year is Fearless. And as I looked over my own website I decided that while I love my website and it’s certainly getting the job done – it’s also pretty much “playing it safe.” And for me, this year is NOT about playing it safe! It’s about fearlessly diving into the unknown. So I’ve decided that I’m launching some exciting new offerings this year which are going to be front and center on the homepage once they’re live (stay tuned!). So take that fear. Take that.
2) Write a blog post about it.
I am a huge fan of constantly seeking how I can incorporate the latest insights and breakthroughs I’ve had in my experience of running a business into the content that I write for my audience.
How is your 2021 word going to show up in your business? What exciting changes might be coming for your customers as a result? Tell your audience all about it in a blog post. They will love this glimpse into you (the person) and will also enjoy hearing about the exciting changes coming up.
Never forget that although blogging on topics directly related to your services is always great (I can blog about websites all day long), when you are your brand (as so many of us are), it’s also important to show your audience who you are once in a while.
3) Take a look at your services (customer-side and business-side).
Your word for 2021 is more than a word: it’s your internal compass and it’s where you want to be. As an exercise, take a look at each one of your services and ask yourself this question: How could your services better embody your word for this year? Whether your word is Authenticity or Boundaries or Bliss or Celebrate – I’ll bet there is at least one way in which you could either add value to your offering for your customers or make your offering work better for you as the business owner using your word as inspiration.
For example, if your word is Connect, it might be worth looking into how you can create a more personal connection for your customers as part of their overall experience. If your word is Fun, a good question might be how can you create more fun both for yourself in how you fulfill your offerings and also in your customer’s experience as well?
In Closing
Now that you know how to choose a word of the year and how to align it with your website, have at it! What’s your word for the year and how will it shape your business and website this year? Let us know in the comments below! And here’s to an absolutely AMAZING 2021.
If you’re looking for more creative website tips from Janelle (that’s me!) at Ellanyze, here are a few other you might enjoy:
Freshen Up Your Website: 3 Ways to Show Your Website Some LOVE
