In the November 2024 issue:
- Preparing November’s Digital Landscape
- Running Your Digital Health Check
- Nurturing Your Digital Community
- Essential Tools for Digital Maintenance
- Planning Seeds for Tomorrow’s Growth
- Time-Tested Digital Wisdom
- December’s Digital Horizon
Midjourney Ai prompt: “a black and white etching of a man pushing a wheelbarrow across the field on the horizon. The background sky is white. There is only one tree on the horizon. In the style of a highly detailed monochrome illustration, created using line art techniques, reminiscent of old woodcuts or engraved prints”
FROM THE EDITOR
Preparing November’s
Digital Landscape
Like trees getting ready for winter, your digital presence needs seasonal attention
As autumn leaves settle, November brings us the Beaver Moon – nature’s own reminder to prepare and maintain our spaces before winter. This month, focus on these key maintenance tasks:
- Review and update your Google Business Profile – especially holiday hours
- Check all contact forms on your website are working (test them yourself!)
- Run a quick broken link check (built into your website tools, available in your WordPress dashboard)
- Verify your site’s backup system is active
Key Dates:
- Nov 15: Start testing all customer contact points
- Nov 27: Full Beaver Moon (traditional time for completing preparations)
- Nov 30: Review automated responses for holiday season
Remember: Like the beaver’s methodical preparation of its lodge, small, regular maintenance tasks prevent larger issues later.
Wishing you a productive season,
Ernest
PS: As with previous issues, this ALMANAC continues to be crafted through thoughtful conversations with Claude AI, with visuals created by Midjourney AI.
Running Your Digital Health Check
Just as you’d check your gutters before winter storms, November is perfect for running these essential website checks:
Contact Form Testing:
- Send a test message through every form on your site
- Confirm email receipt on your end
- Verify auto-responses are working
- Check notification emails reach the right team members
Link Check-up:
- Run your site’s built-in broken link checker
- Review and fix any “404” errors
- Verify all menu items lead somewhere
- Test important call-to-action buttons
Remember: Like clearing autumn leaves from a path, regular maintenance keeps your digital pathways clear for visitors. If you spot anything unusual, we’re here to help investigate further.
Quick Tip: Set a monthly calendar reminder for these checks – they take just 15 minutes but save hours of trouble later.
Just as gardeners plan different crops for different seasons, your digital outreach should adapt to your business rhythm:
Newsletter Growing Tips:
- Start small – monthly updates build consistent connections
- Pick your ideal sending time (Tuesdays and Wednesdays typically see highest engagement)
- Share genuine, useful content your audience needs
- Include clear calls-to-action (but limit to one or two per email)
Building Your List:
- Add a simple signup form to your website
- Offer something valuable (guide, checklist, or helpful tips)
- Be clear about email frequency
- Make unsubscribing easy (it keeps your list healthy)
Remember: Like perennial plants, loyal subscribers grow stronger with each season of care and attention. Start now, and you’ll see your community flourish throughout the year.
Midjourney Ai prompt: “Blending of editorial photography and illustration, a gardener working with his tools in the garden, an illustration in the style of botanical prints from an old book, historical colors on a white background, detailed..”
TOOL SHED
Just as every gardener has favorite tools, your website comes with built-in helpers that make maintenance simple:
WordPress Health Check:
- Find it under Tools → Site Health
- Green indicators show what’s working
- Yellow or red spots need attention
- Like a garden’s soil test, it shows where to focus
Hosting Space Monitor:
- Check your hosting control panel
- Watch for usage above 95% of quota
- Regular cleanup keeps space available
- Like maintaining room in your garden shed, space ensures everything runs smoothly
Remember: Like any good tool, these work best with regular use. If you’re unsure about any readings or alerts, we’re here to help interpret them.
Just as gardeners study seed catalogs in winter, let’s look at emerging digital tools worth watching:
AI Writing Assistants:
- Try any of:
- Help draft newsletters and updates
- Suggest improvements to your content
- Remember to treat it as a conversation with the Ai. Ask, reply, repeat.
- Like a good gardening tool – assists but doesn’t replace your wisdom
Ai enhanced search:
- Try any of these new Ai enhanced search engines for better summaries and faster discovery
Remember: Like planting perennials, investing time in these areas now will bring long-term benefits. Start small, test what works for your audience, and grow from there.
DIGITAL FOLKLORE
Generations of website caretakers have learned these enduring lessons:
The Weekly Walk-Through: Successful site owners make regular rounds of their digital property, just as farmers walk their fields. A quick check often reveals small issues before they grow:
- Review site analytics for unusual patterns
- Content loaded to social media channels
- Address website customer feedback and reviews
- Confirm seasonal landing pages are prepared and ready for scheduled deployment
While weekly checks keep your digital space healthy, the changing seasons require their own rhythm of care.
The Maintenance Calendar: Traditional almanacs marked key farming dates. Your digital calendar should note:
- Monthly backup checks
- Quarterly content reviews
- Bi-annual security updates
- Annual hosting renewals
Wise Words From the Field: “The best time to start website maintenance was when you launched. The second best time is now.”
December brings opportunities for both maintenance and mindful planning:
Coming Up Next Month:
- Year-end analytics review preparation
- Content archiving strategies
- Documentation updates
- 2025 digital planning
Key Dates to Note:
- Dec 13: Last recommended date for major site updates Dec 15: Begin year-end backup procedures
- Dec 31: Annual metrics snapshot
Think of December as nature’s quiet time – perfect for reviewing your digital year while planning for new growth ahead. Watch for next month’s ALMANAC, where we’ll guide you through these important year-end tasks.
— Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), who revolutionized how we view nature and scientific observation. He was a geographer, naturalist, explorer, and influenced figures from Darwin to Thoreau. He’s known for recognizing the interconnectedness of nature and human experience.
Painting: The “Nature Paintings” of Alexander von Humboldt. Portrait by Friedrich Georg Weitsch (1806).
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