​Not surprisingly, the most frequent question I'm asked is "What's your favorite destination?" It might seem like an easy question to answer, but that's far from the reality. There are so many destinations around the world - I love mountains, beaches, wildlife, warm weather, cold weather, meeting new people. I've traveled to Newfoundland and Iceland many times. I have family in Ireland and have been visiting since 2001 - I think I'm on my 10th or 11th trip, I've lost count. Those countries are all on the top of my list. 

​Staying in the heart of the Amazon in beautiful Ecuador, one of the most diverse and spectacular countries was an experience of a lifetime - listening to the howls of the monkeys through the rainforest, seeing the red eyes of the caimans in the river after dark, the toucans perched in the trees and the hundreds of parrots soaring through the skies, it was something I never thought I'd see outside of a TV screen. 

Greece was incredible, the history, the people, the food, the scenery!

And, traveling to Croatia this year I fell hard for that country too - I'm returning to experience more of some of my favorite spots there in 2020 - there's so much I have to say about that spectacular country, it deserves a post of it's own...on the list!
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Of course, I've been mostly living in Baja, Mexico for the last 18 months or so - the Wild West feel, the stunning beaches and crystal-clear blue waters for snorkeling that are like swimming in an aquarium, the Mexican people and the mouthwatering cuisine, make it one of my favorite places too. And, the whales...humpbacks and gray whales come so close you can almost pet them - in some places, you can!

Truly, it's an impossible question to answer. But, after visiting New Zealand, I have to admit, that one is going to be hard to beat. Not that I have to choose just one, of course. When I returned from my trip, I endured some of the worst jet lag ever... but I also felt more calm and relaxed than I had in a very long time. There was just something magical about this place that I tried to boil down to a list of reasons, but to really understand it, you'll need to visit yourself. Trust me when I say, the long flight and jet lag is worth it.
 
I'm going back in March of 2021 - in one of my latest articles for Trips To Discover I reveal just some of the reasons why:  !3 Reasons New Zealand is the Best Country to Visit
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A well-written product or service description can make all the difference between sales that are so-so and sales that can help you reach and exceed your biggest dreams.  Whether you're a real estate agent, a travel agent or  any type of business owner, the importance of writing descriptions that sell are crucial to a successful career or organization. 

If you aren't a talented writer who is aware of the ins and outs of what works and what doesn't for both online and printed publications, hiring a skilled copywriter often pays for itself, and then some over time - and often fairly quickly. 

If you want to entice a home buyer to look at a particular property, or even consider a specific neighborhood, a bland description is likely to be passed over. If you have a travel package or tour you'd like to sell, how much more likely is it to sell if the description is able to romance the customer by evoking a certain mood or feel and create a personal feeling that compels the customer to take the next step?

Experienced copywriters know how to convey the right message. Depending on the length and/or quantity of descriptions needed, at an average cost of $5 to $10 each - hiring a freelance writer is typically the most cost effective option of all.  If you don't make this savvy business decision, you're likely throwing countless sales out the door.

Use the contact form found here for a quote or more information to start growing your business today.

I find it rather ironic that my last post harps on websites that don't use, or don't keep up with their blog, yet I've failed to write here for nearly three months. 

In light of that, I thought I'd write about options for finding more time to keep up with your own blog, but the only ideas I could come up with - or that were suggested by others, were not exactly helpful.

A few including staying up later or waking up earlier.  But losing too much sleep is a good way to kill creativity and often leads to more stress and even illness. If you're already working 6 a.m. to 10 or 11 at night, stretching your hours on either end is not going to work, at least not for more than a short period of time.

Regardless, there is probably quite a bit of unproductive time lost to meaningless web browsing or, the most common issue, Facebook. By closing out of Facebook more often, I'm sure I can squeeze at least 15 minutes out of my day to spend time writing my blog. It's all about priorities.

If I have a deadline given by a client, I'll do everything in my power to meet that deadline, but with my own blog, I have no one peering over my shoulder or telling me it must be done by midnight, Sunday.  This makes it very easy to put off, and put off the next day until before you know it, three months have gone by. 

For me, what works best is telling someone I'll do something.  First, I plan to stay away from Facebook for the majority of the afternoon, perhaps from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. which should allow me at least an extra 15-30 minutes a day to keep up with my personal blog. I've said it, so now I'll have to do it. Stay tuned. 

What does everyone else do to find more time in the day? Other than turning the clocks back an hour tonight, that is- one of my favorite days of the year! 

I've visited many websites who have a section titled "Blog," but it's either rarely used or not used at all.  The purpose of most business websites is to increase the customer base, right? But if someone is searching for your products or services online, if you don't have quality, well-written articles or blog posts, the odds are, few will find it. 

Professionally written articles and blog posts that educate the consumer will help establish a name for the business as well as keep serve to keep brand awareness high and ultimately generate more hits to your site, as well as more customers. Content that is useful also gives the consumer more confidence in your site and increases the chances they will purchase from you.

Having a constant stream of fresh, unique content can bring more traffic to your site in a number of ways:

• Original, fresh content increases the chances of a site's inclusion into human edited web directories that can provide quality target visitors. 
  
• More pages mean that more sites will be indexed in the search engines.
• More keywords on your site equals more visitors.
• A site that offers fresh content also brings more repeat visitors.

If you've never hired a freelance writer, and are considering doing so for either one project or on and ongoing basis, asking yourself the right questions can go a long way with creating a successful client/writer relationship for any type of writing project you might have.

Before embarking on a search for that perfect writer, ask yourself the following questions and be prepared to provide the answers to each candidate:

• What is the length of the project? Will it be a one time deal or will you need several projects completed over time? If you need an article written, for example, it's important to estimate the number of words that will be required. A basic online article is typically 350 - 400 words. 
• How quickly does the project need to be completed? Remember that writers have a busy schedule with a number of clients they're working with. Rush projects are likely to be charged at a premium.
• What is the reason for the project? Do you have a target reader? Are you trying to sell an idea or a product, or bring more traffic to your website?
• Do you have a specific title and/or keywords and subheadings that you would like used?
• Which type of writing style do you prefer? Do you want more of a friend-to-friend approach, a professional business tone or something in between? Should it be written in third or first person?
• Do you have any rough materials to provide the writer as a base on which to start from? 

Remember, the key to any good relationship is communication. If both the client and writer are open and willing to communicate, the end result is much more likely to exceed your expectations.