My Annual Review: Random Thoughts on 2024 and Tips for 2025
Reading Time: 13 minutes 
Intelligent business owners review the past year, their successes, and what they can do better at the end of each year. You learn from your mistakes and keep on trucking.
I started my little internet studio in a small town storefront on the IL/WI border in 1995. Back then, folks thought I was nuts. And here I am, decades later, still doing what I love and helping others succeed.
Each year, I share my experiences and insights, what I’ve learned, the changes I am making, and why in my WordPress consulting and coaching business, along with some tips for your consideration.
Hopefully, this annual review of my modus operandi can help you consider your program from a different angle—food for thought.
2024 — Another Year of Challenges
My annual assessment examines how I spend my time to produce the desired results. This helps me discover what I excelled at and what I can do better. I also look at the business arena overall to see what’s new, over, and around the corner.
Where did I fall short? What needs to be revised? What do I not want to repeat in the year ahead? What do I want to try?
I also note what I enjoyed most, which is generally where I always have the most success. Over the years, I’ve learned to lean into that clue.
2024 was pretty smooth for me. After 30 years, I have a process and system that works for me, so there were no surprises. However, as everyone experienced, there were increased expenses and ongoing challenges.
The most concerning aspect for me is all the #WPDrama with WordPress fighting with hosting companies and community members. It’s not a good look. I wrote about all that here when it started, and unfortunately, it continues to this day.
As happens every year, having a successful website is not getting any easier. It was never easy, but each year, it becomes more difficult for the average businessperson to keep up. With that in mind, I ramped up writing about the topics and issues website owners struggle with.
Words of Wisdom:
When you want success, be prepared to work harder than ever.
New Look? Not in 2024. Maybe 2025?
I’m happy with my current layout and design. It works for my goals. But I’ll be honest: I have had an itch for a new look for some time. I’ve checked out new layouts and designs and just haven’t found anything to inspire me—yet.
When I recommend that clients get a new look, it is primarily because they are on a theme that does not take advantage of the latest features and functionality—mainly full site editing.
Probably because I use Kadence*, this site has the latest and most significant features and the ability to create what I need. But I am bored looking at the same old thing — I guess I’ll need to pull out my creativity at some point (I’m not all that creative).
If you’ve not redesigned your website in the last couple of years to take advantage of full site editing, you are limited and living in the past, which is never good for business. That is when it is time for a redesign.
Now that the WordPress editor has grown into a full-fledged site builder, Kadence takes full advantage of blocks and has all kinds of new display features. And I highly recommend it to anyone who comes my way, without the downside of other “builder” type themes or plugins that create heavy code and weigh down performance. You can read about all that here.
Search Engine Chaos
In the fall of 2024, a perfect time to mix things up before the holidays, Google started pushing out regular updates. Sites that ranked well dropped off the map and then came back. Rinse and repeat.
When tracking my website, I was just doing my own thing—the same thing I’ve been doing for years—while keeping SEO basics in place. The volatility was ridiculous—the same site, different weekly rankings.
I remember thinking how horrible it must be for small business websites to have this type of volatility before the busiest time of the year when getting found is so important. But that’s Google for you. A company that started with “do no evil” isn’t doing anyone any favors.
That’s why, other than tracking for curiosity, I’ve never relied on how Google ranks my sites. I know how unpredictable and unmanageable they are.
However, people still want to rank regardless of the complex, consistent work required—work that the majority are unwilling to embrace to make things happen. This hasn’t changed in the decades I’ve been doing this, either.
When ranking websites, Google is clear about what they supposedly consider regarding websites that rank well: E-E-A-T. Expertise, Authority, and Trust- and in 2024, added “Experience.” Read that article and know this is what is expected of any website hoping to claim a spot in the rankings.
This site covers all that and has had fluctuating rankings for the last half of the year. Terms I ranked in the top 5 for years fell to double digits. Then, they would recover, only to fall again.
I track my rankings to see what’s going on, and it reinforces what I tell my clients: You don’t want to rely on organic (free) rankings for your business model.
Lastly, your website must be kept current to improve your rankings over the long haul. Stale brochureware that is not updated will never rank. That’s why, for my sites, I post at least once a week on topics I know that site visitors want to know about. Make a point of doing the same.
Honest Communication
I continued to nail down and communicate what exactly it is that I do, how I do it, and who is the type of person — precisely — that I can help. I’ve been at this for quite a while and know who I can help while still enjoying the process.
I’ve nailed down my processes and do not deviate from them. So, I know what works and how I want to run my business, which makes it easy for me to stick to that methodology.
Come up with your plan of action, processes, and procedures to follow, and then stick to them. Know your strengths and weaknesses and proceed accordingly. Do what you can do well, and be smart enough to get help with the rest.
Also, when communicating through website forms and email, never underestimate how you choose to communicate (words used, tone, personality) can speak volumes. What kind of person would you like to work with? What type of business partner will you be?
Target YOUR Market
It is always hard to say no to additional income. But the income is not worth compromising what I know is necessary to pitch another potential client. And the frustration that goes with it. After all these years, I know better.
Know who your target market is and cater to them. You can’t and don’t want to be everything to everyone.
I do not do as well as I know I can if I’m not into a project or the person behind it. Is this a personality flaw, or am I just being realistic?
Words of Wisdom:
You cannot be everything to everyone.
And that’s okay.
Serving Service
Offering a White Glove level of support is my primary focus. Tracking sites, updating, and accessing tons of performance and analytics data to absorb gives me a view into “what’s going on.” That breadth of data benefits all my clients.
Every website owner must excel at service regardless of what you offer. Service is a primary differentiator.
For me, building new sites is a complicated and time-consuming process that I no longer enjoy. Even redesigns are not as easy as they used to be. Therefore, I prefer to go through that process with those with whom I already have a successful working partnership.
Words of Wisdom:
You are at your best when you enjoy what you are doing.
Not all providers are partners.
I’ve tried pretty much every plugin and service out there. I go for it when I get an idea for adding something to one of my sites. I also will pay for the premium version because I want timely updates and support if needed.
As always, some products are better than others. During this process, I can also discover companies with similar value propositions. However, I have also found that a product may not be the best fit for me or my clients’ websites.
Not that the product is bad or not good enough. It just may not be what my clients need or would be able to successfully use from the cost, support, features, and learning curve perspective.
If you don’t impress me with a user-friendly product and your above-and-beyond service levels, I won’t recommend your product to my clients. And I can’t be bought by freebies or payments to do so.
It’s not that I’m such a big deal—I’m not. But I won’t recommend anything unless I have complete confidence in a product or service. Period.
Words of Wisdom:
Your integrity in everything you do in your business matters.
WordPress Theme and Plugins Review
At the end of each year, I thoroughly review all my site’s plugins to ensure they keep up with WordPress. While some plugins do not require updating with each WordPress update and will still function without issue, I prefer to have plugins that are paid attention to.
This approach minimizes conflicts and problems down the road. The same goes for themes. Even with all the great WordPress themes available, I am sticking with Kadence for all my sites.* This approach in practice gives me one less thing to worry about and keep up with.
Words of Wisdom:
Even with the best efforts, conflicts can happen. Regardless of the difficulty, they must be nailed down and resolved.
Site Content Review
Not all content is evergreen. In 2024, I set aside time to review content regularly—update or delete—quality over quantity. I am still working on that, as it is a never-ending effort.
Posts that were either no longer applicable have been removed, or I have written something better since they were published. Content that, over time, may not be as valuable as it once was. Content that is duplicative or no longer accurate. Bub-bye.
Each week, when I work on my various sites, I schedule a little extra time to review a few other posts. I rewrite or purge, rinse, and repeat.
I also now run regular broken link checks, which I investigate, delete, or redirect. Broken links are not user-friendly, and you should also monitor them.
Managing numerous websites is a real challenge. I manage four of my own websites, with one more in the works (fingers crossed). To meet this challenge, I have a strict calendar for my activities and stick to it to get stuff done—good ole’ discipline.
Most folks can barely manage one website and dedicate the time and effort to make sure you are doing everything you can to meet your goals. Sometimes, I fall short and have to push through, so just be prepared for that, as well.
You can install a theme, configure the plugins, and put a lot on autopilot. But great content doesn’t write itself, and quality and performance checks don’t happen by osmosis.
Words of Wisdom:
Scheduling time to review published content and site functionality is imperative.
Adding New Content is Always a Priority
So, I committed to writing a new post every week and updating at least one oldie but a goodie once a month. I did much better this year by going all-in with my calendar and setting up “To Do” reminders to ensure I met my content goals.
It’s called planning, and what a difference planning can make in blocking out the necessary time. Set up reminders and alerts to get that nudge on your desktop, devices, and inbox.
Then, you must have the discipline to follow through. I’m proud to say I met my goal except for a few weeks and holidays. Hey, no one is perfect, right?
With this approach, I have improved my posting consistency. I also make a point when I have an epiphany for a post topic; I stop, open WordPress, and create a quick draft with my thoughts and ideas.
Yes, plugins can help with your editorial calendar goals, but why add another plugin to use server resources when I can make a note in my off-WordPress calendar or create a quick draft? Works for me.
Words of Wisdom:
You are more productive when you do what you enjoy.
What about blocks?
Having crafted websites for decades, I know new technologies and ways to do things are neverending. If I had $1 for every time I had to evolve into a new way of doing something, I would be retired on a tropical island.
But I can’t believe how many sites haven’t evolved or how many still use the “Classic Editor” plugin and are not taking advantage of blocks. Gutenberg has evolved tremendously, and I can’t imagine not having blocks. Here’s my update.
Progress marches on…
Words of Wisdom:
Give new things a try and stick with them for a while.
Social Media
For me, “social media” for business seems like an echo chamber, a cacophony of everyone trying to virtue signal or get their sales pitch out. I’m also not big on promoting myself. It’s not fun.
So, since I’ve always collected inspirational quotes, I post “Words that inspire …” on my socials each Monday to help others (and myself) start their week with some insight and positivity. #MondayMotivation
This continued through 2024. Feedback has been positive, and I enjoy finding the right quotes and digging through the images to use for them. That is fun.
I also use the same type of graphics to represent the sentiment of my posts on all my blogs. After all, this is a visual medium, and images make websites more visually appealing. Hat tip to Canva.com* for making this task enjoyable and easy.
Social media is still a chore and something I must make time for, and I coincidentally rarely have time. Once again, I add reminders to my calendar so that I can make a consistent effort.
Priorities? I’m unsure that will ever change, so I won’t say it will.
Words of Wisdom:
Do what you enjoy. Do your best when you’re not.
What about AI?
I get asked about AI often and have been using it for a couple of years. I wrote about this: How WordPress Websites Can Use AI.
One thing to remember about AI is that it isn’t the be-all and end-all or the replacement for what only you can accomplish. For example, I use Grammarly for my writing. I don’t have AI write all my stuff; it helps me improve it. I love it and have learned a lot.
AI Chat Bots are a big thing but I’ve used AI Chat Bots that just weren’t user-friendly. Either they didn’t understand my requests or provided results that weren’t sufficient to my request.
But because it is AI, its recommendations aren’t always correct. Sometimes, meanings and tenses are lost. So, AI is a tool you can use to improve yourself, not to replace you.
New Personal Projects
I had an idea for a new project, so I loaded WordPress, bought the premium plugins I would need, and tried to connect everything.
Now, remember I do this for a living, and even I was surprised at how difficult I thought something that should have been simple was. Part of the problem was that the plugins that offered the functionality I sought were buggy and had complex user interfaces. That tends to deflate my balloon.
One plugin with a premium version of what I needed for quite a bit of money failed me in customer service. Finally, after a ton of work and several attempts at “retooling” plugins and configurations, I woke up one morning and said, “Uncle.”
I started having memories (or nightmares) of the last several personal projects I started that were not fun or as easy as I thought they would be—deja vu. So, that site has been in the development stage for most of last year.
I lost my enthusiasm. Booo me. I’m going to change that this year. Yes, I am. I will.
There’s a lesson there for me and those without the decades of experience I have. Online from concept to reality is rarely easy. Prepare accordingly.
But…
If you don’t try…
You’ll never know if you can make something happen unless you try. Likewise, you often won’t know if you like it or have what it takes until you dive in and find out what is involved.
Every time I do, I learn something new that can be added to my “been there, done that” file; I’ve decided that if I’m not having fun, I don’t do it. See a pattern forming?
While I always beat myself up for starting and then not finishing a project or not realizing soon enough that I wasn’t willing to commit to what that site required, I always learned new things with every single attempt. Every. Single. Time.
Will I move something off my drawing board in 2025? (Yes.)
Words of Wisdom:
When you start a new website, pad time and expense
projections and do your best to stick with it for the long haul.
Embrace, Learn, Apply, and Push Through
That’s my mantra year after year. I use technology as it is now and whatever it evolves into in the year ahead to its full potential for my business’s success. Whether I like it or not. 99% of the time, I’m good with that.
From Blogging to Social Media to creative marketing tactics and everything in between, not investigating how best to use all the available tools for my business is what separates success from lackluster results.
Nothing online happens by osmosis. This attitude is why I believe that I’ve survived for decades.
So, you now know my frame of mind and what I will focus on for 2025. What’s yours? You can let me know on social as a reminder of why I should spend more time there.
I’ll end with one of my favorite entrepreneurial quotes:
As we leave 2024 behind, do not doubt there will be new opportunities in the year ahead—for those looking for them and willing to make things happen.
At your service,
*Some of the links on this page are to companies with which I have a professional affiliation.
Read my complete affiliate statement here.
