Laura Shaw Marketing

You might not be ready to automate.

Because if you don't have your systems and workflows down and documented, well, then you might now automate the right things. And it will most likely just get messy.

You don't have time for messy - you need room to GROW.

Here are some workflows to start writing down:
- Content creation
- Lead follow up
- Client onboarding
- Client offboarding
- Service fulfillment

If you're not sure where to start I recommend either content creation or client onboarding/offboarding.

Once you have these workflows documented it's much easier to then analyze what can be automated.

And remember automation can simply mean "When x happens, do y." This can be set up in email service providers, Airtable, Go High Level, and software like Zapier or Make.

Some examples automations could be:

- When a call is booked, send a form
- When something is posted on social media, add to your content bank
- Sync data between sources like Airtable and Notion

Automations can be really simple or get really complex. But before you dive into the world of automations - document your workflows so they can be implemented effectively.

What workflow are you going to document first? What would you love to have automated in your business?

3 Marketing Metrics You Should Be Tracking in 2026

1. Traffic Sources
2. Email Open & Click Rates
3. Conversion Rate

Those numbers will help answer these important questions:
- What marketing channels are working
- what is making an impact
- what messaging is landing

And yes, EMAIL. It is still the most profitable platform and you OWN it. No answering to algorithms that may or may not show your message to your followers. If you don't have an email list, it's not too late to start one.

The online space is changing fast. Here are some non-negotiables to keep your website effective in 2026.

𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The first lines on the header of your website are more important than ever. People's attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. If the web copy doesn't immediately speak to them and clearly show what you offer, then they're not going to stick around.

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆

If your website doesn't nicely adapt to a phone screen, you could immediately lose around half of your visitors.

𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗮

AI really can't be ignored at this point. More and more traffic is going to start coming from LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude. Adding an AI schema to your website can help these models recommend you when people are searching for what you offer.

𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

Rules and regulations are starting to show up for the online space. It's important to keep yourself protected with proper compliance.

These things will help you have a clear, effective website that serves your business throughout the year.