John Espirian

⚠️ Don’t Fall for the “Website Accessibility Blacklist” Scam... Every so often, I get an email that just doesn’t smell right - and this week’s example is a cracker. It claimed that one of my websites had been “blacklisted for failing accessibility standards”, that I was “in breach of UK equality law”, and that I could “reinstate my site from the blacklist” for just £30 a month. Sounds scary, right? Except it’s complete nonsense. 🚫 There’s no such thing as an “accessibility blacklist”... In the UK, accessibility falls under the Equality Act 2010. There isn’t a master list of “approved” or “banned” sites - no one can “reinstate” your website because there’s no blacklist in the first place. Real accessibility compliance is about making your website easier for everyone to use: people with visual impairments, motor difficulties, or who use screen readers or keyboard navigation. 🕵️‍♂️ Spot the red flags... Here’s how to tell when an email like this is dodgy: It uses fear tactics (“You’re breaking the law!”).  Did anyone else just sing that in their heads? It mentions ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) - that’s US law, not UK. It offers a cheap monthly fix (“Just £30/month!”). It’s from an unknown domain (often newly registered, like ada-something-or-other.com). No genuine accessibility consultancy or web professional would cold-email you with threats like that. Often, these have a valid looking UK telephone number, but these are typically VOIP redirects – the one I got had an Aberdeen area code. 🧭 What you can do instead... If you actually want to check your site’s accessibility (which is a good idea!), there are free, trustworthy tools that show you where you can improve: Wave Web Accessibility Tool Google Lighthouse Accessibility Audit Siteimprove Accessibility Checker Or, if you work with me at Manchester Creative Media, I can include a genuine accessibility review as part of your regular website maintenance - no scare tactics, no nonsense. 💡 The takeaway… If an email tries to scare you into paying or claims you’ve been blacklisted, hit delete. Good web practice isn’t about compliance panic - it’s about creating websites that welcome everyone. Stay safe out there - the internet’s full of scammers, but a little common sense (and a quick chat with your friendly web designer!) goes a long way.

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I’ve had to write this today because it’s really starting to bug me… Too many good businesses are spending £10k or more on WordPress websites and end up stuck with something that doesn’t work the way they need it to. Let me be clear, I'm not against WordPress. It’s brilliant for certain jobs. But if your business genuinely needs what a £10k website should deliver; ➡️ fast page loading ➡️ a unique design that feels like your brand ➡️ custom features ➡️ easy connections to your other systems ➡️ room to grow Then WordPress might no longer be the right choice. What we’re seeing: People come to us after spending £8k–£15k on a WordPress site, and they’re frustrated: “It takes ages to load on mobile” “We can’t connect it to our booking system or CRM” “It needs five different plugins just to do basic stuff” “We were told we can’t make that change without breaking things” They’ve put serious money into something that was never built for their level of complexity. So what should you do? ✅ If your budget is under £5k and you just need a clean, simple website, WordPress is a great option. Quick, effective, easy to manage. ⚠️ But if your budget is £8k or more, and especially if you're heading toward £10k or £15k... You should ask: Is there a better long-term option than stretching WordPress this far? Because once you’re bending it to do things it wasn’t designed for, you're paying for both development and compromise. What we build at NPK Media: Custom-built websites (designed from scratch, not off a template) Super fast to load and easy to use on any device. Built to connect smoothly with your booking system, sales tools, or any other software. A unique design that reflects your brand effectively. Set up for growth, so you don’t outgrow it in a year We build sites and software that help people take you seriously and take action. If you’ve got £8k or more to invest in your next website, let’s make sure it goes into something that will actually do what you need. P.S. If you're thinking of spending £5k-£8k on WordPress (Or other builders), message me for a list of 10 questions to ask your developer or agency first. It could save you thousands! #webdesign #businessgrowth #marketing #branding #customwebsites #wordpress #webdevelopment #npkmedia #scalingbusinesses

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NEW WRITERS AND THEIR FIRST DRAFT 📖✍🏻📖 Red flags sprung up everywhere in a recent call with a potential new client… Client: “I’m new to this and I’ve been writing this for five years” and “I have just been writing as it comes into my head” and “I don’t have the time to read but my daughter does” and “I keep adding to it”… Me: “You are likely going to need multiple rounds of edits and rewrites” and “there are certain writing techniques and skills in writing I can share which can elevate your writing and keep your readers invested and turning the pages of the story” and “any rewriting should aim to improve the writing not simply add to your word count” and “dialogue should move the plot forward“… Client: “I know what I’m writing” and “my daughter is great at picking out what I need to change “ and “I will get it ready by Christmas” and “I will get it to you after January” and “I might publish on my own but finding a publishing deal would be an option if you can help me”… Red flags 🚩— Unlikely to accept feedback Believes she has invested enough time in her writing Relying on her daughter Believing more words equates to a better story/writing No fixed schedule/deadline Does not understand different publishing models Does not appreciate the importance of editing Likely not familiar with the craft of writing/writing rules (POV, show don’t tell, exposition, info dumping, dialogue, crutch words, etc., etc.) #editing #developmentaleditor #redflags #clientconversations #collaboration #workingtogether #andbreathe PHOTO: cosy boots, autumnal walk 🧡

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Sunday VO Tip: Never, ever advertise a pay-to-play audition site on your voiceover website. I don’t care how many times they’ve told you “it’s great for SEO.” Newsflash: it’s great for their SEO — not yours. Every time a visitor clicks that shiny “Voices dot com” or “Voice123” banner, they’re gone. Poof. Off your site and into a world where they can suddenly choose from thousands of other voice actors. Why would you send potential clients into a crowded marketplace when they were already standing right at your front door? Keep your site focused on you — your demos, your story, your brand, your booking info. Don’t give free advertising to the very platforms that compete for your clients’ attention. Your website should be a magnet for clients, not a freeway exit to a pay-to-play site. #voiceovers

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Are you a copywriter with imposter syndrome? The ProCopywriters Survey 2025 found that 73% of respondents feel this uncertainty in their professional status. But given that anyone can call themselves a copywriter, is this at all surprising? One goal of our Copywriter Code project is to create greater clarity around what it means to be a copywriter – and what it takes to be a professional. This includes a basic definition of competency, a defined standard of professional practices and behaviours, and a framework for managing breaches of the code. Could professional standards stop you from feeling like an imposter?

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Last week I was asked to speak on copywriting and content writing at a conference. The conference’s web copy had clearly been written using AI. Not just a little, and not edited after. Just straight, over-the-top AI. It sounded as if it was written by a used car dealer. This seemed extra strange as, again, I was being asked to be a speaker on the subject of copywriting for businesses. Just to be sure, I ran it through an AI checker (with full awareness that these are often incorrect) to see if it had the same opinion as me. 90% AI. I asked the conference owner about this along with what the compensation would be for speaking (I’m an experienced international speaker). I never heard back. Pay your speakers. Pay your writers. And don’t ask a copywriter to speak at a conference you’ve used AI to create the copy for.

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Do you manage your orphaned pages? I've got a client with more orphaned pages than I can count. Over time, they've built landing pages, brought in different SEO specialists, and the website has swelled. Pages have been forgotten about, aren't well optimised for SEO, and aren't being used in ads. As a result, they're weighing the site down and potentially causing cannibalization issues. The thing with orphan pages is that they can be pages created with really good intentions. Through orphan pages, I discovered a lot about my client and the company's inner knowledge about what audiences want. For this client, some pages were actually good. We found: 🔹Sub-service pages targeting specific audiences. These pages were only navigable by a Google search, but weren't optimised well enough to rank. We put these pages in the menu and optimised them. 🔹Assets like downloadable templates and guides that once formed an ad campaign. We took these assets and embedded them into blogs, created new articles and guides and will use the, for lead capture. 🔹Opportunities for internal linking across the site. Don't sleep on orphans, sort them out. Aside from the above, we also removed and redirected a lot of junk and deindexed some pages serving PPC, but not SEO. 💡 Bonus tip from our developer, Stew: "Load on scroll" features can be a common cause of orphaned pages. This feature loads additional items as you scroll down the page, a common feature on category-style pages. Unless the crawler has the ability to trigger a scroll event, it won't load the next set of items. If no other method exists for accessing paged content, then crawlers will never find it. We had this issue on a different client site with A LOT of content. Only content appearing on page 1 of their category pages could be crawled. We fixed that, of course!

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If your post starts with “HMRC have announced…”, your limited company clients have already scrolled. Owners don’t want legislation. They want a decision they can act on today. Here’s the plain-English framework I use to turn a dense update into content that wins trust and enquiries: ✅What changed, in one sentence ✅Who’s affected, with an “If this is you” checklist ✅What it means in pounds and pence ✅The next best step, not ten options ✅A clear caveat to keep you compliant Quick before/after Before: “The annual allowance has been updated with tapering thresholds that may impact higher earners.” After: “Earn £X–£Y? Your tax-free pension limit may shrink this year. If you take money from your pot now, future limits can drop. Ask us to check your numbers before you commit.” Want help applying this to your next update? I’ll audit two recent posts and show you exactly where clarity drops and how to fix it. Book your 30-minute marketing mini audit: https://lnkd.in/ehK_Nh3K

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Just how clear is your message? The words you use to promote your business are crucial. With only one chance to make a first impression, care and attention are strong foundations for writing compelling copy. What follows are top tips to ensure your writing stands the best chance of hitting the mark. A recent presentation given to a group of business owners highlighted a few key points to consider, to make your copy work for you. 🟡 Be authentic – much more time is afforded to honest, trustworthy people. 🔵 Know who you are writing for – if your copy is too generic, it may not serve your desired audience. 🟡 Cover all important parts with structure – it is no good only telling half a story. 🔵 Ditch the jargon – it won’t impress people and will only serve to alienate them. 🟡 Ensure your writing is easy to follow and full of purpose – straightforward text is crucial to gain and maintain people’s interest. 🔵 Provide a solution – this is your chance to shine and prove you are a trusted pair of hands. 🟡 Give a call to action – how can people get in touch with you to find out more? Healthy, well-constructed copy is accessible to all. Breaking down the barriers and offering information that is easy to digest could be the deciding factor in a prospective client’s decision. I hope this information helps. Should you want to ensure your message is well received, or to find out more about style, brand guidelines and correct layout, I’m only a message away. Have an enjoyable day. #Copywriting #BeClear #ClearCommunication

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Photographers, the ONE thing you can do today to stop relying on word-of-mouth and start getting consistently found and booked? Find out what’s really blocking your bookings. Your website copy should be doing a lot more than showing your portfolio and photos. It should help your ideal clients find you, see you as THE photographer they want, and feel confident enough to book without hesitation. But if that’s not happening (and you’re stuck relying on unpredictable referrals or endless social media hustle), something in your copy isn’t pulling its weight. Take the free quiz, and in under 60 seconds, you’ll learn: 🔹 Why not enough clients aren’t finding you or booking you 🔹 What’s missing in your copy 🔹 Simple tweaks you can make today to start getting found (and booked) — consistently Pretty easy way to find out what’s standing between you and a fully booked calendar. Link in my bio. #websitecopywriter #seoforphotographers #photographybusiness #photographycommunity

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So many people say “I can’t write” as a reason not to blog. One of the great things about blogging is that it’s a personal expression, so it doesn’t need to be ‘perfect.’ That said, you do need to structure your blogs so they’re easy to read and follow by your audience, so this article will share with you some hints and tips to help. And it's this structure piece that we're covering in this month's blog: https://lnkd.in/eBMHGt9q #blog #blogging #content #ContentWriters #copywriters #ContentExperts #BusinessContent #CreativeWords

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