Web Savvy

By Laura Morris

If you’re an entrepreneur, increasing traffic to your website may seem as challenging as trying to lose five pounds over the Christmas holidays. It’s no easy feat. So, I decided to ask the web savvy Nadia Giosia, aka Nadia G, for some tips. Since this Montreal Native and food enthusiast launched her funny, bohemian site Bitchin Kitchen in 2007, she has seen extraordinary success. Featuring off-the-wall cooking videos and recipes – like rehab poutine – and tips on how to rock your kitchen, her site’s growing popularity has earned Nadia her own TV series, Bitchin Kitchen, on Food Network (Canada & US). She has also released a line of merchandise – bitchin zebra and leopard print aprons – and scooped up the Digital Woman of the Year award at the 2010 Canadian New Media Awards held on Dec. 1st. So, how did Nadia take her online biz from obscurity to buzz-worthy…? She was happy to give us the scoop.

Starting Out
Nadia’s goal was to launch an online business and she took a hands-on approach to learning. “I wanted a cool site, so I taught myself how to design. I wanted to create comedy videos, so I bought a camera and fiddled around with it...By the time I conceptualized Bitchin' Kitchen I had a great digital toolset at my disposal.”

Nadia combined her Italian and French Canadian upbringing and love for food, seasoned with her wicked sense of humor to create her own unique “voice” on the web.  Yet, like many entrepreneurs, Nadia’s biggest challenge was getting traffic to her webpage. “When one launches a site they expect to flip the switch and watch millions of hits roll in. You soon realize that your biggest fans are your aunt and cousin in Long Island. Going viral is as common as getting hit by lightening, twice,” says Nadia.  Growth was an organic process.

Believing in her concept
Nadia worked fifteen-hour days, seven days a week, trying to make her dream into a reality. She wanted to grow her online presence and extend her cooking videos to a spin-off television series. But there were plenty of naysayers. “Back when we started Bitchin' Kitchen in 2007, people thought we were crazy. You'll never sell a show called Bitchin' Kitchen to Food Network!  But we stuck to our guns. Plus, starting the project online was also key because we had a built-in audience and a proof of concept.”

Three Tips To Rocking Your Website

1) Have a great design. Looks matter online.

2) Listen to your audience. Nadia says, “It's important to promote your brand, but it's imperative to listen to your fans, care about what they have to say, and engage them in a real conversation.”

3) Finally, know your brand’s voice, advises Nadia. “Your brand can't join the social media conversation unless it has something to say.”