I love Fridays don’t you? You see Fridays are my planning and study days.

Funny that the more we plan the more we achieve. This is related to our client’s who took action by the way.

One part of our 2012 plan was to get some marketing and strategy advice to take our business to the next level.

Next week is a big week for us as we are starting to work with our new business Mentor. She does something similar to us and has trebled her business three years in a row.

Good idea to learn from her we thought. In fact last week she mentioned something that we took action on straight away.

It was something we had not done before. Already this has brought over 4 figures in 4 days into our bank account. Even better the new client is thrilled as well.

Ok do you want to know about the clients that took action? Well to protect the actual idea we will tell you about a couple of clients and the strategy that is guaranteed to work.

We call it G.C.M.V it stands for give clients more value.

The truth is it cost you money to bring in a new client. And we are assuming that you deliver a fantastic service Fred?

So what else can you do for them ? This is what our clients did.

They took the time to make some ‘connections’. For example.

“If client X has bought this do you think they might need some help on what to do next. Perhaps I could create a service or product for
them?”

This is what our clients did. One sent an email out reminding their client base about a service they had. Next day they got a phone call
and a booking. This is a high value industry by the way.

Our other VIP client made an offer to a group of her clients she had only just sold something to. She got 7 takers.

We will give you more detail on this strategy on February the 9th.

So will you be there?

Here are the links again

http://www.fasttrackyoursales.co.uk/feb9.pdf

To Register:

http://www.fasttrackyoursales.co.uk/events/feb9am

http://fasttrackyoursales.co.uk/events/feb9pm/

How to get clients for your business is usually the initial conversation we have with potential new clients that come to us. Either by referral or many other lead generation ideas we use.

The truth is this is a key activity in anyone’s business. No matter the maturity or not of your business model we all need more clients to increase our cash flow. As 2011 is about to close for most of us in the next 24 hours it is a great time to reflect on exactly the high points of 2011 and what we might want to do more or less of in 2012.

Here we want to share 7 key areas to consider when you are thinking about how to get new clients for your business. We have looked at the important part of this aspect of your business and that is having a strategy on the first place. To do that though you need to think through a few key areas. Now normally as people start to read through a list they mentally shut down as the ‘little man or woman ‘on your shoulder says I know all that! Well intuitively I bet you do. The truth is though are you implementing it? I rest my case.

So here we go then ……………

1. Analyse Your Stats

This particular activity links with number 2 and logically is where we need to start. To make it easier for the maths….well it is December and I have been 3 Christmas parties already this week……….we will focus on an easy number. This works just as well if you are turning over £1,000,000

If you turned over £100,000 last year what did you do to make that happen? Both from a marketing and sales perspective.

• How many clients bought from you
• How many new services or products did you introduce
• Which products generate the most revenue
• How many people visited your website
• How many sales calls did you make
• How many clients appointments
• How many prospecting calls
• What training did you have that has made a difference

You can probably see where we are going with this. If you don’t have accurate data on these types of parameters then that would be the first place to start.

       2. Set a Goal

Yes goal setting does work. As humans we are success seeking creatures we need to have something to aim for. If you have not read this book treat yourself. It is called the new psych cybernetics and is the updated Maxwell Maltz classic book.

The original sold millions of copies because the content is so useful. Back to goal setting. If you have a goal to double your turnover is it actually realistic? For a new start up maybe. For an established operation with no new products in the pipeline probably not.

If you set a stretch Goal how might it happen. Which of the numbers you have from last year will need to be increased. There are many ways to set Goals. From big picture ones to smaller outcome goals. If you don’t know much about this talk to someone that does.

The big picture goals keep us motivated the smaller outcome goals get us into action fast, and help us on the way to achievement. For instance if a big goal is to hit a quarter of a million this year, smaller goals will be your monthly revenue targets. You might need to bring on board 2 new sales people to achieve this or create a new specific website to help with lead generation. The activities to achieve this will need to happen and this could be one of your small outcome goals.

      3. Have a Marketing and Sales Plan

Logical I know if you want to know how to get clients for your business, yet many smaller business owners don’t invest the time to create their own Marketing and Sales plan. The truth is smaller business owners that have a plan can increase revenue by over 25%. Of course it needs to be flexible and also include the activities that you know will bring results.

In our corporate careers every product had a marketing and sales plan. Budgets and activities assigned. Call targets, activities and events. Then that plan was worked and monitored. Guess what?…………..it worked.

It does not matter is you have just started your company, or put up your first website to sell a niche product. You MUST have a plan if your series about generating results.

       4. Spruce Up Your Site

We are quite unique as an online marketing company because we advocate a combination of both online and offline marketing activities to generate new business.

Having said that the internet gives us all a huge opportunity to leverage a lot of what we do………..provided we keep pace with it.

• When did you last really look critically at your website?
• Does it need a spruce up?
• What about your content .Do you need some new customer focused website copy that engages your customer?
• What about your graphics and colours?
• Do you have a blog on your site?

With over 90% of potentials new customers and clients checking us out online before they buy, what will they come across when it comes to you?

What references will they come across? If they type in your name or your company name does your website come up on page one of Google.

The good news is a lot of this activity does not cost the earth and can give a new look and feel quickly to your business.

      5. Add Some New Marketing Methods

Many of us stick to tried and trusted methods when it comes to how to get clients for our business. This is a good thing …….and we also need to constantly look at what other things could we implement to ‘spread our opportunity or risk’.
This year we went to see a potential new client who spent a lot of money on PPC.
This also delivered for him in a competitive ecommerce market.

This particular guy was savvy and realised that Google changes so much, having all his eggs in one basket could be commercial suicide. Imagine if Google suddenly decides to increase the costs you are paying or do not like how you manage your account. Overnight your lead generation stream will disappear overnight.

That is why we always encourage our marketing strategy clients to explore new ways of bringing in clients. The more ways you have the more you can potentially grow.

    6. Outsource Where Possible

As a serious business owner you will need to invest in help with your business. You can’t do it all. It generally costs less than you think and will have an ROI [return on investment] for you.

We work with a lot of experts in their field most of whom have a huge knowledge of their subject. When it comes to marketing and selling themselves, the opposite is often true.

They know the end Goal and yet the means to get there is sometimes a mystery.

Many people who start their own business are usually pretty bright. They also have learnt how to do a lot of ‘stuff’ over the years. In the early days we all ‘have a go’ at most things. It often saves time and money……….or at least that is what we tell ourselves!……….in the beginning.

Now if you are really serious about taking your business to the next level you will need help. Look at the activities you struggle with or are time consuming for you……………….or you are terrible at. Then find someone else to do them. The reality is because they are in flow doing these activities it will cost you less.

You can even break this down yourself. Say your business turnover £150,000  a year. That means you are worth around £75 an hour. Simple maths divide your income by 52 weeks and then 40 hours.

Say you need some new copy for your website. A rough estimate of 5 or 6 pages. In honesty if this is not your area of expertise it is likely to take you 15 -20 hours at a conservative estimate. A recent conversation with someone we met at a charity event was actually closer to 30 hours. Now do the maths on that one.

30 hours x £75……………………£2250

You could actually get the same job done at a third of the price and dare I say it a much better end product as well.

     7. Take Action

The thing that stops many of us growing the way we want is that we don’t take action. Let’s clarify that one. We don’t take consistent action.

If you want to build momentum in your business you will need to act. All the best ideas in the world are no good if you don’t actually move on them.

It does not have to be perfect. If you want to access a new geographical area and don’t know anyone make a plan.

Get a page on your website that targets a local term. Get your SEO company to work on it even as a one off fee.

Get an invite to a networking group in that area and go to a meeting. Make some contacts. You don’t have to have a perfect pitch ready……just get out there and give it a go.

Well that is it from us in 2011. We will be back in January with more ideas and tips.

Have a great Christmas and New Year. Rest up and enjoy yourself. If you have bothered to read to the end of this blog post I suspect 2012 might just be your year.

To You and Your Success

Denise and Sharon

Lead generation either makes or breaks a business. The more clients you have the more business and profit you will make. I know I am stating the obvious and yet many local business owners think that leads will just come in as if by magic.

Today I want to share 7 must do lead generation ideas that work.

1. Lead Generation lists

If you don’t have people to contact, who are in the market for your product or service it will be an uphill struggle. It all starts with a list of targets. If you don’t have your own then buy one. They are not that expensive when you consider the return on investment that they will bring. If in doubt look in the Yellow pages. There are also a lot of lead generation software tools online that for less than £100 will spit out a target list for you to contact.

2. Have a Website That People Can Find

Your website will do a number of things for your business including generating leads. Make sure it is search engine optimized for the best keywords for your market and that you commit to regular SEO.

Ensure you have good content on your website that is useful to your potential new clients. Update it regularly and Google will reward you with more traffic and visitors.

3. Give Something of Value To Your Website Visitors

This is a strategy that will enable you to create your own targeted leads. Depending on the time effort and money you put behind this it can be fast or slow. It is not uncommon for local business owners to have lists of less than 100 people and make a full time living. So how do you do this? Well give them some ideas or tips to help them in an area they are struggling with. For instance if you were a sales trainer it could be, 7 Ways to help your sales team close more prospects. If I was a business owner who needed sales training help do you think I might download this? The answer is a definite yes.

4. Run Events

No matter what industry you are in running events will bring you clients. If you are struggling with this and how you could make it work get someone in to help you.

Our local Accountant runs events and brings in a speaker. This brings him credibility and that feeling of reciprocity towards him we all know works. So as a result who do you think that attendees to his event might look at when they need a new Accountant?

The other new idea that you can use webinars and teleseminars. These are online teaching events that you can run from the comfort of your own home or office. They brand you as an expert and help establish your knowledge and credibility.

5. Pick Up The Phone

For some reason not many people mention this one anymore. Cold calling seems to be a dirty word. Yet if you have a reason to call it will smooth your way. Imagine offering a place to an event you are running. Do you think this could work for you and your business? It will provided you do it consistently.

6. Networking

Love it or hate it networking works. This is an age old lead generation idea that still works today. People buy from people. Especially people that they know like and trust. First of all you need to make a connection and then follow the process that works
for you. As with anything be consistent. Add value and it will be returned.

7. Social Networking

The advent of all the popular social networking sites means that this particular strategy is more popular than ever. As a business owner Linkedin is a great place to network and build contacts. Focus on local contacts and you will be amazed at how it can work for you.

Whatever you do just take action on a couple of these and do it consistently. You will be amazed at the results.

To You and Your Online Success

Denise and Sharon

lead-generation-strategies

Lead generation is hot. You just need to hunt around Google and you will see how popular this topic is. Yet the truth is many business owners do not prioritise this activity as a key function of their business. Are you making these three mistakes?

No Lead Generation Strategy

This is the most common mistake that most local business owners make, when they are local business marketing. You have probably heard the saying that business’s that have systems are successful. Never more so than with lead generation. If you have used something in the past and it worked why did you stop? The reality is growing a business takes work and effort. Sitting and meditating will not bring you new clients consistently. It might help your stress levels and relax you which are all good. However lead generation takes thought and process. Just shooting from the hip will not work. Why? Because it is not consistent and scatter gun.

Not Being Clear On Your Target

When is a lead not a lead? That is the question. How many times have you gone off on a tangent speaking to someone that really is not in the market for what you have to offer? A few I would suspect. The reason I know this is because this used to be a big problem of mine. Not all leads are created equal. Think about what you have to offer and who your ideal client might be. Then take action. When you get clear like this you become laser focused and as a result will have more success.

If your widget or premium service costs more. Hanging around StartUp companies is unlikely to bring in fast results. Yes they may know somebody they can refer you to and yet we both know that is unlikely to happen. Instead go to the premium priced places where your target market is more likely to hang out.

Relying On One Strategy

Now be honest we all have our favourite strategies to pull in new clients and that is fine. However make sure that it is more than one of two that you have. This is particularly relevant when you bring in new clients. Meeting them at a networking event might not be enough.

You see the latest data from garter states that over 90% of buyers check out who or what they are buying online before they dive into their pocket. I know more than I thought as well. Add to this that buying decisions might take up to seven ‘touches’ and you will appreciate where I am going.

Imagine if you have five or six Lead generation strategies then this will really make a difference to your business. In the current climate online marketing and a website that can connect is vital for your success. The hot lead you are cultivating will find you online as long as you are there. This will also likely influence their buying decision.

To You and Your Success

Denise and Sharon

Website copy writing is one of the key skills to either outsource or learn about quickly, especially if you want to leverage the growing trend of online marketing.

In today’s market more and more of your potential clients are looking online for products and services. Latest data suggests that over 80 % of consumers look online for a service provider. On top of that just last week, Garter announced its latest research findings that nearly 90% of people look online to validate what they are buying. Now that can be either a product or service. Wow!………..I know even I didn’t think it was that high……………… till I reflected on my own behaviour.

This ‘checking out’ can be through reviews, articles, blogs, social networking, press releases and peer review. If this is the case then surely it makes sense to give you and your company the best opportunity to make an impact, through appropriate website copywriting.

The truth is many business owners don’t always appreciate the rules of good copy writing online. That is, your copywriting needs to inform at many different levels. Remember ‘selling’ online is not face to face. Instead you have the power of the written word, perhaps some visuals and if you are a little more advanced video.

On top of all this people need to find you in the first place. So your content  needs to include seo copywriting techniques to get Google to notice you and of course to be readable and informative.

In a short space of time you need to establish for your website visitor 3 key things if you want to stand any chance of them reading your content, engaging with you and picking up the phone.

1. They are in the correct place.

That your website does actually provide the product or service that they are searching for.

Let me give you an example that I am sure has already happened to you a couple of times. For example if you are a training company in Manchester you communicate with your website visitors that it is actually  Manchester in the United Kingdom rather than the United States. I know this might sound crazy and yet it happens all the time.

In addition think about your webpage content optimization. Say you have written an article about Time management and you are linking back to an article on your website. This needs to have a similar theme. It helps with your SEO and also does not confuse your visitor………….has that ever happened to you when you follow a link and end up somewhere on a website that is totally unrelated ? What did you do? leave the site I would suspect.

2. You understand their problem.

This is really key point that many naïve new online marketers don’t appreciate. Add in seo copywriting and it is no wonder people get confused. Good website copywriting can make a connection happen literally within the first sentence. Engaging with your customer in this early stage can give you a customer or client for a long period of time.

Let’s be honest as a human being one of our key drivers  is to be understood. By speaking into what is going on for your potential new client, they will actually ‘get’ that you do understand them. As they evaluate if you are the person they want to work with or engage do you think that this could make a difference?

3. You have a product or service that can help them.

Logical I know and yet many people miss this part out. In the old “selling school” days this was known as features verses benefits. The feature is what it is and the benefit what it actually means to you.  On my very first selling skills training course I learnt the phrase ………………….

Use this phrase as a way of pointing out to your potential new client what using your service will do for them. Remember online is different. You need to be explicit in what you say. You don’t have the power of your voice or body language to make an impact. Here is where good
website copy writing can come into its own. It is all about making the features and benefits relevant to what your potential client is going through at the time.

So now are you ready to take some Action? Here is a quick plan for you

1. Review your site. Make sure that the articles that link to it are Topic relevant.

2. Does the content on your website talk about the problems your market has ……….and how you can solve it for them.

3. Does your writing include features and benefits ?

To You and Your Online Success,

Denise and Sharon

Understanding Google Analytics Reports: Why It Will Improve Your
Marketing By Over 60%

Understanding Google analytics reports can seriously change the power of your marketing and your bottom line. I suspect many people don’t realise that, especially business owners who are just ‘getting online’.

Just today I saw the email from Seth Godin[ see below] who talks about the New Yorker and what they know about their readership. I have nothing against the ipad and hip technology.

The thing is  as a business owner with a website you can get a huge amount of information from your website for free by using Google free software called Google Analytics. Google provides many such tools . Here is another one for you that will help with even more market research.

So Google analytics is a free software from Google, make sure your web designer has added Google analytics to your website AND YOU HAVE ACCESS.

There are many guides online and from Google on how to understand Google Analytics reports. If you head over to you tube this video, though a bit old goes over the basics.

Below is a screen shot from one of our ‘niche’ websites. It does not take a genius to work out that our main audience is the UK, Australia, South Africa and the US. In that order. In fact 70% of the products we sell on that site are purchased by Aussies ! Good on ya mate ! You can tell where your visits are from by the shades of Green.

When we realised this was the case with the first Article we wrote we added 3 more as a start. It took a couple of hours. Within 1 month our traffic had increased by over 100%.

Have a look at the popular Articles/blog posts.  A strong indication that anything to do with Puppies is popular. So if this was you would you create more content in that area? I suspect so. Marketing rule 101 do more of what works. By the way this works in business as well not just Dog training! This is just some of the information we teach on how to get new clients online in our Experts Online Academy training programme.

understanding-google-analytics-reports

Another field in Analytics will even tell you the words and phrases that bring people to your website. You can leverage all this FREE Marketing information yourself or get someone else to do it for you by creating content and building links around your popular posts.

Ok about time I let you read Seth Godins Article !

For the first time in its history, the editors at The New Yorker know which articles are being read. And they know who’s reading them.

They know if the cartoons are the only thing people are reading, or if the fiction really is a backwater. They know when people abandon articles, and they know that the last 3,000 words of a feature on the origin of sand is being widely ignored.

They also know, or should know, whether people are looking at the ads, and what the correlation is between ad lookers and article readers. The iPad app can keep track of all of this, of course.

The question then: should they change? Should the behavior of readers dictate what they publish?

Of course, this choice extends to what you publish as well, doesn’t it?

So what next.?

Action Steps

1. Make sure Google analytics is on all the pages on your website and you have access

2. Have a look  around at all the different parts.

3. Analyse your popular posts

4. Write more content or hire someone to do it for you

5. Rinse and repeat

To You and Your Online Success

Denise and Sharon

Website Content Writing Tips: Our 3 Step Plan

Website Content Writing Tips

Website Content writing is the one strategy we ALWAYS recommend to clients who need more traffic to their websites.

It is the one consistent strategy that seems to work. The thing is Google loves content. All the recent updates prove that. All the websites that have content added on a regular basis that is, relevant and unique content  get higher search engine rankings and more traffic. If there is one skill to learn it is website Content writing.

So here are our 3 tips to get you going:

1.Write with Search Engines in Mind

Google is looking to match you up with people searching for your content or the solutions that your writing brings.
First of all use the Google keyword tool or your favourite paid tool. Add your word and look at the search numbers. The longer the phrase the better. Don’t go for something crazy that has thousands of searches! Go for something smaller that is less competitive.

For instance the keyword I have used is website content writing. I have added tips onto the end. This gives me a sporting chance of being found. Now SEO and online marketing are very very competitive. My suspicion is your market is nowhere near this challenging.

When you take some time to do your keyword research you will escalate your chances of success no end.  Choose a word with less than 30,000 competing other webpages and you stand a great chance of appearing on page one.

2. Create a list or Numbers

In today’s world everything seems to be done at speed. Unless you live in a village like we do! Web surfers and readers have very little patience and are looking for quick solutions. Having a figure in your title generally means you get more readers.

There are so many different numbers you can use to engage your readers. A while ago there was a spate of 25 lists. Generally we find 3 or 7 great numbers to use.

7 because it has a perceived retention value in our very large brains. According to NLP and the study of Excellence we can remember 7 plus or minus 2 bits of information.

The number 3 I like. It is pretty magical and makes it easier to write around.

3. Format your content.

So many articles and blog posts can appear daunting to read at first glance. All content and poorly spaced.  The whole point of writing web content is to make it useful and readable for your audience. Space out your content. Add bullet points. Bold out information and your keywords.

Use a couple of images where it is appropriate. If you have time summarise at the end with a few action points that your reader can go away and move on. In this article you will notice that we have a quick summary at the end so that people can take action on what we suggest.

Action

1. Carry out your keyword Research
2. Make a list of potential words or phrases you could write about.
3. Write down 3 things you know about that subject
4. Then write 3 things under each heading
5. Format your content and add your keywords in your title and in each paragraph
6. Add a couple of images
7. Let the search engines know you have posted content on your website [use pingoat and pingler]

To You and Your Online Success

Denise and Sharon

What Can I Do To Get More Traffic and Sales ?

A quick and shorter than usual post. Over the past week or so we have been focused on Sharing lead generation strategies and how to work with Google and its latest updates.

I just want to clarify a couple of points raised by Ray a fellow SEO Consultant in Cumbria. My response is below. I have also shared the fact that we are getting better results now than ever before. So the Google updates are working well for us.

Consistency is always the key when it comes to online marketing. Find out what Google wants and give it to them. Be ethical at all times and think about your clients first. As a Mentor of mine says. You need to fall in love with your clients that way you serve them better and everybody wins.

Hi Ray
I thought I would share the comment I left on LinkedIn .The story goes that every 17 hours a change occurs re Google. The thing to do is stand back and look at the key themes and base your ‘promotion’ around that.
1. Serve your market. Give value and content.

2. Change it regularly.

3. Add more content and reference others.

4. Make your Articles/posts 500 words

5. Prioritise content first advertising second [though somehow Google still don't mind a certain level of ad sense ??!!] just make sure you surround it with good content.

6. If you are doing something that feels dodgy ?? then don’t it probably is.
As you know Ray we got into online marketing to promote our own sales manager site and services. Then we got hooked and now have a whole range of websites that generate income. When I first started I could not put up a website etc. Though I could write a half decent Article. So that’s what I did.
This is still a key focus for us.In the last few months during all the Google changes we are getting more traffic than ever, so I have my own evidence that this strategy works.
We have more webpages on page 1 for decent keywords.
Our adsense sales are bigger and so are our ebook sales. So something must be working!
All the Best Denise

Google Panda: 5 Ways To Get Your Website Found

How To Get More Traffic To My Blog Posts ?

Google panda is a pretty hot topic at the moment. Particularly how it affects what we do as online business owners and marketers. In this blog post I wanted to share 5 ways to ensure you and your website do not end up on page 10 of the search engines.

A few days ago we wrote a post on sales lead generation tips. Specifically online. We talked about adding value and making sure that you were answering an issue or problem that your reader had. Hint Hint. This is the nub of managing the Google  panda at the same time as giving both Google and your readers what they want.

So how do you avoid your website disappearing from Google? No doubt you will have guessed that there is a way to do this? The truth is this is constantly changing however if you would like some tried and tested principles that will work for Google keep reading.

Google is attempting to clean up the web for its users. No longer does it think that duplicated re hashed content is fine. The wordsmiths amongst us need to add value to the people that consume our content. Many small business owners have not even heard of the Google panda update or how that might affect them.

In a nutshell Google wants you to have relevant readable and informative content on your website. This needs to be a decent length and have links that are not all self-serving. If you read what the majority of the SEO experts at SEOmoz say you will get a sense of what needs to happen. To ensure that your search engine rankings get ‘better’ rather than plummet.

Here are the 5 steps to implement:

1. Unique Content.

The more original your content the more likely you are to be found. I am not saying that PLR does not work anymore. It still does. What you need to ensure is that it is ‘tweaked’ at least and used as a basis for informative content.

Other than that write content relevant to your field that people are looking for. Put your own spin or opinion on it. If you are unsure what to write about go to Google news and add in your keyword and you will find out what is topical. Visit a forum and find out which new posts are getting the most views.

2. Valuable Content

Fast on the back of unique content is its twin sister. That is making it valuable and content that answers a question that your reader has. You can do that using the ideas we suggest above.  If you need more ideas head over to Google insights. Here you will find the rising trends and searches in your niche.

3. Length of Content

Ezine articles are one of the biggest Article directories online and we always recommend people place Articles here for visibility and backlinks. What is interesting is that many Articles placed there have almost disappeared. Many of which were smaller pieces of content of less than 300 words. Top tip! Make your articles longer.

The minimum I would now suggest for a blog post is 500 words. You can of course mix them up and yet I would recommend that at least 70-75% of your blogposts should be this length.

4. Frequency of posting

How Often Should I Update Content On My Website

This is one I can fall guilty of on our Najeda Online website. Google loves to see fresh content on a regular basis. Ironically the more you post the more traffic comes your way. Whatever you are doing make a commitment to double it. Yes I know that might be a challenge. My own experience says this strategy is spot on.

Some time ago I set a challenge of posting every day. During that time traffic to the site increased by over 456% within 30 days. Make sure that you have a list of relevant and trending keywords. Write your post and then promote each post… You can do these using RSS directories, or other websites.

5. Links to other websites.

Having a good article that links to others will also serve you in good stead in the eyes of Google. There is nothing wrong with having your own links back to other relevant content of yours. This is a key link building strategy. Importantly link to other Authority websites online. You will notice that is exactly what I have done in this Article.

You might think all this seems like hard work. Well yes it is work. Work though that will reap benefits for you in both the short and the long term. Straight away in answering questions for your market, and secondly as a resource that will bring you traffic for years. We have a number of websites where posts we wrote years ago still rank on Google and get traffic. Here is a post that gets thousands of visits a month.

Next steps then ?

Well first of all master writing content for the web. There are lots of courses out there that will take you step by step. Of course you can outsource writing later. Initially write your won content. It will help you get into the flow of the best way to communicate with your clients.

Before you sit down research what you are going to write about and have a plan of action. It is easier than you think. Put yourself in your customers shoes. What questions might they ask. ? Validate this using Market Samurai or the Google keyword Tool. Both are free.

Write your content and add your links to the article /post that add value.

Then …..rinse and repeat

To You and Your Online Success,

Denise and Sharon

Sales Lead Generation Tips: Why Adding a Blog to Your Business Website Makes Sense

Lead generation tips are key for all business owners who want to grow their business, Denise and Sharon included. If you are reading this you obviously ‘get’ the opportunity online can bring for a small to medium sized business. What many small business owners don’t appreciate is that it is not just about having a static Website with a few pages and diagrams often referred to as brochure websites. Maybe that worked 10 years ago.

Not now!

With the various Google updates happening on a consistent basis a definite pattern is emerging. As business owners we have to partner with Google if we want any traffic at all.

Yes we need a crisp clean website, with pages that have relevant ‘call to actions’. Your website/blog also needs to be easy to find your way around i.e. that is easy to navigate. Most of all though you will need quality content that actually helps people that visit your website. This content needs to serve 2 purposes.

1. To add value to the reader i.e. solve a problem, stimulate thinking etc.

2. To be search engine friendly so it can be found by our reader in the first place.

One lead generation technique we use for our Online marketing business is to carry out a free website review/audit. This is by video or a pdf report. The one thing that most websites we review suffer from is lack of relevant content. In fact some sites have less than 5-600 words of content in total. Unfortunately from 2009 and beyond this has meant your site will be on page 3 0r 4 or even lower. Fact : less than 10% of surfers go past page 1.

An easy and user friendly way to get around this content issue is to add a blog to the site. Not a self-hosted one like blogger or WordPress.com. One that is attached to the site itself. The image below gives you an example from Chris Cooper’s site at cc1 Consulting.

cc1-consulting

This addition to your website will allow you to post regular content that informs your readers, answers questions and………….drum roll……….anoints you as the expert that you are. It is here that you can build a relationship with your audience so that they get to……….in the words of Seth Godin; Know, Like and Trust you, then eventually buy your product or service. For Sharon and I we can honestly say writing content gave us our first success online.

I remember the day we ‘started’ marketing ourselves on the Internet and the technological challenges it brought just a few short years ago [ no instructional videos or easy to use software then ]. Though I ‘thought’ I understood technology I soon realised that attaching a word document to an email did not count

A mentor of mine explained one easy lead generation tip to me. She pointed out that one thing I could do was write [spelling and grammar sometimes needs a tweak] well enough to get people to open my emails and read my content and in a way that people started to pay me to do it for them.

Our experience is that 99% of people we come across can do this as well.

So that is step one.

If you don’t have a blog as part of your website ask your website designer how much it will cost. You want WordPress. It can be downloaded from wordpress.org.. This is free open source software. Any web company worth their salt will be able to do that. This ‘should’ not cost the earth

So what next ?

Look out in the next day or so when we share how to write in a way that gets your blog posts found and makes Google love you.

To you and your online success,

Denise and Sharon