…and How To Fix Them Before They Crash Your Company.

The majority of people in the modern world (and many parts of the developing world too) are almost constantly connected to the internet. Nearly everyone you know, young, old and especially the boomers, is communicating regularly by email, chats, Tweets and audio/video over the internet. Tablets and smartphones are accelerating the always connected trend.

Most people in your target market have purchased something online using their credit card, PayPal or both.

A huge percentage of people with disposable income to spend are now:

• Searching online for products, services and other information
• Shopping or making initial inquiries online to businesses they’re interested in purchasing from online.
• Communicating with friends, family and service providers online not just with email but they’re also using online chat services, Facebook and Twitter, voice communication like Skype and Google Voice, Instant Messenger services from Yahoo and Microsoft and even using web cams to communicate with real time video.
• They’re getting most of their news, entertainment and social interactions from online video and social networking sites.

So, if you’re not using the internet as part of your business marketing strategy you’re missing a fundamental and vital media channel and the preferred communication channel for your most lucrative clients and prospects.

The internet is replacing 20^th century media like newspapers, yellow pages, radio and television and it’s already more effective and more economical than postal mail and the landline phone.

Exactly what does this mean for your business?

Online Marketing Mistake # 1: Trying To Run Your Business Without Using the Internet…

…It’s Worse Now Than Running It Without A Phone Or Mailing Address

If you’ve got a shop or an office where the public is welcome then yes, you still need a LOCAL phone number and physical address. In fact, the #1 purpose of local internet searches is to find the phone number for the desired product or service provider.

A Google Local Listing will help you do this – no website required (get a free guide to getting a Google Local Listing at the end of this post)

But if you see clients or open your shop only by appointment (or don’t have a fixed physical location), then having a website and email marketing system is arguably more important than the phone/address combo.

Now we know most business owners aren’t totally clueless, they’ve forked over hundreds, even thousands for a “pretty” website; but a website that attracts leads and keeps your customers returning is a whole other thing. If you’ve found yourself wondering what good paying for a brochure site has done for your business then you know what I’m talking about.

Next we’ll talk about mistake #2: Using your web presence improperly (and wasting large chunks of cash in the process).

You can claim your Google Local Listing free report by clicking here.

Most businesses should have three objectives online: to have a presence in the 21^st century medium, to stand out from the competition, and to capture leads.

You need 4 elements or components to accomplish your goals:

The Website

Your home or landing page will generally be the initial point of contact. It needs to answer the questions “What do you do?” and “Why should I trust you?”  By talking about the reader NOT about you and your business.

Consumers will make a split-second decision on whether they’ll stay to learn more or go to a competitor. Don’t lose them at the start.

An ABOUT US page builds the trust factor. Explain exactly what your company does. Remember, your visitor wants to know:

Who you are, why you do what you do, and what makes you special.

Finally,  a CONTACT US page to clearly explain how to reach you. Make sure it includes all methods:

• • address,
  • phone number,
  • email address, and
  • a Google Map with directions to your store or office.

These three pages create a basic online presence, but not much more. Now, to set your business apart from everyone else, you need to create a company blog.

The Blog

A Blog is just a continually updated news or content section of a website.

So why is a blog important?

• For one, it shows that you know what you’re talking about. It helps you identify yourself as an expert and your business as unique.
• Secondly, a blog is constantly updated. It gives people a reason to come back to your site. The more contact you have with your consumers, the more likely they are to buy from you.
• Also, consumers have become savvier and will search out information. They want more than a simple explanation of what your product does. They want to know how to use your product, examples of interesting things people are doing wqith your products, and how you can make their life easier (remember WIIFM).

Email List and Newsletter

You need a service provider for effective email marketing. I use Aweber obviously (look to your right for a trial offer). Getting visitors and customers to sign up for your email list means you no longer have to wait for them to come to you, you can go to them. You can offer specials and keep them up to date on new products.

This is where you start to see the payoffs!

Your Social Media Accounts

Your blog is part of your social media profile and should be the central hub. The hub directs people to your  social media profiles to build a connection. And all your social media accounts link back to your blog. Every time you post to the blog you’ll tell everyone via your SM accounts.

Like it or not, business on Facebook use what’s called a fan page.

If you’re a performer you’re probably used to having fans but many service providers and shops don’t usually refer to their customers and prospects as fans.

None-the-less, if you haven’t claimed your business name as a Facebook fan page; STOP reading this right now, go to Facebook (you do have a personal profile, right?), and create a fan page with your business name.

Fan pages have a lot in common with profiles but they offer several advantages for doing business online. A#1 is the ability to send a message to all your fans. It’s the corollary to email marketing and if Facebook continues to rule the Web2.0 scene, you’ll be left in the dust by competitors if you don’t jump on board.

Once you have a fan page though, how to do get more fans and make the time and effort payoff?

For those that have a blog or website, including the Facebook fan box is the next step.

Here’s how you create one and add it to your page:

1. Log in to your Facebook fan page.
2. Use this link to open a FAN BOX WIDGET
3. You’re taken to the page for creating a Fan Box:
   1. Your fan page should already be selected, unless you have more than one (pick the one you want to create a box for)  There are three include options that you can choose for your fan box:
      • If you select the STREAM option, the box will include the stream of comments on your wall. (This will make the box bigger.)
      • If you choose the FANS option, your fans will be included in the box. (This option will also make the box bigger.)
      • The third option will include the  FACEBOOK LOGO (required IMO)
   2. The second option  is Choose where to add the widget.
      • To add the widget to your website, select OTHER.  The code that you need will appear in the field below and a preview of your fan box appears on the right.
      • To change any of your choices, select or deselect them and re-click the OTHER button and your code and preview will refresh.
4. Select the code and copy it (hit Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C or use the menu  functions).
5. Send the HTML to your website maintenance person via email or insert it yourself into your site or blog.

Now you’ve got to promote it. Make an offer to new fans, call attention to it with your design, write about your Facebook experiences,  send your email list a notice, maybe even run a PPC campaign.

It’s not a substitute for an email list but another way to keep in touch with your clients and prospects, now called fans!

You know you’ve got a product or service the world needs – you just need to find your 1,000 raving fans, right?

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With the millions (billions?) searching Google everyday, you figure there must be a thousand or so who would jump at the chance to be on your list… you just have to find them and lure them in.

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One by one at networking events and from referrals is going to take a lifetime so why not try paying Google (or Yahoo or MSN/Bing) to send a few your way?

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If you’ve used AdWords you know just how powerful – and dangerous – pay-per-click advertising can be.

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So, while I don’t recommend small business people use it regularly without a lot of time to monitor it and learn how to make it pay, you can build a targeted subscriber list with a focused PPC campaign.

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Step 1 – for anyone new to PPC (or who’s tried and failed on their own):

Get Perry Marshall’s Google AdWords “Bible” (yes that’s my affiliate link)

If you don’t have $50 to invest in this resource, don’t even consider messing with AdWords (Yahoo and Bing are less risky but offer less rewards).

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Step 2 – Clearly define your objective and define what a successful campaign will look like.

How much is a new prospect worth to you?

How much time and money are you willing to invest in each subscriber?

Establish a calendar and interim goals.

Add the time to set-up and monitor the PPC account to your schedule or hire someone to do it for you (a good one will save you more than their fee).

The key to a successful list building campaign is the pre-planning.

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Once you have some objectives, figure out what you can offer prospects for their email and contact information.

You’ll want something that appeals to a wide audience but specific enough to get your target market. It needs to be your best stuff. It’s good if it’s hard or time consuming to find online. If it solves a problem for your prospects you’ve got a winner.

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How do you figure out what they need? Ask them.

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Send your PPC traffic to a survey and reward them generously for their input.

Building a targeted responsive list of prospects is the start of all the most successful businesses and private practices.

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She's waiting for your offer - don't disappoint her.

Without an offer your market cannot refuse, you don’t have a business.

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And you certainly can’t create marketing materials that produce any measurable results.

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But be careful. What you think your prospects NEED and what they WANT and will BUY may be entirely different things. The difference between what people SAY the would do (think focus groups) verses what they actually DO, with their own money, can be quite different.

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That’s why online marketing via pay-per-click ads, banners and landing pages are such a revolution. You collect real time data at minimal cost before you commit thousands to other media.

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If you haven’t learned how to set-up and run a Google AdWords or Yahoo Search Marketing campaign yet, put it on the top of your to-do list. If there’s no room on your list, hire someone to help you but beware: hire someone who puts their own money into play, not an ad agency who always plays with OPM (other people’s money).

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52 characters – the magic number to email marketing success?

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The number of characters you can get into a subject line varies by email provider but the sign says it all when open rates matter.

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You know what your email in-box looks like. Most people who spend time online deal with in-box overload. If you want them to open yours, you’ve got to get their attention and sound interesting. The marketing adage: “Don’t be boring” applies doubly with email.

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Try adapting some of these for your market:

– Use exact numbers: Why we paid $5,838.71…
– Question Marks:  This workout made me irresistible?
– Percentages (with the % sign):  99% of People Dieting NEED to do this
– Attract video watchers: [Video Blog Post] Make Your Tush Sexy
– Offer it as a free report:  7 Deadly Diet Mistakes (free report)
– Make it look like a forwarded message by starting with RE:  RE: Watch me tone my thighs in less than 5 minutes
– Direct it with personal pronouns: You need to see this/Your chance to win this $47 product ends at 9:18 tonight

– Deadlines (see how I combined two?): Your chance to win this $47 product ends at 9:18 tonight

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Try it with your next email. Got any more suggestions? Comment below!