Jul
15
"I put up a website a couple of years ago and have been spending a lot of money with pay per click ads. Problem is I really don’t have a lot of new clients coming from my site. Do I need a blog too? What am I doing wrong?" ~ Jane, CA
Have you ever thought the same thing? Wasn’t your website supposed to be your ticket to online wealth?
Unfortunately that is what a lot of people would have you believe.
I regularly talk with people that have a simple website in place, and spend a ton of money on pay per click and search engine optimization. Let me ask you a question.
If you had a gas station in a little town - five miles off the highway - would you put up a sign and wait for the traffic to stop in?
You may laugh. But unfortunately that’s what a lot of people end up doing with their websites. They are simply off target from where they truly need to be.
People search online because they know they can get information quickly. The
y search. They click on a link. If they don’t see the relevancy within 10-15 seconds, they back out and try again.
So if you’ve created an ad for a specific type of garden gloves, and you’re directing anyone that clicks on the ad to the home page of your garden shop, you’re visitors get frustrated and back out.
It’s not about the traffic - it’s about the connection.
The clearer you make your design, your landing pages, your advertisements, and your copy, the easier it will be to convert people from prospects to buyers.
And yes, more and more people are finding it easy to direct your traffic with a blog.
A website is static - you create it and leave it sit (you can add pages, but that takes time, effort and money). But with a blog, you can be adding new content - focused content - on a daily basis.
It allows you to really get specific, and write directly to just a few potential clients. Each post is meant to resonate with a particular audience. Plus it has it’s own natural optimization - so you can begin eliminating the cost of an SEO person.
I know you’re ready to move ahead, and put your online sales on track .
Jul
14
“It’s easy to build a site in 30 days”
“Zero to one million in less than a month”
“Become an Internet guru and build the lifestyle of your dreams”
You see those kinds of headlines all over the place. Enticing copy that tells you its super easy to build a site, all you need is a couple hours a day for a month and you’ll be making six figures a month.
Is this really possible?
Well from my experience, I would have to say no. I’m sure it has happened occasionally to a few lucky souls, but for most of us it takes hard work and commitment.
So what does it take for the rest of us?
1. Start with the basics. A child learns to crawl before she walks. As a business owner, you have to learn the basics before you become more advanced. If you don’t have a website, start one. If you don’t blog, start. There’s nothing better than a little experience with a tool.
2. Don’t be perfect. I’ve known several people that never get their website up online because its never quite the way they want it. So they go months – even years – without a new site because it isn’t quite the way they want it. Online the only thing that matters is having a presence. Start with a few pages and build from there. The most important thing is to have your information out there for people to find.
3. Tweaking is mandatory. Now that your site is online – tweak away. Don’t like a photo. Change it. Want to add a new promotion? Add it. Your site is meant to change on a regular basis. With a phone book or an advertisement, you’re stuck. But your website you can change daily if you choose.
4. Try something new. What’s a blog and can it really help my business? The only way to find out is to do it. Technology is affordable and easy to do. So jump in and give it a try.
5. Start setting up strategies to keep yourself up to date. Things change daily online. And the only way to keep up with it is to get out there and experience it. Attend a teleclass. Work with a coach. Sign up for an ezine. Make a commitment to learning something new each week.
6. Look. Listen. Learn. Have you ever read a magazine and foun
d an ad with a website that sounded intriguing? Or watched television and heard someone rattle off a web address? Do you follow through with it and look at the site? This is one of the easiest ways to find new ideas and services.
7. Ever get an email asking you to join a group? I get those every week. And I usually join them. I’ll spend a few minutes searching through the site to see if it has any real value – then I sign up. At the least I’ve secured my name and presence in that site. And I may have found a dynamic tool that will really help grow my business.
8. Program your time. I get up in the morning, check email, do a little research and surfing the net, write some posts, and then start my day. I can do a ton of networking online in under an hour every day. It’s my schedule. What’s yours?
9. Ask a kid what they like to do online. You may be surprised at the answer. Then go out and follow their advice. I find a lot of cool sites by listening to the younger generation.
10. You don’t have to have a website, right? Well, maybe. If you start a blog and make a commitment to using social sites, you can build up your name pretty quickly. Are you promoting you or your business? Sometimes a business may still need a site. But there is a ton of places you can build and grow. The important thing is to just get started.
Want more personalized advice? I’ve been working with several clients helping them build their online presence . I’d love to help you too.
Jul
10
Blogging For Business Tip #3
Filed Under Blog Statistics, Blogging Tips | Leave a Comment
Just read an article in one of my latest editions of Promo magazine by G.A. Andy Marken.
According to his article
, Technorati now tracks 70 million blogs, up from 35 million less than a year ago. And according to the latest research, 22 of the 100 most popular websites in Q4 of last year were blogs.
More and more, people are relying on blogs to gain valuable information. Why? Because it’s the easiest and most effective way to share information quickly with your readers and with the search engines.
When I do research for articles, I’m usually looking for statistics or for current figures and ratios in online trends. Things change quickly online. Facts that were valid in 2006 for the most part no longer apply today in 2008. So I need information posted within the past few days - weeks at the most. Blogs and blog directories are a great way for me to find the information I need.
By searching in blog directories like Technorati, they provide search results based on the date is was posted; not just by keyword. So I can find information that was posted just minutes before - not just the highest ranking keyword related site.
So as a business owner, if you’re writing on current issues, and you’re hitting on keywords that people are searching for, you have a higher chance of “being found” because your information will be at the top of the search results.
1. Write blog posts frequently and concentrate on writing about things of interest to customers and media.
2. Write appropriate titles that will capture the attention of readers. Don’t create titles for SEO purposes - make sure they attract the attention of your reader first, SEO second.
3. The more you write, the easier it is to find you. You can become an authority in your niche fairly quickly - just start writing.
Jul
9
For me, it’s all about being online. I get up in the morning, check email, check Twitter and send a few posts, write up a few blog posts, check a few of my social networks and reply - and then start in with my regular day.
That seems like a normal day to me. I’m always online, and look forward to using and trying out as many new resources as I can.
Doesn’t everyone?
Nope. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that I’m way ahead of the c
urve on the Internet. I was talking with a bunch of other mom’s yesterday at a softball game, and they’re still stumped with Facebook - Twitter, what’s that?
The Internet is still in its infancy. People are still growing accustomed to building a website for their businesses - blogging for business is still a brand new concept.
Which means there is a world of opportunity for you. You just have to do it.
3 Things To Do Now To Bring Your Business Online
1. Start building your blog. Everyone has to start with the first step. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect, or doesn’t have a lot of content. The important thing is to start with your first post.
2. Create a plan. What do you expect from your blog? What will you blog about? The more defined you make your blog, the more success you’ll ultimately have with it. There are a huge amount of resources online to help you develop your own content, and to follow to make your job easier. I’ll provide you with a ton of resources along the way - and follow other people as well. Why reinvent the wheel?
3. Don’t be intimidated by all of the buzz words. It’s easy to get swept up in too many ideas, and end up not trying anything. If someone invites you to LinkedIn, spend some time there learning all you can. Don’t jump into a half dozen sites - start with one and learn what you can. The more you learn now, the easier it becomes as new sites and tools pop online.
Take your first step today.
Jul
7
How Important Is Your Name?
Filed Under Blog Resources | Leave a Comment
So you’re blogging for your company. Are you the owner? If so, there’s a good chance people may know you as well as your company, and end up typing your name instead of your company name to try and find you.
No matter what business you’re in, it’s important to have a variety of domain names so you’re customers and prospects can find you. Having yourname.co
m is no different. If you speak, write, or network, people may remember who you are instead of what company you work for.
For instance I have a lot of different websites targeting different types of clients. But to provide a good summary of who I am and what I offer, I have LoriOsterberg.com for the just in case. Because I write for places like Denver Business Journal that doesn’t carry a large bio with my articles, this is a good site to have in case people are out searching for me on Google.
Oh, and by the way, there is another Lori Osterberg out there - an incredible softball player from what I read. [Can't wait to meet her someday!] Is there anyone else with your name? Have they beaten you to purchasing yourname.com? Check now and at least park your name for future use. You’ll be amazed at how many people come looking for you through yourname.com.
Jul
1
Blogging For Business: Tip #2
Filed Under Blogging Tips | Leave a Comment
Education or persuasion?
How do you reach out to your prospects?
In today’s information-driven world, people learn all they can before they make a purchase. The more money a product or service costs, the more time they spend making an informed decision.
When information wasn’t so readily available, it was easier to persuade someone into a purchase. The used car salesman could very easily tell his prospect that the car simply won’t be there tomorrow - make your decision now.
But with the Internet, anyone can hop online and learn all they can about what they are looking for before they try and find a business that offers what they want. And in the world of eBay, if it’s not in your town, buy it from wherever it is (my neighbor just bought a Porsche from Florida).
Now it’s all about education. The more you learn about something, the more one business or one person proves their expertise, the more you trust them to provide you with the products and services you desire.
What can you do?
1. Look at your blog as an education tool. Provide your readers with the details of what is possible. Don’t provide the detailed steps of how to achieve everything you provide in your services - just tell them what’s possible.
2. Set yourself up as the expert. The more you’re willing to share, the more you’ll prove your knowledge base. And the more you share information throughout the Internet, the more your name will come up again and again, through the various searches your prospect performs.
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