Website as a sales tool
Use your small business website as a sales tool.
I was recently involved at a local bridal show – related to a project I am working on. A couple of things simply floored me. First off, it was very interesting to see what kinds of businesses came out and took part. Some you would expect, some you might not. But I was blown away at how few of these businesses actually had a good website. I mean, it is not rocket science to build one, nor does it cost a small fortune to outsource a nice site. I understand that not everyone can build one but this is part of your marketing efforts.
For example, there was an event planner there. To my knowledge they don’t even have a website. I have looked for them online and can’t find them. Nor do they have a site listed on their business card. Their email address is at gmail.com. Painful really.
Another company had a beautiful display at the show. The are a business that rents out portable shelters. So if you want to have an outdoor reception, you call them, they bring in a big tent and set up your deal. Their business is named All Shelter Sales and Rentals, which unfortunately is not completely what they do. They had a beautiful display at the trade show offering complete catering equipment, location decorating and so on. Their website does not do justice to the different types of services and products they offer.
Here is what we do. You see, our website at starsluxurylimousine.com is used daily right within our business. Maybe someone finds our info in the phone book or from some advertising and they call us. They are looking for a wedding package. Great, we have 3 different wedding packages they can choose from. But instead of trying to explain what these are over the phone, we just simply send them to the website. Go check out our website and give us a call back (now, of course we take their contact info in case they do not call us back). We do this for a couple of reasons. First, you can’t explain the 3 packages over the phone and what the differences are. People can’t remember that many details all at once and it just ends up sounding like gibberish when you are done. So, this is all clearly laid out on our website – it is easy to find and easy to understand. Secondly, we want people to go to our website. It looks good, it displays our limousine very well, it is a good website and we are proud to have it. If people go to our website and then to our competitors, they will book with us. We want them to go there, call over another family member to say “hey, come see this site” and we want them to bookmark it for future reference.
Now, when people call back after seeing the site (most of the do, by the way) they are ready to book. Very few questions are left to answer and we have had people that call use, go check the site, and call right back ready to book. Now that is a great feeling – and a great use of our website.
Tags: article marketing, website optimization, internet marketing tips, niche marketing, internet marketing
Why Does Your Business Need A Website?
“But, why do I need a website? I have been in business a long time and never needed a website”
Well, that is a good argument and may be valid. However, the times, they are a changin’.
Having a website is like having a sign that says you are open for business. It is just a little part of doing business but it can make your business seem more legitimate to your clients.
Why?
You automatically:
- look more professional
- have more credibility
When you give a person your contact information, it makes you seem more established. When people see that you have your own website, right away it looks like you care about your customers and want to give them information. It is all about positioning yourself and setting yourself apart from the competition. If someone just rolls into town and they look up 3 different businesses and yours is the only one with a website, the others will look poorer for it.
When you have a website, it shows that you are up-to-date and current with your marketing. People expect to see your website address. They may never go and visit your site – they may not need to, but that doesn’t matter. You need to have a site and you need to get it out where people can see it. It can set you apart from other businesses in your town that do not have a site.
Another good reason to have your own website is that you can convey your image to people right inside their own homes.
Someone sitting in their living room can look you up online and find out about your business, the products or services you offer and get to know a bit about you before they even leave their house to buy your product or service. When you buy advertising space, usually the more you buy, the more it costs. A ½ page ad in the phone book costs more than a ¼ page ad. Then they charge you extra for colours and so on.
When you have a website you get to leverage your advertising dollars. Now all you need to do is market your website address and drive traffic there. Once people get to your website, you have basically all the space you want and it doesn’t cost extra! Now you can have pictures, audio, video, demonstrations, coupons, information, details, features, benefits, colours, logo, and anything else you can think of – at little or no extra cost! Far more than you can include directly into the various types of media you are currently utilizing.
So now you have a great “advertisement” – your website – but you are able to buy smaller, less expensive ads in the media. This can be very powerful to your advertising budget.
Having your own website name means you can have an email address at your-own-business-name.com (for example). It becomes part of your identity. It means you can have a company email address. Everyone needs an email address just like everyone needs a phone. Some people just prefer to use email over the phone and by not having one, you could be leaving those people unserved. Do not discount the value that a website – even a simple one – adds to your small business.
Tags: niche marketing, internet marketing, website optimization, internet marketing tips, Jonathan Hook
A Big Fish In A Little Pond
Everybody wants to be somebody. Most people want to be somebody big!
When it comes to your business, it is important to establish yourself as an expert. Someone that can be trusted, someone who carries authority on your subject. Often times this “status” is achieved by publishing good information that is comprehensive and of quality and value.
The big mistake that people make is that they want to be a big expert and that spot is not so easily taken. When you are looking for “expert status” in your business or marketplace, it is best to limit the size of your niche and become the big expert there. For example, you may become a big expert in a narrower sub-niche of a broader niche, you could focus on a specific geographical area, there are a few ways you can limit yourself. What happens here is that as you limit your niche more and more, there are fewer people running for “expert status” in that arena so it is easier to stand out in that crowd. Very quickly can one become a big player in a smaller crowd. Once you achieve this, then you already have people looking up to you and requesting your input and advice. Then you have credibility and can focus on expanding the size of your niche. Do it at a speed which allows you to maintain “expert status”, and you are on your way to becoming a big expert.
Tags: internet marketing, website optimization, internet marketing tips, article marketing, Jonathan Hook
New website for your offline business
Anyone who has a traditional “brick and mortar” offline business is very likely feeling the pinch in the economic slowdown. In times like this, companies are more likely to focus their marketing efforts on methods that produce results and are able to prove their return on investment. I, along with my partner, Randy, are marketing consultants to offline small businesses and we have just set up a new website at www.gotomarketingguys.com to focus on helping small business owners succeed.
We are giving away a lot of free information there and if you have an offline business and would like to learn how to make the most of it, check us out. You could get an idea that turns your business around!
Nice Website, No Sales
I recently got a call from a good buddy of mine. It went something like this:
“hey, can you check out my new website and tell me what you think”
“Ok, yup here it is, um, great, well, it looks nice but it won’t sell anything”
“Well, what do you mean, we just had it professionally designed”
“Well for starters, there is no headline, no call to action and no sales copy”
See, my buddy is a computer network specialist. He has a company that operates locally in his city and provides networking solutions to other companies. They will go in and maintain a network, set up security, set up software and so on in their clients place of business. He has a buddy who is an advertising guy – builds websites and the likes. So here he is with his new website all set up.
The website looks very corporate, tells a litle bit about what they do – describes some of their services.
I said, OK, right now your website looks like all the other websites out there in your field. Why should a client do business with you above any and all other options available to them?
He couldn’t answer. See, this is the USP – the Unique Selling Proposition. What is it that sets you apart – what makes you different, why should anyone do business here? He never defined what he does or what he sells.
Next question, where is your call to action?
“my what?”
What is it you want people to do once they come to your site?
“Oh, well, I don’t know, I thought I just had to put up a nice site”
(oh, please)
See, my buddy doesn’t even have a clear, defined sales process. I said, OK, let’s work backwards here. How do you get new business?
“Well, all I know is that if I can meet with a prospect, there is a pretty good chance I can close them”
OK, now we are getting somewhere.
“OK, so if that is the case, then your website needs to sell a meeting. You need to irritate a problem that your client would have and then offer to solve the problem by coming in to their business and having a free consultation. Your website needs to sell the free meeting. Then you can close them”
Now he was starting to see the light.
See, BEFORE you get started on all of this, you need to take a minute and clearly define your sales process. What steps do you want your prospect to take? Make them easy steps to take, tell them what to do, hold their hand as they do it. Guide them along. If your business works when you have a meeting with a prospect, then any marketing you do needs to be focussed on getting that meeting. Print advertising, website, all need to be targeted towards getting that meeting. The first thing that the prospect should see when they come to your website should be a good headline – one that draws them in and irritates the problem. The solution to their problem needs to be for them to invite you to a meeting, and then make it very easy for them to set up the meeting right there.
If you can sell face to face, then your website needs to set that up.
It is too bad my buddy didn’t ask me for help BEFORE he set up his site. What a waste of a website 
Is Your USP Relevant?
Your USP is your Unique Selling Proposition.
This is the identity that you create that sets you apart from your competitors in your marketplace. This is the answer to the question in your customer’s minds “why should I do business here?”.
One thing that you have to remember though, as you develop your USP, is that you need to make sure that your USP addresses a concern that actually exists in your marketplace.
If your USP boasts something about your business that you think is important to you but none of your customers find important, then you have missed the mark. If you have a Pizza shop and you are bragging about how fast you can deliver the pizzas but most of your customers are walk-in customers and they actually come there because of the taste of your pizza, then you have missed the mark. You are promoting a feature of your business that is not relevant to your customers.
As you set up your USP, make sure that you not only identify and address important features or benefits, make sure that they are the features and benefits that your marketplace is actually looking for.