Why Your Online Customers Might Hate You
Below is the third article in our $150 competition sponsored by BizSugar.com. It’s submitted by Andy of Travel Online Partners. Good luck to everyone who contributed an article!
Do you feel like your website and online presence is just “another nuisance” to your day? Feel like you’re just wasting your time with online technology? If so, check out these common mistakes businesses make online – if your online presence is flailing, it might be because your customers just don’t like you.
You don’t tell them what you do
If a potential customer isn’t able to discern in 10-15 seconds what it is that you do exactly, they’ll quickly gaze over and move on. This is of utmost importance on your homepage, but via search engines new customers can arrive on any page. So be sure that on every page of your website, you at least briefly explain who you are and make further information easily accessible. A clear strapline or slogan in the header as well as an easily placed “About Us” usually does the trick.
You don’t tell them why
Remember the old saying what’s in it for me? It is still a vital marketing tool and many websites fail to answer this question. Whether it is features or benefits, make it clear why customers should take advantage of what you have to offer. Will it save them money, make them money, improve their life, or just make them feel good? Don’t be afraid to spell it out; a “Why Us” or a “What It Will Do for You” is a completely appropriate headline section to any sales page.
You show off too much flash and bling
Nobody likes a show off, and your online customers are no exception. With lots of fancy graphics and spinning widgets, your true message will be lost. I’m not saying your website shouldn’t be slick, professional, and attractive. But stop and think: does your “add-ons” actually add value or just add to the noise?
You don’t tell them how
Do all of your web pages tell customers what to do next? So many blog articles leave folk wondering how they get more. Your content is there to draw customers in, so after you’ve done a smashing job of telling them a story or giving them information, offer up the next action. Make it super clear; yes – that means big, colourful buttons that say “Buy Now” or “Click Here to Check Availability.” Online customers like to be told what to do, so tell ‘em!
You don’t understand them
Website copy must be directly targeted to your ideal customer; write for everybody and nobody will listen. Write for a special someone and they’ll take notice. You need to know if your customers need jargon explained, if they respect complex and thoughtful topics, or if they’re more visual people. Picture one of your ideal customers in the room and read your web content aloud – would that single individual person be interested?
You tell them to go to your competitors
I never understood why small businesses put advertisements for other products on their website. The worst is Google Adsense – those contextual ads are usually for your competition! You should never place advertisements on your website unless you will make more money from the sale than you would by selling your own products and services. Instead of that lame affiliate ad in the sidebar, why not have a great banner ad for your highest margin product?
Photo credit: Zach Klein
A Quick-Hitting 3-Step Content Marketing Campaign to get Customers this Month
Below is the second article in our $150 competition sponsored by BizSugar.com, submitted by Fernando who does content marketing in Latin America. Good luck to everyone who contributed an article!
As a fellow small business owner, you, like me, are totally on board with the concept that great content via blogging and social media is the new “killer app” of the Internet marketing world. You may have already started a blog, and you may already have 20-50 RSS subscribers. You’re slowly making your way up to your 1,000th Twitter follower, and you’ve gotten decent re-tweets whenever you share your latest post on your blog.
Great job, that’s better than most.
But where are all the customers?
Well you may have missed the part that this kind of marketing is a long-term proposition.
What to do if you want to eat this month?
Vaynerchuck clearly says that his strategy is to build a personal brand, and Chris Brogan says you’ve got to build your online presence so you can become a “Trust Agent.”
But you’ve got the pay the mortgage this month, make sure your fridge isn’t empty, and keep the lights on.
Well here are 3 quick-hitting tactics I’m putting into practice because I just quit my job and I need to bring in some customers really really soon, or else, as the clichéd country song goes, “I’ll lose the house, my wife and the dog.”
These tactics were inspired by my friend, mentor and coach Jim Logan.
1. Write an eBook like Brian Clark’s Authority Rules
I’m taking a slightly different approach here. Sure I’m writing an eBook that I’ll make available without a gate on my website for people to download.
In my case I’m a.) adding a very direct call-to-action at the end of the report to “call me to schedule your free 30-minute 5-point marketing readiness assessment” on the phone, and
b.) I’m going to be sending direct mail pieces offering my eBook to specific decision-makers at targeted companies who fit the profile of my ideal suspect, and I’ll be emailing a warm list of folks I know who are not yet subscribers to my RSS feed. My strategy here is to combine direct marketing with content marketing. The trick is not to sell directly, but to sell the “free content.”
My initial direct mail target will be about 30-50.
The philosophy behind this phase is you’re offering something of value in return for nothing. Even though there’s a strong call-to-action at the end of the eBook to call me (and I may very well get a few calls), here I’m just offering free content.
2. Follow-up with another direct mail piece
Two weeks later I’m going to follow-up with another direct mail piece to the original 30-50, as well as follow-up emails to my warm list. The message in this follow-up piece will be a business message.
I do not want to come across as a sales guy, but as a business person. I’m a business owner reaching out to another business owner, and I add value because of what I know.
I’m following-up on my eBook offer. I’ve helped businesses like yours with x & y (insert your key benefit here, do NOT mention a product or service). It may or may not be relevant to your situation, but I would love to chat with you for 30 minutes about your situation and how I’ve been able to help similar people.
The philosophy behind this stage is to sell the meeting, not sell your product or service. You should map out what the stages are in your sales cycle, and only sell the next step. In my case, and if you’re selling a B2B product or service, sell the meeting. And sell it as a business person, not a sales person.
3. Follow-up with a cold “warm call.”
Finally, I’m calling these folks. I’m calling, again, as a CEO of my small business.
Business people don’t take calls from sales people anymore, unless they called the sales person before and are expecting a call back. However, business people do take calls from fellow business people.
How do you think CEOs of major companies form strategic alliances with other major companies? They cold-call them!
You’re the CEO, you call the CEO of your target company. And you don’t sell your product or service, you have a business call about what you’re extremely knowledgeable about and what your prospect’s business situation is.
Business people want to learn from other business people.
I guarantee if you follow this method, in less than a month you’ll have some meetings and some closed business. It’s worked for Jim Logan and his clients, and I’m putting it into practice for myself.
I’m an Entrepreneur. And Yes, I Kiss on the First Date
Below is the first article in our $150 competition sponsored by BizSugar.com, submitted by Dwayne of www.thecharlotteagency.com Good luck to everyone who contributed an article!
Like going out on your first date with your crush, starting a small business can be pretty unnerving. As an entrepreneur, you are putting yourself out there. Will the business community accept the courtship? Will it call you back? Well before you take the business world out to dinner and a movie, one must be able to confidently answer the questions below.
What Do I Wear? (Image and Branding)
Once you step out of the car and onto their doorstep- they will be watching your every move. Likewise, once you start announcing that you are creating a small business, your entire presence will be scrutinized. How will you present yourself? Are you going to be the conservative, suit-and-tie type, or the modern khaki and polo dude? Or both? Neither option is a bad one, but based on your research of the industry, you got to make an informed decision. Does your website and business cards match? If you are going on a date, your outfit is not going to be mismatching, so neither should your business presence.
When Do I Arrive? (Timing)
Now is the best time. The U.S. business community just got out of a bad relationship with the finance and housing industry, and it is looking for a new, fresh suitor. It needs someone that will treat them right. Its boundaries are down and as a few of us know, those who are on the rebound to easier to attract.
What Should I Say? (Marketing)
You arrive on time and looking good. Really good. But now you have to open your mouth- are you ready? Grab the spotlight. You don’t have any friends to put a good word in for you, so you got to do it yourself. Don’t be bashful. Tell the U.S. business community why you and her are perfect for each other. Highlight your strengths. Remember, the worst thing that can happen is that she says no. Show her a portfolio of things you have done, and things that you want to do. What’s your philosophy? How are you going to treat the business community better than her past? And sometimes its good to be funny, the U.S. business community likes humor.
Will She Like My Friends? (Networking)
Third party recommendations are crucial when it comes to dating this particular person. Not only will they check you out, but all the people that they think know you. Therefore, that’s why you got to get out there before she does it and build a good reputation. It is good when she knows you’re a good person, but if other people tell her you’re a great guy, that’s when the comfort level starts to build.
How Far Do I Go? (Risk-taking)
Your first date with the business community is almost to a close. You both had a great time and you walk her to the door. Moment of truth- what do you do? You’re an entrepreneur; risk-taking is right up your alley! High risk reaps high reward. And if it doesn’t, well hey, at least you tried. Go in with no hesitation for the kiss.
And who knows? Maybe she’ll invite you in.
8 Secrets of Success
Looking for the secret to success? Aren’t we all? Well, Richard St John boils down the secret to success in 8 words and three minutes in this video.
Who is Richard St John?
A self-described average guy who found success doing what he loved, Richard St. John spent more than a decade researching the lessons of success.
So What Are The 8 Secrets?
John has 8 words that he thinks are the main attributes to success. The “magic” words are:
1. Passion
2. Work
3. Focus
4. Persist
5. Ideas
6. Good
7. Push
8. Serve
He goes into detail on each, and describes why they are important, how they relate and play off one another. Well worth 3 minutes of your time, in my humble opinion.
Running Time: 3:33
Source:
http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_st_john_s_8_secrets_of_success.html
Have your own secrets for successs? I’d love to hear them in the comments section below
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Photo Credit: jcbmac
5 Things They Don’t Teach You in Business School About Being an Entrepreneur
Ah, the life of an entrepreneur. Come up with a business idea, write your business plan, line up a bunch of venture funding, and retire to a private island a few short years later when you go public.
If you’re heading off to business school right now, reading this on your iPhone, dreaming of buying your own island – sorry for the ice bath of reality I’m about to dump on you.
5 Things They Don’t Teach you in Business School About Being an Entrepreneur
1. You’re more likely to make a living than make the Forbes 500
Most entrepreneurs end up making a living, and some make a really nice living doing what they love. Very few end up buying their own island, they’re too busy saving for their kids college and making the mortgage payments.
2. There is no money line to get in
There are a lot of you’s out there competing over very scarce resources. But don’t think you’ll just get in line and pick up your check. You’ll definitely need to be the cream of the crop to attract venture funding. More realistically, look for alternative sources of funds.
3. It’s more about you than your plan
Business success has more to do with you than anything else. The best plans mean nothing in the hands of the wrong person.
4. You’re in sales, whether you think so or not
Every business on the planet is selling something. You’re either selling a product, idea, or yourself…learn sales fundamentals, and apply them to everything you’re doing.
5. You’re going to fail
Yep, you will fail. You will probably fail multiple times. If that concerns you, pick another path for your life. If it doesn’t concern you that you will be an utter failure at some point, good – with every failure you get one step closer to success, cliché but true.
Conclusion
Being an entrepreneur can be the most satisfying thing you’ll do with your life. Understand there’s a lot more to it than supply/demand curves, business plans, target markets, or financial projections.
Most of it won’t be taught in Business 101, it’ll just be up to you – but that’s part of being an entrepreneur.
I’ll let you get back to summer vacation now…
Photo credit: losmininos
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The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur
The word Entrepreneur holds a certain level of mystique in our society.
On a daily basis we are reminded of the entrepreneurs who have started with nothing only to rise to celebrity status. Or maybe we see our next door neighbor who, while not a celebrity, has done very well for themselves starting and running small businesses.
The mystique comes from believing these individuals have something different in their genes, or a predisposition to business that has made them a success. Perhaps they were just lucky. Who knows?
The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur
Today, thanks to The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, we are one step closer to understanding the make up of an entrepreneur.
In their July 2009 report, The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur, The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation attempt to gain a little more clarity into what makes an entrepreneur tick.
They surveyed 549 company founders in a variety of industries, including aerospace and defense, computer and electronics, health care, and services. They asked the founders detailed questions about their backgrounds, motivations, and experiences in launching companies. Here’s what they found.
Key Findings
Below is a sampling of the key findings within the report, for detailed statistics and charts please find the full report linked at the bottom of this post.
- Company founders tend to be middle-aged and well-educated, and did better in high school than in college
- Most entrepreneurs are married and have children
- These entrepreneurs tend to come from middle-class or upper-lower-class backgrounds, and were better educated and more entrepreneurial than their parents
- 71.5 percent of respondents came from middle-class backgrounds (34.6 percent upper-middle class and 36.9 percent lower-middle class). Additionally, 21.8 percent said they came from upper-lower-class families (blue-collar workers in some form of manual labor).
- 52 percent of respondents had some interest in becoming an entrepreneur when they were in college, but 34.7 percent didn’t even think about it, and 13.3 percent had little or no interest. Those from lower-upper-class backgrounds were more likely to have been extremely interested in starting a business than the average (25 percent vs. 18.5 percent)
- The majority of the entrepreneurs in our sample were serial entrepreneurs. The average number of
businesses launched by respondents was approximately 2.3; 41.4 percent were starting their first businesses - 74.8 percent of respondents indicated desire to build wealth as an important motivation in becoming an entrepreneur. This factor was rated as important by 82.1 percent of respondents who grew up in “lower-upper-class” families
- 60.3 percent said that working for others did not appeal to them
Get the Full Report
The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur – PDF, 24 pages
Conclusion
I found this report fascinating and I think you will too. What I saw were some people who “looked” like me and others who did not. It reinforced the idea that entrepreneurs are as diverse as the companies they start, but education and a desire to pave their own way, build wealth, and capitalize on businesses ideas are a consistent theme throughout.
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The 2nd Age of a Business: Naivety
I’m extremely excited to share this guest post with you all from Dragos Roua who blogs at eDragonu.ro. Not only have I enjoyed his business perspectives, but he is undertaking a very unique guest posting approach, which I admire the creativity of.
The 7 Ages of Business, is a 7 part guest post series, in partnership with this blog and 6 others – and they are all being published at the exact same time!
Enjoy the business wisdom from Dragos, and be sure to check out the other 6 parts of the series – links below.
This article is part of a series about the 7 ages of a business, an entrepreneurs perspective, initially published at eDragonu.ro. The remaining articles are published as guest posts on other 6 fine personal development and business blogs. You will find links to them at the end of this article.
Seeing The Real Picture
The naivety age is the second age of your business. It comes after the initial enthusiasm and exhilaration and it marks the beginning of your real activities as an entrepreneur. But as the name says, the naivety phase will be also a time for trying and failing, a time for learning and growing.
The biggest challenge during this age will be to see the real picture around you. After you clarified your vision and started to move the things around during the enthusiasm age of your business, it’s time to start looking around and see what’s really happening. During this period there will be an intense desire to “walk into the shoes” of a real entrepreneur, but it will mainly be mostly a mimicking approach, not one based on a clear understanding of what’s happening.
I remember I made hundreds of business cards during that period and also I remember I hunted for business cards obsessively. 10 years ago,& when I started my internet business, social networking wasn’t so advanced, so the only way to get in touch with a potential partner or client was by meeting him in person. During my naivety business period I also acquired most of my shirts and starting to wear a suit,& strongly believing that if I dress like a business man I will somehow become one.
What To Avoid
It’s pretty easy to get caught in a bigger wave that you can swim during this period so here are a few things to keep an eye on.
Speaking Over Doing
Your desire of making yourself and your ideas known can make you speak more than you actually do. While this is great for your speaking abilities, it won’t help the real business much. Avoiding excessive speech in favor of more grounding activities, like organizing and planning, would be a solid approach at this stage. Continuing to write in the journal you already started in the first stage would be a good idea.
Believing Everything
Being so exposed in search for clients or partners will make you extremely vulnerable. There is a real danger of believing everything around you. This belief is fueled by your hope that everything will turn out well, a sense of positivity that would be fantastic, if backed up with the proper assessment. During this age you can fall for “get rich quick” scams or you can get involved with rather slippery people.
Sudden Partners
This is a particular case of the problem described above. You will observe a lot of opportunities for partnerships – mostly because you get out much more often than before – but most of them are not appropriate for this moment. As a rule of thumb, you should enter partnerships only when you can offer an approximate equal value, which, at this stage, is rather unlikely to happen. Learning to say “no” is one of the lessons of this stage
What To Do
But being so exposed can also have some positive consequences. Here are some of the things you should insist on in order to make your path a little bit more enjoyable.
Increase Your Network
Your continuous hunt for partners and clients should end with a big rolodex. Even if you don’t start something together, even if you don’t close a sale, this period could leverage a big asset: a network. Networking is more often than not better than advertising, a secret that not many entrepreneurs will be happy to reveal. And networking can be started at any level. Since you’re already going out a lot, why not starting it now?
Work Your Presentation Skills
Being in the position to speak a lot, you will be somehow forced to speak better. This is a great time to start improving your presentation capabilities. You don’t really have something to lose at this stage, so any mistake will have minor consequences. But the advantages of becoming a skilled speaker will last even if you’re not making to the next stages.
Control Your Cash-Flow
I’ve seen a lot of businesses failing because of a faulty cash-flow in the first stages. Up to the next age of your business, attention you should pay extra care to your budget. You may or may not have an initial funding, but regardless of the physical availability of money, you should take extra care now to any money commitment, because it’s really easy to make mistakes. Use this period to try and assess errors as much as you can.
From Naivety To Attention
The next age of your business will be marked by attention. It’s stage in which you will start to really do things. My initial naivety period lasted a few months. I consider it closed when I finally decided it’s time not to wear my suit at the office, but put a tee-shirt and start some real coding. Your mileage may vary.
As always, there is no quality measurement of a stage, I think all are necessary and all are able to give you the tools to reach your goals. The most important thing I remember from my naivety period is the belief that everything is possible. Despite the failures and broken projects, I still have this feeling till the present day. And it’s a wonderful feeling.
Want to Read the Rest of the Series?
You can find the remaining 6 ages of your business on these fine personal development and business blogs:
Attraction Mind Map – 1st Age: Enthusiasm
Advanced Life Skills – 3rd Age: Attention
Steven Aitchison – 4th Age: Maturity
Rat Race Trap – 5th Age: Expansion
My Wife Quit Her Job – 6th Age: Leadership
Learn This – 7th Age: Exhaustion
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8 Patterns Of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs
Are there certain habits, or patterns, many successful entrepreneurs share? What distinguishes entrepreneurs from everyone else?
Brent Bowers, author of 8 Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs
First: Opportunity
Entrepreneurs have an aptitude for spotting and seizing opportunity.
Second: Leadership
Entrepreneurs are compelled to be in charge, and act as natural and very capable leaders.
Third: Innovative
They have a history of innovation, and the entrepreneurial spirit has been with them since childhood.
Fourth: Adaptation
Entrepreneurs are quick to adapt to almost any situation thrown at them. They have an ability to think on their feet, and “just go for it”.
Fifth: Drive
Entrepreneurs naturally have a strong drive and determination to see their idea succeed.
Sixth: Passion
They have a passion and enthusiasm for what they do.
Seventh: Unfailing Pragmatism
Entrepreneurs act as their own best check and balance system. They take calculated risks, but never gamble.
Eighth: Setbacks Equal Opportunity
Entrepreneurs see setbacks not as failure, but as opportunity to learn and grow.
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Photo Credit: Leo Reynolds’ photostream
Entrepreneurs Can Change the World
Siamak Taghaddos, CEO of Grasshopper, passed this video along to me and I thought it was too good not to share.
I’ll be honest, I usually shy away from this sort of thing. Seems like there are too many mediocre “everything is wonderful” type of videos floating around out there. But this one was different, it struck a chord with me as a business owner, and made me feel proud to be an entrepreneur.
In Siamak’s Own Words:
As entrepreneurs serving entrepreneurs, we know that small businesses drive our economy and fuel our growth. With that, we’re starting an entrepreneur movement to inspire entrepreneurship and turn our country around. We’ve commissioned composer Carly Commando (creator of the NBA Playoffs’ “Where amazing happens” piano theme song) and leading visual designer Ben White from the UK to create a video to do just that – motivate and inspire entrepreneurship.
A Quick Shot of Inspiration
So…if you want a 2 minute lift, or a shot of “warm tingely”, just hit play below.
If somebody you know needs a little inspirational boost – pass this on to them.
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We Have a Winner!
Last week I posed this question to Small Biz Bee readers.
To “encourage” participation we offered a $20 Amazon gift card to one lucky respondent.
The Question Was…
You’re given $2,000,000 to open a store (can be a physical or virtual) and your only requirements are:
- You have to give your product/service away for free
- Your success is judged on how much you give away
What Would You Do? How would you decide what to put in your store? What would it be, and why?
The responses we got were fabulous (I expected no less from the outstanding readers of Smallbizbee.com!). Well thought out, and creative, and let me just say I’m glad we picked the winner of the $20 by random, and not by the quality of the answer…I don’t know if I could have picked “the best”.
And the Winner is…
Wayne Liew!
Congratulations to Wayne for being our comment winner. As the winner he’ll be receiving a $20 Amazon gift card on us! In case you’re curious, here is Wayne’s response to our question:
As a business consultant, the $2,000,000 will be a big extra for me to help more small business owners. Because I enjoy learning and passing on my marketing and business building skills to others, I actually don’t mind giving away this service for free. In fact, I am thinking of allocating part of the $2,000,000 fund to creative small business owners who just don’t have enough money to grow or to spend on small marketing campaigns.
Wayne also runs a small business entrepreneurship blog that is well worth checking out if you haven’t done so already.
On the Up and Up
Wayne’s winning comment was picked by Random.org, from the 14 comments that were submitted between April 19-26, 2009.
A Big Thanks!
Thanks to everyone who participated. The quality and thoughtfulness of the responses was impressive to say the least…if you haven’t, take a few moments to see what our readers came up with.
Photo Credit: Fregon57
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