Internet Marketing Secrets - What The World Wants!

What Does the World Want?

Last time we talked about making sure you narrow down what you do very, very well, and then to focus on that niche in your internet marketing. The next step is to make sure you know what the world wants when it comes to that niche. Think about it this way - you might sell the best upside down green widgets on the planet, but if nobody's typing "upside down green widgets" into Google, you're not going to get found. Instead, if people have a different way of searching - maybe they type "solve my widget problems"! If you know that, you can present your information in a way that meshes with search habits and also addresses their concerns in a very direct way. 

Learn more about focusing on what the world wants to rocket your internet marketing success upwards with this article.

Our Holiday Gift to You - Ten Top Must-Do's for Marketing Your Business Online

Identify!

1. Identify Your USP

            What is Your Unique Selling Proposition?

            What do you do differently or better than anybody else around?

           

If you have an existing business, get help figuring out what it is.

If you’re thinking about starting a new business, figure out what people need or want (see “keyword research” below).

Example: At SEO Ann Arbor, we started out serving SE Michigan businesses. Our selling proposition, which was somewhat unique in internet marketing, was that if you aren’t getting the results you want, you can sit across the desk from one of our founders and tell us exactly what you DO want!

If you don’t have a USP, create one!

2. Identify Your Best Customers

What customers are most profitable, the least trouble, and the kind of people you most enjoy doing business with?

Most business owners who take the time to research this are surprised by how often the most troublesome customers are the least profitable, and the most rewarding customers are the least trouble!

Can you identify your best three customers? What makes them the best?

3. Identify the pains or problems of your best customers that you can solve!

            My website’s not on Page One of Google!

            I can’t get my web guy to call me back!

            My neighbor’s sister in law designs websites and ....

            What are some pains or problems of your best customers that YOU can solve?

 Engage!

4. Explain Your Solution in “Engaging” Terms

            Engaging 1 - From the customer’s point of view

At last, someone I can meet with face to face who can explain what I need to do to get on Page One of Google!

            Or: Wow! A web guy who actually returns my calls!

Remember your USP? Keep in mind that if you make promises in your marketing, you have to structure your business to KEEP the promises. Nothing will destroy a bad business quicker than great marketing!

Engaging 2 – Designed to convince the customer to enlist or take action.

                        Learn Based Marketing

A lesson in SEO

                                    How to shop for internet marketing experts

                                    Top 5 List

                        Offer something in return for their participation!         

5. Use the contact information you get to build a base of interested people

Treat those people very, very well.

Be generous with your information. The days of withholding professional information are over. I can find virtually every secret of what you do on the internet. My problem is not finding the information, it’s finding the time, the specialized equipment, or the expertise to do what you do.

Inform, educate, entertain, and nurture your customer base.

6. Craft Niche Campaigns – one at a time!

            Base each campaign on a specific segment of your target customers.

            Dentist Offices: what do you say besides “hey, customers, I’m a dentist!”

            Pain: I get frequent headaches!

            Our solution: We diagnose TMJ problems.

Customer point of view: “Amazing! My dentist cured my tmj headaches in four appointments!”

Is it within your USP?

            Are the customers within your target customer profile?

            Can you fulfill the promise made in your marketing?

           

Saturate!

7. Create marketing copy

            Articles

            How To’s

            Top Ten Lists

            FAQs

            Videos

            Write for the web

            Engaging

            Divisible

8. Be social, be very social

            Twitter

            Facebook

            LinkedIn

Youtube         

Blog

            Articles

            email Newsletter

           

            Stay within the niche campaign – create Page One Power!

            Educate, inform, entertain .... enlist!

9. Be consistent, continuous, and considerate

            Pick a day every week to add info. Or two. Or three.

            Don’t miss those days. If you have to use Hubspot or Hootsuite.

            Don’t stop doing it.

            Make sure you provide a way to opt out.

            Actually provide useful information – don’t waste people’s time.

Test and Measure!

10. Test and Measure

            Are you actually getting more calls or emails?

            How many unsubscribes?

            What kinds of calls are you getting?

            Can you tweak your content to get different kinds of calls?

Don’t use the word Cadillac if you want Toyota customers!

Five Ways Your Web Design is Driving Away Business

Are you the owner of a business?

Do you depend on your website to get you new customers, leads, and even make sales?

Are you seeing a decline in leads from the web?

You’re not alone – many business owners use their websites as not only a platform to get their name out there, but as a secondary source of profit.


Being visible on the web means more business, and hopefully more money coming to your business.

However, did you know that your web design plays a big role in how consumers use your website?

Web design can even negatively affect sales! Here are five ways you could be unintentionally driving away business with your current web design:

1. Making information hard to find – too much text and clickable images on the page can make what consumers are actually looking for difficult to find.
2. Distracting images and graphics – too many images and graphics on one page can overwhelm and distract a visitor to your site, causing them to leave the page.
3. Broken links – take extra care to make sure every link on your site leads to the correct page, and a page that actually exists! It can be easy to delete a page and forget to change the link.
4. Text is small and hard to read – make sure your font size and style is consistent throughout your site. Use a basic font and a large size to make your information easy to read.
5. Unorganized, complex web design – this may seem like a no-brainer, but remember that a web design with a lot of pages, links and text can be confusing and hard to navigate for users. Keep your site clean and well organized to increase leads.

Looking For More?

Head over to SEO Ann Arbor’s website to see how our web design experts can help you get the most out of your business’s website! We want to help your business grow and succeed, and we offer free web evaluations! Contact us today to get started!

Don't fall for this domain scam, warns SEO Ann Arbor!

Have you received a letter or an email telling you that your domain name registration is expiring soon?  Maybe the letter warns you that the loss of your online identity will make it difficult for your customer and friends to locate you on the Web!  Does it also encourage you to take advantage of savings if you “act now”? 

Does the letter come from a company that you don’t recognize? 

Don’t be fooled by a letter from Domain Registry of America!  It may look official, down to their use of the American flag, but chances are your domain registration is safe and secure. 

Domain Registry of America or DROA, based in Ontario, has been taking advantage of consumers for at least ten years.  Those that fall for the scam are typically either too busy to investigate, or unaware how their domain registration works.  DROA practices “domain slamming” or sending unsolicited mail out to any person, or company who has a website.  They send out hundreds of thousands of letters to trick consumers into paying them to register or transfer their domain to DROA when there’s no need to do so.  They also charge higher fees for registering and hosting websites than most companies.

Once you pay DROA they’ll send a transfer notice to the business that manages your domain.  Most reputable companies, such as our sister company, Network Services Group, LLC, will not transfer your domain until you give permission.  NSG will also immediately contact you to inform you of DROA’s less than ethical reputation. The problem is… once you realize you’ve been scammed, DROA has processed your payment, and they make it tough to get a refund.  Even worse, if your current host company does transfer your domain to DROA, it can be very difficult to regain control over your account if you realize you’ve paid too much or never intended to make the transfer.

DROA has recently been targeting non profit organizations such as churches.  They know that most non-profits rely on volunteers to manage their websites, and amateur webmasters are typically not well versed with the fine points of domain registration.  Unfortunately, there are no strict laws against this questionable tactic.  Since the company is based in Canada it makes it even more difficult to hold them accountable. 

There are other companies similar to DROA that try to confuse consumers.  So if you receive a letter from a company that you’ve never heard of before, read it carefully!  Check for the small print that states, “This is not a bill.”  Better yet, call us so we can help you figure out if it’s legitimate or not. 

At SEO Ann Arbor, “We believe in helping people achieve their dream of a successful, growing business and an abundant life…starting today!”  This includes educating our friends and clients to be aware of companies like DROA that try to take advantage of you. 

Please visit the links below to read more about DROA’s questionable business practices.    

http://rootwork.org/blog/2013/02/domain-registry-america-scam-dont-let-your-nonprofit-get-fooled

http://www.the-name-i-wanted-was-already-taken-so-i-used-a-lot-of-dashes.com/the-domain-registry-of-america-scam/

http://www.gn.apc.org/support/domain-registry-america-scam

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/01/06/court_bars_canadian_domain_slammer