Archive for June, 2009
Using Google Analytics to Make Your Small Business Website Shine
Posted by: | CommentsAre you playing pin the tail on the donkey with your Website? You know, blindly taking marketing action without ever knowing if you’re even close to your target or goal?
I can tell you that if you don’t have analytics set up on your site, or you’ve never looked at them, you are operating blind. And it’s probably costing you money.
The easiest way to get a handle on what’s really going on with your Website and its visitors is to have your Web person install free Google Analytics on your site. Then, of course, you have to learn a thing or two about what all your nifty new analytics statistics mean and which ones you should pay attention to.
So this week I’ve got a post from guest blogger Jason Shindler, CEO of Curvine Web Solutions that explains a few simple ways to use Google Analytics without getting totally lost and confused…
Using Google Analytics to Make Your Website Shine
Everyone knows that you need to know how many people are using your Web site. But most people don’t know what to do with the information they receive. Using Google Analytics, you can see who is visiting your website and take action based on the information. In this post, I’ll present four ways to improve the marketing of your small business using the information found in Google Analytics.
1. Quality Versus Quantity. People tell me all the time that their site gets thousands of hits. But what does that mean? Did you get 2,000 people who weren’t interested in your services and products? Or were there many people who were very interested in you and what you offer?
You can determine this by visiting the dashboard and reviewing the number of pages per visit. People who visit one page are generally not interested. People who visit 10 pages might be more interested. There are no universal rules to how many pages per visit is normal, as the structure of a site, the technology used and the type of content make every site different. However, all other things being equal, a higher pages per visit number is typically better. Note that many people get confused between hits, page views, and visits. A great piece on the difference between these confusing terms is located here.
2. Visits to Your Website Should Not Bounce. The bounce rate is related to the number of pages per visit and is also an indicator of quality of traffic. A bounce means that someone came to the first page they visited and then didn’t visit any other pages. In almost all cases, a “bounce” represents a visitor who wasn’t interested in your site. Higher bounce rates are bad.
Just like the first rule, they are no general rules on what is an appropriate bounce rate, but you can compare different referring sites or ad campaigns to see which is more effective and which is generating the right type of visitor for your site. For example, an ad campaign that costs $100 that generates 100 visitors, but has a bounce rate of 99% is not as good as a $100 ad campaign that generates 100 visitors, but has a bounce rate of 25%.
3. Have a Goal in Mind. When you invite visitors to your site, you should have a goal (we all have goals, but have you articulated specific goals for visitors to your Web site). For example, get them to sign up for your mailing list, have them buy a product, or have them send email your way. Each of these goals can be tracked in Google Analytics, and you can generate meaningful statistics.
For example, you could find out that 23% of your visitors signed up for your mailing list or that your latest advertising campaign cost you $30, while delivering $500 in sales. To read more about how to set up goals in Google Analytics, click here.
4. Know Your Audience. As a group, what do your website visitors look like? Do they have fancy computers with fast connections? Do they all speak Swahili? Knowing more about who visits your site might change the choices you make.
For example, realizing that all of your users have slow connections might make you more mindful of the time it takes to load each page. You can find all of this in the “Visitors” tab. Key stats to look for are connection speed, screen resolution, and flash version (if you use Flash on your site).
For those of you who have used Google Analytics, what have you learned about your site’s users? What actions have you taken? Respond here by leaving a comment, then read more about Web site development at Jason’s blog.
[tags] Using, Google Analytics, Website, small business, marketing, online, How to, bounce rates, goals, small business, Jason Shindler, Stacy Karacostas [/tags]
Increase Sales and Marketing Response with an Irresistible Call to Action
Posted by: | CommentsWhy do you do any marketing or advertising?
It’s probably not just to put pretty pictures into the world…Or kill trees…
You want to get clients or customers, right?
Sure, a big goal is getting the attention of your ideal client and letting them know what you have to offer. But just doing that is not enough.
The real goal of marketing and advertising is to get people to take action. Whether that’s calling for an appointment, going to your Website, walking in your store, or busting out a credit card and buying something right now.
The thing is, most entrepreneurs forget all about this when they put together their marketing materials. So they spend a ton of time and money creating attractive pieces that are basically just a bunch of company info.
They talk about their company, what they do, how they do it and who their clients are. Then stick their contact info on there, send it out into the world, and wait for something to happen.
Only it never does. Or if it does, the results are nowhere near what you’d hoped for. Sound familiar????
If so then you’re probably asking…
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Why aren’t I getting good results?
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Well, it could be the benefits of what you offered weren’t clear and compelling.
Or your writing style wasn’t friendly, readable and engaging.
It could also be you didn’t get it in front of the right people often enough.
But let’s say you did all those things, and still didn’t get any response. There is one more, critical thing that might be missing. And you can add it to every piece of your marketing and advertising to dramatically increase response rates.
What is the magic, response boosting item????
A “call to action”!
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What, exactly, is a call to action?
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Fundamentally, it’s where you tell someone exactly what to do next if they are interested in getting what you’re offering.
On TV infomercials, it’s where the announcer says “Call 1-800-buy-this within the next 30 seconds to get your super juicer and the special, bonus slicer-thingy for just $9.95”.
In a print ad, it might be “Visit www.dogtricks.com to get your F*ree report 7 Fun Tricks You Can Teach Any Dog”
Or “Call Jennie at 867-5309 and mention this offer to save 50% on your first massage” on a brochure.
On a Website, it could be as simple as “Visit my services page to learn more about what I can do for your business…” Even a “Buy Now” button is a call to action.
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Why is a call to action so darned important?
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I always say, “If you don’t tell someone what to do next, there’s no telling what they might do.”
Life is busy and full of interruptions. Even if someone is ready and willing to buy, they might not be sure what to do next if you don’t tell them. Or they could end up going to the bathroom, answering the phone, or clicking to another Website as easily as calling you.
That’s where a clear call to action comes in!
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How do you create a powerful call to action?
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STEP 1: Decide exactly what you want someone to do after they read your ad, brochure, Webpage or whatever.
STEP 2: Make them an offer they can’t refuse. These days, a free consultation isn’t enough. A lot of folks think this will just be a sales pitch-filled waste of time. Ditto for just saying sign up for my f*ree e-newsletter.
STEP 3: Tell them exactly what to do to take advantage of your offer. IE: Do X to get Y
STEP 4: Make it painfully easy. Put the phone number, link, Web address or BUY NOW button right there. Don’t assume they’ll take time to find it in the small print on the back of your brochure or your contact page.
STEP 5: Whenever possible, add an incentive like limited availability (only 10 left!), deadlines, or special sale prices. People are busy. The more reasons you can give them to take action now, the more likely they are to do so. Just don’t lie.
That’s it. Give ‘em a good reason to take action…Tell ‘em what to do…And make it easy as pie to do so. You’ll be amazed at how many people take action once you do.
©2008 SuccessStream. All Rights Reserved. www.success-stream.com
[tags] Increase Sales and Marketing Response with an Irresistible Call to Action, Stacy Karacostas, small business marketing, marketing [/tags]
Power Up All Your Small Business Marketing with Conversational Copywriting!
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re not a fan of listening to audios, below is a transcript of today’s podcast “Power up all your small business marketing with conversational copywriting!”
Want a simple way to make your small business marketing, advertising—and even your Website—more effective? Make it conversational!”
Consider this…
When someone reads the content, or copy, you’ve written—whether it’s on the Web, in a brochure, or part of an ad or sales letter—it’s as if you’re speaking directly to them. So anytime you’re writing your marketing materials you should be writing as though you are actually talking to one person.
This holds true whether you’re selling business to consumer or business to business. Because at the end of the day there’s still always one person reading your writing. And that dry, boring writing style that passes for professional these days just isn’t very friendly or readable.
Since people buy from people they know, like and trust it’s important that your marketing materials come across as warm, human and personable. They are the voice of your company and they need to sound like you’re having a conversation with the reader.
The tricky part is that very few people write like they speak. Instead, most folks write in the overly formal, academic voice we were all taught in school. So it can take a bit of practice to learn to loosen up and write in your own, natural voice.
Of course, as always, I’m going to share a few very simple tips to make it much easier…
1) Go ahead and write like you normally would. Then go back and search for all the words with 3 or more syllables. See if you can replace them with one or two shorter words. Better is better than preferable.
2) Remember this rule…If you wouldn’t hear someone say it at a bus stop don’t use those words or phrases in your copywriting.
3) Read what you’ve written out loud, or better yet, have someone else read it for you. You’ll quickly realize which parts sound like you speaking and which don’t.
4) If you’re still having trouble, try recording yourself talking about your products or services to a friend. Then have that transcribed and edit from there.
Master the trick of conversational copywriting and I guarantee you your marketing materials will help you land more clients and sales.
Do you have other tips on how to write conversationally?
What struggles are you having with writing your own marketing materials?
Please do share by leaving a question or comment below.
Mobile post sent by Stacyk using Utterli. Replies. mp3
Whether you’ve already got your book or e-book on your Website (and maybe Amazon), or you’re just thinking about writing one, this is a question you need to answer. Because writing and publishing a book is only half the battle. You still have to figure out how to market and sell it. Otherwise you’re likely to end up with hundreds of copies of the fantastic tome you slaved over sitting in your garage or closet gathering dust.
These days, with so much marketing happening online, it only makes sense that you should be able to market a book or ebook using the power of the Web. And according to online book marketing expert Penny Sansevieri of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. you absolutely can!! After putting 9 self-published books on national bestsellers lists she’s got the results to prove it!
Now you can learn exactly how to use low cost online marketing tools like social media sites, Wikipedia, and your own blog or Website to promote and sell your book. Plus, these same tools can help you become a well-known and respected author with more clients than you can handle.
Wanna know more??? All you have to do is join me when I interview Penny this month. She’s promised to pack this call with tons of super simple tips and ideas you can use promote your book or ebook online and on the cheap. I know you’re going to walk away boatloads of helpful advice. Best of all, it’s 100% FREE to listen in live!
Here’s just a sample of what she’s promised to cover:
• The secret to getting thousands of hits on your book’s web site and then converting them into sales!
• How to create a Website and/or blog that sells your book—and what not to do!
• Top internet promotion techniques that’ll get your book flying off shelves without costing you a dime
• The Virtual Author Tour™, how you can “tour” yourself on the net to generate plenty of buzz—and sales
• How to use sites like Facebook and Squidoo to build your customer base
• How to market your book and yourself using Wikipedia—without breaking the rules
• The secrets of using Twitter to promote your book and drive more sales to your web site
If you’ve written a book and need a low-cost but effective promotional campaign to get it out to the masses, then you need to sign up for this FREE call!
http://www.success-stream.com/teleseminar-13.htm
Can’t make the live call? No problem! I’ll be recording it, and sending a link to the audio to everyone who registers for it a couple days later. That way you can listen in whenever it’s convenient.
http://www.success-stream.com/teleseminar-13.htm
[tags] Marketing, Promote, promotions, online, Self-Published, Book, E-book, ebook, Social Marketing, Web 2.0 Tools, Stacy Karacostas, Penny Sansevieri, Penny C. Sansevieri [/tags]
10 Ways to Beat the Deadly Procrastination Demon
Posted by: | CommentsI have something I have to admit…
I used to be a dyed-in-the-wool procrastinator. In fact, according to my Dad, procrastination was the first long word I ever learned. Followed quickly by procrastinating and procrastinator.
I think I was 6.
And whether it was cleaning my room, eating my veggies, or getting ready for bed I was already a pro at putting things off.
By the time I hit my teens, I firmly believed the old saying…
“Why do today what you can put off until day after tomorrow?”
Then, in my early twenties, I went back to finish college and something changed. Suddenly I had goals (number one being finish school ASAP), and things I wanted to do in life (start a business, go kayaking, move somewhere amazing). So I started finding ways to get around my old habits.
Nowadays friends and clients often mention how amazed they are at how much I get done. And sometimes I am too.
With all I have on my plate, if I want to stay successful—and continue to grow my business—procrastination simply can’t be part of the picture.
Of course that’s not to say I don’t ever put things off. It’s just that these days it’s more about deciding what needs doing now versus later.
Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to discover how to stop procrastinating at an early age. So I’m going to share my secrets with you right here and now.
How do I beat back the evil, deadline destroying, sleep deprivation demon that is procrastination?
To this day, I use these few simple tricks to make sure I get everything done.
1) Get organized! One of the most common reasons for not getting things done is lack of organization (if you have to spend half a day looking for the items you need to complete a project, you have a problem).
Set aside a few hours (or days) and get your desk, office, paperwork or business in order. Not sure where to start? Consider hiring a professional organizer or a business management consultant to help you get your world in order.
2) Tackle the biggest or most unappealing projects first. They are always the easiest to put off because they seem so daunting. But saving them for last just sets you up for stress and late nights.
3) Break big projects down into smaller bits, and set a deadline for each of those pieces. For example, when it comes to a writing project, I might do research one day, a rough draft another, and headlines on another day. That way, when the final deadline rolls around, just about everything is already done.
4) Write a to-do list each Monday and put it where you have to look at it every day. Then mark things off as you complete them, and move unfinished items to the new list each week. It’s harder to keep putting something off when it is constantly staring you in the face.
5) Get a PDA, Blackberry, or I-phone (or at least a day-timer) and schedule time to take care of everything on your list—not just appointments. I like electronic tools because I can set alarms to remind me of what I should be working on. And I turn off my email and phone when I’m working on things so I don’t get interrupted or distracted and run out of time.
6) Tell other people your plans. Knowing that you’ve publicly declared you’re going to do something makes you far more likely to do it, because you have to deliver or risk ruining your reputation.
7) If you know a project is due in 4 weeks, schedule time to work on it at least 3 weeks before deadline. That way, even if you procrastinate some you still have time to get it done and be ahead of the game (If you like to set your clock ten minutes ahead in order to be on time, this trick should work like a charm).
8) Start a rewards system. Tell yourself, “When I finish this project, I’ll go out for dinner, take a vacation, play golf, buy new shoes”…Whatever floats your boat or motivates you to get the job done.
9) Create a timeline for getting everything done. Then set the drop-dead dates in your calendar along with times to take care of the individual pieces. I do this whenever I create a 2-page Marketing Success Action Plan™ for my clients, and it does wonders to keep them on track, accountable and moving forward with their marketing.
10) If something sits on your to-do list for more than a few weeks, it’s time to admit you’re probably never going to get it done. That leaves you two choices: take it off your to-do list because it isn’t really that important, or outsource it.
Personally, I’m a big fan of the latter. So I’ve got a bookkeeper, an accountant, a graphic designer, an e-book cover designer, a Web developer, a couple of content writers and a team of virtual assistants who can take care of the things I can’t. Now I get more done with less effort and less stress. Who wouldn’t love that?!
Ready to get serious about beating your procrastination demons? Try combining a few of these tricks together. I promise, once you get in the habit of getting more done, it does get easier. And I bet you’ll besurprised at the positive results.
©2008 SuccessStream. All Rights Reserved. www.success-stream.com
[tags] 10 Ways to Beat the Deadly Procrastination Demon, Stacy Karacostas, Success Stream, Marketing Junkie, small business marketing, marketing [/tags]
A Dead Simple Way to Get More Free Advertising for Your Business and Website
Posted by: | CommentsWhat would you say if I told you that there was a free and easy way to get your Website address—and even your business name—in front of hundreds of people?
If you are like most folks you would either say, “Great, sign me up!”, or “Okay, what’s the catch?”
Not to worry. There is no catch. And I am not going to suggest you stand on the side of the road wearing a bunny suit and holding a sign (though that can work well in the right situations).
Instead I want to tell you about one small change that can make a really big impact on your small business success. I have to admit this is one of those details that seem like a no-brainer. Yet I am always amazed by how people do not take advantage of it.
So, let me ask you one simple question…
What is your email address?
If your email address ends in yahoo.com, bellsouth.net, hotmail.com, gmail or any other name other than your own domain name (IE: your Web address), you are making a costly mistake. Even if you have your business name followed by one of these other names, it still doesn’t have the same impact.
Why?
First, because these days just having a Website gives your business a lot of credibility. If your email doesn’t end with your Web address then your business doesn’t look as successful or real.
When it does you instantly seem more professional.
Even more importantly, when your email address has your business or Website name in it, then every time you send an email people see it. And every time you hand out your business card, people see it two or even three times in that one space.
When someone sees your business name over and over, it becomes more familiar. And studies have shown that when consumers have to choose between two similar products, all other things being equal they are far more likely to choose the more familiar name.
Besides which, half the battle in making sales is just making sure people recognize your business name and are thinking of you. Because unless they are thinking of you, they will probably never decide to buy from you or pass your name on to someone else.
Plus some folks will see your Web address in your email, and get online to check it out. And that could result in a sale right there.
Free advertising like this just can not be beat.
The best part about making this change is that it is incredibly easy, and usually doesn’t cost you a thing. All you need is a domain name.
Most Web hosting companies—including the ones that sell domain names—offer a certain number of email addresses (usually anywhere from 3 to 10) at no extra cost. It is just part of your hosting package. All you have to do is give them a call and ask them to set it up.
Even if you can’t afford to have a Website built right now, you can go ahead and buy a domain name (just $9.95 at GoDaddy.com). Then just put up a business card page with your contact info and have your email address set up.
And if you do not want to give up your current email address, don’t worry. You don’t have to. Simply have your hosting company forward all the mail to your current mailbox.
You may have to do a little setup to make sure your outgoing mail has your new, more professional address attached. But that is all there is to it.
Once you have your new email address, put it on everything you use to market your business! Add it to your letterhead. Make sure it’s on your business card. And give it out to everyone.
Before you know it, you’ll meet people for the first time and hear them say the magic words, “Oh, I’ve heard of your business…”
© 2007 Stacy Karacostas/SuccessStream. All Rights Reserved
[tags] small business, marketing, advertising, Website, email, domain name, free, Stacy Karacostas [/tags]
Small Business Marketing Secrets of a Mountain Biker
Posted by: | CommentsSmall business Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas shares one of the big secrets of creating effective, sales-making marketing in this short video shot in her backyard mountain biking skills park. Whether you’re having trouble choosing the right marketing tactics, or struggling to get clients and sales with the marketing you’re doing, this video tip is sure to help you learn how to achieve your goals.
[tags] small business, marketing tip, video tactics, how to, Stacy Karacostas, SuccessStream, secrets, practical [/tags]
Top 7 Things You Have to Know to Market and Grow Your Small Business Effectively
Posted by: | CommentsIs word of mouth and referrals enough to grow your business, especially with the economy headed south? My experience working with hundreds of small business owners has shown that while you might get by for awhile solely on referrals and word of mouth, typically that’s not going to be enough over the long haul.
That means you’re going to have to do some marketing and/or advertising.
Sadly, most of the entrepreneurs I’ve run into spend almost all their time and energy creating, then working in, their business. To the point that they forget to even think about growing it until after they get established and realize people aren’t just rolling through their doors or making the phone ring off the hook.
Then, when the do decide to start marketing they don’t know what to do. So they waste tons of time and money on tactics and materials that don’t create results. Something you probably can’t afford.
With the economy on the downslide, and people tightening their purse strings, making sure your marketing is effective becomes even more important. Because suddenly you aren’t just up against your competitors…You also have to convince people to spend their hard-earned cash at all.
And just running an ad here or there, throwing up a brochure Website, or sending out an occasional postcard or letter isn’t going to do it. If you want your marketing to get results (IE leads, sales, new clients, etc.) you have to think it through and plan it out. Then market on a consistent basis.
Otherwise you’ll just end up flushing hours and dollars down the toilet, getting frustrated, and possibly even closing your doors (Ahhh!). To help you out, here’s…
7 Things You Have to Know to Market and Grow Your Small Business Effectively
1) Your Target Market
So many entrepreneurs go out in to the world trying to sell to everyone and anyone who might buy what they’re selling. But this is an expensive and ineffective way to market a business.
It’s like cold-calling by starting with the ‘A’s in the phone book. Most of the folks you call either aren’t going to be interested, willing, or able to buy your product or service. Instead you need to focus on the people who most want what you sell, and have the ability to buy.
2) What They Care About
Everyone has different wants, needs, goals, pains and problems. And we’re all looking for solutions to help us fix a problem, achieve a goal, or meet a need. So once you know who is most likely to buy what you are selling, you need to understand why they would want to.
Once you understand how your products and services can help them, you can speak directly to what matters most to them (instead of what you think is most important). And you can create headlines that grab their attention, ads that make them want to know more, and offers they can’t refuse.
3) Your USP
USP stands for Unique Selling Proposition. This is what makes your business, products, services or results different from the competition. And it has to make what you offer seem so different it’s clear prospects can only get this from you.
Think of it this way…If you don’t give people a good reason to buy from you instead of the guy down the street, they probably won’t.
4) The Benefits
Most business owners focus their marketing on selling the features of their product or service (the size, shape, speed, power, time commitment, process, etc). But they forget to
explain why they prospect should care.
It’s easy to think everyone can see exactly why what you are selling is so great. But oftentimes they can’t. And you can’t expect anyone to take the time to think it through.
Rather than saying: “This computer has a dual core processor” (which means nothing to the average consumer)…Say “The lightening fast dual core processor lets you run more programs and applications at the same time without crashing your computer. So you save time and reduce the frustration that goes with losing files.”
5) The Purpose of the Piece
It’s not enough use marketing and advertising just to let people know about your business or what you’re selling. You need to know what each piece of marketing should do…And what the reader should do after reading it. Only then can you create a compelling “call to action” (“Call A to get B”, “Click here to learn more” etc.) telling them exactly what to do next.
This is key, because if you don’t tell them what to do next, there’s no telling what they might do. They might answer the phone, click away from your site, or go fold laundry instead of buying, calling you, or signing up for your free report online.
6) What Happens Next
Very few things can be sold effectively to all people on the first shot. Studies show people have to see your name, ad or promotion a minimum of 7 times just to notice it. Then likely another 7 or more times before they take action (assuming they’re even interested in what you’re selling in the first place).
Why? Because these days we are bombarded with information. Not only that, people are skeptical. So you have to get in front of them over and over to establish familiarity, then rapport, then desire, then trust, and finally get them to take action (which may not even be making a purchase).
This means you need to know what should happen next in the sales cycle to keep people moving down the path towards buying. Otherwise they probably won’t.
7) How to Get Your Message Read—and Responded to
How much junk mail or email do you get that you never even open? And even when you do open it, how much of it do you actually read?
What about Websites? How often do you go to a Website then click away because you can’t find what you’re looking for quickly and easily?
One of the biggest problems small business owners have with promoting their products and services is their marketing materials don’t get read. And even when they do get read, the reader doesn’t get what you do or offer, what makes it so great, and why they need it NOW.
This is usually because you try to write it yourself (and writing copy is completely different from how most of us were taught to write in school). Or you hire the wrong person to write it for you.
You see, there are lots of people who hang out their shingle as a copywriter, but couldn’t sell their way out of a paper bag. And even a great writer can’t help you make sales if you don’t know enough about your target market, USP, the purpose of the piece, etc. to give them the info they need to do the job.
So spend some time focusing on these 7 things and incorporating into all the marketing you do. If you do it right, and you have something of value to sell, your marketing is sure to start drawing new customers to your business like bees to honey.
[tags] Top 7 Things You Have to Know to Market and Grow Your Small Business Effectively, Stacy Karacostas, success stream, marketing junkie, marketing, small business marketing [/tags]
“WARNING! You could end up spending WAY too much for a Website that does nothing to make sales or grow your business!!”
Learn:
If you can plan a vacation road trip, you can write a highly effective small business marketing plan with this e-book!
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