Excelleweb Blog by Tom Anderson

Spring Cleaning for Your Email

2008-03-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

Spring is just about here, finally! It's time to clean out the garage, wash those dirty storm windows, detail your car from all that winter crud, and clean up your email list. Email list? That's right, you read it correctly.

Those of you who are already using email tools like iContact, may also have an extensive list of email addresses you've collected over the years. But how many of those email addresses are getting bounced? Do you even know? For those not using iContact or something similar, you might not even have reporting to let you know which email addresses may be bad.

So what should you do? You could send an email to everyone on the list asking them to re-opt in to your email communications. You'd have a much smaller list, but at least it would definitely be comprised of only those who do want to hear from you regularly.

Better yet, perhaps, is to use a software application that checks all of your email addresses in your list and lets you know which email addresses are no longer valid. I recently found a software application that does just that.

I am not affiliated with this company in any way nor am I a current user of their software. But if and when I do need to run my email lists to clean out invalid entries I will certainly give this software a try. From what I've seen it is very user-friendly and produces a nice result.
[http://www.deskshare.com/sev.aspx] Here is a link to the web site.

If you do use this application, I would be interested to hear from you on whether you found this to be a useful tool or not. Or if you know of other applications you like even better for this purpose please email me at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com and let me know what they might be. I can suggest again in a future installment of the monthly newsletter.

Excelleweb Mentioned in Business First

I was interviewed in the most recent edition of Business First regarding decisions small business owners must make when starting a new business. Read the full article here.

Tom Anderson is the President/CEO of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Is Your Web Site Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

2008-02-15T12:48:00.000-08:00

I'm sure at some point you've experienced great frustration when visiting a web site. We've all had that experience, unfortunately more than once. Either the information is buried somewhere in the web site and you can't find it, or the navigation is so befuddling that you need a sherpa to help you get anywhere in the site, or you're just plain confused.

Any of those scenarios will cause you to leave the web site in search of one that is easier to navigate and find what you're looking for. Why does this happen? How could the web site owners let it happen? Designers and web site owners are often guilty of building web sites that serve themselves and not their target audiences. They know how to look for and find information because they have intimate knowledge of how everything is structured on the site. They use terminology that they are very familiar with, even acronyms.

What they fail to remember is that their target audiences may not have any clue about the terminology or the thought process being used to structure the content of the web site. You have to assume people visiting your web site know nothing about you or how to use your web site. Make the navigation plain enough that a 5th Grader could easily use it.

So the answer to the question, "Is your web site smarter than a 5th Grader?", should be 'no'. Keep your navigation and text simple enough that any layperson without industry knowledge can understand who you are, and what your unique value proposition is. Don't over-complicate your products and/or services so few may understand them. Your web visitors must know that you can either help them solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity.

Oh, and if you want to 'emotionally connect' with your web site visitors, invest in high quality graphic design and leave the clipart where it belongs: in bad PowerPoint presentations.

Does Your Web Site Serve Others?

2008-01-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

Most people think of their web site as 'billboard' to showcase their products and services. Sometimes that works perfectly. Often times, you sell yourself short when that is all you provide through your web site.

Take Jonathan Holfinger's company, Arrow Title Agency, for example. Jonathan is the owner of the company and his web site can be found at www.arrowtitle.com. In the web site, there are all kinds of useful bits of information including several calculators to help you determine closing costs under many different scenarios.

Jonathan could have just as easily copied and pasted some info about himself and the company only. Maybe add a few testimonials from clients, and finished the site. But he knows that to separate himself from others in his industry, he must provide a unique experience. That's why he focused on creating a web site that serves others as a resource for them. Realtors and others frequently visit just to use the tools listed on the site. Web visitors' perception of the quality Arrow Title provides is much higher even before they meet with Jonathan, because of the experience he's created for them through the web site.

Oh, and by the way, Excelleweb assisted Jonathan in the design for the site (shameless plug inserted here).

As you ponder what you'd like to improve with your web site in 2008, think about ways you can improve your business relationship with your customers and prospects. What is it that you could provide to make their interaction with you even better?

Tom Anderson is the President/CEO of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Who's on Your Wall of Gratitude?

2007-12-13T18:35:00.000-08:00

Recently, I had an opportunity to see a variety of motivational speakers here in Columbus, Ohio. Maybe you even attended the 'Get Motivated' event. One of the speakers, Zig Ziglar, was especially inspiring to me. For those not familiar with Zig (visit his web site here), he has been writing books and delivering speeches for many years. He is well known around the world for his unique style and enthusiasm.

Earlier this year, Zig took a fall down some stairs and it has severely hampered his memory and ability to get around as well as he used to. The mere fact that Zig still wanted to travel and speak to large groups, inspiring them, was in itself very motivating. How many of us would have taken time off, or hid from the world when we weren't doing so well physically or emotionally?

Zig spoke of the importance of his 'wall of gratitude'. Those people throughout his life that have inspired him to be a better person and helped him reach greater heights in his personal and professional life, he has honored them by putting their pictures on a wall in his office. It is a daily reminder to him that he must aspire to be the best he can be.

That really resonated with me. A few days after the event, I wrote to Zig asking him if he would be willing to send me an autographed photo of himself for my 'wall of gratitude'. With all of the requests and correspondence he must receive, I didn't know if my note would get his attention. Sure enough, a week or so later Zig's assistant responded saying how grateful they were for my letter and that Zig would be honored to send me a picture. It now is displayed prominently in my home office.

Who has influenced you in your business and/or personal life? Why not recognize them for their contribution to your success? Not only is it a nice gesture honoring them, but it is extremely motivating for you to have a constant reminder of being the best you can be.

Happy Holidays! Make 2008 the best year you've ever had!

Excelleweb Launches Cox Colvin & Associates Web Site

Excelleweb has been working with Cox Colvin & Associates to redesign and launch their new web site. An environmental consulting firm located in Plain City, Ohio, Cox Colvin & Associates provides expertise in a number of areas. Please visit the new web site to learn more about their services by clicking on the following picture:

Tom Anderson is the President/CEO of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Googling At The Gas Station

2007-11-14T11:48:00.001-08:00

Before I dive into this month's topics, let me say 'thanks' for another great year at Excelleweb. Without the support from my subscribers who've given me referrals or afforded me the opportunity to work with them directly, Excelleweb would not have been nearly as successful!

Google Coming To Your Neighborhood

Recently the Columbus Dispatch posted an article about Google partnering with gas stations to provide Google Maps at the pump. Thank God for Google! For as long as I've been married and traveled around the country on vacations, I've been the typical husband who hates to ask for directions. I'd much rather figure it out. My Dad was the same way. I must have picked that gene up from him.

Not only can I now get directions, but I can find the nearest restaurants, golf courses, hotels, etc. Now at least I've got something to smile about at the gas station while I fill up at $3.20 a gallon! Read the full article here.

A Desktop We Can All Appreciate

I stumbled across a very cool new desktop interface called BumpTop. It's one of the most creative things I've ever seen. It enables you to organize the desktop of your computer just like you would with an ordinary 'piece of furniture' type of desk.

How many of you out there have icons filling up nearly the entire portion of your monitor screen? Then you have to scan over the entire monitor to find the shortcut link to open a document or a program. Watch this video to see how simple, yet extremely creative you can be in organizing your computer files and applications.

The two items posted this month only go to prove that with creativity your business can be a success. What great ideas do you have for your business?

Only you can kill that idea in your mind. Take the next step. Then another one after that. Google and BumpTop would never have come into existence without the relentless pursuit of putting ideas into action.

One last thing...Happy Thanksiving!

Tom Anderson is the President/CEO of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Quote of the Month:

"Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress."
--Thomas Edison

Thoughts on Email

2007-10-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

This month I've been getting asked more about email, so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to address it in my newsletter.

Use Your Own Email Account

Every time I meet someone and they hand me their business card I look to see their email address (by the way, everyone should have one on their card). If their email address is their name followed by @yahoo.com or @hotmail.com I instantly wonder about their credibility. I'm not being snobby, but it makes you wonder whether their business is in dire straits if they could not afford to set up a simple email address.

It requires very little expense for email hosting. I even have some clients who continue using their Yahoo or hotmail accounts, but it is forwarded to those email addresses from their new company email address. It just makes good business sense that you have your company name as the email address name instead of a third party like Yahoo or hotmail.

Still not convinced? Here other reasons why you should not use complimentary 'no-cost' email services:

There is an increased chance that online merchants will refuse your order. Why? Because too much fraud is associated with these types of accounts. It's less risky for merchants to simply refuse orders from these email accounts.

It can be difficult to even find an email address that's available, let alone memorable. There are just too many variations.

When you send email from accounts like Yahoo or hotmail, often times ads and promotions are inserted in the bottom of the email. Do you really want to have that attached to your message when you're conducting business with others? It cheapens your company brand.

If you need assistance with setting up email hosting or web hosting please get in touch with me to learn more about available options.

3 Web Site Goals to Remember

2007-09-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

If you don't remember anything else about successful web sites, remember these 3 web site goals:

Have compelling text and graphics

Make your web site easy to use

Optimize your web site to rank high in search engines

Have Compelling Text and Graphics

Write the text on your web site with your customers in mind, not for you to tell the world how great you are. Refrain from using statements like 'we're the best' or 'the market leaders', etc. Everyone says they're the best, so why should I, Mr. Customer, choose to do business with you?

Tell stories of helping other clients in similar situations. Why? Because if the customer identifies with that situation, you'll have a better chance of getting their attention and getting them to contact you.

I've written about this many times before, but it goes without saying that you must use professional looking graphics that work well on all web browsers. Don't let your web developer get by just using Internet Explorer for viewing your web site. More people are using Mozilla Firefox and other browsers that are just as important to viewing web sites. Lazy developers will only develop for one browser and not check to see how the web site looks on other browsers.

Make Your Web Site Easy To Use

Don't make web visitors guess about where to navigate on your web site. Keep it simple and easy for them to find what they need quickly. It would be very helpful to 'map' out a web site using a flowchart type of program so that you can see how the hierarchy of the web site is established.

By doing this, you ensure that you do not forget anything important and you also make sure you have the proper flow of information on the site. Does it take too many clicks to find important pages? Should this page be a sub page under another section? Mapping out the site first will alert you to these types of problems.

Optimize Your Web Site for Search Engines

What good is your web site if no one can find it? Again, those of you who have been subscribers for awhile have read this in past newsletters.

But, here is a piece of information you may not have read in my past months' newsletters: Being ranked high in Google and other engines loses its importance if very few people ever search on those terms. That's why you need to work with a professional firm who can offer specialists in search engine marketing. They understand that not only do they need to optimize the web site for keywords and phrases, but to use the terms and phrases that are actually being searched on in the engines.

One more thing to implement: once you have the right keywords/terms/phrases, also check to find out how many other web sites are competing for those same terms. The most successful web sites find a happy medium where they choose popular keywords/phrases, but also those that aren't competing with millions of other sites.

Focus on these 3 key areas and you will be building a successful web site presence. Oh, and don't forget, this is an ongoing process that continually evolves over time. Embrace the journey and never rest on your laurels!

Interested in using email to market your business or organization? Send me an email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com and I can provide you with a complimentary trial using the same tools that I used to create this newsletter.

Tom Anderson is the President/CEO of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Referrals from those who know, like, and trust you can be the lifeblood for any business.
If you'd like to learn more about building business relationships with other professionals, visit www.amspirit.com to learn more...

Read my new AmSpirit Business Connections Blog for networking tips...

Quote of the Month:
"The real leader has no need to lead--he is content to point the way."
--Henry Miller

What Does My Web Site Have In Common With Tigger?

2007-08-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

I hope you all remember Tigger from your childhood, the fictional character from Winnie the Pooh and a very popular Character at Disney World and Disneyland. Tigger’s most memorable quote is, “Bouncing is what Tiggers do best!” However, the bounce rate of your web site is an entirely different story!

What is a ‘Bounce Rate’?

The Bounce Rate is the number of people who visit your web site and leave instantly without digging deeper into the site. All pages of your web site and also have a bounce rate. So what good is this information?

We all strive to ensure we have ‘qualified’ visitors coming to our web sites. One way to think about this would be to measure the traffic being referred to you from other web sites. If the visitors coming from another link have a very high ‘bounce rate’, it might be time to reconsider having a link from them.

Obviously, visitors may have been expecting something else when they clicked on the link. You must ask yourself if the traffic from that other web site is really relevant to your business. I get offers all the time to link to other web sites that promise to send lots of traffic my way. 'More' is not always better. I'd much rather have qualified visitors who are specifically looking for help with their web sites or want to use the web or email for marketing. Getting lots of web visitors to your web site doesn’t mean much if no one stays once they get there.

Most web hosts should be able to provide this report along with all other web statistics as part of their hosting services. If you’re not getting this type of reporting, it might be time to change hosts.

It’s sometimes frustrating to hear people discuss how they get hosting at little or no cost, but what they fail to understand is that they get little or no reporting with that. If you’d like to learn more about web hosting services from Excelleweb, please call me at 614-679-0912 and I can share with you sample reporting that will give you a competitive advantage over your competition.

To read an excellent article further discussing ‘bounce rates’, visit this link.

Interested in using email to market your business or organization? Send me an email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com and I can provide you with a complimentary trial using the same tools that I used to create this newsletter.

Tom Anderson is the President/CEO of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Read my new AmSpirit Business Connections Blog for networking tips...

Quote of the Month: "Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."
--Thomas Edison

Critical Steps in Marketing

2007-07-26T20:26:00.001-07:00

Critical Steps For Marketing

Marketing is a double-edged sword. Do it the right way and your business will be swimming in new opportunities. Miss a few steps and you’ve potentially damaged your business for months or even years. It’s difficult to recover once you’ve been tagged as ‘mediocre’ by your target audiences.

Much of the effort around good marketing stems from setting expectations. How often do organizations get the interest from future clients, then perform horribly at following up on leads? It’s never a good idea to make a client wait while their interest wanes in your products/services.

If you can’t follow up immediately, simply set the expectation of when they should expect a follow up call. I get leads all the time through my web site that sometimes cannot be responded to immediately, but I will take two minutes to jot a quick note to them letting them know when we can respond.

With that, I’ve thought about three critical steps your business or organization should implement when launching any marketing campaigns. I’m sure many of you may already be doing this, so let this be a refresher for you. And those of you who aren’t doing this, better think about it before your marketing takes a nose-dive!

Create a game plan

After your campaign is officially launched, plan for increases in inquiries; whether the call to action is by phone, your web site, email responses, etc. Be prepared to handle the responses flooding in the door. Remember the old IBM commercial where the marketing department slapped ‘high-fives’ with each other when they saw how many new visits were coming into the web site? Then someone asked if anyone told the IT department about the expected wave of new traffic, and then their servers crashed.

Have a System in Place

Another key to remember is to have a system in place to handle the new inquiries. Hire a temp, if you have to, in order to respond. Don’t let anything fall through the cracks. Personally, I prefer most of my leads come back through my web site to email so that it is more easily managed. Track every inquiry that comes in so that you know what’s working and what is not.

Let Everyone Know About The Marketing Campaigns

It's very frustrating when consumers call to inquire about a promotion or offer, only to be told by the person answering the phone that s/he isn't aware of it. How shortsighted. It leaves a distinct impression that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. By the time a buyer explains what s/he is looking for, the buyer's motivation can wane quickly.

Those of you who have read my previous newsletters know how much I caution others to ‘protect their brand’. This is no different. Looking silly or uninformed in front of clients can have negative effects on your business.

Ensure that future clients are told the truth about wait times or follow-ups. Don't promise that someone will arrive for an in-home estimate on a Monday and then not call until Wednesday. If a product is involved, ensure there's plenty in stock to fulfill anticipated orders.

Be honest and advise customers that the campaign has been very successful and you can deliver the product or service on a specific date. If handled correctly and professionally, they may feel that the wait is worth it. If there are any delays, communicate with customers before they call to inquire why their expectations haven't been met. Under-promise and over-deliver.

Summary

Smaller businesses often find growth management a challenge. It's a balancing act to have the accurate number of staff and resources to handle increased sales while ensuring that customers have a positive brand experience at every touch point.

The marketing mix can have a variety of tactics to attract new customers. Yet, when a widespread advertising or marketing campaign is employed, it's wise to be as prepared as possible for the possible onslaught of activity.

It may come slowly and build over time, or it may come overnight. Either way, responding to customers in a timely fashion and ensuring your company is credible, professional, and caring are the keys to growing your business.

Using Email to Create Forecasts

2007-06-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

I know you're dying to know...

How can you use email to forecast sales projections? Here's how:

Email & Sales Forecasting

Email can be extremely effective because you may learn so much about your customers and form opinions about future clients too. You can identify behavior by tracking what people do with the emails you send to them.

Put links in the emails that take customers and prospects to various pages on your web site. Using 'permission email' tools enable you to track which links are being visited on your web site and by whom.

By tracking your web statistics, you can determine which pages 'convert' prospects into customers. The more people you can drive to that specific page or pages will result in an increase in new customers.

It's important that you know your numbers in the business, especially if you're just getting started using any type of email marketing.

Make sure everyone in your business is aware of your marketing campaigns so that they can be prepared for any resulting changes in demand.

Summary

Most all organizations forecast based upon past sales, which is good, but it only predicts future results by looking backward. Business trends and industries evolve constantly today. That's why I suggest that it's far better to watch how people respond to promotions and track where they go on web sites. You're much better prepared to predict consumer behaviors.

Now what if you have an 'information only' web site that is either internally focused or you're a non profit organization not selling products/services? Your intent then is to ensure you're providing relevant content. Track the click-throughs on your newsletter to see what interests the subscribers.

Either way, your email communications can be used to predict future sales or empower you to continue providing quality content.

Jet Planning International, LLC Launches New Web Site

Excelleweb is pleased to announce the launch of Jet Planning International, LLC's new web site (www.jpifly.com). Philip Barry and James Arzadon, co-owners of JPI, worked closely with the Excelleweb team to define their web strategy, web design, and web marketing.

JPI offers a variety of services including fuel purchasing for aircraft, trip planning, training, and assisting corporate flight departments with their needs. Any organization with fleet aircraft could benefit from working with JPI's team based in Columbus, Ohio. JPI's clients are located both domestically and internationally.

Tom Anderson is the President/CEO of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Quote of the Month:

"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all ."

--Sam Ewing

Do You Have a Primary Aim?

2007-05-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

In Michael Gerber's book, The E-Myth Revisited, he discusses how important it is for business owners to have a 'primary aim'. The 'primary aim' is what they value most. A purpose, if you will.

Web Sites' Primary Aim

The primary aim for any web site is its reason for existence on the internet. You must decide whether it is a marketing tool, an information tool, a way to deepen relationships with your customers, a storefront where visitors can shop and purchase items, or a way to automate some business process thereby creating efficiencies and saving money. It may be a combination of several of those.

I'm sure you can think of other reasons for web sites beyond the above examples. What is interesting is that many web sites on the net today can confuse the visitors to the site. The navigation may be complex and the text may be ambiguous and hard to follow. This results in a less than enthusiastic web site visit.

Be clear about what your web site should do for the visitor. Spell it out in no uncertain terms. Don't use 'fluff' in your text. Get to the point. Tell visitors what they will find on the site and why they should keep coming back. Compel them to want to interact with you!

Suggestions for Future Newsletters...

If you have a topic that you'd like for me to write about in future monthly newsletters, please call me or email me so I can use your suggestions and respond with newsletters based upon your interest areas.

Tom Anderson is the owner of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Quote of the Month: "Don't go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Are You Hurting Your Brand?

2007-04-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

Maybe we should define 'brand' first. My definition is: "Distinguishing a product or service from the competition and creating a lasting impression with your target audience." Now ask yourself again, 'are you hurting your brand?'

Your brand takes on many forms. It is everything about your organization (some call this a 360 degree view). The quality of products/services, the professionalism of your sales staff, the friendliness of your customer service staff/receptionists, your print materials, your web site, your written communications, promotional products with your logo, etc.

Recent Example

Here is a recent example of a brand violator. A national company with a local presence decided they needed more 'marketing'. To attract more business, they posted a white cardboard sign written in magic marker in front of one of their locations. Granted, it was posted on a heavily traveled street.

My first few thoughts when I read the sign were:

They seemed desperate. Maybe they're going out of business?
They don't have enough money to budget for a professionally printed sign?
Maybe they're just cheap?
Maybe they have no marketing strategy, so they don't know what to do?

The bottom line is I wasn't left with any positive impressions. Who knows? Maybe they did get more customers from the sign. But how many more could they have gotten with a well branded strategy? I have to think they did more harm to their brand than good.

New Seminar Coming Soon...

I, along with three other colleagues of mine, am working on developing a new seminar. It will provide information on building and protecting your brand. It will be hosted in the Columbus, Ohio area this summer. We'll look at 'brand' as it relates to web sites, marketing messages, print materials, and promotional product campaigns.

If you'd like to attend, please email me so I can send you details when they become available.

Arrow Title Launches Web Site

Jonathan Holfinger, owner of Arrow Title Agency in Columbus, Ohio, worked with the Excelleweb team to redesign his existing web site. The new site offers an updated look and lots of useful information for his clients and prospects. Click on the image to visit Jonathan's new web site.

April 2007

Referrals from those who know, like, and trust you can be the lifeblood for any business. If you'd like to learn more about building business relationships with other professionals, visit www.amspirit.com to learn more...

Read my new AmSpirit Business Connections Blog for networking tips...

Quote of the Month:

"Always do right. You'll gratify some and astonish the rest."
--Mark Twain

Does Your Web Site Make You a Commodity?

2007-03-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Do you believe your web site properly positions the unique value your company offers? Do prospects shop around after you’ve given them your pricing and then go with the cheapest solution?

If this sounds familiar, maybe your web site is part of the problem. Prospects visiting your web site think that the products/services you're offering are much the same as everyone else who is in your industry. Why wouldn’t they shop around? Wouldn't you?

You think your service is unique, and potential clients should be able to understand that and be able to see your value through the web site. But if you're competing on price too often, it’s obvious you’ve been positioned as a commodity. You need to do something about it -- and fast.

The Solution

The solution "seems" obvious: make yourself unique. You have to stop prospects from "shopping for the cheapest" solutions and instead, get them to understand the unique value of what you're offering. How can you do this through your web site?

Step One: You have to understand what your unique value is in the first place. If you’re not sure, how can anyone else know what your unique value is either? What results do you achieve for your clients? Be conversational in your web content and list results.

I often hear clients say that they don’t want to give up any ‘trade secrets’ on their web site. What they end up doing is building a web site presence that looks like everyone else on the planet who does the same things that they do. You don’t have to give up any company secrets! All you want to do is compel people to take action. Pick up the phone, fill out a contact form, send an email, sign up for a newsletter, etc. Your goal is to begin a dialogue with your prospects.

Step Two: Communicate your unique value to prospects.

Once you’ve compelled web visitors to interact with you, then you communicate your uniqueness and why your company is the best choice to help them with their challenges or opportunities.

Conclusion

Obviously, there are other important elements to successful web sites, but if you follow this basic philosophy when you craft your marketing message on your web site, you’ll have far less prospects shopping your services. You’ll also have better relationships with clients that appreciate what you do for them.

Tom Anderson is the owner of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Quote of the Month:

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." --Albert Einstein

What If I Can't Afford Search Engine Optimization?

2007-03-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Let's assume you’ve got a great web site. You just need web surfers to find you.
What if you can’t afford to do Search Engine Optimization? If you don’t budget at least $2k for a local promotion or $4k for a national promotion, you won’t get the results you seek in most cases. What else can you do to drive traffic to your site?

Contribute Articles
Your marketing message doesn’t have to be relegated to just your web site. For any profession, you will find related web sites, online articles, newsletters, blogs, etc. to help drive others back to your web site. There are lots and lots of resources on the web where youcan post online articles and have a link back to your web site.

Email Newsletters

Start sending a company newsletter via email. Collect subscribers to your newsletter by having a sign up form on your home page. With each newsletter you can draw attention to areas of your web site you’d like to emphasize that month. Prospects and customers that hear from you on a regular basis are more apt to be repeat customers, instead of one time sales.

Blogs

Blogs are fast becoming effective marketing tools. I use my blog as an archive of all my past email newsletters. Since it links back to my web site it also assists with my search engine optimization. If you don’t want to start your own blog, consider posting articles and contributing to other industry blogs that accept outside writers. Again, it will be another way to link back to your web site with a link.

Since blogs are updated more frequently than most web sites, the search engines favor them because the content is evolving constantly. I should update my own blog more than once a month. Ideally, you might consider updating your blog weekly if you can.

By using the methods mentioned above you can begin a grass roots effort to drive traffic to your web site with little to no budget at all! When your web site begins generating more revenues, then you can re-invest into search engine marketing.

Tom Anderson is the owner of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Quote of the Month:

"Selling to people who actually want to hear from you is more effective than interrupting strangers who don't." --Seth Godin, author

Should you survey your customers?

2007-01-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

I think you already know the answer to that question. Of course, you should survey your customers. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

There are surveys that come in many forms these days. You can be surveyed by email, online via web site forms, phone, in person, and direct mail. You've probably gotten some sort of survey using all these methods in the past year.

Restaurants are even enticing you on your bill to complete surveys to be entered into huge cash drawings. Just punch in the code at a toll free number and answer the questions. Sounds like fun, right? My wife and I had dinner recently at a local restaurant and the next day my wife thought she'd give them some feedback.

The Wrong Way To Conduct Surveys

She placed the call on our speaker phone and when prompted, began the survey. The first few questions were very specific, asking about our dining experience. Good questions, I thought. They wanted to know if the staff were friendly and offered prompt service.

What happened next had me shaking my head in disbelief. There must have been 30 or more questions in the survey! Everything from the temperature of the restaurant, to the temperature of the meal itself, to the cleanliness of the bathroom, to the number of adequate parking spaces available. Too many questions!

The Right Way To Conduct Surveys

It's admirable to want to gather lots of feedback from your customers, but don't overwhelm them with a survey that takes 30-45 minutes of your time! If you survey customers using email surveys like I do from time to time, you should only ask a few questions (5-10 questions at the most). Ten questions may be too many, in fact.

You can keep deepening the profile of your subscribers by surveying them 3-4 times a year. Then you can use that information to send them relevant future emails. For example, a friend of mine consulted me recently on setting up email marketing programs for club members at his fitness facility.

I suggested that he send a survey first to members to ask them what they'd like to learn from the club. Give them options on nutrition, fitness tips from trainers, special classes available, incentives, etc. You can then segment the member lists and send personalized email communications based on what they've told you would be most important to them.

Well crafted email campaigns that are intended to get a response will get at least 15-20% response rates. Mostly because subscribers receive messages relevant to their interests.

So the next time you think about surveying customers or prosepects, keep it short and ask for permission to send future emails tailored to their interests. You'll be amazed at the results you get.

Tom Anderson is the owner of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Happy Holidays from Excelleweb...

2006-12-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

I'd like to thank all subscribers and clients for a great 2006. I've enjoyed sharing this newsletter each month and my hope is that it has provided valuable insights to help all of you grow your businesses.

My wish for you in 2007 is that you prosper both personally and professionally. Let's not forget to count our blessings every day, even when we are facing enormous challenges. We all face peaks and valleys throughout the year, but if we learn to appreciate the 'highs' and not dwell on the 'lows' so much we'll enjoy every day more. Challenges become opportunities for growth, rather than mere obstacles in our path.

A lifetime can pass in the blink of an eye, so why not enjoy the journey?

Have a great Holiday Season and I look forward to sharing more success and insights with you in 2007!

Tom Anderson is the owner of Excelleweb, LLC and can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.

Beware of the Anti-Marketer...

2006-11-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

I read an article recently in a local business publication that got me 'fired up', and not in a good way. It detailed the plans of a local company that is sending unsolicited advertising as text messages to thousands of unsuspecting consumers in Ohio. They've gotten thousands of cell phone users accounts (the article didn't reveal how) and now want to force advertising down the collective 'throats' of the consumers.

The owner was actually proud of his 'achievement'. He stated that, 'consumers will see my text messages whether they want to or not', or words to that effect. How's that for creative marketing? He went on to say that he expected a lot of complaints, but thought that was ok because his advertisers would get their messages out to the masses.

Don't ever trade long term success in order to get a short term gain. The negative publicity with being associated with this type of marketing can kill a business. Anyone who has read my past newsletters knows how much I stress gaining permission before you begin marketing to your target audiences.

It requires more effort and patience, but the success is long term. Think about any of your marketing strategies and how you're implementing them. Are you taking shortcuts, building a house of cards? Or are you putting in a foundation of long standing client relationships?

Happy Thanksgiving

At this time of year, we should all reflect on our blessings and what we have to be thankful for in our lives. I'm thankful for being an optimist, for one thing. Not only is my friend (pictured above) an optimist, he's also persuasive, don't you think?

Quote of the Month:

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
--Robert Kennedy

Objects At Rest

2006-10-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Remember in Science class in high school when the theory of 'objects at rest tend to stay at rest'? In business, those that rest become extinct (or at least lose market share).

How many times do you provide estimates or proposals for prospects and the answer you're given is that they 'will get back to you'? How often is it that nothing happens after that? It happens more than you'd ever like to admit to, I'm sure.

Many businesses will simply say they're not making any decisions for the forseeable future. Actually, making 'no decision' is a decision itself. Are you guilty of doing that to your suppliers? Why not just say we have 'decided not to implement this solution or product' and at least let the supplier know that they can move on.

I think there is a midwestern code of conduct that dominates our thinking. We don't want to be rude or hurt someone's feelings. Do you think that thinking prevails in New York City? You're lucky if there isn't profanity laced in the conversation when told 'no'!

If you have a good relationship with your clients, they will feel comfortable telling you 'yes' or 'no', either way. I will even go so far as to encourage my clients to tell me no if what I'm proposing does not work for them. I don't waste time attempting to build more value into the solution and they don't have to keep fielding my calls asking if they're ready to move forward.

Isn't this the only decent way to interact with your clients?

Tom Anderson is the Founder of Excelleweb, a Web Strategy/Design/Marketing Firm in Columbus, Ohio. Tom can be reached at 614-679-0912 or by email at tom.anderson@excelleweb.com.