Fickle ... /fikel/
Adjective: Changing frequently, esp. as regards one's loyalties, interests, or affection.
Internet surfers. Fickle! Yes, it's true. It's always been true.
We get a mere second - or two - to grab the attention of our visitor. Whether it's a website's home page, a landing page or a Pay Per Click advertisement - the message is read in an instant. And then, a decision is made.
I've seen a lot of websites lately that have made me ponder, if this were a company's printed brochure, would they proudly hand it to a potential client? Often I do not have to give it much thought. The answer IMHO is, no!
Fortunately, when handing a printed brochure to someone, the transaction is in person, and the recipient doesn't have a graceful way of pushing it back into our hand. Business etiquette dictates they must be gracious receivers and smile in gratitude.
However, on the Internet, this is not the case! One click, and that prospect is gone.
No matter what changes have come along, the one-to-one nature of the relationship between visitor and web page remains the same. The visitor is in the driver's seat, and still revering that control.
Are you minding your message? It's so very important. Don't miss your chance.
Kellee Gabel
The Web Professional, Inc.
888-614-7776 x1
www.thewebprofessional.com
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
A bird in the hand can sometimes fly away...
Have you ever heard the expression "a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush?" This philosophy has served me well throughout many areas of my life.
My reason for asking you is this: We all know that business we already have is a great source for more business and for gaining referrals, right? In my humble opinion, however, this can also be seen as taking the business and loyalty of our customers for granted.
In business, are you doing all that you can to be on par with your competitors? I'm not talking about competitive pricing. Only you know how much you must charge to compete and profit in your market. What I am talking about is, are you out there making sure your customers remember it's you they've relied upon in the past and that you're still ready for and desirous of their business.
At the moment, I have before me a list of prospects, and it occurred to me that many of these businesses that don't have websites or Facebook pages or LinkedIn profiles or blogs are those who've been around for a long time and have relied on recurring business from past customers.
In many instances, they're the standard go-to place for things like trophies, athletic shoes, senior pictures, boutineers and corsages, pizza joints, you know... the types of businesses just around the corner... the ones we rely upon pretty regularly in our daily lives.
But what happens when Bright and Shiny Company B arrives on the scene? One might think, there's no way Bright and Shiny Company B is going to steal Mr. Trophy Man's business of 40 years. Mr. Trophy Man's been fulfilling the local sports team trophy orders, and coach has Mr. Trophy Man's number in his play book.
In reality, new businesses usually come out of the gate loaded for bear. Starting from scratch, means spreading a sales and marketing budget as far as possible. Online is affordable and goes far. Bright and Shiny Company B knows they need to make the most of their dollars. So, first they get a website and post pages on social media sites, and then they start listing themselves in directories like Google Places and Merchant Circle, and start advertising on the radio, "visit our website, www.brightandshinycob..."
Wait, Mr. Trophy Man doesn't need to do all these things? He's been on the same corner and has been serving the same groups for years. There's no way Bright and Shiny Company B is going to get any of Mr. Trophy's business.
Oh, sure they will. When the individual tasked with fulfilling the trophy order this year forgets his notes, the first thing he's going to do is pick up his smart phone and look up trophies. Guess whose listing is going to come up in Google Places or in the search engines? That's right, Bright and Shiny Company B.
So the moral of the story is, a bird in the hand can fly away. Get out there, and keep old customers in the know about your business, and maybe give new ones an easy way to find you too.
All business names and web addresses mentioned above are fictitious and are not meant to depict real people or business entities.
If you need help with marketing your business online, The Web Professional, Inc. is available to assist you. In fact, we've been helping businesses achieve online marketing success for over 11 years. 888-614-7776
My reason for asking you is this: We all know that business we already have is a great source for more business and for gaining referrals, right? In my humble opinion, however, this can also be seen as taking the business and loyalty of our customers for granted.
In business, are you doing all that you can to be on par with your competitors? I'm not talking about competitive pricing. Only you know how much you must charge to compete and profit in your market. What I am talking about is, are you out there making sure your customers remember it's you they've relied upon in the past and that you're still ready for and desirous of their business.
At the moment, I have before me a list of prospects, and it occurred to me that many of these businesses that don't have websites or Facebook pages or LinkedIn profiles or blogs are those who've been around for a long time and have relied on recurring business from past customers.
In many instances, they're the standard go-to place for things like trophies, athletic shoes, senior pictures, boutineers and corsages, pizza joints, you know... the types of businesses just around the corner... the ones we rely upon pretty regularly in our daily lives.
But what happens when Bright and Shiny Company B arrives on the scene? One might think, there's no way Bright and Shiny Company B is going to steal Mr. Trophy Man's business of 40 years. Mr. Trophy Man's been fulfilling the local sports team trophy orders, and coach has Mr. Trophy Man's number in his play book.
In reality, new businesses usually come out of the gate loaded for bear. Starting from scratch, means spreading a sales and marketing budget as far as possible. Online is affordable and goes far. Bright and Shiny Company B knows they need to make the most of their dollars. So, first they get a website and post pages on social media sites, and then they start listing themselves in directories like Google Places and Merchant Circle, and start advertising on the radio, "visit our website, www.brightandshinycob..."
Wait, Mr. Trophy Man doesn't need to do all these things? He's been on the same corner and has been serving the same groups for years. There's no way Bright and Shiny Company B is going to get any of Mr. Trophy's business.
Oh, sure they will. When the individual tasked with fulfilling the trophy order this year forgets his notes, the first thing he's going to do is pick up his smart phone and look up trophies. Guess whose listing is going to come up in Google Places or in the search engines? That's right, Bright and Shiny Company B.
So the moral of the story is, a bird in the hand can fly away. Get out there, and keep old customers in the know about your business, and maybe give new ones an easy way to find you too.
All business names and web addresses mentioned above are fictitious and are not meant to depict real people or business entities.
If you need help with marketing your business online, The Web Professional, Inc. is available to assist you. In fact, we've been helping businesses achieve online marketing success for over 11 years. 888-614-7776
Friday, September 16, 2011
Success in making sales is like fishing
I'm not expert in sales. In fact, I shun the idea that my customers might think I'm trying to sell them something. Why do I feel this way? Oh, let me count the ways... It's not an uncommon mindset, much like so many people dread networking. Fear of rejection, no time for planning, followup, etc., etc., etc. In reality, I'm usually quite impressed when I've had a meaningful exchange with a good salesperson.
An interesting metaphor for sales is fishing.
A very good friend of mine who's transitioned his career to sales said to me recently, "had I been doing the same activities for my business as I'm doing for my current employer, I would have made a lot more sales."
My response was, "what is it that you're doing?"
To which he answered, "Making a minimum of 25 calls a day. I have to, because my quota is 5 sales per day."
I've never heard of anyone catching fish without a net or a line in the water. Oh sure, you can buy fish at the market, but let's forget that option for the moment. If you don't have any lines in the water, how much fish do you think you'll catch?
My father was a commercial fisherman. It was really hard work. Dad and his crew started each workday at 4 am (yes, it was dark outside) and came ashore mid afternoon... on a clear day. After grueling physical labor on what was sometimes frighteningly rough water, there was equipment to be maintained, fish to be cleaned and re-iced, customers to be called, employees to be paid, etc. Like most small business owners, my Dad was wearing a lot of hats. On some days, even when you are a fisherman professionally, it seems like there's little time to actually go fishing, but if you really need those fish... you have to get out on the water.
Do you think reaching out to 2 contacts per day could be squeezed in? Three? Four? More? If you have no time for sales, perhaps it is time to buy your fish at the market (read, hire a salesperson) and enjoy the rewards.
If I'm ever inclined to feel self pity about the workload before me (rarely, but I have moments), I think of my Dad, and remind myself of what real hard work is all about.
In the end, our business success is all about relationships, delivering goods and services reliably and affordably, and being there when the phone rings. Through word of mouth, direct sales, direct mail, e-mail marketing, social media, online marketing, and other marketing opportunities, we have some automated ways of staying in the spotlight.
And, yet, with all those mechanisms in place, you'll always need to have a line in the water, metaphorically speaking.
Kellee Gabel
The Web Professional, Inc.
An interesting metaphor for sales is fishing.
A very good friend of mine who's transitioned his career to sales said to me recently, "had I been doing the same activities for my business as I'm doing for my current employer, I would have made a lot more sales."
My response was, "what is it that you're doing?"
To which he answered, "Making a minimum of 25 calls a day. I have to, because my quota is 5 sales per day."
I've never heard of anyone catching fish without a net or a line in the water. Oh sure, you can buy fish at the market, but let's forget that option for the moment. If you don't have any lines in the water, how much fish do you think you'll catch?
My father was a commercial fisherman. It was really hard work. Dad and his crew started each workday at 4 am (yes, it was dark outside) and came ashore mid afternoon... on a clear day. After grueling physical labor on what was sometimes frighteningly rough water, there was equipment to be maintained, fish to be cleaned and re-iced, customers to be called, employees to be paid, etc. Like most small business owners, my Dad was wearing a lot of hats. On some days, even when you are a fisherman professionally, it seems like there's little time to actually go fishing, but if you really need those fish... you have to get out on the water.
Do you think reaching out to 2 contacts per day could be squeezed in? Three? Four? More? If you have no time for sales, perhaps it is time to buy your fish at the market (read, hire a salesperson) and enjoy the rewards.
If I'm ever inclined to feel self pity about the workload before me (rarely, but I have moments), I think of my Dad, and remind myself of what real hard work is all about.
In the end, our business success is all about relationships, delivering goods and services reliably and affordably, and being there when the phone rings. Through word of mouth, direct sales, direct mail, e-mail marketing, social media, online marketing, and other marketing opportunities, we have some automated ways of staying in the spotlight.
And, yet, with all those mechanisms in place, you'll always need to have a line in the water, metaphorically speaking.
Kellee Gabel
The Web Professional, Inc.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Missing e-mail signature is a pet peeve
I used to have a boss who would ask, "Do you know what really burns my butt?" And, after working for him for almost 9 years, I still humored him by saying, "no, what?" And he would then hold his hand at that level and say, "Oh, a flame about this high." I'll probably always remember that little bit of comic relief to our stressful work environment.
Do you want to know what irks me sometimes? When I receive an e-mail from a business person and there is nothing below their name in the body of the e-mail. And then, they ask me to call them.
Why does this bother me so much? I can name a number of things.
First, as a marketer, I see this as a missed opportunity of major proportions. How many times a day do we send out an e-mail and not take advantage of this simple carrier pigeon to deliver a little extra in our message? Example content might include: your company name, your title, your web address, your blog address, your facebook page address, your linkedin profile address, your twitter name, your phone number, your company credo, a special you are currently promoting, etc., etc., etc.
I'll go out on a limb and guess that perhaps it's an oversight or that those with missing signatures need help setting theirs up. Do you need help setting up an effective e-mail signature?
Would love to hear from you.
Kellee Gabel
The Web Professional, Inc.
www.thewebprofessional.com
888-614-7776 x1
Do you want to know what irks me sometimes? When I receive an e-mail from a business person and there is nothing below their name in the body of the e-mail. And then, they ask me to call them.
Why does this bother me so much? I can name a number of things.
First, as a marketer, I see this as a missed opportunity of major proportions. How many times a day do we send out an e-mail and not take advantage of this simple carrier pigeon to deliver a little extra in our message? Example content might include: your company name, your title, your web address, your blog address, your facebook page address, your linkedin profile address, your twitter name, your phone number, your company credo, a special you are currently promoting, etc., etc., etc.
I'll go out on a limb and guess that perhaps it's an oversight or that those with missing signatures need help setting theirs up. Do you need help setting up an effective e-mail signature?
Would love to hear from you.
Kellee Gabel
The Web Professional, Inc.
www.thewebprofessional.com
888-614-7776 x1
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Staying cool in this heat wave
The heat is oppressive across the country.
Today when I went to run errands, I found the thermometer outside our door, which has withstood winter's double digits in the negative, had exploded. Out in my car, temperatures ranged from 97-103 along my route. Whew!
If you're stuck indoors, and hopefully you've got AC, what are you doing to stay cool without becoming bored?
One part of my errands that was refreshing was a stop at the local library to grab a few books. The place was teaming with people of all ages - babies sweetly babbling over picture books, elderly people visiting with librarians, children riding their bikes into the parking lot (and holding open the doors for their elders), a young father juggling a baby in a car seat being towed by two more "grown up," eager readers who were oblivious to the heat, just excited about the library.
This visit to what has been a lifelong source of education, entertainment and enlightenment in my life reminded me of the importance of the library system. Even working in the industry of online marketing, I sincerely hope physical libraries won't be done away with by the takeover of the digital platforms. The ability for a child to sit with a parent reading a book or to find a cool place to hang out in the summer that is not only enriching, but entertaining, puts a golden spotlight on the value of reading and the library system.
Reading is a great escape into worlds we may never touch or see. When it's too cold or warm out to be outdoors, and you can't dive into a pool, river or lake, dive into a book... at your local library.
Today when I went to run errands, I found the thermometer outside our door, which has withstood winter's double digits in the negative, had exploded. Out in my car, temperatures ranged from 97-103 along my route. Whew!
If you're stuck indoors, and hopefully you've got AC, what are you doing to stay cool without becoming bored?
One part of my errands that was refreshing was a stop at the local library to grab a few books. The place was teaming with people of all ages - babies sweetly babbling over picture books, elderly people visiting with librarians, children riding their bikes into the parking lot (and holding open the doors for their elders), a young father juggling a baby in a car seat being towed by two more "grown up," eager readers who were oblivious to the heat, just excited about the library.
This visit to what has been a lifelong source of education, entertainment and enlightenment in my life reminded me of the importance of the library system. Even working in the industry of online marketing, I sincerely hope physical libraries won't be done away with by the takeover of the digital platforms. The ability for a child to sit with a parent reading a book or to find a cool place to hang out in the summer that is not only enriching, but entertaining, puts a golden spotlight on the value of reading and the library system.
Reading is a great escape into worlds we may never touch or see. When it's too cold or warm out to be outdoors, and you can't dive into a pool, river or lake, dive into a book... at your local library.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
How does your weekly e-Newsletter stack up?
I am constantly asked by customers, what is the right frequency for sending out newsletters. Today I was reminded why that's such an important question.
Content is always a big consideration. Yes, I have to agree that exposure is important; however, if you have nothing new or of value to deliver to your recipient, reconsider the "impression" you are making.
I subscribe to several newsletters. Some, not by my own choice, yet sent to me after I've merely met someone at an event, and they add me to their list. Usually I read these on occasion only. Sometimes I am drawn in, and become a fan. This morning, I received my weekly e-mail from a networking "acquaintance."
Cue the violins! Today I unsubscribed. Why? Pretty much the same message every week.
The ability to unsubscribe is a nice feature, and it certainly doesn't mean I no longer like this person. Unsubscribing isn't a personal affront, but it does send a strong message. Make your message useful and I'll continue on your list. Your recipient may not have time to read all the messages they receive, so think about it.
Would your rather hear:
When I can't read your newsletter, I feel disappointment.
OR
When I read your newsletter, I feel disappointment.
So, what does this mean to the publisher of any newsletter?
. Content over frequency.
. Deliver something useful.
. If you have nothing to say, skip it
Here's an idea, when you're stumped for a good topic, spend the time you would normally use to compose your newsletter to brainstorm on future topics and research. Make a schedule of those topics and make sure what you write about them is as interesting as possible.
Have a glorious day.
Kellee Gabel
The Web Professional, Inc.
Content is always a big consideration. Yes, I have to agree that exposure is important; however, if you have nothing new or of value to deliver to your recipient, reconsider the "impression" you are making.
I subscribe to several newsletters. Some, not by my own choice, yet sent to me after I've merely met someone at an event, and they add me to their list. Usually I read these on occasion only. Sometimes I am drawn in, and become a fan. This morning, I received my weekly e-mail from a networking "acquaintance."
Cue the violins! Today I unsubscribed. Why? Pretty much the same message every week.
The ability to unsubscribe is a nice feature, and it certainly doesn't mean I no longer like this person. Unsubscribing isn't a personal affront, but it does send a strong message. Make your message useful and I'll continue on your list. Your recipient may not have time to read all the messages they receive, so think about it.
Would your rather hear:
When I can't read your newsletter, I feel disappointment.
OR
When I read your newsletter, I feel disappointment.
So, what does this mean to the publisher of any newsletter?
. Content over frequency.
. Deliver something useful.
. If you have nothing to say, skip it
Here's an idea, when you're stumped for a good topic, spend the time you would normally use to compose your newsletter to brainstorm on future topics and research. Make a schedule of those topics and make sure what you write about them is as interesting as possible.
Have a glorious day.
Kellee Gabel
The Web Professional, Inc.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
What makes you procrastinate about updating your online content?
Do you put off updating your website or writing in your blog? Do you know why?
At the heart of solving this problem is discovering the reason why we put these tasks off.
Please know that I cast no aspersions in asking this question. I've found myself procrastinating about my blog or updating my websites too. For me it isn't a technical challenge that keeps me from moving forward, it's more a matter of writers' block. But for some, just the thought of something computer or Internet related causes barriers.
Out of professional experience with hundreds of clients over the years, whether the technical aspect of the work is to be performed by us or not has no bearing. To some degree, if deep down there is the smallest perception of technical difficulty, some people seem to shun the duties related to updating their online content.
The ability to inexpensively update content makes a website, blog or social media outlets so affordable that ignoring this opportunity is as much as throwing money down the drain. By marketing online, you can update, update, update, and guess what? Search engines love updated content, so not only are you giving your customers and potential future customers a reason to return for updates, you're also giving search engines a reason to return as well.
So, again, I ask, what is the reason you are holding back? Fear of the unknown? If there's something you'd like to communicate, is it possible to delegate or outsource the work to someone who enjoys doing these tasks?
Maybe this is the answer...
Kellee Gabel
The Web Professional, Inc.
At the heart of solving this problem is discovering the reason why we put these tasks off.
Please know that I cast no aspersions in asking this question. I've found myself procrastinating about my blog or updating my websites too. For me it isn't a technical challenge that keeps me from moving forward, it's more a matter of writers' block. But for some, just the thought of something computer or Internet related causes barriers.
Out of professional experience with hundreds of clients over the years, whether the technical aspect of the work is to be performed by us or not has no bearing. To some degree, if deep down there is the smallest perception of technical difficulty, some people seem to shun the duties related to updating their online content.
The ability to inexpensively update content makes a website, blog or social media outlets so affordable that ignoring this opportunity is as much as throwing money down the drain. By marketing online, you can update, update, update, and guess what? Search engines love updated content, so not only are you giving your customers and potential future customers a reason to return for updates, you're also giving search engines a reason to return as well.
So, again, I ask, what is the reason you are holding back? Fear of the unknown? If there's something you'd like to communicate, is it possible to delegate or outsource the work to someone who enjoys doing these tasks?
Maybe this is the answer...
Kellee Gabel
The Web Professional, Inc.
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