WP Talk

Is your message engaging?

2011-10-13T16:37:00.000-05:00

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

A bird in the hand can sometimes fly away...

2011-09-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

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

Success in making sales is like fishing

2011-09-16T12:59:00.000-05:00

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.

Missing e-mail signature is a pet peeve

2011-07-27T08:54:00.000-05:00

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

Staying cool in this heat wave

2011-07-20T15:56:00.000-05:00

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.

How does your weekly e-Newsletter stack up?

2011-07-05T09:34:00.001-05:00

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.

What makes you procrastinate about updating your online content?

2011-03-30T12:39:00.000-05:00

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.

Cobwebs?

2011-02-09T17:09:00.000-06:00

by Kellee Gabel

Silly, I know it's hard to fathom cobwebs on websites. Yet, it's true. There are companies who still haven't grasped the importance of using the Internet as an active form of marketing. There are some who started out with good intentions, but lost their way, evidenced by websites clearly launched 5-10 years ago and reflecting barely a change since that time.

The Internet has grown, changed, adapted, abandoned and created a myriad of ways to reach the people with access. (Yes, I said, "abandoned.")

Did you know that as of 2010, there were approximately 1.97 billion people with Internet access? From 2000-2010, the growth of Internet users worldwide was 444.8%, according to InternetWorldStats.com. As of the end of 2009, over 74% of the North American population have Internet access.

Be relevant...
Maintenance and proactively marketing online goes way beyond paying annual hosting bills and domain name renewals. Oh, one could look at the traffic stats once in a while. Is there more to it? Yes, yes and yes!

It's easy to let a website become stale, or to adopt the mindset that it's hard to keep up with all the "new stuff" out there, because business people are, well... busy! Websites and online marketing are somewhat "out of sight out of mind." But, to be outdated on the 'net is to be virtually non-existent or incapable of competing in your industry. When that happens, it's time for a refresh.

There are a lot of ways to use a website and other online marketing methods - blogging, regularly updating content, creating social media profiles, posting videos, registering with online directories, paid advertising to name a few. It would be difficult to list them all in one article. If you or someone you know would like to chat about what might be the right program call me at 888-614-7776!

It's a new year. Now is the right time to think about strategies for creating up-to-date content for your website to inspire visitors, including search engines, to take another look and another and another.

Taking pride in your website or blog or Facebook page or the fact that you or your webmaster are on top of all things Internet marketing is downright cool in today's world. Don't miss out!

Social Media Poll

2010-09-07T12:53:00.001-05:00

What's your perspective on using social media?
Take our poll, please!

Do you use Merchant Circle?

2010-08-25T13:21:00.000-05:00

Does your company take advantage of the free profile on Merchant's Circle?

Take our poll.

http://polls.linkedin.com/poll-results/99730/xclax

Local library chock full of good materials - drive to it!

2010-08-25T12:21:00.000-05:00

Today I completed a book on CD by Jeffrey Gitomer titled, "The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching." The book was narrated by the author himself, and when he said "The End" today, I was happy to complete the accomplishment and yet a little sad to be done with it. It was a little slow in the starting chapter, but all-in-all very good. Books on tape or CD make driving alone valuable learning time. I will go back to my library for more self-improvements books like this one!

Connecting through Social Media

2010-08-19T08:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I decided to ramp up our efforts to market through Merchant Circle. However, when I searched for local businesses whose owners I've connected with through networking events, I didn't find many on Merchant Circle. Do you use Merchant Circle? There is a free level of membership, so it seems a no-brainer that a company would at least claim a listing there.

Take our poll. Do you use Merchant Circle?

Is your profile stale?

2010-07-29T12:08:00.000-05:00

Stale bread is great for making croutons or breadcrumbs for recipes.

Stale online profiles are not good for much of anything!

Today I received the oddest e-mail. I had tried to link to an old business associate on Linkedin. An auto-responder e-mail arrived telling me that she was leaving her organization in October 2008 and the message went on from there. The only possible conclusion I could draw is that her linked in profile doesn't have a correct e-mail address.

This leads me to wonder just how many online profiles are out-of-date in major and minor ways.

Google changes how it looks at web pages

2010-07-15T15:35:00.003-05:00

Did you know that recently Google adjusted its search index algorithm to consider page load time as a factor?

When the Internet started to become more commercial than research in nature, we used to say, if your page takes more than 8 seconds to load you've lost your visitor. What with dial up connections, it wasn't uncommon for people to click a link and then go get a cup of coffee, knowing it didn't really matter how well or how poorly a web page had been designed.

Well, back in the day, ISPs were a lot slower, but today high speed connections have significantly lowered that max load time you want for your web page.

If you have a website, make sure your images and other page elements are optimized. What does that mean?

Realize that for every image or flash movie file to load on your page, the load time increases. With photos use editing software to decrease the file size, without decreasing the quality of the visitor's experience in viewing the photo. There's plenty of affordable software out there, and/or if you are paying a web developer to work on your website, make sure they are optimizing your photos.

What's a good file size? Less than 150KB is probably a good start. Just bear in mind, that multiple images on a page add up. Try to stay under 400KB if possible.

Tomorrow's WOW Education Presentation, Linking Social Media Mechanisms

2010-06-22T12:39:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, I am educational presenter at the WOW group. My topic is a demonstration of how to link Social Media Mechanisms, such as Twitter to Linkedin to Blog to Facebook, etc. FUN FUN FUN!

What x What = Have?

2010-06-21T13:56:00.000-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to attend a Brad Sugars Seminar. Many things he said that resonated with me as a businessperson, I took copious notes (wish my haphazard drawings translated better). One thing Brad said which has stuck in my mind like a ticking metronome is:

Be x Do = Have

Today I was tweaking our website to make it just that much more search engine friendly to our desired keyword search results, and realized that indeed I was doing something multiple times in an attempt to "have" desired results from our online marketing efforts. That outcome is to be found amongst the search terms that are most related to what we do.

So, in a perfect world, for maximum results, we should all be tending our website's content as if it were a garden in need of watering, fertilizing and weeding each day. The yield should be results in visitors who become leads, who become customers.

What could 10 minutes a day reviewing and adjusting your website or posting to your blog do for your online business presence? If you don't have time, consider outsourcing it. A shameless promotion, I know, but it really is what we do, and hope to help you be successful doing.

Kellee Gabel
President and Blogmaster of The Web Professional, Inc.

We're making it easier than ever to get a website

2010-06-21T08:41:00.000-05:00

Check out, "5 Easy Steps Get a Website" on our website. We're working hard to make it easy for you!

Would you consider yourself a spammer?

2010-06-17T11:24:00.000-05:00

Today I called 888-382-1222 to have my cell phone removed from telemarketer call lists. To do this you must call from the phone number you are removing. But, this exercise made me wonder. Wouldn't it be nice to have a place where we could request spammers not to e-mail us?

Oh yeah, there is a law. It's called the Can-Spam Act. In case you're not familiar with the terms of this law, and you like to use e-mail for business communications, here's a link: Can-Spam Act - FTC Website Link.
It doesn't hurt to familiarize yourself with these rules and abide by them.

I guess my pet peeve is real spammers who send e-mails masking the sender name with my own e-mail address and other spammers who have xyz e-mail addresses at free providers like yahoo, gmail and others. What can one do? Report them I guess, but they're slippery devils, living under numerous aliases, changing their appearance and moving on to new e-mail addresses constantly.

A phone number would be helpful

2010-06-11T15:23:00.000-05:00

It's nice that websites give visitors an easy way to send an e-mail - you know, a contact form. But what baffles the mind is finding websites that do not have a phone number listed. Today I visited a website for a plumbing company and it did not have a phone number.

Now, it would be great if a website visitor looking for a plumber had time to wait for an email to be sent, read and responded to, but it's unlikely for someone seeking a plumber in an emergency to wait this long. Maybe this is a good strategy for a company that only wants business some of the time, but only during convenient business hours...

Put your phone number on your website... Good idea? We think so.

Are you missing out on simple ways of bringing visitors to your website?

2010-06-11T15:15:00.000-05:00

Today I was looking at a local newsletter featuring several businesscard-size ads being run by companies large and small. It surprised me to see that in these ads, some companies had forgotten to list their web site address. Not assuming these companies actually had a website, I did a search on the web and found their websites. Could it be the website is a newcomer to their marketing strategy?

Food for thought... if you've got an ad running somewhere, perhaps it's time to review and update.

What's the last time you updated your website?

2010-06-04T14:57:00.002-05:00

Take Our Poll

Take a poll on billing practices

2010-06-03T12:39:00.001-05:00

With all the postage price increases, companies are trying to save money wherever possible. Invoicing by mail is costly, including paper, ink, envelope and postage.

Nobody likes bills, but we'd still appreciate hearing from you, so give us your opinion about how you would like to receive billings.

Thanks!

It's a learning industry

2010-05-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

The ever changing environment of effective marketing on the Internet and related channels keeps us ever learning. Today I am excited to be attending ClickZ's Online Marketing Virtual Summit.

Content is Still King

2010-05-10T14:10:00.002-05:00

Are you measuring your website traffic and disappointed with the results or lack thereof from your Internet marketing efforts?

Are you measuring lead generation and where it's coming from?

Some things to consider before you throw out or discount the veracity of THE marketing tool with a 10-toe foothold for the foreseeable future:

Content is king! It's what drives visitors to websites, forums, blogs, facebook pages and more. Does your website sizzle and pop with exciting information or does it have the forlorn glow of a small ember from fires last stoked six months ago?
Does your home page feature inviting headlines that inspire visitors to dig deeper? Website visitors need a reason to traverse your site. And, unless you're extraordinarily lucky and make sales from every first-time visitor, you will need to work on giving them a reason to return.

Let's face it, unless the Internet is a major focal point in your daily business life, sometimes this portion of your marketing plan can become stale. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

If you think about it, that seems most obviously counterintuitive to what we know to be true. Afterall, who in business today is not on the Internet at some point in their daily activities?

And, what about affordability?

Think about the cost of printed materials vs. the cost of updating your website. With printed materials, not only do you need to create the information and the printed piece, you then must find a way to distribute it. How does one replace out of date information in the hands of a tradeshow visitor from 6 months ago? With an up-to-date website, of course! A website's out there working for you 24/7, and if you've done your homework, those interested in you, your company and its products will come back again to find out what's new!

While you may find it difficult to give attention to keeping your website up to date and interesting, we are here with a reminder: you can't afford NOT to.

Never fear, you can recover from your Internet marketing doldrums. Like all good habits, just get yourself into the groove. Once you get your mind around the idea of posting every 2-3 days, you'll be thinking up news items to set you apart from your competitor.

Soon, you'll be hanging 10 in the Internet surf just like the pros!

Article by: Kellee Gabel, President of The Web Professional, Inc.

Getting our arms around a new way of marketing

2010-02-24T17:05:00.000-06:00

In less than 18 months, the face of marketing has changed so dramatically, that even business people who were once resistant to online marketing now want to know what they should be doing and how much it will cost.

Social Media has found a rock solid foothold in how we promote our businesses. Working in tandem with effective Search Engine Optimization and Marketing practices, the latest opportunities for inbound marketing are very important to success in today's businessworld.

As with previous marketing endeavors, creating a well thought out plan of attack and then pursuing it vigorously will be key to reaching customers with your message. Traditional marketing firms that know how to tap into these opportunities are still a rare find. Collaborative efforts between the traditional marketing community and those who have created a niche in online marketing is a powerful approach to identifying the best fit for your business model and its individual needs.

The Web Professional, Inc. is pleased to work with you in identifying the appropriate approach to achieving the best outcome for your needs. We invite your inquiry to learn more >>