If you have your own business, no doubt you understand just how important marketing is for growing your business? However, all too often these basic mistakes are made, which can actually be losing you, clients, rather than increasing your client attraction returns.
See if you are making these mistakes, and if so, how you can easily remedy them:
Permission Marketing Basics
Recently I was sent an email from someone I’d never heard of telling me all about how to use the power of digital marketing methods for growing your business. How to use newsletters, stay-in-touch marketing, and how to collect people’s information on your website with an opt-in box and by offering a free report.
All well and good. BUT!! At no point had I opted in for this guy’s newsletter. I hadn’t asked him to email me about his business. I’d never even heard of him!!
Now – how can you get that permission? Well – when you offer someone your high-value f.ree report on your website (in exchange for their name and email), you can tell them that as a bonus they will also be getting additional helpful tips and strategies in your weekly newsletter.
Website Basics
- Having glitzy graphics that take forever to load.
- Focusing on how wonderful you are, rather than striving to create a connection with the reader.
- Not having a photo or video of yourself (yes, I did look at the website link from the email the guy sent me I mentioned above, to jog my memory that perhaps it was someone I’d met networking, and forgotten about. Not a single picture on the site of a person.)
- Not having a clear flow, and logical layout on the site.
- Not having clear calls to action, or making it hard to get what your point is.
- Using technical jargon to show how qualified you are, but which goes over your prospects’ heads.
- Having a website that hasn’t been updated since the Ark set sail.
- Creating content that’s only for Google bot’s pleasure to get ranked, not for your prospect to feel informed and entertained.
Just being plain dull and boring
Take a moment to walk through your website with fresh eyes, as though you’ve just arrived without knowing anything about you or your business. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and has a clear flow.
Show that you understand exactly what the problems are that your prospect is wanting to be solved (in relation to your niche).
Keep it fresh and entertaining – if you link it to your blog, you can add new content as often as you like without having to involve your programmer.
Tell your reader (nicely!) what you’d like them to do – claim a copy of your free report, comment on your blog, submit their ‘burning question’ to you via email, or ring up for a free strategy session – don’t assume they know.
Personality in Business Basics
Or, they give you every option under the sun to ‘get in touch and get your questions answered’ when there’s something to sell, but if you have a customer care query once you’ve bought their program, you’ll be lucky to get through to the outsourced assistant with a shaky grasp of English!
The remedy to this is simple really. Do as you would be done to in business, or it will surely come back and bite you.
Treat your prospects with the respect they deserve when they show an interest in your business offering.
Value your clients like the diamonds that they are, and know that in order to do this it’s OK to turn away prospective clients whom you know will not be the best fit for your business.
Be authentic and transparent in your business dealings at all times – your reputation will be built or crushed on it!
