Upping Your Web Presence (Web Posting Edition #1)

 

Shawn Kincade Presentation Oct-08

 

Last week I had the opportunity to join a group of business professionals interested in upping their web presence. Some were small business owners, while others were dealing with the red tape of big corporations.

As I am a firm believer in constantly updating your toolset, I was intrigued by what the business coach, Shawn Kincade, owner of Aspire Business Development had to tell us about marketing your business online. 

 Many of the participants wanted to learn about blogging. Some didn’t know what a blog was, while others just wanted their site to be more user-friendly. I wanted to continue to learn more about the ever evolving web arena and sat back thinking I would pick up a few helpful tips. I was wrong, I picked up a ton!!

Whether you know it or not, the world of marketing has changed. It seems that to keep up on all that changes one would need to stay up 24 hours a day just to get the latest feed on social network trends or how to get Google to recognize your website with a high page rank.

So now I have decided on one thing, I need to go to presentations like this even more.  That’s why instead of trying to keep up to date on all that is Web 2.0 on my own, I will attend at least one internet training session each month on the subject. What’s that mean to you? Well you can learn more each month in my new “Web Postings”. Shawn’s presentation is the first of many to come!

Shawn’s presentation was just what I needed. He offered business strategies that are already working. Things like:

•  Having your website discuss one, clear benefit – Ask yourself: What is does my customer want to solve help solve their problem/need? 
• Making your site interactive – Forget tons of words (yes I know painful to most writer’s ears) but Shawn’s right. No reader wants to read a thesis paper on your home page! Offer links, video and photos. Think as if you’re still 5-you want a picture book instead of the dictionary to read. Right?
• Promoting yourself consistently– If you have multiple messages about yourself out there, your readers could get easily confused. So, if on your blog you call yourself the Web Wizard that Contorts Delightful Web Wizardry then say that everywhere, yes even on your home page and your business cards. Remember it’s like Nike’s “Just do it.” It creates a brand. 

And, if you really feel like you need some extra business coaching, Shawn is outstanding! Plus he’s just a interesting person to talk with about business development. Two thumbs up! Oh and if you would like to attend one of his presentations, there’s a rumor that he’s putting another one together in soon. Contact Shawn for more information.

Happy Web 2.0ing-

Sarah @ Dog-Eared Pages

Does Your Business Stand Out in the Crowd?

 

Pumpkin Hunting Oct. 08

 

This weekend my husband and I journeyed out with friends for the annual pumpkin patch expo. It’s something we have done for a few years now and it’s always a blast. Maybe it’s just being around dear friends or the fact that we drive golf carts in search of the perfect pumpkin, I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s interesting to see which pumpkins we award as the “perfect pumpkin to carve”.

One friends says she likes the warty pumpkins because they have character. Another likes pumpkins that are smooth and flat on one side as they are easier to carve. We like pumpkins that are oval. To us, that’s what a pumpkin “should” look like. 

So as we were in search for our perfect pumpkin I was reminded how crafting a marketing message to catch a customer’s attention can not only seem like a quest, but the message can also get lost in a sea of other everyone else is doing. Finding your business might be very similar to looking for the right pumpkin. There’s a million of them out there, but what really fits your needs?

Here’s how to stand out in the crowded market and make your marketing message the one customer’s find, remember and act upon.

• Delve into what your competitors are doing. Know their message inside and out. Is it successful? If not, why?  How can you capitalize on their weaknesses? Are your competitors using flashy images? Should they be and if so, why aren’t you using eye-popping images to grab attention?

• Use keywords and messaging that resonates with your audience. Know what your customer’s speak sounds like. What are terms that get their attention? Are you talking over their heads?

• Define your target market and talk to them. If you haven’t had a chance to chat with the people who purchase your products/services you should. How can you effectively communicate your company’s message to them if you don’t know what challenges, goals or expectations your customers seek? It’s a good practice to set up focus groups and parade your advertising ideas in front of the people that will be purchasing your product/services. Gage your message’s effectiveness based on their comments. Revise if you need to. It’s much cheaper to revise than to pull the plug on a campaign that’s been running for a few weeks or months!

• Try something new.  With the Web 2.0 boom, there are a lot of new vehicles that your company can use to get your message out there without spending a ton of ad dollars. Survey your solid client base. See if they know about Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or even MySpace. If they don’t, discover why they haven’t had a chance to learn about Web 2.0 and take it on as a new way to market yourself if it’s true to your target market, of course.

While you may not find a marketing vehicle that’s totally perfect, you can always fine-tune your ideas so that your customers are more willing to choose your product over the competition. With a little homework on your part, you can find the right messaging and and solid marketing platform. In the end, you create a more effective way to catch your customer’s eye.

All the best-

Sarah @ Dog-Eared Pages