Stop all of the mucky thoughts, this is serious stuff.

Just at this way, would any of your customers like the idea of;

• Guaranteed delivery times (within 30 minute slots or a phone call to update).
• 100% No mess installation (think Builders for example).
• All of the extra cables required in order to connect up the thingummy whatsit.
• What about an alteration service for new clothing, or a free valet with every service, pick up and delivery.

For every one of you,  part of your offering will have your  customers  saying, “wouldn’t it be nice if xxx done that as well” – we all have them little extras that would cost very little, but impress the customer.

For our customers it’s always our under delivery on timescales, but you know what we manage that in our favour just so we look good every time (no one said sleight of hand would not be acceptable).

It’s not difficult to do but you do need to give it some thought, what is it that you need to do to make the difference, to make yourself stand out.

Once you have found out what these mucky little fantasy’s are, put them in to your marketing plan, your website, tell them what it is you do that’s different, that gives you the edge, that makes it simple for someone to do business with you.

I recently listened into some sales calls, for a Hire Business, damn competitive building machinery, you know diggers and the like. Really interesting;  the firm hiring the equipment lost 2 sales in  few days over delivery  and the timing.

The firm wanted machinery delivered ‘out of office hours’ and there was  refusal from the sales staff, now what the client wanted was his fantasy played out. A vendor who would get a member of staff to work for another 30 minutes or in order to help him through a difficult couple of days.
Now this machinery was worth many thousands over the months hire, and for the sake of 30 minutes overtime the deal was blown, twice in one week.

Often its not difficult to do, but you do need to do it.
Go and ask some of your customers what they fantasise about and then give it to them. You  might be surprised, but your business will be better for it.

Then pander to that fantasy in all of your marketing, your website, your brochures, then do it at the right price and it will sell.

Imagine for one minute, how sexy a big digger is when you want massive holes dug and quickly?

I couldn’t either but I know a builder who can.

Richard Smith

one part of the Internetconsultancy.com
0845 226 9106

We are still taking orders on our Lost Client programme,  you know all of those names and addresses you have done business with in the past and now don’t.  Let us revive them for you and make some money in the meantime.

This is not another social media (or antisocialmedia) rant but an update on the next big thing.

We have been using those strange QR code things for some time and had some success with them, they certainly make like easier, and with 2 million of IPADs sold in the past few months you really cannot afford to ignore this next new thing.

So  Aurasma have rolled out there new technology – and this is possibly a game changer.

You know I love being in this business, everyday there is more and more stuff to learn about and focus on.

Video below, enjoy.

More in the series about local business marketing and increasing the amount of business you can get from your website.

In this video we are looking at research and why it is required.

You can make this as big as you want.

For our free manual on Blogging For Business – here it is .

Like you I guess, the office gets a lot of cold calls offering anything from Franking Machines to Stationary some of which we of course need but are often just a waste of my time.

Now, I know that other business owners need to eat, and if cold calling is their thing, that’s great.

A couple of disturbing things have happened over the past 2 days have forced me to post this.

Social Media Advertising – Facebook Ad’s – I have had 3 calls in one day from 3 firms offering to sell me Facebook Advertising. All have claimed to be Facebook Partners (not sure why Facebook would partner with a firm without a website or indeed Cold Calls).

They found us on the Web, and of course we rank on the front page for all of our sites, and one firm cheekily called us based on a Google Ad!

In summary they offer of an ad campaign for a fixed amount, with at least 7000 ad impressions in a limited area was appalling even for seasoned Facebook advertiser. Never ever buy advertising based on the number of impressions.

The Second relates to a firm offering to set up ‘front page of google’ ads for us, again with a fixed monthly fee and a set up fee.

Now, in the past couple of months we have finished some technical consultancy for a one of the largest Search Engine Optimisation and Business Listing firms in the UK so I guess we kinda know how to do it.

So before you buy anything my suggestion is you do this. (We can do all of this for you free of charge, if you would like, no commitment, with my compliments).

Make sure you know what your online Keywords are for your business (what your Geeks, Freaks and Weirdo’s are looking for), just because you sell ‘Accountancy Services’ does not mean that your potential customers are will search online for that term.

Make sure you have your own Google Places listing and use it.

Make sure your Website, copy and pages are optimised for the key phrases your customers are looking for.

Make sure your contact forms are working on your website.

Make sure your Website is using WordPress (all of those that attended the Blogging for Business gig will know all about this). The link to my presentation is here http://www.theinternetconsultancy.com/blog/sussex-enterprise/

Once you have a carried out the basic steps, then consider buying in some advertising, however I would suggest there is a lot else you can and should do beforehand.

You will be foolish to buy into any service that is offered over the phone without doing some further digging into the options.

I have not named the firms for a number of reasons, however they are all based in and around Manchester and do have a particularly bad name when searched for.

Richard Smith

http://www.theinternetconsultancy.com

The aim is  to raise awareness of the huge contribution small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make to the UK economy, which of course we all know and understand.  The FOPB seem to making all of the right noises when it comes to small and medium sized enterprises which of course is welcome.

The Forum is calling on as many SMEs as possible to get behind it by visiting a specially-created website – www.getbritaintrading.co.uk.

On the site, business owners are invited to sign up to the ‘Get Britain Trading pledge’, which is an expression of support for the campaign and its aims. By taking a few moments to input an email address, business owners will receive a free practical guide filled with expert advice on common small business issues such as bank lending, late payment and cost reduction amongst some other and this information to be commended.

My concern is that the FPB like other similar organisations are managing these campaigns in order to generate a buzz around them and in reality the campaign delivers very little for SME’s.

I do stand to be corrected by them or any other organisation if I am wrong but it seems the points they are trying to argue do seem to be missed by most Politicians and this has never changed.

Whilst  I wish them well with the campaign I can’t help but think energy could be used elsewhere for better effect.

Richard Smith

The reality is that many of these firms are not what they purport, without a doubt there are some major changes coming over the next few years and small business marketing is changing as we speak. For the last couple of months everyone has been rattling on about the changes within Google, and the local maps listing becoming Google Places and with that comes massive opportunity for you as a business owner and also for the shisters and scammers who want to charge you £20 per month guaranteed listings here and there.

So whats the story for your business marketing, well be know full well that conventional marketing is not working as effective as it should and there are now many potential clients that just go to search engine first -yeah google takes the lions share in the UK but the others are not to be ignored.

What we have seen over the past couple of months is a narrow focus of Internet marketing specialists for small business putting our products that will only ever work short term.

Your requirement needs to be a long term strategy for marketing to new customers along with retention strategy with your existing customers, only that takes skill and thought, something that seems to be missing with many.

Facebook, Twitter – all the other Social Media

Google – Search Engines – Blogging – could all form a part of your marketing.

Direct Mail – Seminars – Joint Ventures – all could play a part.

Look there are hundreds of ways to market your business in this modern world, I just wish that there were more people like us out there letting you know what your options are and giving your small business the marketing help it needs, not just selling product.

Richard Smith – Franchise Marketing Expert at the Internet Consultancy.com

You need a website that works – which means gets indexed by Google – ideally Page One – and which gets a constant stream of traffic.

We can either alter your existing site, if it’s built on something cool that we can effortlessly use, or (and this is more likely) we can create a brand new, keyword optimised, site for you (that can even look just like your existing site if you want it to).

** See below for details of exactly what we will do for you in this setup package

You need to be able to measure your traffic, know which key words and phrases are bringing that traffic and whether that traffic is turning into leads and sales and we do this for you, in several ways.

You need a comprehensive Social Media presence; at the minimum, to include a Twitter, About.me, Google Local, plus a Facebook page.  A Linked In, Ecademy, YouTube and/or EzineArticles profile might be appropriate for you too and if so we build these in.

All of these should link back to your website, the new central hub of your online AND offline marketing.

What Do You Need To Make It Work?

You need to get your online marketing integrated with your existing offline marketing and there are no Web Designers which are presently doing this, only people like us that really get this marketing in the new economy stuff.

You need to know which of your marketing efforts are converting to subscribers / leads and sales.

You need to have a system for converting leads to sales on a regular consistent basis.

You need to keep your prospective customers “warm” and keep reminding them who you are, what you can do and most of all, what you can do for them.

You need to get us to take your existing database online, or start building you a new one, using a reputable mailing list host, and to be able to keep in contact with that database regularly via  regular communication..

Your existing customers, clients or casual footfall needs to be made aware of the massive benefits of joining your online community and how to do that.

You need to keep up to date with your Social Media profiles, add followers and friends, follow relevant people in your industry, and, to keep the search engines interested, add new, relevant content to your website regularly.

Great News!  We Can Help You Or Even Do All That For You!

We offer one setup package, plus TWO different ongoing programmes, depending on your desired input and your budget.

We are VERY focused on your return on investment.

(Hint: Our ideal client will already know the value of a new customer, the value of a new customer over a year, and have an idea of the lifetime value of a customer)

Or we can become invested in your business, by becoming your Marketing Department and doing it ALL for you, meeting you quarterly, and taking care of ALL your marketing activities.

We offer this in return for an agreed percentage of your turnover, as reported on your last VAT return, on an ongoing contract basis with 90 days notice on either side. Sounds Great. What Do I Do Next?

Contact us now to book your complementary one-hour Business Marketing Plan Audit and to tell us all about your business.

Simplycontact us using the form here with three days and times you are free to talk on the phone initially, and we will get right back to you.

Starter Marketing Initial Setup Package Includes:

1. Market research to find top competitors & influencers in your niche

2. Keyword research – essential for targeting most searched terms

3. Optimised  Website (see notes below for more detail)

4. Pillar content population – about, contact, services, testimonials, video reviews

5. Email Automation account set up, sign up box & autoresponder series

6. Current social profiles linked up back and forth (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc)

7. Google, Yahoo & Bing local places pages set up and linked to site

Monthly Maintenance Package #1

1. Manage social profiles –  follow / friend / tweet/ hook up with new influencers

2. 2 x blog posts per week (we source keyword relevant content for you)

3. 2 x unique articles written & uploaded to Ezine Articles per month

4. Leveraging these  two articles to many more article sites to create more backlinks

5. Social Bookmarking & Organic Link Building

6. 2 x Emails set up and sent out per month

7. Blog Software Upgrades, Back ups, Security

Monthly Maintenance Package #2

1. Manage social profiles –  follow / friend / tweet/ hook up with new influencers

2. 2 x blog posts per month (we source keyword relevant content for you)

3. 1 x unique articles written & uploaded to Ezine Articles per month

4. Spinning & Leveraging same two articles to many more article sites to create more backlinks

5. Social Book marking & Organic Link Building

6. 1 x ezines set up and sent out per month ** (text only for better delivery rates) linking back to blog

7. Blog Software Upgrades, Back ups, Security

The choice is yours, in this new economy, we have a range of options for you to increase business substantially and the rest is up to you. Firstly and email and then a call, simply and easily.

On a share of the increase in income you cannot lose, and have everything to gain.

In the first instance, you can call on 0800 781 2031 or use this form to give us your 3 dates to call you back

Richard Smith – Internet Business Expert
twitter http://www.twitter.com/theinternetcons

http://www.youtube.com/user/Richardvcsmith

“so what is your plan b ? Another redesign of your Website, some more ad’s in the Yellow Pages, keep on doing the same old stuff you will get the same results that you have always got. To think otherwise is like New Labour thinking Gordon Brown will win another election and even a stupid business owner knows the answer to that”  Richard Smith – The Internet Consultancy- comment at The Internet Marketers Lunch – Strand Palace Hotel July 2010

This means you are missing out if you do not have a presence, of course if yours is a firm that delivers poor service with rubbish products you may not want to give anyone the chance to tell the world, I trust that yours is not that kind of business.

If you have a need to find more leads, to have more enquiries then getting your Local Business Presence right is a starting point.

Local Newspapers and Trade Directories are becoming less and less effective, with offline spending falling dramatically.

One of the reasons   I produced two reports, “7 Steps to stop wasting money on advertising” and “13 Ways to increase sales in any market conditions” and both of these outline the action you can take, and provide a starting point for moving your business forward in this changed world we live in.

Many of our clients increased turnover by 30% last years, and some by over 100% which of course is fantastic, this is  market share they achieved at the cost of other local competition.

How about you?

These two reports are free; send us your details using the form below and we will email you back the reports immediately.

Small Business Marketing

This morning I had an email (the reason you need an email list is to use it) from one of the large retail chains – you know the one that sells everything except food . I have been happy with the service they have provided in the past and have spent a good deal of money with them over the years, it remains to be seen if I will purchase any financial product from them.

They have my email address and I am happy to receive emails about special offers and such like from them. Now there is nothing new in the use of email or in large retailers using their buying power in order to expand into other markets like Financial Services.

Nearly all of them use a “white label financial product’ which means all they bring to the party is a list of customers and some branding, logo’s etc. The firm offering the white label is obviously happy to have the critical mass that these retailers bring.

What I found interesting was the fact they manage, at a few clicks of the mouse and a brief legal agreement (covering commissions etc) to get a complete website up and running that add’s value and delivers for those visiting the site. It’s shame the same cannot be said for most Business Websites.

Yes of course they are a larger organisations and they have economies of scale, of course they do not provide any form of advice – all sales are non advised conveniently, which means that business just rolls in on an automated basis.

The internet, the web is going to be the medium of choice for many consumers in the future extending out the present usage even further but finding a way to make your firms presence on the internet must be a goal for you.

So I have a solution, sort your website out, white label a ‘gas electricity, general insurance comparison site’, cross sell everything via the use of email and every other method at your disposal, but do it with a difference. Do it with genuine concern for your customer, a genuine concern for quality  and product selection.  This is your niche, this is where you will shine amongst seemingly stiff competition.

It is possible to automate much of your marketing and your relationships making this easy to do, question is with most business owners being so busy moving paper and focusing on that which is not important I doubt you will.

For those that do the brave new world coming is very exciting indeed.

Richard Smith

Small Business Marketing Expert at the Internet Consultancy