AC Service Directory

Archive for December 25th, 2009

If you are a typical small business owner like my clients in Lakeland, such as a plumber, painter or air-conditioning contractor or a professional like a plastic surgeon, orthodontist or an attorney, you put up a website a few years ago. You may have even updated your site with a new design, adding some graphics to look up-to-date. Are you getting the results you want? Is your site drawing traffic? Is it bringing new customers to your book of business? Is it helping you increase your profits? Most of the Lakeland businesses I’ve seen aren’t realizing their internet marketing potential.

Ask yourself THREE important questions:

1. What results do I WANT from my website?
2. What do I need to do over the next 90 days to get those results?
3. What can I do myself and what would I need help to do?

Treat your website like an Employee

You wouldn’t hire somebody to do nothing, yet your website just sits there all say and doesn’t produce much. If your web site was employee, would you keep it on the payroll? I’ve found that most employee problems are management issues. I hire somebody to get specific results, tell them what I expect, give them the means to do the job, monitor their progress and make adjustments as needed to get the job done and make me money.

What’s your web site’s job?

My website is my marketing assistant, publicity agent and receptionist. The marketing department is responsible for reaching my best prospects & creating a situation that results in a sale. Publicity is responsible for creating and disseminating favorable information about my company to people that are important to my operation. And the receptionist is responsible for creating a great first impression.
Is that reasonable to expect of my website? Of course. My job is to make sure that the employee has everything they need to get the job done!

Know what you want to get

When I get in my car, it’s because I have somewhere to go, something to do when I get there and things I want to have accomplished when I get home. I hate going to the grocery and returning home without everything we need for dinner. I found a list is essential for me. For your web site, you need to know how many sales it needs to produce to make you money. And, how many qualified prospects need to visit to make a sale (conversion rate). Then you need to know the tasks required to attract those prospects to visit your website and buy your products or services. Simple, huh?

Use your strengths & Hire your weaknesses

By now, I’ve figured out I am not a plumber. When the disposal doesn’t work, I call someone with the tools and expertise to get it running right. If you are a plumber in Lakeland, you know your business, your customers, what they need and want from you. That’s your contribution to your website. Now, you could go to school and get an advanced degree in business communication, work in the various media for years to gain experience and spend a decade to get the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully market your business online. Or you can call someone who can do the work for you at a fair price to get the results you want. What are you waiting for?

Thanks,

Jack Duncan, internet marketing expert in Lakeland, FL