I am holding a two part Teleclass Series on Email Newsletters and how to effectively use Email Marketing to attract and retain profitable clients to grow your business!June 12th & June 19th 2008 (Yes, the first one is this week!).
You will learn how to become a welcome guest in your subscriber’s inbox and how NOT to be a quickly deleted pest…. This is Simple Cost Effective Marketing that Works!
To get the full scoop - please go to:
www.webchameleon.com.au/email-teleclass.htm
Google AdWords are one of the fastest way I know to get traffic to your web site. They are also one of the fastest ways to lose money if you don’t do it right.
If you go into Google and do a search on a topic, just say something dear to my heart, CHOCOLATE, you will see a list of all the web sites that are relevant to that topic. On the left hand side are “organic” search results. These are websites that Google thinks are the best sites on that topic (the Holy Grail of search engine marketing).
On the right are “sponsored links”. These are listings that people pay Google to display when people search on that keyword. This is what we’ll be talking about today. You can set up your own ads in Google by setting up a Google account (you may already have one through gmail or you can just search for Google AdWords in Google to find where to start).
Factors that determine if your ads show at the top of the page or the bottom (and how much you pay to get there)
There are really 4 factors that determine where your ad will show. Surprisingly, it’s not a matter of who pays the most!
1. How much you are willing to pay
Price is determined by auction. You say how much you are willing to pay and hope that it is more than your competitors. Google isn’t too greedy. If you bid a really high price and the next person bids low, you only pay slightly more than the next highest bid.
2. Relevance
Google will reward you (ie, lower price and higher up the page) if you use the same keywords in:
• your list of keywords you say you want to advertise for
• your ad
• your website
3. Click through rate (CTR)
The click through rate is the percentage of people who see your add who choose to click on it. If more people click on it Google assumes it must be relevant and will reward you.
4. Web site quality
Google looks at how long people stay on your site after they click on your ad. If your web site is not what they are looking for they’ll go back to Google and click on a competing web site.
The really powerful thing about Google AdWords is you can test and measure everything. There are some very simple strategies you can use that can easily double your income by testing and tweaking.
This article is by Janet Beckers, a friend of mine, who is also the host and founder of Wonderful Web Women, an award winning on-line community recognized for generous and honest marketing advice for women on the internet.
To learn from the most successful women on the internet through live webinars, masterminds and forums absolutely free - visit the website today.
Web Chameleon is also a distributor for Janet’s Google Adwords Home Study Course - go here for the info..
The following article is written by my friend Sharon Tieman of Madame Marketing, who is co-creator and presenter of Recession Proof Marketing - www.recessionproofmarketing.com.au …………………….
Make no Mistake …Recession Proof Marketing strategies do exist. There are marketing techniques that will get you through the toughest of economies.I’m not going to debate whether we are in a recession or not. What I will say is this…
• A recession like economy happens every 7-9 years.
• Hundreds of thousands of businesses world-wide went broke in the last recession.
• In the last recession, the World Wide Web was not nearly advanced as it is now. Now we have a lot more affordable marketing opportunities.
• There will be less of your traditional style customers. But you now have a bigger market place, thanks to the web.
All it means is that you can’t do business today the same way you did a year ago … or five years ago … or ten years ago …This time it will be different!
What does this mean for traditional style business:-
• A recession will weed out the bad competitors, leaving more business for you.
• A recession will weed out those businesses not keeping up with the times.
• Many competitors will “trim their so called, marketing fat” which in reality is ‘trimming their muscle”
You see, I believe there are two ways to go broke in a Recession.
Bad Maths or Bad Marketing. You can either be great at Maths, but not marketing. You know what I mean, good profit margins, everything perfectly costed out, books perfectly balance - but no customers.
Or you can be great at Marketing, and not Maths. Loads of customers, always busy and popular, but making no money because you haven’t costed anything out. Both are a false economy.
Most recessions only last for 12-18months. If you adapt and use Recession Proof Marketing strategies, and have your maths right, you will become leaner and stronger, with more market share than before.
Let’s get one thing clear….
The world is NOT going to stop! People will still need to eat out, they will still have gift to buy people, they will need to replace broken worn out goods. They will still need to celebrate, they will still need to maintain what they have, to move on, move up, move out. Let’s get real!
The knee jerk reaction for most businesses will be to cut advertising and marketing immediately. The opportunities here are:-
• Your marketing will stand out more, as there will be less clutter around.
• You will be able to keep your customers loyal, and grab some of the customers that are not being looked after or contacted.
The 7 Basics.
1. Only do the Marketing that is measurable and works. This is no time for experimental advertising.
2. You will get 5 times better response with your advertising dollar if contact the customers you already have, rather than trying to get new customers. Yes, 5 times better response!
3. Focus on gaining customers and keeping customers. When the hard times clear, you will have a larger market share, and a leaner operating business.
4. The fastest way to grow your customer list, with the least amount of money is through Strategic Alliances and Joint Venture Partnerships. Many of these arrangements cost no money, but can rapidly increase your customer database.
5. Find the hungry crowds. What are they buying? Who is buying it? Don’t try and sell ice-cream during winter and heaters during summer. Promote and market what is popular and profitable to the customers that are around at the time.
6. Always, Always, Always have an offer in your advertising. If you are going to spend money on marketing, give the customer a great offer to contact you. Branding or flag waving might get your friends and family talking, but it does not put money in the register during tough times.
7. Negotiate on everything - especially advertising. During recession and tough times, these advertising guys are really hungry for business. Don’t be afraid to negotiate or make an offer.
Remember Tough Times, don’t last, tough people do.
Article by my good friend Sharon Tieman of Madame Marketing, Australia
Madame Marketing.
http://www.madamemarketing.com
http://www.recessionproofmarketing.com.au
Check your entire website for any links that go nowhere or return an error. You know when you are surfing the internet and you visit a website, click on a link because you are interested in reading more and then up comes an error message - “Page Not Found” or something similar. It appears very unprofessional don’t you think?
Therefore it is very important to ensure you don’t have any links on your website that return errors. I discovered a website that makes the checking process easier for you, and it’s a free service. You just submit your website and it will check all of your links for you and tell you if you have any issues. Give it a go and see what you find out about your website;
Email Marketing is one of the most effective ways to keep in touch with prospects and clients, and it is extremely affordable. There is no other medium that is so inexpensive and that can get you such great results.
To be effective you need to be sending quality content to a receptive contact list. Receptive means that your recipients gladly receive your emails and in fact, may even look forward to receiving emails from you.
I want to stress the importance of content, and results, over list size. But yes I do think list size is important and I am always striving to build my own list, because I know that the more I build my list the more business I generate, and at no additional effort or cost.
Quick Tip 1: ASK AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY
As simple as it is many business owners simply forget to ask their current clients, and any new prospects who they deal with for an email address. Get into the habit of asking for an email address, and for a much better result, always explain why you are collecting it and ask for the recipients permission to add them to your email newsletter list. It’s a great idea to have a 30 second prepared script that you use when asking for an email address. For example; “Joe, I’d like to be able to send you my monthly email newsletter, in it I cover topics such as…….., would you like to give me your email address so I can include you next time I send it?”……
Quick Tip 2: USE YOUR WEBSITE TO COLLECT EMAIL ADDRESSES
This is another simple one, that is easy to forget or get wrong. Visitors to your website are prime contenders for your newsletter, so make sure you have a visible and easy way for visitors to add themselves to your email list. And these days simply saying “Sign up for our Mailing List” is not enough. Your email newsletter might be free, but you still need to convince visitors that they would benefit from it and why they should sign up. Be clear and tell them the frequency as this is often a factor that stops people subscribing, because they worry they will start receiving daily emails from you. A simple one sentence promo about your newsletter can work wonders.
Quick Tip 3: USE IT OR LOSE IT
OK, I cheated, my 3rd point has nothing to do with collecting Email Addresses. Instead I want to focus on taking action on the first two points. How many times have you asked or been asked for an email address and it was never used? I have been to many events where I have handed over my email address, and the majority will never follow up with an email communication. It’s a shame, because an email address handed over to you, can be very valuable to you if respected and used wisely. The longer you leave it before you make contact, the more likely you will have been forgotten. Make sure any new contacts receive an email from you within a month, and even sooner if possible.
So the point of Point 3 is to ADD THE EMAIL ADDRESSES YOU COLLECT to your database and TAKE ACTION with a regular email newsletter, which your new contacts will receive the next edition of!
Remember, if you need any help with Email Marketing, Web Chameleon offer an Email Marketing Solution to make your job easier. Let me know if you need my help.
© Copyright Belinda Jackson, Web Chameleon
Aghh, the all powerful Search Engines… If you think they are not powerful then think again. If one of your potential clients is looking online for a company such as yours that supplies the product or the service that your business supplies - can they find you easily if they don’t already know your name? Does your business appear for searches on your keywords on Google or Yahoo?
If not, then you need to be concerned. Here’s why…
Joe Bloggs is searching on Google for “Graphic Designer Newcastle” - if you are a graphic designer in Newcastle then Joe Bloggs is a potential client for you. The results that appear when he runs this search may determine which companies he approaches and ultimately which company gets his business. If you don’t appear on the search, then what are your chances of getting Joe’s work? Zero!!
Ideally your website would appear naturally in search results for your business/service/product keywords, however that is not always possible. And sometimes it can take time to work your way up to the top of the results. That’s where Search Marketing or Pay Per Click Advertising becomes a possibility. Yahoo Search Marketing and Google Adwords allow you the opportunity to bring a whole new audience of targetted prospects to your website.
Advertising using Pay Per Click on Google or Yahoo provides you with the ability to get targetted prospects immediately. You can set up a campaign, and have ads start appearing straight away for the keywords that you select. You can even choose how much you are willing to spend per day or month, and which geographic areas you wish to target.
With Google Adwords you only pay when someone clicks on your ads. And the actual price that you pay is determined by the amount you specify as your highest bid compared with what other bidders are willing to pay, basically it’s an auction for your chosen keywords.
If you’re thinking about branching out into Search Marketing here are a few considerations:
I have set up numerous campaigns on Google and although it can be simple there are also many tips and shortcuts which can often save you time and frustration. And most importantly these shortcuts and tips can possibly return better results for your dollars. If you would like to learn more about Google Adwords and the shortcuts to success I recommend and distribute the following Home Study Course, which will help you to create your own effective campaigns on Google Adwords.
Next Wednesday (30th April) I’m facilitating an Online Marketing workshop for The Working Womens Network in Sydney. The workshop will take place at the Greengate Hotel in Killara and you can view more information and book through The Working Womens Network. It’s for both members and guests of the Network, so anyone can come along, but you do need to book!
Here’s just a snapshot of what you will learn during this Online Marketing Success workshop;
• A Simple 3 step Formula for Online Marketing Success
• The secrets to getting your website found on Search engines
• How to optimise your web presence for RESULTS
• The most effective way to convert website visitors into customers
• Email Marketing: What, how and why it could work for you
• What to put in your Email Newsletter to ensure it gets read
• The legal essentials: Spam Compliance rules & regulations
• Growing the List - how to get more people on your Email List
• Blogging: What, how and why it could work for you
This workshop will be full of real world strategies that work. You are guaranteed to leave with ideas that you can implement immediately in your business!
Remember that when you have new visitors at your website, your #1 goal is to get them on your ezine list! That way you have permission to contact them again and again, educating them about your helpful services and products that they came to learn more about. But you can’t just put up a link that says “free newsletter”. No one cares! You need to carefully craft an opt-in box that works like a big net, catching the exact type of “fish” you want as your ideal clients and customers.
Also remember, don’t hide your box at the bottom of your web pages. Right now, most testing shows that the best place for your opt-in box is the upper right corner… loud and proud!
Here are six simple things you should have in your opt-in box that will help you get more signups than ever before;
Remember that online readers SKIM copy - they don’t read it word for word. So the headline in your opt-in box may be the ONLY thing they read, which determines whether they sign up or not. So don’t waste this space saying something like “Free Newsletter” or even worse… “Sign up for our mailing list.” Ugh! Instead, tell me the MOST exciting thing your ezine will give me!
Examples:
“Are You Ready to Blast Off Your SALES This Year?”
“FINALLY: Learn How to Keep That Weight Off For Good”
“Insider Secrets to Writing Novels for Big Bucks”
Work hard at putting together a description of your ezine that gets prospects excited to sign up! Remember they’re tuned into station WIIFM (”What’s In It For ME?”). Tell them what your information is going to DO for them as well as everything they GET. Examples: How-to articles, quick and easy tips, free resources, insider secrets. Aim for your description to be between 15 and 30 words.
Getting people’s names along with their e-mails allows you to personalize your ezine for them. For example, if I was on your list, your e-mail would come to me saying, “Dear Ali…” The subject line could even say, “Ali, here’s your free tip”. Why do you want to do this? Studies prove that having the recipient’s name in the subject line of your e-mails can increase your open rates by 60%!
The problem is, many people value their privacy and are hesitant to give you their full name. For this reason, just ask for their FIRST name. It’s been proven that you’ll get MORE names from people if you only ask for the first name. (And their first name is generally all you’ll need anyway.)
Many people have a backup or personal e-mail address that they use just for receiving newsletters and promotions. The problem is they are often from free e-mail services like Yahoo or Hotmail. These services filter e-mail like crazy, and their mailboxes fill up quickly, so there’s a good chance your e-mails won’t even reach these recipients.
The solution is, simply ask for their primary e-mail. It’s amazing, but simply ASKING them to enter their primary e-mail will get you more quality e-mails on your list! (You’ll also get less bounce-backs from undeliverable e-mails. If you get too many of those, it raises a red flag to some spam filter programs.)
Make it very clear what they should click on to activate their subscription once they type in their name and email. Don’t use something confusing like a link that says “submit form”.
Everyone’s scared to receive more spam these days, so put your prospects at ease. Don’t make them wonder what you’re going to do with their e-mail addresses. State right next to or below your opt-in form what your policy is. Mine is, “We will never sell, rent, trade, or share your e-mail with any other organization.” (Feel free to use that yourself.) DON’T make people click on a link to read your privacy policy - it looks like you have something to hide. In fact, in some U.S. states, it’s now required that you state your privacy policy right at the point of opt-in, so it’s a good idea no matter where you do business.
Article courtesy of online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” publisher of the award-winning ‘Straight Shooter Marketing’ weekly ezine with 22,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at ezinequeen.com
The Working Women’s Network is a business network especially for women who live and work on Sydney’s North Shore and Northern Beaches.
Founded by two fantastic women who I have personally come to know and admire over the last year - Angela Raspass and Nikki White. Both run their own successful businesses, and have come together to form this business network aptly titled The Working Womens Network.
Their motto is Be Connected, Inspired and Enriched
The Working Women’s Network offers monthly networking functions, periodic skill development workshops, a members online resource centre, topic forums and a business directory where you can highlight your business and seek the services of other members.
I have joined forces with The Working Womens Network and coming up on 30th April 2008, I will be delivering a workshop on Online Marketing as detailed below;
Is your website working effectively to increase sales and profits and build client relationships? Do you utilise email marketing to communicate effectively with your customers? Do you know what blogging is? If not, our next skill development workshop will give you the keys to utilise online technology to increase your business.
For more information on this event or to make a booking visit www.workingwomensnetwork.com.au or phone the Network on 9402 5783. I hope to see you there!
The online world in many ways is no different to the offline business world. On and offline, it’s all about people. In fact, if you think about it, every dollar that is spent online must come from an individual making a decision to trust the business or person behind the website.
Creating an effective website that brings you new customers and makes you money will be easier and more successful if you remember the human element. Unless your business and brand is already very well known then this often means allowing your visitors time to get to know, like and trust you.
It’s essential to build relationships with your prospects to earn their trust. Your website is important to begin the process of persuading visitors to like and trust you. They will also be getting to know you by what they read, see and experience on your website.
To convert many more visitors into customers follow up is also necessary.
And that’s where an Email Newsletter comes into play. One of the most beneficial jobs your website can do is to encourage visitors to join your email list. You can have a sign up form on your website that will work 24/7 to capture leads for you.
To encourage a higher sign up rate you could offer an incentive such as a free report, special offer or discount. And try not to have too many distractions on your website if your main purpose is to build a list. Keep the focus on what you want your visitors to do, make it easy for them and give them good reason to sign up.
Once they are on your list you’ll be able to keep in touch and communicate further with them over time. And you’ll be leveraging your time by marketing to a group of prospects all at once - “one to many” marketing. Do this well and your prospects will come to know, like and trust you enough to take up your offers and become customers.
If you don’t already have an Email Marketing Plan in place, then consider adopting this time proven communication and conversion method. Once a customer is on your mailing list, they’re a prospect (and hopefully a new customer) for life!
This is a blog by Belinda Jackson, of Web Chameleon, and it's all about Online Marketing and how to most effectively attract and retain your perfect clients using the Internet!
