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Website Growth Techniques

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Clients often ask me for advice on a method, concept, or technique to guarantee growth for their revenue-generating site. The truth is, there is no guaranteed tactic to making money online. But after twenty years in the consulting business, and over 200 websites under my belt, I’ve figured out how to come close to guaranteeing growth on the Internet.

The one thing we do when we go into business with a website is to extract two vital pieces of information:

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About the Author

Ken CourtrightKen Courtright, speaker and author of multiple best-selling Internet marketing titles, is the founder of Today’s Growth Consultant (TGC) – a two-time Inc. 5000 designee – that launched www.IncomeStore.com. TGC/Income Store partners with individuals, companies and private equity firms/fund managers procure, develop and manage revenue-generating websites at two times earnings. The company’s portfolio currently boasts over 400 websites that are seen approximately 100 million times each year. Ken may be reached online at www.TodaysGrowthConsultant.com.

Strategizing for Success: Keys for Planning Annual Sales & Marketing Goals, part 1 of 2

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Each fourth quarter as the New Year approaches, it’s prudent to prepare a profitability plan for the coming year, especially with respect to your sales and marketing endeavors. Doing so can give you a notable competitive edge, particularly given the extraordinary number of professionals that don’t bother producing this strategic tool. But, whether developed before or after the start of the New Year, the importance of creating a tactical plan for sales and marketing success cannot be overstated. Here’s how to set yourself up for annual planning success.

Successful annual planning requires one key ingredient: your mindset. Indeed, the first step towards successful financial planning is setting an intent to successfully complete your plan. What doesn’t get scheduled doesn’t get done. Make a commitment now to complete an annual financial plan by midnight of December 31. If you need some help getting this done, you can sign up for my annual Sales and Marketing Plan training and you’ll have an opportunity to submit your plan to me by December 31. If for some reason you don’t end up reading this until after December 31, make a commitment to create an annual plan over the next month so that you have it ready by the start of the next quarter.

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About the Author

Eric LofholmEric Lofholm is a Master Sales Trainer, author, business success guru, communications expert and lauded speaker who has presented his proprietary, proven sales and success systems to Titans of Industry and thousands of other professionals world-wide. He founded and serves as CEO for Eric Lofholm International, Inc. — an organization that professionally trains achievement-minded individuals and employee groups on the art and science of selling. Connect with Eric online at www.SalesChampion.com.

Prof K’s Brand Narrative Manifesto – Differentiate Emotionally and Activate Passion

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If you ask people why they chose a certain product or service or candidate or team, they might try to give you a sensible, logical rationale.

“It was cheaper.”
“It looked better.”
“She has the right qualifications to lead this city.”
“They’ve got a top-notch coach.”

But the real reasons people make those kinds of choices go beyond these answers. For many of the products and services consumers buy, as well as for many of the things they buy into, other more subtle rationales are at work.

The days of differentiating a product or brand by function and/or price are over. You can’t merely say, “We’re different because we’re a little cheaper,” or “We’re better because look at our special organic molecules.” That kind of copy just doesn’t cut it with the consumer who has seen it all and heard it all.

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About the Author

Richard Krevolin is the author of The Hook: How to Share Your Brand’s Unique Story to Engage Customers, Boost Sales, and Achieve Heartfelt Success (Career Press, November 2015). Richard has been an adjunct professor at ASC Cinema/TV School, UCLA Film School, Emerson College and several others. He is a brand consultant for numerous Fortune 100 companies and a master os storytelling, sales and communication.

Why Door Hanger Marketing Is A Dynamite Way To Target Your Niche

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There are plenty of marketing strategies that one can use for their businesses. Of course, it depends on what messages those firms want to give, and how they wish to present it to their audience.

One creative way to market a brand is by using door hangers, believe it or not! Most people assume direct mail marketing is the only way of getting people’s attention. Door hangers offer a fresh and innovative way to spread your message.

So, should you consider using door hangers to target your niche market? Here are a few reasons why it might make sense for your business:

Why Door Hanger Marketing Is A Dynamite Way To Target Your Niche
Photo courtesy of Michael M. S.

They are a fun way to grab people’s attention

The thing about leaflets is people sometimes throw them away without reading them first. They have no choice but to read what’s written on a hanger before they open the door!

Even if they aren’t interested in your message, your door hanger will still be memorable. They might want to contact you at a later stage, or share your door hanger with a friend that could use your services.

There’s no denying that business door hangers provide a fun and creative alternative to leaflets.

Why Door Hanger Marketing Is A Dynamite Way To Target Your Niche
Photo courtesy of xcDogs

They are prominent

Leaflets and other mail usually gets left on the ground for a long time or in the mailbox. Door hangers are different. Even if people avoid their mailboxes, they can’t avoid door hangers!

They are quite visible, and people can’t help but notice them. They will stir their curiosity, and they’ll take a few seconds to scan through your message. They won’t just chuck your door hanger in the trash.

Customization options are limitless

With door hangers, you can get as creative as you want! There are millions of design possibilities. What’s more, you can use any shape or size of door hanger to get your message across. For example, you could use a standard size one.

If you want to be different, you could design a novelty oversized door hanger! The choice is yours. You have full control of the layout, color scheme and, of course, the content.

Door hanger marketing is wallet-friendly

By now you might be wondering if embarking on such a marketing strategy will eat up your budget. The good news is that door hangers are a cost-effective way of promoting your brand.

They are often the same price or cheaper than getting leaflets printed out. Door hangers offer a higher ROI than flyers because of their prominence. And they are more successful than pricier marketing options.

They are easy to distribute

One thing that marketers hate about leaflets is getting their hands stuck in mailboxes! The beauty of door hangers is they are easy to distribute. All you have to do is walk up to a door, “hang” the door hanger and walk off.

You don’t need to worry about those pesky mailboxes. And you don’t even have to know on each door. Another benefit is your distribution costs will be cheaper. The reason is simple: door hangers are quicker to distribute!

So, when will you give door hanger marketing a go?

The Big Picture of Business – How to Maximize Trade Show Exposure

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The number of companies participating in trade shows increases each year. While sales objectives are most common, trade shows may also be behavior, product, distribution or marketing oriented. Booth exhibitions at trade shows are viable and cost-effective sales tools to:

  • Achieve new customers, in order to grow and increase profits.
  • Introduce new products. Most of the visitors come to see what’s new.
  • Target a select group of visitors.
  • Allow your staff to interface with the public.
  • Perform informal market research.
  • Educate the public about what your company and your industry do.
  • Enhance your company’s image.
  • Assess competition and the overall business climate.

Trade shows generate sales leads at a lower cost per contact than a typical sales call. Research shows that industrial sales calls costing $252 to reach a prospect, with 4.6 follow-up calls necessary to book an order = $1,158. At a trade show, you might spend $133 to reach a prospect, with .8 follow-up calls necessary to book an order = $334.

Exhibits can be designed to appeal to all the senses: sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Research shows that 75% of what show visitors recall after expos is what company representatives told them.

Exhibiting in business-to-business shows requires different skills and approaches. The objective should be qualifying prospects, rather than selling. One meets more business prospects in a faster period of time at a trade show. Today’s customers are becoming increasingly complex and more difficult to identify. They are knowledgeable, sophisticated and have increased expectations about what they want. Customers are now under more pressure to act immediately.

These pointers are offered to prospective exhibitors before the show:

  • Determine your correct mission for participating.
  • Evaluate each trade show for what it contributes to your sales objective.
  • Determine who you want as key prospects.
  • Delineate other categories of visitors, and develop a strategy for maximizing your time with key prospects.
  • Develop action plans for accomplishing your goals and getting the right people to visit with your company at the show.
  • Be sure that booth personnel understand what they are responsible for…and what they are selling. Untrained staff can lose qualified prospects and leads.
  • Employ professional counsel to format your exhibit, thus maximizing your investment.
  • Keep labor costs to a minimum.
  • Be sure that every member of your company is aware of the exhibit. Encourage all to invite prospects and to attend themselves, even if not involved in exhibiting.
  • Market your presence at the show in advance via mailings, distribution of VIP tickets and inclusion of your booth in advertising. Invite your current clients to visit your booth. Most attendees go to the shows in response to invitations to visit specific exhibitors. * Notify your trade media that you will participate. Engage public relations professionals to publicize your involvement.
  • Work closely with the show’s management. They too are interested in the same audiences as you: attendees and the media. Invite the board of the sponsoring organization to visit your booth.

These pointers are offered in order to maximize the way in which you should exhibit the product-service:

  • * Graphically describe and show what you do. Don’t expect the product to show itself. Don’t expect people to know about you already. This is a fresh opportunity for you to communicate.
  • Keep your focus upon your products, rather than pretentious displays.
  • Keep the booth simple, clean and organized.
  • Give facts and simple explanations of your products. Since many visitors may be unfamiliar, don’t assume that they know what you do.
  • Ask questions and listen. Don’t concentrate on giving a sales pitch.
  • Good lighting, decoration and booth dress are always relevant to the product.
  • Show a maximum number of products.
  • A good demonstration convinces visitors that your product is all you claim it is.
  • Show what the product can do for them and what it has done for others.
  • Give samples, if possible.
  • Encourage audience participation.
  • Distribute professionally-produced, factual literature, or don’t give out any literature.
  • Use video as interactive demonstration elements, augmented by signage.
  • Collect business cards, as the basis for follow-up activities.
  • Make appointments to have in-depth presentations to serious prospects.
  • Trade show selling requires high energy levels. Booth people must be pro-active, greet all prospects and learn how to qualify.
  • Approach large numbers of people within short periods of time, determining how to best process each contact.

Research shows that trade show booths that have dishes of candy tend to draw twice the number of visitors than those without candy.

The value of premium giveaways lies in lasting impressions, increased name identification and paves the way for faster follow-ups with prospects.

These observations and recommendations are made for booth exhibit personnel:

  • Booth personnel must be equipped to give precise, detailed information on your product.
  • Train booth attendants for show duty. If possible, stage a dress rehearsal. Follow procedures for literature distribution, trash cleanup, conversation and public demeanor.
  • Work out approach statements in advance. Have talking points in writing. Follow a step-by-step process.
  • Staff with a technical representative, as well as a greeter. You can never have enough well-trained people at the show.
  • Avoid the high-pressure approach.
  • Do not smoke, drink or eat in the booth.
  • Booth personnel should look and act the part. Stand up straight. Keep your hands out of your pockets. Use approachable body language. Do not sit down unless you are with a client.
  • Dress conservatively.
  • Keep small talk with other booth personnel to a minimum.
  • Arrange and follow duty schedules. Keep staff alert and on their toes.
  • Make booth visitors feel welcome at all times.

Lead collection and follow-ups must be treated seriously. After the show is over, don’t forget to follow through on details, promises and intentions:

  • Send follow-up letters to each visitor who left a business card.
  • Send out requested additional materials within one week after the show.
  • Set a lead follow-up program, since early response is vital. Follow up on sales leads for at least two years after the show.
  • Evaluate your results.

Your company’s commitment to participate in trade shows represents a big step. You should always want to improve the exhibit each time, thus insuring a return on the investment. The process of strategizing your exhibit relates directly to your company’s promotional and business development philosophy. This process inevitably makes every company’s marketing position much stronger.

About the Author

Hank MoorePower Stars to Light the Business Flame, by Hank Moore, encompasses a full-scope business perspective, invaluable for the corporate and small business markets. It is a compendium book, containing quotes and extrapolations into business culture, arranged in 76 business categories.

Hank’s latest book functions as a ‘PDR of business,’ a view of Big Picture strategies, methodologies and recommendations. This is a creative way of re-treading old knowledge to enable executives to master change rather than feel as they’re victims of it.

Power Stars to Light the Business Flame is now out in all three e-book formats: iTunes, Kindle, and Nook.