Achieving Change

A lot of businesses are based on the difficulty people have with changing. Weight Loss Programs, Stop Smoking products and Organizing Coaches are just some examples of industries built on helping people to change.

But if you are going to be successful as an entrepreneur you are going to need to master the skill of achieving the changes that you have planned.

Dave Pollard wrote Impediments to Change.

Why?

Entrpreneurs frequently talk about what to do or how to do things, but have you ever asked yourself "WHY?" Don't say money, because there are many ways to make money.

I am constantly being solicited by people who want me to get involved in a different business. Usually its a business that they are involved in. Some of these businesses make quite a bit of money.

But you know something? Most of them would not give me any degree of personal satisfaction or sense of true accomplishment.

My mother sold educational products for several years. She was truly "sold" on her product line and upon the benefits which it provided. After she had become very successful and was over a quarter of the state of Indiana, my Dad's work moved them to Florida.

Mom decided to go to work for a financial planning company. She made money, she helped people, but she left after only about five years. It was always my impression that she was more fulfilled by work that helped benefit children in need of an education than she was in helping people plan for retirement.

I wrote all this to ask the Question: What is the purpose of your business?

This is the subject of an article by Idris Mootee

A different form of integrity

When it comes to Character development, one of the most important keys to developing personal integrity is learning how to be consistent.

Well .....

When it comes to Brand Development one of the most important keys to developing marketing recognition is .... (drum roll, please) ..... learning to be consistent!

Ed Roach wrote "5 Tips to Branding A Powerful Presence." One Guess as to the prime directive.

SEM Expert Argues Against SEO Control

Anyone who hangs around me long enough, learns that I don't put much stock in traditional SEO. Ironically, when people first hear that my internet focus is on helping Businesses 1. Acquire Traffic; 2.Convert to Leads; 3. Repeat Visits; 4. Build Alliances and Community; - they ASSUME that I do SEO.

I don't do SEO. Now don't misunderstand. I am not saying that there is no place for a moderate amount of SEO when initially setting up a site (and maybe once a year) but SEO is not nearly as important to the effectiveness of your business website as many people think that it is.

Mike Moran specializes in (and is a recognized expert) Search Engine Marketing. He recently wrote an article about people who obsess over trying to control their rankings. He argues that a company needs to avoid seeking to control the Search Engine ranking and focus on PLEASING THEIR INTERNET AUDIENCE.

Exactly! Well said.

Here are links to my previous recommendation editorials which stress Content over SEO. Tactics Killed The Goose; Site Design is more important than Ranking; What Are You Doing Here? Additionally if you read through my Rainmakerwebsites.com website you will find me arguing against focusing your attention primarily on SEO.

Super Size Your Sales During This Economic Slump

So the economy is slumping, Gas prices are rising, Your favorite candidate is stagnating, but all is not lost.

Your business can continue to enjoy more sales if you focus on seven specific strategies for surviving an economic slump. Brandt Smith wrote "Recessionproof Your Sales."

What Are You Doing Here?

The effectiveness of your website has an INITIAL major hurdle - convincing the visitor to stick around for more than 10 seconds.

The key to grabbing the visitor's attention is two-fold. First you need to know the MOTIVATION of your site's visitors and then you need to make your website useful and useable.

Chris Garrett wrote "How To Build A Useful Site."

The Value of the Value Proposition

Are you more interested in Results or in Aesthetics? If you replied "results," then you should be using a Value Proposition. Value Propositions are succinct statements based on Outcome and Results and not on methodology or process.

I was first introduced to VP by Jill Konrath. Headlines from her articles appear from time to time in the right sidebar of rainmakerwebsites.com. (If you are trying unsuccessfully to sell to large corporations, you have to get to know Jill. Her book, Selling to Big Companies, is one of the best books for closing corporate accounts.)

Drew Stevens wrote an article explaining Value Propositions and how to develop a VP.

Three Marketing Strategies

What is more effective than improving Quality or Lowering Price? If you are seeking to affect your client, should your client be affecting you? How do you get past the prospect's skepticism?

These questions are answered by an article by Corte Swearingen.

Feelings - Emotional Perceptions

Reality and Facts - Bah! Humbug!

Your website visitors are not from the planet Vulcan, so why does your content read like a dictionary or a thesis paper?

Content is more important to marketing than SEO or Ranking. Content makes the difference between a 10 second visit and a 10 minute conversion.

So how do you get the visitor to stick around?

Feelings, nothing more than Feelings.

If your content appeals to the emotions of the visitor and creates the illusion that you are the answer to their hopes and dreams, they will stick around. (I am not suggesting that you be dishonest, because credibility is a major factor in marketing longevity.)

Sonia Simone wrote an article (on June 13th) about thirteen emotional marketing ploys.

Most Business Websites Are "Worthless"

Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of thinking that having a business website is the same as marketing on the internet. They are not the same. Some websites are the equivalent of an encyclopaedia article about the business, while others are noting but glorified business cards. Ron McDaniel wrote about the difference between Internet Marketing and having a website.

That Don't Impress Me Much

Some advisors are always stressing the need to be unique. While I am certainly a proponent of Niche marketing, there is one thing much more powerful than an USP and that is telling the prospect what results he/she can expect from your product or service. Drew Stevens wrote an article on Value Propositions.