Karen Purves

Is Your Website working for YOU?

Posted on 2 February 2010 | No responses

In the past, we considered opening hours to be the same as office hours. But that was before the internet! Having a website means you can be open for business 24-7. So, are you?

Many websites appealing to other businesses are little more than brochures with the usual “contact us” for more information. And, even if you do fill in the box, how many times do you receive a response? I am always surprised when I take the time to give all the information for the company to contact me so I can become a customer or clients, yet there is no response… what a lost opportunity!

Most people though just click away if they can’t find the information they want… another lost opportunity!

Studies show that people only scan online text.

So, if you have complex topics, an alternative to giving information via the web page is required.  That means considering documents in PDF format, audio and videos or a combination. You aim is to help people with their decision making process in finding the best solution for their problem. You want to build trust that you have the depth, the expertise and can provide solutions to suit the client.

Before your visitors access your material, you can ask for their details. The amount of details depends upon your market and where they are meeting you.

Ask for too much and they will go away or give you incorrect information.  Either way, you lose.

The benefit of having information on your website is so you can follow up with additional information building up that all important trust. By adding details of your report, audio or video with a sign up box, you are now open for business when people stop by.

This also works for pre-paid services. The first time you know someone has visited is when you receive an email informing you that you have new funds. Isn’t that where you want to be?

To find out more about having a website that works for you, register for the F R E E teleseminar on Lead Magnets, 10th February 2010 at 7pm GMT and 2pm EST

Why have Lead Magnets?

Posted on 26 January 2010 | 1 response

Whenever the market is tough, getting a steady stream of prospects to become clients and referring to you is more complex. It takes more time and I always refer to this as kissing lots of frogs to find your prince!

But, in the world where time is at a premium, marketing smarter than harder is required.

Enter:  Lead Magnets

A lead magnet is material produced by you giving information that your market is currently searching for. It sits on a web page and people can download whenever it suits them. So you see, with a lead magnet your business is open all the time! Even when you’re asleep, out with your partner or having a much needed break!

There are three stages to attracting more prospects and are shown in the diagram below:

Lead Magnet Creation

The formats available are document (PDF), audio, video or a combination. Your choice depends upon your market and the sort of services you offer.  For example:

• A law firm would use text and audio than video unless it is showing people how to fill in a particular form
• A photographer may be better to have a document and video rather than audio
• A recruitment agency may have multiple magnets according to whether they are attracting candidates or clients. For clients, they may find audio better than text. While for candidates, it may be both audio and video. But, this really does depend upon the topics shared.

The one format that builds intimacy faster is audio for the simple reason that people can hear you, your passion, your commitment and that builds the like, know and trust faster.

On the other hand, reports and videos enable you to explain complex topics. The length of each depends upon your topic but keeping it short so people can consume and want more.

Publishing – Which Web page?

You can have your magnet on several pages:

• Homepage
• A special page showing more information. Something like a sales page
• Added to specific pages as a supplement to the content

The purpose is to expose everyone visiting that page to your content and magnet.

You ask people for their email address, and more if that’s appropriate for your market, in exchange for the material. Yes, they can immediately unsubscribe once they have your information, and accept that there are some people who take all that’s on offer.  But, they may come back later when it’s right for them!

It’s having their email address that enables you to foster a relationship. It enables you to send them your newsletter, invite them to seminars or forward items that supplement the magnet information. Lead Magnets are integral to marketing your service business.

So we have two activities completed – creation and publish. Now, let’s look at the third element – Promotion.

Promotion

Even though you’ve created the material you know is wanted by your market, you still have to tell them it exists. And, this needn’t be difficult; it can just be a change in the way you promote your services now.

Add details onto your business card, email signature and forums and groups etc. This gives you an opportunity to offer value without being service led; without having to be there to deliver. Now you are open all hours and your promotions are geared to people having the material rather than making the sale.

Be clear before you promote your magnet, even before you create, just what you want to achieve and how you plan to do it. Then, it will be easy to follow up with people, building your reputation and making many more sales along the way.

Why Lead Magnets

This post opened with the market being tough but it is also part of the changing marketing landscape where the buyers search for independent, value-centred information prior to buying. They are less likely to accept sales oriented material as acceptable.

Lead Magnets make the intangible tangible. People are able to experience your approach, your thinking before having to risk paying for a service that doesn’t deliver or delivers with high costs attached.

By having lead magnets, you offer a no risk way for people to learn more about your services, your approach while enhancing your position as an authority.

To find out more, register for the F R E E Lead Magnet Seminar on 10^th February 2010 at 7pm GMT 2pm EST

Secrets for defining your USP or differentiation

Posted on 11 January 2010 | 2 responses

What’s your differentiator?

Marketers bang on about

• Differentiation
• Your USP
• What makes you different

But, how many explain how to do it?

Finding your USP (unique selling proposition), to some, is a dark art, but it needn’t be! Having read this article you will have clarity and steps to sharpen your USP and, keep it sharp.

To differentiate is the something different you offer from the competitors. In a crowded market, you may feel that there isn’t room for another firm. And, you are right, if that firm is a clone of something already there. There is always room in the market for someone delivering their services through a different approach or combination. And, that is the reason for prospects becoming customers or clients.

So, with pen and paper, write down what you offer with regards to each of these:

1. Your approach
   This comes from the people within your business. If there is only you, then its you! It’s about how you interpret your learning and the impact that has on the way you deliver your services.
2. Services & Products
   Whilst you may have clear differences now, it is harder to maintain differentials purely on this level. Even the global brands continually innovate to stay in front and whether that is with the recipe, product placement or being seen with other cool brands, staying on top requires a hefty budget!
3. Experience of the market or your prospects
   If you have detail experience of a particular sector, then you can use this to your advantage by being able to address the market from a position of authority. As a general rule, people will happily buy from someone who is perceived as an expert or an authority in the market and subject area.

   Don’t fall into the trap of many professional service firms that “we work with everybody” Remember: Nobody is everybody! By saying you serve a particular market or subject gives your listener, reader, prospect an understanding of what you are about and whether that is for them.

4. Background
   Where you have come from informs where you are now. It informs your approach and how you process ideas, material, problems and dissolve distress. Even your accent plays a part in how you are perceived by people. And, in an increasingly global market, this isn’t limited to accents relating to class, but regionally too. Consider regionally to be Scottish, Southern States of America, East Coast, West Coast and an Aussie accent. These will all resonate with people differently. Make the most of those cues that increase the attractiveness for your firm.
5. Skills and Education
   Both of these inform your approach. And, these are the easiest ways of ensuring your approach is continually evolving which means your USP and differentiation evolves too. And, isn’t that what you want?

   Your skills and education aren’t limited to your area of expertise. Expanding your skills into other areas helps to sharpen and continually develop your differentiation. For instance, a lawyer with skills in NLP, coaching and marketing will approach clients differently to one without those skills. This can be applied to any professional service provider. And, yes, there is still pressure on maintaining your professional development, this is only part of what makes you the firm to work with.

Sometimes, people feel they have to deal with those who have extensive knowledge and experience in their field. And, this is tough when first starting out or shifting the sort of people you want to work with.

3 Steps to uncover your USP

You need a sure fire way to uncover your uniqueness and this works for start-ups as well as established firms.

1. Go through all the feedback you’ve received. This can be appraisals, testimonials, emails, comments on feedback forms and what your friends say.

1. Pick out the themes. There will be qualities running through and these form the first part of your USP or differentiator. Because you are working from existing feedback, you can ask the authors whether you can use their comments as testimonials. If, for whatever reason, you don’t feel comfortable with this at the moment, start to articulate how these qualities make a difference to a customer’s experience.
2. Practice these at your networking events to gauge reactions and encourage conversation. For, it is through these that more of your uniqueness will show through.

You’ll know when you’ve got a real handle on your USP when you start using the words effortlessly and unconsciously.

You’ll notice your marketing materials starts to sparkle.

You’ll notice more enquiries.

You’ll feel much more attractive with more sales.

But wait, don’t stop there. Marketing is not an event, but something continuous.

So each time you interact with prospects and clients ask for feedback using these questions:

1. What did you want to resolve?
2. How do you feel as a result?
3. What concept or element helps you most?
4. What specific results did you get?

Choose when to ask all or a combination. This means you have a steady stream of new feedback to help you maintain your differentiation. And, if you ask the permission, you can include these as testimonials.

Being  or feeling like a “me too” business will be a thing of the past!

Photo – creative commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgifford/2993595189/

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