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So you thought it was a good idea to write a regular e-newsletter. It sounded like a great idea at the time when you first heard all about the benefits of having one…. so what happened? Are you missing out on a fundamental marketing strategy that could make a huge difference in your business success?

I know for me, I just got busy and taking care of “eVision Media” related items, such as writing a regular newsletter, was the first to go off the radar. Definitely not the wisest decision to make, so this is my resurrection at correcting this slip-up.

The thing is, a newsletter is quite critical to the success of your business. Here’s a few reminder pointers to consider:

1. A newsletter is a way for you to keep in touch with your database (consisting of clients and those who signed up to hear from you). The reason this is so important is you simply don’t want people to forget about you! You want to remind them of your services so they will automatically think of you when they need what you provide or automatically refer you to a friend or associate for the same reason.
2. A newsletter is your opportunity to showcase your expertise. People have a desire to learn and they want to learn from those that know what they’re talking about. You’re doing a disservice if you don’t share your expertise with those who WANT to learn from you.
3. A newsletter is an inexpensive form of marketing. It costs pennies to send one out and your return can be immense.
4. A newsletter is an opportunity for you to collect a database of people truly interested in what you have to say. They are your primary target market!
5. A Newletter is a way for you to develop a lasting relationship with your readers. The more you write and share, the more they get to know, like and trust you. The more they do this, the more likely they will want to do business with you or refer you to others.

It’s clear why a newsletter is important to have, but I know, there are lots of “reasons” why we don’t have one …

1. Don’t have enough time
2. Don’t know what to say
3. Don’t know how to write well enough or like to write at all
4. Don’t think you have anything of value to share
5. Don’t want to “bother” people by emailing them all the time

I’m sure you can think of more, but these are some of what I hear most often.

So let’s examine this list of “reasons” and see what solutions can be found.

1. Not enough time. Simply make the time! Schedule a couple of hours into your calendar to write a newsletter at minimum once a month. Every two weeks is much better and some experts will say once a week is most effective. I think it really has to do with who you are writing for – what are they wanting and how often would they love to get your valuable information.

2. Don’t know what to say. This one can actually be as simple as listening to your current clients and remembering the questions they ask you. If one is asking, then the chances are many others are also seeking the same answer. Keep a log of questions you get throughout your day and then write an article about your response. It doesn’t have to be a long drawn out answer – short and informative is all that is needed.

3. Don’t know how to write / don’t like to write. This can be solved a few ways. Believe it or not, there are people out there that actually LOVE to write and would be thrilled to help you out! There are virtual assistants, students and even us here at eVision Media that do this service for some clients. All you need to do is write out the general outline of what you want to say and let the copywriter put it together for you. Another idea is to record your thoughts using a free recording service and have it transcribed by a Virtual Assistant. Another idea is to not write at all and create a video instead! All you need is a blog to post the video onto and then send out a newsletter telling people to click on the link that takes them to your blog post.

4. Nothing of value to share. Ok, tough love here… STOP THAT! Of course you have something of value to share! You wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t! Your clients love you for your expertise so never undervalue what you offer. Don’t let your lack of confidence filter through because people don’t want to hear from someone who doesn’t think they are very good. Do you?

5. Don’t want to bother people. I get where you’re coming on this and it can be used as an easy scapegoat to avoid the whole newsletter thing. However, you’re forgetting one critical fact – these people signed up to actually RECEIVE a Newsletter from you! If they didn’t want to be bothered, they wouldn’t have signed up. Period. In fact, by asking people to sign up for your newsletter and then never or rarely send one out sends a negative message to these people – that you can’t be counted on to follow through with what you promised you would do. Ouch.

If you are still unsure of whether a Newsletter is of value for you, we can schedule a consultation to help you come up with a game plan.

On a final note, it’s important to realize a Newsletter is NOT a form of advertising and should never be the main focus of your email (unless it’s a separate sendout and is not part of your regular Newsletter). In my next issue, I’ll go over the formatting of a newsletter and the types of content that should be in them.

Your Action Assignment:
Take out your calendar right now and schedule a time THIS WEEK to write your next newsletter. Give yourself at least 2 hours to do some research and write down your thoughts. If you don’t want to write the entire newsletter, then arrange for someone who will be gladly do it for you.

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About the Author: Susan is president/founder of eVision Media, a web development and eMarketing firm specializing in building effective brands for entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations for over 10 years. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, she is able to provide an authentic and personalized service for those wanting a trustworthy member of their team for their brand & marketing design, website development and SEO/eMarketing needs. Contact Susan today for a free 30 minute “get to know you session” on helping you build your website presence to be the effective marketing tool is can be. susan@evisionmedia.ca or visit www.evisionmedia.ca.

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When working with new entrepreneurs, I often hear resistance to “going big” or making any major moves due to various fears that come up preventing them from feeling it’s the “right time”. When I read this article from Fabienne Fredrickson, she addresses this subject perfectly and I wanted to share in hopes it inspires you to just go for it! Here’s the full article…
Sue

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Stop Planning, Forget The “How”, Just Go For It!

Recently, we’ve been talking about aiming for MUCH bigger in our business, in our life, and in our purpose. We’ve stretched, looked into the fears of dreaming TOO big (is there such a thing?!) and looked at all the other emotions that come up once we’ve actually MADE the decision to play a bigger game. These are related to issues of safety, not rocking the boat, and self-doubt as to whether we really CAN play a bigger game in life and business.

But then, if this weren’t enough, there’s yet another thing that is likely to stop a lot of people right in their tracks. And that’s trying to figure out the “how”.

“How will I ever get from here to THERE?”
“But I don’t HAVE the resources (the funds, time, help) to make that big dream happen.”
“I’m not qualified right now to take on this big dream. I just don’t have what it takes yet.”
“Once I know HOW I’m supposed to do this, I’ll do it. Until then, I’ll just wait to be ready.”

Problem is, this is EXACTLY the point at which most people give up, probably even YOU. Right there. You see, most people wait for the HOW before they make a commitment to accomplish their big goal. Being the good planner that you probably are, there’s a part of you that feels this is too risky of a project or a goal to take on without having a plan, a solid plan, without knowing exactly how it’s going to unfold.

You may have a dream of being on Oprah, for example, to share the message only YOU can share, and to give exposure to your book or business. You love the idea of it, you imagine yourself on her yellow leather sofa, talking to her and her live studio audience. You may even be able to feel the warmth of the studio lamps and the nervous feeling you would have in the pit of your stomach. Perhaps what you’ll be wearing and what she’ll say to you. Your imagination is strong about what it would actually BE like once you’re there. And it feels great.

But then it all stops. Your imagination shuts down once you try to think about HOW you’ll ever get to the Oprah show, or whatever else your big dreams are. Here are things I’ve heard:

“I don’t have enough media training. They’ll never pick me.”"Everyone and their MOTHER wants to be on Oprah. There’s too much competition.”"Explain to me how it would ever happen and THEN I’ll think about going for it.”"Is there a guarantee this will even work? Probably not worth trying if I don’t have a plan”

Now, if you’ve seen my Mind Movie on my Facebook page, you know that I have BIG dreams. Writing best-selling books, doing workshops to thousands of people, affecting millions, and having a global effect on helping women and children around the world, and yes, one day, even taking my message to Oprah’s stage and sharing it with 10 million people.

I’m hearing it now… “Stop dreaming and GET REAL!”

And admittedly, some these things ARE “lofty”. In fact, I would categorize as downright “scary big”. Especially since I don’t have a clue yet as to how I will write ONE best-selling book, let alone many, how to get thousands of people to come hear me speak, how I’ll help on a global level (where, whom, what will I be helping them with???). And I certainly don’t have a clue about how to get on Oprah’s couch.

But I’ve decided to go for it anyway, because here’s “what I know for sure”. If you’ve got the commitment to do something, the intention is strong and you’re willing to do anything it takes to get there, in a good way/not bad, then things WILL unfold before you, like a red carpet being unrolled in Hollywood. You just need to take the first step, accomplish the task that’s right in front of you, and then the next task will show up for you to work on. Once you’ve done that one, just the right opportunity will land on your lap, followed by the right resource to take full advantage of that opportunity or to accomplish the task at hand.

But because we’re bred to be planners (or in my case, sometimes a bit of a control freak – have you ever seen me in the kitchen right before a dinner party??), we want to have the WHOLE thing planned out first, in every descriptive detail. It’s got to be all laid out and orchestrated ahead of time, in perfect order. Otherwise, we don’t make the commitment.

Thing is, that’s not how the Universe or life works. Your next step or the next opportunity will NOT show up until you’ve made the commitment. But once you DO, it shows up, and the more you do this, the faster things start showing up for you: the right operations manager, the perfect branding development coach, the spiritual guide with just the right message (even the bottle cap with just the confirmation you’ve been asking for) or simply, just the right book to get you to that next level.

That’s what is happening to me right NOW. It’s fascinating to be in the eye of the storm, calm (most of the time) and witnessing everything around me show up as it’s supposed to, having everything around me rearrange itself to make that big dream come true. In fact, it’s pretty humbling. It’s almost as though my intention and commitment to getting this big dream accomplished has taken a life of its own, in a really good way. And now, it’s just about taking the next step that presents itself, without thinking of the next HOW. In fact, it’s a very reassuring process, once you begin to see the pattern.

Your Assignment:

Notice your mindset as it relates to your big dreams and goals for your business or your life. Is there a way that you might be stopping yourself or putting a hold on your big dreams because you haven’t yet figured out HOW it’s going to happen? Is the planner in you squashing the dreamer in you?

Instead, I’d recommend you gather your strength, deny your “smallness” and grab hold of the truth of yourself: that you CAN accomplish that big dream, that it’s not a silly notion. Just the mere fact that you’ve thought of it means it can be done. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gotten the idea. Forgot the how! Just go for it. Each “how” and the resource needed at that time will show up exactly when you need it.

And I’m here for you to make it happen, with all the support you need.

If you’re not attracting enough ideal prospects in the first place, I’d recommend you create compelling marketing and systems starting today. The tool that will take you from 0 to 60 clients the quickest is The Client Attraction Home Study System™. It’s everything you’ll ever need to know to fill your practice quickly; no matter how long you’ve been in business. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter (including how to close the sale 97% of the time). So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. So easy. That’s why my customers have gotten such great results from it. You can get yours at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

© 2010 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time… guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your in.come, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

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I’ve been talking a lot lately to clients about branding and finding their niche but this can be quite challenging to new entrepreneurs or even seasoned business owners when it isn’t clear what their brand is or who they would ideally want to work with. It’s important to explore these two areas to better serve the success of your business. Fabienne Fredrickson teaches client attraction and wrote a great article about the importance of finding your niche (ideal client). Read below to help you put the fears surrounding this topic to rest.
Sue
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“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” — Bill Cosby

To attract clients consistently and with little effort, your marketing message must be clear and it must stand out. There’s no way around it. If what you say about your business and what prospects read about it isn’t sounding irresistible to them, they’ll move on to the next person. Guaranteed.

So, your task is to stand out from the pack and to make prospects really stand up and listen to what you have to offer. In my opinion, standing out from the pack is easiest if you have an expertise or a niche. (But you knew that already.) So, what’s stopping you? Well, after having worked with thousands of people on this issue, I’ve come up with 2 reasons why most people don’t niche:

• They believe they’ll turn away opportunities if they go too narrow.
• They wouldn’t even know where to start (and most are going about it the WRONG way).

Let’s start with the first point.

Believing that you’ll turn away clients and opportunities if you niche is actually completely and utterly invalid. It comes from a “lack” mindset, one based in fear. Ironically, the exact opposite is true. When you niche properly, you get more clients and Client Attraction becomes SO much easier:

• Your marketing message becomes crystal clear.
• Your marketing plan is SO much easier (and less costly).
• People perceive you as an expert (clients seek out experts).
• You get a lot more referrals than generalists do.
• Strategic alliances seek YOU out.
• You can charge more because you know more.
• You get sought out by the media (the media loves experts)

Once you get clear it’s of absolute benefit to you to niche, your job is to do just that. And that’s usually the daunting part. There are many ways of creating a niche. Solopreneurs often don’t know where to start and if you ask me, people go about it in the wrong way (that’s probably why it’s so frustrating and why they’ve even stopped trying to niche). Here’s where they’re making a mistake.

Most people look on the OUTSIDE for a niche, when they should be looking on the INSIDE. Instead of TRYING to find a demographic that is more affluent, or more likely to work with you and forcing yourself into a particular niche, just because the numbers look good on paper, look for a situation or type of person you have an AFFINITY with, who can recognize that working with you is essential.

Hint: your niche is usually someone like you, who is in the “before” stage of YOUR own “before-and-after” story. This is really important. When someone is looking to hire someone in your industry, they’re looking for a SOLUTION to their biggest problem. Not only that, they’re also looking for reassurance it will work and their mo-ney will be well spent.

Essentially, many will come to you and pay you (well) to have you show them how to get to the “after” part of the story. That’s when using your Compelling Story in your marketing begins to REALLY make a difference in your Client Attraction. When you can tell your story, show your struggles, what you did to get over those, and what your situation is like now (and that you can help them do the exact same thing and, oh, you’ve actually got a Proprietary System that will walk them through it easily) they’re SOLD.

Right there, on the spot, they will choose to be your client. And you haven’t even opened your mouth yet! Your marketing message and materials did all the work for you. How cool is that?

Your Assignment:

Instead of looking on the OUTSIDE for your niche, look for it on the INSIDE. Your best clients may just be the person experiencing the “before” part of your “before and after” story. A person in that position will look to you for the solutions they need and will probably do anything and pay relatively anything to work with you to get out of their situation. They’ll trust you faster than they would the average Joe and will look to you as their problem solver before anyone else.

Use your compelling story to pinpoint your niche. It can be either a type of SITUATION you’re solving or a type of PERSON you work with. Or it can be both, it doesn’t matter. They key is to have such clarity in your marketing (a niche) that clients and customers self-select and pre-qualify themselves to be your client, with little or no effort on your part. Then, they reach out to you without you having to do anything. Can you now see how much easier it is to have a niche? Good. This may just be the start of a whole new business and income level for you.

You may be having trouble figuring out your own Compelling Story, Proprietary System, and niche. If so, I recommend getting a copy of the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It gives you the most important things to do to figure this all out easily, and then set up simple, solid marketing systems, so that you consistently fill your pipeline and continually get new clients. It’s all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of things. So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

© 2010 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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About Fabienne

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

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Let me start off by asking you a question…. How long has it been since your website’s home page has been updated with fresh new text and images? How about your blog? Has it been weeks… months even … since your last entry? What about the last time you sent out a newsletter?

If you had a strong urge to click the delete button after reading the above due to the sudden guilt pangs that just hit you, hold off on the temptation and be assured you are not alone! There are many business entrepreneurs that have neglected their website for many different reasons and now they are left feeling the whole “website thing” has been a bust. But there’s hope yet! Don’t abandon ship until you read this article…

Before getting started, it’s important to remember that your website is NOT a brochure! Its purpose was never to just build it and forget about it and then expect it to provide any kind of return on your initial investment.

So before you abandon your website all together and end up losing business to your competition, let’s talk about the reasons why it is vitally important to keep your website updated with fresh material and some things you can do now to get it back on track:

1. Your website is your most primary marketing piece for your business. Period. This is due to it being accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It never takes a holiday and is never not seen by anyone who visits it. Ask yourself what impression are others getting if they visited your site right now?  You want your site to give an accurate impression to not only your prospective client, but also your current clients so they can trust and believe that your business is in good shape too. No one ones to do business with a failing company.
2. Google and the other search engines will only love your site if it’s got something new to show its searchers.  If it detects that nothing has changed since the last time it indexed your site, then it will downgrade you in the search results. This is a critical point – you don’t want to get poor search result rankings!
3. Search engines are only going to display your site that matches a user’s search string if you have the right keywords placed within the text of your home page. Changing these keywords to match what your ideal client is looking for is very valuable so they will find your site easier when searching for products or services that match their needs.
4. Prospective clients can tell if a site has been stranded and will immediately get the impression you are either out of business or are not attentive enough to bother updating it. Either way, they have formed a negative impression on you and the credibility of your business.
5. If you have a newsletter signup box on your site but never or rarely send out a newsletter, this also gives the impression you are not on top of things and really don’t care about building your business. This topic is a whole ‘nother article to write on the importance of newsletters though….
6. Your website no longer accurately depicts your business direction anymore. Every business goes through the evolutionary process and it’s critical your website stays current with your product or service offerings. If you find yourself telling people, “oh sorry, my site doesn’t actually say anything about that particular service…” what kind of message is that person is getting about how well you run a business?
7. Your website looks like it was created in the 90′s. Yes, even sites I designed several years ago are looking old and outdated Avoid your site looking old by giving it a fresh redesign; otherwise, it looks like you don’t care enough about your business or about technological advances to keep it up to date. Keeping your website looking modern will improve your credibility and will give the impression you are attentive to the success of your business.
8. Your website looks “broken” in more recent versions of browsers. Have you ever looked at your site from a friend’s computer and wondered, “Why is it looking so funny?” This is a result of your site’s build being too old to be compatible with the newer browsers like IE 8 or Firefox 3.5. Back when your site was first built, it probably looked great across the more popular browsers but as browsers evolve, so must your website programming to ensure it continues to look good no matter what browser is used.
9. Along the same lines as the look of your site being old, so can the technology and coding used behind the scenes to build it. Old technology can create many problems including security threats and costly programming to work around the old scripts and code if new features need to be added. Often it is more cost effective to re-develop your site than to continually patch the security holes and do programming work-arounds that can be precariously unstable as soon as the next version of web browser comes along.

If you’re wondering if any of the above is applicable to you, then ask yourself if your site is performing the way it was intended. Are you getting sufficient leads? Are people finding your site and signing up for your newsletter to get them into your marketing funnel? Is your conversion rate where you want it to be?

If not, it’s a sure sign to take a close look at your “busting” website and have a talk with your web developer on ways to get it up-to-date so that it can provide you with the results you desire.

Your site can be a constantly evolving, powerful business tool if you treat it as such. It’s important to view it as your important, dynamic marketing collateral in your business and marketing plan. It can be as exciting, innovative and interactive as you want it to be, all you have to do is ask; the technology is available to create an amazing marketing piece for you like never before!

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About the Author: Susan is president/founder of eVision Media, a web development and eMarketing firm specializing in building effective brands for entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations for over 10 years. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, she is able to provide an authentic and personalized service for those wanting a trustworthy member of their team for their brand & marketing design, website development and SEO/eMarketing needs. Contact Susan today for a free 30 minute consultation on helping you build your website presence to be the effective marketing tool is can be. susan@evisionmedia.ca or visit www.evisionmedia.ca.

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Here’s a great tip from Client Attraction expert, Fabienne Fredrickson on how to use every day tools at your fingertips to help get you more clients. By the way, Fabienne just launched a great new system on authentic list building – I highly recommend her products (I’ve taken some of her courses) as she gives really great info. Check out her “Authentic List Building Coaching Program” here.

Here’s her article:

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Does Your Voicemail Get You Clients? Time to Change That!

If you’re serious about attracting clients consistently, I believe you should use every single piece of marketing “real estate” you can. Whether you’ve been in business for one year or 22 years, when you’re marketing your business, you want to have systems in place that PULL in clients without you having to do much to make it happen.

It can even be as “little” as using your outgoing voice mail as a Client Attraction tool . One of the key things you can do to PULL people in that most people in business do not do, especially when they’re working from home, is have an outgoing message on your voice mail or answering machine that describes exactly what you do, for whom, and what results they can expect.

The idea here is to have your voice explain what you do and how to give you referrals . So, instead of saying, “Hello, it’s Mary, leave a message,” you can say, “Hello, it’s Mary of so-and-so business, helping (insert target audience) who struggle with (insert common problem) achieve more (desired outcome).”

Once they know exactly what you do and for whom, don’t forget to list the best ways to reach you (other than phone) : your e-mail, your website, and your tag line. Oh, and don’t forget to include a call to action, like inviting them to visit your website and signing up for something. There are lots of different ways you can use your voice mail outgoing message as a way to get new clients. Remember to keep it pretty short or people will not want to call back.

You’d be surprised how many people over the years became my client, when all they had originally was my phone number . As a result of the voicemail, they all told me they went onto the website, signed up for the ezine, attended teleclasses, and after a while, wrote in to say they were ready to work with me. Not bad for a simple voicemail message!

My motto around marketing real estate? “If you’ve got it anyway, use it to attract clients!”

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

Create an outgoing message that can also act as a marketing tool, if it is brief. Include your tagline and e-mail address if it is easy to remember, direct callers to your website, and make sure to tell them about your newsletter or list any upcoming workshops you are promoting. You’ll not only impress callers, you might just get a few new clients out of it.

Interested in more of these simple, highly effective marketing tools that attract new clients in the “real world?” Then it’s time to invest in a step-by-step marketing system that will feel easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ avoids all the unnecessary stuff and instead gives you the most important things to do to find your niche, get out there in a big way, set up simple, solid systems, so you consistently fill your pipeline and continually get new clients. It’s all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of things . So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. So easy. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com .

© 2010 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.ClientAttraction.com .

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Before approaching web developers for estimates on building your new business’s site, there are a few things you should think through first so you are fully prepared for the questions you will be asked. Here’s a list of ten things to be clear on before making that important next step:

1. Be clear on your business plan. This may sound obvious, but it has happened where I’ve been asked to build a website when the potential client only had an idea of what they wanted and no business foundation planned out at all. Are you sure you have a viable business idea that will provide you with a reasonable ROI or is this more of a hobby that you just want to dabble in? It is important to be clear on your intensions of what you want to accomplish first.
2. Be clear on your business name.  Make sure you have a registered business name before creating any of your marketing materials. It could be a costly mistake to have to go back and change everything if you find out your business name has been rejected.
3. Be clear on the product you sell or service you provide. Ensure you are clear on the product or service you offer so your developer knows what site features and design will work best to enhance them. Ask yourself if they are digital products or systems or a service for hire? How many products and how are they sold?
4. Be clear on your brand. This does not mean you have to have your logo already designed (some web development companies can also design your logo and other stationery/marketing materials for you as well), but it does mean you need to be clear on the message you want to give others about you and your business. This is actually not an easy or quick process but makes a significant difference if you are clear on this before moving on to anything else. Often the designer/marketer that you hire to create the visual brand for you can help with this process or I recommend checking out BrandU where they help you through your brand definition process step-by-step. Once done, you will be very clear on not only the essence of our brand, but also the “look” of your brand so you can simply hand over your results to your designer to create it for you.
5. Be clear on what you want your website to accomplish. A site that does not have a clear call to action is not going to be effective in fulfilling its purpose. When visitors come to your site, what do you want them to do once there? What is your primary call to action?
6. Be clear on how you are going to get site visitors into your database. The odds are slim that someone is going to purchase from you on their first visit to your site, so you need to plan out a way to capture their name and email address so you can keep in touch with them on a regular basis and develop a relationship with them.
7. Be clear on what features you want on your site. Will it be a static “brochureware” site with standard 4-5 pages or do you want something more dynamic with features such as a blog, calendar, search function, photo gallery, shopping cart system, newsletter system, membership signup etc.?
8. Be clear on your budget. Your developer needs to know a price range that you’re looking at so they can recommend a site build that will fit within your means. Keep in mind that your website is your primary marketing piece due to it being accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You don’t want to skimp with such an important and prominent showcase of your business! Don’t be fooled by the cheaper template options or “do it yourself” applications out there where, unless you have studied the intricate nuances of how the Internet works, search engine optimization and effective layout design, you run the  risk of scaring off your perfect customers instead of attracting them!
9. Be clear on website maintenance. Once your site is built, who is going to maintain it? The reason why this is important to determine before your site is built is due to the different ways it can be built. If you want to be able to update the site yourself, then you need your site built in a CMS (Content Management System) platform. This will put your site design into a template where you log in to make updates. Now before you get excited about the thought of saving all that money on doing this yourself, consider these points:
   1. Do you know enough about content layout and copywriting to make an effective marketing piece that looks professional to your perfect client?
   2. Do you know how to optimize images so they don’t slow down your site’s performance?
   3. Do you have enough time to do updates to your site?
   4. Are you aware you can’t write off your time that you spend on doing things yourself where you can if you have a professional take care of the updates for you?

      As you can tell, I am biased on this point… the reason is from working with over a  hundred clients over the years, these points always come up and they soon find out that even though it seemed they could “easily” update their site themselves, it rarely turned out that way. I heard from many that were extremely frustrated because they were working in an environment and medium totally foreign to them. Meanwhile they were wasting valuable time trying to learn to be a web developer instead of spending it on getting clients! Mind you, some people are more computer literate and can pick up on the more technical aspects required and they manage fine; however, it is still important to learn good copywriting skills and understand what makes an effective website before going the DIY route.

10. Be sure you do your research on who to approach. You want to find someone with experience and skill who will partner with you to help you build your business. You want to avoid programmers who only do exactly what you tell them as opposed to others who can offer ideas, suggestions and be a part of your  team to be there as a valuable resource when needed . Always ask to talk to their clients to see what their experience was working with the developer. Be aware of those that claim to be developers when in reality, all they learned was how to use a “do it yourself” software like Microsoft Front Page. The quality of your site – both in design and in how it is coded – is very important on many levels so ensure the person you hire understands how to design and build a quality product for you.

Susan Friesen
susan@evisionmedia.ca

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About the Author: Susan is president/founder of eVision Media, a web development and eMarketing firm specializing in building effective brands for entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations for over 10 years. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, she and her skilled team are able to provide an “all-in-one” personalized service for those wanting a member of their team for their brand & marketing design, website development and SEO/eMarketing needs. Contact Susan today for a free 30 minute consultation on helping you build your website presence to be the most effective marketing tool is can be.

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Here’s a great article by OneCoach I wanted to share about the importance of branding, Sue

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If you are a new business owner, one of your first objectives must be to brand yourself. Business coaches and consultants alike will all tell you how important it is to establish your identity. You want to be noticed. You want to be remembered. You want to stand out from the rest. You want your business to grow. Just what will creating a brand accomplish for you and your business? Consider these points:

A brand makes you memorable
Obviously, for clients or customers to come to you, they have to first remember you. By creating a brand that sticks in their minds, you increase the odds that yours will be the name that pops into their head when they’re looking for the types of services you provide. Whether it’s your logo design, add campaign or radio jingle, creating a solid brand will help drive business in your direction.

A brand creates credibility
Whether it’s factual or simply perceived, branding lends credibility to your business. When people see or hear about you over and over in a positive context they naturally believe that you must be good, reliable, trustworthy, etc. After all, they see your logo everywhere. They hear your ads repeated on the radio, or they simply hear your name connected with something they need or want. Therefore, you must be the go to person for that service.

A good brand saves you time
In business, time is money. Establishing a good brand for your company right from the start can save you hours of introduction time that can be better used as selling time. Imagine if every time you met with a potential customer you first had to explain who you are, what you do, and how you do it, before you even begin your sales pitch! Now imagine meeting with that same customer who has already been exposed to your brand and knows that information already! The time you save there is time you can put into giving a good sales presentation and getting the business.

A good brand helps you attract the right kinds of clients
A well thought out and relevant brand will make it easy for clients to connect you with the product or service they are looking for. To use a very simple example, if you were to brand your company as an insurance company for seniors, you won’t likely be the company Mom calls when her teens start to drive, but you will be the one that all those folks over 50 will call to get some reward for their years of good driving.

A brand provides a solid base from which your business can expand
A good business does not remain stagnant but grows and changes over time. Once you’ve established a memorable brand, it’s much easier to incorporate change under that same umbrella than it would be to try to create a whole new business. By expanding within your brand you never lose the valuable customer base that you have spent so much time developing.

Source: www.onecoach.com

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As 2009 winds down and we get busy with family and friends and the holiday traditions, it is also time to be reflective of how the year was for us and what we can look forward to in 2010.  This article from Christine Kloser really resonated with me about my own thirst for knowledge this past year and how I’ve seem many of our clients do the same.  Despite being bombarded with knowledge resources every day,  I believe that ultimately we have to look into ourselves and gain the confidence needed to grow and succeed. As long as we are conducting our business from a place of authenticity and of being of service to others, we don’t need to continue to look outside for any more insight than what we already possess “inside”.  Read this article from Christine to help put things into perspective…

Sue

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The ABC’s of Aligning with Your Business
By Christine Kloser

When you stepped on this path of entrepreneurship, if you’re like me, you became a sponge for knowledge.  If there was a new strategy you heard about, you found a resource to become skilled in learning that strategy.  If there was an event you knew you needed to be at, you figured out how to get there.  You were an “eager beaver” to learn, learn, learn and implement what you learned in your business.

But chances are, nobody ever suggested you stop with all the information gathering and ask yourself the deeper questions of, “Is this right for me?  Is this aligned with who I am, what my business is and what’s important to me?”   Many entrepreneurs I’ve spoken with are just now stepping back to ask themselves what they’ve been doing for the past several months (or years)… and if it’s really working for them.

What several of these entrepreneurs are discovering is that they’ve been going after what they “thought” they “should” be doing based on watching and modeling someone else.  It’s an honest thing to do.  You’re taught to model others.  But, you’ve got to be mindful of knowing where the line is between modeling in a way that serves you and modeling in a way that pulls you further away from who you are.

On that note, I want to share with you the ABC’s of aligning with your business so no matter what stage you’re in; no matter how much knowledge you have; no matter your level of success (or frustration) these three tips will help you make sure you are on track to be in total alignment with your business as you head into 2010.

Assess
In order to get from “Point A” to “Point B” in terms of aligning with your business, you’ve first got to assess where you really are.  Many entrepreneurs just keep going, keep plowing through their to-do list without taking time to step back and truly assess where they’re at and what direction they’re headed.

In this phase, you’ll allow yourself to see what’s working in your business and what isn’t working in your business, and more importantly what is and isn’t working for YOU!  It may be that your greatest source of income is also coming from the service that causes you the most amount of stress.  This is not in alignment.  Your income ought to come from your greatest joy.  So, these are the things to be looking for.  Where does your business FEEL right and where doesn’t it?

Be Brave
The assessment phase may uncover some things that perhaps you’d prefer not to see.  I know when I went through the assessment phase in my business, I saw I was doing things that I really shouldn’t have been doing.  These were some of the things others had suggested I do, so they didn’t purely come from the intent in my heart, but by what someone else thought.

So, this next phase invites you to be brave in facing what you see.  Yes, it might feel temporarily easier to pretend that what you see isn’t really there.  It’s natural to want to avoid that kind of pain.  However, if it’s there, it will always be there and it can’t really be avoided, it can only be postponed.  So, allow yourself to face whatever you see straight-on and you will be one step closer to totally aligning your Self with your business.

Co-Create
Finally, the third phase is to embrace the concept of co-creation.  Co-creation happens when you are fully awake, aware and conscious of the reality that everything created through you is created in partnership with Spirit.  In order to truly be aligned with your Self and your business, it’s essential to not let your human will or your ego feel like it’s the creative force behind what you do.

Alignment happens when your ego is set aside, when your intent is pure, when comparison and competition (or what you think you “should” do) aren’t part of your process.  This can be the greatest growth oppor^tunity of all… to allow yourself to “let go” enough to make room for grace.  So, don’t feel like you have to do everything in your business (or your life) alone, be open to seeing that when you’re in alignment you’re opening to a world of infinite possibility.

© 2009 Christine Kloser

About the author: Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank.  If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know… Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

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Are you aware of your thoughts? I mean really aware at how you talk to yourself every minute of every day? Are you aware that these thoughts stem from old habits and and beliefs and determine how your life unfolds?

Ok, before I lose you here… bear with me! I’m referring to our natural consciousness and the beliefs that we’ve created through our experiences and how we associate everything we encounter with one of those beliefs – many times in the negative sense – which can translate to harmful thinking that produces undesirable circumstances.

Below is a great article by David Neagle about adjusting how we react to circumstances and creating a natural state of joy just by being aware of our thoughts ad beliefs.

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Create a Natural State of Joy
by David Neagle

Through our senses and from the people around us, we absorb ideas, beliefs, perceptions and evaluations of the way the world works. Unfortunately, many of these ideas are fear-based; they stem from a limited understanding of the world, and we don’t even realize they’re there. Once “learned,” they pass to our subconscious, where they still direct our actions and results. So, we have bad results and we just can’t figure out why.

The good news is that subconscious beliefs don’t like the light. Simple awareness gives us the choice to reject them.

In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill writes, “Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time. One or the other must dominate.” He outlines a process of affirmation and visualization to create the habit of positive emotion. Eventually, he writes, positive emotions will dominate your subconscious mind so completely that the negatives cannot enter.

A Natural State of Joy

Based on my experience with thousands of people all over the world, I suggest that rather than working with your thoughts, you can create a natural state in which negativity has no place.

If you get in touch with the desire in your heart, and you seek the expression of that desire and do all that’s required of you, you’ll enter a natural state in which you won’t want to be negative. You won’t talk about what’s wrong with everything or hang out with people who bring you down.

You already know that this works. When you’re doing something you love, you feel very little, if any, negativity. When you’re in harmony with something, it’s natural to express the happiness, joy, eroticism, compassion, loving, caring or jovialness of the situation. You’re automatically joyful, even if you’re habitually not that way the rest of the time.

Years ago, I had trouble following through on things that I knew I should be doing. I didn’t understand why it was so difficult. It was difficult because I was not in harmony with the thing I was supposed to be doing.

Every result, condition and circumstance in your life is an opportunity for you to get from where you are to where you want to be. Each one is giving you the opportunity to correct your course.

So, if you’re struggling with something, like I was, rather than trying to beat it into submission, look it in the eye instead. Ask: “How does this move me to where I want to go?”

When you start to come up with preprogrammed beliefs, reasons why you can’t take advantage of the opportunity or how it’s not an opportunity at all, you have to let those thoughts go. Say to yourself, That is an apparent, surface explanation, but it’s not the truth. The truth is this is an opportunity for me. What is the opportunity?
Can you imagine what your life would be like if you viewed everything that happened as an opportunity? All of your so-called failures and disappointments? Your life would be a string of opportunities all pointing you in the direction you want to go. Well, that is happening, right now, whether you acknowledge it or not.

When you acknowledge it, though, you’re happier. Your results are in harmony with who you really are. You appreciate the increasingly rare negative result because it shows you that you need to course correct. In this kind of life, you experience in every way your true, divine nature.

As Hill wrote, “Somewhere in your makeup there lies sleeping this seed of achievement which, if aroused and put into action, would carry you to heights such as you may never have hoped to attain.”

It all starts with your desire. From that, everything else, including your own greatness, will follow.

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About the Author:
David Neagle, Million Dollar Income Acceleration Coach, mentors entrepreneurs to quantum leap their current businesses past the 7-Figure income level in just 12 months. David invites you to download—as his GIFT to you—his legendary “Art of Success” 4-hour audio program. This audio series is a tremendously compelling and comprehensive program that demonstrates—once and for all—that Success has nothing to do with “getting” or “achieving”, and everything to do with WHO we must BE to manifest our hearts’ true desires. For an additional bonus, Text: success to the number: 85800

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Here’s a great article by Daniel Levis on effective copywriting for your web site:
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8 Timeless Tips for Making Your
Web Marketing More Persuasive …

The first thing you need to do is draw attention to your marketing. Spend at least as much time worrying about the headline of each web page you create as you do worrying about the body copy.

Brainstorm at least five headlines, pick the one most likely to stop your prospects dead in their tracks (tip, the only way to know for sure is to test), and use the rest of them in the body of the message.

Curiosity Killed The Cat – It’s human nature to be curious. One of the most effective ways to get your sales message consumed is to throw a little mystery. Mystery, mixed with relevant benefit is essential to creating a powerful headline that drags people into your copy. But that’s not all …

It also helps to drive your prospect deeper into the body of the message. Remember, the deeper your readers go into your copy, the more difficult it will be for them to STOP reading it.

It doesn’t hurt to tell a little bit about what your offer isn’t, to build up the suspense, and help drive your reader further down the page.

Tell A Story - In 1919, a Russian immigrant named Max Sackheim, stumbled upon a fascinating discovery. He had been hired by the Sherwin Cody School of English to come up with a mail order advertisement, and his original headline read, “Do You Make Mistakes In English”?

The ad didn’t pull.

By adding one magic little word to the headline, Max was able to make the very same ad produce amazing results. The ad became so profitable that it ran for over 40 years straight, when Max changed the headline to, “Do You Make These Mistakes In English”?

People’s curiosity got the better of them. They just couldn’t resist reading Max’s advertisement. They were all wondering if they might be making “these” mistakes in English. Max was able to slip right under the buyer’s natural resistance to being sold, and suck them right into the advertisement.

Story telling has the same effect.

You Can Never Over Educate - Nobody ever bought a hammer, because they wanted a hammer. What they wanted was a bunch of nails tapped home just right. Sequential e-mail follow up is ideal for showing your prospects how to achieve their goals with your product.

Remember, the more comfortable your prospects are about the “How To” of using your product or service to solve their problem, the more confidence they’ll have in your ability and willingness to really help them. One of the most effective things you can do with your autoresponder, is to offer free courses and tutorials that show your prospects how to use your products to get the results they’re looking for.

It’s the ultimate soft sell, and very effective!

Warts & All - It’s all about trust. That’s why follow up is so essential. Your prospects need to be exposed an average of 7 to 9 times before succumbing to your seduction.

Pointing out the imperfections of your product can go a long way toward building that trust. You don’t necessarily have to slam your product, but giving the straight goods on the pitfalls the buyer might encounter when using such products, and helping them to avoid them, demonstrates your honesty, and openness.

It’s like showing the front of your hands in a face-to-face encounter.

Be Specific - Details, exact numbers, and vivid descriptions worked into your copy are worth their weight in gold, because they’re far more believable than generalities. When you make a claim, back it up with facts and figures.

Your prospects are both naturally skeptical, and hungry for truth.

Don’t Be Shy About Objections - Every product has natural objections. Don’t be afraid to address them.

Read your copy after being away from it for a while, and at some point in the message you’ll feel them creeping in. That’s the point when you add something like, “OK, you’re probably thinking _________. I can understand why you might feel that way. Many others who looked at this product felt just the same way, until they found out about ________.”

You need to come up with a list of reasons why your prospect would want to buy your product or service, and also the reasons why not.

The Fear of Loss Is Greater Than The Desire For Gain - Often the fear of losing something, sometimes even something that we do not yet have, is a stronger motivator than our desire for gain.

The fear of missing out on a special price or promotion is a good example of this.

Don’t we all want what we can’t have? Work hard to find ways to make your product scarce, or at least make your offer scarce, by offering it for a limited time.

Justify Your Offer - People know that you’re in business to make a profit, and that you don’t give things away out of the goodness of your heart.

When they see a sale, or a special price, or a bonus offer, the wheels naturally start turning in the back of their heads. What’s the catch? While it’s our emotions that truly motivate us, logic does have a nasty habit of getting in the way.

When you are open with your prospects about the reason why you’re offering them a special deal, it’s amazing how easily they’ll accept your reasoning, and abandon their resistance. The same applies to giving a legitimate reason why your special offer absolutely expires on a specific date.

So there you have it. Eight timeless persuasion tips, revealed.