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However, I doubt all of them are reaping the benefits.

And that’s because going online requires a little more thought than just hiring a cheap web designer (often a friend of a friend), creating a fancy logo and listing all your business details.

Before even sourcing a web designer you need to do some serious planning which includes asking yourself these questions.

1. What is the purpose of my site?
2. Do I want it to generate leads or create sales? (There is a difference)
3. Is it just an informational site that I can direct my customers to when they visit my offline store / business?
4. What information do I want / need on my site
5. How will it be structured to make it easy for my customers to find what they’re looking for?
6. How can my site be different from those of my competitors?

Only once you’ve got a handle on these questions should you start looking around for a suitable web designer.

A good web designer will ask you these very same questions so it’s imperative that you’ve thought them through carefully to begin with.

Now while logos, colours and layout of your site are important to create the visual appeal for your customers, its the content (copy) that keeps them there!

Your site needs to have the “Wow” factor – something that’ll make them bookmark your site to come back to, or better still – call you there and then!

So, don’t let lame words and boring dribble ruin your chance of attracting new customers.

Hire a Copywriter.

What they choose to buy will have some emotional benefit to them.  For example it may make them feel more attractive, thinner, healthier, more accepted by others or rich and successful and so on.

Whatever the reason, logic does not form the basis for most purchases of either goods – or services.

Now you might be offering a great product or service that you feel people really need…..and perhaps they do.

However, is it what they want? Does having purchased your particular product or service make them “feel” better in any way?

This is one of the many reasons why selling a “preventative” service is so difficult for people such as Health Care professionals, Mechanics, Veterinarians, Dentists and even accountants.

There are no emotional benefits to be gained after purchase….. and unfortunately “peace of mind” (used a lot to sell to sell prevention) – does not work.

So – ask yourself – “What are the emotional benefits of your product or service”?

You know they need that yearly check up but how can you turn it into something they want?

After all – that’s what you do for a friend….

What I didn’t expect was instead of asking further questions and creating a proper plan, she took some of the ideas (that she liked, disregarding the ones she didn’t) and put together a very expensive campaign including website copy that’s totally missed the mark.

I doubt she’ll get the results she’s expecting!

The message here is:

Don’t rely on fragments of information and expect results – no matter how good you think it sounds.

Marketing is not just about putting together some creative ideas and expecting them to work.

It’s a process that involves a broad spectrum of activities that work together in harmony to achieve a specific goal.

From defining your USP to researching your target market to selecting the appropriate media to changing your beliefs and using the right words and tone in your copy plus creating the right offer – it needs a carefully designed plan.

It’s no wonder that some of the world’s greatest marketers experienced many failures before they became successful. It’s a learned craft.

Please don’t make this mistake. If you do ask for help, be prepared to spend the necessary time and money to create a plan that will work for you.

Otherwise you could be making a very costly mistake.

Your web designer may have mentioned the importance of Search Engine Optimisation or (SEO) to increase your chances of rating favourably with the search engines such as Google.

Should you bother or what?

Certainly being listed on the the first page of Google would be great however – for small businesses it’s just a waste of money.

Why?

Because if you’re like most small businesses, you draw your customers from local areas so, there’s no point in casting out your net to a wider geographical audience.

So here are the best things to do.

1. Yes – do get a website. The size and complexity of the site will depend on the products or services you sell
2. Make sure it’s designed to act as your “24 hour” selling site. (In other words, hire a copywriter to carefully craft your sales message and USP for you)
3. Get traffic to your site.

Here you have 2 choices that both work well and won’t cost the earth!

1. Place small, inexpensive ads in your local paper directing the readers to your site, offering them a compelling reason to do so
2. Consider Pay Per Click Advertising. You know, these are the little ads that appear on the right hand side of Google. You pay only when someone actually clicks on the ad which of course is the direct link to your site. The cost can be as little as a few cents per click and well worth it.

PPC Advertising is a smart way to get your site noticed quickly. You can specify which areas you want your ad to appear and even at what times.

Great for small businesses!

Are you a small business owner?

Then I guess you already know how important marketing is to your business.

Ignore it and you’ll soon be forgotten.

Get it wrong and you could be throwing hard earned money out the window.

But.

You’re so busy managing all the other aspects of running a business  you simply don’t have time to concentrate on this most important function.

Nor can you justify or afford the expense of a full time marketing manager.

The solution is easy - OUTSOURCE and hire a freelance Marketer and Copywriter.

Yes, that’s right.  Just imagine having a dedicated Marketing Manager for your business that you can hire when you want and for as long or little as you need.

No ongoing payroll expenses, no commitments and yet you get the help or advice you need.

Sounds good?

And it’s practical as well.

Big companies do this all the time. They outsource many of their functions to minimise ongoing staffing costs. And it certainly can work for small businesses too.

And the communication doesn’t all have to be face to face either. Not given all the technology we have available today.

Updating your web copy is a simple example of a makeover that can be accomplished through online communication.

The same goes for design and creation of your offline marketing materials such as brochures, newsletters, advertisements and business cards.

A freelance copywriter and marketing consultant can help you with all of these and for a fraction of the cost of hiring a full time employee.

So if your business could do with a whole new makeover for 2009 – take the smart option and outsource.

It seems they rely heavily on word of mouth referrals to generate new clients.

While I agree this is a very powerful strategy, It makes me wonder how many other new clients they are missing out on?

Let’s face it.

Every business needs a steady influx of new customers to sustain long term growth. And in this increasingly competitive world you simply can’t rely just on one form of marketing to generate new business. You need to have multiple strings on your bow!

Professional services need a marketing strategy just like everyone else out there.

In fact, it’s especially important in this type of business because the products you sell are difficult to compare with others before purchase. Consumption and payment occurs at the same time so there’s no time to evaluate first.

So if you don’t communicate the benefits of doing business with you before purchase, your potential client has no other means of comparison between you and your competition other than price. And that’s not good!

Now

If you do rely on word of mouth referrals, do you have a referral system in place that rewards those people who refer others to you?

And for those first time visitors or those just making inquiries about your services, do you have information about your services available to give them? Like a professionally written brochure?

Information that encourages these potential new clients to choose your business over others?

Or

Do you provide an opportunity to sample your services without the risk of outlay?

And finally.

Can they check you out online?

In this day and age all businesses should have both an online as well as offline marketing strategy.

As we all know, people are using the web more and more to purchase both goods and services. Is your website designed to attract new clients to your business?

If you own and operate a service based business then you simply need to consider all of these strategies.

If applied and worded correctly they can go a long way to support and enhance your professional standing within your community.

Ask how a copywriter can help you formulate a marketing strategy for your professional business.

Here’s how!

Take your Yellow Pages or Newspaper ad and replace your business name with that of your competitor’s or a different business altogether.

If it still reads well and makes sense then your ad is is a copycat ad.

You have given customers no reason to choose your business over others.

With your input, a copywriter can write an ad which will make your business unique in the eyes of your customers.

To put it simply, a copywriter can turn all your marketing materials into selling tools for your business.

This includes your website, brochures and Newsletters, Business cards, Advertisements, Flyers and any other promotional materials you’re using to connect to your customers.

An important part of the job is to ensure that the messages communicated to your customers are consistent and highlight the benefits of doing business with you.

You’ll be surprised how many businesses get this simple strategy wrong.

And it’s costing them big bucks.

Consider these facts:

• You pay the same amount for advertising space for an ineffective ad as you would for a good one.
• The design and printing costs for a brochure that catches people’s attention and one that doesn’t is the same.

Yet businesses continue to churn out materials that just won’t get them the results they’re looking for.

I see these materials every day in local papers and when I visit local businesses.

Everything you produce to promote your business must provide a return on investment. Otherwise you’re literally just throwing money out the window.

I’ve seen businesses give up on advertising and promoting themselves simply because nothing they’ve done has produced any results.

Don’t do this. Marketing is the most important function in business.

So

You need to get it right.

Hire a Copywriter to work with you.

“10 Most Common Mistakes made in Small Business Advertising”