Do you think a free or ridiculously low-priced website is going to be of any value to your business?

If you do, you may want to read this and re-think your answer.

I understand the price is right, but most free website or hosting accounts I’ve ever seen have severe limitations on what can be done with them. (Or more importantly, what can’t be done)

And the reason this is important is because these limitations also seriously limit your website’s chance to succeed.

There are lots of companies, even some pretty major players that promote free or almost free websites to business owners, but they don’t always tell you the whole story.

There’s even a free version of WordPress, which is a blogging platform that can also be used as a “traditional” website, but the free version is very limited.

Truth is… If you just want a website for your hobby, or just to say you have a website, then a free website will probably work fine for you.

Free business websites DO NOT EQUAL value for you!

But if your business needs a website that will get found, can be flexible, and is easy to update and modify, then free won’t going to cut it… for a couple of big reasons.

Perception by your web visitors (if you get any at all)
Many free website providers use advertising to offset the cost, so your site’s header or footer will include a blurb or ads from their non-website related company or ads from others.  Either way, it’s pretty easy to spot a free website.

C’mon…Do you want your prospective clients to know you weren’t committed enough to invest in a “real” website?

They’re usually not flexible and scalable enough
There are many settings and changes on a website or blog that are absolutely crucial for Search Engine Optimization, to get getting found online and converting your visitors to customers.

You’ll discover what components are really important on your website inside How Your Local Small Business Can  Get More Customers on the Internet. (Not to mention many other marketing techniques like email marketing)

Most free websites, including the free version of WordPress just don’t have the ability to change these settings or make the proper changes, and are impossible to upgrade or add features to.

What do you do if you have one of these free websites?

Each business, including yours, has unique goals and needs, so talk with an experienced web marketing professional to figure out the best web marketing strategy.

Only then can you make an informed decision that’s best for your business, and offers the best value for you.

Personally, I think the self-hosted version of WordPress (WordPress.org on your own paid hosting account with your own domain name) has all the capabilities, ease of use, and flexibility to handle just about anything.

You’ll only pay for hosting, app $10/mth with HostGator, your domain name, app $12/yr with GoDaddy, and a premium theme/template for WordPress, I use Headway on most of my sites, $87 flat fee.

If you’re currently using a free website, and it’s not getting people to call your company, contact me and we can discuss your options.

What do you think? (Leave your reply below)

If you need help with website design, writing SEO optimized web copy, email marketing, or other online marketing strategies, I can help!

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark

Website and Marketing Copywriter

Join my discussion by leaving a comment below…

Using the power of video in business to strengthen Public Relations

In public relations and marketing, video can be an invaluable and cost-effective approach, reaching audiences in ways that are informative, engaging and entertaining.

Several months ago, I wrote an article about how you can market your small business using online videos, and got some great feedback.

Today, I want to share this short article about PR and video, from the perspective of PR expert, Stefanie Guzikowski of E&G Public Relations LLC in Portsmouth, NH.

She has graciously given me permission to give you a link to her recent article on the Portsmouth Herald.

You can read it here.

If you want to find out if using video in your marketing is right for you, please contact me via e-mail or call me at 603-686-5140.

What do you think – do you use video marketing? (Leave your reply below)

If you need help with website design, writing SEO optimized web copy, email marketing, or other online marketing strategies, I can help!

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark

Website and Marketing Copywriter

Join my discussion by leaving a comment below…

Do you effectively use the power of great testimonials?

It’s been said that a good customer testimonial about your service is 20 times more powerful than anything you could say about yourself.

Why? Because it changes your business claims to verified facts, and actual customer’s comments carry a heck of a lot more weight about you than what you could possible say.

Wow! What a great concept… simply let your prospective customers do all your selling for you.

Sounds like a win-win to me.

So… why don’t more businesses take advantage of them?

After all, you really can’t overuse them, and they can give you a huge competitive edge over other companies that don’t use testimonials.

Think of testimonials as a sales message…and like all messages, they must match your market.

Of course, this means some testimonials won’t even get read, and others do virtually all of the convincing/selling for you.
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Here are some tips for great testimonials:
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• Every business can and should use customer testimonials in any situation they can
• Make sure they’re detailed and relevant to your message and market
• Use testimonials from a range of customer types and situations
• Use them to overcome different objections your prospective customers may have
• Include them on every piece of marketing collateral or sales copy you can. The more, the merrier. (I even include them in proposals or quotes)
• People will believe them before they believe you, adding even more credibility to your business

So start using them today! What are you waiting for?

What do you think? (Leave your reply below)

If you need help with website design, writing SEO optimized web copy, email marketing, or other online marketing strategies, I can help!

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark

Website and Marketing Copywriter

Join my discussion by leaving a comment below…

Have you run a space ad or mailed a postcard that didn’t get the results you hoped for?

Well if you did, you’re not alone. But the good news is you could improve response by just making a simple tweak.

Even if your headline catches the reader’s attention, the message makes sense to them and gets them excited, and your call to action tells them exactly what to do…

If there’s no irresistible offer, or worse, no offer at all, then they ain’t gonna respond.

I’m talking about an offer that’s so good – your reader would have to be absolutely crazy to pass up.

Make a 2 for 1 offer, or add exceptional value by giving them a complimentary service or product with purchase. Another proven technique is to use scarcity, such as making a time or quantity limit to encourage response.

Example: “Only 5 available at this ridiculously low price”, or “This special offer only good till midnight August 3^rd“, or “There’s only 10 of these in stock, so call now to reserve yours”

It’s weird, because I’ll see bad and so so ads come across my desk, but I also see some good ones, too. But the good ones usually fall short, where it counts most -no offer or poor offer.

Remember, the offer is one of the most important and heavily tested component of any sales copy.

Fortunately, this fix can be simple:

(And it works on any marketing copy. Postcards, coupons, newspaper and magazine ads, online ads, web copy, email, and direct mail)

Either make your existing offer more appealing to readers, or if you don’t have an offer at all, come up with one that will make them run, not walk to their phones to order.

 What do you think? (Leave your reply below)

If you need help with website design, writing SEO optimized web copy, email marketing, or other online marketing strategies, I can help!

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark

Website and Marketing Copywriter

Join my discussion by leaving a comment below…

Who said billboard advertising had to cost thousands of dollars a month?

When you think of billboards, we think of the giant roadside signs that are used by business to advertise their products or services.

And yes… the cost to advertise your business on one of those behemoths can run you some serious dough. And if your ad doesn’t get attention, deliver a message, and give a reason to contact you… Then your investment will be a big waste of money.

So here’s a kinda outside-the-box thought for you…

Everybody uses business cards, right?

Then why don’t you use your business cards as your own billboard?

Think about it… For about $95, you can get a box of 1000 high quality business cards from a local printing company. I use and recommend Elite Printing Group in Exeter NH.

If you take my advice, and instead of using them for branding purposes, use it like a space ad or billboard that will get some response.

Include an attention-getting headline that shows the recipient how they’ll benefit or how you’ll help them solve their problem. Do this instead of putting your name and business name in big letters. (Remember, nobody cares about your business name at this point in the relationship)

Use both sides, include a couple of bullet points, an offer, and a call to action that will prompt interested people to contact you.

And of course, don’t forget your contact info.

Here’s a general concept most businesses can use…

Front of card

Back of card

Now… there will be some who’ll complain about this advice, (usually graphic designers) and want to make it look pretty, instead of delivering a sales message.

My answer to that is: Of course you want it to look good, so make the design look pretty and professional as you want, but don’t sacrifice the message for the sake of design and looking pretty. Balance is key… grasshopper.

The bottom line – Do you want it to look pretty, or do you want to use it to get new customers to call you?

I know it’s not a real billboard… but if you do it right… ou’ll have your own personal billboard – for the price of a business card.

What do you think? (Leave your reply below)

If you need help with website design, writing SEO optimized web copy, email marketing, or other online marketing strategies, I can help!

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark

Website and Marketing Copywriter

Join my discussion by leaving a comment below…

Real-life example of how terrible
customer service cost a sale

A couple of months ago, you might have read the article I wrote about the Sales Prevention department.

It basically described how many companies lose a ton of business because of the way they reply (or not reply) to customer service and sales inquiries.

I’m talking about questions from not only prospective buyers, but also from active customers.

Seems like many businesses don’t place a priority on the way they handle these requests. (Hopefully, yours isn’t one of them)

So today… I’m reprinting an actual e-mail inquiry and the actual reply from the company. The company name has been changed to protect the stupid.

Then you can decide whether their reply:

• Was a good reply
• It was a dumb-ass reply
• Maybe it was humorous
• Or they just plain don’t care about customers…

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But first a WARNING!

Whatever you do, don’t reply to your prospects and customers like this company did!

It could destroy your reputation and your business.
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My original e-mail

(with subject line to an online distributor of small engine parts…)

To: Joe Blow at parts place
Subject: Looking for part

I’m looking for a retainer bearing p/n 784-0357 for MTD (looks like it fits other mfgs)

Your online price says “call us”.

Whats the deal… Do you have them or can you get them?

Regards,

Merrill Clark
Web, SEO, Direct Response Copywriter
Marketing Advisor
603-686-5140

Sign up for free marketing tips…
delivered right to your Inbox

(Embedded picture of my book)
Author of…
“How Your Local Business Can
Get More Customers on the Internet”

Their reply: (short and sweet):

To: Merrill Clark
Subject: RE: Looking for part

Send your spam some where else

The end!

My immediate reaction was… “Huh?”  How could asking for part number information be spam? Jeesh…

Note** On a positive note, they did at least reply from a real person, and they replied quickly.

Truly customer service at it’s finest! NOT!

I have to admit — I was confused — I laughed — I got angry — I thought about it for a bit — then I replied.

(Professionally of course, since I know that everything online stays online forever.)

How would you have handled it? (Leave a reply below)

Oh… If you are curious about what my reply was, simply post a comment below, and I’ll send it to you.

If you need help with website design, writing SEO optimized web copy, email marketing, or other online marketing strategies, I can help!

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark

Website and Marketing Copywriter

Join my discussion by leaving a comment below…

Why it’s crucial for your business to
have a disaster recovery plan

Guest article by:
Yehuda Cagen of Xvand Technology Corporation

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Okay – Betcha I know what you’re thinking…

What does disaster recovery have to do with marketing?

To be honest… nothing… or maybe everything. It all depends.

But one of the reasons you appreciate me so much (I know you do) is because I’m a trusted resource for you and your business. Even for things not related to marketing at all.

So today… No marketing advice… no sales pitch…

Just great (and super-important) information about protecting your business that you’ve worked so hard to build.

And I think you’ll find it valuable and interesting.

Oh… some of this information really is relevant to your marketing after all. Especially when it comes to your website and your e-mail systems.

Without further delay, take it away Yehuda!

Find out why business continuity and disaster recovery is so important for small and midsized business:

What are your thoughts?

If you need help with website design, writing SEO optimized web copy, email marketing, or other online marketing strategies, I can help!

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark

Website and Marketing Copywriter

Join my discussion by leaving a comment below…

Using current news and events to boost response from your advertising

There’s an old saying from a legendary ad man (hmmm… don’t remember who though) that goes like this:

“When you write ad copy, you’ll get better results if you find a way to enter the conversation already going on in the reader’s head”.

Well… one of proven ways to do that is to tie your ad to a current news story.

Today, I’m going to give you a fictitious example using a current story, and your job is to see if you can use the concept to come up with an ad angle for your business.

Today’s News headline…

“Notorious Mob Boss Whitey Bulger hides
in rented apartment for 16 years”

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So let’s say you were a private investigator. You perform background checks, and you figure apartment and condo complex managers might want to hire you to make sure prospective renters were on the up-and-up, and not dangerous criminals.

I mean… The management has a duty to protect their tenants, don’t they?

He wants to send out a postcard to these managers to make sure they know about the background check he offers them, and comes up with a special offer they just can’t refuse.

Then the PI goes through his customer list, and also rents a list of local property/apartment managers.

His headline is based on the news… maybe something like this…

If you really want to take advantage of this concept, use well-read headlines and reports to create a product or service that would cater to those people.

An example of this may be a financial planner using a published survey that says American’s between 40-60 #1 worry is if they’ll have enough money for retirement.

They could create a seminar or a course called “The Boomer’s Plan to Gurantee a Comfortable Retirement”, or something like that.

Always remember to use all the components of a good direct response ad. (You know, the ones you’ve been reading about in this blog for years) -:)

And remember, this is just to get your wheels turning.

What are your thoughts?

If you need help with website design, writing SEO optimized web copy, email marketing, or other online marketing strategies, I can help!

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark

Website and Marketing Copywriter

Join my discussion by leaving a comment below…

Does your website Home Page copy steal potential customers from your biggest competitors?

No? … Why not?

So… You do a Google search, click on one of the results, and when it shows up on your screen… you’re blown away by the excitement you feel when you see “WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE”.

Yeah… right…

Sorry… a little sarcasm. But I do have a point.

Your website’s home page is arguably the most important page on your site, because it’s usually the one most readers will see first.

That means it will probably be your only chance to make a great impression on a potential customer, and persuade them to contact you.

So does the word “Welcome” really tell you anything useful about the company, or compel you to keep reading? Nope… didn’t think so.

Home page’s critical to online success

That being said, the home page copy has several critical jobs to do, and it must do them quickly or your prospect simply moves on to your competitor’s site.

So here’s a short and easy test you can perform on your own home page to see if it’s up to snuff or not…

FYI*** Sometimes it’s tough to be objective, so you may want to have a friend look at your site and do the test for you.

1. Does your page have a headline that gets your attention by including the words you used in your search?
2. Does the headline give you any reason to read the first sentence?
3. Can you tell within 3 or 4 seconds if your products and services can solve the reader’s problem? (i.e. why they are there)
4. Does your copy show the immediate customer benefits in a way they can understand?
5. Is the copy clear and concise?
6. Does your copy include several variations of your keyword phrases, and still sound “natural” to the reader?
7. Do you show testimonials or other proof elements?
8. Does your home page establish trust while starting to build a relationship with the reader?
9. Do you have a powerful call-to-action that tells them what the next step is? (call, e-mail, stop by)
10. The list goes on, but these are some of the key elements in writing a great and persuasive home page that attracts new customers, and persuades them to start a business relationship with your company.

Phew… This portion of the test is done now. In a nutshell, the more “yes” answers you have, the better your copy is. Any “no” answers… and you need to work on it to make it better.

Home Page copy is king. It’s the glue that holds your whole website together, and it has a lot of responsibility.

And it can make the difference between a website that just sits there, and one that generates new prospects and clients for your business.

If you don’t have the time or expertise to write great copy for your home page, just e-mail me or call me at 603-686-5140 and I can take care of it for you.

What are your thoughts?

If you need help with website design, writing SEO optimized web copy, email marketing, or other online marketing strategies, I can help!

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark

Website and Marketing Copywriter

Join my discussion by leaving a comment below…

Does your business make this profit-killing mistake while trying to generate qualified leads for your sales team?

If you’re old enough, maybe you remember the song “One is the Loneliest Number” by Three Dog Night.

And if you’re not, surely you’ve heard the phrase “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”?

Now, you’re probably thinking… “What’s this got to do with getting more good sales leads for your business?”

Actually – a lot.

Too often, companies severely limit the number of good leads they could be getting, just because they are only using 1 technique that happens to be currently working.

And that’s bad! Considering there are hundreds, if not thousands of ways to generate leads, it doesn’t make sense to put all of your marketing eggs in one basket.

Smart marketers simultaneously use
multiple techniques to get new sales leads

Let’s say the only way you get new customers for your business is by attending local networking groups. So you don’t do any other marketing or lead generation such as direct mail, website marketing, or social media.

The problem with using only one technique is twofold…

First… Your potential customers are probably looking for you in more than one place. They may be on Twitter or Facebook, or searching for you on the Internet. And if you’re not there, you’ve lost your one and only chance with that person.

Wouldn’t you want to capture some of the prospects that no doubt you’re missing out on? If so, it’s just a matter of mixing and matching different techniques, media, and ideas. Try a targeted postcard, optimize your website for SEO and your readers, and connect with people on social media – all at the same time you go to your network groups.

The second problem is this…

Even though your current method of getting customers may be working, and you think you don’t have time to try anything else…

But what would happen if suddenly you couldn’t use your primary lead generation technique any more?

For example – remember back in the 90s when some businesses exclusively used fax marketing, and then WHAM…?

The government started handing out huge mega-fines for fax spammers, basically making it illegal to send a fax to someone who didn’t request it.

It pretty much shut down the fax marketing businesses – overnight.

Without a backup plans to generate leads and sales, these companies had to start marketing from scratch, and some of them just shut their doors for good.

Now I don’t want to see that happen to you, so play it smart, and use multiple ways to get new customers, not just one.

As your financial planner would say – “Diversify”! Don’t let your loneliest number be 1!

What are your thoughts?

If you need help with website design, writing SEO optimized web copy, email marketing, or other online marketing strategies, I can help!

To your marketing success!

Merrill Clark

Website and Marketing Copywriter

Join my discussion by leaving a comment below…