Credibility is Key Online and Offline

Build your online credibilityMany times, before going on stage to present a marketing seminar, attendees walk up to me and say, “I Googled you.”

People who plan to do business with you, or are curious about your background, will first see if they can find information related to you on the Web. They’re looking for two things: presence and credibility.

I approach business the same way, which is why I recently canceled an order received by Email.

The order was fairly large in cost. That alone makes a savvy marketer cautious before proceeding. In the end, I declined the order for five reasons.

1. The company’s name and telephone number isn’t listed anywhere on the Internet. The company could be new, so I looked at other details.
2. Another country was part of the shipping address. It could have been an oversight, but…
3. The method of payment didn’t include the security code.
4. A “throwaway” Email address accompanied the order rather than a business Email address.
5. The comments section of the order asked me to put the package “on the porch.”

Credibility online and offline defines and elevates your market potential, whether you’re on stage or placing an order. People search for “signs of life.” They want validation of your existence and to learn what others think about you. Have you built that type of credibility?

I don’t know if I turned down a good order or a bogus one, but I am satisfied with my decision. Make sure, to the best of your ability, that anyone who’s preparing to do business with you feels the same way.

Related Post: Credibility Increases Marketing Potential

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April 1, 2008 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Marketing News, Recent Entries | Leave a Comment 

A Few Good Blog Marketing Tools

Optimize your blog for better marketing results

“…only a small portion of Fortune 500 companies have their own blogs today, according to Forrester — despite the fact that blogging is inexpensive and easy compared with other marketing tactics.”

Large companies may not be blogging, but it’s more likely that a direct competitor who’s solo in size like you is on the blogging wagon. However, that doesn’t mean the competition can be found online through their blog as easily as you, especially if your blog includes keywords that increase your search engine ranking.

That was a key focus in BtoB’s February 11th NetMarketing column. The above quote from BtoB was hardly a revelation, as many of us escaped the corporate world where everything is stuck in a committee meeting followed by extensive reports, studies, and findings.

While the main article, The Blog Boost, introduced non-bloggers to the blogging world, the sidebar Ask The Expert column mentioned links to bookmark if a blog is one of your marketing tools.

Duane Forrester, senior program manager at Microsoft, was this issue’s expert, stating:

“Tools such as www.keyworddiscovery.com or www.wordtracker.com can help you see how many people have searched for a given phrase, helping you understand which keywords to use.”

You’ll find the Ask The Expert column here and The Blog Boost article here, at least while the issue is online.

With all of the information available on marketing with a blog, I usually don’t find links within the content that take me directly to marketing and tracking tools. Now you have a few to increase your marketing status above your nearest competitor.

Note: The “Forrester” mentioned in the Fortune 500 quote belongs to Forrester Research, not Duane Forrester of Microsoft.

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February 18, 2008 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Marketing News, Online Ideas, Recent Entries | Leave a Comment 

Presidential Optimization Tactics that Work for You

Optimize your site for successDirect marketing industry participants recently rated the presidential candidates’ Web sites in terms of optimization. Here are three results from their list to consider for your own site.

  • Optimize the terms and phrases your customers use and say in a language they understand (grade level, technical, etc.). This optimization is part of your keyword and/or meta tags.

  • Add competing company’s names to your search. I learned, through my own research, that one of my distant competitors added my name and business name to their keywords.

  • Join social networking sites to expand your reach. The popularity of Facebook, MySpace, and other social sites makes this tip mandatory if you truly want to reach the masses.

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    January 23, 2008 | Filed Under Recent Entries | Leave a Comment 

    Four Ways to Assert Your Independence

    Assert your own independenceIn the United States, July 4th represents reflection and family gatherings. It’s also a time to break free from the things that hinder your marketing abilities. Here are four positive ways to declare your own independence.

    1. Fire Unworthy Clients. These are the accounts that make you cringe each time you think about working with them. Keeping them in your roster is not worth the stress.

    2. Change Your Newsletter Distribution Service. Bad service and statistics won’t cut it in today’s business world. If you don’t like what you get for the money, replace the current service with one that increases your subscriber list and sales.

    3. Don’t Touch the Computer. There’s got to be a better way to start your business day than to stare at the computer screen. Read the newspaper. Review your monthly goals. Make a telephone call. Jumpstart your day with something new and positive, something other than tapping a keyboard.

    4. Pick Up a Book. Reading is still fundamental, and there are many great book choices in stores and at the library. I bet there’s a book on your shelf with a bookmark in place where you stopped reading.

    Bonus Assertion

    5. Get Out. At the end of last year I talked about the need to relax in order to succeed. If this is new to you, start gradually. First, walk around the block. Then, visit a park, zoo, or aquarium, or go to lunch with a friend. Finally, go away for a long weekend.

    I’ve tried these assertions, and guess what? All of them make you a better marketer. May the fourth be with you.

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    July 3, 2007 | Filed Under Offline Ideas, Online Ideas, Recent Entries, Solo Housekeeping | Leave a Comment 

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