If it is the first contact with them, the answer is you probably need  a marketing audit. Most people asssume that marketing is only about finding new sales avenues, but the audit should be far [...]]]> An associate asked me – What can you expect of a marketing consultant , what can you expect them to do?

If it is the first contact with them, the answer is you probably need  a marketing audit. Most people asssume that marketing is only about finding new sales avenues, but the audit should be far more than that.

The consultant should look at your market, your offer and your sales process – looking all the way from contact to sale.

First – who are the customers you are trying to reach,  and what problem do you solve for them.

You may sell double glazing for example, but the problem you solve can be anything from noise proofing because of an airport close by,  energy efficiency to reduce the cost off bills,  or exterior design – making the house look better. 

Search for evidence of people searching for solutions to all of these problems.   Google research tools are a great way to find out how many people actually want what you sell, not just the product but also the problem.

Second – why should the customer buy from you to solve the problem  not anyone else ?

A good marketing consultant wont let you off the hook with this.  They will force you to answer, and you must have an answer – it could be the offer you make, the guarantee you give, the times you trade, the testimonials you have or many others – you must develop your answer to this.

Third – how can you reach your hungry market?

The key is to find the most target means available via the lines of least resistance.  A good consultant will have a feel to know whether adwords, SEO,  joint ventures, viral methods, flyers, direct mail and so on,  are appropriate for your busines.

Fourth – how can you get them to buy

Conversion is everything, and yet it is the least addressed problem.  Simple things can often double sales  – a change of a headline, a squeeze page.  Many details of adverts or websites help – conversion strategy is the easiest payrise you can get if a headline  can multiply sales by ten.

Fifth- how can you get them to buy more

A simple upsell when they agree to buy, can make a massive difference to sales.  So combination offers and upsells are vital. You can upsell several times in the same process.

Last – but not least –  how can you get them to come back more often?

It is ten times easier to sell to those who already know you – so what are you doing to get prospects to sign, and customers to come back?

A marketing consultant will look at all of these factors and conduct an audit to know where the time is best spent. At very least you should expect an action list, the top three areas to concentrate focus on, and a couple of suggestions for things you can do right now.

And how do you know how to choose? – talk to them!! – a good marketing consultant will give you a couple of ideas free

That is what really makes the difference.

A novice at ppc thinks [...]]]> What really makes an adwords expert? What seperates the good from the rest.
For sure ask any internet marketing expert and they will tell you there are far too many junior employees out there trashing large volumes of company money because they are not testing properly.

That is what really makes the difference.

A novice at ppc thinks “click through”,  as though it was an end in itself. A true adwords expert is far more interested in conversion and cost, to determine profit, and what he can do to increase conversion.

Done right – Pay per click can work, no doubt about it.

Think of it this way:
A machine that turns $ coins into $2 coins!
If you had a slot machine in which you could put a coin, and get more than a coin back, then how much would you put in?? So provided you DO Make a profit each time, the fact that it costs is no bad thing. Particularly if you collect money before google collect it from you.

But to win you have to do it right , and it is careful testing and maths made much easier by the fact that google optimiser can do the sums for you.

Google is an auction. If competitors are bidding prices up , not measuring what they do properly, then some markets CAN become uneconomic as a direct result.

An adwords expert gets to recognise the signs of profitable markets and good practioners. A company who is already top in organic ranking, also bidding first on pay per click ,with adverts that are under split test is a very good sign.

So here are some of the keys.

• First find keywords that have the right mindset, buyers not just browsers.
• Then get people to click your ad by appealing to the mindset – an advert that matches the keywords
• DONT try to fire large groups of keywords at the same advert.
• And start to lean the tricks for rwhat really makes adverts convert – a single character can double conversion, do you know what it is?
• Put money keywords into their own campaign
• Then maximise website conversion  101 tricks to know
• Calculate always profit not CTR and use that as the barometer
• Always be split testing something!!

The real adwords expert is always  thinking both sides of the click.

There are also two hidden gems on adwords -  places where traffic is cheap and plentiful.  The subject of another post.

Legendary internet marketer Frank Kern has had previous run ins with the FTC so has been keeping an eye on the new guidelines which have already demanded that affiliate earnings and commissions are declared on blogs…

But this is far more serious – and concerns any testimonials. The fact that [...]]]> For anyone selling by internet into the US

Legendary internet marketer Frank Kern has had previous run ins with the FTC so has been keeping an eye on the new guidelines which have already demanded that affiliate earnings and commissions are declared on blogs…

But this is far more serious – and concerns any testimonials.
The fact that it HAS worked for some is no longer enough.

“…The most significant change to the revised guides is the deletion of the “safe harbor” that has long allowed advertisers to use testimonials who reported specific successful experiences with an advertised product or service as long as the advertiser included a disclaimer such as “Results not typical.” Under the revised Guides, advertisements that feature a consumer and convey his or her experience with a product or service as typical when that is not the case will be required to clearly disclose the results that consumers can generally expect.”

So whilst good marketers applaud the fact of cracking down on scammers: this will make marketers very wary of how they use testimonials.

See Frank Kerns blog
FTC ruling on direct marketing

The simple answer is it depends what expression you try to get ranked for. The interesting thing, is buyers tend to enter longer keyword expressions than browsers. The man who enters “Portable computer spares” is a browser. The man who enters “Buy Inspiron 1300 hinge assembly” [...]]]> Is it hard to get ranked in google?

The simple answer is it depends what expression you try to get ranked for. The interesting thing, is buyers tend to enter longer keyword expressions than browsers. The man who enters “Portable computer spares” is a browser. The man who enters “Buy Inspiron 1300 hinge assembly” will buy assuming the terms are right, so the second is both easier to SEO and converts better.

So before doing anything else, use google analytics to see which expressions your buyers come from, and which phrases only bring browsers. Test with PPC if you are not sure.

Then it is a case of doing systematic keyword reseach

(a) There is sufficient traffic
(b) The traffic are buyers
(c) The competition is acceptable

Since the introduction of Market Samurai this process is now ten times easier.

From knowing which expressions are sensible to target, THEN decide the pages on your site.
SEO is not an add on or a graft on. It is better viewed as a foundation and design.
Get it wrong and it is mighty hard to change.

Samurai gets its answers from google, and sometimes you cannot trust the answer.
Always worth checking “Google insights” To see if similar traffic is there, and to check trends.

SEO depends on two things.

(a) What you say about yourself – thats “Onsite” factors such as page TITLE, HTags and URLs

(b) What others say about you – thats links, which are the time taking thing.

Not any link, but it is very important that they use the right anchor text. If everyone calls you a “limousine rental company” then google will think it is true. If they all call you “starlight rentals” – what chance you rank for the word limousine?

So before SEO Of anything. Get a keyword report.
Find out what is easy and what is hard.

Then Test on PPC before committing.

Take a look around my new site:

See the five point Low Cost Marketing strategy. Contact me if you have an existing business, and want to discuss how it applies to your business. The first half hour is free, during which [...]]]> Now back after a spring clean:
Actually a major overhaul – the site deleted and started again!

Take a look around my new site:

See the five point Low Cost Marketing strategy. Contact me if you have an existing business, and want to discuss how it applies to your business. The first half hour is free, during which I promise to give you some useful ideas.

And please do sign up for my newsletter “nuggets” – the “good” stuff I dont want to put in the public domain.