One thing I've realized from offering my lessons is just how many people have little or no sense of connection to their business websites. And they really can't see their potential. Many believe that a website is like a sign that they hold up in front of people. They think it's like an extended advertisement and that's it.
For this reason they often hand over complete control of it to other people. They let them decide what to put on it, how to market it. Often these online marketers can do a good job. But they frequently deliver sub-standard services, for which they overcharge, too. And sometimes they can permanently damage the site's reputation in Google. That's why I believe it's usually better if you can do it yourself.
I think an analogy is useful here. A website is like a phone -- specifically in the sense of what a phone used to be before it morphed into a technological Swiss Army knife! By that I mean that it's basically a tool you use to communicate with other people.
You can use a phone to market stuff. Sure, many businesses will pay a telemarketing company. But you can also do that inhouse. Particularly if you are in B2B you can be proactive about it. You can find businesses' numbers, call them, speak to them.
There's a lot of rejection, yes. But if you make a strong connection it can result in ongoing sales. Sure, this process takes a while but it's not complicated, and you or your staff can do it. Unless you're some big company it would usually be best not to outsource it. Why pay for people to talk on your behalf?
You are the best person to communicate with clients because you have all the details. You know what you are offering. You're the expert in your field. You know how long it's going to take to do jobs, etc.
Now, just as a phone was, and remains, a straightforward tool to use to find, connect with and communicate with customers, so is your website. It's just a tool to facilitate a human process.
But this truth is often forgotten. Unfortunately, as well as seeing their website as a sign, I think a lot of people see it as a primarily technical machine. They think it's so complex that all management and use of it must be carried out by bespectacled web ninjas.
They mistakenly believe that to be found in search engines, for example, they have to either be experts in SEO, or hire people who are. But the truth is quite different. You just have to know a bit about SEO, and be an expert in what you do. Then demonstrate that expertise on the site and Google will eventually figure out you're quality and reward you accordingly.
Similarly, on social media, geeks don't set up technical mechanics that send out your ad to squillions of people. Social networks are just ways of connecting and communicating with others who share your interests and/or are in your target demographic.
You're using your website as the tool that enables these processes. And they're pretty straightforward. So why hand them over to someone else? Why not seize the reins of it yourself?
It's like when the hired help is doing a lousy job of talking to clients. And the boss says, "Gimme that phone. I'll talk to them!" That's what more business people should be doing, I believe.
For this reason they often hand over complete control of it to other people. They let them decide what to put on it, how to market it. Often these online marketers can do a good job. But they frequently deliver sub-standard services, for which they overcharge, too. And sometimes they can permanently damage the site's reputation in Google. That's why I believe it's usually better if you can do it yourself.
I think an analogy is useful here. A website is like a phone -- specifically in the sense of what a phone used to be before it morphed into a technological Swiss Army knife! By that I mean that it's basically a tool you use to communicate with other people.
You can use a phone to market stuff. Sure, many businesses will pay a telemarketing company. But you can also do that inhouse. Particularly if you are in B2B you can be proactive about it. You can find businesses' numbers, call them, speak to them.
There's a lot of rejection, yes. But if you make a strong connection it can result in ongoing sales. Sure, this process takes a while but it's not complicated, and you or your staff can do it. Unless you're some big company it would usually be best not to outsource it. Why pay for people to talk on your behalf?
You are the best person to communicate with clients because you have all the details. You know what you are offering. You're the expert in your field. You know how long it's going to take to do jobs, etc.
Now, just as a phone was, and remains, a straightforward tool to use to find, connect with and communicate with customers, so is your website. It's just a tool to facilitate a human process.
But this truth is often forgotten. Unfortunately, as well as seeing their website as a sign, I think a lot of people see it as a primarily technical machine. They think it's so complex that all management and use of it must be carried out by bespectacled web ninjas.
They mistakenly believe that to be found in search engines, for example, they have to either be experts in SEO, or hire people who are. But the truth is quite different. You just have to know a bit about SEO, and be an expert in what you do. Then demonstrate that expertise on the site and Google will eventually figure out you're quality and reward you accordingly.
Similarly, on social media, geeks don't set up technical mechanics that send out your ad to squillions of people. Social networks are just ways of connecting and communicating with others who share your interests and/or are in your target demographic.
You're using your website as the tool that enables these processes. And they're pretty straightforward. So why hand them over to someone else? Why not seize the reins of it yourself?
It's like when the hired help is doing a lousy job of talking to clients. And the boss says, "Gimme that phone. I'll talk to them!" That's what more business people should be doing, I believe.