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How I Create Super Successful Businesses
On A Tight Budget

by Robert Imbriale

I'm always amazed when I meet a business owner for the first time. Amazed, perhaps more by the fact that the vast majority of these business owners are absolute masters of their craft. I mean I have met people from every field imaginable who knew their trade better than anybody I've ever met.

I see passion in their eyes for what they do. I see people who sacrifice everything in order to produce the best products or deliver the most reliable service in their industry. And yet, it's these very same people who are just squeaking by financially. It's these same people who are going out of business, barely paying rent, and working unfathomable hours for less than minimum wage!

So why do so many of these masters simply fail? The answer lies in their understanding of the most important segment of the business model, marketing. You see, marketing begins long before the business is opened and continues through until the very last day the business is in operation.

Believe it or not, although they may be the best at what they do, what they lack is expertise in the area of marketing. To most people, marketing is nothing more than a fancy word for sales. To the professional marketer, it's a discipline that requires years of study and even more years of practical application used to truly capture the essence of the field.

Whenever I take on a new client, what I often find, is that the person is an undisputed master at a certain craft or industry. I mean they know what they are doing and there isn't a soul alive that is going to do it better. In fact, many of the business owners I meet have gone into business simply because they had such incredible talent for their craft. And hey simply felt that they could do much better in their own business then they ever could working for a boss that had no respect for their talent!

Great idea! At least in principle. Going out on your own is a fantastic way to take control and do things the way you want to do them. You no longer have to answer to a boss that as no respect for you or your abilities. You no longer have to beg for a raise. Now it's all up to you. The sky's the limit.

But, to most people, marketing is no more than a fancy word for sales.

I know that feeling well. I have seen so many people go into business for themselves and I have heard the same feelings expressed to me every time. It's a great place to be.

What often happens next is that the business owner will spend a large portion of their investment in getting all the things that they always wished that they had when they were employed. So much of their effort will go into setting up their business, getting all the tools of their craft, and making things look just right that they tend to neglect the most important aspect of all marketing!

Why I'm so successful at turning virtually any business into a huge success is that the only thing I focus on is marketing! I respect the fact that the business owner is a bonafide master at his or her craft, and I would never dispute that with anybody. But, I am the master at marketing, which is my craft.

I know the best way to present products and services so that people will want to buy them. I know, often just by listening to the business owner, what's missing in the marketing mix to turn a failing business into a successful one.

Very often I see business owners, masters at what they do, sit there with blank stares on their faces as they wait for the telephone to ring! They sit there with little or no idea of what they can do to bring in more business! When I ask them about it, most will tell me that they have "tried everything" and nothing worked!

I'll just tell them to show me what they've tried. Often times they will pull out a single ad and tell me that they ran it one time in the local paper and they didn't get any orders! Do they ever think to consider some basic variables such as; maybe their offer was wrong, or maybe their headline was weak, or maybe their customers really don't look in that particular publication when they are ready to buy.

My role as a Business Coach is to uncover these omissions and get their marketing programs to work. I grew a business by over 600% in less than 6 months just by making a single change to an ad. Another time, a helped a business grow by more than 300% just by changing the way they had worded a sales letter.

In yet another case, I helped a business sell 50% more to their existing clients just by adding a simple form to each order! What I'm saying is that marketing does not have to be expensive, complicated, or misleading in order to have a massive effect on your bottom line.

I can't tell you just how many times I have helped a business do more business without changing the amount of money they were already investing in advertising. Imagine bringing in more business with the same advertising budget? Am I getting your attention yet? Think about it.

Or imagine being able to substantially grow your business with only a very small investment of time and resources into your marketing program? The truth is that what I am sharing with you here is no accident. These are not isolated cases, or special situations that come about once every ten years.

No, it's about everyday businesses, just like yours, that realized that they didn't know all there was to know about marketing and they got help. I have yet to work with a business that I have not been able to help grow substantially when they have applied what I have shared with them. I believe that I can help any business grow, with two caveats.

First, the business owner has to be willing to admit that they are not masters in the area of marketing. So very often I get calls from business owners who are in need of marketing help and after I agree to help them, they listen, but they'll never act on even one of my suggestions!

In these cases, there is no way that the business will prosper, and I immediately terminate my relationship with them, much to their surprise. You see, I too love to watch a business burst out and become a super success, and I love to work with people who are willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

The second caveat is that the business owner has to be flexible. What that means is that marketing has its roots in the development of the business, so there is always the possibility to make changes to any and every part of the business at any time.

I'm often amazed at how many business owners will allow certain changes but will attach unfounded importance to other things that serve no other purpose other than to hinder sales! I've seen such things as signs that were placed where they were either hard to read or simply interfered with business, or business practices that downright insulted clients!

I've seen so many of these things and it's always interesting to find out why they exist, but it's even more intriguing to find out why they are not changeable! Listen, in business, everything is up for negotiation. If it's not working, change it. If not, it'll cost you. In time, it may even cost you your business, so flexibility is vital.

If it can be improved, it's important to be open to trying a new way of doing things. This is the only way a business grows, by doing something new, or improving upon what they are already doing.

So, if all this is true, then why do so many businesses fail to make the one call that will result in increased bottom-line profits, an improved quality of life, and perhaps even an early retirement? The main reasons we go into business in the first place?

I find most business owners feel that their business is their creation and that they have been under somebody else's rule for years and now it's their turn to make the rules. Listening to another person about what to do is not an easy thing for many business owners to do.

In fact, it's the number one reason that so many businesses fail! They simply fail to realize that there are some things you absolutely must get help with. You wouldn't try to do your taxes without a professional, so why do so many business owners not get professional help with the one thing (marketing) that can make the most difference in their business?

My guess is that many business owners simply think that hiring help in the area of marketing is a major expense. They see the ad campaigns on television and hear that a single ad can cost a million dollars and they get scared.

Well, let me fill you in! The truth is that you can advertise on television for as little as 5 dollars per ad. You can get into the local paper for under $100 and you can hire a Business Coach to help you plan your marketing for less than the cost of lunch for the month!

Yes, it's absolutely true! And, you know what else, those companies that know this are the ones that I was talking about that have grown immensely in a very short period time! It's not because they invested thousands in their marketing.

In fact, that company that grew 600% in less than 6 months is today still spending the exact same amount on advertising as they were before I worked with them! And not one cent more! Yet another company actually reduced their advertising budget from almost one million dollars to just $250,00 and increased their sales 40% in the process!

Still another company I worked with actually cut their advertising budget out altogether and grew 300% in 90 days by selling more to their existing clients!

It's not about how much money you spend. It's about being flexible and realizing that marketing is a domain that must be mastered and it may not be your strong point. So, get help in the area of marketing.

Remember this, marketing is also the only investment you can make that can return not 10%, not 20%, but as much as 5,000% or more! And, the best part is, once you get you marketing down, you can do it over and over and over again with much the same results every time!

Are you ready to really take your business to the next level and beyond? If so, than all you need to do is contact my office and request your free coaching session. Ask questions, tell me about your business, and I will tell you how I can help you turn your business into a super success as I have done for so many others over the last decade.

Robert Imbriale is an internationally recognized Business Coach, Speaker, Copywriter, and Author of "Internet Marketing Secrets." He has helped countless businesses become more successful under his guidance. Get your FREE AUDIO CASSETTE "Getting More For Your Advertising Dollars", a seminar schedule, or order a copy of his latest book, by contacting Mr. Imbriale's office toll-free at 1-888-226-8109 or via e-mail at probizcoach@juno.com


Marketing Tips

10 High Powered Ways To Increase Your Traffic!

by Larry Dotson

1. Trade links with other web sites. They should be related to the subject of your web site. Instead of trading links, you could also trade banner ads, half page ads, classified ads, etc.

2. Start an e-zine for your web site. When people read each issue they'll be reminded to revisit your web site. They'll see your product ad more than just once which will increase your orders.

3. Form an online community. It could be an online message board, e-mail discussion list or chat room. When people get involved in your community they will regularly return to communicate with others.

4. Write articles and submit them to e-zines, web sites and magazines that accept article submissions. Include your business information and web address at the end of the article.

5. Give away an electronic freebie with your ad on it. Allow your visitors to also give the freebie away. This'll increase your ad exposure and attract people to your web site at the same time.

6. Combine your products or services into one big package deal with other businesses offerings. You could share a web site and advertise the package deal; which means double the traffic.

7. Submit your freebie to the online directories that list your particular item or service for free. If you're offering a free e-zine, submit it to all the free e-zine directories on the internet.

8. Participate on message boards. Post answers to other people's questions, ask questions and post appropriate information. Include your signature file at the end of all your postings.

9. Exchange classified or sponsor ads with other free e-zine publishers. If there is a huge subscriber difference between e-zines, one can run more ads to make up for it.

10. Post your ad on free advertising areas on the internet. You can post it on free classified ad sites, free for all links sites, newsgroups that allow ads, free yellow page directories, etc.

40,000 FREE eBooks And Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com As a bonus, Bob Osgoodby publishes the free weekly "Your Business" Newsletter - visit his web site to subscribe and place a FREE Ad! http://adv-marketing.com/business


Webmaster Tips

Who Do I Believe?

by Bob McElwain, SiteTipsAndTricks.Com.

Upon invitation, I recently visited a site that was absolutely loaded with really great art. There was a splash page, beautifully rendered, that took almost two minutes to load. The main table on each page was fixed at 850 pixels, an odd choice that assures nearly everyone must scroll horizontally to see the entire page. The content was very well written, but most of it was on a single long page.

I reported I felt these were serious blunders, and added a bit about the why of it. When the fellow replied, he said he had checked with the artists and been assured these were design considerations. Then he asked, as if with a shrug, "Who do I believe?"

A total novice to the Web, this fellow asked the key question all newbies come to eventually. There is lots of conflicting information on the Web and it often requires careful thinking to sort the wheat from the chaff.

What I explained to this fellow is that site design comes second to function. That is, if a site does not function well, beautiful art will not help. Given any conflict between design and function, scrap the design. He never replied to any of my followup messages.

But in the above, and what follows, there is really nothing to debate. Go to any successful site on the Web, and you will find function comes first, that art work, no matter how lovely, is secondary. Or ask those who work the Web. I do not know anyone into site promotion who says design is more important than function.

Function rules. Period. If you accept this, then the following must be eliminated from your site ASAP.

Horizontal Scroll
I have never heard anyone say they liked horizontal scrolling. I have never even heard anyone say they didn't mind it. While I have no convincing proof, people are annoyed when forced to scroll horizontally. If you disagree, try a poll on your site and ask visitors to vote yes or no to horizontal scrolling.

Monitors limited to 640x480 pixels are no longer being manufactured. The minimum resolution being sold today is 600x800. And while many site designers have settled on a width of 760 pixels as ideal, I can not recommend more than 600.

While this is changing rapidly, there are still some 640x480 monitors in use. (I have one on a system here in the office.) And some people using 600x800 monitors have them set up for large font, which amounts to 640x480. While there does not appear to be a way to count such users, I choose not to annoy them by forcing horizontal scrolling.

Another group consists of those such as myself who are less than enchanted with browsers. I do not want the entire screen filled with one. I have both Netscape and Explorer set up to a 640 pixel width so I can easily get to my desktop. Or change quickly from one application to another.

However many surfers the above amounts to, your are annoying them when you force horizontal scrolling; you are urging them to leave quickly.

Frames
I personally do not like them, and many do not. There is a problem with WebTV users about which I am not clear. But I was told it is difficult to scroll in any but the master frame. Annoy 12 million people? Plus folks like myself who don't like frames? Is it worth the risk?

Another concern I have about frames is the screen real estate they chew up. Add another vertical and horizontal scroll bar and you lose about 10% of the screen. Wouldn't it be better to use this for content? Or maybe just white space?

But my biggest gripe with frames is that designers typically blow out table widths, which forces horizontal scroll, often in each window.

Finally, spiders won't like your page, and your search engine position will suffer. Fewer visitors is not the goal.

Splash Screens
To me, these are the greatest site killers of all. Put yourself in the position of a surfer who is checking out a couple of sites. The URL to your site is clicked. And up pops a splash screen. Thud. When the URL was clicked, it was a request to see your site, not a splash screen. Now the surfer must find an Enter button and make a second request to visit.

Forgetting the fact that most splash screens are overloaded with graphics thus take forever to load, consider what happens in the surfer's mind. In the URL, there is an invitation to visit, which was accepted. But at the site there is a barrier, not unlike "Password Required."

If you use a splash screen, you are sending away at least half of your traffic. Most surfers will click off within seconds.

So who do you believe? Me? Others in the know? Fortunately in this case you can answer the question yourself, and with certainty. Just compare the hits on your splash screen to the number on the page it links to. I have yet to hear of a case in which even half those who hit the splash screen clicked on into the site.

And There Are Others
While the above are the most obvious site killers, there are others. But pages slow to load can be fixed. Pages too long can be spilt into two or more parts. With most such site killers, there are solutions. The above are the most significant because once built into a site, there is no easy fix. In most cases, it's best to simply start over.

"Thou shalt annoy thy visitor" is not to be found in any list of good business practices of which I am aware. Why do so?

Bob helps webmasters grow their sites by showing them how to work smarter, which brings more fun and profit with less effort. He has been marketing on the Web since 1993. Visit his newest site at SiteTipsAndTricks.Com. Click here for your personal copy of STAT News.

 


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