| 7. The KEY to Success: | | | | your product and services and have your customers |
| This should appropriately be renamed the KEYWORD | | | | write comments and feedback. This does require |
| to Success. Do some preliminary keyword research. | | | | some time investment on your behalf. However, like |
| Google has an excellent tool called the Google Key | | | | the old saying goes "anything worth doing is worth |
| Word Tool. Type in words that you think your | | | | doing well." |
| customers use to search for your services and/or | | | | 4. Sleep with one eye open: |
| products and wait for the magic. Google will output | | | | By one eye I am referring to your computer. This is |
| keyword variations and the number of searches | | | | probably your most useful low-cost employee. Let |
| performed for each variation. Look for keywords | | | | your computer work for you while you rest. Use |
| that yield the highest search results, but the lowest | | | | Google Alerts to monitor new trends in your business |
| competition. Once you have a list of popular | | | | or your competitors. Go to Google Alerts and type a |
| keywords your clients use to find you, go to your | | | | "phrase" in quotations that you want to be kept |
| website and see if your website has any of these | | | | abreast on regarding new developments. You can set |
| variations in your content. If not, write keyword rich | | | | the filter for how often you would like to be notified |
| content. However, be careful not to overload your | | | | and what type of content you would like to receive. |
| content with keywords. Remember, the primary | | | | Presto! Within minutes you will have an email account |
| purpose of your website is for your clients. A good | | | | that contains articles, blogs, and indexed pages with |
| way to check the number of keywords is to use a | | | | your desired phrase. Also, you can keep up to date |
| density checker. The rule of thumb is in the range of | | | | on the latest gossip, fashion trends, and sports. |
| 3-7%. | | | | However, that is just a little added bonus;-) |
| 6. Get Intimate: | | | | 3. Don't talk about it Blog about it: |
| Shouldn't you know someone before jumping in their | | | | Blogs are like a Facebook account, everyone has one. |
| inbox? Of course! With all the resources out there it | | | | If you don't have a blog to express your thoughts, |
| is easy to understand your customers and their | | | | then you are paying way too much in psychologist's |
| buying behaviors. Are you sending long emails to a | | | | fees! Seriously, blogs are not just for personal use. |
| customer that appreciates bullet points? Are you not | | | | As a small business owner, you are most likely the |
| expanding on your products' features/benefits for a | | | | most knowledgeable person in your group on your |
| customer who cannot get enough of details? In a | | | | products and/or service. Share the knowledge that |
| nutshell, are you just sending out a canned email to all | | | | you have accumulated throughout the years. If you |
| of your customers regardless of their preference? If | | | | have a babysitting business, you can write a blog |
| you answered yes to any of these questions, you | | | | about the "Top 10 household hazards for children." If |
| need to take some time to get to know your | | | | you own a lawn business, you can write a blog about |
| customers. This really doesn't require fancy or | | | | the "Most aggressive weeds that grow in the |
| expensive software. If you have these tools, that is | | | | summer and how to prevent them", or if you own a |
| great and you are ahead of the class. However, if | | | | hair salon, you can write a blog about your favorite |
| you are a small business, it is essential to look for the | | | | deep conditioning technique. Blogs are an excellent |
| most cost-effective way to produce the same | | | | way of giving useful information to your clients and |
| results. A company out of Atlanta Georgia called | | | | prospective clients, letting them know that you are |
| MailChimp has excellent software that can help you | | | | knowledgeable about your subject. |
| get this done. They allow you to change one variable | | | | 2. Check your Website's AQ: |
| of your email and see the results in an A/B split test. | | | | At AQUE we have a saying, "Enhance your websites |
| The software will also record the actions of each | | | | AQ." This means "how smart is your website?" In |
| recipient. Therefore, next time you send an email you | | | | other words, is your website performing like it should |
| can tailor your email based on your customers' | | | | be? A great way to check is to conduct a preliminary |
| preference. | | | | Website Analysis. Check the Meta Data, including title |
| 5. Do Business Yoga: | | | | tags, Meta descriptions and Meta keywords to verify |
| Now I am not talking about getting out a mat and | | | | they are filled out correctly and relevant to the actual |
| practicing your downward dog. However, I am | | | | content on the web page. Develop customized 404 |
| referring to stepping out of your comfort zone and | | | | Error pages with links back to your website's |
| stretching your marketing power. A great place to | | | | homepage or the most relevant page the visitor is |
| start is to join Social Media Networks, such as | | | | searching for, this way a visitor is not lost and is |
| Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. You can set-up fan | | | | easily able to be redirected to another page within |
| pages and/or groups. You can also announce your | | | | your website. |
| local events through event calendars and status | | | | 1. |
| updates. In addition, you can post various pictures of | | | | |
