I want you to think about something for a second. Hopefully, by now, your business has some sort of web presence. It may be a social media profile of some sorts – a business page, a personal profile that you use for your business etc, OR, it could be a website, or it may even be a listing on a local directory page. Whatever it is (and you’d better have one if you expect to be found – else you need to read THIS blog too….), think about it for a second.
Imagine you’re a prospective customer looking for exactly what you offer. Imagine that you don’t know anything about your business and you’ve heard about your services via someone else. You happen upon your business profile.
I imagine you’re pretty confident right now about the image that you’ve built up online. Great. So – here’s one more test. Think about your dream customer. Don’t limit yourself. You may only be a 1-man-band – but a 1-man-band can still provide a service to the biggest organisational in the world. So, for a second, think about that organisation. And imagine yourself meeting the CEO of that business for the first time. Imagine that he takes a look at your business online (in whichever way it is being represented). Would you feel proud for him to see what he sees. Would he still hire your services?
I touch on a little anecdote that I heard from one of my customers who shared one of their experiences with us. For the sake of anonymity – let’s just call our customer “Peter”. Peter was due to do some work for a customer. As usual, Peter did the usual homework – finding out what their potential customer does, where they are based, how they like to work, what their business vision is, what is important to them. Peter wanted to deliver successfully – so he ensured that he does what he always does, and researches. Peter notes a beautiful website, with all the best words and imagery – creating a view of his potential customer which excites the potential in a long-term working relationship. Off he trundles.
Peter arrives on site – only to be met by a chap in a vest shirt and jogging trousers. At the end of a lead, he holds onto a very ferocious looking dog. The business address is not a luxurious office block, but rather a home in a run-down suburb. After confirming that Peter was at the correct location, he is invited in to the ‘office’ – currently being run out of a garden shed.
It’s classic. It’s almost Hollywood.
Marketers are incredible people. We do some spectacular things. But there are just far too many who just create an impression that simply does not exist.
The true art of marketing is an accurate reflection of integrity, added value and most of all – a genuine reflection on the things that are important to you, as a customer.
If any of the questions I asked above made you feel slightly uncomfortable – then talk to Fresh Brew Marketing today. Let’s get you back on track.
It still astounds me how many business individuals, supplying key business services, completely neglect to make their business visible online – in one shape or another.
Example: We are on the lookout for a man who can help us sort out our boiler. There’s a chap locally who comes highly recommended – but do you think I can find him? Do you think I can? heck. Having to resort to near-stalking behaviour, sending him a message via his personal Facebook profile – I can only hope that he happens to notice that little notification that someone random wants to have a chat.
And he was not the first.
I’m not saying you need the latest, greatest website. I’m not saying you need to even spend thousands of pounds to make yourself visible. There are fantastic tools that will do the job just as easily – provided that you take 1 evening of your week and dedicate some time to creating an online profile where people will be able to find you.
Remember – think about who your client may be. In my case – I’m a professional person – who works most of my day, and when I have a second to think, I google to find someone, make a call, and it’s all sorted out. Unless I’m not your typical customer in which case, I’m sure you’ll be absolutely fine with the homing pigeon, camel or reindeer.
Here are a few cheap / free ways for you to get yourself known online.
Facebook Page (FREE)
LinkedIn Page (FREE)
Google Plus (FREE)
Yell.com (FREE – unless you want additional chargeable fancy bits and bobs)
Websites (The creation may be free, but you’d need to pay something for the annual hosting)
The beauty of all of these is that if you do it right (ie: you spend time getting it updated, regularly) when someone searches for you on Google – they’ll find you.
And if you really don’t have the time to get this done – that’s where Fresh Brew Marketing comes in.
We can help get you set up and noticed.
Don’t waste another opportunity. Start today.
Quick tip of the day:
Are the URLs on your website SEO-friendly?
ie: Do they read as a whole of lot gobble-di-gook, or do they actually make sense?
We are surprised at how often we come across websites where the URLs of each of the pages read something like this:
www.freshbrewmarketing.com/AB?12223-23AC/%455tr/89…. etc etc etc.
Where they could read as simple as:
www.freshbrewmarketing.com/services
Remember, the art of SEO is about making your website ‘findable’. Who’s going to find you, if your address is made up of a bunch of letters and numbers?
Didn’t think so.
Making the change is usually as simple as ticking a simple option in your website back-end system. (Assuming that your website is current, and up to date).
And if you’re still confused, why not get in touch and we’ll help you through it.