Marketing 101 (part one)

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

According to the Small Business Association, the latest statistics show that 66% of businesses will survive two years and 44% will survive through five years.1 This is a far cry from when we were told 95% of all small businesses would fail before they five years old. Still, there are some things that you should know about marketing if you are going to be successful in business.

By now I am sure that you realize that running a business is much different than selling a hobby or service in which you have interest. There are dozens of other factors that go into making a business successful that few consider when taking on a venture. One of these aspects is marketing to the public.

What is marketing to you? Most people will say that it is selling a product through advertisements, e-commerce, television commercials, radio spots, or brochures. These are only the vehicles in which the marketing message is delivered. Marketing is simply a two-way communication between seller and buyer. Marketing enables you to sell more efficiently, not the actual sale.

Companies often consider marketing to be some mutant outgrowth of their sales department. This is the wrong way of utilizing your marketing. While marketing deals with the end user, it is not a sales position. That’s why you hire a sales executive.

Likewise, a sales person is not a marketer. No matter what your business, the paradigm of the sales person is wrong for your marketing. The way the sales person thinks is to have a goal to “get” business. The marketer doesn’t think of “getting” anything. The marketer’s goal is to build a relationship and understanding with the customer so that trust can be established with your business. Once this is done, the buyer will buy and the salesman can “get” their sale.

That trust is a very precarious thing to attain. It takes time and patience to build and it can be destroyed in a matter of seconds.

Although sales is viewed as a competitive field it is important to remember that the customer is not your enemy. In other words, the person buying your product or service is not something to be overcome. By looking at the sale in an adversarial context, the focus is placed on the sales person and not on the person who wants to do the buying.

And that is exactly what people want to do. They want to buy. They like buying things. They’d like to buy things that make them feel good and special. When they walk away from a sale they want to feel like they made a good decision. A smart marketer will know how to make that person feel special. They know how to present your product or service.

Successful marketing is about developing a successful relationship with your customer. Remember that this will take time, it will take nurturing, and it takes the right understanding of the people who want to buy from you.

What You Should Be Doing While Your Web Site is Being Created

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

You just decided to own a web site. You have been hounded by people for months – maybe years – to get on the informational highway, and now you have. A web site is an investment and you may be asking yourself, “Is there anything I should be doing to help this project along?” That answer is YES. There are several items that you, as an owner, can do to make your web site a success.

The mystery of the web is that there are so many other sites vying for people’s attention. You have to allow your site to be seen by Google, MSN, and Yahoo. This process is called, indexing, and it gets your web site noticed. The short version of getting your site indexed on the major search engines is to get links pointing to you from other web sites that are already indexed. Honestly, this takes time and effort, and you won’t see the results right away. However, there are a few things that you can do to help this process along.

Home Page. When you purchase your domain name, make sure that your web designer puts up a home page for you. Even if the home page contains just your logo and contact information (with email) you have a spot for the search engines to find you. I would suggest putting up a few simple extras:

• Your logo and contact information about your business.


• A short paragraph about you or your business to let the reader know what you do.


• A form for people to receive email updates about your business.


• A link to your blog. If you don’t have a blog, start one. This is a way for you to communicate with your customers. I go into more detail about this in my article, Why Don’t You Have A Blog?

These are simple upgrades to do while you are waiting for your web site to be finished and people won’t be annoyed with an “Under Construction”. On the internet, people want to find out some information. If you give them a small bit of info about your business and offer to help them with more information, they will be pleased and come back to your site. If they walk away feeling cheated that you have an error sign where your site should be, then they may never come back.

Write and Submit Articles. I cannot stress this enough. This is just as important as writing your blog because it accomplishes so much for your business in one simple step. It doesn’t matter if your business is a hair salon or a computer software development firm. Writing articles and submitting them to directories such as www.isnare.com and www.ezinearticles.com is like playing a game of chess with the search engines. You are setting yourself up for success by writing them in the following ways:

• By writing an article, you are establishing yourself as an expert in your field.


• You create information for people to come to your web site. (You will put your articles on your web site, won’t you?)


• When you submit an article to a directory you receive one of those links I mentioned earlier coming into your web site which helps you get indexed.


• People with newsletters and their own blogs have access to your article and will put it on their web sites bringing even more links to you.

You get a good feeling, too, when you start to realize your article is all over the internet. I wrote my first article called 5 Tips For Starting Runners about a year ago and when I look onto Google today, it is still mentioned on 17 different web sites. Other than writing it and sending it to a directory, I did nothing to promote it.

Gather Links from Indexed Sites. If you write in a blog or submit some articles, you will find that this is already done for you. However, do not stop there. You will find there are many professional directories out there that will willingly link your web site address back to you. All they usually ask is for a link back in return. Some do not. The essential thing to remember here is these directories are in the same category as your web site. It will not help you as well if you submit to a general directory if you can find something related to your field. If you purchase manufactured items, see if you can link to the manufacturer’s page. Trade links with business associates and friends that own their own web sites. The more incoming links you have, the better off you will be.

These are just some primary samples of what you can do to get that head start on your web site. There are many tricks to getting your web site indexed and placed higher on the search engines. This takes due time and diligence from either you or your SEO marketer. In the long run, you can have a very successful online presence but you need to lay the groundwork before you even launch your web site.

Why Don't You Have A Blog?

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

Blogging is fun. Blogging is easy. Blog is short for “Web Log”.
For some it is the 21st century equivalent of keeping a diary, journal or scrapbook. For others it is the electronic soapbox in the forum from which they can tout their religious, economic or political beliefs. Most importantly (for those of us striving to get ahead in the business world) a blog is a powerful vehicle to drive your business forward and to personally communicate with your customers and clientele.

I “see” the blank look on your face. “How is a blog a business tool?” you are asking. For most, the blog conjures up images of schools banning kids from putting their pictures and music on www.mySpace.com . It is something fun to share with your friends that you scored a “Gandalf” on the Lord of the Rings personality quiz. While still a social communication venue, the blog can really help your business. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself why the majority of Fortune 500 companies now blog. Many movies and television shows are now putting their information into a blog format.

First, look at your business. Do you have a web site? If the answer is no, you should get one. Business is being carried out each day and most people look online to shop and compare. They are reading reviews about the products they want to buy and are coming into your business armed with knowledge about those products. The blog should be a part of your web site.

Adds incoming, indexed links to your site.

Offers the ability for customers to comment about your business (you still can moderate the topics).

Broadcasts your business over the world and allows customers outside of your commerce area to find you.

Once you have your web site, choose a blog that will compliment your business. I use www.blogger.com . It is a free site supported by Google and can work well in a business setting. Mentioned prior, is www.myspace.com , which is possibly the most wide-known blogging site. This is very popular and focuses mainly on music and entertainment. However, it does offer some interesting features and you may want to mirror your business blog alongside MySpace. Other blog sites include, but are not limited to: www.xanga.com, www.livejournal.com and www.blogspot.com . Each offers a different set of attributes and features and you will have to decide which suits your business the best. The important thing is that you have a blog and you are hosting it on your site.

Make sure when you create your blog that you allow it to have an active RSS or ATOM feed. This broadcasts your blog out on the internet and gives you the chance of bringing more people to your site. Also, I would sign up for a Feedburner account. This also helps you to publicize your blog and makes it easy for people to subscribe.

When making your posts, direct them to your audience. You won’t have much of an audience at first, but over time they will grow. Make sure your posts are spelled correctly and are grammatically correct. Make them interesting and informative. After your first post make sure that you allow your blog to be “pinged”. Pinging is the method that notifies blogging directories that you just posted something new.

There are many add-ons and third-party items you can add to your blog. It seems daunting, but don’t worry. The blog designers have made the creation of your blog fool-proof and easy to use. It is just like typing a letter or writing a memo.

You can also make money from your blog. On Blogger, you can add Google’s AdSense. These are paid links from affiliate subscribers. The types of businesses that appear on the blog depends upon what words you use in your forum. Each blog has its own type of affiliate and you can choose to use them or not.

You can make money in your own way, too. Make sure to list store specials and promotions in your blog. Tell people important news and generate excitement to bring them to your business. Become an expert that they know they can trust. People that believe in what you say will be more inclined to shop with you first.

You can set up polls and questions on your blog. What better way for people to be more involved than allowing them to have a voice? By bringing your customers into your “Blog Family” they can be interactive with your company and become closer to you. This is the main reason you will find movies and tv shows on blogs. They are creating a “buzz” about their show and then seeing how the crowd responds. You can do this too.

For example: You own a retail outlet and you want to bring in a new product. So you write in your blog, “Introducing Product A”. You show pictures of the product from different angles, you write about the product information, you talk about pricing and all of the ingredients that go into bringing a new product on the shelf. And then you ask for comments from your faithful customers…

Think about this for a moment. Your blog is a way to test market new products. How much money can that save you?

As you can see, a blog can be more than just a social medium. Use it for your business. Have the links coming in to your site. Make money through the AdSense and other programs. Gather subscribers and have them be your marketing study groups. A blog can help your business grow.

4 Reasons Why Your Company Should be Publishing a Newsletter

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

Creating a newsletter can be a daunting task for those that do not like to write. What is worse, once you start a newsletter you feel like you are committed to coming up with something on a re-occurring basis. Well, as terrifying as it may seem, a newsletter is a good way to increase your business and retain customers. It will also help you create a solid customer database by which you can target your advertising efforts.

Who should receive your newsletter? A hard copy of your newsletter should be passed out to each and every customer that walks through your door. Present it to them as a “Free Gift” for shopping at your store. Invite them to sign up for a monthly newsletter for being a valued customer. Explain to them the benefits of receiving your newsletter. Like your business card, your newsletter will offer a way for that customer to contact you and get valuable information on your store and products.

Let’s look into four reasons why you should be publishing that newsletter on a monthly basis.

The News. This is most likely what you perceive when thinking about a newsletter. Information is a valuable tool and letting your customers know what you have available and what is new will help bring them to your business. This is especially a good way to introduce new products, announce promotions, offer coupons, and sell featured items with a well-thought out script. The purpose of this is to re-familiarize your business with those who haven’t been to your store in some time. They may be unaware of a new development in your business. There may be something that you can offer that will make their lives easier. You need to tell them.

Keeping in Touch. You are at your business every day. What seems mundane and ordinary to you, is something all-together new to your customer who visits your store 1 or 2 times a month. A newsletter is also a venue for you to introduce that new employee you just hired. What changes are happening at your business? How do you foresee the future of your business’ industry? After all, you are the expert. By personalizing the newsletter with “inside information”, your customers feel closer to you and your business. It is well-known, people frequent those places in which they feel comfortable. This supersedes price and product availability. Reach out and touch your customers and make them feel welcome.

Knowing your Customers. Do you know your customers? Do you have a list of their information? If you had an online newsletter, you’d have the tools to gather that information. Each time you hand out a paper version of your newsletter to someone that walks into your store, ask them for their email address. Build a list in your spreadsheet program. Write it down on paper. Just get those email addresses. In no time you will build your list and know your customer base. If you want to have a sale, write an email and you have your sale circulating amongst your faithful clients.

Let me offer a bit of advice on gathering email addresses. It is extremely important that you allow your customers to know that you will never give your list away. Nothing angers a person more when they sign up for something and then are deluged in a sea of spam. If you sell their names to some company you are asking for a negative response from your customers. So keep that list to yourself!

The Power of Permission. Permission marketing is way of getting the customer to allow you into their lives. When you get a customer’s email address to have you send them your newsletter, they are giving you permission to contact them. This is wonderful news! You now have a customer who wants to hear from you. They want to hear what you have to offer. This is your foot in the door with your newsletter. By giving you permission to receive your newsletter, trust is gained. With that trust, the customer is more willing to listen to what you are offering in your newsletter. By including them in your circle, they will become a repeating customer, and eventually a life-long customer. Life-long customers tell their friends about businesses they trust. A free newsletter is the piece of trust that will grow your business.

So you see, a newsletter is much more than a terrifying paper that you have to write. It is a soapbox for you to tout your business, offer ideas, promote your services and goods, and a foundation to build lifelong customers. If you do not currently have a newsletter, you should start creating one today. Your business will thank you for it.

myWebsource1 creates HTML newsletters for businesses and organizations. Contact us to help you in the right direction for your newsletter today.

The 3½" x 2" Miracle

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

You may not know it, but you already own the most important tool in your marketing arsenal. It is the business card. The “3.5”x 2” Miracle” that tells a person who you are, what you do, and how you can be contacted. The business card is a powerful ally in your fight to get a bigger market share. The key is to knowing how to use the business card.

In many businesses, the business card is rationed off like gasoline during World War Two. You have your 1000 cards and you are sent out to do business. What questions would be raised if you came back a month later asking for more? What if it was only two weeks?

The Zen of the Card. To understand the philosophy behind the business card, you must accept that business cards are almost free advertising. Yes, they do have an associated cost, but typically, if you get only one or two sells per thousand cards, you have paid off your expenses. Most importantly, you can judge your ROI (Return on Investment) by those that contact you through your business card. Can you precisely calculate the ROI on a trade magazine or the Yellow Pages?

What makes the business card even more formidable is that half of the people who have called you from your business card have a face to put with the number (and hopefully a few moments outlining what you can do for them). Only half? Read on…

The Anatomy of the Card. After you learn the Zen of the card, you must master the anatomy of the card. There are several schools of thought on this aspect. The most widely used format is the one you should run away from. You know this card. You have dozens of them. It is a white card. There is a logo in the upper left corner in one color. There is contact information in the center in black type. Maybe, you can find a slogan on the card.
This card is boring. Remember, this is your foot in the door, your first impression in some cases and you are telling your prospective customer that you are just like every other company vying for their business. Make the card stand out. Make sure they know the most important details. If you grab their attention, they will want to find out more.

You want the following information to grab the card holder:

Company Name/Logo for recognition.

Phone number and web site.

What you do.

Other ways of grabbing the attention of your potential customer is to put color on the back of the card with your information or logo again. The more impressions you give a potential customer will bring them one step closer to making them one of your customers.

Hitting the Pavement. You have your cards. Now it is time to give them all away. You want to give them all away. What good are they on your desk or in your wallet? They are better on someone else’s desk or wallet. The following rules should be used in your broadcasting of business card communication:

1. Never give anyone just one business card. They are “free” remember? Give them out with gusto! People won’t understand why you just gave them a half-dozen business cards, but tell them to feel free to give them to someone else. Maybe they will throw them away, maybe they will overhear someone who needs your services. You never know…

2. Everyone is a potential customer. They might be a waitress, a gas station attendant, a janitor or a store clerk, but every person is a potential customer. If they don’t use your service, they may know someone who does need you and they will exclaim, “Hey, this person was just in here the other day and gave me a handful of cards. Here you go!” Everyone you meet should walk away with your business cards. Don’t let an opportunity pass.

3. Everywhere you go, you see bulletin boards and fishbowls of business cards. Carry a pack of thumb tacks with you and put them up everywhere you can. Clubs, restaurants, colleges, telephone poles, lunch rooms, and offices are all great places to post your business cards. There is nothing wrong with putting a stack of business cards on tray holder at your favorite fast food joint or on every restroom sink. Use your imagination and put them wherever people stop and may take notice.

4. Put business cards in every letter or package you mail. This way, when a person receives your post, they will know exactly how to reach you, even if they threw the packaging away months earlier.

I hope all of these ideas will make you take notice of your business cards as a vital part of your advertising. The business card is compact, informational, and insightful. It is a reflection of how you want the world to see you. It is a “3.5”x2” Miracle” for your business.

Testimonials: Word of Mouth

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

The Testimonial.

Basically, a written statement from someone who has used your product or service and have found it to be worthwhile. This powerful form of advertisement was first used in the 19th century and is still in use today. Testimonials emotionally appeal to the consumer rather than directly to their logic. For this reason, they are not always accurate, but extremely effective. Testimonials are used to provide justifications for purchasing or for taking some action.
So, how do you get to use this form of advertisement for yourself? You ask people. Feedback is generally heard from those who are not happy with your service or product. If a consumer is happy, you most likely won’t hear from them. They are satisfied with their purchase and will most likely become a return –but silent - customer. Targeting those customers that verbally tell you of their contentment is essential for a good testimonial campaign.

For example, if a customer comes back and tells you that they were pleased with your product, ask them if you can get that in writing. Have them email you the information or get them to write it out while you have them in your business. Make sure to have them sign the testimonial (or state you have their permission to use the testimonial in their email).

Testimonials are comprised of two parts –the body, or text of the testimonial, and the signature.

Body. The body of the testimonial does not have to be an extended praise of your product or service. It can simply state, “This [product] works great!” or “I love it!” More detail is always preferred, but is not a deal breaker since this part is actually secondary to the signature.

Signature. The major impact of the testimonial is that a person is freely giving you permission to use their opinion of your product. The best testimonials have the person’s first and last name as a signature. However, you can use a first name and initial and still be effective. Initials alone are acceptable, but have less of an emotional impact. You MUST have some type of signature on the testimonial. Without this, the believability degrades to propaganda.

One way I have found to gather testimonials is to put a space for them on your warranty card or create a card for the customer to return to you for an incentive. On this card, place a testimonial space with the disclaimer that their comments can be used in this format.

No matter how you collect your testimonials, you will find that they will help you in your business. People will read and believe them. Good luck on your endeavors and let others do your advertising for you.

Three Things You Can Do To Promote Your Web Site

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

You just got your web site completed. You are on the web but you aren’t noticing much traffic coming to you after all the work that has gone into it. What can you do to make the internet work for you? How will people remember to come to your web site?Most people look at their web site as either an informational tool for their customers or an additional store front. Their web site is often both. The natural progression of their efforts is for the web site turning a profit. The problem arises that no one can find your site and you have little to no experience with web marketing to do what needs to be done to drive people to your web site.

Wrong!

By following three easy steps, anyone can drive people to their web site without ever knowing a scrap of HTML (that is the language used to create a web site –it is an acronym for HyperText Markup Language – meaning you can jump around from one page to the next.).

Read these rules. Follow them. You don’t need to spend a fortune getting customers to your web site, you need only lead them there. Customers will find your web site if they know where to look. So, direct them.

Rule One: Go Back to the Basics. You’ve been doing this for years, but when a web site is born, people seem to forget how they used to market their business. Talk about the web site. Tell everyone you know that you have a web site and that they should go see it. Every single customer that comes into your store, office, or shop should hear that you have a web site. When a customer is on hold, make sure the web site is mentioned and that they may find the answer they are looking for online.
You know word-of-mouth advertising works. Use it to your advantage. Be proud of what you have and tell people about it.

Rule Two: Write it Down. People need to hear something several times before it registers in their heads. This is why you need to follow rule number two. Put your web site address on EVERYTHING. Have it on a sign when they walk into your waiting room or storefront. Put it on your business cards. Put it on your invoices. Put it on flyers announcing your web site. In a flyer, you can even tease them with what is on the site and give them a reason to go there.

This is probably the one thing that most people overlook when trying to get people to come to their web site. It is very simple. It is extremely effective.

Rule Three: The Final Step. How many emails do you write a day? Now that you have a web site and people have access to your email, this number will increase. Every email you send out should end in the following way:

Your Name
Your Address
Your Phone Number
Your email address
http://www.yourwebsiteaddress.com/

Note the final line. Your web site address. It doesn’t matter who you are writing to, this needs to be on your email. For those of you unfamiliar with the signature feature in most email accounts, this can be set up to automatically appear every time you send an email. Look at the options in your email account and set it up. If the web site is there, people will click on it.

Why Products Fail Online and Off (part 4)

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

Ineffective Market Research

Realize, as a marketer, you are viewed by management as an expense. Sure, you provide the money makers (sales) the opportunity to bring in money, but you cost the company money by insisting on form in relation to R&D's function. You reign in the art department's creativity by insisting that the story behind their product designs. Most importantly, you slow down the whole mechanism by not backing down when it comes to market research. This is what we do. Research. If the company doesn't have the information to back up a new product launch, then it shouldn't be launched. Right?



I will share a pearl of wisdom from my own backlog. I was working with a company who was prepared to launch a retail product. The product was to be mass-produced and packaged in China, then shipped in containers to the US. So, it was a big deal, with about 250,000+ pieces being produced in the first run.



So, in true marketing fashion, my team prepared reams of SWOT analyses. We had surveys, spread sheets designed to quantify the user by age, sex, and activity levels. We broke it down further by their economic, social, racial and political backgrounds. To quote Arlo Guthrie, we had "8x10 black and white glossy photographs with circles and arrows pointing to the scene of the crime." I would know everything that would be needed to launch this product successfully.



Then…nothing.



We interviewed 24 people. TWENTY-FOUR people when the company decided that the market research was a waste of time. What is even worse, the outcome was divided. Half of those people liked the product. Of the remaining half, six thought the product was too hard. The other six thought it was too soft. All right, so 50% liked it. 50% didn't like it. Of the 50% that did like the product, some thought it was too expensive. Now we are down to 30% who liked the product. The company sponsoring this felt enough research was done.



Now, if you are a student just beginning marketing, THE ABOVE EXAMPLE IS BAD. OK, if you are anybody interested in marketing, same thing. There wasn't enough people to make it even vaguely valid.



What makes it even more interesting is that the product we showed the people later was changed –twice. The end result did not resemble the product that was shown. Our whole team was in shock. How could you launch a product to the retail market without having solid research?



Then there was the packaging. No one looked at it other than a select few people. Instead of spending the money on the packaging, they skimped and had it designed by the lowest bidder. The result was inadequate package design that the artists and package designers were not happy with. They had argued for research and better design. Their pleas went unheard in an effort to push this product through into the retail market.



So, after the product was rushed through, the art and packaging was pushed through and quickly signed on, the big launch day was approaching. Trying to save money, the prototypes were woefully inadequate. Luckily, the product was unique. But getting sales was rough.



1. The packaging was bulky and didn't fit into retail stores easily.

2. You could tell that they skimped on the packaging with handmade stickers for size and bar codes.

3. Penetration into various markets didn't work because the pricing, colors used and presentation were wrong.

4. Without research, initial sales stayed on shelves and were eventually returned when they didn't sell.



This is a warning to those who feel research is a drain on the pocketbook. Yes, it will cost you money, but is it better to spend that money up front and sell product, or would you prefer to spend money on the product and hope for understanding as it sits on your shelf collecting dust?



This is reminiscent to my first part in this series. Focus. With this product we found that people didn't like something in the middle. They wanted the product either harder or softer. My analogy for this is:



"Some people like hot tea. Some people like cold tea. No one likes lukewarm tea." Don't allow your client to bully you into making lukewarm tea.

Why Products Fail Online and Off (part 3)

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

Not Going the Distance.

There are good ideas created every day. Anyone can come up with a good idea. The problem with most ideas is that they are implemented poorly. Is it because that the creator of the idea doesn't know what to do to get it off the ground? Maybe. Most likely, though, products fail because of the fear of taking the product the distance that it needs to be taken. How many times have you heard a client complain that they are number two (or three)? Their product is better, they have the right distribution and penetration, but they just can't catch up to the number one. Part of this reason is because they aren't positioned as number one. For more on that, read "Positioning" by Ries and Trout (which, shame on you if you haven't). More likely the reason is because they are too busy chasing number one to become number one. They will shadow move for move their main competition. What ends up is that they are never the first to do something. By the time they make their move, they are promoting "old news" and people are onto the next thing. It is very important to do things first and be known for doing it first. Reis and Trout actually have a rule for that. But you read it, I don't want to spoil anything. =) Going the distance doesn't stop there. Going the distance is a concept put forth by another great marketer, Seth Godin. He calls it "Edgecraft". I don't. I call it going the distance. They are basically the same thing. Going the distance falls into numerous categories: ones that confound expectation, ones that satisfy real needs and desires, ones that address overlooked senses. You can go the distance in many ways. No one tells you what direction the distance is. It just is. The problem is that you have to do it. Imagine you are at the North Pole. There is a flat sheet of ice in every direction. You have food, water, shelter here, thanks to some benevolent benefactor. Now you have four choices to make.





a. Stay where you are. It is safe. All of your needs are taken care of and you currently have no worries.

b. Start walking on a path that someone else already took. You heard they were successful. You should do it, too.

c. Follow the other guy, but only go a safe distance part way, so if there is a storm or you twist your ankle, you can still get back to the safety of your camp.

d. Walk off in your own direction.
Well, if you chose "a" you are safe for the time being. There are no hidden dangers. The key words here are "time being". You are sooner or later going to run out of food and water. A storm will come by and your roof will fall off. Staying there will keep you safe only for so long.



If you chose "b" you should do all right. I mean someone is already successful there. But, what if they were successful because they ran into a boat that took them to the nearest port? In the business world, they were in the right place at the right time. Now, you've followed them there and don't have the same success. You just screwed yourself. Choosing "c" is the worst choice. You are dooming yourself before you even start. You have no intention of going all the way. You are going to do it only to the point where you are safe. You are following the other guy who is probably sipping daiquiris on the cruise ship that picked him up. You don't know where you are and you already have put the taint of doubt to your abilities by giving yourself a safety net. Then why is "c" the choice most companies make? Knowing this is the wrong route to take, why would you choose it? The reason, I believe is because the right answer "d" is so dangerous. Most likely, you are going to fail. Sad, but true. Ninety percent of products fail. When they fail, you run the risk of financial mishaps and people are very wary to do something to jeopardize their financial stability. Choice "d" is by far the sexiest answer. Just what if you are right? Just what if this product is in the tenth percentile? I'll talk about increasing those odds later...

Why Products Fail Online and Off (part 2)

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

Spewing facts.

Every day, each of us is deluged with information coming at us from every possible direction. Television, radio, the Internet, billboards, newspapers, flyers...how can one person just take in this sensory overload? Well, we don't. In the golden age of advertising, if you wanted to make a product sell, you spent a million dollars on advertising and people bought your product. Today, there is just too much information for one person to handle. What's worse is that most people still want to advertise the way it "used to work".


One of the things we see a lot of is a list of facts on packaging, web sites and more. Where this worked in "the day" with such works as "four out of five dentists choose…" today there is no room for it. No one believes statistics and it has been overdone. Now, I am not saying that you shouldn't have statistical data to back up your claims, but there is no room for it in the advertising world. Just because 95% chose ACME-brand widgets doesn't mean you will sell your product. Is this identifying the consumer's problems? Is it offering them a solution? If not, keep it for the small print.

Why Products Fail Online and Off (part 1)

by James Fowler
www.mywebsource1.com

You have the ultimate product to sell online. You've created the packaging, you think your "pitch" is so good it will be made into a Spielberg screenplay, the pricing is in place, and you have your web site, but no sales. Sure, you sell one product here and there, but you are not making a profit you dreamed.

What seems to be the problem? You have followed the experts and have done everything they taught you in business school. Your training in marketing seems sound. How could you have misjudged this potential windfall of cash?

The reasons most online products fail is usually a matter of missing the forest for the trees. You are so close to the items you are selling, you get lost in your own beliefs. Here is a list of ten things that you can do to put yourself back on track and get that online product making you some cash.

Lack of focus. When you start to see problems cropping up, it is time to re-focus your energy and start back at the beginning. Look to your original business plan. Who is your target audience? If you believe it is men and women between the ages of conception and 100, and across all levels of diversity, interests and language barriers, you may find yourself wanting to surgically focus your energies a bit more. Ironically, this broad spectrum of a target audience is the very thing that most people tend to do.

"With the internet, I can reach 6.6 billion people!"

Well, that could be true if your web site is translated in all known languages. I'd like a link to the African clicking language service pack if you get the chance.
Seriously, there aren't that many people on the internet and the majority of those could care less about you are pawning. Whether you are selling a product or a service, you need to know your audience and then make your focus as narrow as you can. What did he say?

Make your focus as narrow as you can.


How can this be? Make my focus narrow? Won't that cut down on my potential clients?

Yes.

Well, why would I want to do that?
The reason is very simple, really. You want to be the expert in your field of choice. Let me ask you: If you were lucky enough to own a 1953 Corvette and it needed to be fixed, would you take the car to your local garage where they are working on everything from a Honda to a Buick, or would you seek out the individual who specializes in antique Corvettes? Sure, he is going to charge you so much more, but he's your man when it comes to getting that specific item fixed. When it comes to defining your focus, you have to set yourself aside from the rest of your competition.

Your scope is most likely bigger than early Corvettes, but if it isn't, good for you! That's serious focus and I am sure you reap the rewards from this niche group. You know your audience and let them know you. You are an expert for that product or service and have an area of influence in that field.