"Are You Losing Business To Your Competitors?"
Find Out How To Design Your Marketing To Win & Beat Them To The Pulp!
From: The Desk of The Design Guy
Dear Small Business Owner,
If you run a small business—or just starting one—and wanted to harness the power of the Internet to take your business to the next level, this is probably the most important message you'll ever read.
Do you know:
- How can your website be unique and offer a different experience from your competitors'
- How to win in your market by doing competitive intelligence
- Online "web presence" type of website is dead
- How to take advantage of the tremendous potential of the Web as a marketing medium
- How to maximize the marketing potential of your website
- Understand the technologies behind today's revolution in Web-based marketing
- Learn about the software tools and online resources available
- Understand the strategies for conducting successful e-Marketing campaigns
- Do you have the skills, confidence and knowledge to rise up to the challenges in the world of the new media
You know your products and services are top-notch. But yet customers are running to your competitors! Why?
First, let's examine why people don't buy.
4 Reasons Why People Don't Buy
Quality, Credibility, Influence, Trust. Tom Hopkins, author of How to Master the Art of Selling, the guru on salesmanship, cited '4 Reasons Why People Don't Buy':
- No need
- No Trust
- No urgency
- No budget
Without Trust, there would be no sale.
Every business has a single, sole purpose—other than claiming to help you live life better with their products—to make profits. Period. The most obvious method is the direct trading of goods and services. You pay for what you want.
But why do most online small businesses fail?
Because they fail to recognize and act upon the profound difference between offline and online commerce.
"Act upon the fundamental reality people use the Internet. On the Web, people look for information, not you."
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| Offline, it's all about "location, location, location." Put your business where people crowd by... and you're all set. Get your cash register ready! |
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| Online, small businesses fail to act on the fundamental reality of how people use the Web. No one "passes by." They search for "information, information, information." |
Next... is your marketing designed to sell your products and services?
In a fiercely competitive market place, is your business suffering because you don't look professional? We're not referring to the way you dress when meeting clients. That's the easy part. Rather, it's the way your business is dressed that your customers see. In other words, your Business Identity Design.
Why do you need Design to Sell?
As so often happens, Jay Conrad Levinson said it best:
"Regardless of the brilliance of your words, your idea, and your offer, unless somebody actually looks at them, they are lost in that enormous vacuum of invisibility. How do you get people to look at them and begin to like them? One word answer: Design!"
~ Jay Conrad Levinson author, Guerrilla Marketing
A professional, well-designed marketing collateral has been proven to increase sales. As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you need marketing design services for online and offline far different than those of the big boys, or competitors.
Is Your Website a White Elephant?
You know how most web design companies design "flashy & cool" websites that are not only slow to load—which frustrate visitors—the websites are also not search engine friendly, let alone optimized for traffic!
Can you imagine a white elephant website with no visitors and customers?
Yes, they may look really cool. But the novelty will wear off in about 20 seconds.
Unless you're already a household brand like Nike (whose websites are really cool) who can afford branding, awareness and flashy websites that don't sell products directly, your small business should rather be looking at direct response website designs.
Another note worthy point is that the flashy websites (and many non-flash ones as well) were designed using the HTML/table-based layout, which really isn't helping in the search engine optimization department.
Instead, you should be looking at Web standards compliant XHTML/CSS methodology that separate content and design.
In short the benefits of using standards are:
- interoperability
- accessibility
- forward compatibility
- backwards compatibility
- significant savings in time and resources
Traffic - The Lifeblood of Business on the Internet
The Internet, as a business medium, has levelled the playing field for businesses big or small. In today's constantly changing business landscape, one of the constants is the need for small business to understand the ever-changing world of search engine marketing, optimization, and everything in between.
Why?
For starters, research shows that 85% of new visitors to a website get there via a search engine. (Source: Georgia Institute of Technology)
This is the life blood of your business. The potential customers that walk pass, in & out of your shop. On the internet, it is the number of visitors to your website.
How do you know how much traffic your website is getting?
Here's a quick test. Go to Alexa.com, enter your URL to get the traffic details. You'll see the Traffic Rank for your website.
As a general rule of thumb, if your traffic ranking isn't within the 1st Million globally, then you have a lot to do to get your website "in shape".
If you are serious about wanting the Internet to work for your small business, not just have a "web presence"... you must know how to drive targeted traffic to your website, how to attract prospects and customers from the Search Engines.
The Secret to a Successful Small Business
Whether you're an online or offline business, the ONE most important element you must have, and build, is TRUST!
Think for a moment. When you wanted to buy something, or go somewhere on a vacation, you'd probably approach friends you know who've "been there, done that", wouldn't you? And what they say you'd very likely take them into consideration before making your final decision. Why? Because you trust your friends.
Therefore it is vital that you build that trust with your business prospects before you could expect them to patronize you.
How Do You Build TRUST?
By providing in-demand information ("Content") about something you know—your service or product. From that point on, everything flows...
Let's review this C→T→P→M process, pioneered by Dr Ken Evoy, CEO of SiteSell.
Content
Web users search for information, for solutions. They are not looking for you - they don't know you (yet!). They seek what you know. Give it to them. Convert your knowledge into in-demand Content. To succeed online, start where they start - at "the search."
Not just the "meat", the presentation of content via sound, professional design is vital! How else do you think Apple's iPod is still the undisputed leader in the extremely competitive digital music market?
Traffic
Your topical content ranks high at the Search Engines (ex., Google, Yahoo! MSN), attracting free, targeted (i.e., interested), open-to-you visitors. Basically, these future customers "meet you" at your site. These visitors are known as "Traffic." How well does SBI! drive "T"? Top 3%.
PREsell
Complete strangers develop trust and confidence in you. Why? You "PREsell" by OVERdelivering what they seek... relevant, original, information. Deliver it in your own voice, in your own way. Go beyond merely instilling confidence... your visitors will like you.
(Immediate "selling" on Web sites is ineffective unless you have a brand like Amazon.)
Monetize
Convert warm, willing-to-buy ("PREsold") visitors into income. Called "Monetizing," this is the easy part. But "M" cannot happen if you fail to first execute C→T→P. This is where 99% of small businesses fail.
C→T→P is the motor that drives "M."
Once you have your own PREsold traffic, you are in control. Blend in multiple streams of revenue, not just one. Diversify to maximize income, growth and stability.
How To Get The Attention From Yours Customers
We show you how—at small business-friendly prices—so you could get the attention from the customers you deserve. We adopt a highly effective 2-Factor Attraction Strategy:
- Attract human customers - by designing aesthetically effective websites and offline marketing collateral using proven design principles; with content worth returning to.
- Attract search engines - by fully optimizing your website to become a search engine magnet!
- Ultimately, selling your products and services
Design to Sell!
As a small business, competition is ever-increasing. Websites in the hundreds, if not thousands, are sprouting out like water every single day.
Competition is fierce.
7 Ways To Increase Your Advertising Response
How do you get more customers to:
- Notice your advertising
- Read your ad till the end
- Trust what you say
- Respect your value
- Excited about what you sell
- Want to respond
- Take action now
Not only do you want your advertising to work for you, you should take care to present a professional image in front of your customers. Your company logo, business card, flyers and other marketing collateral. They reflect who you are.
Historically, small businesses have been at a disadvantage when it comes to buying graphic design services because most agencies charge big business prices. They usually don’t have the budget to engage agencies for design-related services.
Pagethinker Design aims to bridge that gap. In addition to providing the design services for your business needs, this is also the place to go for graphic design information, web design tips, online marketing advice—and design in general—for your small business!
Your Design Guy
Whatever your products or services may be, regardless if your business is primarily online or off, and no matter if your clients are from your neighborhood or from another country. You need to get your message across to your customers. You need to communicate to them well.
Design is about communication.
As small business owner myself, I hope to be your personal Design Guy when your design needs some help.
And hey, don't take my word for it on how great our design services are. Listen to what small businesses just like you have to say:
"Your design for my website is fantastic & attractive. I find it impressive and all my students and parents like it very much!
You also advise me as to how to improve and make my website better which is very helpful to me. Other then designing my website you also offered me ideas as to how to promote my business to customers.
I find your service good and efficient—even after the project is completed. After sales service is very important to me, cos I have encountered other companies after collecting the payment, they can't be bother with you or when you want to contact them, always cannot reached them.
Your price is very reasonable compared to other web designers.
I will highly recommed you to my friends if they intend to design website. Thanks for all the help & advice during this period. All the best to your business."
~ Christina Phua, Maxswim.com
"Sherman is creative and has a good eye for putting designs that draw attention. He also gives great input in designing our corporate stationery and website.
I rely on Sherman to get my graphics done."
~ Alvin Toh, ThinkAccelerator.com
"Thank you Sherman for being so helpful and supportive. You have shown me what it takes to be effective and caring leader. You are a genius at the technical stuff and yet patience enough to guide me through the challenges I encounter along the way. I have no reservation to recommend you to my friends. You are the best."
~ Michael Chua, Director, Wills Services
"Professional website design, logo and name cards. Not only am I pleased with the results, many of my clients have also complimented on the new designs. The pricing is great and fits well within my tight budget. Most importantly Sherman is always ready to engage and provide excellent feedback and service too."
~ Chng Peng Eik, J2E Photography
Use Design in your small business as a strategic tool to expand your business opportunities—and design to sell!
Get the attention from the customers you deserve!
Call today for a FREE consultation — (+65) 9040 7740. Or contact us here.
Design for success,
Sherman Cheong
"The Design Guy"
