Exclusive Interview With Silver & Young Partner, Angelo Argryos

We are excited to have Angelo Argryos from Silver & Young Chartered Accountants join us for our Marketing Spotlight. Watch this brief video which uncovers his success and how he rapidly increased his referral rates in one easy step.

Feel free to leave a comment and share this video with others.

Is Your Database Making You Money?

Sitting on the other side of the table is always fascinating. I think perspective is the word. There I was running a marketing strategy session with my client when I made a rather alarming discovery. In her 6 years running her printing business, not once has she taken the time to even touch base with any of them over the phone - no "thank yous", no "Is there anything else we can assist with?"

Now I don't know about you, but sometimes it's true when they say you don't have to look very far to find gold. And sitting there across the room, it amazed me that we'd just struck an untapped gold mind within her very own business - especially with a database size of over 500 customers! 

Where's Your Database?
Call it boring and old, but your database is so essential that if your business was to burn to the ground today along with your database of clients (knock on wood) you're almost as good as starting a new business. On the flip side, having an intact and up-to-date database will enable you to continue interacting and communicating with the people who buy from you which is absolutely key. It could be as simple as a contact name, phone number, address and perhaps a few comments on what they've purchased from you - maybe even likes and dislikes. Remember, information is power.

Out of Sight - Out of Mind
Yes yes. It's another old cliche. But if your not interacting with your existing clients then they've most probably forgotten about you. In a world where many people have succumbed to laziness, sending emails instead of posting hand written letters, chatting online instead of calling... this leaves plenty of opportunities for a heart felt "Hello." Now what you choose to talk about when you call is totally up to you - but the key is to be genuine. Anyone can smell a fake even though people can't see you, they can certainly hear you.

Consistency Is King
How often should you keep in touch with your clients and customers? Well it varies from business to business. A mechanic may only see their clients once a year, so a quick call every 3-6 months could suffice. On the other hand, an accountant could see their clients possibly upwards of 4 times a year - in which case a quick call every 2-3 months could do just fine. Whatever the time frame is for you, be consistent. 

So What Happened To My Client?
Well aside living happily ever after, within a week of gathering her database and contacting her clients she not only created a warmer relationship amongst them, she more importantly won back some old clients and created a window of opportunity to quote up new jobs. And the cost to her? Some time, a few cents on phone calls and a warm smile. 

If you've found this post valuable click "Like" below and feel free to share your thoughts and opinions. 

Too Busy To Be Marketing?...

You're probably already aware of the importance of marketing in any business. And regardless of whether business is going through the roof or dwindling through to the floor, you probably already know that it's best to be marketing all the time. In fact, you probably know all the secrets there is to marketing your business. But there's one thing that I should probably let you in on - and that is, knowing marketing is one thing, but doing it is another in itself.
 
The Difference Between Knowing And Doing
 
Not too long ago I was listening to Jack Canfield, who is the famous author of "Chicken Soup For The Soul". He was saying that no matter how much time or money a person invests in a swimming coach, if that person never jumps into the pool then they'd probably never know what swimming is truly about. And so it's not until we get our hands dirty that things start to progress. And your marketing is very much the same - regardless of what business you're in.

"I'm Too Busy To Be Marketing"

The good ole famous "I'm too busy" to be marketing. The irony is that 9/10 times you can ask any business owner whether they'd like to grow their business and they'd answer "Yes!" So on the one hand, they'd like to grow the business but on the other, they have no time to. In my opinion, what one person spends their time on is done through choice. And in my experience business coaching and marketing for businesses, I've found that the ones that achieved the best results are always the ones that make time for important things such as marketing. It's cliched but if you don't plan for your marketing, then you're planning to fail!

Do it the "Nike" Way And Just Do It!

The Nike slogan has genius written all over it. Why? Because, they knew that the very thing that stopped people from taking action and working out was this thing called 'excuses'. And just like your workouts, it doesn't matter how tired you are or whether you're busy as can be, it's an essential component of business that needs to be done.

Now if you don't have time to implement your marketing strategies, then fair enough. Why not hire someone that can do it for you? Or perhaps have one of your staff assist you with this. Unless you do something about it, your marketing won't budge. Most crucially though is that you need to have a marketing plan and implement. And if you don't already have one, then you know that this is a great place to start.

Need Help With Your Marketing Strategy?

If you're a little stuck with your marketing or would like a fresh perspective on how to market your business moving forward then you've come to the right place. Just send us an email (you@youcoaching.com.au) and we'll organise a free marketing appointment over the phone where we'll help devise some strategies to get things moving for you at no cost!

Marketing Spotlight With Kendra Strudwick

This week Kendra Strudwick, Director of Inspiraction coaching and Assistant Director of BNI in Australia, joins us for our Marketing Spotlight. Inside this video Kendra to shares her secret to growing her business from scratch by growing her network. Feel free to 'like' and share your thoughts on her tips.

Search Engine Optimisation Made Easy - DIY SEO

Is "SEO" just one of those "buzz" words of the 21st century?...  It's become one of the most talked about phrases in internet marketing. But I've recently made an alarming discovery... one that terrifies me to the bone. Around 4 out of 5 business owners who I've spoken to recently did not have the slightest clue on what search engine optimisation (SEO) really is let alone implement it. And what's more, while these business owners may not realise it, this could be costing them hundreds and thousands in potential sales!

Understanding SEO In Less Than 67 Seconds

In practice, when we do a search on Google, say for example "white business shirt", the websites that you see located at the very top are ranked there because they are recognised by Google as being relevant and popular. This is a good thing!

A Google search for "white business shirt"

And if you're not convinced that being ranked towards the top is a good thing, here's the approximate distribution of clicks based on position:

1. First Position: gets 40% of clicks
2. Second Position: gets 10% of clicks
3. Third Position: gets 5% of clicks

The short of SEO is that every so often, Google conducts regular scans of all websites on the internet. And based on Google's 'algorithm',  it'll determine the relevance and popularity of a website and then ranks it accordingly.

How To Make Google Fall In Love With Your Website

Here are a few quick things you can do to your website immediately to improve your ranking in Google. If you're expecting your ranking to go from no-where to first position overnight, prepare to be disappointed. SEO is one of those tactics that needs time to get to work so be patient - sometimes taking weeks, and even months to progress to first page. The key is to be persistent. 

So here's 4 super-fast ways to start your romance with Google:

1. Use Relevant Key Words

Writing key-word rich content is among the most important out of the 4 ways for creating a SEO optimised website that'll get Google's attention. In the example above, if we clicked on the website positioned in number one, sure enough, we'll find a number of white business shirts. 

This is what we see after clicking on position #1 - www.rivers.com.au

Now imagine if you arrived on the site and there was every single colour besides 'white'... you'd be out of there in a jiffy! Google rewards key-word rich websites so make sure you target a specific area of your business that you want to stand out. The best way to do this is to determine what the most commonly searched words and phrases are and then integrate these key-words into your website. Google offers a free key-word tool at www.adwords.google.com where you can find out what the most popular words are (see image below).

Basic "white business shirt" search shows most common searches

 
Be warned - do not try to just 'slot' in key-words into your content for the sake of slotting it in. Google will easily recognise this tactic and will penalise you for it! Instead, write different variations of the same key word. For example, instead of repeating "white business shirt" over and over again, you can use variations such as "business wear" or "work shirt". 

2. Relevant Headings

Headings are another commonly overlooked SEO trick. By targeting words that are relevant in your main headings and sub-headings you'll be given bonus points because a visitor to your website can quickly identify whether your website is relevant.

3. Add Links

Creating relevant links will improve your website's SEO because Google rewards any value adding content. In the website example above, having additions such as "black business shirt", "blue business shirt" and "business ties" will assist in your SEO efforts.

4. Tag Images

Tagging your images can assist with improving your website ranking. Rather than using vague file names for images such as "image one.jpg", use relevant descriptions instead such as "white business shirt.jpg". If you're not sure what to name them, refer back to your key words that you're targeting. 

The above tips can definitely get you started on elevating your website's SEO and moving you one-step closer to a better Google ranking and hence, more clicks!

Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question about the above - and remember to hit "Like" if you've found this valuable. Good luck!

How To Profit From Your Website

Last week I caught up with a old-time friend who recently opened up his own restaurant. And within a matter of minutes he was giving me the low-downs of the restaurant industry. One thing in particular that caught my attention was when he mentioned that owners can rave on about whatever they like about their food just to get customers through the door. But the one thing restauranteur's can't do is fake the quality and experience that their restaurant offers because sooner or later, their customers will unravel the truth behind it all!

A Marketing Lesson From A Restauranteur

The chat I had made me think about online marketing, and how it's quite often that you'll click on Ads on Google because it 'looked' like the right match, only to be taken to a page that has nothing to do with what you were after - it's frustrating!… 

While there is no denying that having volumes of people visit your website is important, even more crucial is to ensure that your website gives them what they were after. This means happier visitors that stay longer and are more likely to take action - whether that would be to download a free report, e-book or contact you directly to enquire about your offer.

6 Instant Strategies To Optimise Your Website

Here are 6 quick tips on how you can improve the response rate from your website.

1. Clearly state the benefit of your product/service upfront
No wishy washy business here. Just get straight to the point using relevant headlines that link to your ads because the reality is that the average visitor only stays for 7 seconds!

2. Address your prospect’s emotional pain or desire
Acknowledge your potential customers pain or desire and position your business as the 'go to' people for the solution to their problem.

3. Write content as if you’re talking one on one (conversational language)
People absorb a whole lot more when you write in conversational tone so keep it simple and avoid any complicated words (unless your potential customers use those words)
 

4. Make it look appealing and trustworthy
Avoid having plenty of highlighted words, flashing sections and underlined text. Aim to have your page 'clean' and simple in design so as to not distract your visitor.
 

5. Use testimonials to build credibility fast
The more the merrier!… Go for video testimonials if possible and use pictures if you have them.
 

6. Provide up-front value for FREE
This could be in the form of an e-book, consultation, report etc. This is a great opportunity to also capture the prospect's details which will enable you to keep in touch and connect with your prospect.

Did you find this blog helpful? Remember to hit "Like" and share a comment to let us know your thoughts on this.

Google Adwords Really Works (Plus $75 Free)

Not too long ago I chatted with a bookkeeper who had a client that was pouring thousands of dollars in a good old yellow pages ad. Why? Because they were told that they were given a good price and that they’d get more business out of it!...

6 months passed by and as luck would have it, my bookkeeper friend approached her client and asked “so how’s that ad working out for you?” In which her client replied, “I don’t know… in fact, we have no idea if we got any clients from it!” After a few quick phone calls, they discovered that over a 6 month period they had a total of just 2 phone calls that came from the ad of which neither resulted in closed business. What a bummer.

The moral of the story is this. While these type of ads may be effective for some businesses, for the most part, it is often too expensive to maintain and the good news is that there are now more cost effective ways of advertising your business. In particular, Google Adwords.

Why Google Adwords?
In short, Google Adwords is fast, effective and measurable. In traditional newspaper and other forms of paper advertising you typically pay a set price for your ad regardless of whether you get 100 leads or none!... 

In my view, marketing is not just about ‘exposure’, it’s about attracting qualified leads. And that’s where Google Adwords does such a great job because you only pay for the amount of clicks that your ad gets. And the best part about it is that your ad only appears when someone has searched for a particular phrase which means the clicks that you receive is super targeted!

How Do I Get Started?
The first thing to do is to ensure that your website is up to scratch and that your content is optimised for maximum response. The next thing is to workout a set budget for your Adwords campaign so that you can easily maintain your cash flow.

Now for a limited time only, Google is offering a $75 free trial with Adwords for all first time users. To take advantage of this just jump onto https://services.google.com/fb/forms/adwordscoupon/ and complete the relevant details.

I Want My Ads Running Now
I recently wrote up a guide called “The Definitive Guide To Small Business Marketing” which details the steps on how to get your Google Adwords campaign up and running in minutes. If you haven’t already read this I highly recommend grabbing yourself a FREE copy at https://www.promo.youcoaching.com.au and filling out your details to get instant access to it.

Whatever you do, remember to always track the performance of your campaigns and that way, you can measure how effective your Adwords campaign truly is.

Feel free to leave a comment and share this article with your friends and colleagues. Happy Adword-ing and feel free to email me if you have any questions!