Copyright Š 2014
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Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: A BUSINESS GUIDE TO SEO IN LAYMAN’S TERMS...................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 2: WHAT GOOGLE WANTS ............................. 10 CHAPTER 3: WHY BUSINESSES NEED A BLOG ............. 17 CHAPTER 4: WHY WEBSITES NEED GOOD QUALITY CONTENT .............................................................................. 25 CHAPTER 5: WHY POOR QUALITY CONTENT CAN DAMAGE YOUR BUSINESS ................................................ 33 CHAPTER 6: WRITING GOOD QUALITY CONTENT TAKES TIME ......................................................................... 37 CHAPTER 7: HOW TO MAKE YOUR WEBSITE CONVERT BETTER – THE SEVEN RULES... ................... 40 CHAPTER 8: WHY 95% OF BUSINESSES GET THEIR WEBSITE ALL WRONG AND END UP LOSING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS .................................................. 47 CHAPTER 9: HOW BUSINESSES CAN DRAMATICALLY LOWER THEIR PAY PER CLICK COSTS.......................... 52 CHAPTER 10: HOW BUSINESSES CAN PROSPER IN AN EVER CHANGING WORLD ................................................. 58 CHAPTER 11: HOW CREATING GREATER TRANSPARENCY IN YOUR BUSINESS CAN LEAD TO INCREASED PROFITS ......................................................... 66 ABOUT THE AUTHOR...................................................... 72
Chapter 1: A Business Guide to SEO in Layman’s terms If you own a business than you have no doubt comes across the term SEO. This simple guide will help you to understand what SEO is in layman’s terms, without complicated and technical jargon. What is SEO? SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization”; this essentially means making your website and its pages more visible to anyone who is searching for your product or service on the Internet using one of the search engines e.g. Google, Yahoo, and AltaVista etc. For the sake of simplicity I will be specifically referring to Google throughout the document, since that is the most widely used search engine. Potential customers will type in their search into Google and it will return the most relevant websites related to their search.
What happens when people search on Google? Google will take the search term that you have entered and will check it against its own database of indexes and return the most relevant websites and pages. What are keywords? Keywords are the search words or phrases that are entered into Google to find the specific information that you are looking for. For example if you lived in Atlanta and you were looking for a plumber, than you would type in “Plumber Atlanta”, this is essentially your keyword phrase that Google uses to search for relevant websites. What is Keyword density? Keyword density is the number of times your keyword appears on your webpage and is normally shown as a percentage. Say for example you have an article on your website about “Plumber Atlanta” and it is 100 words long. If the keyword “Plumber Atlanta” appeared twice in your article than the keyword density would be 2%. If
however the article was 200 worlds long than your keyword density would be 1%. What does Ranking mean? Google gives websites a ranking to deem how relevant the information is in relation to search keywords. The more relevant the information is the higher the ranking, this will insure that searchers will get the most relevant information for what they are searching for. What does SERPS mean? SERPS stand for Search Engine Results Page. This is a list of web pages that Google returns to the searcher based on what keywords they were using to search. What is Googlebot? Googlebot is a piece of software used by Google, which collects documents from the web to build a searchable index for Google. What is a site map? A site map is a map of your website that allows Googlebot to navigate it easily. If you have a Wordpress website, than there are a
number of free plugins that you can use to generate a site map. What does PageRank mean? Pagerank is a numerical number assigned to your website to deem its authority and relevance. The pagerank of a website is based on internal calculations made by Google. Everyone starts off with a pagerank of zero or PR0, in time as your website because better know and its authority is built, your page rank will rise. E.g. Google has a pagerank of PR9. What does indexing mean? Indexing means that Google has found your website and its pages and have created an index that will be used later for when anyone searches. Similar to an index system used in a library to search for specific books. Each Book has to be indexed so that is can be found if a related search is entered. What is on-page optimization? Is the work that you do on your own website to tell Google how relevant your
website and its pages are for specific keywords that you want to be related to? The information on your website helps Google ascertain how relevant the information is in relation to searchers. There a number of ways on-page optimization can be achieved and normally SEO consultants use a combination of the following:
Ensure keyword density is 1%-2% Keyword used in headings and subheadings Keyword used in 1st and last paragraph Usage of internal links to other relevant and related articles/documents on your website Usage of Bolding and italics to emphasise keywords
What is off-page optimization? Off-page optimization is the number of other websites that either link back to your website or link back to a specific page on your website. Off-page optimization is often referred to as “Backlinks”. Having other websites link to you website shows that you have valuable information to share, so
valuable in fact that other websites have linked back to you. Having other websites link back to your website is like having an endorsement or a vote of confidence that you have a quality website. What is a contextual backlink? Contextual backlink is a fancy way of saying a link within a text as opposed to explicitly naming your website or webpage e.g. Find out more about Atlanta plumbers (The phrase “Atlanta plumbers� will be a link back to a website or website page. This is known as a contextual backlink.) Find out more about Atlanta plumbers by visit http://atlantaplumbers.com (In this example the website is used explicitly without any text) After reading the above explanations, you will now have a pretty good idea of SEO and how it works.
Chapter 2: What Google wants Like any business Google needs to survive any changes in the business climate. Google is a search engine that provides the user a facility by which to search the internet. Google had a huge impact on how search engines worked and provided a solution to change its strategy to give its customer want they wanted and what they were looking for. They changed their front end interface to the public by removing all the clutter and just focusing on searching the internet using a singular place to enter search texts.
This provided a more streamlined and friendlier experience to the user. At the time this was quite revolutionary because none of the other search engines at that time provided this user experience, most search engines such as Altavista, Yahoo and MSN cluttered their search front end with various news items. This culminated in user frustrations and unwelcomed distractions. All the searcher is interested in is the
specific piece of information they were looking for. This had such a huge impact on the market that Google overtook yahoo as the main search engine and the search engine of choice for the public in general. So ingrained is Google in society that the word Google itself has become synonymous with searching the internet. We often hear people say “I’ll Google that or this� and people automatically know that they are referring to searching the internet. Google wants relevant information related to the search keyword Google have realised that to remain competitive in a saturated market it must give the user the best experience and when a user types in a search term the most relevant information to the search keyword must be returned. This is one of the reasons why so many websites have been penalised because they were to deem not to be relevant or have relevant content that the users will find useful.
If Google stopped delivering relevant content that people are looking for then it would die and be taken over by another search engine which gives the searcher what he or she is looking for. Stop trying to game the Google system Some if not all marketers try and game the Google system. What I mean by this is they try to manipulate the Google ranking system by using various methods to try and manipulate Google into giving them higher rankings. In some cases many blackhat methods were used to accelerate their SERPS rankings. Google has been clamping down hard on these loopholes being exploited within the Google algorithms. Many marketers were caught due to over manipulation of the Google system and this became very apparent from the Google Panda and Penguin updates. For example when a website gets thousand backlinks overnight. This triggered the alarm bells for Google who realised that this could not possibly happen naturally. By exploiting these loopholes marketers risked the chance of being deindexed by Google and
completely disappearing from the search results. Google is looking for natural growth in a website Google are looking for relevant sites that have not been manipulated purely to gain high rankings within the search results, but offer natural relevant information to the searcher. Google wants relevant and useful information for its searchers so the searchers remain happy and content with the service offered by Google. In reality nobody really knows how Google algorithms work, but we can make inferences based on Googles strategy to provide the best information possible for the searcher. Having a high keyword density of 10% will no longer help you rank your website. But a piece of content that has a lower keyword density of 2%-3% is more likely not to be penalised by Google because it appears natural to the Google bots. Websites should look to providing valuable information to the searcher instead of
providing reams of irrelevant information which may be verbose in nature or not make sense to human readers, but created for the sole purpose of Google fodder. Fortunately Google has wised up to this and no longer consume quantity foods but looks for quality food that will keep their system healthy. Social triggers Because of the ease of the way Google can be manipulated. Google are focusing more on social proof such as Google +, Facebook and twitter. This gives the website some external validation that the content is valuable and will be of some use to the searcher if they are looking for that specific type of information. Social proof has now become a major factor in determining the authenticity of a websites Vs a website created by a marketer purely for monetisation purposes. The reason is that social triggers are a lot more harder to manipulate then search engines. Social proof tells Google that real human beings find your website of value, so valuable in fact that they are willing to
share the information with other people using the various social media sites as a vehicle for distribution. Branding. Being reliant solely on Google rankings as the prime source of generating leads is an unstable platform for business growth. Because of the unpredictable results that may occur as a result of future Google algorithm changes. Businesses should look to brand themselves on the internet and become or at least attempt to become synonymous with the product or service that they are offering. By creating a brand, people will always be able to find your website because you are no longer relying on related keywords that people search by but your company name or your personal name and that will lead to more traffic and in turn lead to generating more qualified leads. Branding is a way of bypassing Google search engines and positioning yourself at the forefront of your potential customers mind. So branding is a very powerful way of establishing your service or product within
the virtual world as well as the bricks and mortar world.
By branding yourself or your business you will have less reliance on search engine rankings and more reliance on your reputation and your brand, which is a stronger vehicle of relaying the perception of value to your potential customers.
Get their email and contact details of your potential customer
Google search engines is a great method of customer acquisition, but business owners should focus on extracting their potential customers contact details so they have a way of contacting them. Otherwise the potential customers are lost and may never come back to your website. By getting their contact details you will have the ability to contact them at anytime, your communication will not be limited to being found on search engines.
This is a very powerful method that most marketers use to communicate on mass to either existing customers or potential customers.
Communicating directly to your customers also eliminates any distractions offered by the internet and allows the reader to fully focus and engage in the message that your business is trying to convey to them.
Chapter 3: Why businesses need a blog Business needs to take a step back and think about what the Internet is and what does it represent. The Internet is a vehicle for mass communication between two or more parties. Like the telephone it’s just another form of communication. Unlike other technologies the Internet provides a platform for
huge exposure of your business to the general public and anyone who is looking for your service or product. The problem is however, is that every business is jumping up and down to get the attention of potential clients. Harnessing the power of the Internet first starts with getting noticed by your potential customer, if no one notices you, then no one’s going to buy whatever you’re offering. The first thing a business must do to get the attention of potential online clients is to have a web presence in the form of a website.
I see a lot of static business websites, where the business owners just puts up maybe 10 pages on their site and then never touch it again. They might as well not have a website at if that’s all they are going to do.
Don’t use your business website just for a silo of information
In cases where the website remains unchanged it’s normally used as an information silo to contain information about the product or service they are offering. Some business owners see website as just an extension of their business cards. A way to relate product information to their customers. Business owners who have this perception are missing a huge opportunity; they should view their website as a marketing vehicle to pre-qualify leads, not just an extension of their business cards, but as an online lead magnet to attract potential customers.
Websites should be organic
Websites should be organic and grow and provide value to their customers. Your website should be dynamic in nature and provide valuable information that will help
your potential customers. After all, readers come to your website because they either have a problem to solve or want to know more information about the problem and possible solution. This leads to the question of how will potential clients find you if you just have a static website and do nothing to market it. Business owners must strive to promote their websites if they want it to be an effective lead generator. One of the ways to market your business website is to create dynamic valuable content to attract potential leads. Make your website dynamic by adding a blog One of the best ways of making a website dynamic is to have a blog. Blogs are a proven way to increase traffic for the business owners. Blogs provide dynamic valuable information to the potential customer. Having a blog and regularly updating it provides your customer with ongoing and continuous value. Once you have placed value in the minds of your potential customers you are creating trust and the biggest obstacle to all sales is trust, if your
potential customer doesn’t trust you they won’t buy from you period.
Blogs gives you a chance to showcase your business expertise and authority Setting up a blog gives you a chance to show that you know what you are talking about and that you can talk about your product or service in depth. In the current state of internet marketing you can’t just put up a website and expect customers to buy what you are selling, you have to prove to the customer that you know what you are talking about and having a blog acts as a proof to the customer and builds trust, which will eventually lead to sales. Blogs engage potential customers
Having a blog continuously engages your potential customers and keeps your product or services at the forefront of their minds. Providing your potential customer with ongoing valuable information provides supports a seamless buying decision
making, because when most people are making buying decisions they search the internet to help them make an informed decision and if your website contains value you information to help them then they will refer back to your website as reference.
Search engines love blogs
Search engines loves blogs because the whole framework of WordPress blogs is for information publishing purposes, to provide an easy delivery method for valuable information to potential clients. Since one of Google’s main philosophies is to provide relevant and valuable information to their readers, WordPress blogs are perfect for delivering this type of valuable information. Search engines tend to favour blogs over types of websites, especially if the blog is being constantly updated.
Blogs are an internal form of marketing
By creating a blog on your website you are generating marketing pieces from within your website to attract potential customers who may be searching for your product or service. The more useful and valuable content you have, the more chances there are of your website being found by searchers. Valuable content on your blog will always attract traffic, especially if it is related to a problem that they are trying to solve. Blogs allow interaction with potential customers Having a blog on your website allows potential clients to comment on your content; this will show that your potential customers see your content as valuable enough to comment on as well as providing social proof to other readers of your blog. Business owners also get useful feedback from the comments and get a better understanding of their problems and the kind of solutions customers are looking for,
so you can better adapt your solutions to real customer needs. Building loyal followers of your blog By blogging continuously on your website you will be creating a continuity relationship based on value. If you keep constantly offering value on your blog then you will build a loyal customer base, which may not necessarily buy straight away but who will eventual buy from you, because of the value you have provided to them and the trust built on the valuable content of your blog.
Word press blogs are easy to maintain Before the advent of WordPress, to continue generating website content was hard work and you needed to have technical knowledge such as HTML. These days Wordrpess has made it very easy to publish content without having any technical experience. WordPress has been built to allow non-technical people to publish their content very easily and quickly. This is the reason why you see many WordPress blogs
because of the ease of content management and maintenance.
Chapter 4: Why websites need good quality content With the aftermath of Google penguin and panda algorithm changes it has become more and more important to offer quality content on your websites. As a result of this many webmaster have completely replaced their low quality voluminous content on their websites with more quality content to attract potential customers.
Why did websites offer low quality content before the Google updates
The reason why many websites were full of low quality content was that it was easier to get high ranks purely from acquiring backlinks, the more backlinks your website had the more higher up the search engine your website would appear. There was no
real need at the time to invest in quality content because it was so easy to rank just by building up huge amounts of backlinks to your website. Google have now put an end to this trend by penalising any websites that don’t appear to grow organically, which applies to organic backlinks. No longer can websites get away with offering low standard content, Google are now placing more emphasis on the quality of the content on the websites. Because Googles underlying driving philosophy is to provide its customers with the best search experience possible by returning good quality information within their search results. Before the advent of the Google updates, marketers would provide keyword stuffed content that in some cases was unreadable and grammatically didn’t make sense. In many cases marketers used content spinners to spin the content so it would appear unique to Google, but would be of no real value to the reader. Marketers would purchase low quality articles from non native English speakers
purely on the basis that it was cheap and uploaded it onto their websites and used as Google fodder. And instead built huge backlinks because this was perceived as what Google wants Poor quality content can damage on your website If your website contains poor quality content then it could harm your website and alienate your readers. The worst case scenario would be that Google de-indexes your website altogether so that it doesn’t appear on any search results for the keywords you are trying to get ranked for. This would be an absolute disaster for your website and trying to get it back up the rankings is an uphill struggle once Google has penalised it. In these cases it would be better to start from scratch and create a whole new website. All that hard work and money that went into creating your original website would have all gone to waste.
What does valuable content mean? It is content that is found to be valuable and useful for the reader. It either provides useful information or is actionable in some shape or form. The information should be presented in an easy to read format that can be easily understood by the reader, unless you are running a technical website and the type of potential readers you are trying to attract already has a certain amount of knowledge relating to the subject matter.
The content should offer some kind of insight into the subject matter by providing useful tips and tactics that are helpful to the reader.
Why websites content
need
good
quality
Content that engages the reader The content should engage the reader and keep
them reading until the end of the article. Content should also challenge conventional view points to make it more useful and unique. Provide content that cannot be found anywhere else by adding your own spin on a subject matter either through your own experiences or your insights. Readers are more likely to comment on your content if they found it useful and this will create social proof on your website. Other readers viewing your content and see associated comments, gives the perception that your content is valuable and worth commenting on.
Quality content keeps readers coming back for more If the content that you provide is of really good quality, then readers will keep coming back to your website over and over again to read your other content. This becomes a plus point for your website because Google have started to measure the bounce rate on your websites, this essentially means that the longer time a reader spends on your website, the more valuable your website will
perceived to be. After all why would someone stay on your website if it didn’t offer anything of value?
Quality content provides experience for the reader
a
better
The more the user considers the content to be valuable the more pleasant the experience will be to the reader and they will associate positive feelings towards your website. The reader is more likely to bookmark your website and share the contents of your website on social media sites such as Google +, Facebook and twitter. This will increase the scope of your reach to other like minded people who are interested in reading your valuable content. Good quality content will increase your revenue By virtue of the fact that you will be attracting more potential customers to your website, your traffic will increase and with increased traffic comes an increase in revenue. Good quality content acts as a magnet for generating increased traffic to
your website and the longer they remain on your website the more chances you have to convert that reader to a potential customer of your product or service. Good quality content creates trust By providing free quality content on your website you are building trust with your readers, because you are giving away free and useful information that is valuable to the reader and this creates the perception in the readers mind that you know what you are talking about and they will value your opinions on the subject matter and in turn this creates trust. You will then become a trusted source of information.
Good quality content sets you up as an authority in your niche
Because your content is so valuable in the minds of the readers you become an authority in the subject matter. By delivering quality content continuously you
become an authority figure and establish rapport with your readers.
Good quality content provides a basis of a long term relationship with your readers
Once you have established trust and authority in your readers mind, you have formed the basis of a long term relationship with your readers. You will then be able to position your readers to be more susceptible to purchasing your products or services because of the enormous value that you have already provided for them.
Good quality content supports better conversion
Potentially the longer a reader stays on your website to read your valuable content, the greater your chances are to convert that reader into a potential customer and
eventually a paying customer. Readers will more readily convert because of the trust and authority that you have established, they will want to engage with you more because you have established a relationship.
Chapter 5: Why poor quality content can damage your business The quality of the content on your website says a lot about the quality of your business. If a prospective client was to visit your website and see’s poor quality content, they will associate the poor quality of the content with poor quality services or products. Content on your website is a showcase for your business to provide valuable content to potential customers. The content on your website allows you the opportunity to show any potential customers that you have a deep understanding of their problems and that your solution is best available.
Many businesses don’t take full advantage of their online presence by not completely understanding how a website fits into their overall marketing strategy. Poor quality content quality clients
attracts
poor
If you provide poor quality content on your website then the message you are giving out is that you are cheap or your business is cheap. This in turn leads to poor quality leads.
Poor quality leads waste time in the sales cycle Since they are poor quality leads they will inevitably waste your sales cycle time, because they are looking for a cheap option that was reflected from the poor content.
Poor quality leads rarely convert into paying customers, and they just waste your valuable time going round the sales cycle. Poor quality leads go back and forth in the sales cycle, trying to negotiate a better deal for themselves. Rather than have your sales team waste their time on poor leads wouldn’t the time be better spent on prequalified leads with a high proportion of conversion.
Pre-qualify content
your
leads
with
quality
Quality content acts as a barrier to attracting poor quality leads. Because the more valuable content you provide to potential customers the more information they have to base their buying decision on.
So when the times comes for your sales team to engage with the potential customer, the higher the probability is that the potential client will convert to a paying customer.
High quality content leads to better conversions By providing quality content to your potential customers, you are filtering out people and organisations that may not fit your product or service. The quality content filter will provide information necessary to the buying process by answering any doubts that the potential customer may have. By using this approach you are increasing your changes of conversions
Chapter 6: Writing good quality content takes time If anyone tells you they can whip something together in ten minutes, of a good quality piece of content then their lying. Because good quality content takes time and effort to write. Yes you can get content written for a cheap price, but what you will get won’t be of any good quality because whoever wrote it probably didn’t take the time to check it, so it’s probably riddled with mistakes and in most cases it’s probably a rehashed version of an article they found online. To write a good piece of unique quality content requires the writer to be meticulous in their execution without being a perfectionist. This is to ensure that the recipient of the content gets the best quality of work that a writer can produce. Buyers of
writing content need to be aware that quality content takes time and there is a certain art to putting together a really good quality piece of writing. To write a unique piece of quality content requires the writer to take into account many considerations prior, during and after the actual writing activity. The speed at which the writer can do these is firstly dependent on his or her knowledge of the subject of the content that is to be written. The more familiar the writer is with the subject matter the quicker he or she will be able to create quality content. So what are the steps needed to produce a good unique quality piece of content. These are the steps I take to produce my content, they may differ from writer to writer. However I use these steps to ensure that the end product is of good quality and has value to the reader. Understanding requirements
the
content
writing
Before the writer can even start any of the stages in the writing process, he will need
to understand exactly what the requirements of the piece of content that he will be writing. This stage will make sure that content generated will be exactly what the client is looking for. Typical questions that should be asked of the client before starting the writing project are as follows:
The title of the content Length in words of the project The main keyword (If content is to be SEO optimised) The agreed deadline What main points should be covered in the content What is in the scope of the writing content What is out of scope of the writing content Type of content e.g. article, eBook Any call to actions needed in the content Agreed payment rate
The above points seems like a lot of work to take into account, but in practice the above
requirements can be established quickly before the project is initiated.
very
Chapter 7: How To Make Your Website Convert Better – The Seven Rules... One of the biggest mistakes businesses make when they get their website online is thinking that having a website is all they need to grow their business using the internet. Unfortunately it’s a bit more difficult than that. You see, it’s no good having hundreds of visitors come to your site every single month if none of them convert into customers. Below are seven ‘conversion’ rules you can check out to see if your site adheres to them. If not you might want to consider making sure your site makes use of as many of the conversion tips below as possible. In the following examples to highlight my point, I will be using London as an example.
Conversion Rule One – Layout Is your website easy to read and follow? Or when someone lands on it do they have to click around a few times before they find your price list or opening times? You want to make your site as easy to navigate as possible. Do you have clear ways to be contacted above the fold. ‘Above the fold’ means when someone lands on your website do they have to scroll down to find your contact information, prices or contact details. If they do have to scroll down to find it you might want to put this important information above the fold (i.e. towards the top of your website). Is the content made up of one big chunk of text or is it broken up into short paragraphs making it easier to read? If people land on a website and it is blocked together in large chunks of text they are more likely to leave the website as it feels more like ‘work’ to read through it than if it was short paragraphs.
Are there graphics that represent what the company does? For example, a leaking tap for a plumber, scissors for a hairdresser etc. Graphics like these help conversions. Be careful with the images though. You only need one or two. Too many can make your site load slowly for your visitors. Conversion Rule Two – Headline Do you have a powerful headline that speaks directly to what the customers problem is and how they can solve it? The headline needs to capture the visitors attention. You will do that by speaking to the visitors problem directly. You need to get inside the head of someone using the internet to find your service. What would they want to see for them to decide your business is the one they should deal with?
Bad headline:Plumbers Based In London. Established 1998.
Good headline:24 Hour Plumber Based In London. No Fix No Fee. Guaranteed To Arrive Within The Hour.
The second headline is great because it outlines the benefits for the customer who picks your service. ‘No fix no fee’ for example is a great benefit for someone who is looking for a trustworthy plumber. Conversion Rule Three – Credibility Do you establish credibility and show you are a real business? How long have you been in business in Singapore for? Are there any pictures of your premises? Videos of staff or services? For example, a hairdresser in Singapore could add a picture of the front of their salon as well as a picture of the members of staff. Conversion Rule Four – Bullet Points People will land on your website, read the headline and then scan through bullet points before reading the rest of the site. So are there benefit laden bullet points on your website? A bullet point is a one or two
sentence line of text on your web site that really stands out. Bullet points should be a benefit not a feature. For example: A seat belt is a feature of a car A seat belt has the benefit of stopping serious injuries in car accidents Chiropractor building
feature
is:
Set
in
a
nice
Chiropractor benefit is: Free from back pain If you sell a service or products ask yourself what benefits will someone get from using your company over your competitors? Conversion Rule Five – Special Offers What makes you the best option over your competition? Is it price? Is it special offers? For example: 24 hour call out 50% off first haircut First lesson – Pay Nothing
Half an hour without paying on your first massage Whatever it is, you need to say it. Special offers are the best way to get a customer to come and try your service. So offer some kind of deal for the first time they use your business. Conversion Rule Six – Testimonials Are there testimonials from previous customers? Testimonials are comments from previous customers. They provide social proof to people searching for a local business by showing them that previous customers are happy with their experience of doing business with you. Video testimonials are the best. Then audio. Then written. If you haven’t been doing so you should ask your customer what comments they have about your business that you can add to your website. Ideally testimonials will be about specific results. For example take a look at hypothetical testimonials for an imaginary chiropractors in London:
Good:‘I visited Gary’s Chiropractor surgery and within 3 sessions my back pain was cured. It’s been bugging me for ten years and Gary had me ‘fixed’ in 3 weeks!’ Ok:‘I thoroughly Chiropractors!’
recommend
Gary’s
Below average(but better than nothing): ‘Lovely surgery’ Conversion Rule Seven – General Rule Does your website capture the attention of the visitor? Does it let them know you understand their problem and have the solution? Do you offer them proof you can help and explain why you are a unique service? If not, you need to make sure it does. You need to provide costs, opening times and why you are the best choice over your competition in the London area.
Chapter 8: Why 95% of businesses get their website all wrong and end up losing potential customers Most businesses make the mistake of designing and creating their website all about their business and what they offer. Your website is not a business resume to showcase your services, but exists for the needs of your customers. I see so many business websites listing all of their achievements and accolades, as if to try and impress potential customers, but no content that can be of any real use or value. I would say 95% of all business websites follow this strategy, in the belief that it will somehow be helpful to their customers. Businesses need to rethink their mindset when creating a website, the prime focus should be moved away from the emphasis on description of their services and products to a new mindset of “ how can my website give value to my customers”. That’s not to say you shouldn’t have any information about your company and your services, but the ratio of information content on your website should be 80:20, where 20% of the
content is in relation to your product or service and 80% is about your customer needs and wants. You have to put yourself in the shoes of your existing and potential new customers. If your website only contain information about your business and what services you offer, than what differentiates you from the thousands of other businesses that are competing for the attention of the same potential customers? In the information age, businesses need to differentiate themselves from other businesses to stand out from the rest. If you don’t differentiate, then you’re losing potential customers. Ultimately what businesses want are sales to increase their profit margins, so your mindset needs to shift, to ask the question, “What do potential buyers wants”? By using this mindset as a precursor, prior to designing your business website, then you will be positioning your business to have a proactive affect on potential customers by moving them further along the sales cycle. Potential buyers don’t want to know about self promotional content relating to your
business, because that doesn’t build trust, for all they know you could be lying about your content and your claims about your business. Every business puts themselves in a positive light and blow their own trumpets. I’ve never seen a business that puts themselves in a negative light. But think about this from a buyer’s perspective, how is this information helping them make buying decisions. To be blatant it’s not helping them at all. Your Website content needs to be geared around helping potential customers make a positive buying decision in your favour. They are not really interested to know about your company; they are only interested in information that will help them in some shape or form. The content that you provide on your website must be targeted to your customer needs and wants. Example 1: Accountant business What kind of information would be useful to potential customers looking for accounting services? Buyer decision making content
How to save 30% on your tax bill How to put an extra 10% as businesses expenses 5 ways businesses can prosper by streamlining their accounting process How accounting software can cut down your accounting bill by 15% How to choose an accountant
Example 2: Real estate business What kind of information would be useful to potential customers looking for Real estate business? Buyer decision making Content
How real estate buyers can reduce their costs by 10% 5 costly mistakes to avoid when buying real estate Beware of the hidden cost when buying real estate How to chose a real estate agent Definitive guide to selling your property
All the “buyer decision making content” in the examples above are designed to help your customer move towards a buying
decision for your services. By generating valuable useful content on your website, that the customer wants, you will be providing the following:
Positioning your business as an authority, and that you know what you are talking about in relation to the needs of potential customers Creating trust between you and your potential customers by providing valuable content As part of an inbound marketing strategy to attract potential customers Pre-qualifying leads before they make contact, giving a higher percentage of conversion to sales Reducing the sales cycle, because the leads will be pre-qualified Reducing business costs as a direct result of the reduction of the sales cycle Differentiates your business from other businesses Gives you an edge over your competitors Removes early objections
By providing your customers with the information they are looking for on your website, you will be moving them one step closer to a buying decision and increased sales for your business.
Chapter 9: How Businesses can DRAMATICALLY Lower Their Pay Per Click Costs... In this chapter I am going to show you how to lower the costs of your Google Adwords marketing campaign …whilst at the same time dominating your competition.
Google Adwords is an advertising program run by marketing giants Google. It allows you to place small classified ads on the side of Google’s search results page that get triggered when people, searching for the keywords that you specify in your Google Ad, click your ad. It’s known as pay per click (PPC) and you pay a pre determined price to Google every time someone clicks on your ad.
For example, let’s say you run a hair salon in London. You could set up a Google Adwords advertising account so that every time someone types in “hairdressers in London” your advert shows on the right hand side of Google’s search results. It might look something like this:
“Hairdressers In London
We cut men’s and women’s hair
25% off first haircut with us“
If someone clicks on that advert they are taken to your website and you are then charged for that click.
Now here is a way for you to lower your costs per click….
You can choose dozens of keywords that you want to trigger your advert. Let’s say you have a hair salon in
Archway, North London, you could use keywords like:
Hairdressers In London
Hairdressers In East Ham
Women’s Hairdressers London
Mens Barbers Ilford
The key here is to have a different advert for every keyword
Keyword: hairdresser London Advert: “Hairdressers In London We cut men’s and women’s hair 25% off first haircut with us“ Keyword: Hairdressers In Barking
Advert: “Hairdressers In Barking We cut men’s and women’s hair 25% off first haircut with us“
Matching the bidding your keyword
keyword with
What you are doing here is matching the keyword you are bidding on with an advert that matches the keyword. By doing this you are showing Google that you are relevant to what the person searching Google has looked for and they will reward you with lower costs per click. Cool huh? How to lower your pay per click costs even more Want to lower them even more? Send people who click on one of your adverts to a web page on your site that is directly relevant to the advert. So for example if someone searches for “personal trainer London” and you were a personal trainer in London you might set up an ad that says:
“Personal Trainer London Get in the best shape of your life. First session free.“
“Fitness Coach London One on one coaching – get fit for life. First session free.“
And if someone clicks on the first ad they are taken to a web page that contains that specific keyword “Personal Trainer London” a few times. If someone searched for “Fitness Coach London ” your advert would include “fitness coach London” and you would send them to another web page on your site that contained that keyword a few times (along with your prices and contact details of course). If you match up the keyword with an advert that contains that keyword and send people who click on that ad to a specific web page that contains that keyword you will dramatically lower your pay per click costs AND Google will rank you higher in the PPC listings because you are the most relevant to what people are searching for. Like this information? Generates leads runs pay per click marketing campaigns on
behalf of their clients using the exact strategy shown above, so that you get the best return on investment.
Chapter 10: How businesses can prosper in an ever changing world A mindshift needs to happen for a business to remain prosperous in the long term. Most businesses are created to make money and this seems to be the sole driver. Businesses need to shift their focus from the main driver of money to “added value� otherwise their long term strategy is not significantly flexible enough to adapt to any future changes. Value in essence is what a customer pays for, whether that is in the form of a service or product. The more value your business can offer the more money you will make. Money is essentially transference of value based on the perception of the value relative to the entity that created the value and the recipient of the value.
The concept of money needs to change from just money itself to the value it represents to your customer. This is a very simplistic yet powerful mindshift of a business owner, to move to a more customer value centric business model than a business model purely based on monetary gain. By driving your business strategy based on value gives your business a greater scope adaptability in the future and not base your business on temporary money making objectives but on long term stability by providing the most value you can. When businesses stop adding value they die. So focus must always be on “valueâ€? and not on money. Examples of businesses or jobs that have died because they offer no value: 
Lift operator: This job has now become redundant because people can now operate the lifts themselves and the value once offered by a lift operator no longer exists.

ICE delivery: Before the age of fridges businesses existed solely on the basis of delivering ice to businesses and individuals. That job has now disappeared because people and businesses now have the ability to produce their own ice.
Some business exists to offer value based on temporary opportunities No doubt business can make money by taking advantages of temporary opportunities that may be created in the market. Some businesses exclusively exist to take advantages of these opportunities. But what happens when the opportunity doesn’t exist anymore? The business will need to fold and another business set up to take advantage of another opportunity in the market. There is no long term growth for businesses based on temporary changes of business conditions unless the change is relatively permanent. Many businesses have been
built up to exploit certain gaps in the market and have flourished. Sometimes these gaps are filled by innovative new ideas like the Dyson bagless vacuum, created a new market even though at the time the normal vacuum cleaners on the market was capable of delivering the value needed by their customers. The first question a business should ask? Businesses should ask themselves what value am I adding? If you cannot define the value you are adding then your platform for growth is not long term and is based on temporary opportunities and when the temporary opportunity no longer exists, your business no longer exists Most business exists to solve a problem or solve problems. To ensure long term stability a business should ask. Is the problem they are providing solutions for long term as well?
If the problem is long term then business growth becomes more sustainable because it is based on a stable platform. Examples of long term problems
Accounting: All business requires publishing a set of accounts by legal mandate. This makes this a long term problem. So businesses based on providing accounting solutions to companies or individuals will be based on a stable problem that all business by law requires accounting. Cars: Most people either want or need a car.
Shifting value within value Value is based on two things:
The state of the economy The needs of a customer
The state of the economy can change the value of the needs of a customer. Take for example cars, if the economy takes a
downturn then peoples values of what it means to have a car changes e.g. 

People tend not to buy new cars and look at ways to extend the life of their existing cars People tend to buy cars that are more economical
By looking at the changes of value of the customer needs a business can adapt by providing more economical cars and/or provide mechanical services to help customers get more out of their existing cars.
How to deliver value in different ways Businesses should always be looking at how to add more value to their customers needs in different ways. We already looked at how this can be done in the car example by providing mechanical services. Other examples of adding value in different ways:
Coffee shops: Can offer to sell newspapers while their customers sip their coffee or tea they can read their favourite newspaper. They can also offer a Wi-Fi hot spot so that people can surf the net or even do their work while sitting at the coffee shop. Florists: As well as offering flowers they can offer cards e.g. birthday cards, wedding cards etc
This can be looked at as diversifying the value that you are offering to your customers but that value is closely related to the prime value that you are offering.
Differentiate or die
If business don’t differentiate themselves from other businesses then they will only make a mediocre income. Differentiation comes from the differentiating the value your business is offering. Ask yourself the question:
Why should people come and buy from me instead of my competitor? There needs to be something different and unique about the service or product you are offering. This is sometimes defined as a USP or unique selling proposition. If you don’t define your business USP then you risk the chance, due to a fluctuating economy that your business will be shut down because you are competing with so many other people that are offering the same value. Ways you can differentiate your business and make it unique and offer more value You can offer additional services as part of your main service or change the way you deliver the value of how you support the value post sales. Examples:
Offer impeccable customer service. Most businesses don’t offer good post sales support and this could be an area to provide a USP. Unique background can be your USP: for example if you are a B2B

copywriter that specialises in providing marketing for software companies, your unique offering could be that you have 20 years of experience working in a software house providing support to the sales process. Offer something free as part of your service: Some jewellery companies offers a relatively inexpensive gift for their customers to entice them to come and pick it up from their stores.
I hope you found this article of value to you and would be interested in hearing your thoughts on businesses can prosper in the future. Thanks
Chapter 11: How creating greater transparency in your business can lead to increased profits We are living in a world of over abundance of information and people have a lot more choice because of the existence of the
internet. As consumers have become more savvy because of the availability of information, they can afford to be choosy in the products and services that they buy. Businesses are now finding it a lot tougher to convince consumers to buy their products or services. One of the ways a business can become more attractive to potential consumers is by having greater transparency in their business. Greater transparency leads to greater trust between the consumer and the business, and trust is the bedrock of the buying process. So how can businesses create greater transparency? Here are some suggestions of how to make your business more transparent:
Don’t have any hidden charges Don’t hide any charges from your customers, offer complete disclosure of all your charges, so that your customer knows exactly how much they are spending. The last thing you want is an irate customer complaining about the hidden charges. Being upfront about the costs is showing
honesty. I know many businesses that put on additional costs after the sale is made, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of the customer, who are unlikely to buy from you again. Worst still, your reputation will be tainted and you’ll come across as untrustworthy. Simplify your businesses processes By simplifying your business processes you are creating transparency by reducing visible complexity in your business. People want to understand how your business works, especially if they are going to invest large amounts of money for big ticket items. Simplifying your business also streamlines your business, by removing the activities that are not adding any value. This reduces your business operational costs and the savings can be transferred to your potential customers. Be Open structure
about
your
commission
Many companies hide their commission structure, leaving the buyer wondering how much they are going to make from their
purchase. Remove any doubts from your customers mind by being upfront about your commission structure. By making your commission structure transparent, the buyer won’t feel cheated, because you are using the same commission structure for all your customers. I know personally that I get very angry when I find out that another customer brought the same product or service at a reduced rate. Be clear on any guarantees Be crystal clear about any guarantees that you are offering and explain exactly what it covers and what it doesn’t cover. The last thing a customer wants is a guarantee that doesn’t deliver on its promises.
Don’t have any small prints Don’t try and hide any exceptions from a prospective buyer in your terms and conditions. Customers get very angry when they find a problem in the product or service and are met with a standard answer of “Oh it’s in the terms and conditions, didn’t you read it?” This leads to a
frustrated customer who only wanted what the product or service said it would do. The best approach is to go through the terms and conditions with your customer and explain any exceptions if there are any. Distribute as much information about your company as possible By distributing information about your company and your products or service you are creating greater transparency. By providing valuable information that will presell your products or services to your potential customers. Prior to any purchase customers often research the product or service that they want to buy. This information allows the customers to make an informed decision. By providing this kind of information to potential customers; you will be a step ahead of your competitors. Business transparency enhances your reputation Transparency in your business gives your company an honest and ethical reputation. No potential buyer wants to get involved with a shady company. By being
transparent you are showing your customers that you have got nothing to hide. Transparency breeds trust and trust builds relationships, which in turn converts to buyers. Business transparency builds trust and relationships The major factor for businesses losing potential customers is trust, without trust there is no relationship. Think about it, would you do business with someone you don’t trust? Businesses that don’t build trust may get away with it in the short term, but they will not be building a long term relationships and long term relationships leads to repeat buyers. Because a customer trusts you, they are more likely to come back and purchase from you again.
About the Author
Nash Rahman – Freelance Writer and Blogger| “Helping Your Business To Grow and Profit” Contact: Nash.Rahman@gmail.com