The first thing I did when I went into business was to hire a bookkeeper. A professional who knows what she is doing. AND she loves it! (Another important factor). There is no way I wanted to spend my precious time learning accounting and tax laws. I know what I’m good at and numbers is not my strength. I’m certain that my business would have failed early on if I tried to do my own bookkeeping.

I get calls all the time from entrepreneurs who have tried to build their own website. And guess what? It isn’t working! Often the conversation starts with, “Well first of all, I don’t have any money….” They don’t even need to say anymore because I know they are going to tell me about a do-it-yourself website and want me to fix it.

In my 14 years of doing websites I have never seen a do-it-yourself site that has been successful. If you happen to have a successful website that you built yourself – I want to hear your story!

When you hire an experienced professional – whether it is for bookkeeping, web design, painting, landscaping, SEO or anything else – you are tapping into their years of experience, insight and wisdom. This is priceless!

I was watching a cooking show and they had a professional football player trying to create a gourmet dish. The hosts were laughing and joking with him and the audience was entertained by his attempts. At one point he had enough of their ribbing and said, “I’m a big believer in sticking to your craft.” I’m sure if those chefs were out on the football field with him we would all be having some laughs too.

Now, I am not saying you should stop trying new things – please have fun and explore new opportunities. It’s a great sense of accomplishment to do something yourself. Who knows? You may find a whole new craft that you are really good at. You may have multiple talents and businesses that all do quite well and I say Bravo! However, when it comes to your primary business and livelihood – do what you do best and hire the rest. A wise business owner once told me, “Just because you CAN do everything yourself doesn’t mean you should.” I have heeded that advice. Also know that everyone is good at something and that doesn’t mean you have to be good at everything!

Referral #1 – Ben* was highly recommended by a close friend and we had seen his work. We were planning to hire him on the spot without interviewing anyone else. Scheduled an appointment and my husband took off work to be here. Ben calls at the last minute saying he is tied up and can’t make it. Reschedule for the next day. When he looks at the project he doesn’t seem knowledgeable or interested. Says he’ll get us a proposal in a day or so. He never returns our calls or submits a proposal. A better way to communicate: “This project is outside my area of expertise and/or we are too busy right now to take on this type of project, I recommend you call ______. “

Referral #2 – Highly recommended by a neighbor. Sam* doesn’t return our phone calls.

Better Communication Tip: Return all phone calls!

I heard great things about Service Magic so I put our request online. Within minutes we received phone calls from four drywall contractors and scheduled two appointments. I was so impressed! It really was magic!

Tony* arrives sloppily dressed and looking somewhat like a hobo. I know this is a construction project, but first impressions do matter. When he sees the project I lost count of how many times he said “no” and everything was going to be a “problem”.  He kept saying things like, “this won’t work”, “I can’t do this” and ended with you have to buy your own paint. Really?? I am getting discouraged and wonder if anyone wants to work.

Ramiro Lozano (his real name) with Gen’s Remodeling arrives in clean clothes and removes his shoes at our front door. He was professional on the phone as well as in person. Everything is a “yes” and “no problem”. He said he would have a detailed estimate to us the next day and he can start work next week. Music to my ears! His 15 years of experience shows and he exudes confidence with knowledge. No B.S.

Ramiro’s estimate was reasonable and we hired him! His workers are professional, efficient, polite and clean up. Wow! I will be one of the many satisfied customers who will give him a 5-star rating on Service Magic. Our basement ceiling is beautiful.

Do you go through a similar process when hiring a web designer? Would you like to meet in person or work with someone virtually? Is knowledge, experience and professionalism important to you? Or is price driving your decision? I welcome your comments  (the good, the bad and the ugly) about your process and experience in hiring a service professional.

*Not their real names.

Web Questions for the New Year

1. Is my copyright displaying 2011?
2. Does my content need updating?
3. Am I analyzing statistics using Google Analytics?
4. If I could change one thing about my website, what would it be?
5. Is my website attracting my ideal clients?

As an eternal optimist, I believe that 2011 – the year of the rabbit – will be a little more comfortable. I will observe the world news, natural disasters, media and politicians with an altered awareness. I’m going to hop along with things that make me feel comfortable. Every chance I get I support small businesses. I eat at locally owned restaurants rather than the big chains. I buy art and jewelry from local artists. I tell every person who provides friendly customer service what a wonderful job they are doing and thank them for being there. I hand write thank you notes every week. I wake up every day with a sense of gratitude and curiosity. I learn something new every day. I make time for taking my dog to visit the elderly. You should see the smiles on their faces – it just makes their day! I bake pies, cookies or make soups to take to neighbors, clients and friends. I feel more comfortable already, how about you?

A Muse News subscriber sent this to me about her phone fraud call:

“We received a phone call this evening from the Energy Research Alliance, 720-339-8304, asking if we wanted to participate in an energy SURVEY (this is how they get around the Do-Not-Call list). Normally I would hang up on these type of calls, but Jennifer, the young lady making the call, asked intelligent questions and sounded reputable. I agreed to let their survey team call me to see if we fit the “parameters” of their survey (I think the parameters are whether you have a pulse!)  As I was talking to her I Googled the company and came up with some IMPORTANT information EVERYONE should know. Check out this website to learn what they are really about and then when they call “Just say NO.” They have not called me back yet, but when they do, you know what I will tell them. Some people on the site below said these people just kept calling them over and over. The solution to this problem is to call your phone company and have a block put on that number.

I’m sending this warning to every local person in my address book and I hope you do too.”

The 800notes.com site has good info and you may also post a comment there if you’ve received such a call. When Googling phone numbers type the whole number in – no dashes or dots. You can also Google a company name like the person above did. Then put a block on the number.

What if a Website is Illegal, Unethical or Posts Bad Things About Me?

In the 11 years we’ve been in business, this question has come up only a handful of times. I hope it never happens to you or someone you know, but if it does, here are some guidelines. I recommend calling and speaking to someone directly to get the fastest response.

1. Contact Google – they are pretty quick to address your concerns:

Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
Phone: +1 650-253-0000
Fax: +1 650-253-000

2. Contact the Hosting Company – they will often take the site down. Go to NetCraft to find out who is hosting the website: Type the domain name in the search box on the left to see the hosting/contact details.

3. Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which handles complaints about deceptive or unfair business practices. To file a complaint, visit the FTC, call 1-877-FTC-HELP, or write to the following address:

Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
Washington, D.C. 20580

4. You may also consider filing a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). 

5. If your complaint is against a company in a country other than the United States, you can file it at EConsumer

We work well with a variety of professionals throughout any given day. Whether they are Domain Registrars, Hosting, SEO, Pay Per Click, Adwords, Marketing, Public Relations, Printers, Web Companies, Programmers, Virtual or Administrative Assistants and more. I was appalled when I phoned a web company to fix a scripting error on their client’s site for us. (We’re doing some updates on that client’s site). I was told they couldn’t take my request over the phone, I would need to email it to support@ – what the heck? I received an automated email response assigning a case # and saying if it took longer than 72 hours a rep would call me. Well, that didn’t happen, so I emailed again, a new case # was assigned and again no response. I then emailed the person I spoke with initially on the phone. To make a long story short – my request was totally ignored and to this date, the problem still exists on their site. How do they sleep at night?

Another company, which also will remain nameless never answers their phone. Their policy is for you to leave a message and someone will call you back. Well, my client or myself have yet to receive a return call or even an email acknowledgement. I really wonder how these companies stay in business!

Then there is the Virtual Assistant who doesn’t have a clue about web design or coding – yet claims such knowledge on her own website. The coding on the site she worked on is now a real bird’s nest and our client is paying the price. How can someone claim to be an expert in something when they are not? That is not being conscientious.

One of the big characteristics I look for in people who work with me is “conscientiousness”.  Do they respond promptly to my phone calls or emails? Do they follow through? Are they responsible and reliable or do they disappear for days/weeks at a time? Skills can be learned or taught. I’m more interested in hands-on experience than a degree from a tech school or web design certificate. I think that being conscientious is something built in to your character – it’s not something you can download. I am proud to say that everyone at The Web Muse & Co. has this quality along with many more!  Come to think of it, I really enjoy working with clients who are conscientious too. It’s a win-win.

Among the many things that make our company different – being conscientious is one of the big ones. We follow-through, we do what we say we’ll do and we’ll tell you if we don’t know how to do something. Being honest and straightforward are also two qualities that are mentioned when clients refer us to others. We are paid for our advice/opinions/research and clients know that we will be direct. We will not just say, “Oh that’s a great idea when we think there’s a better approach.” We want only the very best for you and your business.

2.  Know where your website is hosted. This is sometimes different than where the domain is registered. It can be the same place if you’ve registered your domain at the same place you host the site. Find out if they have an 800 number to call 24/7 if your site is down or has been hacked.

3.  Know the passwords for each email address associated with your website.

Contact your web company today if you do not have the above three things and make sure you keep this information in a safe place.

Collaboration – This is something The Web Muse & Co. does every day. We are in communications with Printers, Public Relations Firms, Marketing Companies, Virtual Assistants, Graphic Designers, Search Engine Optimization, Pay-Per-Click, Social Media experts and many more. These are all people we “collaborate” with – meaning that we work on a project together. We refer business back and forth. Think about all the different people you interact with on a daily basis and make a list of those types of businesses.

Connection – One can spend time on or offline with networking and making new connections. What’s even better is when someone you know “connects” you or introduces you to someone new. I call this a “warm connection”. It’s wonderful to get phone calls or emails saying, “Anita, I’d like to introduce you to Victoria. She is an amazing woman who specializes in 4-color printing of brochures and business cards. I think you’ll find her pricing very competitive with the online vendors. Here is her contact information, etc.” I immediately thank the person who introduced us, next I contact Victoria to setup and in-person meeting or a phone call. I go into the meeting with one agenda – what I can do or provide for her. Not what she can provide to me. I offer to connect her with my clients who are looking for these services, give her new resources or links to sites, put her information in my next Muse News and introduce her to some businesses for collaboration. Do you see how this works? It’s a win/win/win!

Connections can also start out to be personal, based on a hobby or interest and turn into business. For example, I recently connected 3 women I personally know who love horses. One is involved with a beautiful horse ranch, the other does equine gestalt therapy plus speaking and the 3^rd is a graphic designer who loves to ride. Because this was a “warm connection” from someone they knew (me) – they immediately contacted each other and I can’t wait to see what transpires from their interaction. Exciting!

I want to help you with a connection today. Here’s how to participate:

1. Send me an email with a type of connection or collaboration you are looking for. This would look something like this: I am looking for a Social Media Expert who has experience working with Commercial Landscapers. Or Do you know a publisher that I may connect with about my upcoming book about Dream Interpretation? Or I need a connection in the Los Angeles area to help me with my speaking skills. You get the idea. It is not – I need a connection to buy my latest book. Or My target audience is anyone who dreams, etc.
2. Include a blurb about your area of expertise, services, products, contact info, etc.

I will get busy and start reaching out to my local and global network to make the connection. Sound like fun? Let’s start connecting and collaborating with some new dynamic people today!

As a website owner, let’s use the retail store analogy – you invest money in the building of the website or the retail storefront. Next, you open your doors for business or your website goes “live”. The thinking is that once the website is built, the search engines should find you immediately and the cash register will start ringing. Is this realistic? Why are online expectations so drastically unrealistic from offline expectations?

Many website owners have budgeted no time or money for online advertising or marketing yet expect dollars to come flooding in. I get dozens of emails every day with desperate pleas like, “Can you fix my website?” “What’s wrong with my website?” Or my personal favorite, “I can’t spend any more money on my website.”

If you want excellent results from your website then it’s a smart idea to invest some time and money into the marketing of the site. Here are three budgets and scenarios to consider.

Piggybank of Money – You have more time than money and can afford to wait for results. Focus on your website usability and how to attract your ideal clients. Research keyword phrases, start reciprocal linking ,cross-marketing efforts and actively engage in social media. Educate yourself by taking some seminars or teleclasses. Take immediate action on what you learn.

Stash of Money – You want immediate results and have a pretty good budget. Optimize your site to the max so the search engines and your target audience will find you. Consider a pay-per-click campaign. Invest in Google Ad Words. Enhance your offline marketing strategies to compliment your online strategies.

Buckets of Money – You want maximum results and have no budget limitations. You know what conversion rates are worth and will strategically test and measure results. Implement everything outlined in the previous two budgets plus Google Sponsor Spots. Invest in more than one pay-per-click program. Pay for listings in relevant industry, geographic and target market specific directories. Hire a Public Relations and SEO firm that will maximize your on and offline efforts.

In any of the above scenarios it’s a good idea to keep reinvesting some time and money into ongoing website efforts. When you find something that works, keep doing it and take it to the next level. For example, if you find that you’re getting lots of traffic from industry-specific directories, contact them and see how you can do more business with them. Maybe you got several clients from a website that you’re linked with. Contact that website owner and thank them, then suggest more ways you can promote each other’s business.  And finally, talk with your competitors. Are your online goals and expectations realistic? Ask your competitors how they are doing, what is working and what they’ve found to be their most effective online marketing strategy.

2. FREE – yes, put this word in big, bold capital letters at least once on your home page. Everyone can give something away for FREE. The Internet was built on the premise of FREE. What can you give away for FREE?

3. Today – Why delay? Order today! Now is good, today is better! This word invites the visitor to take action today. Tell them why today is better than tomorrow and that’s even better. Encourage them to buy from you today.

4. Buy – Yes, tell them to buy or take action. Use this word and make this prominent on your site. Order, Buy, Subscribe or Call. These are all action-oriented words that educate the visitor on where to click to “buy”.

5. Questions – Ask a question to get a response or interaction from a visitor. Use emotional words within the question to get a greater reaction. Which sounds better: “Make those hits multiply like rabbits.” or “Are your hits multiplying like rabbits?” See the difference?

6. Bullet Points – People tend to scan rather than read when they are online. Bullet points are good because they separate the text and are easy to scan quickly. Statistics show that odd numbered bullet points work best using 3-5 rather than 4-6.

7. Social Media Icons – Place these in the footer or sidebar of your site so they appear on every page. This encourages people to follow you on Twitter, friend you on FaceBook or connect with you on LinkedIn.

8. Benefits – Don’t tell me you’ve been in business for 25 years, tell me what that many years of experience is going to do for me. What makes you special? How will I feel when working with your company? What type of experience am I going to have that is different from your competitors?

9. Sign Up – OK, it’s two words, but they really work. Sign up for our free ezine; sign up for our secrets, tips or free sample. By having the visitor “sign up” you get their email address and maybe more if you have them fill out a short form. This gives you permission to market to them in the future. These are the people who are truly interested in what you have to offer.

10. Thanks – Yes, make sure to thank your online customer or potential customer for stopping by your site, placing the order or signing up. People thrive on appreciation. One company I deal with online, goes a step further and sends a handwritten thank you note every time I place an order.

10.5 Bonus – Include a special bonus for your visitors. This could be a bonus offer when you order two for one or a bonus report or a bonus coupon. Visitors love extras!

You’ve got to sell your site with WORDS because the visitor is sitting in front of a screen instead of meeting you face-to-face. The right amount of words and the way you say it is so important. Have fun playing with words on your web site and start seeing results today!