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.

SEND THANK YOU NOTES

Did you know that a large percentage of new business comes from referrals? Send a personal, handwritten thank you note to anyone who refers someone to you.  This will perpetuate more referrals and I bet your competition isn’t doing this! Who doesn’t love to get something in the postal mail besides bills and junk mail?

AUTO ID PLATES AND LETTERING

How often are you stuck in traffic and end up staring at the license plate in front of you? This is the perfect place to display your web site address. If you have a short slogan or tagline, it can be placed on top with your web site address on the bottom. There are also companies that offer nice lettering to place on your back or side window. Have you ever searched for a pen and paper while trying to memorize the magnetic sign on the truck for handyman services, plumbing or hardwood flooring? The person in the vehicle behind you could be your next customer!

LABELS

Use labels with your web site address and catchy slogan to seal your correspondence. This is one more way to flash your web site address in front of a potential customer. I recently purchased some products at a trade show. Luckily the vendor had placed a label on the back of the product so I could go to the website and order more for friends. Without that label she would have missed out on some sales after the event was over. Create your own labels with your website address and phone number for wine bottles to give as gifts.

POSTAL MAIL

How often do you stay in touch with your clients & business associates? At a minimum, quarterly correspondence will keep you fresh in their minds. Several online printers offer full color postcards, business cards, bookmarks and note cards. Create a one-page newsletter or tip sheet and include a promo item. I got one recently that was a message in a bottle. Very clever!

In addition to your online communications – these offline efforts will help you stand out from your competition. It’s all about being creatively unique and memorable. Have fun with these and remember, if you’re not promoting your site – who is?

You can also type into Google “Your City Directories” like “Los Angeles Directories” or “Key West Florida Directories” and see which ones may be a good fit for you. When you type in specific keyword phrases that pertain to your industry the local directories tend to be at the top. For example, periodically I will type in “Colorado Web Designers” or “Denver Web Designers” to see which directories are at the top.

Advertising in directories is a great way for people to find your business. I have been advertising in local and industry specific directories for several years with terrific results. The directories usually have some type of tracking systems in place to see how many times people are looking at your ad. They will send those reports to you. List your business for free in some directories or they may offer a 3-month trial for free. Other directories charge a monthly or annual fee. Additionally, I check my Google Analytics to see how well my online advertising dollars are working. Have fun and I’d love to hear which directories work the best for you!

Your Website Copy must APPEAR easy to read before your visitors start reading it. Use an easy to read layout for your web content. Bullet points are very effective. People scan rather than read online.

Conversational
Use a consistent style of writing throughout your website. Getting the right tone is treading a fine line. Too formal, and the website seems cold and inhuman. Too informal, and the site can seem frenetic, erratic and pushy. Write in a friendly and interesting manner. Don’t sound boring and impersonal. Your visitors should enjoy reading your web content and get hooked into it.

Make website copy sound informative and professional to your customer at one time, and entertaining and friendly at another.

Bad: Our Company is very efficient, reliable and affordable and we have been around for years. We also have a very impressive portfolio of clients that we have previously worked for. We are definitely the best choice.

Better: Let us spoil you with our exceptionally friendly and personal customer service!

Included with every new site design:

• Keyword phrase research and implementation.
• Our 13 years of web wisdom and creative marketing expertise.
• A baker’s dozen of delicious homemade cookies – YUM!

People don’t like to feel they are reading a textbook. They like being talked to. Write in a conversational style as if you are talking to your customer.

Create Action
Your website copy is totally useless if it cannot put your customer to action. After all, you are trying to sell something, right? Give them an irresistible call for action.

Include frequent invitations to contact you by e-mail, and make it really easy for people to do so. And answer every email within 24 hours. A brief response today is worth far more than 1000 words three weeks later.

Include real names and real photos of real people. Include your real address in an obvious place and on every page. This will help make the “human connection” with an otherwise flat electronic screen.

Search Engine Friendly
Web content or copy must be search engine friendly or you will not attract your ideal clients. Develop 3-5 word keyword phrases and write your copy around those. Think about conversations you’ve had with your clients and write answers to their questions.

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.

How can you enhance the “experience” the visitor will have at your website?

1.       Appealing colors and images.

2.       Verbiage that lets them know they are in the “right” place.

3.       Audio, music, video, testimonials or quotes.

What is it that will make them call or email you today?

1.       Your phone number and email in a larger font and very visible on every page.

2.       Good copy – what you say and how you say it is imperative to visitors taking action. Note: Reverse type text (light text on a dark background) is the most difficult to read online.

3.       Easy navigation and simple calls to action. Too many places to click or too many graphics is a real turn-off to visitors. Less is more!

I invite you to “experience” a few sites we’ve designed using the WordPress platform:

Tilde Furniture – www.tildefurniture.com

Check out this brand new site we designed for Stephen Kohlbeck. It’s crisp, clean, easy to navigate and the site design reflects the simple elegance of the furniture. For green, eco-friendly, luxurious furniture – this is the plac

Better Health & Wellness -  www.bettterhealthwellness.com

The colors and images in this site are inviting and relaxing. You can already imagine how you are going to feel once you walk thru the doors. There’s a call to action to sign up for the newsletter. The phone number and email are very visible. Make an appointment today for massage, reflexology, acupuncture or an ion footbath.  Aaaaaahhh!

Fun Productions -  www.funproductions.com

The bright colors and images just scream FUN in this site redesign! The phone numbers are large and visible up top. Calls to action are: Request a quote, sign up for newsletter and over on the left nav – Tell Us What We’re Doing Right.  (I love that last one). Notice this site has 3 forms of navigation since it’s pretty large. The images are clickable to the different areas and the navigation on the left also gets you right where you want to go. Additionally, we’ve added bottom navigation to get you back from some of the longer inside pages. Their social media and YouTube icons are in the upper right. The experience here is fun, fun, fun! Call them for your next team-building event or corporate party.  Let the FUN begin!

When I was little my grandma and grandpa loved to take us kids to the Nebraska State Fair. Every year my grandma would say, “Now kids, don’t let grandpa buy any more slicer-dicers. We’ve got a basement full of ‘em!” We would watch the entertaining demonstrations of the latest gizmos and amazingly they all had guarantees. Sure enough my grandpa would buy the knife that never needs sharpening, the apple peeler, the chopper/slicer or the magic stain remover. One time at the end of a pots and pans demonstration the spokesman said, “Light the candles ladies – supper’s ready!” It was as if supper magically made itself with these miracle pans – guaranteed!

After we got home grandma would scold grandpa for buying yet another gadget and we’d all laugh. I don’t think my grandpa cared if the gizmo worked or not. He just did it for the fun of it. It became a running joke every year wondering what grandpa would buy next.

So back to the sizzlin’ deals with those SEO companies. It’s kinda like the slicer-dicers. If you want to do it for the fun of it – go for it! If you really truly believe in those SEO company promises well…would you also like a ginzu knife?