by Jonathon Hyjek | Jul 12, 2012 | Online Marketing
About 6 or 7 years ago I went into a mattress store, looking for a mattress that was a little softer. Because of the overly slick and annoying tactics of the mattress salesman, I walked out with a mattress (well…they delivered it) with a mattress that cost WAY more than I should have spent and more than I could afford. The mattress salesman was slick…almost to the point of sleezy. You know the type; Like a used car salesman, eager to push anything out the door for a sales commission.
Informercials…
Another bad experience for me was with a certain product that they had been pushing on an infomercial. I saw the product at a local fair, watched the overly dramatic presentation and remembered all their marketing gimmicks from the TV infomercials…and then I decided to buy the product. It didn’t live up to their claims (big surprise) and I felt like I was taken for a ride by their slick marketing campaigns.
Marketing and Sales professionals have, in some cases, developed a bad wrap over the years because of these less than credible marketing techniques.
Today’s customer is looking for authenticity in marketing. They don’t want empty promises and they certainly don’t want scams or gimmicks. Customers demand that marketers get to the point and relate to their customers in a sincere and authentic manner. Most savvy marketers, both online and offline have caught on, but there are still those that just don’t get.
If you’re marketing to customers online, here are a few tips to think about.
How do you market with authenticity on the internet?
– Be sincere, interact with your customers and clients through a blog or social media in a humble, thoughtful, authentic and helpful manner.
– Don’t just try to push your products down customers throats; It doesn’t work anymore. It just makes people annoyed.
– If you’re passionate about what you do (and you should be) let that come out in your marketing efforts.
– Show people how much you know, without being the guy that knows everything and wants people to know how much you know.
– Use social media in a real way, sharing information that matters. Don’t just spam Social Media outlets with your crappy content.
– Provide good content, that’s well-written and timely.
– Unless you’re a freak, let the real you shine through in your communications. People like you.
All of the points above will help you be a stellar online marketer, but there’s one more thing that’s even more important.
You MUST have a good product or service. Focus on that first and foremost and then authentic marketing is much easier to do. If you don’t have a good product or service, you always have to slip into questionable techniques to market, trying constantly to compensate for your product/service shortcomings.
by Jonathon Hyjek | Jul 8, 2012 | Online Marketing
When websites were first introduced, it was revolutionary. No longer did a business need to get a paper brochure into the hands of your prospective customers. The business owner simply pointed their prospects to their website address and the customer could get information about the company right from their company website. For the first 5 years or more, this was amazing and worked fairly well. We all thought this new method of marketing was amazing.
That was then…
This would be a good news story for most businesses, if it wasn’t for the fact that many businesses are still using early 90’s online marketing methods.
What do I mean by that?
Here’s the typical scenario. Businesses approach a web designer to build a website that includes the standard stuff; A contact page, a page that details their services, a bio page and maybe a few other random pages or a portfolio. The website goes up and the business owner expects big things to happen, only to be disappointed by a lack of interest in their website.
So what’s the problem?
The problem is that much has changed in the marketing world and in society in general. We have become a highly interactive society, very attached to technology and we expect businesses that we interact with to be at the forefront of our tech savvy, interactive world. Visitors to your website no longer want to visit a boring website that just tells what products or services your offer. They are looking for a website that gives them up-to-date, valuable information. They want to interact and connect with the business, have their questions answered, have their fears or concerns addressed and they want to know that you are the best company or service provider for them to do business with.
This requires a change in the way that websites are built. It requires businesses to seek out companies that can do more than just built a website. Businesses need to work with an online marketing company that they trust and one that they can build a long-term relationship with.
If you require help with your online marketing strategy, contact us for more information on how we can help.It’s not good enough to toss up a website and wait for results and it’s not a one-sided conversation anymore.
by Jonathon Hyjek | Jul 5, 2012 | Online Marketing
Why is it that we’re willing to pay for quality products or services in some aspects of our life, but not all?
Sometimes it comes down to budget and we just don’t have the money for what we want, so we look for the least expensive option, but in other areas we don’t mind paying for better quality because we realize that we’re getting a vastly different product or service.
Here’s what I mean:
When you want your car fixed, you have the option to take your brand new Mercedes-Benz to the dealer at a cost of over $100/hr, or you can opt for the less expensive local mechanic that may charge $65 or $75 per hour. Chances are good that even though the first option is more money, you will choose it because you know that the Mercedes dealer will do the job correctly. They know your car and they have the genuine parts that it will need.
Another example of cheaper vs. better is when you set out to buy a new pair of shoes. You can go to Wal-Mart and buy just about any style of shoes you might ever want at less than $50. So why is it that you don’t mind paying $150 for a pair of Clarke’s or Rockports? It’s because there’s a difference in quality which you don’t mind paying for.
Now let’s bring this concept into the world of SEO, websites and online marketing. There are all kinds of people offering a website for prices from $100 to $10,000. There are “SEO experts” that offer their services for $10/hr while others charge $250/hr. If you’re a bargain-hunter, you may be drawn to the $100 option and you decide it’s best solely based on the low price. The trouble with doing this, just like the car dealer or your new shoes is that there’s a good chance you’re not getting the same thing. You’re not comparing apples to apples.
Price can only be one of many considerations when choosing an SEO company or website designer. It shouldn’t be the only criteria or you risk getting something that’s vastly different than what you actually need.
Cheaper rarely equals better…
