It pays to be perceived as an expert. Whether you’re a landscaper, an accountant, a lawyer, or somewhere in between, establishing your expertise will help you to become more profitable and to grow your business.Why?Because consumers prefer to do business with an expert. And they’re willing to pay a premium for it.(Think of it this way – if you just moved into a new city and you’re choosing a new family dentist, who Read More

We’ve talked often about the importance of differentiating yourself from the competition in your market. Another way to think about it is “putting yourself in a category of one.” If you’re successful in differentiating yourself to the point that nobody else can come close to offering what you offer, you’re in a fantastic position. That’s easier said than done, obviously, but it’s a great long term marketing Read More

Most of the time, today's consumers don't pick up the Yellow Pages when they are looking for a business. They go to Google. Or Facebook. Or LinkedIn. So how can you be sure that they'll choose you? There are many elements to a successful  internet marketing campaign, but it all starts with your website.Social media can be very effective – but if your audience can’t click through to your site to learn more, or to get Read More

The New Year is right around the corner. 2013 represents opportunity and possibility. It’s a blank canvas. The possibilities are endless.What do you want to create? It all starts with a plan. If you haven’t already, take the time to list several goals for 2013. These goals should be specific and measurable—i.e. “increase revenue by 20% as compared to 2012.” Then create a plan to meet these goals.Whatever your plans Read More

Is it possible for an innovation to be both incredibly significant… and completely over-hyped?Yes— and Facebook proves it.Facebook marketing is absolutely a game changer for business.And yet many internet marketers make Facebook out to be a “magic pill” or a perfect, complete marketing solution for every single business, product, or campaign. If this is what you’re expecting from Facebook, you’re going to be Read More

Blogging may be a relatively new concept for most business owners, but as we’ve discussed elsewhere, it can be a very effective marketing tool—for two reasons in particular. First, an effective blog will position the business owner as an authority in his or her market. And second, Google and other search engines love blog content, which means that a regularly updated blog can help you move higher in search engine Read More

When it comes to creating a well-branded, lead-generating website, the actual design and functionality of the website is only half of the equation. The content of the website is equally as important. Yet many business owners focus their energy and their resources on the appearance of the website, and treat the content as an afterthought. The truth is that, whether your website is designed to sell products, generate Read More

The National Football League kicked off their regular season this past week—with the first game occurring on Wednesday, 13 games yesterday, and 2 more capping off the weekend tonight. Despite the struggling economy, the NFL remains a remarkably profitable business. Millions of fans watch each game on TV. Hundreds of thousands shell out money each week for expensive tickets to the games. And millions more support Read More

Considering how cost-effective email marketing is, we’re often surprised that more business owners don’t use it. Common explanations we hear range from “It’s too confusing to set up” to “I don’t have the time to do it consistently” to “it won’t work for my market.”And while it’s true that email marketing won’t work for everyone, it is our opinion that email marketing is a potentially valuable element of almost every Read More