Why Every Small Business Owner Needs Two Websites

by: John Jantsch

Every small business owner knows that they need a website, right? Well the truth is what they really need is at least two websites.

One website that is specific to their business, product, service, name, etc. and...

another site that is an educational site specific to the benefits of their service or product.

So JoesBaitShop.com tells all about the various lures and tackle you offer, even more about the charter trips, and eventually how to buy.

CatchFishToday.com (your other site) however is full of informative information, how-to tips, and resources for avid fisherpersons.

Of course this site also has plenty (but not too many) of links back to JoesBaitShop.com.

Here's the deal. Online people don't go out searching for companies, They go online looking for solutions, information, answers to life's persistent questions...you know like what's the best hat to wear cod fishing?

Your second website gives them the answer and sends them to your first site to go shopping.

It really doesn't matter what business you are in. An investment banking firm can benefit from the same strategy.

Here's the reason. The major search engines want to index high quality information. A site about what a person can buy from you doesn't make that cut but a site with an article about how to cast in windy conditions does.

In addition, search engines take a look at sites that link to you and give your some points for that. A high quality how to site about fishing will draw plenty of related links. This will only help drive that traffic to JoesBaitShop.com even faster.

The cost of putting up a website is so low these days it's really a crime if you don't come up with about 10 reasons to have multiple sites.

Think of it this way. You need one site that presells and one site that sells. If this strategy even remotely makes sense to you then there is a book you should read today! It's called Make Your Site Sell. Go see for yourself

Copyright 2004 John Jantsch

About The Author

John Jantsch is a marketing consultant based in Kansas City, Mo. He writes frequently on real world small business marketing tactics and is the creator of Duct Tape Marketing, a turn-key small business marketing system. Check out his blog at http://www.DuctTapeMarketing.com/weblog.php or at http://www.JohnJantsch.com

Firing Underperforming Employees in Your Small Business

by: Richard Cunningham

Here are a few tips on how to hand out pink slips when it comes time to terminate an employee.

As a small business owner with employees, you will likely find it necessary one day to terminate an underperforming employee – if you haven’t already. In an ideal world, that wouldn’t be so. We would hire the right people from the start, and then train and motivate them to do the job.

But, that’s not realistic. In the audio book, “Sound Advice on Small Business,” entrepreneur Jim Schell says, “The world and the people who inhabit it fall something short of perfect, and thus firing is a necessary evil of having employees.”

For some small business owners, taking this unfortunate step is stressful. It might be tempting to delay the action. Schell says don’t. “Once you’ve made the decision, get on with it,” he says. “Procrastination is painful for both parties.”

Before calling the employee into your office, prepare yourself mentally. “Remember that the underperforming employee is dragging down the rest of the team,” says Schell. “Good employees are being penalized.”

Finally, Schell suggests doing the dirty deed on Fridays. “Give both parties the weekend to recover,” he says. “And remember, it’s a heck of a lot harder on whoever’s on the other side of the desk.”

Jim Schell, co-author of “Small Business for Dummies,” offers advice to entrepreneurs on managing a small business in the free audio newsletter from What’s Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz/full_story.asp?ArtID=92.

About The Author

Richard Cunningham is a principal of What’s Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz, the audio marketing firm bringing voice to the insights of business experts through audio books, newsletters, and magazines.

Long Distance and Phone Systems for Small Business

by: Gobala Krishnan

Telecommunication cost is always an obstacle for small business owners, especially if you need to call domestic or international long distance. The long distance cost factor alone, depending on the type of business you're in, can make the difference in the success of any small business.

The telecommunication market today is one of the most competitive. Rates for both local, domestic long distance or DLL (long distance in the same country) and international long distance (ILD) are going down every day.

The new player in small business phone systems, VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), puts big guns like MCI, AT&T and others in competition with smaller providers. Although the quality of VoIP from the big telecommunications companies are usually better, it's the smaller companies that are proving to offer better rates at an acceptable quality. Business owners have to choose for themselves based on the tradeoff between quality and cost.

Before choosing the proper phone system for your business, you need to figure out exactly what your business needs. If your business relies on the phone for prospecting customers, providing customer support, or giving out important information through the phone, then you should opt for better quality.

If you use the phone for short communication with your business partners or agents, or any other reason which is NOT your main business function, it would be better to save a little and go with the low cost option. The difference in quality is not very apparent in most cases.

If you are just starting you small business, phone cards also provide some sort of temporary solution until you can get enough financing to develop a better system. Phone cards usually let you dial international and national long distance at a lower cost because they use either VoIP as the back end provider or through a special promotion or arrangement between telecommunications companies.

Regardless of which phone system you choose for your small business, make sure you are getting the most out of the money you spend for these long distance or international plans. Forget the bells and whistles. The purpose of having a good phone system is, and always should be, to communicate and express yourself.

About The Author

Gobala Krishnan is a freelance writer and owner of the Digital Home Business Association, providing complete business solutions for the serious small business entrepreneur. Check it out now at: http://www.home-business-association.com

For reprint or reproduction of this article, email me at: gobala@home-business-association.com

The Single Most Powerful Small Business Marketing Tool On The Planet

by: John Jantsch

Let me get right to the point. The single most powerful small business marketing tool on the planet is a marketing plan. Now before you roll your eyes and run for the hills let me clear a few things up.

When I talk about a marketing plan I am not referring to those academic exercises found in college marketing books, or the templated mumbo jumbo found in business planning software. I will not be asking you to determine your share of the market today. Give me a break, share of the market, most small business owners just need to figure out to get ten more customers.

A marketing plan is a simple (in many cases one page) document that specifically answers who you are, what you do, who needs it, how you plan to grab them by the throat, when you plan to do it and how you plan to pay for it…in a way that everyone in your organization, network, and client base can clearly understand.

Now that was a mouthful so let me back up a moment. Small business owners are doers, not planners. While doing is better than, say, mildewing, without direction, it leads to “marketing idea of the week” syndrome and stunts any chance a small business has for real growth.

Take one day, follow these 7 simple steps to creating the most powerful small business marketing tool on the planet, and your life will become a much simpler affair. Flowers will grow where weeds had previously resided, your children will say thank you at the top of their lungs, and your favorite baseball team will finally make that run for the pennant.

Well, maybe none of that will happen but you won’t be as irritated when it doesn’t.

Step 1: Narrow your market focus

Look at whom you are currently doing most of your business with. Figure out why they do business with you and what it is about them that is unique. Write one paragraph that describes what they look like and what they want out of life. Take a good hard look at the rest of your clients and customers and decide if they fit that description of your best client. Start saying no when the phone rings and it’s not your target market calling.

Step 2: Position your business

Figure out what it is that you do best, figure out what your target market longs for and tell the world that you do that like no one else ever thought of. Maybe it’s serving a niche, maybe it’s a form of service, maybe it’s a way you package your products. Here’s a hint: you probably don’t know what it is. Call up 3 or 4 of your clients and ask them why they buy from you.

Step 3: Core messages

Create several very compelling benefits of doing business with your firm and find ways to work them into everything you say and do. Just remember it’s not a benefit unless your clients think it is. Your clients don’t buy what you sell…they buy what they get from what you sell.

Step 4: Marketing materials

Recreate all of your marketing materials, including your website, so that they speak only of your core messages and your target market.

Step 5: Never cold call

Make sure that all of your advertising, including yellow pages, is geared to creating prospects and not customers. You must find ways to educate before you sell. Your target market needs to learn how you provide value in a way the will make them want to pay a premium for your services or products. You simply can’t do this in a 3 x 4 ad. Your ad needs to get them ask for more information…then you can proceed to selling.

Step 6: Expect referrals

You must create a referral marketing engine that systematically turns clients and referral networks into 24 hour marketing powerhouse. The first step in the system is to make providing referrals a condition of doing business with your firm.

Step 7: Live by a calendar

After you complete steps 1-6, determine what you need to do to put them into action and then schedule them on a calendar. Whatever it is that you need to pick a month and pledge to get it done that month. The mistake most small business owners make is to get overwhelmed when they realize how much they really need to.

If you can begin to schedule one or two activities each month you will look up at the end of six months and find that you have a fully developed referral system, new website, and a lead generation system. Slow and steady wins the race tortoise.

So what will have completed when by the time you read the next issue of this publication?

Copyright 2004 John Jantsch

About The Author

John Jantsch is a marketing consultant based in Kansas City, Mo. He writes frequently on real world small business marketing tactics and is the creator of “Duct Tape Marketing” a turn-key small business marketing system. Check out his blog at http://www.DuctTapeMarketing.com/weblog.php - gets these kinds of killer tips weekly by sending an email to mailto:subscribe@ducttapemarketing.com