Niche Build It! - A Small Business Example

A Small Business Example

Why You Need A Web Site

This Small Business Example shows just how common it is becoming for people who are looking for services to ask if you have a Web site. Compare to the effectiveness of a Yellow Page Ads and get online now!

Last week I (Erin) was organizing for a client (organizing is my offline service business) and she told me that her neighbor was looking for an Interior Decorator and wondered if I knew of one? I said that I had a new friend who is a Decorator and I would be happy to get her phone number for her. My client then asked me if she had a Web site. My friend did not have a Web site (but with me as her new friend, I am sure she will soon!)

My client then went on to say that she likes to go online and preview prospective businesses before she contacts them. BINGO! This is a perfect example of why it is becoming more and more important for local service sellers to have a Web presence.

Example Analysis

Let's break this example down. My client said she likes to "preview" first. In other words she likes to begin the relationship with a potential (service) provider by visiting their Web site and in essence, by being presold on one provider over perhaps many others. She can visit a Web site, and in this case, possibly view "before and after" photos and read relevant, high value content that will give her a sort of "feel" for the decorator. She may like the "voice" that the site is written in or she may not and then move onto another site to find a decorator that better fits her needs.

What does this example mean to you? If you are a Service provider of any type, it means YOU NEED TO HAVE A WEB PRESENCE!

Continuing on with the example, I contacted my new friend later in the day and asked her if she had a Web site, which as I mentioned above, she did not. She said " I know I really need to get with the new millenium, Erin, but I just haven't done it yet. I do have "before and after" photos ear-marked for that purpose and I have a family member who is a Web designer, but I just haven't done anything about it yet". I asked her if I could meet with her to discuss the importance of having a Web presence.

Even if my friend only wishes to market her local service business with a Web site, she will still be better off than not having a site at all. I did a search for Decorators in her area and there is quite a bit of competition. She will definitely have an advantage if she brings her business online.

Of course, you and I know that if she provides great content on her Web site that is all about her decorating business, people will come to her site over other sites that merely provide contact information and some photos. This will all take some time and motivation of course but it will keep her business moving with the new millenium! People in the prosperous, touristy small town where her business is located are always looking for decorators. However, more and more they are turning to the internet to find that perfect decorator.

Effectiveness of Yellow Pages

Having a Web site to market and presell any service business, is so much more effective than advertising in the Yellow Pages! For example, what happens when you try to find something in the Yellow Pages? Yep, first you have to decide WHICH Yellow Pages to look in. What a pain! Then you have to figure out what heading to look under...ex., decorators, designers, interior decorators. Will you luck out? Maybe, maybe not. Most likely you will have to look in two or three locations to find what you are looking for and THEN if you are really lucky you picked the right Yellow Pages! You may even look in the white pages out of frustration. Has this ever happened to you?

This seems like a good to time to compare the benefits of having a Web site as opposed to a Yellow Pages ad. Think of a Web site as a super-Yellow Pages ad... with 100 times the results... (at a fraction of the price if you use Site Build It!). As we discussed above, people are searching less and less offline and more online ...

Does your Yellow Pages ad...

attract hundreds of visitors?

pre-sell potential customers before they call you?

feel relationship-oriented?

take clients away from competitors?

give you the ability to update frequently?

reach your clients with seasonal specials?

For a more in depth comparison of having a Yellow Pages Ad vs. a Web site, click

here. It doesn't matter what type of existing business you already have, Yellow Pages are going to disappear. What will happen then? There will undoubtedly be a stampede of small business owners looking to have a site built. Avoid the rush and crowds and jump in now. Remember what happens when demand exceeds supply? Don't wait...build it now!

Bring Your Marketing Efforts
Into The New Millenium

In closing, I want to tell you about some excellent resources that will help you take your offline business marketing efforts and bring them into the new millenium.

The first one is The Service Sellers Masters Course. This is a free download and is loaded with up-to-date marketing ideas that have proven successful for thousands of small service business owners. I suggest you download this, print it out and read it before week's end. Have your pen and highlighter handy and be sure to set up a meeting with your staff to share what you have learned. I guarantee you will find many strategies that you can use to build up your service business. Most likely you will be very busy in the next few months applying the techniques and examples outlined here. What have you got to lose? It's free and it's invaluable! A paradox at it's finest and beneficial to your business as well!

The second resource that I also found invaluable, although it is not free, is Sharon Fling's " How To Promote Your Local Business On The Internet." This book shows you in no uncertain terms that the future of the net is local. Sharon discusses relationship marketing...a HUGELY popular concept now. She talks about how to have a relationship-oriented Web site too. If you think about this, it makes total sense. You have a realtionship-oriented business, right?

One of the first steps to attracting new clients is beginning that first sense of trust. You need to do this with a Web site as well. Sharon provides insightful, useful techniques, examples and strategies for promoting your business both in the offline and online world. She weaves them together so well that you will wonder why you haven't built a Web site sooner.

Let me warn you, as you are surfing around you will find a gazillion Web marketing books/e-books out there. It's is very easy to get lost in all the over-supply. I encourage you to try the free downloadable Service Sellers Masters Course first. Then if you feel you would like additional information, add another. You don't want to buy one and end up "shelving" it for "later". You will find enough to do in the Service Sellers Course to last you a good while.

For those of you who have other types of businesses (non-service), there are some additional free downloads at this URL:

http://freetrial.nichebuildit.com

Most of them apply to those who are already doing business online and they are all excellent. I have read and use the strategies from The Affiliates Masters Course (how to become a high earning affiliate) and The Netwriting Masters Course (do you find my writing to be clear and easy-to-read...you can write like this too!). The others:

Make Your Net Auction Sell!, The Masters Course

The Webmaster BUSINESS Masters Course

Make Your Price Sell!, the Masters Course

do not apply to my type of business at this time but I don't think you can go wrong with anything written by or endorsed by Dr. Ken Evoy.

Okay that's it for now. Remember the Example! What is your action plan? Take Action...you'll roar ahead!

For WAHMs who want a unique, all-in-one site-building, site-hosting and site-marketing product and a step-by-step business building process (includes domain), we highly recommend Site Build It!. Thousands of moms have found SBI! to be the perfect solution to their quest to work at home.

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