Websites are excellent business vehicles to sell products / services, provide company and industry information, and share helpful tips. Sometimes they lack the personal-communication aspect that is so crucial for in-store selling success.

Listening to podcasts and signing up for teleclasses are two great way for consumers to experience more human interaction and participation. The vocal and interactive aspect is usually more enticing and entertaining than simply reading articles and information from a computer screen.

Customers benefit from audio podcasts and teleclasses because they’re free and provide useful and informative tips.

Customers will associate the information they receive from your podcasts and teleclasses with your company’s success and dedication to the industry. They’ll be more likely to trust your business operations and products / services, making the buying decision a simple one.

The benefits for your company are increased sales, more referrals, a rise in customer loyalty, and much more.

Audio podcasts can be used to help people through a step-by-step process, share knowledge fast and effectively, or entertain. According to Pew Internet and American Life Project, about 19% of internet users say they have downloaded a podcast. You can virtually multitask while listening to an audio podcast. They’re free and downloadable to any online device, making them easy to access.

Teleclasses are live seminars conducted over the phone and are similar to a conference call when a small group of people are able to listen and participate in the conversation.

Teleclasses are great ways to provide a learning experience for consumers and others looking to participate in your field. They’re a great way to establish your expertise in your field and reach people nationwide. Since these seminars are conducted over the phone, participants can listen to the classes from home, their office, or anywhere else with phone access. Teleclasses usually consist of 20 people or less and on average are 60 minutes long.

According to the United States Census Bureau, e-commerce sales have increased 5.7% during the 3^rd quarter of this year compared to the same period last year.

With the holiday season upon us, now is the perfect time to ramp up your online selling efforts.

The holidays mean prime time for shoppers to surf the web with credit card in hand. More people are shopping online to save gas, view various products from competitors at the same time, save time driving to the store, and looking for the best deal. Having full confidence in a well-crafted, effective, informative, and easy-to-use website is a must.

Even though the holiday season promotes increased consumerism, many business owners are still uncertain about generating marketing strategies during this economic downfall. Don’t allow the unstable economy to deter you from improving online marketing strategies and website promotion. If anything, it should improve your marketing efforts.

It’s an important time to place your company in the spotlight and to show customers you’re still successful when times are turbulent.

Tips on how to increase conversions, SEO, customer loyalty, and industry recognition with an effective website during the holiday season:

· Offer discounts on purchases and / or shipping in an obvious location on your homepage. When people see slashed prices, they’ll more likely stay on your site to shop.

· Make sure your web copy is fresh and up-to-date with company goals, policies, products / services, and industry news. Effective web copy—copy that generates desire and calls the viewer to act—should not be overlooked. Web copy is as important as the design of the site. It’s worth the extra money to find a professional web copywriter who will get your exact message across in the most effective way possible.

· Reevaluate website navigation. Make sure your website is user-friendly, unambiguous, and speedy. Being unique with your website navigation can backfire since it may confuse customers on where certain information is on your site. Be concise and to the point when it comes to navigation.

For more tips on how to market your business, sign up for Your Business Marketing Solution, a biweekly ezine filled with marketing stats, news, and tips.

When creating or revamping your website, set aside your personal tastes. Instead, think about what your target market wants to see and know. They’re the ones who have to get something out of it in order for you to gain profits. Your website must speak to your target market and grab their attention within the first five seconds of their arrival to the site.

How to grab your target market in those first crucial seconds and keep them:

·       Use words, phrases, and a tone they’re familiar with and that speak to their wants and needs. Web copy is essential in gaining client interest and keeping them on your site. Quick and witty web copy attracts a much different clientele than smooth and seductive copy. Know what style will appeal to your target market and focus web copy around it.

·       The personality of your website must be attractive and satisfy a need your target market has. For example, if you own a luxury destination spa, your site design should look much different from a teen clothing company’s site. A sumptuous spa website needs to exude a feeling of lavishness in pictures and essence. It should appear calming, with photos inducing a sense of tranquility, accompanied by soothing colors and maybe even peaceful music in the background.

·       Visitors like to see a fresh website with web copy and design updates, news updates, company improvements and changes. This shows potential clients your company is constantly working to gain customers and is up-to-date with advances in the industry.

·       A user-friendly website is an absolute must. Potential customers will move to a competitor’s site as soon as they are frustrated and lost in navigating your site. Be simple, obvious, informative, and to the point.

Hiring a professional web copy writer can get your website on track and increase sales. Visit Michelle Salater Writing and Editorial, LLC, to learn more about our many result-driven writing services.

Message from Michelle

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The parades, the family, the food. Ah, the food. Thanksgiving is the only day of the year where I can eat my body weight and then some, and not feel horrible about my gluttony.

The holiday season is upon us, which means schedules–both work and social–fill up quickly. In this issue of Your Business Marketing Solution, I think it’s fitting to discuss communication. Whether with family, colleagues, or clients, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open.

It’s also fitting to remind everyone about the Free Teleclass I’m hosting on December 3rd to discuss “How to Survive the Holidays with Style.” On this 60-minute call, I’ll be interviewing personal shopper, Lee Heyward, on style tips and trends for the holiday season. Don’t wait, register now.

This month’s feature article offers 5 tips to better communication and is a reprint of an article posted months ago in EzineArticles.com, an online article directory.

Upcoming Events:

If you haven’t already, there’s still time to register for my Free Preview Teleclass on “How to Increase Your Website Traffic, Convert More Visitors to Customers, and Stop Working So Dang Hard Trying to Figure Out How to Market Online” happening Wednesday, December 10 at 8 pm Eastern / 5 pm Pacific.

In the 60-minute call, I’ll reveal…

On the call, I’ll also be announcing the details of my awesome 8-Week Online Business Marketing Bootcamp for Beginners. This intensive bootcamp will show you the exact step-by-step online marketing process that has worked for my clients and me. Because I want each participant to succeed and because I’m offering one-on-one coaching with me, I’m only taking 15 people.

If you’re ready to take your business online and to the next level, then you’ll want to register for this Teleclass . . . immediately!

Click here to register: www.marketingonlinebootcamp.com/preview.html

Feature Article:

Communication Tips Essential for Successful Business Relationships

How many times have you asked a close friend or family member to do something for you or told them a story for the third time, but they could recall none of it? This scenario, while all too common, is frustrating and usually handled with a simple reply, “I told you that; you just weren’t listening.” In reality, it could have been your fault they didn’t understand or didn’t hear you. Then again, it could have been their fault.

Confronting a friend or family member is easy to do and socially acceptable; however, most people in the business world are not going to say to their client or boss, “You never told me to do that.”

Instead, people bottle up the anger and force a smile, knowing deep down that the client never communicated what he or she claims. See how this situation could go both ways?

It happens all too often, and when it does, the aftermath can cause future communication problems or, in the worst-case scenario, lead to settling the dispute in the courtroom.

Do your part in avoiding ambiguity within conversations by…

1. Speaking clearly and slowly. Take into account the background noise.
2. Being aware of the medium used to communicate. For example, if you are on a cell phone relaying important information, keep in mind that the receiver could have bad reception at times. Sending mail through the postal service could also get sticky-sometimes mail is sent to the wrong person or goes to another person in the office.
3. Following up after speaking with someone in person or on the phone. It’s always a good idea to send an email after the meeting, just to make sure the receiver got all the important information from you. Later, if they say you never told them to do something, you have the evidence in writing.
4. Knowing personal space boundaries. People can feel very uncomfortable if you are speaking to them at too close a distance; therefore, their attention is focused on that and not what you’re saying.
5. Avoiding technical jargon in conversations with people you are not sure know the terms. For example, if you are speaking with a business owner who doesn’t have a website about how SEO will benefit the company’s profits, he or she might be thinking, “I don’t want to sound stupid and ask what that means, so I’ll just nod and act like I know.” Often the listener will even stop listening to the conversation because they’re so lost. Be aware of abbreviations and jargon in your conversations. Always use the full words instead of acronyms, and say search engine optimization rather than SEO.

Want to see more marketing articles like this one? Visit Michelle’s marketing blog, Sumer Blog.

Tip of the Month

Advertising online is the new way to reach prospects. Emarketer.com estimates that in 2009, 10% of all US ad dollars will be spent online and that while other media venues will show a decrease, internet advertising will continue to increase.

Michelle Recommends

If you haven’t read Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends & Influence People, please, buy yourself a copy today. If you’ve already read it, I encourage you to read it again. Carnegie’s insight into human nature will not only help you grow personal and professional relationships, but it will also put you on a path to financial success.

Check out this book today.

Change can be extremely scary, and it’s easy to fall into a pit of stress and worry when change is inevitable. Change should open new doors for your company and create new opportunities.

It’s not about the change itself. It’s about your actions in response to the change. Stress, anger, frustration, and worry aren’t going to get you anywhere. Thinking positively and constructively will create benefits to big changes. Positive thinking can have more of an impact than you might think. Even seeking out change is a great approach to improving business operations, products / services, customer service, and marketing campaigns.

Change can have many positive impacts on your business and everyday work interactions.

· Change can create a rejuvenating feeling that could lead to a more successful business. Your mind is clear for the future, and you see a fresh slate for something new to integrate into your company.

· If you’re not reaching future goals as best you can, make some slight changes to your business—whether it’s the way you run business or the products / services you’re selling. Tweaking these things can lead to a smoother ride to business goals and eliminate obstacles that have been keeping you from reaching them.

· Making changes can be stressful and unsettling. However, these feelings could create more unity in the business setting, since everyone is going through similar changes. Business members will most likely be in the same boat, creating support systems for all.

· Changes open the door for many new things to come, and although it’s a big step, these changes should be embraced and evaluated for all the possibilities they create and maybe even lead you to re-evaluate past goals to benefit your company in the future.

For more tips on how to market your business, sign up for Your Business Marketing Solution, a biweekly ezine filled with marketing stats, news, and tips.

If you want to know exactly how you can save thousands of marketing dollars and, at the same time, maximize your online marketing efforts in ANY economy . . .

If you want to increase your website traffic, convert more visitors to customers, and stop working so dang hard on trying to figure out how to market online . . .

If you want to have a business that works for you . . .

Then you want to attend my F.ree Teleclass on December 10, 2008, at 8 pm ET. It may just be the best decision you’ll ever make.

Here’s why . . .

I’m going to show you simple, step-by-step strategies that you can use to maximize your online marketing efforts—strategies you can implement right now and do on your own.

You’ll learn some of the exact same strategies, tactics, and tips that my clients and I used to build our same businesses—using nothing but the Internet to market and attract tons of prospects.

And market in ANY ECONOMY.

The time is now to build your business. According to the United States Census Bureau, ecommerce sales were up $2,058 billion (approximately a 3.8% increase) during this supposed economic crisis.

Want to grab your share of that?  SIGN UP NOW! marketingonlinebootcamp.com/preview.html

In this 60-minute Teleclass, I’ll reveal . . .

• 3 things most businesses do to waste their marketing dollars.
• The 2 most important questions you must ask and answer if you want to attract clients. 
• Powerful tips on how to drive targeted traffic to your website.
• What you can do today to get more online exposure.

On the call, I’ll also be announcing the details of my awesome 8-Week Online Business Marketing Bootcamp for Beginners.

This intensive bootcamp will show you the exact step-by-step online marketing process that has worked for my clients and me. Because I want each participant to succeed and because I’m offering one-on-one coaching with me, I’m only taking 15 people.

During the course of 8 weeks, you’ll learn the fundamentals of marketing your business online as I lead you through my proven process of how to implement these strategies easily and on your own (this alone will save you thousands in what it would cost you to hire professionals).

If you’re ready to take your business online and to the next level, then you’ll want to register for this Teleclass . . . immediately!

Selling products / services to consumers isn’t always about the rational benefits they’ll receive. It’s about the emotional benefits as well.

Consumers are motivated by feelings and instincts that can be conscious or subconscious. Whether it’s the need to feel sexy, smart, confident, or strong— emotional needs drive people to take certain actions that will make them feel accepted by others.  

When marketing your company, it’s important to fulfill the customer’s sought-after emotion in the product / service you are selling. A successful marketing campaign taps into consumers’ subconscious desires with an emotional spin, further persuading them to buy a product / service for the emotional fulfillment. It’s all about identifying the lifestyle of your target market to develop a sense of their needs and what makes them happy, angry, sad, confident, and satisfied.

Once you persuade consumers to buy your product / service based on a connection with their emotional needs, they will develop a certain mental correlation to your company’s image. It’s important to associate excellent customer service, strong company values, and a well-crafted company image with the product / service you’re selling, in order to ignite positive feelings in consumers.  

If you want to increase your website traffic, convert more visitors to customers, and stop working so dang hard on trying to figure out how to market online, check out my bimonthly ezine, Your Business Marketing Solution and learn how to market in any economy.

According to a recent Forrester Research study, interactive marketing spending will more than triple by 2012, reaching a high of $61 billion.

Interactive media is an extremely beneficial vehicle to implement marketing campaigns. These types of vehicles include email marketing, online video ads, social media, search marketing, and texting.

Customers demand new and improved products / services, and it’s important for your marketing campaigns to be fresh and innovative as well. With the increasing use of handheld internet devices, many consumers are using the internet to receive information, interact with others, and browse for entertainment purposes.

Differences between traditional media and interactive marketing:

· More personal communication with customers. Posting videos on YouTube and advertising on MySpace and Facebook are excellent ways to create a more conversational and personal campaign. YouTube videos create the opportunity for you to post videos that may keep the attention of viewers longer than a print ad.

· Develops two-way communication. Emails can be used to promote and advertise sales, new company products / services, and to keep customers up-to-date on company news. They can also be used to conduct surveys and derive responses from the viewer, creating a direct communication between company and customer.

· Newsletters, subscriptions, and mailing-list sign-ups are popular among consumers interested specifically in what your company offers. These tools help you target your exact market and cater marketing campaigns toward this clientele.

Whoever thought reading could get easier and less expensive than it already is? It can with ebooks. Customers get direct internet access to your writing, quickly and inexpensively. No more shipping costs, wasting gas to go to a bookstore, and searching through three floors of books. It’s right there on the internet, saving you time and money.

Benefits for your customers:

·       They can store ebooks on computers and PDAs.

·       No more dog-eared pages. Digital bookmarks can be used for a clean save.

·       Instant delivery.

·       Offers an alternate reading option from books.

Benefits for your company:

·       Appeals to thousands of potential clients.

·       Enhances your credibility and shows customers you’re an expert in your field.

·       Potential for high profits.

·       Inexpensive to distribute.

·       Provides a spectrum of possibilities for your business. Ebooks can be used as a marketing tool for sharing information about new product lines, affiliate programs, industry information, tips, and much more.

·       Can be transformed into other mediums, further increasing profits.

Don’t have the time or writing skills to write an effective eBook? Hire a professional ghostwriter to produce a result-driven ebook. Visit Michelle Salater Writing & Editorial, LLC, to learn more about our writing services and how we can help your business succeed.  

Sharing free tips and information about your industry to consumers is a great way to illustrate your professional expertise. Reliable information and tips can benefit consumers’ lives, helping them become better educated, solve a problem, or change their future actions.

Providing well-researched and helpful information to consumers builds customers’ trust in your company. In turn, this makes them more likely to purchase your products / services.

Ezines and free reports are excellent ways to compile information and tips for consumers since they’re free.

What creating ezines and free reports can do for you:

·       Ezines are free online articles that can drive more traffic to your website via a link at the bottom of your article. This inbound link can be clicked by potential clients, leading to a rapid increase in online sales and website viewers. Customers will associate the information they receive from the article to your company. Make sure the information is useful, focused, and relevant to your expertise. Ezines are also a great way to increase SEO with the utilization of keywords.

·       Free reports can be posted on your website or sent via email to your opt-in list, providing helpful tips, how-tos, and hints. Customers looking into your products / services will be more likely to purchase when they already find benefits through your free reports. They’ll associate the free reports’ benefits with your company and look forward to similar benefits through your products / services. 

Both ezines and free reports can be difficult to produce without the right marketing and writing skills. If you find yourself in a bind to produce a brilliant article or report, hiring the right professional copywriter can produce result-driven writing, increasing sales and customer loyalty.