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Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.

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August 12, 2010 By CathyG 3 Comments

Website Makeover Mistakes: Mistake #1: Starting Too Late

After working through my own makeover (and making some mistakes of my own!) I identified 5 mistakes most business owners make during a website make-up or make-over.

Mistake #1: Starting too late.

Most of us (including me) wait way too long to realize it’s time for a change. I’ve been there too. You may recognize the warning signs like the ones I had:

— No longer excited about sharing my logo and website with the world.
— Clients said, “That website just isn’t you.”
— Doing a lot more than copywriting, yet all my materials said, “copywriting.”

Why do we wait so long? Usually we have excellent reasons. For one thing, we’re busy. (I certainly was.)

We have an investment in the past. Economists refer to “sunk costs” when they talk about investments we’ve made that won’t do much to help in the future. For instance, suppose you have invested heavily in the typewriter industry when the world changes and your products are replaced by computers.

You could say, “But I’ve put so much effort into learning about typewriters!” Or you could look forward to a brighter future and say, ‘OK, time to move on.”

It’s very hard to recognize sunk costs. Additionally, on the Internet, you may be widely known for your old, tired online presence. (I certainly was.)

We aren’t sure where to start. Do we call a web designer? A copywriter? Hire a coach? Here’s an article that presents the views of 17 experts – including designers and marketing coaches. They all say, “Start with the copy or you could break the website.”

But the hardest part of all is…deciding how you’ll replace your current brand. What will your new online presence look like?

Surprisingly that’s a pretty straightforward problem for a copywriter to solve. Once we get your story, we can draft your website quickly ..and usually get it right the first time.

Awhile back I worked with a client who was feeling frustrated. She was getting lost in themes and platforms, let alone headlines and copy. At a friend’s urging she booked a consultation with me, openly nervous about how much we could do. Just a few weeks later she was happily reviewing a draft, presented on a WordPress theme…feeling deeply relieved and happily optimistic about her new future.

If you’d like to get started, check out my consultation program here. So far clients have been surprised at how quickly we get to the heart of the matter … and they get to enjoy a new website and use their time more enjoyably (and more profitably).

 

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

February 6, 2010 By CathyG Leave a Comment

Why Book Reviews Belong In Your Service Business Marketing Toolkit

If you’re an independent professional or service business owner, you face 3 major challenges.

First, your best prospects may not be looking for you on the search engines: Yahoo, Google and MSN.

Second, your prospects may not realize what you do. Many people think massage is just a feel-good luxury for rich people who have everything. In fact, massage has documented benefits for physical and mental bealth.

Third, you can’t afford to sound sales-y. You have to be totally professional.

One way to deal with these challenges is to review books on the online bookstores, such as Amazon. When you write a book review, you get to

— reach prospects who are searching for solutions but may not be searching for you. Many people think of reading a self-help book rather than hiring a coach or buying a virtual information product. They’re ready to spend.

— share your expertise and opinions. You can’t do this in an article. In a book review, you get to say things like, “Although the author advocates intensive testing for career change, my experience as a coach and consultant suggest…. and the research shows…”

— reach prospects who are ready to buy. Visitors to Amazon and other online bookstores realize they do not get anything free. They shop with one hand on their credit cards and the other on the mouse. When they see your review and click over, they will be in “buy” mode.

When I focused on attracting clients for consulting and coaching on career change,  I found book reviews brought me more clients than any other marketing tool. So I created a product that you can access immediately. Buy by February 16 and get access to a 2-session workshop. Learn more at http://www.BoostBusinessWithBookReviews.com

Filed Under: Professional Services Marketing Tagged With: book marketing, client attraction

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