Back in the prehistoric days of the World Wide Web [circa 1995], I convinced my family our business needed a Web site. It cost a bunch of money back then to create a Web site and to have it hosted by a company. 
   I wanted both my existing and my soon-to-be-new customers to see us as a modern, state-of-the art, tech-savvy company. And in all my newsletters to customers I worked hard to always point out how we were using emerging technologies to better serve them.
   My second goal for the Web site was to use it to attract new visitors to learn more about me. I knew I had a great story to tell about our company and the emerging Internet could do a better job than many other forms of marketing. I wanted to let people know about the way we trained, did cutting edge work and our industry acceptance as a leader. Basically, I was looking to put my brochures that worked so well in print online. 
   Today, your potential customers expect you’ll have an informative Web site. And, if you don’t, they immediately make negative judgments about you and your company as they click away. That’s why a great looking Web site is just a starting point. The days of having a Web site do nothing more than deliver brochureware are gone because brochureware falls way short of what the Internet can do for you. And, most importantly, it falls way short of what potential customers are looking for.
   Like all marketing, it takes knowledge and skill to avoid wasting your precious dollars. But, money spent wisely is a must.
   In this recessionary economy, Internet marketing must be one of your three primary marketing drivers. What I mean by market driver is that you select three primary ways to attract new business and plow the bulk of your marketing dollars into these three marketing vehicles. My clients are finding it to be a great way to generate call count [making the phone ring].
   The good news about Internet marketing is you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a lot of exposure. The bad news is if you don’t know how to harness its power you’ll be attracting an audience that is of no use to you and your company while missing the audience that’s trying to find you.
   Great marketers know—whether they’re communicating online or offline—it all begins and ends with a clear message that’s written to the target audience in plain English. Provide a solution to your potential customers’ problems and helps them take the next step, which is a response to your call to action.
   
Here are 7 ways to Improve Your Internet Marketing:

   1. Make sure every ad you place online or offline (including your Yellow Pages and newspaper ads) has your Web site clearly listed.

   2. Make sure your home page is geared to service first-time visitors—focus on what the needs of people looking for your services are: certainly emergencies, trouble-shooting calls, and new equipment installations.

   3. Make a clear-cut call to action on your home page for visitors to take, whether it’s filling out a form or calling your toll-free number. Anytime you can offer a gift or incentive to take action, do so. Things such as coupons for first-time visits or other free gifts work well.

   4. You will increase your inbound new customer calls from the Internet by prominently placing your TOLL-FREE number on the page and giving them a reason (and a promise) to call. If you call back within 60 minutes, tell them that. If you answer the phone 24 hours a day and on weekends, tell them that. If you have same day service, tell them that. Anything that gets them to call.

   5. Be sure your website is listed on Google Local. [www.google.com/local.] If not add it for free!

   6. If you already spend money on advertising, consider placing a geographically targeted ad on Google Adwords. By placing an ad locally, you get really cheap, effective advertising that is equal to, if not greater than, a simple Google Local listing.

   7. Remember the 3 P’s. Make your Web site Personal—let them know you are a real caring person. Make your site Professional—don’t have a difficult-to-use Web site that looks cheap and slapped together. Lastly, provide Proof—offer up testimonials from past satisfied clients, pictures of jobs completed, and logos and certifications you’ve earned.

  Remember that to a customer what you say about yourself is interesting but what they really want to read [or hear] is what customers just like them say about you! For a good example on how to use the power of testimonials, take a look at the left hand side of my home page.