First question that comes to mind?

What the heck am I doing here and what do I hope to gain from a day plugged into today’s digital literati?

The truth of the matter is that I’m just a life-long learner, so that’s motive #1.  Secondly, my business (both current and future) is focused almost exclusively in the world of “digital relationships and interactions.” I’m just here to learn how to make those more enticing, more engaging, and even more loyal.

We’re covering topics including:

• Social Media Marketing
• Search Engine Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Online Advertising
• Online Analytics
• Ecommerce
• Reputation Management
• Email Marketing
• Usability & Design
• Internet Entrepreneurship
• and Mobile Marketing

Me? I plan to cram my brain with as much valuable information as possible in 48 hours.  It’s for my well-being. It’s for my clients well-being. It’s for my business’s well-being? That’s why I spend my time and hard earned dollars.

What do you spend your time on?

And you? Why do you attend industry events and conferences?

Only 50% of Americans get their news from a national or local newspaper states a 2010 survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. While 61% of respondents state that they get all or at least some of their news from the Internet.

“Well… duh… where have THEY been?!”

Let’s face it, most of the time newspapers suck! It’s the same boring content you can get through about 100 (if not thousands) of other channels. Is there a group of people that still read them? Sure… but they’re decreasing a few percent each year and already fall below half. So what can news publishers do in this new “digi-world”?… besides lay down and die (which I’m not stating at all that they should.)

You Have to Understand the Puzzle to Create the Solution

No matter how hard you try, you cannot put together a puzzle if you don’t have all the pieces. I believe this is something that news organizations need to double-check that they have. If they do find that they have them all, then they must not quite understand how the pieces fit together anymore… or they’re trying to force them to fit into the finished puzzle they want.

Let’s take a look at just three primary pieces of their puzzle:

1. What problem/need do newspapers solve? What’s the product?

Answer: They provide a solution to peoples’ need to know what is happening in the world around them. Their product is not the “paper,” it’s the content that is delivered through the paper. Remove the product from the delivery mechanism and now you have the right piece to complete the puzzle. (Okay, so maybe I’m saying that news-PAPERS could die and we’d be fine.)

2. Who is their real audience?

This is where I think the news organizations are really missing it.  They no longer have ONE massive, general audience. They have many, each with their own preferences in the topics they desire to read about, the way they want to access the content, the time in which they want to receive it and even how they want to engage (respond) to it. It’s time to recognize that and learn how to deliver for those unique audiences.

Think content. Think reach. Think delivery. Think platform. (Notice I worked backwards.)

3. Who are their competitors?

Citizen journalism, online-based publications, bloggers, your next door neighbor with a personal website, Facebook, Twitter, and the list goes on and on. Newspapers that once cornered their geographic areas are now contending with thousands of other sources of news that can be accessed instantly through the web. It’s no longer the newspaper next door.

An interesting point: the survey reports that 75% of respondents say they get their news from friends through a forwarded email or on social networking sites.

Huh? You mean some “Joe Smoe” is telling people what to read instead of our advertising proclaiming us as the best source for timely and accurate news information? We spend millions on that and you’re telling me it’s basically worthless?”

… yup.

Oh, and by the way, the survey also states that only 37% say that they share news through email or post to social media sites.  Wow! So, 37% of people are deciding what  those 75% read? Interesting.

Do you see a new audience? Because it’s certainly not a competitor… it’s a distribution channel.

Three Potential Ways Papers Could Change

With only three pieces being looked at here we can already see why the news industry has been turned on its head. Now, how do we piece the new puzzle together? Here’s just a few things to think about.

1. Modify your content specific to your audience(s)

Sixty-five percent of respondents say that they do not have a single preferred source for news. That should tell you that loyalty is pretty much out-the-door. Face it, you’re duplicating content anyway (at least the storyline) and people know they can get it from wherever, so why get it from just you?

With that in mind, it’s time to tailor your content to unique audiences… not just the masses. That means, it’s time for a new format that invokes a response from a specific psychographic more than a demographic.

How do you present the same content in a new way? Or, do you find new ways to deliver all new original content (and hope it isn’t copied?) Maybe it’s time for some news sources to become a little bit more biased… err... engaging.

2. Simplify the design/layout

Have you ever noticed how most news websites look like a vomited mess of text, images, links, and video? Do you know where they get that from?

Look at the newspapers. Ten articles on the front page each with semi-matching headline font styles and sizes. (“Which one do I read George? Which one do I read?”) Article after article with no easy way to find exactly what I want to read (instead I have to skim through it all… oh… I guess that’s for the advertisers whose ads I just skip right over. Right?)

Make it easy for readers to find what they’re looking for for crying out loud. Come on, that’s web design 101. Again, this focuses on targeting specific audience, not a dump of content for the masses to weed through.

3. Create a platform to increase the engagement, thus reach of your content

Okay, 37% share the news to 75% of people. Let’s court them. Let’s make it so freakin’ easy for them to find, read, and share our news that they won’t even know they’re doing it. Okay, maybe they will and that’s the point. We need THEM to find us the new readers and those numbers will fluctuate depending on how engaging our content is and how easily it can be shared. So our platform better increase those chances.

For that to happen, you need to make your articles easily transportable. Can I access it through Facebook? LinkedIn? Twitter? My friend’s blog? On my mobile phone?

It’s got to target, it’s got to engage, but most importantly it’s got to be highly mobile to reach as many people as possible, thus increasing readership, which in turn get advertising dollars.

Just publishing “news” won’t work anymore. You have to publish conversations and there are few news organizations that get it!

My Ideal “Newspaper”?

Here’s what I want: A news platform where I create an account, tell the system my topics of interest, add some filters into the types of content (text, images/slideshow, video, etc.,) and maybe even how long I want the articles to be (less than 500 words) and BAM! I have my own personalized newspaper with relative content, in the format I want to consume it in, in the length that I have time for, and easily sharable to my colleagues, clients, partners, and friends who I think may find it interesting.

Problem solved! Now, someone go make that happen!

How would you change newspapers/news organizations?

Tell me in the comments! Come’on! I know you have some ideas!

Photo by: Mike Bailey-Gates

If you had dropped by Yahoo.com’s home page yesterday, a smiling Jessica Simpson would have greeted you.  It’s always nice to see someone smile, but it’s even more amazing when you learn they’re smiling to the tune of $750 million dollars. That’s right, Jessica Simpson, Inc. (not Jessica herself) is on the edge of breaking $1 billion in retail sales this year.

What? Jessica Simpson? The beautiful and yet sometimes clueless blonde who can sing but not act and who has been invading my TV in a never-ending supply of semi-cheesy Macy’s commercials? Her?

Yup.

While most of us may think of a tattered “former” rock star who seemed to have life together much more pre-Nick Lachey, Jessica has quietly been building an empire of licensed products where her name plays center stage. Be it jewelry, perfume, fashion clothing or shoes, Jessica’s got her name all over it and it’s selling like hotcakes.

Now as I read over the article discussing Jessica’s entrepreneurial accomplishments, I couldn’t help but think to myself if there is anything we could learn from this story.

The Top 3 Lessons from Jessica Simpson

Below are what I believe to be the top 3 entrepreneurial lessons you could learn from Jessica Simpson.

1. Be where your “attracted audience” is
   I’ve just started talking about your “attracted audience,” so simply put, be where the people who are currently around you and pulling from you are. For Jessica, it’s the fans that already know and love her as the rockstar.  She knows her fans want to look and be like her. Therefore she licenses her name on products that her fans would need to accomplish that goal. Fashion clothing? Check. Great smelling perfume? Check. Funky, cool shoes? Check.  

   Lesson: We hear it all the time, be where your customers are. Don’t make them search. Don’t make them come to you (unless that’s where they’re searching.) Put it right under their noses so it’s easy to find and easy to buy.

2. Partners that bring credibility, often can bring success
   In this case, Macy’s is benefiting from selling products that have Jessica’s name on them. She’s a style icon. She’s someone that young girls and women want to be. Her celebrity status brings credibility to the products that they’re something Jessica would wear, thus your teenage daughter should run out and buy. 

   HOWEVER, Macy’s also brings credibility to Jessica’s licensed products (thus, dollars to her business.) Macy’s isn’t known for carrying off-brand, low-value products. They only carry the best or at least better than “good.” By them stocking Jessica Simpson branded products, they’re saying that these products are of high quality and high style standards regardless of the namesake on them.

   Lesson: Find a partner that can help bring the credibility to your products and/or services, then form a symbiotic relationship where you return the favor in an effort to help one another grow. That’s the only way to keep the relationship going. Value for all.

3. Build products that come from your passionsNot long ago I talked about an idea generation exercise called a PGT Map to help you find business ideas you could be passionate about.I’m thinking Jessica must have completed that exercise because the products she licensed her name to? They’re all products that she’s stated in numerous interviews as things that that she loves herself. Her name could be on anything, but she stuck with what she loves, which is who she is, which is how your daughter can now look and be like her.Lesson: We can make products to sell our products, OR we can make products because we love our products. Which one do you think sells better? Which one would you be happier selling? I daresay that your passion will give you a greater opportunity to make success than just building and selling something because you can.

What do you think you could learn from Jessica Simpson?

And “No.” I didn’t just write this topic just so I could post a picture of the beautiful Jessica Simpson.

At Internet Summit 2010 I ran into my good friend Alan Fitzpatrick and his business partner, Addy Kapur. They were demonstrating their new video messaging service called MailVU and being that I’m addicted to trying out any new technology, I decided to give the service a quick run-through.

Wow… How simple. Just visit, click, record and send.

What Exactly Does MailVU Do?

Simply put, MailVU is a web-based service that connects to your web camera (or any camera that allows live streaming) then allows you to record a 10 minute video message, enter a list of recipients with a short text message, and send the message off as an email for delivery. Your recipients receive a nicely designed email message with a screenshot from the video and your text message that links them to a private web page where they can watch the video.

While that doesn’t sound like anything too special there are a few unique features. For one, the service is free and does not require an account to send messages. Also, the videos are viewable on almost any smartphone, not just a computer. So if your recipient is a Blackberry, iPhone or Android addict, no worries, they can still view your video message.

The coolest feature is the unique ability to set “self destruct” settings that will automatically delete the video message after so many views, so many days, or a combination of the two.

Trigger the ‘Mission Impossible’ opening music.

That’s right! No worries about your confidential message sitting out in the open. Just set one or both of the limits and once reached, BLAM, the video is destroyed… minus the smoke. Totally cool for you cloak and dagger types.

What Would I Use This For?

At first, I found it a little difficult to think of some potential uses for this service other than the aforementioned desire to use it as a modern version of Mission Impossible’s message delivery mechanism. But then a few ideas began to pop into my head.

For instance:

• Use it to send a video introduction of yourself as a candidate for a job position to a recruiter. (Alan has a testimonial of someone who did this with success.)
• Use it to send a pre-sales video explaining your product’s features and benefits to your prospects.
• Use it to capture a confidential message to send to a client, partner, or colleague.
• Use it to send a family announcement (such as baby news, engagement, birthday, anniversary, or any other big event.)
• Send a visual and verbal explanation of a concept, strategy, or idea that was drawn up on a whiteboard or sketchpad.
• I know you can use this as a fun tool in a social media campaign. Just let your mind dwell on that.
• My favorite, a parent recording and sending a very upset video message to their child who is still out way past their curfew.

What about you? How would you use MailVU?

Give me some ideas in the comments below!

And start recording your own message now at www.mailvu.com! Then, tell me what you think about it!

One of the most common struggles for any entrepreneur is how to come up with a business idea that doesn’t just focus on what we can do, but what we really want to do.  As an entrepreneur, you may find yourself asking the following questions:

How do I find a business idea that capitalizes on my passions?

How do I find a business idea that capitalizes on what I’m naturally gifted at instead of just what I know?

And can I combine my passions, gifts, and talents to come up with the perfect business idea that I would actually want to pour my heart and soul into?

Well, I ask myself those very questions every time I am thinking about my next business venture.  Early on in my professional career I would get frustrated when I tried to come up with ideas that were something that I knew I could be truly passionate about, not just make some money with.  It bothered me so much that I couldn’t put my finger on one true idea that I felt, “this is it.” So, being a natural “problem solver” (I’m told,) I started to outline why I struggled so much coming up with a business idea I could be passionate about, and I developed an easy exercise that I called a “PGT Map,” which stands for “Passions, Gifts and Talents.”

How Does it Work?

The basic idea is to force you to truly look at yourself and to outline those three main areas in order to focus your mind on ideas that built off of that map.  It has had the most impact on me in developing new ideas and I think it could help you as well.

Let’s See an Example

I want to visually show and explain to you how this exercise works so that you can see how easy it is to start finding more business ideas that target your passions, gifts, and talents. So grab a sheet of paper and a pen and get ready to get to learn what makes you passionate and how you can find a business idea.

Watch the video and let me know in the comments what your map was showing at the end!

(click here if you cannot see the video)

Photo credit: stu_wp

Have you ever read that one book that launched you down the path to owning your own business?

Did you ever read a book that made you try something different with your business that propelled you towards increased growth?

Can you name a book that changed a fixed mindset you once had about what it means to be an entrepreneur?

If you would have asked me a little more than 6 years ago:

“What was the last book you fully read?”

I would have answered:

“Umm… ‘The Eyes of the Dragon’ by Stephen King… when I was in high school.”

I was NOT a reader. In fact, I loathed reading. Nothing could put me to sleep faster than opening a book and reading just the first paragraph. Then I read “The Art of the Start” not long before I started my business in 2004, mPower Consulting, and I haven’t stopped reading business, marketing, and technology books since.

So let me share with you the books that have had the most impact on me as a business owner and have helped me change how I market my business.

My Entrepreneur’s Bookshelf

To make this list more valuable, I’m going to list these books in my recommended reading order that should line up with how you would start your business, from when you first come up with the idea for your business to when you’re ready to move it into overdrive.

The Idea Phase (or the “Stuck in the Corporate World” Phase)

• Career Renegade
  by Jonathan Fields

  This book is a great “get off your a@*! and start doing what you love” book.  This is the motivation you need to stop running in mediocrity, boredom, and career depression and find the idea that makes your passion profitable.

• Made to Stick
  by Chip and Dan Heath

  This book is all about why certain ideas stick in the mindset of people (i.e. your potential customers) and why others fail.  This book may not help you come up with the idea, but it will tell you how to formulate the story around your idea to make sure it “sticks” with your target audience.

The Start-up Phase

• The Art of the Start
  by Guy Kawasaki

  This book is the “no BS” version of any ‘how to start a business’ reference book. Guy breaks down what is usually viewed as complex steps into very simple “do it” exercises (that’s right, exercises to complete right in the book!) So do it!

• The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur
  by Mike Michalowicz

  This is another “startup” book that I’ve come to enjoy.  Mike is another “no BS” sort of guy who focuses on the mentality of a successful entrepreneur and makes you deal with your insecurities and doubts.  A motivating book for those that are a little bit scared or nervous about stepping out on their own.

• Entrepreneur Magazine’s: Start Your Own Business
  by Rieva Lesonsky and the staff of Entrepreneur Magazine

  It’s what you would expect from the entrepreneur’s publication: an exhaustive reference book documenting just about anything and everything you could think of when researching what you need to do to start your business. Make sure you are thinking of everything by getting this book.

The Start Marketing My Business Phase

• Duct Tape Marketing
  by John Jantsch

  This is what I consider THE book on how to market and promote your business when you first get started.  This book helps you understand marketing 101 concepts as well as how you can use these concepts to build your first effective (and continuing) marketing strategy. Get it, read it, act on it!

• The New Rules of Marketing & PR
  by David Meerman Scott

  This mainly deals with how the web plays into your marketing strategies and how you reach out and engage your prospects and customers using new media.  It is a great book focused on news releases, blogs, podcasting, viral marketing, and online media.

• Attention: This Book Will Make You Money
  by Jim F. Kukral

  This is my new favorite “how to get the buzz” idea book.  Jim breaks things down into simple exercises and concepts to help you discover what are some unique ways to get some buzz going around your product, service, and/or business.  Most of these ideas require little to no money – which I love!

Growing Your Business Owner Mind Phase

• Lifeblood: How Successful Business Owners Achieve Wealth
  by Sam Frowine

  One of the most important concepts in being a business owner is understanding how to manage your cash flows.  Learn to manage the finances of your business in order to grow wealth for yourself with this book.

• Influence: They Psychology of Persuasion
  by Robert B. Cialdini, PH.D.

  This book teaches you how to understand what makes your customer and prospects say “yes” and how you can apply that understanding to influence them to engage your business.

• The Tipping Point
  by Malcolm Gladwell

  This book was not my favorite read (sort of long-winded) but the concept is really key to grab a hold of.  It’s something many of us business owners would never think of, but being able to apply the core concept of this book to your business can help it propel ‘itself’ to further growth.

The Marketing My Business Better Phase

• The Referral Engine
  by John Jantsch

  This book is all about how to create loyal customers who then bring you new customers through referrals (hence the title of course.)  How to develop a never-ending cycle of “auto-generated” business. Lots of concepts, tips, and techniques for focusing on your customers as a strategy to gain customers.

• Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs
  by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah

  Plain and simple – your step-by-step guide for how to use Google, social media, and blogs to increase the results of your online marketing efforts.  This book has actionable steps and reference material that I still continue to flip back to almost every month.

• Media Rules!
  by Brian Reich and Dan Solomon

  These guys make you question your definition of the word “media.” They help you realize that almost anything you can see or hear can be turned into ‘media’ to reach out, connect with, and sell/market to your target customers. Consider this the “educational textbook” for those looking to understand the new media world.

• Six Pixels of Separation
  by Mitch Joel

  Mitch helps you understand both basic and more advanced techniques of how to use the ‘social web’ to connect to a global audience and consumer base with cost-effective strategies that create compelling results.

• Trust Agents
  by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith

  This book has been a big mindset changer for me in terms of “how to use the web to build influence, improve reputation, and earn trust.”  I like the last one, “earn trust” instead of “build trust.”  Their references may connect easier to a younger (late 70’s/early 80’s) generation, but their concepts are easily understood by anyone. This book defines – to me – the “social media marketing” world in which we now live and operate in as business owners.

What’s On Your Shelf?

These books are only a portion of my collection of business books and in future posts I will focus on a few of these in a more detailed review. These are the books that have impacted me and hope that you will get as much – if not more – value from them as I did should you acquire them.

Now, I want to ask you: What other books would be on your “entrepreneur’s bookshelf” and what should I read next?

Post your answers in the comments below!

You know, sometimes I can be a real greedy, selfish, lazy butthole. Then again, we all can be without really thinking about it.

Let me give you my quick definition of the word: luxury.

“Something that you choose to get, do, or give when you have a surplus of a valuable resource.”

Here’s the thing that lately is biting me in my rear as someone who actually loves to help people just for the sake of helping. (I’m in no way trying to toot my own horn, I just love helping!)

Sometimes I choose to give of my time to help those in physical or financial need.
Sometimes I choose to give of my finances to those in physical or financial need.
Sometimes I choose to get something for someone in physical or financial need.

It all sounds great doesn’t it and like I should be able to “pat myself on the back”? (In no way intended as many of you know)  BUT, it is sad to say that quite a few times it is merely something that I do when I have extra time or extra finances. Giving becomes like a luxury to me, whether intentional or not.

What do our goals say about giving?

For me, I’ve been realizing that it’s based on where my focus is not just at that time, but all the time. It’s based on my overarching goals – personal and professional – that I have made for my life. Although, giving has not necessarily taken the back seat, it hasn’t been sitting with me in the front either.

My goals need to treat giving as a necessity

I want to be a successful business owner. I want to achieve the personal goals I set for my life. I want to provide for my family and be the husband, and one day the father, that I desire to be. These are all great goals to focus on, however, not everyone has access to the same resources and support that I enjoy every day and often take for granted to reach these goals.

I – better we – all need to be aware of that. Giving for these people – and the organizations that support them – is a necessity and many of them reach out for help more often than just this time of year when we’re more “inclined” to give. The question is: do we listen?

If giving is something that I or you believe in and love to do, then it may be that our goals need some adjustments so that giving becomes a core of our being.

Are you ready to make the change? I am and it’s about time.

A quick thought on giving

If every resident in my current city of Charlotte, NC gave just $1, then it would translate into the following:

• $750,000 to give to people in need and/or the organizations that serve and support these people
• For many organizations, that is 5x more than their annual budgets
• It is 34.5x more than the United States 2009 family poverty line (based on US Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines)

- OR -

If every resident in Charlotte, NC gave just 1 hour out of 1 day of their week volunteering for an organization that served and supported these people, it would translate into the following:

• 750,000 volunteers distributed across 403 organizations (based on VolunteerMatch.com)
  That’s 1,861 volunteers per organization!
• The equivalent of 31,250 days, 1,025 months, or 85.5 years worth of volunteer service

Think about it: what can you do to help someone or some organization before the end of this year?

Side note: Sorry, but this is a “guilt trip” that I’m laying on myself and you all are just getting to read it.

Photo credit: Alexander Baxevanis

“I’m freakin’ crazy to try something like this!”

Well, I just created a challenge for myself where I’m thinking that exact phrase. See, I’m taking on Chris Brogan… well, actually just a request he made on one of his blog posts.

The Challenge

So, Chris Brogan had written a blog post entitled “100 Blog Posts I Hope You Write” where he, you guessed it, listed 100 blog topics to help those looking for post ideas.

Well, I thought to myself, “Why not try and write all 100?”

Yeah, I know. Crazy right?

The Excitement of It All

As I read over the list of all 100 topics, I thought to myself, “Wow, I don’t know all of this stuff and some of these may not apply to my current situation.” For instance, I do not have children, my mom is not on Facebook, and it’s going to be fun learning how “women use social media” as I have no real clue what to expect and if it’s any different than me.

I’m actually quite excited about being in this situation as it means I will have to “do” something in order to write about it.

Hmm… an interesting concept for the blog topic-challenged people out there like me, huh? *he says sarcastically*

But I can tell you one thing, this is definitely my cure for writer’s block!

The Reason? Hmm…

My first reason was that I wanted to do better at writing for my own blog and felt I needed a challenge that I knew was possible to complete, but that would also put me in a routine of writing so that I wouldn’t just stop again when I finished the challenge.

Then, I thought about it some more.

See, I love ideas (new and old – I don’t discriminate.) I love coming up with new ideas. I love expounding on and discussing current concepts and new ideas. I love talking about how these ideas could solve problems and actually trying to solve problems with them.

My problem (or excuse) was that I was always tight on time as being a business owner puts me in the mindset of spending time on that which grows my business monetarily or at least pays me something for my individual time. Hey, I gotta pay the bills and feed my wife and I don’t I?

RING! RING! Hello, Brian? This is your 21^st century wake up call!

I talk content marketing. I sell content marketing. But like the “cobbler’s kids” I’ve not put on my own shoes.  So this is meant to help me do just that and keep it growing from there. There’s a lot of value I can get from connecting with you and reading your feedback, but I have to share something of value for you to learn who I am and join me here. It’s this funny thing called: Content Marketing.

So join me as you watch me take on Chris Brogan’s challenge and write all 100 blog posts.

So, which one would you recommend I start with?

So I came home from Internet Summit 2010 with a fried brain, burnt oil coming out of my nose and smoke pouring out of my ears (metaphorically speaking.) But after a great Thanksgiving holiday that gave me a chance to reflect on the vast amount of information I captured, I wanted to share with you the top 5 lessons that I gleaned from this year’s incredible lineup of expert speakers.

These will now become my guide for how I will redesign my current web projects and how I develop all my future web projects and I hope they may help guide you as well.

5.  Email marketing should be a leading strategy

We’ve heard that you “live and die by your list” and this has been reinforced this year at Internet Summit with dedicated pre-conference intensive sessions and keynote talks around effective email marketing strategies.

The gold nugget: Your email list is the only database of your online audience/customers that you actually own. Think about it: do you have all the email addresses of your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn connections? No? So what happens if those sites disappeared? Focus on effective list-building initiatives.

4. Social media needs a correctly formulated strategy to produce ROI

Return-on-investment is important for any marketing initiative, but what is more important is a correctly formulated strategy built to generate that metric. Jim Tobin of Ignite Social Media recommended that you use Forrester’s POST method: People, Objectives, Strategies, and Technologies.  I would agree.

The gold nugget: Here’s the key: define a monetary value to each goal. If the goal is a newsletter subscriber, then define the value of that subscriber in monetary terms. Do most of your subscribers eventually buy something from you? If so, what’s the average amount they spend? That can be your goal value.  Not sure if your subscribers are buying? See Lesson #3.

3. Metrics, Metrics, Metrics

I’ve seen estimates that only 50% of sites on the web have an installed analytics tool to track performance and how it is used. That’s strange to me since I want to make sure that anything I spend money on to promote my business actually gets me business. Aren’t all businesses and business owners like that? Are you tracking how your visitors are using your site?

The golden nugget: Simple. Google Analytics is free. Slap it on your site and start seeing what is working and what is not. The bonus: the advanced metrics can give you valuable insight into your prospects/customers online buying method (how they navigate your site to get to what they want and what leads them to the sales) and you can adjust your site accordingly to make it easier, thus converting more.

2. Listen to your customers by developing your “digital ears”

This should be obvious, but most businesses fail to do this online. People know what they want and it is your job to learn what that is so you know how best to serve them. So be sure you are checking the search engines and social media for any mentions of your company, product or service.

The golden nugget: Your customers ALWAYS have an opinion and oftentimes are ready to share it at a moments notice given the right opportunity and platform. Well, the web has given them that in the form of social media, review sites, their own websites, etc.  The information is freely given, so go grab it and act on it!

1. Your prospects and customers need you to tell them what to do

This might seem contradictory, but if you listen to your customers then you will realize that they do not want to have to hunt for what they’re looking for. They just want what they want when they want it and they expect you to tell them how to get it or else they will go somewhere else.

The golden nugget: You have to listen first to know what your customers are looking for, then you map out a clear path to get them from when they enter your site to what they want and then you can drive them to convert.

To summarize all this: Listen, Plan, Act, Capture, Measure, Review and Repeat.

Would you add any other lessons that have impacted how you operate your business online?

On to Advanced Search Engine Optimization with Michael Marshall of the Search Engine Academy!