My clients often ask me if updating their website on a regular basis really does pay off in increased cash flow.  If you're like hundreds of thousands of online business owners, you put up your website hoping you'd hit on the right combination of content and graphics to generate sales. 

In this economy, the competition is too great for you to leave your website 'unattended' for any length of time and hope to realize profits.  It's time to re-assess the results and develop an action plan that will increase revenue consistently.

So the question you need to ask yourself is "what actions can I take immediately to generate cash flow?"  Here are five I recommend:

1. Decide what business you are in now to target the right opportunities
When you put up your first website, it was a snapshot of your business at that point in time. As your business evolves your website should reflect that. Have you added new and different products? Have you changed the focus of your services? Like websites, the businesses they support are organic. They grow and change.  Make time to sit down with your key staff to review your main business goals. Make sure that you are focused on the right kind of opportunities that will propel your business to the next level.

2. Analyze your Website Navigation
Does your website navigation match your current goals? I recommend using a Mind Map to analyze your visitor paths but, you can use any tool that allows you create a map showing all the main branches on your home page. The key here is to strip away the graphics and really look at your content and path. Don't be distracted by pretty colors and pictures.

3. Create a specific path on your home page for visitors to "walk." For example, if the main goal of your website is to get visitors to call for services, don't put up extraneous links to distract them. You want to them to write down your phone number and call you or fill out a form. Everything on your home page should support that! For example, if getting someone to call is your goal then an 800 number in the banner area is a great idea--links to books they should read on the subject is not.  Think about the difference between Google and other search companies.  They provide one page with one box to fill in your search term.  They don't give you links to hundreds of categories on the home page.

4. Compare the Competition
It's always imperative to look at what the competition is doing on their website. Create maps of their home pages as well. But don't assume that because they are bigger, that their website has a better strategy. Deep marketing pockets can often mask website failures. Compare your maps and see what emphasis the competition places on their home page. Do they focus heavily on monthly promotions? What kind of free content are they using to attract visitors? Note the best strategies and see how they apply to you. But remember to have confidence that your content has value.

5. Test and Revise
Create small tests and be prepared to change your home page content based on what you learned. Be bold, try new things. Carefully analyze the changes you've made. You don't want to change something that was working. Your analytics package should be providing you with the statistics you need to test and revise. If you don't use one now, get one like Google Analytics. Make sure you know what kind of content generates sales.

If you follow these quick actions, you should see results very shortly.

I notice that something interesting is going on when small biz owners and entrepreneurs start talking about online courses and training.  There seems to be an unspoken disappointment about what's being offered.  They say it's very tactical with no lasting learning. Once they try a tactic they feel lost about what to do next.

For this reason, my mission is to provide something I believe others are not teaching right now— it's the need to understand the value your personal influence and intellectual property has in setting your prices. 

If you're unaware of the value your customer places on your work you could be giving away the valuable info and trying to sell the low-value stuff. I see it happening everyday.

More succintly put:

intellectual property x personal influence = hidden wealth in your business

I will be writing more about how to uncover the hidden wealth in your business because if you are priced correctly, your customers will find you immediately. 

When I ask an audience if they can create a map of their online business, the resounding answer is usually no— but they want to very much.  This is a situation you should quickly remedy if your answer is the same.

What do I mean by a map?  I use the term to apply to something like a mind map, but if you are unfamiliar with mindmaps, do you have a way to look at the big picture of your business and the details at the same time? 

I do this for each of my clients and I recommend you create one as soon as you can.  It will help you accelerate your cash flow, and here's why:

If you lay out all the major components of your business visually so that you can see what your leverage points, assets and resources are you can quickly see what to tackle first.

If you are able to look at the major revenue streams that make up your business, you are able to see where your weaknesses are and what needs to be added.

If you look at your assets and resources you can see how to shore them up and make them more powerful.

And, if you start with a map with the big picture, you can then drill down to the details. 

So, consider using a mind map tool like MindManager or one of the free online mindmapping tools or simply start by drawing a circle in the middle of a sheet of paper and put down circles radiating out of all your business components.

This is a deceptively powerful way to get a handle on what you need to do to accelerate business growth.  Try it. 

And if you want my help to develop a map of your own, drop me an email at info@digmediaworks.com and I'll help you create one.

With some perspective about Web marketing since '94 when I started at AOL, I began thinking about why online businesses are really different now.  Everyone is feeling and declaring a change, but why?

Here's my take on 5 things that are influencing it:

1. Things always change when fear enters the room

With the economy negatively affecting everyone, it's hard not to want to re-think everything you believed about your business, your bank account and your life.  So everyone is rethinking something.  It's axiomatic.

2. Boomers are taking the time to re-assess retirement

As the largest generational cohort heads toward retirement, Boomers are looking back to a time when 'giving back' had some meaning for them.  The 40th anniversary of Woodstock is causing them take a look at what they've been doing these last 40 years.  Some feel that pull towards "making a difference" again. 

3. With information so readily available, it’s easy for Gen X and Y to see what they don’t want to do

With the internet flattening the world, it's much easier for people to see how they fit into the bigger picture.  When you have a sense that your world isn't 'one block long,' you think differently.

4. Social Media gives you the tools to talk back

Social Networking allows people to exert "personal influence."  That's a responsibility as well as a gift.

5. Why couldn't my business be a positive force in my customer's life?

Online business owners are realizing that no matter what they are selling or who they are serving, they can provide a tangible value.

These are by no means the only reasons for a shift in thinking, but are influencing factors. What do you think?

In my never-ending quest to find out more about creativity, I'm really intrigued by a recent article in Scientific American called An Easy Way to Increase Creativity by Oren Shapira and Nira Liberman.  It's something you'd probably guess but just never thought about.

Studies show that 'anything that we do, that we do not experience as occurring now, here and to ourselves falls into the 'psychologically distant' category.'  Wow, what a useful finding! 

What this means is that if you can take yourself out of the equation, you can make a better decision. If you want to solve a problem, figure out how to think about it from another angle (not yours.)

Getting distance from a problem could mean anything from changing the environment to imagining that the problem is happening to some other small company or in some other century or civilization.  Try it and let me know what you find!

Sidebar: It won't help you with those 'The train is leaving the station at"...questions. But some things are not meant to be solved.

I was thinking back to a post I wrote in Feb of '08 about a freakishly bad customer service incident I witnessed at a big retail chain store.  It got me thinking about whether sellers both online and off are 'freshening up' their customer service or just hoping the recession will end so they can go back to mistreating the customer. 

Read the post below and see where you fall on the customer satisfaction scale.  Although I hope that kind of thinking has been squashed by the economy, I'm not so sure.  What do you think?

Feb '08 post: I saw a very interesting customer service interaction in a major chain store the other day that I have to share. The woman ahead of me bought many items. The clerk handed her back a small shopping bag with all the items unappealingly squeezed in—almost bursting the bag.

When the woman asked for a larger bag, the clerk refused saying, Sorry I can only give you a bag that fits your items with no space or I could lose my job. The woman became annoyed (as I would have) and said, 'If I give you $5 dollars can I have a bigger bag?' At that point everyone in line joined the conversation and a larger bag was finally supplied.

When it was my turn, I asked the clerk why she could lose her job. She said the store was having theft problems and the way she was instructed to deal with it was to make sure that bags had no room to stuff extra merchandise.

Hmm, well that's one way to handle it—punish the customers who buy a lot. Make sure to think through your solutions to service problems, lest they have the opposite effect.

Today I have some thoughts about small business owners taking initiative online that I want to share with you.  

Although many of my clients are small business owners and entrepreneurs, some still retain the mindset of an employee.  What do I mean by that? 

I see that some of them are still waiting to be chosen by the 'coach' to go in, meaning that they are waiting to be selected to lead something. 

Online businesses are made strong when the leader appoints herself.  If you have a good idea or a way to make something happen for your business, you should seize it.  No one is sitting around thinking about how to grow YOUR business.

One result of information overload is feeling too overwhelmed to create a new product or start a new revenue stream.  Don't wait to be picked as the leader, it's your show now.

I am very serious about helping people take action to create new products and develop new revenue streams for their businesses.

If you want to take action on this for your small business I have the next round of my 4 week eClass starting August 10th. You can go here to find out more

But whatever you do, take action now.

One online business issue that I'm concerned about these days is that small business owners may not be getting the right marketing advice SPECIFIC to their business.  No matter who advises you or how much you pay for marketing, the advice is useless unless it solves your company's problems. 

As I listen to the stories that customers tell me about previous advice they've received, I've begun to realize that a lot of it is good general advice about online tactics, but it isn't worth much to someone who doesn't have that challenge.  Unfortunately, an advisor may not know how to apply real world thinking to abstract concepts. If they know how to grow a mailing list, that's the advice you get whether or not you have that problem.

For example, a local business doesn't need to gin up traffic from around the web unless she is focusing on broadening her offerings.  Someone who has an extensive mailing list doesn't need to focus on growing that as their first step, they need to look at how to convert more.

It's not my intention to criticize anyone, it's just to alert small business owners to make sure that when they hire an online advisor of any kind that they get measureable advice that relates specifically to their business. One size never fits all.

Great article in July's delivermagazine.com by Anne Stuart called Create Order from Chaos She interviews marketing guru Philip Kotler about his new book "Chaotics: The Business of Managing and Marketing in the age of Turbulence."

In his book, he has a wealth of information about how to adjust your marketing in these uncertain times.  He believes that consumer behavior is affected in three ways by this economy listed below. I comment on how this effects you as an online marketer.

1. They are shifting to lower price offerings:

This is not a shock to you.  You're doing it yourself, so you know it's true.  In the case of your current offerings, don't be loathe to examine how you can re-work some of them to reach a lower price point.  Don't feel that you are 'cheating yourself.' Look at it as a nod to reality and make sure you have a host of price points for every audience.  Also add value to lower price points you currently offer.

2. They are postponing or eliminating discretionary purchases:

This is a signal for you to look at your marketing copy and remember to REVERSE the risk as much as possible.  If you can remove the fear, you can get movement.  (Here's where you should be glad you're an ethical marketer who eschews the hyperbole.)

3. They are cutting back on eating out and driving and staying at home:

Perhaps it's time to turn that conference into an online offering.  Also you should be using tools like GotoMeeting.com so no one is spending money they don't have on travel. (Webster's dictionary added 'staycation' as a new word in case you're interested.)

Check out the article in which Kotler gives you eight ways to flourish now.

I'm sure you think my asking whether you can spend 10 minutes a day thinking about your customers is an odd question.  You probably spend hours thinking and worrying about them or the lack thereof.  But how productive is that time? 

Here's a tip that might help.  Each day when you sit down at your computer begin by spending 10 minutes asking yourself:

"What is the one thing that I can communicate today, that if my customers hear it, they will be one step closer to increasing their revenue."

Does it sound too simple? Write the answer down and then work it into a blog post, an email or a presentation and watch the quality of your content improve and your subscriber list grow.  Try it and let me know how it works for you.

Roger is an institution when it comes to writing books and creating a book platform.  His experience speaks for itself. If you want to write a book and want a creative voice helping you, Roger's your guy!

When you think about how to excite your buyer, it's helpful to take two different categories into account:

1. What buying stage they are in:

Are they just starting the hunt for a solution to their problem?  Are they at the point where they've exhausted their search and are ready to buy?  Think about providing information for all the phases they'll go through.  Talk to your customers about how and what made them decide to buy.  Listen carefully to the words they use and the ideas that captured their imagination.

2. What learning style they prefer:

When you provide information on all your different channels, make sure you take into account the different ways that people learn. They are:

Visual: use videos and graphical information

Auditory: use podcasts, audio greeting, audio testimonials, etc.

Tactile (also called Kinesthetic): use demos, interactive quizzes, step by step how-tos.

A good mix of these will significantly boost your customer's interest in investigating and buying your product.  Also, it's key that you don't rely on the style you prefer!

As I watch the evolution of social media and talk to my clients, I think there's a link between your personality type and the social media networking site you choose to promote your business most often. 

Introverts: If you're an introvert you will feel most comfortable on Twitter. Of course the millions on Twitter are not all introverts.  It is just a great medium for saying what you want and getting the heck out of there. No time wasted trying to chat anyone up, you know who your followers are.

Extroverts: For extroverts it's Facebook. You can ask people to become your FANs and talk about the great event you're holding next. It's a big party and you're the lucky host.

Something to think about if you still haven't decided which to start with. It's just my theory, let me know what you think.

Lots of people are asking me to elaborate on the theory behind my new 4 week online workshop about making"Small Steps for Big Profits"  http://bit.ly/2aFRC 

Let me tell you why I think it's critically important for you to use small steps in this economy.  I feel very strongly about the value of this and hope I get to help as many people as possible discover the power of small steps.

Each day we face a set of tasks, problems and opportunities.  Our response to these daily challenges dictates whether our businesses will grow or fall back. 

Sometimes, you may feel that you are being held back by your own responses.
Your response to:
" opportunities that seem too big
" problems that seem insurmountable
" people who seem more 'important' than you, etc.

The list for every business owner is long.  The only difference between those who succeed and those who fail is how they manage change.  Do they have a plan or just hope to wing it?  Do they worry about losing control or feel they can rely on their management skills?

Typically the successful ones are those who value small incremental changes that don't arouse fear and allow them to course correct as they go. 

When we plan new ideas and try to move ahead in our business the cortex or our brain is engaged.  At the same time, when we begin to challenge ourselves to make changes we upset the status quo.  So the mid-brain stirs up an alarmed response. 
Put simply:

New thought + threat to the status quo = fear

This fear response is the same one our ancestors faced when confronted by a charging animal or a hostile enemy.  It's called the 'fight or flight response' which refers to one of two actions we want to take when we fear something-fight with our enemy to maintain the status quo or flee the situation. 

Unfortunately, this fear response does not feel any different to us today when we deal with business changes than it did to our ancestors.

If you are contemplating the launch of a new product, the addition of a paid employee or a speaking engagement, you will likely feel this fear.  This is what holds you back.  This fear leads to stagnation, writer's block and just plain being 'stuck.' 

To avoid being stuck, you can employ small meaningful steps that don't trigger that response.

I hope you'll consider joining me for our eCoaching  http://bit.ly/2aFRC 

Does your future really depend on who you know? You bet. In fact, it depends on strategically building and leveraging key relationships.

But, any old relationships won't do the trick. This is about building the RIGHT relationships and leveraging them at the right times in order to radically accelerate your success. Easier said than done...

On Monday, June 8 at 12pm Eastern Time, my buddy Elizabeth Marshall, host and founder of Author Teleseminars, is hosting a call with Keith Ferrazzi, bestselling author of Never Eat Alone. On the call, you'll hear about his new book, Who's Got Your Back, and discover his breakthrough process to building deep, powerful relationships that set you up for extraordinary success - and won't let you fail.