The Web Servant Blog

What are you thankful for?

2008-11-21T21:35:01Z

My business coach has a great question on his coaching prep form. It is "What are you thankful for."

When I think about that question it helps me focus my attention away from obstacles and into opportunity. It helps me look up. It gives me a broader perspective and peace of mind.

One of the things I am very thankful for is you.

Thank you for allowing me into your inbox.

Thank you for allowing me to serve you.

And thank you for the good you are putting out into the world.

You make my life richer and for that I am very grateful.

What are you thankful for?

Here's a Winning Brand

2008-10-03T19:11:03Z

When I run across an excellent example of branding I want to share it with everyone. And that's just what happened with www.beyondmotherhood.com, the brainchild of Shannon Davis. I stole a few minutes of her time this week to find out how she developed this HR matching site with a twist. Here we go...

Q. Shannon, what are the steps you took to arrive at where you are with your company brand?
A. I had a vision for what I wanted from the beginning. I did the whole research and web tour thing and knew I didn't want to go with a traditional HR "look" with photos of people shaking hands, etc. I knew the colors I liked, I wanted something approachable, grassroots, different than other sites. I found the inspiration for my identity by shopping images at istockphoto.com. I have had great feedback from site visitors and from my printed material.

Q. What print material did you develop to extend your brand offline?
A. We developed business cards, of course, I also created rack cards, bookmarks, and professional posters with tear-off tabs on the bottom. This has been a really great investment and good move, we've gotten alot of mileage from the posters.

Q. What have you learned through launching your site?
A. I think you need to trust the right people and you can't do it alone. When you are working by yourself it's easy to get stuck in your little bubble. I found that working with a board of advisors was really important to help me get out of the bubble. I meet with a couple of them regularly and have informal relationships without at least three more. It has been a tremendous help to me in moving forward, building confidence and believing in the value of my offer. I have also learned to leverage interviews you conduct with experts, i.e. don't ever leave without asking for two or three other names of people you can contact. Often times this is where the mother lode of information lies.

Q. What advice do you have for someone just starting out?
A. Surround yourself with encouragers; don't let other people's negativity drive you down; and stay connected! Join professional groups and associations, there are many virtual organizations to join if you don't have access to many in your community.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement, Shannon, and best wishes for continued success.

Check out Shannon's moxie brand by visiting www.beyondmotherhood.com.

Branding Class for Coaches

2008-10-03T14:44:15Z

Coaches, if you are struggling with defining your niche or attracting clients, consider attending my one-hour teleseminar on October 9th, Branding for Impact.

I will present a three-step branding process to help you reach your ideal clients and build the coaching practice you envision. Includes links to branding resources and helpful tools.

I would love to have you on board for this teleseminar. Take a positive step for your coaching practice today!

To register, visit the class registration page.

My lil October pumpkin

2008-10-01T21:59:08Z

Here's my pumpkin drawing from art class. Tuesdays nights. Six weeks. Lovin' it.

Happy October everyone :)

How can Twitter help build your personal brand?

2008-09-16T11:36:15Z

If personal branding is all about your promise of value, how can Twitter (and other social networking tools for that matter) help to build your brand? If CNN Newsroom and The New York Times are tweeting, there must be something to it.

I ventured into Twitter land about a month ago. Here are some brand building techniques I have observed from others.

Ask questions. This sends a signal of respect and authenticity.

Invite discussion on blog posts.

Link to events that add value for your readers.

Be yourself, your "voice" and style are part of your brand.

Some are witty and let it show - fun!

Some use Twitter to ask for help or offer it.

Many add value to the community, good stuff.

Social media strategist Chris Brogan has written an ebook on personal branding with social media. Grab your copy here.

How has Twitter helped you with your personal brand?

Entrepreneur Network for Moms

2008-09-03T18:06:11Z

Traci Bisson of The Mom Entrepreneuer has created a great networking and support group for moms who are also entrepreneurs. Come on and join us, it's fun!

Join Teaching Sells before the doors close

2008-07-23T14:43:47Z

Teaching Sells is closing the doors to new members July 31st...but there's still time (not much though) to join. I am a lifetime member and I wouldn't steer you wrong with this. It is a FABULOUS place to learn about how to really sell online. Read why here. And join me in the Teaching Sells community!

Are freelancers really free?

2008-07-15T16:13:14Z

I'm a freelancer and I LOVE the freelance life, but some days I don't feel very "free". So, I'm curious. If you're a freelancer, (i.e. a coach, a consultant, or anyone working solo) do you feel "free?"

I was reading this blog post by Julie Roads which I thought hit the nail on the head when it comes to working solo.

She says, and I agree, that even though we are free to set our own hours, start and end work whenever, and pick and choose which projects on which to work, we have other restraints that keep us from feeling "free"...namely:

if we don't work the paycheck stops coming,
we can't call a substitute, and
it's really hard to turn away work.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE MY LIFE, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But some days, even though I'm technically "free", I feel anything but that!

How about you?

Do you have a website gripe?

2008-05-06T21:48:43Z

I got to thinking the other day about website problems and I want to ask you a question. Is there something about your website that drives you crazy?

It might be paying someone to update it all the time. Or columns not lining up. Or working with your software template.

What has your experience been like? If you think of something, I really want to know. I'm all ears so feel free to comment.

How do you ask for referrals?

2008-03-31T19:28:42Z

I'm guessing we're in the same boat when in comes to new business, eh? Referrals for you, too? I thought it would be fun to get your ideas about how you ask for referrals. Here are a few of mine to get us started.

When I send invoices, I always include a line that says, "We appreciate your business and your referrals." Works great.

I have a corporate account at Starbucks, and I like to send a Starbucks gift card to folks who mention my name to others.

I have partnership agreements with pros who share my market but aren't competitors. Everybody wins - love this!

Okay, enough about me. What works for you?

My 10 Best Web Marketing Tips Ever

2007-12-10T15:20:23Z

This post is inspired by Brian Clark's Cosmo headline challenge. Thanks for the inspiration, Brian!

So here are my 10 Best Web Marketing Tips Ever

1. Picture your reader in your head when you are writing. There's something about conversational writing that just does the trick.

2.Use white space. You don't have to fill up the entire screen with text. Give your paragraphs some breathing room. And use images. An image can say a thousand words.

3. Use one focal point per page. This can be your offer (buy now) or your artwork (which could also be clickable). Too much on the page causes visual chaos and is confusing to your reader.

4. Be a thought leader. If you are a subject matter expert, don't be afraid to crow a little. Your blog is a great place for this, but you can also write articles, or record a podcast. Or try offering your opinon via product or service review.

5. Be sure your website is all about your reader. Like Brian, Tony and Shane say, "teaching sells.". Educate. Nurture. Inform. Build relationships.

6. Give yourself away, in small increments of course. If you are a consultant, offer a free 20-minute consultation. If it goes for 30 minutes, you've given extra value already, and your prospect will be that much closer to becoming a client.

7. Offer levels of services. People want to belong to the right group. They will self-select if you give them a choice (for example, beginners, intermediate or advanced). You will sell more packages as a result.

8. Use an opt-in form on every page of your site. Invite people to join. You don't have to coerce with a bunch of FREE stuff, though there's nothing wrong with that. People want to be invited to something. Invite them into your inner circle.

9. Do the grandma test with your website navigation. This is huge. If your grandma doesn't know where to click when she looks at your website, neigther will a whole bunch of other people.

10. Condense your tag line to 7 words or less. Include the "who" and the "what." For example, career consultant and personal branding specialist Wendy Terwelp of Opportunity Knocks says, "Are you ready for your next big gig?(tm)" Ronnie Noize of Vernoika Noize LLC says "I help small businesses attract more clients." Mine is "We help creative women prosper online." For a great tutorial on this, check out Wendy and Ronnie's cool audio here.

So...these are my 10 best....what have you found to work? I'm all ears.

To your success!

Free report on building recurring income

2007-11-21T11:13:33Z

Check out my personal link to the Teaching Sells Free Report from the good folks at Teaching Sells. Highly recommended!

Read what Get Clients Now author, C.J. Hayden, says about web marketing

2007-11-13T14:58:37Z

Here's some advice about web marketing from a seasoned entrepreneur and one of my favorite authors, C.J. Hayden.

C.J. Hayden, MCC, is a business coach who teaches people to make a better living doing what they love. Her company, Wings Business Coaching, specializes in working with business owners, self-employed professionals, and people in marketing and sales. C.J. is a former corporate productivity consultant with over 25 years experience in business management. She has been a professional trainer since 1978, and a coach since 1992.

Take it away, C.J.!

Beth asks: How important is web marketing as a tool to get new clients?

C.J.'s response: The importance of web marketing to your business really depends on what sort of business you are in and who your clients are. If your business is primarily local and you don't need a high volume of clients to be successful, Internet marketing isn't essential. For example, I know many management consultants, corporate trainers, life coaches, and psychotherapists who maintain a thriving business without even having a website.

But if you want to do business outside your local area or you need a high volume of clients, having a strong web presence becomes much more important. If your business involves filling regular workshops or selling info-products, web marketing is a must.

For any type of business, though, even if web marketing isn't essential for you, I think it makes many aspects of getting clients easier. Having a strong web presence adds substantially to your professional credibility, which can result in more prospects easily converting to clients, higher rates, and more invitations to speak and write. Marketing can become automatic and effortless.

Beth asks: How has web marketing helped you expand your reach as a professional?

C.J.'s response: I rely on web marketing extensively to attract new clients. I publish an ezine and maintain a large mailing list, I write articles for web publication, and I make a lot of valuable resources available online at no charge.

Marketing on the web has allowed me to work with clients from all over the world, offer teleclasses and webinars instead of being limited to live programs, and generate passive income by selling info-products, licenses, and memberships in addition to working with clients one-on-one. My whole business model is based on attracting clients on the web now.

Beth asks: What advice about web marketing would you have for a new service professional?

C.J.'s response: Don't be intimidated by the level of web presence that others have been able to achieve, or by the learning curve to understand new technology. Be willing to start small and learn as you go. My flagship site has well over 100 pages now, and I have six different sites for my different lines of business. But I started out with just one site that had only one page.

Also, don't allow anyone to convince you to start paying for ads or search engine placement right away. Focus first on building a valuable website and publishing an ezine or blog to stay in touch with prospects and let them get to know you. Then branch out to publishing articles online -- they can be the same items you write for your ezine or blog.

Only when you have a site that does a good job at converting prospects to clients AND provides a way to stay in touch with new visitors does it make sense to start paying to attract more traffic. And you may find that if you create a site with valuable content, publish articles online, and do some web-based networking and speaking, you may never need to pay for ads. That's the formula that's worked for me.

Close: Great advice, C.J. Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us.

For more about C.J. Hayden, please visit her website at www.getclientsnow.com.

16 online business tools I wouldn't live without

2007-10-11T13:00:00Z

Here are some of the online business tools I use daily to make life easier. I wanna know yours, too, so be sure to contribute your faves.

Some of these links are my personal referral links, some are just links to the tool. Enjoy!

Freshbooks.com
This is an online accounting and invoicing tool that allows me to invoice my clients and get paid more quickly. It works!

iContact.com
iContact.com is a contact manager which helps me manage communication with clients, readers, and prospects.
I use it for ezines, announcements, and ecourses via autoresponder. I can also use it for blogging and surveys. Really nice.

AudioAcrobat.com
Audio brings websites to life. I like audioacrobat because it has a ton of functionality and excellent support and training. It makes inserting audio a breeze, also turns you into a podcaster with one or two clicks. Awesome tool.

Basecamp.com
I would be lost without my Basecamp tool. This is my home base for collaboration on projects, sharing files,
and keeping organized. It syncs with Freshbooks, too. Very cool.

MovableType.org
This blog, www.webservantblog.com, is set up with Movable Type. There's a slick new upgrade which I haven't tried yet, but I am hoping to put it to the test soon.

WordPress.org
I have a second blog on WordPress, http://classes.proimpact.com, which I use for class postings and announcements. I like the ease of WordPress and the flexibility and customization it offers.

FeedBlitz.com and FeedBurner.com
These are tools which allow subscribers to sign up to my blog via email. Here's a blog post which compares the two.

FreeConferenceCall.com
I use this service for classes, conference calls, and general kibitzing. It has lots of features. Great tool.

Gmail.com
I love my gmail account. It makes online life so much easier because all conversations are grouped and easily managed. Home run, Google (again).

Google Checkout and PayPal
Google checkout is a slick checkout tool that might be compared to PayPal, only easier to run. I hit a snag with this tool when it was first introduced because it only accepted US Currency, but as of this writing it has expanded to pounds and maybe more international currency. For a rundown on the two, check out this post.

Innoport.com
This virtual office phone system with online fax and voicemail is a treat. I use it to manage phone calls and faxing. Love the call forwarding.

AcuityScheduling.com
I love this tool because it allows my clients to schedule appointments online. It helps me manage my time better and gives clients more freedom.

LinkedIn.com
Social networking and reputation is becoming a really big deal. LinkedIn is just one tool to help you connect with others, contribute, and generally get to know more people. Very cool.

Xoom.com
This is a fabulous tool for exchanging money with international clients and partners. I have found it to be easy to use and reliable.

That's it for now. Remember, I want to know your favorite tools, too. Let me know with a quick comment.

Sell your book on Amazon with Booksurge

2007-10-05T13:00:00Z

I just finished self-publishing my book, Signature Web Marketing: A Handbook for Professionals (click here to go to Amazon.com) with Booksurge (www.booksurge.com). The best part of the process was my ever helpful publishing consultant, John Schuster (bookmarketing101.blogspot.com).

Booksurge offers several levels of service for authors. John helped me make selections that were a good fit
for my timeline and my budget.

It's nice to have someone who's in your corner. Thanks, John, for your great customer service.

If you are thinking of self-publishing a book and using your website as a marketing tool, Booksurge is a great option. If you want to talk over the web marketing piece, I'm here for you and I'm in YOUR corner. Contact me to schedule a free 20 minute consultation - let's go!