Prince officially declared the Internet “dead” last week. Seriously, he did!  He is now launching his new album only on CD and distributing it for free through the daily newspapers. The irony?  While he is okay with promoting his album by giving it away for free, he refuses to have his music available digitally (read iTunes) because he doesn’t get paid upfront but rather has to give it up now and get paid later. 

Okay, Prince’s ‘issues’ aside, this story does identify one common problem: old thinking applied to a new tool is not the answer.  As Seth Godin so aptly said, “play a new game, not the older game but faster” (Seth's Blog).

So, listen up.  The Internet CAN help you ~ if you apply NEW thinking rather than “what I used to do” thinking to the only question that matters “how can I grow my business?”

Great, we all agree we’re playing a new game.  The next challenge for every business owner out there is simple:

What is this NEW thinking and what do I do next?

If you google “Internet marketing”, “Social Media”, “top ten…” or anything else related to getting information about how to use the Internet to grow your business, you’ll be buried under a plethora of blogs, websites, landing pages and advertisements all telling you how important it is to use the Internet.  What you seldom see is a “plan”. 
For free at least. Well, we’ve got great news for you.  Here’s a plan. It’s simple, easy to understand, scalable and orderly.  There is nothing magical in it, other than one simple fact – it works.

A,B,C (& D’s) of your Internet marketing plan (the 4 step process to getting clients online).

A-Act.
Take action to create the foundation that supports your entire framework – YOUR WEBSITE.  
Your website is not an optional communication channel – it’s your HOME, your store-front.  As Shama Hyder puts it, “…think of your website as your online salesperson.  Would you ever send a sales person out into the world without looking tip-top or without having all the information on your business?” (Marketing Zen)
Before you start to build your website, think about and find answers to the following:

1. What is your brand?  Is there a word or phrase that best sums up how you would like people to perceive you?
2. What outcome are you trying to help your clients achieve? This isn’t about what you do but rather what you do to help your client do what they do better.
3. What makes you different from your competitors?  And how are you going to convey this to establish trust.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you are ready to build. So, with results in mind, what do you need to consider when having your website (re)built?

• Domain name.  Use your business name and keep it short but obviously, don’t sacrifice your business name for a short name if it doesn’t make sense.  Always register a domain name for 3 years or more in order to keep the search engines happy (more spam sites register for just 1 year making the search engines very suspicious).
• Hosting.  Many platforms come with hosting however, if you have a customized platform, you can get reasonable hosting for reasonable rates, with great tech support and unlimited email addresses through a number of different organizations.
• Business Email Address.  Don’t email clients from gmail, hotmail, yahoo or any other free email provider.  If you want to be taken seriously, take this tip seriously.
• Design. Get a professional designer versed in conversion architecture and sound Internet marketing principles.  While you may have a great eye for colour or design, or you have a friend who is a professional graphics designer, chances are just because it looks good doesn’t mean it will CONVERT.  Results of a website (read: getting clients online through conversion) require more than just great design – they require solid navigation, a high usability factor, content relevance and sound persuasion.  Hiring a professional is an investment.  Doing it yourself is an expense.
• Content Management.  Having a sound content editor allows you to update your own site in real time. This is of PRIME consideration, particularly if you are sending out newsletters, monthly updates, special offers, and blogging.  Do you really want to wait while your tech guy does this or would you rather have real time implementation?
• Content.  Remember we talked about persuasion?  Well, content is a HUGE part of this.  Your site must be crisp and clear in messaging:

•   Identify easily what problems you help your clients solve
•   Provide valuable, relevant information i.e. your services
•   Identify your vision – for your company, your clients and your community
•   Identify your ideal client – who would most benefit from your offering?
•   Provide information about your company
•   Provide several different and easy means of contacting you

B-Build.

Build targeted traffic to your store-front.
“Why use a cannon to kill a mosquito?”  The wisdom of this Japanese proverb unveils the truth about traditional marketing (i.e. tv, radio, newspapers, direct mail) ~ you can spend a lot of money and not have a clue whether it’s been well spent much less figure out what to keep doing and what to eliminate.  Much of the firepower (specifically the fees associated with such firepower) is wasted.

Building targeted traffic online is a whole new ball game.  Now, you can MEASURE everything.  “Failing-up” fast becomes the new thinking.  Figure out, quickly, what works and do more of it and eliminate, quickly, what isn’t working so you aren’t wasting your time and money.

If you google “how to build your business online”, you’ll be buried in a mountain of information on tactics, strategies and tools to help you attract clients.  To simplify, the following synopsis identifies four key activities that you can implement over a period of time:

1. Search Engine Optimization.

• An ongoing strategy to ensure the search engines – Google – rank you as favourably as possible. In other words, people can find you online.

2. Paid Search Marketing (or PPC ~ “pay per click”).

• You pay when someone clicks on your ad.  This is such a cost effective way to market your services and products to the world.

3. Email Marketing.

• Really and truly a brilliant way to share information.  Really, this was the beginning of the beginning of social media.

4. Social Media.

• Thousands of books have been written on this topic.  In one sentence, this is about mastering the art of having conversations online with one overriding goal – to increase your bottom line over time.  
• The ONE thing you need to remember here: it’s not about traditional marketing using new tools, it’s about NEW thinking using new tools.  So read up and get educated.

    
C-Convert
Your online success is determined simply by getting the right mix of elements ~ the right message to the right audience using the right tools at the right time ~ to increase conversion.

What does conversion mean? Conversion is defined as successful when a prospect or client is persuaded to take a specific action in accordance with the goals of your site.  For example ~ calling to make an appointment, emailing requesting an appointment, emailing requesting that the organization contact the person, signing up for a newsletter or an RSS feed for a blog, becoming a fan on Social Media Channels, buying online, registering for an event, posting a comment, taking a tour, downloading a brochure or a whitepaper, booking a facility... etc.  

All conversions create more of one of three things:
•   A purchaser (client),
•   Lead generation (direct sales lead or increased database)
•   Ongoing client retention and loyalty.

Education, Marketing and Selling are all important.  Some prospects need to be educated about your process (educate), others need to know why you are special (marketing) and the rest want to buy (sell).  
Not everyone who consumes your information (by taking action on any of the above conversion goals) will become a client immediately.  Some may never become clients, but they may tell a friend who will.  

Your website needs to cater to both – the consumers of information on your site and your prospects.

D-Deliver
Deliver outstanding results.

Ensure that you do what you say you will do to help your client do what they need to do better.  In fact, do more than what you say you will do.  You will get results with this attitude in mind.  And once you do, remember to create your testimonials and case studies and put them up on your site for others to see.  

Why? Because the best marketing is through other people.

So, there you have it, the A,B,C (& D’s) of your marketing plan.
If you take some time and follow these steps, you will succeed. 
Following a plan is not difficult, it’s taking the first step that seems to get in the way.
So, get yourself educated, hire a professional if you need to, and get started.  No time like the present ~ especially if you’re serious about building your business.