By Tom "Bald Dog" Varjan
Why?
Because the Internet is the biggest promotional and sales channel the world of commerce has ever seen.
But there is an interesting point here.
This is an interesting question, and the funny thing is that it usually comes from people who vehemently defend their position of not doing business on the web. They often say, "my industry doesn't work that way", "my market doesn't shop online" or "we've tried but the web doesn't work."
Well, at this point it is important to consider that, using Gilbert Arland’s words, "When an archer misses the mark, he turns and looks for the fault within himself. Failure to hit the bull's-eye is never the fault of the target. To improve your aim - improve yourself."
Sadly many business owners with inflated egos, and usually deflated purses (isn't it interesting how the two often come together) blame everything and everyone for their failures, but themselves.
I'm not trying to convince anyone about having or not having a site. I'm going to run two scenarios of "first contact to signed contract", and you can judge for yourself. Then you can take the appropriate step.
Let's start out from a small classified ad in your local paper.
Day 1 - Prospect calls you from your ad and leaves you a message.
Day 2 - You call back and leave a message.
Day 3 - No response is received, so you call again and leave another message.
Day 3 - Later on: Prospect is still not calling you, so you call again and leave a message.
Day 4 - Finally you connect with the prospect and the prospect requests some information from you.
Day 5 - It takes two days to send the information pack to the prospect
Day 7 - You call the prospect to confirm that he received your expensive information package but the prospect has had time to review it.
Day 9 - You call again. Phone tag again. Messages are left back and forth.
Day 11 - You connect again. The prospect like your information but needs more information. You send out information.
Day 13 - Prospect receives your information.
And it goes on and on and on. Hours of unpaid work later you are no further ahead than you were before the very first call.
Now, let's look at the online alterative:
Day 1 - Prospect sees your advertisement and wants to receive the free report you offer on your website. He fills in the form and gets the report. With the report he also subscribes to your newsletter. Also, there is no need for requesting information because everything is there in front of the prospect.
Day 1 later - Prospect receives your "Thank you" email and encouragement to read the report in his inbox.
And this is it. really. Now the prospect is in your funnel and will receive regular emails from you through your sequential autoresponder system. Re-read: You don't send emails manually. The system does everything.
Now the prospect will regularly hear from you and he will make the first purchase whenever he is ready. And your personal presence is not even required in the whole process.
How long does it take to convert a visitors into a client? Who knows. But who cares. You have hundreds of visitors and the system takes care of them.
And the good part of the system is that...
- it can work 24/7/365
- it needs no salary
- it needs no vacation
- it needs no time off
- it doesn't have mood swings
- it never goes on strike
- it never goes on sick leave
- it works at full capacity all day every day
What does it mean to you? Simply that you can have more life and freedom. while the system is there for you to create money.
On the Final Analysis Ask Yourself...
How much more profitable would your business become without traditional high-cost promotional methods, like cold-calling, pavement-pounding and door-knocking?
How much more profit could you keep if you could stay open 24 hours a day seven days a week, 365 days and year for the rest of your life without any extra expense?
How much easier would it be to run your business with smaller overheads and fewer employees?
How much more freedom could you create for yourself if you automated as much of your business as humanly possible?
Well, friend, this is why you need the web.
Do you see what I mean? Then act now and let us know if we can help.
The attribution: "By Tom "Bald Dog" Varjan of SMS Consulting Group, a firm specialising in helping companies to develop smart and easy-to-use systems and processes, instead of the traditional ugly, smelly, sweaty pavement-pounding, door-knocking and cold calling sales slavery, to find and keep clients and customers in a more consistent and predictable manner. For a broad range of tools and articles visit
www.sales-marketing-system.com."
So Why Does Every Business Need a Website That Sells?