Welcome to this week’s Marketing Minute Tip. Last week we talked about not reinventing your website. That’s part one! The next part is illuminated in today’s subject line. So please understand that I don’t mean to be insulting asking you that question. But sometimes there is just no getting around it.

You see our company talks to clients every day who’ve spent thousands and thousands of dollars on fancy websites that produce zero profits. And what’s worse is they CONTINUE to sink money into them hoping something will magically change and the leads will start rolling in.

I hate to break it to you, but you don’t get points for “pretty” on the Internet. Not when it comes to driving traffic, generating leads and closing sales automatically and effortlessly.

Every year business professionals around the globe spend millions of dollars on artistic, entertaining and beautiful websites that toot their horns. And every year they WASTE millions of dollars. It’s called “Image Advertising” and the only bell it rings is yours (unless your company is Coke, IBM, etc). It doesn’t engage the prospect, it doesn’t make them want to know more and it doesn’t make them contact you. It bores them silly and sends them surfing for something better.

Why? Because prospects don’t care how wonderful you are! They care about what you can do for them. So the next time someone recommends you use meaningless boasts like:

“I’m #1!”

“We Are The Biggest!”

“I Care About Your Business!”

“I Have All The Credentials and Awards!”

“I Provide Great Service!”

WATCH OUT!!

Image advertisements like these don’t make the phones ring for several very simple reasons…

They don’t give prospects a compelling reason to contact you over your competition (anyone can make the same claims).

They fail to describe the benefits to the prospect (What’s in it for them?)

They don’t tell a complete story

They don’t make a specific offer

They don’t include a call to action, and,

They’re not measurable or trackable!

Think about it. Would a site making those claims hold your interest for long? Of course not! You’re too smart to get suckered in by a slick advertisement like that, even if it is wrapped up in the pretty guise of an “informative website.”

Your prospects are no different. They’ve spent the last 10, 20 or 30 years being inundated with useless, false information and they’ve mastered the art of tuning it out.

People don’t want to be sold. They want to be helped. And the only way to prove you’re up to the job is to deep-six image advertising!

Instead, focus on the prospects needs and wants. Appeal to their emotions AND their intellect. Dangle a carrot by offering genuine information they desperately crave…then watch them eat right out of your hand.

Next week we will take another look at some common mistakes we find with websites. If you would like to learn more about the Marketing Strategy we reviewed today or learn more about this or any other AMS product, service or Marketing Membership Program, go to www.AutomatedMarketingSolutions.com

Or, to see more information about our complete membership system, go to www.ProspectsToProfits.net or give one or our reps a call at 1-800-858-8889.

To your marketing success,

Mike Kowalski
President
Automated Marketing Solutions