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Casual Articles - Allen Taylor Gets the Exclusive Interview With Chris Knight
Last month I went out and bought a shiny, brand new car. The car’s nice, but I wanted to share my experience with the sales rep I worked with, and the dealership that ultimately took care of me by not really taking care of me. And it wasn’t so much that I was at the dealership for 4 hours, they had no snacks to eat or that I was shuttled between two competing sales reps, it was the way I was treated after the purchase.Once the paperwork was signed, the sales rep was far more interested in getting referrals from me that ensuring I was treated remarkably. In order to make sure that he was foremost on my mind when I left the dealership, the sales rep gave me a stack of his business cards that could have weighed down an elephant. I guess his thought was, “The more cards I give him, the more he’ll pass out and the more customers I’ll bring in.” He then explained that for each sucker, I mean person I got to buy a car from him he would
6) There are many ways to go about Internet marketing. There's SEO, e-books or information products, blogs, forums, article writing, press release distribution, pay-per-click, ezine publishing and so many others. In your opinion, what is the most important Internet marketing method for small businesses with traditional mindsets?
The best method from the list you gave is ALL OF THEM, and at the same time.
The biggest mistake I see traditional mindsets making is thinking the offline world can be applied to the online world. Traditional direct marketers are often the worst offenders in terms of not honoring client permissions when engaging in email marketing.
Another mistake is thinki
Outside of their recent ‘no late fee’, everyone's 'local' video store has initiated a few 'new policies'.I recently went to my local (albeit a nationwide conglomerate) video store to get a game for my son. This is certainly not an unfamiliar occurrence as he has had a game console before he could walk. As usual, I walk up to the counter to provide my video rental card (although everyone behind the counter knows me) and lo' and behold I am told that they need a 'major' credit card on my file to rent the game. What?! As it turns out (and not surprisingly) that this new policy is in place due to the fact that an undisclosed number of people are not returning their games (I always wondered what the insurance statistitions did on their time off). From a business stand point I understand. From a consumer stand point I think that it should be based on individuals. How the rest of consumers interact with video rentals is truly none of my concern. I
1) How is Internet marketing different than offline marketing?
Internet marketing is online in the form of web pages, permission-based emails, ezines, blogs, RSS feeds, search marketing, etc. Offline marketing is typically physical media, such as print, postcards, letters, newspaper advertising, etc.
2) Do you recommend small businesses with a local clientele use Internet marketing techniques with traditional methods of marketing? If so, how should they go about that?
Yes, of course.
They should first attempt to get the email address of every single customer and prospect along with permission to send them a weekly or monthly email newsletter or alerts of special promotions that their clients may find valuable.
The next step is to make a simple web site so that your basic core contact information, hours, directions and product lines or rate cards can be found.
The third step may include a shopping cart that allows clients to buy from you online as well as offline. Even if your current clients don’t buy online right now, you may find that your expertise can be packaged or bundled for digital sale to others all over the world.
3) What is the best way for a small brick-and-mortar business to get in on Internet marketing action?
Get the ezine started and begin an email-based relationship with your prospects, business friends and clients. It all begins with email.
Concurrently with the ezine, I’d recommend starting a blog and beginning a market discussion with your audience. It’s not that difficult as one of the core tenets of blogging is that the blogger doesn’t need to know HTML to produce frequent updates to the blog.
4) Is article writing just for those folks with an Internet site or can businesses without a Web presence benefit?
While you can engage in article marketing without owning a website, it doesn’t make sense. How much are domains these days? $10? Web hosting accounts are $15-$20 per month and HTML web designers can be hired for $8-$15/hr in most places. If you’re not on the web, it’s only because you’ve chosen to not be on the web. I’d recommend skipping article marketing until after you’ve built a very simple web presence.
5) What do you think is the biggest mistake small business owners make when they try to go online, and what advice can you give to stop people from making that mistake?
Not updating their website frequently enough. Daily would be what I recommend and weekly at a very minimum. Email newsletters should be delivered weekly at a minimum, and blogs should be updated every day or every other day if you want to achieve success online.
6) There are many ways to go about Internet marketing. There's SEO, e-books or information products, blogs, forums, article writing, press release distribution, pay-per-click, ezine publishing and so many others. In your opinion, what is the most important Internet marketing method for small businesses with traditional mindsets?
The best method from the list you gave is ALL OF THEM, and at the same time.
The biggest mistake I see traditional mindsets making is thinking the offline world can be applied to the online world. Traditional direct marketers are often the worst offenders in terms of not honoring client permissions when engaging in email marketing.
Another mistake is thinkin
Why develop a marketing campaign just for the Thanksgiving to New Year period? It’s simple.From now until January 1, the “buyer mentality” prevails. Buyers are ready to make purchases at any time, not just while shopping. Many businesses make as much as 50% of their revenues during this period . Study these marketing strategies and adapt them to your business. Below are my top 5 strategies.1. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR EVERY BUDGETTo maximize revenues, smart retailers develop gift ideas to fit every budget -- for example, Gifts Under $10, Under $50, Over $200, etc. How can you develop products or services to fit every budget in your business?2. HOLIDAY PACKAGESHoliday packages are the HOT sellers right now! Why? Because they take the “thinking” out of buying. For example, pre-package gifts of soaps, body lotion and bath salts. How can you take the “thinking” out of buying your goods or services? How
They should first attempt to get the email address of every single customer and prospect along with permission to send them a weekly or monthly email newsletter or alerts of special promotions that their clients may find valuable.
The next step is to make a simple web site so that your basic core contact information, hours, directions and product lines or rate cards can be found.
The third step may include a shopping cart that allows clients to buy from you online as well as offline. Even if your current clients don’t buy online right now, you may find that your expertise can be packaged or bundled for digital sale to others all over the world.
3) What is the best way for a small brick-and-mortar business to get in on Internet marketing action?
Get the ezine started and begin an email-based relationship with your prospects, business friends and clients. It all begins with email.
Concurrently with the ezine, I’d recommend starting a blog and beginning a market discussion with your audience. It’s not that difficult as one of the core tenets of blogging is that the blogger doesn’t need to know HTML to produce frequent updates to the blog.
4) Is article writing just for those folks with an Internet site or can businesses without a Web presence benefit?
While you can engage in article marketing without owning a website, it doesn’t make sense. How much are domains these days? $10? Web hosting accounts are $15-$20 per month and HTML web designers can be hired for $8-$15/hr in most places. If you’re not on the web, it’s only because you’ve chosen to not be on the web. I’d recommend skipping article marketing until after you’ve built a very simple web presence.
5) What do you think is the biggest mistake small business owners make when they try to go online, and what advice can you give to stop people from making that mistake?
Not updating their website frequently enough. Daily would be what I recommend and weekly at a very minimum. Email newsletters should be delivered weekly at a minimum, and blogs should be updated every day or every other day if you want to achieve success online.
6) There are many ways to go about Internet marketing. There's SEO, e-books or information products, blogs, forums, article writing, press release distribution, pay-per-click, ezine publishing and so many others. In your opinion, what is the most important Internet marketing method for small businesses with traditional mindsets?
The best method from the list you gave is ALL OF THEM, and at the same time.
The biggest mistake I see traditional mindsets making is thinking the offline world can be applied to the online world. Traditional direct marketers are often the worst offenders in terms of not honoring client permissions when engaging in email marketing.
Another mistake is thinki
Wire electrical discharge machining is a method of cutting conductive materials with a traveling wire that separates material in a controlled manner. The wire used is electrically charged and actually arcs with the part to be cut.The purchase of a wire electrical discharge machining system is a heavy investment and it should be made only after all queries are answered. The initial queries regarding the wire electrical discharge machining are concerned with its working. The system uses a thin brass wire as an electrode. This is controlled on a computer and runs close to the part to be cut, without touching it. The small gap produces sparks of 10000 C that vaporize the small particles of the piece, as the wire moves.Simultaneously, the dielectric fluid flushes away the disintegrated particles, enabling the wire to advance further. The movements of the wire are operated with help of a computer program. The other query that comes up is co
Get the ezine started and begin an email-based relationship with your prospects, business friends and clients. It all begins with email.
Concurrently with the ezine, I’d recommend starting a blog and beginning a market discussion with your audience. It’s not that difficult as one of the core tenets of blogging is that the blogger doesn’t need to know HTML to produce frequent updates to the blog.
4) Is article writing just for those folks with an Internet site or can businesses without a Web presence benefit?
While you can engage in article marketing without owning a website, it doesn’t make sense. How much are domains these days? $10? Web hosting accounts are $15-$20 per month and HTML web designers can be hired for $8-$15/hr in most places. If you’re not on the web, it’s only because you’ve chosen to not be on the web. I’d recommend skipping article marketing until after you’ve built a very simple web presence.
5) What do you think is the biggest mistake small business owners make when they try to go online, and what advice can you give to stop people from making that mistake?
Not updating their website frequently enough. Daily would be what I recommend and weekly at a very minimum. Email newsletters should be delivered weekly at a minimum, and blogs should be updated every day or every other day if you want to achieve success online.
6) There are many ways to go about Internet marketing. There's SEO, e-books or information products, blogs, forums, article writing, press release distribution, pay-per-click, ezine publishing and so many others. In your opinion, what is the most important Internet marketing method for small businesses with traditional mindsets?
The best method from the list you gave is ALL OF THEM, and at the same time.
The biggest mistake I see traditional mindsets making is thinking the offline world can be applied to the online world. Traditional direct marketers are often the worst offenders in terms of not honoring client permissions when engaging in email marketing.
Another mistake is thinki
It is easy to spot the difference between a work team that is “motivated” and one that just goes through the motions. The motivated team produces at or above the level expected by top management, has only occasional absences or tardiness, and low employee turnover. The second group has trouble meeting its goals, greater absenteeism, and higher turnover. In addition, members of the latter work team may be more apt to argue with one another or to band together against their supervisor. Can a supervisor who is also a good coach really make a difference? The answer is a definite “yes” with a few qualifiers.There are three things you can do to have a solid, productive work force. 1. Hire only fully competent people who already know the job and who do things right all the time. There aren’t many such people but you could look around and keep on searching. -- 2. Wish for a miracle. -- 3. Take the employees you have and train them to be highly compe
5) What do you think is the biggest mistake small business owners make when they try to go online, and what advice can you give to stop people from making that mistake?
Not updating their website frequently enough. Daily would be what I recommend and weekly at a very minimum. Email newsletters should be delivered weekly at a minimum, and blogs should be updated every day or every other day if you want to achieve success online.
6) There are many ways to go about Internet marketing. There's SEO, e-books or information products, blogs, forums, article writing, press release distribution, pay-per-click, ezine publishing and so many others. In your opinion, what is the most important Internet marketing method for small businesses with traditional mindsets?
The best method from the list you gave is ALL OF THEM, and at the same time.
The biggest mistake I see traditional mindsets making is thinking the offline world can be applied to the online world. Traditional direct marketers are often the worst offenders in terms of not honoring client permissions when engaging in email marketing.
Another mistake is thinki
How do you increase business profits? Answer the following questions carefully, and you'll have a good start.1. Can you increase the average sale? A restaurant with 25% profit margins might make 50% on additional sales to existing customers (less labor to bag one large order than two smaller ones). Asking "What would you like to drink with that?" works, and it's just a start.2. What's the least expensive way to get a customer? Before you spend another thousand dollars advertising to get new customers, could you get as much business by spending a few hours contacting previous or existing customers?3. What low risk ideas can you try? I once sent a letter to several visiting basketball teams, inviting them to visit our restaurant, and giving the coach a free meal as an incentive. The cost? Two dollars. The pay off was two busloads of customers. At that rate, you could increase your business profits even if nine out of ten ideas fa
6) There are many ways to go about Internet marketing. There's SEO, e-books or information products, blogs, forums, article writing, press release distribution, pay-per-click, ezine publishing and so many others. In your opinion, what is the most important Internet marketing method for small businesses with traditional mindsets?
The best method from the list you gave is ALL OF THEM, and at the same time.
The biggest mistake I see traditional mindsets making is thinking the offline world can be applied to the online world. Traditional direct marketers are often the worst offenders in terms of not honoring client permissions when engaging in email marketing.
Another mistake is thinking short term and doing highly risky “black hat” activities to cheat or game the system. Have some integrity and use the Internet to build new, and reinforce, existing relationships with your target market.
7) How would you recommend a small business owner who is primarily interested in reaching a local clientele approach online marketing efforts?
I’d focus on making sure your web site is search engine friendly so that you attract localized search users who are trying to find your business online.
Assuming your website is up and you’ve got a few years under your belt, it’s time to test Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing and Article Marketing. Both will help deliver qualified visitors to your website so that you can begin the relationship and help your customers buy more from you.
8) Of course, small business owners are budget minded so they're always looking for low-cost ways to promote their businesses. What low-cost ways does Internet marketing offer?
Comparative to PPC marketing, Article Marketing is more grass roots because it only costs your time to write, produce and submit or distribute your quality original articles.
Ezine delivery and management is also a relatively low cost investment with the highest costs being your time to produce each issue.
9) Should the strategy be different for a service business? I mean, if a person is selling a service instead of a product, would they still approach Internet marketing the same way? How about article writing?
It depends if their product or service can be acquired over the web. I’m always amazed at how many service-based businesses don’t think they can acquire sales by putting their services online. How falsely they have assumed.
As far as article writing & marketing is concerned, both physical and intangible products or services make for excellent topics to write about and attract qualified visitors.
10) One final question. What is the best way to ensure ezine publishers pick up your article for their publication?
Ask yourself this question: “Does my article make the publisher look good?” If so, my chances of being picked up are higher.
Did you use correct spelling, grammar, sentence-structure and punctuation?
Keep your articles short, 300-700 words. No one has time to read thousands of words unless they are sitting down to read a book or research whitepaper/report.
Keep your article writing and submissions on a consistent and frequent basis. The traffic rewards disproportionately go to those who submit new articles every week instead of the experts who only do article marketing once a year. If you advertise your business monthly, consider marketing with articles monthly.
Chris, on behalf of Taylor and Associates, I want to thank you for your time and energy in coming up with responses to our questions. Taylor and Assoc
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