Sapient Business Solutions Inc.

A Business Consulting Company

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Here is a  list of 12 different ways that you can use to motivate customers to come to your website to buy your stuff,  get on your email list or call you for an appointment.

1. Search Engines.

Key: Get on the first page in search engines, by optimizing your site with high traffic keywords, and building a ton of backlinks to your site.

Best Search Engine – Do I really have to say?  Google.

2. Video.

Key: Make the video as funny, outlandish, shocking, colorful as you can make it – then optimize it with keywords, put a strong call to action, and send it to multiple video sites.

Best Video Site to use: You Tube (third largest search engine next to Facebook, and Google).

3. Article and Blog Marketing.

Key: Write keyword rich, and informative articles and submit them to hundreds of free article sites.

Best article sites to submit to: Ezinearticles.com

4. Press Releases.

Key: Write keyword rich press releases that make an announcement about anything great happening in your business or website – Make sure to tie in children, pets, women and holidays.

Best free press release site – PRLog.com

5. Social Networks.

Key: Put great content on your site that people can access only if they become your “friend” or follower.

Best social networks to use: Facebook (of course) and Twitter.

6. Social Bookmarking.

Key: Write a great blog, article, press release that taps into anything with children, pets, women’s issues, the holidays or popular current events – and bookmark it.

Best social bookmarking sites: Delicious, Digg, Reddit, Stumbleupon.

7. RSS (really simple syndication).

Key: Submit your blog’s, article’s, website’s RSS feed to as many pertinent RSS Feed Aggregators as you can.

Best RSS Feed Aggregator: Feed Burner

8. Free Classified Ads.

Key: Submit a benefit, and keyword rich classified ad with a strong call to action.

Best Free Classified Ad to use: Craigslist or Backpage.

9. Free Business Directories.

Key: Add as much benefit driven information as possible, use keywords in the title, and add a call to action.

Best Free Business Directory to use: Merchant Circle

10. Email List Building.

Key: Write or buy a report or ebook of a topic that is in high demand.  Request people give you their emails in order to get it.  Then use an email service to deliver great content as well as promotions over time.

Best Email Provider to Use: Aweber, or Mailchimp because its free.

11. Photo sites.

Key: Take some funny, shocking, beautiful, or meaningful photos (especially of kids, pets, attractive women and landscapes) and optimize it with keywords in the title and description.

Best photo sites to use: Photobucket, Flickr, Google images.

12. Event Promotion

Key: Write some benefit driven content with a strong call to action, and put it on every online event promotion site.  Direct them back to your website for more details.

Best online event promotion site: Eventbrite, Zevents.

Again these are only a few of hundreds of other traffic sources.  For instance, I have not had time to mention about, forums, contests, free software, CPV and affiliates.

But look out for these in the coming future.

Good luck,

Will Pena, MBA

Small Business Consultant

Sapient Business Solutions, Inc.

This is because that is where the online battle is fought and won.

Statistically, 63% of the most clicks go to the first 5 positions on the first page in Google, with the number 1 spot, taking 42% of the clicks.

So being on the first page, can mean the difference between your website’s success or failure.

Yet, how do you get on the first page of Google?

You first need to understand that Google is in the business to make money.

When a person searches for something in Google, Google will do its best to bring up the most relevant, authoritative, and popular results it can. And this way the customer stays happy and keeps coming back to Google.

Now, because of this, the websites that are most relevant, authoritative and popular get the first spots.

So, this article will show you what to do to get your website to be those 3 things, and motivate Google to put you on the first page for the world to see.

Relevance

How does Google determine relevance? By finding similarities in the keywords the searcher is using, and the keywords and content on your website.

This is why keyword research is so important. If you know what keywords your prospects are searching for, you need to add them to your website in strategic places, so that Google can justify the relevance of your website.

You see, having a great website is not enough. Google needs to determine that is relative to their audience’s search.

So where do you put the keywords?

Here are the following areas that Google looks for keywords in order to determine relevance:

Most important – Meta tag, H1 title, URL (or at the end of your URL), and in your website content.

Less important – Meta keyword tags (Google no, Yahoo and Bing yes), and your alt tags (images).

Authority

Unfortunately, adding keywords to your site is only 10% of the battle. The greatest challenge is having Google consider your site more authoritative than everyone’s else’s site on the internet.

This is 90% of the battle everyone on the web are fighting right now.

Now, Google judges a site’s authority like most Universities do – it is based on how much your information is cited, quoted or in the case of your website, how many times someone else links to your site.

Generally it is based on how many links you have, the quality and authority of the places linking to you, and all of the different places that are linking to you.

In terms of:

Volume – The more links you have the better.

Quality – The higher authority or “page rank” of the places linking to you the better.

Diversity – The more different places link to you the better.

The good news is, that the more links you can get, the easier it will be to improve your placement in Google. The bad news is, you have put the effort in getting people to link to you.

Popularity

Google has just started to use this as a measure – due to the enormous influence of social media.

So Google does look to see how popular your site is on places like Facebook and Twitter. The more mentions you have the more favorable Google will see your site as something they want to show their searchers.

Therefore, if you can improve your influence by getting more mentions in Facebook, and more tweets and retweets in Twitter, you will improve your chances at getting on the first page.

Now, the $64,000 question is…How can you do all this in less than 30 days?

I will show you 4 steps that will give you the best chance at seeing your website on the first page of Google in the next 4 weeks.

1. Find low to moderate competitive keywords to optimize your site with.

There are many words that have low to moderate competition, yet still get lots of traffic.

The most valuable being local keywords. Local keywords are keywords with a city, town etc. next to it (i.e.: locksmith Los Angeles, small business coach orange county, etc.).

If you can identify these, and add these to your website, you may be able to get on the first page without any links, in as little as 2 weeks (I had a client do it in 1 and half weeks).

To get accurate keyword data, use the Google Keyword Tool.

2. Write a blog, or article and submit it to blog and article directories.

Blog and article directories are sites that will publish an article you write for free. The best part though, is that if you add a link for your website in your article, it will be counted as a link.

What is miraculous is that there are over 500 of these sites you can send your article to – that will publish them, and give you an instant 500 links to your site.

3. Turn that same blog or article in to multiple types of media.

Did you know that you can convert your blog or article into a press release? Or did you know that you can turn it into a video, RSS feed, classified, Web 2.0 or social media post?

Also there are hundreds of places that host press releases, videos, RSS feeds, classified ads, Web 2.0, and social media posts – that will post yours for free.

The best part is that if you post your material on these hosting sites, and you add a link to your website – Voila! you create a couple hundred…even thousand more links.

4. Use social bookmarking to get Google to count your links quicker.

Once you create all of this content throughout the web, the challenge is waiting for Google to crawl or index these sites so that your links can be counted.

It can take as long as 3 months for Google to do this, which is too long if you want to start getting customers now.

By bookmarking the sites that you post your blog or article to, it sends a signal to the “Google bot” to index that site quicker, helping you get the link credit you deserve.

There you have it. By following this formula, you will be able to get your site on the first page of Google in less than 30 days.

And if you keep at it, you can go after more competitive keywords, and get on the first page of Google – even the number 1 spot, if you continue and do not give up.

By the way, would you like help to get your website on the first page of Google?

If so, click on this link to get the tools you need. Get on Google First Page in 30 Days.

Will Pena, MBA is the founder of a small business consulting company, Sapient Business Solutions Inc – specializing in helping small businesses to get more customers, close more sales and make more money in as little as 30 days.

This could explain why you feel so frustrated that your marketing efforts aren’t working.

There is one main reason why this is true…

And that one reason is time.

You see, the more you spend time marketing – the more time, you take away from more important areas of your business.

Areas like delivering outstanding customer satisfaction, growing your business or training your staff.

So while you are out marketing, your current customers get upset, because they don’t get the quality of service they signed up for – and they leave.  And they tell others about the experience too.

So you end up with a revolving door business – where new customers come in, while the old ones go out..

And, unfortunately, this kind of business doesn’t last.

The best thing you can do is to stop putting your precious time into marketing, and instead focus on the more important areas of your business.

As for your marketing – what can you do to keep getting customers while you are busy leading your business?

1. Outsource it.

Find an affordable marketing company that can handle your online and offline marketing.

Finding an affordable marketing company is not difficult, especially if you outsource it to another state, or country.

Just make sure that they deliver results.

2. Automate it.

Invest the time in getting leads from automated marketing tactics like your website, your email marketing, video, etc.

This way, they will continue to bring you customers long after, you stop devoting time to it.

3. Delegate it.

Create great referral or affiliate programs that will motivate others to bring you customers.

If you make the reward large enough, you can create an entire sales force made up of your most loyal customers.

By doing these three things you can get customers with very little effort on your part, and allow you to devote your valuable time to doing what you do best – make money.

Will Pena, MBA

Small Business Coach

Sapient Business Solutions, Inc

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Is your marketing producing results?

If your marketing is not going well, there could be reasons why your marketing is not working.

Here are 3 areas to fix, that may be hindering your marketing from bringing you loads of new customers you deserve.

1. You are doing it yourself.

If you don’t have a major degree in marketing – then the truth is that you are probably not very good at it, or average at best.

If you hired a low to average marketing person what results will you get?

You need to get help from a professional marketing consultant that has had proven results – to get the results you want.

2. You are spending too much time on it.

If you are spending more than 10 hours a week on marketing, then you are taking precious time away from your business.

If you are not able to get results in 10 hours, then you are not going to get it putting more time in.

As they say, “You need to work smarter not harder.”

Get help from a professional to learn the right things to do, so that you don’t waste your precious time…and money.

3. You are working with the wrong marketing company.

If you have not seen results after working with your marketing company after 90 days – you need to fire them.

Any good marketer will drive results.  And some even get you results in less than 30 days.

The flaky ones give you excuses like “you have to wait 6 months to see results.”

Don’t believe it.  Fire them right now.

So if you are not getting the results you want in your marketing, fix the 3 areas that I mentioned above.

Then you will start seeing a flood of customers coming to your door…even in as little as 30 days.

Good luck,

William Pena, MBA

Small Business Coach

Sapient Business Solutions Inc.

P.S.: If you liked this post leave a comment below.

Will Pena, MBA

Small Business Coach

Sapient Business Solutions, Inc.

If you didn’t have to market anymore – what would you do with the extra time on your hands?

Imagine, no more networking, no more cold calling – and no more losing money on marketing scams that don’t work.

Well, there are ways to automate your marketing and get customers while you sleep.

Here are just 8 that can get you started – and can make your marketing and your life a whole lot easier.

1. Get your website on the first page of Google.

The lion share of business is on the first page of Google.  If you can get there for major keywords your customers use, you will tap into a steady stream of customers.

Tip: Use Google Maps, Pay per click, or a cheap but really great SEO linkbuilding program to get you on the first page.  And keep changing your content until you find the best content that converts.

2. Start an email campaign.

There is no cheaper or easier way to reach your customers and prospects than email.  You can send them great information and monthly promotions that they will buy.

Tip: Send out bi-weekly or weekly emails to your contacts with great information and an occasional offer.

3. Have a really valuable referral or affiliate program.

If you give people who refer business to you a really great reward – they will make it their business to refer to you.  Even better is an affiliate program – where they sell for you for a great percentage.

Tip: Start a referral program offering a good cash incentive, or an affiliate program for up to 20% of revenue.  And make sure you pay.

4. Put out great information.

If you write great articles, blogs, an ebook or a real book – people will flock to your door.  They will come because you will automatically gain expert status.

Tip: Write a blog, then turn it into an article and distribute it to 100′s of article sites.  After your write enough turn it into an ebook, and eventually a physical book.

5. Put out a great sales video.

Let’s face it, video is the next level of marketing.  If you can put out a powerful video that makes people want to know more about what you do – they will come.

Tip: Put together a 1 – 3 minute video on how great your product or service is and put it on YouTube and 100′s of other video sites.

6. Contract a fully commissioned sales force.

Nowadays you can get a fully commissioned sales person to go out and find you clients.  You only pay them when they get you clients – so you both win.   

The good thing is they are experienced, and they work on getting you clients even while you sleep.

Tip: Put out an ad on Craigslist for a commissioned sales person – and hire 2 or 3.

7. Put out really compelling ads.

A great ad can motivate hundreds of prospects to call you or even purchase your products and services right away.  Even more if you can get your ad in more places.

Tip: Design a powerful ad and submit it to free classified ad sites online – and if you have the money the paid ones too.

8. Hold a workshop once a month or a really big one every 90 days.

The reason workshops are a great source for customers while you sleep is that one workshop will bring you customers at the workshop – as well as weeks after.

That means the goal needs to not only be to sell at the workshop, but to collect as many emails as possible to add to your list – and sell to them later.

There you have it.  If you were to implement just a few of these – your sleep will be better because you will be getting loads of customers, and make tons of money while you sleep.

Good luck,

Will Pena, MBA

Small Business Coach and Consultant

Sapient Business Solutions, Inc.

P.S. if you liked this post, leave a comment below and let me know.

You could use it for extra cash flow, for employee bonuses – or you can just take it home for yourself.

The great news is that there are some opportunities in your business right now – that if you tap into them, you could be making an extra $3000 a month in your business.

Here are some areas in your business that you can leverage, and turn them into additional profit sources for you and your business.

1. Package your expertise.

In the course of your work you give very valuable advice to your clients.  Why not put this advice in a report and sell it to your customers for a small price?

E-books and reports are simple to put together (or you can outsource it) and easy to distribute.

2. Turn your service into a product.

Many of us provide services for our customers.  Yet the system that we use to provide the outstanding service can be packaged and sold to our customers.

It could be an excel spread sheet you design for managing construction costs.  Or a school curriculum for teachers.  Or even a “how to” manual on how to start a business. Etc.

If you can make people’s life easier with a great system, they will pay for it.  

3. Sell a part of your system – that you normally give away for free.

If you provide a service for customers in stages, you can charge for each stage. 

Instead of a free estimate you can charge for it.  You can charge for a design.  You can charge for an initial consultation. You can charge for an evaluation.

If there is enough value there you can make more money off of it.  

4. Sell your products online with an Ecommerce store.

If you haven’t started selling online. you are missing out on a great opportunity – and a whole lot more customers.  

The best part about selling online is that you can sell on a national scale and find more people who are desperate for your products.  Also you can automate the process into a turn-key and passive stream of income.

5. Sell your products online to your competitors.

You may get great discounts from manufacturers because of your relationship with them.  Well, why not sell your products online to other people in your industry?  

They will want to buy from you to get better deals than they are getting right now.  This is also a great way to get rid of excess inventory.

6. Rentals.

Your assets are probably not used 24/7, which you could be making money leasing them out to someone else.

You could lease your trucks, your space – even your employees.

The idea is to maximize the full value you can get from all your assets – instead of collecting dust in a warehouse.

If you just try a few of these ideas – you will be bringing in some needed extra money for your and your small business needs.

Will Pena, MBA

Small Business Consultant

Sapient Business Solutions, Inc.

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If you haven’t been making any money from your website – don’t despair.  90% of people on the internet are either making no money or are getting a 1 – 2 leads a month at best.

Its time to change that.  Here are 5 keys that if you implement them in your website today –  will start generating profits for you even in as little as 30 days.

1. Add some urgency.

Sometimes customers need a little motivation to help them to buy.  You can add some incentives to help them make a decision to buy right now.

You can add a special deal that is time sensitive (“only 2 days left”).  Or you can let them know that the benefits are scarce (“items are selling fast” or “stock is limited.”).

Then all you need to do is to tell them to take action right now (Buy Now!) and make it really easy for them to do it.

2. Tap into their passions.

Your customers buy for a deep underlying reason.  If you can tap into your customer’s passions – you will motivate them to take action.

If your customers are passionate about the environment – show them how your product leaves a better carbon footprint.  If your customers believe in helping others, create a program to give back to charity, etc.

The idea is to tap into their feelings – because most people are emotional buyers.

3.  Use words like FREE, NEW and SAVE to convey your message.

These are truly the most powerful words in the business world.  If you can give away something for FREE, or show them how something is NEW, or even help them SAVE money or time – they will buy.

Make sure you put them in BIG, BOLD letters so that customers can see them and act on them.

4. Help minimize their risk.

If you have a valuable product with very little risk – you will get an automatic sale.  Yet customers still perceive risk in dealing with a company they have never worked with before.

Help eliminate their risk by offering a money back guarantee, easy return policy, a 24 hour hotline, or a chat service for immediate answers.

Making bold, strong and specific promises can also reduce risk in the mind of your customer – because confidence is contagious.

5. Get endorsements where you can.

Endorsements show your customers proof that you can deliver on your promise.  Also they motivate customers by the fact that a lot of other people (even famous people) are doing it as well.

Therefore endorsements, and testimonials become one of the most powerful tools for selling on line – so you will do well to add A LOT of them.  The key is , the more risk to your customer, the more testimonials you will need.

So add them everywhere…

These are only 5 of many other things you can do to boost your website sales.  And if you apply these you will see immediate results in your website profits… or “You can get your money back – no questions asked.”

Will Pena, MBA

Small Business Consultant

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The question you need to ask yourself is – “Are you making any money from it?”

If you are not making any money from your website – then I dare say that you may have wasted your money.

If you did not know – your website should be one of the most important money makers of all your marketing efforts.

But only if you can turn your website visitors into “mad, hungry” buyers.

Here are the 5 “Ps” of persuasion, which will help motivate your website visitors to pull out their wallets, – and be ready to buy, even before they call you.

1. The Problem or Premise.

Visitors to your website are coming to you with a problem that they need to resolve, a desire to fulfill, or questions they need answered.

They are looking for their need to be heard or understood.  So if  you can tap into your customers deep needs, you will connect with them emotionally and capture their attention.

You can do this with just a line, a story or a question.

2. The Promise.

Now that they know you understand or can relate to their issue – they now want to know what you are going to do about it.

This is when you let them know what you can do for them.  This is where you make your promise.

The key is to make your promise clearly and firmly – with confidence, to help them believe that you can help resolve their issue.

Remember, vague promises rarely hit home.

3. The Picture.

After you have made your promise – this is the time to help them to consider the rewards of taking care of their issue.

This is where you help them create a mental picture of life on the other side where the grass is greener –  in other words, a vision of a better future.

And words like “imagine” and “consider” take on a whole new and powerful meaning.

4. The Proof.

Now that your visitor has connected with you emotionally, feels understood, considered your promise , and has a vision for a better future – now they need proof that you can do what you promised.

The purpose of the proof is to help reduce risk in the mind of your customer – because in their mind you are still a stranger, and therefore a risk.

If you can reduce that risk, you will provide great value with little risk  - which equals a guaranteed sale.

Proof can come in the form of testimonials, endorsements, research, etc.  Or maybe a 30 day trial.

Or sometimes proof can be as simple as telling them how you will do it, so that they see that it will work.

The key is, the more the better.

5. The Push.

By now your prospect has already made a decision to buy from you – you just need to tell them what to do.

But just in case they haven’t decided you can help them along with a little urgency.

You can build urgency by reminding them of the consequences of not taking action, or of the rewards of resolving their issue.

Or you can simply add a bit of scarcity through a time limit (i.e.: “only 2  days left for the sale”), or an opportunity limit (“only a few seats left.”).

In conclusion, if your website can provide these 5 components, then you will create a marketing machine that will provide your business with an endless supply customers for years to come.

Good luck,

William Pena, MBA

A Small Business Consultant

Sapient Business Solutions Inc

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