You remember the story.... Tortoise and Hare agree to race. Hare is much faster and takes off - overconfident. Tortoise plods along at an even pace, direct, never losing sight of his objective. Hare gets side tracked, distracted, delayed. Moral of story: Slow But Sure Wins the Race!
Are you a Tortoise or a Hare when it comes to Web/Internet Marketing?
Here are some examples of things you should be doing "Long term" to "Win the Race."
+ On Your Web Sites: BUILD YOU OWN COLLECTION OF INTERESTING AND USEFUL PAGES (Not Links) ABOUT STUFF THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR BUSINESS. This is the best example I know of how HARES scamper off looking for some magic ingredient that they can Buy for their site that will make it work... Or else the HARES try to take short cuts to the finish line by over-linking to other material instead of building their own... over time. The TORTOISE decides early just what she wants to accomplish and then moves steadily towards the goal. Web sites can continue to Evolve instead of having to be an overnite sensation. It is better to invest your time and budget in developing original web pages and information rich in content and your own intellectual property that others will WANT to link or bookmark because of its value. And you OWN it!
+ It is imperative to collect e-mail addresses of clients, past customers, sphere, farms, etc. This is something that will only begin to benefit you later as your database grows and more communication goes on-line. Bill Gates is "betting Microsoft's future" on the Internet, and I think we all should too! Call your prospects and ask them for e-mail addresses. Do interesting pages on your web site that encourage people to e-mail you, thus giving You their address. Ask for E-mail addresses like you ask for referrals. Include a web page just devoted to past clients - then send postcards out with info on visiting that page for prizes, discounts, etc. Whatever... DO IT!
+ About Search Engines: A HARE will discover the power of search engines to find things on the web and believes that being at the top will quickly win the race. The problem with this thinking is that EVERYONE wants to be at the top of the search engines, and there are only so many spaces at the top - it's an expensive and elusive proposition. Besides, if you do manage to make it to the top, will your visitors find anything of value? The TORTOISE knows that prospects use search engines ONLY if they don't already know your address... swinging on sign riders, printed on bus benches, etc. Lots of "hits" from untargeted prospects in a search engine doesn't "win the race" as effectively as displaying your web address long-term on everything. (*Note: A good Tortoise "covers all bets" and certainly does the right keywords and search engine submissions. But she also knows that there are more keywords and opportunites to be found in search engines linked to all those "Intellectual Property" pages she's created... There's more than one way to "Skin a HARE." :)
+ Other Long-Term Thinking and Tortoise-Like behavior: Consider getting your own Domain Name if you don't already have one. One reason is the "E-mail Re-Direct" that a domain name gives you, such as Jane@JaneRealtor.com Every time you e-mail someone, you automatically advertise your web address! And very important too for the long haul is the fact that your actual e-mail box location can be hidden, such as janerealtor123@AOL.com - if you change your service provider, you won't have to go thru a big e-mail address change....