The Money Is In The Email List

Email marketing should be an important part of designing every small business website’s online strategy. That is where the real money is made. It’s probably the best kept secret about doing business on the internet.

Maybe, it's the first time you have heard it before or think your business is too small to use list building?

My goal is to introduce you to the facts about email list and share tips on building list. A couple of the blogs I frequent, Marketing Tech Blog and Michael Hyatt, had good post on how small businesses can capitalize on using email marketing to grow.

If your home based business or a small business website is not engaged in building an email list check out these details on getting a list started or call me and we can talk about it further.

Let Me Show You The Money

I’m sure some of you are saying to yourself, I’m not ready to get into growing a mailing list. Some of you may not have enough info about how mailing list work to consider it.

So I’ve put together a few solid reasons why if you don’t ever do Facebook, Twitter or other social media, you still need to consider building email list.

What makes having a tool that adds names to your subscribers list an important part of every small business website is the return on investment that you can expect to receive.

For every dollar spent on email marketing in 2011, there was a $40.56 return. The next closest technique was search engine marketing at $22.44.

The money comes from offering special opportunities to do business with you to members on your mailing list. Think about what a powerful tool a list can be. You could have email addresses of thousands of customers, former customers and potential customers, ready-buyers, that know, like and trust your business that you can send an email blast to anytime you want.

5 Reasons Why Email Marketing Works

Once subscribers sign-up for your email list they will place high expectations on you. Once you meet or beat their expectations, they will be appreciative of the quality information you send also guides them through the buying process. The top performing emails have actionable content that maintains a conversational approach.

The main reason email is such a powerful marketing tool for owners of small and home based businesses is it contains a list of buyers ready to do business with you, if you follows these basic rules:

1. Give them news relevant to issues they are facing today
2. Keep them updated on trends and techniques that save them time and money
3. Let them be the first ones to get discounts on your products and services
4. Place loyal subscribers and purchasers an VIP list (hot leads) for special promotions
5. Give freebies as a reward for putting their address and other information about their buying habits into the email marketing funnel

If you do this successfully your email marketing list will become an effective vehicle that drives your business to success.

Don't neglect your Email marketing strategy while focusing on getting better positions on search engines, more online promotion and increased presence on social media. Those marketing channels may deliver more visitors to your website, but not necessarily more revenue downstream.

5 Steps For Designing Small Business Websites

Our readers who are website owners and prospective owners thinking about designing a small business website are entitled to a FREE offer this week. I’m sure you are tired of calls and emails about getting your business on page #1 in Google?

Here's an e-book that finally tells you the truth and some do-it-yourself tips about getting your business website listed on the first page of the search results.

To build a website is always a challenge even for experienced professionals. There are so many factors to consider. Even after a fact-filled initial consultation, the website design process can seem as if you are turning esoteric ideas into a reality.

The best way to get a website up and going is by breaking the process into 5 distinct phases:

• Research
• Planning
• Design
• Testing
• Launch

This makes it easier to identify where we are during the process and what needs to be done next.

Creating Website Content

We strive to make sure that the website content we create is not confusing and in a few seconds the website visitor can easily determine 3 factors.

• What the business is about/offering?
• What can I do on this page?
• What to do next?

Visitors should be able to easily answers these important questions on each page of the website. To be optimized for traffic from search engines and the best ROI a webpage should give details about only one product or topic.

Tips On D-I-Y Business Website Designs

Designing effective small business websites is a direct result of creativity, planning and communication skills. Most business owners are no-longer struggling with the idea that they need a website for their business. The biggest question for them is "should they to let web pros design their websites or putting together a D-I-Y website".

For anyone who wants a website that is mobile-ready, performs well in search results and provides customers with an enjoyable user experience, then getting web pros to design your website is the best choice.

We thank our new customers at Sting-Ray’s aquarium maintenance in Houston, Texas for the cooperation we received while building their website. The owner was one of those rare customers who gave our design team laissez-faire to turn his vision into a working website.

We were able to deliver to him, a website that is responsive, straightforward and informs customers about what sets Sting-Ray’s aquarium services apart from the rest of the pack.

Call us today for details on how we can help your small business get a website or improve an existing website into one that “makes you money instead of just costing you money”, through:interactive features, webpage optimization, seo and placement in online directories.

Webmasters In Touch

If you are a Christian businessperson, webmaster or marketer you are probably familiar with the Old Testaments account of Saul and the witch of Endor. After the demise of his spiritual advisor, the Prophet Samuel, King Saul felt that he was unable to find credible, trustworthy counseling among his peers. He decided to seek out a witch, to conjure the spirit of the dead prophet. It proved to be a deadly mistake.

I imagine someone reading this right now may have that same uneasy feeling today, because they don't know where to turn to get credible d-i-y help and advice with their small business and or website.

The Internet is a marketplace is full of charlatans. If you are looking someone who you can depend on to shoot straight and give you real world advice for your business and websites? Here is some good news, you don't have to go looking for a psychic.

I believe that as Christian business owners we’re kingdom building, which places us on the front line of spiritual warfare. The only way we can succeed and not be defeated is for us to be in touch with God, with ourselves, and with others of like faith.

Get Help With D-I-Y Web Design

The enemy of our souls hates us and is targeting us, our businesses and our families, in order to minimize our effectiveness. We need divine help, that comes from the Lord and we need to be able to strengthen, encourage and network with other fellow kingdom-minded business owners.

If you are struggling with web design, marketing, or any other business issues and you don't know who to trust and where to turn to get the help you need? I want you to know that you can always call on me for assistance.

I'm looking to connect with some other Christian web masters and businessmen who understand the biblical principle of iron sharpening iron. And they want to get in touch with other kingdom-minded Christian business owners regularly through the internet.

I don’t envision (WIT) being a formally structured fellowship. Rather, I expect it to develop organically and grow naturally.

Free Conference Calls

We will spend time getting to know each other, discussing critical business issues and praying together. In the process we will be sharpening each others skills and encouraging one another. In addition to sharing best practices we'll hear from outstanding Christian leaders who will be guests on some of our conference calls.

We will connect with via regular conference calls, occasional in-person gatherings, and by any other means we choose. When feasible (and as needed/requested), private counseling and support will be available to businesses in crisis.

Connect With Christian Business Owners

So if you’re a Christian business owner who values the biblical principle of fellowship. You already know there are some powerful benefits that come from connecting with me and other kingdom-minded business people. Please call or send your name and contact info, and I’ll get back to you personally.

When Does A Business Need A Website

 
Have you been wondering if owning a website will benefit your small or home-based business? Read the statements below if any are true, then the answer to that question mon frére , is yes.

Your business is more than a hobby and you want your customers to see you as a professional. 

 A website is a platform where you can demonstrate  your expertise through videos, photos and stories detailing why your product or service is better than your competitors and how it will make your customers life better.

You want to grow your brand inside and outside of your local  community maybe even globally .  

The key is not to just attract an  audience, but for people who learn about your service or product to be able to take action from wherever, whenever using the content on your website.

You are one of a handful of people in the world with special knowledge or expertise on a particular subject. 

Don’t keep those special skills,  advice and expertise locked away inside of your head. You can put them in  free e-books, white papers, or case studies and use them as incentives to attract a steady stream of website visitors and in no time flat you can turn that knowledge into a steady stream of customers.

You want to find and connect with new clients for your business?

 A website is the tool of choice  for introducing customers to a  business, its products and/or services.

You  want to reach more customers without paying a lot more? 

Who doesn’t, right?  Your website should be designed like an armory and stocked with an arsenal full of online marketing weapons. Especially these 7 marketing weapons that everyone should have.  

E-mail marketing,

Keyword-rich domain name

Autoresponders

Tele-seminars

Teleconferences

Webinars

Podcast

Want to know more about choosing the right website for your small or home-based business that will make you money instead of just costing you a bunch of money. Leave your question in the comment section below or follow this link to visit our website.

Online Marketing For A Small Business Or Home-based Business

Before we get into boosting online marketing for small businesses or home businesses let me share this story with you. "A preacher said, "Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over please come to the altar." With that, Leroy got in line, and when it was his turn, the Preacher asked, "Leroy, what do you want me to pray about for you?"
Leroy replied, "Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing."
The preacher put one finger in Leroy's ear, placed his other hand on top of Leroy's head, and then prayed and prayed and prayed for Leroy and the whole congregation joined in, with great enthusiasm. After a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, stood back and asked, Leroy, how is your hearing now?
" Leroy answered, "I don't know...It ain't 'til next week."
Sometimes what your customers want and what you deliver can be quite different if you don’t ask the right questions and ensure their needs and what you can deliver are very clear to them.


Your online sales do not have to be hit and miss experience all the time. You can shorten the learning curve by taking advantage of the research and experience from other businesses like yours. Here are some tips on how to get the right message to the right customers.

Add radio/option buttons to a webpage
Use text boxes
Add check boxes on your website

Trying to insert them by using the buttons shown at the top of wysiwyg editors won’t get the job done. You can hire someone to do it for you or you can follow the directions below.
This is line of html code that you would place below where you want the buttons to appear in your webpage.

I know it looks a little geeky to you now but, it will only take a few seconds to explain what all of the coding means.

So now that you know how this little coded gem works there are several things that you can do to with it that can supercharge your web pages. By using this simple set of html code you can add radio buttons to allows visitors to tell you their favorite products, food, television shows or whatever important information that will help you serve them better.

The Secret Online Marketing Formula

People want their opinions valued. This is why most company websites have a blog or forums, so that their visitors can put in their two cents. Visitors want to do something.

There is no secret formula are magic to online marketing it just straightforward customer building by giving the customer what they want. Not every website requires videos, contest and blogs. I do want to point out that websites that use them find they’re are highly effective and they are the websites that are attracting the attention of millions of viewers a day.

Unlike what you may have been told about copying magic tricks and other incredible feats, you are welcome to try adding radio buttons to a website yourself. Next time I’ll show you how the responses are tracked and some styling tips. If you would rather have someone else do it consider contacting us at Writeonbro.com to supercharge your website.
photo credit: coleypauline via photo pin cc

10 FAQ’s About Religious Harassment In The Workplace Or Online

Complaints about religious harassment in the workplace is one of the emerging issues in the news headlines each week. Small and Christian businesses that want to succeed in a diverse global marketplace need to ensure that neither their website content nor work environment is misconstrued as insensitive, insulting or infringing on the personal rights of others.

Even if you are a one man shop or a homebased business it is good for business to always comply with the rules that require employers to reasonably accommodate the religious beliefs or practices of others. This rules applies unless doing so would cause undue hardship or harm to your business. An undue hardship means, that it would be costly, compromises safety, decrease workplace efficiency or infringes on the rights of others. Here are some important things every small business owner should know to keep their right to free speech from clashing with the right for religious expression of others.

FAQS About Religious Harassment on the job

Passing out religious tracks and materials

An employer can restrict religious expression where it would cause customers or co-workers to reasonably perceive the materials express the employer’s own message, or where the image or message in question is considered harassing or otherwise disruptive.





Playing Christian music on your job

An employer can request that a certain type of music be played in a store or shop setting. It’s not against the law to play Christian music at work in through your earbuds. Self-emplyed people can n your business you can play any type that you want.

Here’s a link to a 60 second podcast discussing playing Christian music while working out at the gym.

http://aclj.us/kgdp


Are religious symbols forbidden at work?

An employer can restrict displaying religious posters, a cross or other expressions that they feel is hostile, demeaning to their customers or other employees or disruptive to the workplace.

Wearing religious clothing to work

Employers must attempt to accommodate employees who, in keeping with the tenets of their religion, must maintain a particular physical appearance or manner of dress. When it comes to religious apparel, unless there are safety concerns it should not constitute undue hardship at your job.

Prayer groups

As long as participation in a prayer group is voluntary and there are no employment-related consequences to participating or not participating they can be held in any workplace.

What is religious harassment

Harassment is better described as unwelcome comments about a person's religious beliefs or observance. According to the information found on the website EEOC/gov/policy simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated remarks that aren’t very serious is not prohibited.

Religious discussions

Workers have a right to discuss religious topics as long as the conversation is not intended to insult someone elses religious beliefs or directed at a particular person. Employees have a right to be able to engage in a spirited debate of religious views as long as noone indicates that they were upset by it.


Filing religious harassment complaints

Employers should have a well-publicized and consistently applied anti-harassment policy as well as a complaint mechanism that includes multiple avenues for complaints, impartial investigations and they promptly initiate the appropriate corrective action.

Religious accommadation request

Employers have a duty to reasonably accommodate an employee or applicant so that they will be able to practice his or her religion. Accommodation requests that are covered by law are those relating to work schedules, dress and grooming, or religious practice while at work.

Co-worker complaints about religious expressions

Showing undue hardship based on co-worker complaints about proselytizing and other forms of religious expression generally requires evidence of unwelcome infringement on the rights of co-workers or disruption of work.

Rights to religious activities at work

It’s easy to recognize overt religious harassment in the workplace and follow the established guidelines to properly correct the situation. The real challenge is dealing with mindless comments and insensitive off the cuff remarks that can be misconstrued as harassment . A good litmus test for judging website content, company policy or even a conversation is to determine if the comment is severe, stereotyping others or fosters a hostile environment.


If you want to create a climate that encourages people to do business with you, make sure you avoid using images and comments that might be considered offensive to others religion, cultural heritage or personal beliefs.

Content Strategy - Saying More Using Fewer Words

Every website needs a content strategy that will enable it to target its ideal customer with laser focus. In a recent conversation with Coach J, of nonstoplifestyles.org he mentioned that he was preparing to add more articles to his website. Before I realized it, I was on a rant about content, keywords and editorial calenders.

How To Use Social Media To Attract More Customers

A lot of entrepreneurs are unsure of how to use social media to attract customers for their small business? If have been struggling to figure out how to include this highly effective tool in your arsenal by the end of this conversation you will have a better grasp of exactly what to do to get your company involved in social marketing.

It’s way more to it than just reaching more prospects. It’s how your business whether big and small, old and new can effortlessly interact with existing customers, create fans and build up your referral base.

This article will give you plenty of useful tips on how to's of using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media channels as cost effective places to attract new clients that need your products and/or services. (Case Study from Mashable.com)

The owner of a small shop spent $350 for a half-page ad in a local magazine promoting a deal to “buy one, get one free” and made the same offer on a social networking site for free. The print ad yielded one new customer, while the deal posted on the social networking site netted his business over 30 customers, four or five who have become repeat customers.

This is a classic example of what makes social marketing standout over other aspects of online marketing, it’s far easier to track participation, ROI and effectiveness of your objectives.

Small business owners who want to get started using social media to b.y.o.b (build your online business) need to have the answers to a few basic questions. They will help you develop a strategy, and determine the best sites and tools to reach your ideal customers.

Building Your Social Networking Strategy

Here are a few basic questions that Inc.com suggest business owners answer to formulate a social networking strategy. A step that should be completed before opening an account and becoming active on any networking site.

What particular customer groups am I trying to engage?

What are their personal or business needs that I can help them with?

How do I plan to use the site?

Should I use a business or personal profile on the site.

What To Include In A Winning Social Media Profile For Your Business

One of your social media goals should be to build a profile for you or your business on every site where your target market hangs out.

The information you provide in each profile should vary slightly and convey to prospects the who, what and how about you your brand/company.

Here’s some of the things you can include in them.

Basic NAREC (name address, records)
Details about yourself or business/brand.
Hobbies,
Favorite music, books
List a few of your notable past employers
Education, special skills

The reasoning behind sharing this kind of data is to make your page feel personable, because people spend their money with people they know, like and trust.

After you have built a rapport with them you can strategically throw in a few tidbits about whats happening at your company when it’s appropriate. Don’t try to sell people on doing business with you.

Instead what you should be doing is sharing information about new products/services and customer success stories on your profiles.

The best sales tools are real world examples of how your company’s products and services are benefiting others.

According to J.J. McCorvey in “How to Use Social Networking Sites to Drive Business” a recent online article on Inc.com website, “The companies that are most successful at converting followers into dollars are those who interact most with the users and frequently post content related to their brand.”

The majority of the business that are listed in the Inc. 500 (56%) feel social media is important for their success online. Tweeting, blogging and commenting on social networking communities are excellent ways to foster customer engagement. It doesn’t stop there. They are great tools for building win-win relationships with the news media in your area and local community groups ( i.e. schools, charitable organizations, chambers of commerce ).

10 Tips For Successful Online Marketing

Before we go any further about successful online marketing lets make sure we agree on a couple of key points that are essential to success. First, it’s easier to learn from others who have blazed the trail before us and that having as much knowledge, wisdom and understanding as possible will help us to serve our customers better.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Mat 6:33.


Successful Christian businessmen are always looking for ways to move a step ahead of the competition. By reviewing the 10 tips that we have collected from some of the world’s best marketing minds you will be able to take move ahead faster.

The lesson to be gleaned from Matthew 6:33 is that no matter what kind of challenges you are faced with, personal, business or spiritual seeking directions from God’s should be the first thing you do. Don’t wait to hear an audible voice, but learn how to find help in his word, The Holy Bible. You also have to develop your ear for listening, for the quite still voice resonating from deep within you for guidance.

Since we agreed earlier on the key points that are essential to success. You won't mind taking a look at these poignant words of wisdom that are deemed important from several well known successful businessman.
.

Motivational speaker and successful Christian Businessman Al Walker offers this advice on 2 important subjects.

Self Discipline

I am on the right track and am putting forth the time, energy and effort to learn and develop what I need to in order to become the person I am capable of becoming and accomplish life’s most important objectives.

Be A Self Starter
Honor your possibilities by truly being a self-starter. Don’t wait on anyone else to “start” you. You can start yourself. Use positive self-talk to be a self-starter.

Brian Tracy

Try to become one tenth of one percent more productive each day, that amounts to one half of one percent more productive each week. Incremental Improvement is the primary reason for all great success stories. By the yard, it’s hard. But inch by inch, anything’s a cinch!

Dan Kennedy

You have to be decisive, then firm and determined, not easily influenced by each new voice, not easily distracted, But also flexible, open to different ideas and information

One ‘fact’ is worth a hundred ‘beliefs.’ Fact-finding is a very profitable thing to do, if you can set aside beliefs in order to use the facts you find.


Inc

Focus on exploiting strengths and achieving success rather than resolving weaknesses and avoiding problems. Don't get burned by focusing on the wrong thing.

Most people can confidently and competently accomplish one thing at a time, and most customers are only looking for one thing at a time.

Jay Conrad Levinson

The keys to succeeding online are in creating compelling content, changing that content regularly, responding at nearly the speed of light, and by personalizing your messages.

There may be 50 million people on the Internet but your prospects must feel you're talking to them one at a time.


When Christian Businessmen make it a point to focus more of their efforts on working smarter it can take them further, faster. We all understand the importance hard work plays in building an online business. Staying abreast of new technology, techniques and tools is equally important. The important things that you learn from others mistakes and triumphs will save you both time and money.

Website Design and Content For Christian Businesses

Content may be king, but it will be ignored without an effective website design and content strategy. Writeonbro web content and design specializes in helping Christian, small and homebased businesses develop quality website designs and web content that can attract more of the right customers to their website.

Here’s a recent example of some of our results.

We consulted with a Christian business owner in Houston who was in the highly competitive flower business. He felt challenged by his old website it was just too technical for him to really understand.
As a result he had spent a bunch of money for a website that never got off the ground. He was willing to do some of the work himself, but really didn’t know what to do or where to get help.

Web Design Case Study

The Writeonbro web design team started working with the local florist to build a web presence and a website for a lot less than he had been paying. The results are as follows:

His website is listed on page #1 of Google for florist in his zip code.
He regularly gets inquiries from customers who found his business using the Internet on one of the free services that we recommended for his web presence.
He generated his first online sale and is now able to make a few sales each month.
The business owner is delighted to be finally getting a steady flow of good paying customers from the website.
The people contacting him from the Internet are ready to spend money instead of just shopping around for prices.
He now knows and understands the importance of having an effective content strategy that is aligned with the right font types, key words and phrases that will attract more traffic to his website and social networking profiles.

All from following just a few of the details that we have given him so far. By the time he has completed the whole list he should be raking in some serious cash.

Briefly what we do:

We help organizations build their online marketing strategy, organize their websites to execute that strategy. We offer specialized services (website design and management, e-commerce and content management) to help small and homebased businesses accomplish the goals of their content strategy.

Our services can be as simple as offering suggestions and ideas or as detailed as one on one consulting to help Christian business owners develop the right skill set, personal networks and strategic thinking about building their online business.



Owners of most small businesses prefer to stick to the core task that make them money and let us do the heavy lifting needed for web design, e-commerce and marketing to Christians online because we have a knowledgeable team of professionals and very reasonable rates.

Core Services We Offer:

* Blog Design
* Landing Pages
* Building Custom Forms For Webpages
* Local (Houston) Search Engine /online Marketing Campaigns
* Website Analytics ( pageviews, unique visits, popular keywords, referring websites and much, much more!)
* Video Marketing/ Uploading Videos
* Mobile Marketing
* Copywriting (including Articles, Press Releases, Blog Posts, Website Content)
* Link Building (including Social Bookmarking, Directory and Search Engine Submissions)
* Website Management


Our company is located in Houston Texas. However our web design and website content services are adaptable for Christian businesses, small businesses and home-based businesses in any market. We specialize in helping women, veterans and minority businesses develop, improve and execute effective website designs and content,

You might feel that I’m speaking another language, don’t worry as you learn more about the Internet and how it can empower your business the picture will get clearer.