We have a love-hate relationship with change. We want the latest technology, like cell phones or IPads.  But we complain vehemently when Facebook changes their layout or anything on their page. We look forward to the new TV season but we continue to do business as usual.

We are creatures of habit, not wanting to stray far from our comfort zone.  Or as Captain Barbosa would say “Yer off the edge of the map, matie.  Here, there be monsters.”  Okay, so maybe we’re not afraid of monsters, and it’s not really the great unknown that we hate about change.  So why do we resist change when it comes to marketing our  business?

Unlike any other time in recent history, marketing and advertising are undergoing radical changes. Even back when television advertising rose to prominence, it was still an interruption marketing model – we interrupt this program for a word from our sponsors. But first the internet and now social media have changed that drastically.

Marketing today is all about relationships. We’ve heard the marketing gurus preach “know, like and trust” as it relates to building rapport for years.  Loosely translated, that meant salesperson must find a way to communicate with the customer. However today, the trust factor is often built long before a salesperson gets involved.

Long before a prospect walks through the door or picks up the phone, they’re doing their homework, their due diligence. It starts at the website then moved to social media sites. If they find a self-centered, “me first” message or a good old-fashioned sales pitch, they hit the back button and check out the next business. But if they find a customer focused, value message, they are moved much further down the decision making path.

Here are 5 changes to a business as usual approach for your online marketing presence.

1. You vs. We – Review the home page of your website and count the number of times it says “we.”  The more “we’s” there are the faster visitors will leave the site.  Remember, they don’t care about you – only what you can do for them.
2. Call To Action — Does your website tell the visitor what action they should take? While you may think it’s obvious the visitor will call you upon seeing your awesome site, they may be looking for the e-mail button. A simple “Call Now” followed by the phone number increases the chances they will contact you.
3. No High Pressure Sales — A common mistake of social media newbies is thinking “I now have 200 friends I can sell to.” Every other post on Facebook is about their current special or their incredible product or service. And they wonder why social media doesn’t work.
4. Boring Content — Tweeting or Facebooking the pictures of your lunch every day is not likely have friends or followers waiting expectantly for the next installment (unless you’re a food reviewer.) Share something that makes people think or that will elicit a response.
5. Interaction Is King — Having an audience is one thing but having an audience that is engaged is golden. An engaged audience will not only remember your content but eagerly anticipate your content.

What are you doing to move from business as usual to become a master of online marketing?

Gary Wagnon is the owner of 800biz Ninja Marketing Strategies and the Ninja Marketing Dojo, a program designed to help businesses master all aspects of online marketing. The goal of the Ninja Marketing Dojo is to improve search engine rankings, increase web site traffic and convert more browsers into buyers.

I had a phone call this morning from a salesperson (I use the term loosely) offering to sell me advertising.  I felt a desperate need to have 911 standing by in case she passed away on the phone.  In a dialogue that was lacking in excitement or enthusiasm,  it was almost painful to listen to.

The caller started by introducing themself and saying they were offering to sell me advertising.  Woo hoo!  Just what I wanted this morning, to be sold advertising.  When I quizzed her about her publication and whether it was a good fit for business-to-business advertising, her response was “you’d be surprised”.  I’m not sure if that meant I’d be surprised if I got any results, or if I’d be surprised at how many people blindly bought without knowing the effectiveness of the publication.  Needless to say I was not impressed.

At one point during the conversation she said local businesses that need a website could call me and explain their problem, then I could go out to their house and take care of.

As an online marketing guy I typically don’t make house calls to fix a computer problem. Major hint: learn what your prospect does so you can talk halfway intelligently.

So this conversation got me thinking about how you communicate with prospects, whether on the phone, your website or your social media sites.  Are you enthusiastic about your product or service?  (If you’re not, I’m sure not going to be.)  Do you talk about you, or do you talk about how you are the answer to my problem/pain/needs/prayers?

Take a trip outside your body and look at the message you are sending out.  If you were considering  doing business with you, would you or would you buy from your competition?

Gary Wagnon is the CMN (Chief Marketing Ninja) at 800biz Online Marketing Solutions.  Using an integrated approach to online marketing (combining web site design, search engine optimization, social media and action driven content), 800biz specializes in helping businesses stand out above the competition and drive more traffic to their door.

Let’s get ready to rumble!  In the blue corner you may know him as Col. James Braddock, Maj. Scott McCoy, or. Walker Texas Ranger.   He’s the man, the legend, Chuck Norris.  In the red corner, he bowls overhand, sharks have a week dedicated to him, he’s won trophies for his game face alone.  He’s the Most Interesting Man In The World.

If these two immovable figures were to square off in a throw down which one would be the last man standing?  While we will never know the outcome of this mythical battle, businesses can learn a lesson from it.

Both of our iconic fighters display a tenacity that businesses should strive for.  Defeat is not in their vocabulary.  It seems that no task is beyond their capability.  In any adversity they adapt, create a plan of attack and act immediately.  In business, we face challenges on a daily basis, some more daunting than others.  How do we react to new competition?  How do we react during a downturn economy?  Or changes in government regulation? Price increases in materials and supplies?

Do you view changes with dread, wring your hands and saying “what am I going to do?”  Or do you welcome the challenges as a nudge to evaluate your business, to find more efficient methods and procedures?  During challenging times like these, the businesses that are able to adapt are the ones that survive.  And not only survived but thrive in the future.

Our two combatants are recognizable brands.  You can see a picture of either one and immediately know who it is without reading the name or seeing a logo.  The reason –  their brand has been so successfully created that we can easily identify it.

We think of branding as a logo like Ford Motor Company’s blue oval or Geico’s Gecko.  Or we think of slogans like “Red Bull gives you wings” or “Just Do It.” But a brand is not a logo or a slogan.  A brand is a perception, the entire persona that exists in the mind of your customers.

As small business owners we may think we don’t have the resources to create a brand.  If a business does not create its own brand, their customers will.  Whether you’re a company or an individual, you have a brand.  To quote Seth Godin, “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.” (Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?).

Create your brand by finding your niche, what you do best, and continually reminding your current and prospective customers what you do.  Consistency is the key.  Your brand should reflect your personality, your company philosophy and its environment.  Don’t be afraid to be different, to have fun if that’s who you are.  Obviously there are certain businesses that require a very rigid, professional persona.  Even in that case, it’s still critical to brand what separates you from the competition.

I always find it an interesting exercise when talking with a new client about their business.  One of the questions I ask is “what do you do better or differently than the competition.”  Another is “why should a prospective customer choose you over the competition?”  The answers I typically get are “we all do about the same thing”. Or I may get an answer like “better customer service” or “lower price.” What that really means is “I don’t know.  We are just doing our thing.  We don’t really pay attention to our competitor unless they beat us on a job.”

The first step in creating a brand is defining what separates the business from the competition.  Every business (if they are going to stay in business) must define their strengths and own their niche.

I recently went through this exercise in my own business.  While there are many web site designers, many search engine optimization specialists and many social media experts, very few do all three with successful results I can produce.  After many years of identity crisis, I finally created the brand that separates my company from the crowd.

In today’s online marketing world, buying decisions are influenced (if not made) by your brand reputation.    What is your brand to say about you?  Does it accurately portray your strengths and your specialties?  Is it consistent?  In a throw down with your competition who’s going to come out on top?

Gary Wagnon is the master Ninja traffic generator for 800biz Online Marketing Solutions. Using a combination of action-centered web site design and the latest search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, combined with efficient and effective use of social media, 800biz creates an online presence that helps it’s clients stand out above the competitors and drive more traffic through the door.

Some people sing in the shower but I do my best writing and blogging in the shower. Of course the paper does gets a little wet.

Last night while meeting with a group of social media enthusiasts, the question came up about what do you write. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this. In fact I could probably retire if I had a dollar every time I heard it. But the truth is so many “experts” write about, or speak about the importance of writing blogs, articles, or e-zines. The cold hard facts are this: most business owners aren’t writers.

If you look up business owner in the dictionary I’m pretty sure the definition says a person that works 12 hours a day, seven days a week. So the thought of creating a regular routine of writing for a blog or website doesn’t conjure up good thoughts. Where is the time going to come from? What am I going to say? And who’s going to read it?

Assuming you can block off an hour or so a week to write your blog, does that mean you’re going to have the light bulb go off with an insightful or witty idea? That’s where my shower moment comes in. Your moment might be driving to an appointment, or working out at the gym or just before going to sleep. So the key is to jot a note down that will remind you when you’re ready to write.

Here are a few other ideas to help you build your content library.
• As you read newsletters and trade journals in your industry, watch for ideas that your customers or clients would find interesting or helpful. Either save the article or jot down the main points so during your writing time you can re-spin this article with your take on it. A word of caution: don’t just reprint the article. While people might find this information helpful it’s not your information so you’re not getting credit for being the expert.
• Think about 10 frequently asked questions about your business. That’s a natural choice for articles.
• What are 10 things you wish your customers knew or would do.
• How to tips – if you’re in a service related business give your reader ideas how they can save money, save time, improve product life or any number of helpful hints.
• Be a resource – in my case, since my readers are interested in online marketing, it stands to reason they would probably be interested in tips on keeping their computer running from an expert in my network. While I am not the originator of the content, I’m the one that gets the thanks for passing that information on.
• Use a guest blogger – along the same lines as the idea above, inviting a guest expert to contribute is a good way to keep the volume of valuable information flowing through your site. Plus it’s a good way to expand your reach into your guests network.

So until they make waterproof paper that works in the shower keep a regular note pad handy or your smart phone. For smart phone users you might try Evernote. This app will let you write or voice record your ideas for you to later retrieve from your computer or phone when you’re ready.

Gary Wagnon is the master Ninja traffic generator for 800biz Online Marketing Solutions. Using a combination of action-centered web site design and the latest search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, combined with efficient and effective use of social media, 800biz creates an online presence that helps it’s clients stand out above the competitors and drive more traffic through the door.

How would you like to be on your competitor’s Christmas card list? Well if you do these really well you might even get a gift basket from them.

So here is a list of 10 things that will make your competition not only smile but be genuinely happy you’re out there.

1. Not having a web site – Let’s face it, if you don’t have a website, no one’s going to find you, so you’re not much threat to the competition. Since 75% of all purchase decisions start online, your competitor will love you for not being there.

2. Not claiming your Google places page – An unclaimed Google places page or maps page is like having a Yellow Pages with no phone number or address. But the big difference is, you’re leaving the details open for anyone else to edit. And with the new Google layout showing the listings on the map so prominently, your competition will probably be sending you birthday cards and thank you notes for all the customers you’re missing.

3. Having a “Me To” website – You have a website like everyone else with a couple pages that give a basic outline of what you do. After all, everyone knows what your business does, right? But you competitor’s site explains in great detail what they do. A prospect visits your site and doesn’t see what they’re looking for, but they find it on your competitors site, you make your competition happy once more.

4. It’s all about me – Your website extols the virtues of how great your business is. Your fantastic customer service, your low prices, your quality product, blah, blah, blah. Your competitor, on the other hand, has figured out it’s not about them; it’s about the prospect. The prospect does not care how wonderful your service is, how great your product is or anything else about you. They only care about whether you can either fix their problem or remedy their pain. Whoever does this best, wins.

5. Web site has no call to action – You go to all the effort to drive traffic to your website only to educate your prospect, then watch them go to your competitor and purchase. Businesses get so concerned about not being pushy that they don’t even create any call the action on their website. Your competitor’s site not only educates the prospect, but makes it easy for them to act, whether via online order or phone call.

6. I don’t do social media – Of the 251 million people in the US on the Internet, 203 million of them are on Facebook. What are the chances some of them are your prospects? Your competitor, on the other hand, is out there building relationships with not only your prospects, but probably even your customers.

7. I have a high school/college kid doing my social media – While it’s true that teenagers are all over Facebook, and can post photos, tag people, like, share, and do all the other things that you don’t understand, social media for business it is COMPLETELY different. You wouldn’t even consider hiring an advertising or marketing person based on the fact that they sold their Xbox on Craig’s list so they could buy the new PS3? Your competitor hired a professional to create a social media plan that they religiously follow.

8. Having an incomplete social media profile – Have you ever noticed at a seminar or tradeshow they give you nametags? Is that just because they had money left over in the budget? No. It’s so you can network and build relationships with the people that are there. So having an incomplete profile on social media sites is like not only having no name tag but wearing a paper bag over your head. There’s not going to be a lot of interaction and you’re certainly not going to build any relationships.

9. Social media is a great selling opportunity – After all, you have a captive audience of Likers/Followers/Connections, why not fire away with your sales message? You’re probably one of those that go to a family reunion, pass out business cards and make your sales pitch to everyone there. Your competitor is giving valuable information, tips and helpful hints to her Likers/Followers/Connections. Her connections are growing and you wonder why yours are.

10. Social media takes too much time besides I don’t care who had Cheerios for breakfast. – Who has time to wade through the dribble on Facebook or Twitter? You have a business to run, marketing to do, and customers to keep happy. Meanwhile, your competitor has discovered a set of tools that let him/her not only schedule and manage their social media, but also monitor what’s being said about them online. They are developing relationships and handling customer service issues in real time before they become a problem.

Do a couple of these things and you stay on your competitors Christmas card list. Do several of them and there’s a chance you will get invited to the Christmas party…as an employee.

Gary Wagnon is the master Ninja traffic generator for 800biz Online Marketing Solutions. Using a combination of action-centered web site design and the latest search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, combined with efficient and effective use of social media, 800biz creates an online presence that helps it’s clients stand out above the competitors and drive more traffic through the door.

Who do you think you are? Or better still who do your clients, customers or prospects think you are? In our interconnected world your reputation, your profile and what your customers are saying are only a few clicks away. So are you moderating what people are saying about you?

When would you call to set up an appointment with someone you just met, what do you think their first order of business is going to be? They’re going Google you, Facebook you, look you up a Linkedin, look for you on YouTube. Maybe they search Yelp, Manta, Merchant Circle or any of a dozen other local business review sites. Do you know what they’ll find? If not you should.

To be safe, be proactive. It starts with completing your profile online. A Google profile, a Linkedin profile, even a Facebook account. Next, as business people, we need to guard our profiles with extreme caution. What happens on the web stays on the web, FOREVER.

With all the tools that are available online today, there is no reason for you not to know what others are saying. We all know that if we do something right or special for a customer they will tell a few people. But if we make a mistake or do something they don’t think was fair, they will tell every one they see. And post it on Facebook, Twitter, local community sites and maybe even make a YouTube video. If that’s the only review out there, how does that make you look? To safeguard against that, cultivate your own reviews. Ask your customers and clients to write a review on your Google places page, on your Yelp page, or on Facebook. Carry a video camera and ask your good customers record their testimonials. Now one bad review among the dozens of glowing reviews has little damaging effect.

Set up Google alerts on your name or your companies name to know when someone’s talking about you and what they say. Set up TweetDeck or SocialMention to find out who’s mentioning you on Twitter and the other social media. If you see a problem, address it immediately. Don’t wait.

Guard your online persona with the same vigilance you would your home, your business and your family.

Gary Wagnon is the master Ninja traffic generator for 800biz Online Marketing Solutions. Using a combination of action-centered web site design and the latest search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, combined with efficient and effective use of social media, 800biz creates an online presence that helps it’s clients stand out above the competitors and drive more traffic through the door.

If you’ve ever been to a networking event, like a Chamber of Commerce mixer, you’ve probably experienced the network grabber or card collector.  That’s the person that takes a bundle of business cards and sends you a follow-up e-mail with their sales pitch or at best an invite to me for coffee.  I’ve even had people I met at a networking event pull out their calendar and ask to set up a sales appointment.

Now I know that every one of us at the networking event is there to generate prospects that we can ultimately sell.  But the savvy networker understands that a networking event is a place to develop relationships.  It’s a long-term process not an immediate gain.  So here’s an idea to help cultivate that relationship while establishing your expertise in your industry.

As you are meeting and exchanging cards, the first step is to question and listen.  You’re listening for problems, challenges, or situations that your product or service can solve.  Ask the prospect “What the biggest challenge you have with your ____ ” (enter your area there).  But here’s the hard part.  Resist the temptation to roar in like an F-16 with guns blazing, extolling the virtues of your product or service.  Instead use the stealth approach.

The stealth networking approach allows you to zero in on your prospect with laser guided precision.  Here’s how.  When you get back to the office, as your reviewing your notes from the event, look for a solution that your company offers that solves the newly met prospects needs.  Send them a link to your blog article that relates to the issue they were discussing with a note that says “you mentioned this was a concern so I wanted to forward you an article I wrote in my blog that addresses a similar situation.”  If you don’t have an article that covers their challenge, either find one from a trade journal you can send, or better still, write one.  You might want to even include a suggestion that they subscribe to your blog because you are continually providing valuable information they may find useful in the future.

This achieves two things.  It helps to establish you as the expert and your prospect has given permission to continue providing them valuable information and gain their trust.  As you continue to provide valuable content, you continue to build up social capital that they will ultimately cash in the form of business with you.  And not only that, they will share that information that you’re providing them with others, increasing your reach.

Remember the stealth bomber doesn’t show up on the radar, there’s no time to put up the defenses.  Try the stealth approach the next time you are out networking. Before your prospects has time to raise their “sales alert” shield, you’re already inside.

Gary Wagnon is the master Ninja traffic generator  for 800biz Online Marketing Solutions.  Using a combination of action-centered web site design and the latest search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, combined with efficient and effective use of social media, 800biz creates an online presence that helps it’s clients stand out above the competitors and drive more traffic through the door.

QR codes, those squiggly bar codes, are beginning to appear in print articles, on business cards, in newspapers and even online. But what are they and how do they work?

QR stands for Quick Response. They are 2 dimensional matrix barcodes whose popularity is on the rise with the growth of smartphones. Most phones can download an app like Scanlife that is used to read these barcodes and take the action embedded in the code. The code can direct the user to a web site, video, text message, email link, phone number, social media site, YouTube video, Google map or even a PayPal Buy Now link.

So how do you create this magical code? It’s so easy a caveman can do it (sorry Geico). Google QR Code generator and you will find several. (I’ve used www.qrstuff.com).  You select the type of link you want to create, enter the URL, email or phone number you want to connect to and watch the code created on the spot.  Right click the code and save  to your computer (or click the download link to do the same.)  That’s it.  You’re ready to go.

But before you jump in and create your code, let’s think the process through.  A friend of mine recently showed me his new business card with his QR code on the back, so I pulled out my Droid, opened Scanlife and scanned the back of his card.  It popped up a window with his email and phone number.  Very nice BUT…that’s the same information as  on the front of the card.  So I pulled out my card, scanned my QR code and up popped a mobile landing page with links to my web site, an email capture form attached to an auto-responder and my YouTube video introduction.

Comparing my card to his, my business card has now become a multimedia, lead generation tool.  But again, before you jump in and create a YouTube video and attach that to your QR code, hold on.  Once you create your QR code, it can’t be changed.  You’re either stuck with it or you have to create a new one.  But how long is it going to take you to use 1000 business cards?  And how long to you think your cards will be held on to by your clients and prospects?  What happens when you message becomes outdated?  Or you shoot a killer video that will convert prospects to clients by the dozens?   Oh well, too bad.

My solution (believe me I learned the hard way too) was to create a landing page that my QR code points to.  Now I can change the content of my landing page as often as I want.  Shoot a new video, no problem.  Have a special that I want to showcase, piece of cake.  The QR code link stays the same, but the content changes at will.

Take advantage of the technology, take advantage of growing number of smart phone and put your print media to work for you.

Gary Wagnon and 800biz.com Online Marketing Solutions specializes in helping small to medium size businesses to drive traffic to their door through web site design, search engine optimization, text message marketing and social media marketing and coaching.  Gary is also the co-founder of SocialMediaLab, an online education and training program to help business owners master social media.

While teaching a Facebook for Business class last week, I went around the room and asked why everyone was there.  I was amazed at the number of people (at least a third of the group) that were there because they didn’t have a website and thought Facebook would do the trick.

I immediately pulled out my soapbox and carefully climbed on top.  You’re trying to market online with no website?!?  In today’s connected world, it’s a snap to pop on your computer or smart phone and do a quick search for any business.  Without a website, how are you going to get found?  And assuming someone accidentally stumbles upon your Facebook page, just exactly how much information are they going to get to make their buying decision.   Plus, my totally un-scientific observations tells me that if someone doesn’t have a website, there’s a pretty good chance they don’t have a customized Facebook page either.

Short of suggesting a Facebook business page to friends (which recent changes to Facebook severely restricted), how are you going to drive traffic to your business page?  A “Follow Us On Facebook” link on your website can help drive traffic back to your FB page where you can begin an interactive dialog with your potential customers/clients.

Online marketing is like a big funnel.  At the top of the funnel is Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  These are like the card tables in the grocery store on Saturday where you can get a taste of new food product.  If you like it, you will go find the product so you can have more.  When people read your 140 character bites and want more, where are they going to go?

Fresh and timely content that showcase your expertise is where you want them going.  And the source for that is your blog.  A blog should give a reader just the right portion for them to digest.  Like the story of the new country preacher on his first Sunday.  With all the preparations made, he’s standing at the door waiting to welcome everyone.  But to his dismay, only one old farmer shows up.  He asks the farmer what he should do and the farmer replies, “Well son.  If I only have one cow in the barn, I feed it.”  So the young preacher launches into his service complete with a 45 minute sermon and 2 alter calls.  As he is standing by the door after the service he asks the farmer what he thought, to which he replied, “Well, I would feed the one cow, but I wouldn’t give him the whole barn full.”  We are an impatient society.  We don’t want the whole barn full in your blog post, just a nice, digestable portion.

Your blog is the bridge to your call to action which should be your website.  (If your website doesn’t tell the browser what action to take, that’s the subject of another post.)

Whether your business is a brick and mortar business, home based business or internet business, having a website is a crucial component that adds legitimacy.  It’s the anchor point of your marketing program, where the efforts poured into the top of your funnel come rushing out.

Gary Wagnon and 800biz Online Marketing Solutions specialize in web site design, search engine optimization, social media marketing and text message marketing. Need to know how to better use social media — check out Social Media Lab, providing step-by-step instructional videos on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogging.