Choosing Honest Web Professionals

I saw this posted recently on a networking site and had to respond. I think a lot of small business owners have had the same kinds of bad experiences as the person who posted it, so I decided to publish my response here.

I am of the opinion that the market is oversaturated with website gurus. I have been taken advantage of more than once, paid over $1,000 in the past 12 months, not including GoDaddy charges, and I presently I have a dysfunctional site. 

How do we know, how can we decide?

Can anyone out there offer guidelines to hiring an honest, reputable webmaster that is not taking advantage?

Some standards are needed to prevent small businesses from being taken advantage of.

1. What is a reasonable price for hosting? What is included?

2. What is a fair price for ongoing basic maintenance? And what does that include?

3. How do we measure work done at $150 an hour (often done in a few clicks)?

4. At what point do you justify a monthly and an hourly rate?

Some standards, principles and baselines are needed.

Once I have paid, there is no recourse. My money is gone and my site is....

These problems/questions are exactly why I started my business 20 years ago. It’s much too easy for hacks to get away with highway robbery when the average person has no idea how to do it for themselves. They give honest service providers a bad name and worse, it’s getting harder and harder for regular people to start and maintain a business online. Here are my answers to your questions, plus a little extra advice.

1. Hosting: I think it should cost $10/month. You should be able to have as many email addresses as you want. You should be able to add on other domain names, provided you stay within the parameters of the space provided. You should never have to deal with your ISP being on a blacklist because of a spammer web site that used to reside at that ISP. Your hosting account should provide web site statistics and you should be able to reach customer service without having to spend an hour or more on the phone. Remember, GoDaddy advertises on network television and maintains a huge operation with a lot of overhead. Who do you think pays for that? Smaller hosting companies will give you better service for better prices.

2. Ongoing Basic Maintenance: This basically means updating WordPress and plugins – this takes maybe 30 minutes a month.

3. Measuring Work: I do not charge $150/hour because I want the ability to make money online to be accessible for regular people and that rate is prohibitive. I charge $75 and when I invoice a client, all of my time is itemized so they know exactly what they’re getting for their money. My clients are generally reassured by my transparency and also impressed at how quickly I can complete tasks as a result of my many years of experience.

4. Monthly vs. Hourly Rate: One might pay a monthly rate for services, like MailChimp or a shopping cart, but I prefer to charge hourly for all projects and web site work. Some of my colleagues charge per project, and it’s nice to have a ball park number to give a prospective client, but I want my clients to know what it takes to complete their project and how much of my time they are getting.

How can you know or decide which web professionals will treat you fairly? Don’t ever enter into a contract with one without talking to them first, and I don’t mean email. Have a conversation with them, and if they don’t offer a free opportunity to do this, don’t work with them. Yes, recommendations and testimonials can be good indicators, but talking to them about their pricing and business ethic will give you a much better sense of who they are and what it will be like to actually work with them. If you’ve been mistreated in the past, start with a small, inexpensive project to truly evaluate their performance as opposed to their promises.

“Once I have paid, there is no recourse.” Pay with PayPal. Their strong dispute resolution policies will protect you and give you recourse if you can show the provider did not live up to their end of the deal.

Also, web sites DO NOT have to cost $6-10k (wow!) as another group member claimed. I’ve built a wide variety of beautiful and even complex small business web sites for less than $3000. In the last year, I’ve even created a couple of one page WordPress sites for less than $1000. And there is no need to spend $100 per month on a web site that’s complete. I’ve worked with business owners on a budget by breaking the work down into manageable chunks or offering short term payment plans. There are honest and helpful web professionals out there who truly want to see small business succeed.

How Can I Write for Any Business? Research.

I’ve learned that some people think, “I write copy for all types of small business” is too bold of a claim. Maybe it seems more logical that I would specialize with a certain type of business. You might think I could grow a certain kind of expertise that would make me the best person to write copy for your business, but the truth is, there’s only so many ways to reword what is essentially the same offer I wrote for your competition. Over time, it gets harder to come up with the same kind of originality and creativity that went into earlier efforts.

“But, how can you “know” every business?”

I don’t “know” every business, and in many cases, that’s a good thing. It means I have to learn about each client’s business and understand it well enough to tell other people about it. I’m not just talking about the products, I need to be able to make customers feel confident enough to enter their payment information. This is where the research comes in.

“Research?”

Yes, research. Once a client and I decide to work together, it’s the first priority. I start by carefully reviewing the client’s full online presentation, including their website, blog, and social media channels, from a perspective of someone who knows nothing about them and noting any questions that come up. I also look at their web traffic statistics when available. Then I check out the most relevant competitor websites for keywords, presentation, pricing, etc. I bring all this information to a scheduled call with the client where I ask questions about their products or services, delivery methods, target customers, resistance points, previous marketing efforts, etc. By the end of this call, I have everything I need to convey their offer in a way that’s compelling and unique to their business style.

Your Success is My Success

My expertise is selling on the Internet and my entire career has been dedicated to helping small business owners earn more money doing what they love. I take great pride in my ability to “write copy for all types of small business” and have proven myself to clients around the world, like the mobile dog groomer in San Francisco, insurance salesman in the UK, and house cleaner in Australia. In 20 years, my clients have ranged from artists, photographers, writers, and inventors to real estate agents, spas, restaurants, and retail shops. I truly have the skills and experience to help any small business generate more online sales. Contact me for a Free Copy Audit and find out for yourself.

1st Rule of Marketing: A Confused Mind Always Says “No”

Dear small business owner, I get it. Marketing is not your thing. Your business is your thing and you wouldn’t even think about marketing if you weren’t trying to promote your product or service. So, while you’re out there trying to wear all the different hats necessary to start and grow a small business, let me tell you about the A #1, top, most important rule of marketing:

A Confused Mind Always Says “No”

I learned this from my first business mentor, but really, it goes way beyond sales. In fact, I can’t think of one area of life where this doesn’t apply. Take a moment now and think about it. I’ll bet you can’t think of one situation when you were confused, but still eager to press ahead without all the necessary information. Right? When humans are confused, they tend to stop and examine what they’re doing. They start to doubt the wisdom of their current direction. Often they will back up a bit and may even set the current task aside for further consideration. In sales, this is the kiss of death.

If you started with a storefront business, you might be a little removed from this reality. In person, customers can ask questions, giving you the opportunity to dispel any confusion without even realizing it. When it comes to doing business online, you don’t get that opportunity, so it becomes vital to identify and address any possible confusion in the minds of your customers while they’re looking at your web site or ad.

Think of it like this – To sell anything online, you’re basically asking customers to give you their protected payment and contact information, and simply trust that you will live up to your end of the deal. That’s a lot to ask! If a stranger walked up to you and asked for this information, you’d tell them to get stuffed. It’s not enough that a customer may want what you’re selling, they also have to trust that you will deliver. The moment they think “Huh?” while looking at your ad or web site, you’ve lost the sale.

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t think your web site is more important than your ads or social media posts. Everything you write is a reflection on your business and first contact is just as important as the “buy” page.

Do minimize typos and spelling errors. Careless mistakes can indicate a lack of sincerity or attention to detail, which buyers may translate as a poor work ethic.

Don’t assume people know anything. If there are options, tax, or shipping, make it clear.

Do spell out your offer every time. When you post on social media, be sure to include the name of your business and what you’re selling EVERY TIME.

Don’t overload customer’s with too many options, choices, or proprietary terminology.

Do organize your magnificent array of choices in a way that won’t overwhelm first time shoppers.

Don’t worry about being repetitive. Of course, there’s no need to repeat yourself in an ad, for example, but you never know how people will find you. It’s important to include your business name and what you’re selling in every piece of copy you write.

Do speak in your own voice, but edit for clarity. You want your style to shine through, but not at the expense of readability.

Don’t publish your first draft. Write it, put it down, and come back to it. You will always find a way to improve it after you’ve let it sit a while.

Do get someone else to look at it. Just because it makes sense to you, doesn’t mean it makes sense to others. Ask someone to read it through and find out if they have any questions.

Marketing is a Specialized Field

Remember, marketing is a specialized field. Countless dollars and hours have been spent to study and perfect the science of selling. You can’t be expected to master it unless you’ve taken the time to study it yourself. If you need help, I am here and eager to assist all types of small businesses to make their dreams come true. Contact me, I’d be glad to talk to you about your business.

Labor Day is the Time to Think Holiday Promotions

Every year I encourage small business to start getting their holiday promotions ready in September and every year there are those who ignore this advice. While I understand how and why this happens, let me explain why it’s a mistake to put it off.

“Yes, Christmas is coming, but it’s three and a half months away! I’ve got a lot on my plate, why should I worry about the holidays now? I can do it later.” This is generally the attitude of small business owners. I get it. You’re extra busy, especially if you have kids who are just getting back to school. It’s hard to add anything to To-Do list, but if you depend on increased revenue to make your own holidays bright, you need to have a plan.

So, let’s count backwards from December 25. When do you want your holiday promotions to go live? November 1 is really the latest your offer should be in place if you want people to take advantage of it for Thanksgiving and holiday gift shopping. Remember, many people like to have their holiday shopping done by Thanksgiving, so if your offer isn’t available until December 1, you’ll miss out on the most eager and efficient portion of your market.

“Ok, so then I need to think about it in October,” they say. I have tried this and while it may sound “woo”, Mercury is typically retrograde in October. Many people have come to respect the difficulty this can present, but even if you don’t agree, it is hard to create special offers under these conditions, particularly if you need to order stock or coordinate with a copywriter or graphic artist. Remember, many other small businesses will be trying to get their holiday promotions ready at this time and you may find availability to be limited.

In my experience, the best plan is to:

• Decide what your holiday special(s) will be early in September and order any stock you will need.
  
• Connect with your copywriter or graphic designer to create your sales materials (like email, print, and/or social media ads) by the end of the month.
  
• Pre-load and schedule all sales materials into their respective platforms to publish automatically when the time is right.

It is a busy time, but it’s only going to get worse as the holidays approach. With my advice, you will not only sell more, but you’ll reduce your own stress dramatically. It even allows for a bit of wiggle room, so deadlines aren’t so vital or rigid. If you can start promoting your holiday offers by mid-October, you’ll be ahead of the game and prepared for the best holiday season possible.

Best of Sonoma 2021

I am very honored to accept this award. Thank you, Sonoma!

Those of you who only know me as Chico’s Sales Copy Writer might not be aware that my original business, ONE STOP Internet Business Services, was based in Sonoma for 10 years before I moved to Chico.

“The Sonoma Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Sonoma area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

Each year, the Sonoma Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Sonoma area a great place to live, work and play.

The Sonoma Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.”

Free Information Series – Professional Copy Pays for Itself

Increase Traffic, Get More Leads, Close More Sales

Is your brick-and-mortar store struggling to stay afloat amid the pandemic?

Does your business web site or online marketing strategy fail to convey the unique experience of your business ethic that creates customer loyalty offline?

It doesn’t have to be this way. In most cases,
professional help can improve online sales quickly!

Many of you know me as the owner of ONE STOP Internet Business Services; business writer, web designer and online business consultant. I’ve been writing compelling, results-driven sales copy for years. Today, with so many small businesses losing money as a result of the COVID crisis, I’m focusing all my energy into helping Chico’s local businesses to strengthen their online sales process with powerfully persuasive copy that anticipates and addresses customer questions and resistance to increase their confidence and close more sales.

I’ve been surprised to learn that many small business owners are not aware of the impact professional copy can have when selling online. Sure, we all know of some businesses that are doing better than most; you can be sure it’s not luck. In every case, those businesses have figured out how to use the Internet to offset poor sales figures caused by reduced foot traffic.

Don’t guess. Unless you have education or experience with online marketing, trying to figure it out yourself is like grasping at straws in the dark. You’re just as likely to hurt your sales instead of improving them. Believe me, I’ve been there. It’s beyond frustrating and there’s no need to put yourself through it when professional help can literally pay for itself in terms of increased earnings that continue long after the job is done.

Professional Copy Pays for Itself

I want your business to succeed, so I’ve written a Free Information Series called Professional Copy Pays for Itself to answer the most common questions and concerns small business owners have about working with a copy writer. Over the course of 8 daily messages, you’ll learn more about:

• My business ethic and how I became an Online Business Expert
• The experiential proof of my premise – professional copy really does pay for itself
• Various uses for sales copy and methods I use to determine what to prioritize
• Work-flow, how the process looks from the initial contact through revisions
• Ball park copy writing costs and working with your budget
• Targeting your customers and writing in your voice
• Measuring results

SUBSCRIBE NOW

You’ve Got Nothing to Lose

If you’re thinking about getting help to improve sales, I guarantee this free series will help you to decide. There is absolutely no obligation and you can unsubscribe at any time.

A Pandemic Success Story

You wouldn’t think a restaurant could have opened last August to become one of the most successful in Chico today, but that’s exactly what Drunken Dumpling has done! How did they do it? Location? Well, they’re not actually visible from a main thoroughfare. The answer is social media.

I wrote a 15 Minutes column for the Chico News & Review about the Drunken Dumpling food truck in June of 2018. When I returned to Chico over the summer, I was keen to follow up with them, thinking I could help to support their marketing efforts amid the pandemic. When I learned they were opening a store front restaurant, I thought they would need all the help they could get. They didn’t. They had been cultivating their social media presence for some time and felt like they were all set. They were right.

In fact, after a soft open of only a few days a week with limited lunch time hours, the response was so good, they were able to quickly expand their hours. They weren’t just busy, they were so busy that there were often lines and wait times. They raised some of their prices, it didn’t make any difference. I was there a few weeks ago on a Friday night and was told there was a 2 hour wait for take-out orders! While I left in disappointment, I was utterly impressed. Even I could not have guessed this level of success.

I went in and talked to co-owner Elizabeth Young as they prepared for Restaurant Week. She told me they hadn’t planned to open during a pandemic; they leased their equipment just a week before the lock down in March. The shut down meant they had to make some hard decisions. Instead of opening for dinner, they decided their outdoor seating was better suited for lunch and initially they were open for only 4 hours a day, 4 days per week. With their food truck experience, and the fact that their Asian food works well as take out, it wasn’t long before they felt ready to open for dinner, too.

Elizabeth confirmed that their primary marketing method is social media, specifically Facebook and Instagram. She had learned about the power of this marketing strategy during their first pop-up at the Winchester Goose in 2018. After posting about it, the response was almost overwhelming. They literally sold out in just a few hours. She told me she had to be very careful about clicking the “Post” button because the response was always so good. In fact, she already had about 20 pre-orders for their Restaurant Week special as a result of posting about it a full week before the event had even started.

Yes, they have a listing on Yelp and Google that they keep up-to-date. If you search for Drunken Dumpling, even Google will tell you “This place is usually very busy.” But, Elizabeth says by far, the best way to promote their business is social media. She credits their delicious food, which many people are unlikely to cook at home, as a major factor in their success, but cannot deny the power of social marketing.

While Drunken Dumpling’s story is remarkable for a brand new business, they’re not the only one harnessing the power of social media for success during the pandemic. Other restaurants with a strong social media following are also enjoying much greater success than their competitors who aren’t using it; the Foodie Cafe comes to mind as another example of a local restaurant making the most of social media. Even other types of stores have been able to use social media to pick up the slack left by reduced foot traffic. I wrote several social media posts for Ellis Art and Engineering Supplies in December that helped them to salvage their Christmas season.

If your small business is suffering, I urge you to step up your social media efforts right away to reach local customers and/or businesses who want what you’re offering. Let people know you’re open and available to serve them. Tell them about the great things you offer and get them excited to find out more about your business. If you don’t know how to proceed, get help. It could mean the difference between success and failure.

Is Comcast Blocking Your Business Web Site?

I recently downloaded xFi, the Comcast app, on my phone. I got my pc connected to the Internet and everything was working properly. After a few days, I connected the phone to the home wifi network and noticed a problem right away, but I didn’t understand what caused it. Suddenly, I could not access my business web site on my pc.

The error said the connection timed out. I hadn’t made any changes to the site in weeks, so I knew it was something else. Did I forget to pay the domain name renewal? No, it was up to date. Was my web site hacked? When I tried to login to the control panel, the page wouldn’t load and gave the same error.

By now, I was starting to get upset. Luckily, I manage the server space for my site, so I logged in to that account. I was able to confirm there had been no uploads in weeks. Everything looked fine. I reached for my phone to see if it could load the page and noticed an alert from xFi. It said they blocked a malicious site! I checked the time and IP address. This was it! Comcast’s Advanced Security had blocked my site! When I disabled the security function, I was able to access it again with no error or issues.

The next day, I set about finding the answer to this problem. I conducted a thorough search to see if my IP address was blacklisted in some way. I use HostGator and while some of their servers might have a bad reputation, I’ve been managing my own reseller space for over 10 years. The only sites on it are owned by people I know and in most cases, I built them myself. Still, I thought it best to check before I called Comcast. My IP address was not listed on any of the SPAM and malware block lists I could find.

I felt stumped. By what criteria did Comcast think my site was a threat? I searched to see if I could find out which block list Comcast uses. Instead, I found Comcast forum posts complaining that Comcast had blocked MANY business web sites dated as far back as February 13, 2020. As I read through the posts, it became clear that Comcast didn’t have a ready solution for their customers who complained. The best the Comcast employee could do for them was collect their URL’s and send them up the support chain to a department that would put them on a white list.

So, I took a deep breath and called Comcast Customer Support. The first rep I spoke to wanted to walk me through trouble shooting. I said, “No, I’m not doing that. I need you to transfer me to someone who can put me on a white list.” The next rep said my problem was over his head, so he transferred me to an Internet Tech. The Tech said I needed Security, and Security Level 1 said I needed Security Level 2, but she couldn’t transfer me. After playing a stressful sort of phone tag with Security for a few days, it was ultimately resolved without ever explaining why my site was blocked.

It was a frustrating and time consuming experience, even if it was successful. To me, it’s shocking that so many Comcast customers have been affected by a problem that’s been reported and uncorrected for at least 8 months. Then I wondered, how many other business web sites are being blocked without the owners even knowing about it. I mean, if you’re not a Comcast customer who was blocked from viewing your own site, you probably wouldn’t guess that such a thing could ever happen.

How Do I Know if My Site is Blocked?

There doesn’t seem to be an online tool designed to give this information. So, if you’re not a Comcast customer, you’ll have to ask one to see if they can pull up your site while xFi’s Advanced Security is enabled. Another idea is to call Comcast’s Security Customer Service number which is 888.565.4329. Tell them you’re concerned and ask what you can do to find out more.

How Do I Get Them to Remove the Block?

If Comcast is blocking your business web site, this is the link they’ll finally give you after days of trying to communicate with Customer Service and Security Customer Service http://postmaster.comcast.net/block-removal-request.html It takes you to a form asking the Comcast Postmaster to remove your IP address from their block list. I’m not sure I would trust this alone, so I will also give you the phone number where you can reach a Security rep who can be pestered to address your situation immediately 888.565.4329.

I can’t speak for Comcast policy regarding non-customers. For you, the form might be your only option. Still, it might create more awareness among management if their reps are spending all their time fielding calls about this one issue. You decide.

Address This ASAP

Unless you’re willing to run advertising that includes instructions for Comcast customers to disable xFi’s Advanced Security in order to view your site, most of those customers will think your site is unsafe. Not only will you lose their business this time, they might hesitate to click your URL again in the future out of fear from a non-existent threat. This is a big deal. Don’t wait, particularly with the holidays right around the corner.

Creating Customer Loyalty Online

I know of several businesses in Chico with truly excellent customer service. Locals patronize these businesses, not just for their products or services, but because they enjoy their experience as a customer. They are loyal and would rather spend their money in these high quality establishments than with other businesses where their experience is average or poor. Over time these customers come to feel they are a part of their favorite businesses with a personal stake in their continued success. They will tell their friends, post about them via social media, and rally round if the business needs support.

When this type of business shifts their focus to online sales, it needs to ensure that the online sales process reflects the same high quality customer experience in order to create the same level of loyalty that they enjoy with their brick and mortar storefront. “But how can we do that? Our brick and mortar customer experience depends on our people!” The answer is: Through your copy. Every word that you use to draw people to your web site and lead them to their purchase needs to reflect your unique business style and commitment to their customer experience. If you just list your items and hope people will be able to see the value, you will be disappointed.

This is how small businesses benefit from professional sales copy. A seasoned, professional copy writer has made a study of selling with the written word alone. They can instantly spot common mistakes and missed opportunities that the average business owner won’t notice simply because this skill falls outside of their experience. When a copy writer sits down to write an ad, web page, email, or product description, they know all the elements that must be included, the order in which to present the information, and how to persuade customers that your product is not only exactly what they want, but why they should buy from you instead of one of your competitors.

Whether your online sales are geared toward locals or to a wider market, professional copy will improve web site traffic, engagement, and sales. In most cases, the increased sales far outweigh the investment. Professional sales copy really does pay for itself.