"I am co-owner and manager of a passport and visa expedite service. We created the business about six months ago and have been actively trying to get a few clients over the past few months while we continue to set up our business. We are registered at the federal, state and local level. We have a business checking account, PayPal business account and just applied for a merchant account through our quickbooks. We have our website fully completed now, toll-free number, business email, fax, etc.
The one problem we have is making a profit trying to get clients. We start to get clients when we advertise here and there but for every $1,000 we spend advertising, we make back less than half of that. We tried "broad" advertising like online banner ads and opt-in email marketing but it ended up being a complete waste of money. Targeted marketing we believe is the way to go we think. Although it has worked, online advertising through search engines is very expensive and we end up losing more than we make. I just heard about "link building" and "search optimization" but I'm still unsure how to take advantage of those. I don't know if I should take the time to learn it and try to implement it myself or if I should hire an online company to do it. We just recently put our company in online yellow pages but it is too soon to tell if it will work. So far it's not looking good. We also put our company in 10 yellow page books around the western US but they do not come out until between Aug.- Nov 2009. We are going to send some e-mails to corporations to see if they would want to set up a corporate account for passport and visa discounts.
Basically at this point, we just need to get a steady advertising campaign going so we can get a steady stream of clients. The problem is we have only about $8,000 left so we need to spend it wisely. I'm going to try and get an SBA loan application going here in the next week. But we both have debt and our credit scores are in the low 600s so I don't know if we would qualify.
How do you think we should proceed from here? Thank you for your time."
Here's how I responded:
"Thank you for writing me. We want to see your Biz succeed.
Let me try to help with several things going on here.
1st, YES. target marketing is the only way to go. Online or off.
I don't know who your target market is. You haven't mentioned it.
So I don't know if you know.
I've checked your website. Looks nice, but looks do not sell. Info does. People search for info.
Yet, you give a price upfront, that appears to be higher than some other sites I also checked.
I also looked at your source code and meta tags on your site. your keywords are loaded.
Each page should have its own 1 or 2 kw or phrase.
Your home page is NOT your front door, searchers come from everywhere
and need to land on the correct landing page for the terms they searched.
You must think like a searcher and a search engine. Called Search Engine Optimization
If I were searching for roller skates, there are thousands of sites/pages on roller skates.
If I were searching for "pink barbie roller skates" and you had the only page online (not your home page, only a link there) that sold only "pink barbie roller skates" the search engine would list you 1st in "Organic search", if your content preached and sold "pink barbie roller skates" you win ME! Now you have to provide what I want at a fair price.
If you bought that search term phrase and paid the most, you would be listed #1, but only for "pink barbie roller skates."
You do rank #2 for your name, but your name is part of another website name.
I noticed in Google adwords that your primary search terms are in the $3-$4 categories for about 6 - 11mill hits. someone is paying that price because they are 1) making money 2) giving searchers/engines info they want and 3) selling services at a competitive (think inexpensive) price.
You could take the lead in just one of those key adwords, out some money behind it for a day, then see a) how fast the money goes out b) if you get any sales (not hits). If so, then you know how much each sale will cost you; called "cost of business or sales" Then try another keyword or phrase and see if your sales increase remarkably.
Also, people tend to search in sentences more now (3.8 terms per search on avg as of dec 2008)
So, you could (again think like a searcher) use a lesser priced term, with fewer hits and test that. ONLY test one word or phrase per day. Then add to your current tags, if you see a demonstrable bump in sales.
I wouldn't think emails to Corps, who already have either a travel dept or outside help, and who violently hate and filter anonymous emails/spam would work. Contacting their travel dept (find this thru your local library in "Reference USA" et al), asking permission to email info, doing some work for free, may get their attention. But really do you know they need the help, is this your target market?
That is the 1st question you must ask. Who is your target market - TM. Even your linking strategy must be based on who your target market is, and what non-competitive business websites reach those markets. Now you trade links and you are seen by more people.
Take any site and go to google adwords, sign up for analytics, I believe, not sure because google moves things around so much. You can find how many sites link to yours. Tough to find this tool tho'. Also look under tools for the keywords tools.
1 Define your TM
2. Test keywords/phrases on individual pages
3. Try DM or direct marketing, if appropriate for your clients/Corps
Please let me know if I can help more. "
Thanks, Dan Cassin
Dan has a Marketing Development Program for your Organization, based on his forth-coming book Creative Marketing Dynamics. Call or e-mail Dan
dan@dancassin.com
502-554-2397
dan@dancassin.com
502-554-2397
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