Does your business have a Web site? Have you missed the idea that it can be your 24/7 virtual marketing machine? Do you wonder how it could bring you minions more customers and clients to your "brick and mortar" location?

The biggest mistake local businesses make is not using the Internet to let potential customers and clients know who they are, who they can be by offering valuable content to attract them back again and again, and why they are the first choice over their competition.

Did you know that many of your local potential customers will Google your Web name or your name to see what you offer and how you may be their choice over others? Today people are much more Internet savvy. You need to speak to them.

Building traffic to your Web site to market it needs you to install proper content and sales messages on it as well as other tried and true Online promotion methods such as submitting articles and creating a blog.

FACT: You have only 10 seconds to attract your potential customers and get him to stay long enough to show them your business is his best choice.

How's your Web Site Doing?

Take the "Check and Correct Quiz" below to see if your Web site measures up. After your input what you don't know will be clearer. If you want your Web site to be more effective, stay open and learn how they can put more money in your checking account each month.

Answer these questions to see if you are on track or need a professional partner to help you get the necessary marketing language and content on your site to bring targeted traffic. Realize the spiders of the search engines comb sites daily looking for good key word, free information, and power writing sales content.

Did You Know Your Web site Needs...?

_____1. A sales letter (short or long) for each product or service you offer. You need to give your visitors a reason to buy from you.

_____2. Benefit driven headlines on your home page to attract people to your sales messages. Drop your announcements because they bore. Make your visitor's mouths water, their skin tingle, and their eyes receive a positive picture of how they will be after they use you. Make your headlines on your home page and in your sales letters sizzle and seduce to get them to call you and come to your office.

_____3. Testimonials from former clients and customers

_____4. Less bio and credentials on the home page because your customer wants to know "what's in it for me?" Put this information on your Contact or About Me page.

_____5. Less telling and more engaging the visitor to stay (they leave immediately if they don't see benefits and valuable content that answers their concerns). Forget the brochure-style home page.

_____6. A preplan naming the top two to three focuses you want to attract customers to, who your target market is, and your Web site's contacts and money goals.

_____7. Much more "You" centered information such as benefits or short tips and articles

_____8. Acknowledgement and answers for your visitor's concerns, problems or challenges. These hook your Web visitor to pick up the phone to call you.

_____9. Proven strategies that get people to your site to include writing and submitting short articles to other Web sites and ezines, exchanging links, a blog page for your customer to interact with you and get questions answered, and many more.

____10. A willingness to take the time and spend the money to make your Web site work. Without this, your site will languish with inactivity.

When you don't know what you don't know, your site just sits there with no one to play with. Your brick and mortar business sits there too. Now that you do know more than you did, take a leap of faith and know that you too can learn how to make your Web site shine and bring people right to your business address. Find yourself a good professional Internet marketing person, read books on the topic or take a teleclass or seminar to boost your skills. Partner with a professional who can make your journey so much shorter, with fewer mistakes, and help you enjoy your business more.

Judy Cullins ?2005 All Rights Reserved.

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Judy is author of 10 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Power Writing for Web Sites That Sell. She offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The BookCoach Says...," "Business Tip of the Month," blog Q & A at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 170 free articles.

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Email her at Judy@bookcoaching.com. Phone: 619/466-0622 -- Orders: 866/200-9743