Techology: Toto, We're Not in Kansas Anymore
By Cheryl Lohner
As published on the Michigan Women's Marketplace website October 2007
Remember the days when having your own e-mail address felt like you were on the cutting edge? With the ever changing world of technology, those days are far behind. Today, more than ever, having a better understanding of technology and the benefits it can provide is critical to the success of your business.
I encourage you to throw caution to the wind and begin to embrace technology for the tremendous tool that it is. Imagine we are standing on the edge of the "black hole" of technology, holding hands like school girls saying, "I’ll try it if you do." Take my hand and I’ll take you along on my own journey through the "great unknown".
As a marketing consultant, it was critical for me to become familiar with the benefits of technology to better advise my clients. Also, a great percentage of my business model involved having the ability to reach prospects on a national and global level. Needless to say, I needed to learn more about the value and benefits of technology.
First of all, I don’t pretend to be a technology guru. Granted, I was able to find my way around the internet, knew how to use Google search and book airline tickets online. But it didn’t take long for me to realize there was much more to technology than I had ever imagined. During my journey through the maze of technology I discovered a few very important tools along the way.
As a business owner my first brush with technology came with the creation of my website. From a marketing perspective, a website can be one of the most effective tools you can have. It provides the ability to communicate with your prospects 24/7, helps you deliver valuable information, provides a vehicle for you to sell products and services, and gives you instant credibility.
First, you must purchase your domain name. Next, you need to choose a company to host your site and last, but not least, find someone to create your site. I know this can feel overwhelming, but there are a number of excellent options in all of these areas. The company I personally work with is Network Solutions (www.networksolutions.com) which provides all of these services in one place. The monthly cost is minimal. In addition to purchasing your domain name and setting up e-mails, you can also purchase hosting packages. There are a variety of packages ranging from hosting only, to do-it-yourself websites using templates. They will also create your site for you, for an additional fee.
Once I had my website up and running, it soon became apparent that I needed a tool that could capture information from prospects that visited my site as well as the ability to respond to requests for information 24/7. At this stage I became familiar with autoresponders.
If there is one technology tool that I would recommend to nearly every business owner, it would be the autoresponder. Autoresponders allow you to capture visitor information on your site, send broadcast messages, provide automatic follow-up, and create opt-in forms, just to name a few. I am only beginning to tap into all of the benefits of this tool.
Autoresponders also provide the ability to do Split Tests. Split Tests are a good way to test different versions of a message to see which gets the best response. Subscribers are randomly sorted into groups so that you can send a slightly modified version of your message to each group and measure the results each of those versions brings in.
Many hosting packages come with autoresponder tools, however, I highly recommend AWeber (www.aweber.com). The cost for a typical AWeber account is under $20 per month. Again, this is one of those tools that I have barely scratched the surface on the extent of the benefits it can provide. AWeber also offers a free 30-day trial which is hard to beat. In addition, they provide all the tools and training you need to create a stay-in-touch system for your prospects along with the ability to measure results.
The next tool that I discovered was the technology available to provide your customers with the option to pay for your services online. This can be a huge benefit. There are several options available depending on how much you would like to spend for this service.
PayPal (www.paypal.com) is a free service and allows you to accept nearly any form of payment, and just about anyone can set up a PayPal account very quickly. PayPal is also accepted in many countries, and the currency conversion is done automatically. Additional options for payment programs include Practice Pay Solutions (www.PracticePaySolutions.com) or 1 Shopping Cart (www.1ShoppingCart.com). Another good payment option for courses or programs is Acteva (www.acteva.com).
In addition to the information I’ve shared, there is also the whole world of SEO (search engine optimization) and the technological tools available for recording, creating videos or web based seminars and meetings.
You don’t have to do this alone. There is a ton of information and help available when it comes to technology, much of which is free. You can find help through your local library, from articles in magazines or other publications, not to mention the endless support provided through the internet.
We live in a wonderful and exciting time. Don’t let your fear of the unknown hold you back from taking your company to the next level. Embrace technology, find help, and learn what you can. The opportunities and possibilities that technology provides to the business owner are only as limited as your own thinking.
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© 2007 Cheryl Lohner. All rights reserved. You are free to use this material in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the materials will appear.
The attribution should read:
"By Cheryl Lohner of Create a Buzz Marketing, LLC. Please visit Cheryl’s web site at www.createabuzzmarketing.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for service professionals and their businesses." (Make sure the link is live if placed in an eZine or in a web site.)
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