The Fastest Way There Is To Grow Your Business
January 27th, 2011. Filed Under: Business, Internet Business Tips, Internet Marketing. Tags: Business, Wally
Today I want to share a short story about a conversation that I just
had and am a little fired up about, because I’ve seen this happen
again and again.
My apologies if this sounds like a rant, it’s not. It’s passion.
I was just talking with one of my friends who does small business
web design, and we both ended up talking about something that
happens again and again, and I think it is worth sharing with you.
My buddy has a customer who is frustrated because his business
isn’t growing. But his website sucks. There are no two ways
about it.
They are trying to grow a big business off of a useless cookie
cutter template that is hosted for no cost somewhere.
His customer says things like “How Can I Afford To Upgrade My
Website If My Business Isn’t Growing?”.
To which we both replied, “How Can You Afford To Keep Scaring Away
Your Business With Your Ugly Website?”
There is an old adage that my Mom taught me when I was like 5
years old. It is that “Actions Speak Louder Than Words”.
So when this guy was talking to his customer, and his customer said
stuff like “Well, I really know that I need to upgrade my website
to grow my business” but then did nothing about it, we both know
that the action speaks loud.
And the action says, “I am not willing to do what it takes to grow.”
Since that’s the case, stop saying you’re trying to grow until
you’re ready to do what it takes.
We all know that setting up a big selling website takes money,
time and effort. And it is a big risk.
But without taking care of this lynchpin of your growth, there’s
simply no way to get the results you are seeking.
Whether you’re looking to grow your business through a website that
pulls in qualified leads and sales automatically, or you’re working
on another area of your business or life – the message is the same.
Talk is cheap. Actions speak volumes.
Reach for the top,
-Wally
PS – With a no cost template website, you get everything you paid for.
Nothing. When you’re serious about growing your business to new
heights, here is the best place to begin:
Your Custom Website Critique and Action Plan
If nobody is using the phone book, what are they using?
March 25th, 2010. Filed Under: Business, Internet Business Tips, Internet Marketing. Tags: People, Wally
Let me tell you one of my favorite stories. It happened
over a year ago, but it still makes me smile every time
I think about it.
I was standing in a room of about 20 people, and I asked
for a show of hands.
“Who here has used the phone book in the last week?”
People looked around at each other, shrugged their
shoulders, and in a dark corner…one lady meekly rose
her hand, embarrassed to admit that she used the phone
book.
Then I asked, “Who has used Google in the past week?”
Hands shot up all around the room. Smiles. Laughter.
One guy shouts out, “I used Google a couple times
before 7 am today!”
Pretty funny. And pretty telling.
Let me tell you a secret. Most local businesses are
s till spending money on phone book ads. We’re
talking the old school yellow book ads that nobody is
looking at.
Meanwhile, a very few smart businesses are hitting
Google hard – and they’re reaping the rewards. These
select few businesses are getting all of the eyeballs
and all of the fah-ree traffic – for now.
But if history is any guide…these types of
opportunities don’t last very long. Either you get on
board or your competition gets on board first…that’s
how it works.
The easiest and fastest way to get ranked is to
click here:
http://www.wallythewebguy.com/traffic/
I’ll show you how to get ranked above your local
competition while ignoring the phone book, and
getting all sorts of fah-ree google traffic.
Sound good?
Here’s that link again:
http://www.wallythewebguy.com/traffic/
Reach for the top,
-Wally
P.S. – Lot’s of exciting stuff happening
here that I am looking forward to telling
you more about in the near future. Stay
tuned and keep in touch.
Top 5 Signs You Need a Website Redesign
November 18th, 2009. Filed Under: Business, Internet Business Tips, Website Design. Tags: BBC, Business, PC, Wally
Today’s message is all meat and potatoes, stuff you can use right away.
I’m going to keep this one pretty short and sweet, cut right to the point. Things are getting busy this time of year, and regardless of what we’ve been hearing in the media – business is picking up out there. Big time. So let’s be prepared.
Today I’m going to give you a five question pop quiz, and you can put your website through the following test. Let me know how you score.
Test 1: How fast does your website load?
Did you know that you have only seven seconds before a visitor decides to stick around your site, or leave?
And if your website isn’t showing up after four seconds – four seconds! – 33% of people leave your site. Most never return.
Test 2: Does your website have a specific call to action, or is it putting people on overload?
Too much information makes people glaze over, fall asleep, and leave your site.
On the other hand, a simple, targeted site that solves the exact problem that your visitor is experience – makes tons of money. Keep it simple, keep it targeted, and don’t confuse your visitor. This tip alone can change your entire business.
Test 3: Is your website missing a consistent feel?
Although many sub-par designers miss this important point, consistency throughout your website is an absolute must. Look at Yahoo, CNN, the BBC – sites with thousands upon thousands of pages – and they all have a consistent navigation, a consistent look to headlines, and a consistent branding.
By allowing people to find what they want – and fast – within a consistent feel, you’re increasing mindshare. And increased mindshare means increased business for you.
Test 4: Does your website render the same on all web browsers?
This one is often overlooked by designers. Mac guys build sites that look good on Mac. PC guys build sites that look good on Internet Explorer. But what about the 300 Million people (and growing) who are visiting your site on an iPhone?
Or Google Chrome?
Web browsers can make a poorly programmed website look terrible. But the visitor only thinks that YOU look terrible.
Make sure your site looks the same on all browsers. (This is just one of the guarantees offered with every Wally the Web Guy
website.)
Test 5: Does your website look out of date?
When somebody visits your website, do they say “man, that is so 2005?”.
Hairstyles change. Car styles change. Even Time and Newsweek magazine have updated their look. It’s part of the game.
Eight years ago, everybody had a fancy flash intro. Then people realized that you lost visitors by making them watch the same thing every time they showed up. Then a couple years ago everything had a “web 2.0” look.
Staying fresh, and focused on serving your visitors never goes out of date. But if you’re stuck in 2005, it might be time to look at an update.
If your site scored poorly on any of these questions, it is probably time be time to invest in some improvement.
A good place to begin is to have a look at Your Custom Website Critique and Action Plan. Here you’ll be taken through an in-depth analysis of your current web properties, and given a concrete path on fast forward to massive ROI. That’s music to any business owner’s ears.
Reach for the top,
-Wally
P.S. – Factoid of the day: Amazon.com has determined that for every 100ms increase (that would be milliseconds) in time that your site takes to load, you lose 1% in sales. Simple math is: Slow site, no sales. You can fix that here.
4 practical things you can do to improve your website
April 23rd, 2009. Filed Under: Internet Business Tips, Online Marketing, Sales Tips, Uncategorized. Tags: Driving Strategy, Matt Furey, Wally, Zen Master
Last night I was on a coaching call with the Zen Master of the
Internet, Matt Furey, and he said something powerful that
slapped me up side the head, and reminded me of something very,
very important. When the Zen master speaks, I listen. Today
I’d like you to do the same.
He reminded us that “Marketing is an endless parade. And, most
people don’t know about you.”
Now there’s something to think about. Because in business, we
spend a lot of time talking to others – giving them our
“elevator speech” and telling them what we do for people, and
just generally telling our story. Fishing for clients, for
customers, for sales.
But the truth is, that even if you network 24/7 – the majority
of the 6 billion plus people on the globe – and the portion of
them who want to buy from you – simply don’t know you exist.
Well, that is a problem! So there’s two things here – one, is
that you can never quit marketing. Even when you want to,
because you’ve already “told your story to everyone”. Two, is
that you’ve never told your story to everyone!
That is why the internet is so powerful. Only by connecting
yourself with enough other people, and serving them – can you
truly get whatever you want out of life. Sometimes you’ll find
these folks across town and sometimes across the globe, but they
need to know who you are, and what you do. And they need to
trust and like you.
The first step is to connect. And that’s where your website
comes in.
Today I wanted to share 4 practical things you can do to improve
your website, so that you can connect with as many people as
possible.
But before I do, a word of warning. Don’t just read these and
toss them aside. If you do that, it won’t matter. Think about
how you’d like to use the web to increase your own business -
and then take action. Without action, it’s all just talk. And
as my elementary school gym teacher used to say, “talk is cheap”.
4 Practical Things You Can Do to Improve Your Website
1. Add a blog
Seems like everyone has a blog these days. There’s a reason.
You can build trust and a worldwide following – people who rely
on YOU – simply by writing down your thoughts. You can double
the power of your email newsletter by adding it to your blog.
Instead of an email that might have sat in somebody’s inbox for
ages, it’s on the web being read and re-read. Find out more
here.
2. Get found by the search engines
If nobody knows you exist, you have problems. You need to ensure
your site is found and that your content is found. The easiest
way to do this is to begin by ensuring that the search engines
find you, and that when they do, they can find the stuff you put
on the web. Simple, but a HUGE first step. Details here.
3. Get more traffic to your website
A couple weeks ago I told you about the importance of numbers.
Here’s a simple math equation for the web:
More traffic = More sales.
It really is that simple. But unfortunately a lot of folks have
these great websites, but no traffic at all. That’s lame.
Here’s the quickest, easiest, (and for the next 72 hours…free)
way to remedy this:
http://www.wallythewebguy.com/services/traffic-driving-04-23-2009.html
Update: This offer is closed. Be sure to stay tuned for a new one soon.
4. Capture contact information
Capturing somebody’s information, and keeping them informed
about what you’re up to, and what you’re offering is the most
powerful thing you can do. I heard one guy call it “follow up
’till they’re dead”. Kinda funny, but it’s super important.
If you’re just beginning on the web, or you’ve been online for
years, it’s the same. You gotta figure out who is interested
in what you’re offering.
No matter where you are in the process, the biggest room of all
is the room for improvement. But to get results requires
action. Take action on one of these four steps, and if I can
help you get there quicker, be sure to get in touch.
Reach for the top,
-Wally
P.S. — Wally, if blogging is so important, where is your blog?
It’s on it’s way. Here’s one that I’ve been working on in
the meantime, for the newest of Wally’s Web Stars:
http://fittolead.com/blog
P.P.S. — Be sure to take advantage of my no-cost Traffic
Driving Strategy session. This is only available for the first
3 lucky people who sign up in the next 72 hours…worth its
weight in gold:
http://www.wallythewebguy.com/services/traffic-driving-04-23-2009.html
Update: This offer is closed. Be sure to stay tuned for a new one soon.
No Resolutions in 2009
January 5th, 2009. Filed Under: Internet Business Tips, Internet Marketing. Tags: Dick Clark, New Year, New Year Resolutions, New Years
A few nights ago on the tee-vee I overheard people getting
interviewed about their New Years resolutions. “I want to party
less.” “I want to lose weight.” “I want to get a life.” Blah
blah blah.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all about improvement. But how many
new years resolutions have you broken? I can think of a ton of
new years resolutions that I’ve made myself, and guess what?
I’ve kept NONE. Resolutions are essentially a wish list.
So this year, I say no more resolutions. New Year’s resolutions
are a prescription for frustration, failure, and regret. Sounds
like a crummy way to begin the new year.
Instead, let’s have Goals we’re going to Accomplish in 2009.
Goals are much more powerful than wimpy resolutions. They come
from the heart and soul. And you don’t need a once a year
holiday (or Dick Clark) to set and accomplish them.
A good goal gives you the ability to achieve something you truly
want – to accomplish your dreams – and is something you can
strive for every day. And you should.
Personally, I’ve set some goals that I look at every single day,
and as I work, I can literally feel myself moving closer to
them. If you’ve never given yourself the chance to feel that -
I highly encourage you to do so.
For a good goal, all you need is a clear mental picture of the
goal, a timeline, and a plan of action. This is why I’ve given
up on New Year’s Resolutions – and so should you.
If you’re serious about accomplishing your goals in 2009, I’ve
rolled out a number of tools to get you there faster, and rocket
launch you to the most prosperous year of your life at
http://www.wallythewebguy.com/services/.
Unlike wimpy resolutions, these resources can be your
prescription for success.
Wishing you success in 2009,
-Wally
P.S. – I’ve added a ton of content to the website since I last
spoke with you. Check it out here.
P.P.S. – One secret lost on most web designers is define goals
for your visitors – as in, what do YOU want them to do? I teach
this super important concept and many more in my amazing new CD
here.
Why I think Obama will win
November 4th, 2008. Filed Under: Direct Response, Internet Business Tips, Internet Marketing. Tags: Business, FAR, Fort Collins, Wally
It’s a beautiful fall day here in Fort Collins, and the
construction that was going on in front of the house is finally
moving on down the street.
Pretty soon all the leaves will have fallen, and all those
damn campaign yard signs will be taken down with them.
Unless you’re living under a rock, you might have heard that
there is an election taking place today. Try as I might, I
can’t always keep my head out of it, even though it just makes
me get all uptight and excitable. Maybe it does the same for
you.
No matter where you stand on the vote, I wanted to share with
you why I think Obama is going to win.
It doesn’t have anything to do with his positions, or good
looks, or his Chicago heritage. Although I must say, if you can
win in Chicago, you can probably win anywhere.
It has to do with the way he’s used the Internet.
I’ve been pretty impressed, actually with both campaigns, and
how they’ve embraced the Internet. But Obama really impressed
me because he’s been able to turn the web into a cash-generating
machine.
He’s gotten thousands of sales – oops, donations – at
$100 or less. I’ve helped a lot of people do the same, and I
want to help you do it too.
Here’s a few things he’s done right that you can too:
He’s turned his personality into a website
He’s used the web and email marketing to stay in touch with
thousands of supporters
He’s asked for the sale, um, I mean, a donation
And so much more.
The beauty of our fine country is that we can take the winning
playbook and use it to our own advantage – no matter who we vote
for.
Today I want you to take a moment and Vote For Your SELF!
Commit to taking your business to the next step. Let’s end this
talk about the bad ecomomy. Make yourself the winner of this
election.
Let’s take a few pages from the winning playbook and generate
more sales over the next 4 years. To do that, I’ve created a
new CD called the Secrets of Money Generating Website – REVEALED!
HERE.
In this power packed CD, you will learn how to pull more money
from the web, whether you’re an online or offline business.
You’ll learn how to keep your website visitors happy.
And you’ll learn secrets of money making web design that 99% of
the web designers out there are either too afraid or too
uninformed to tell you.
Most importantly, you’ll have a set of tools to use to win the
real contest – succeeding in an uncertain economy by staying far
ahead of your competition.
I teach you all of these things and more in an easy to listen
to, information packed CD that you can listen to in your car,
your office, at the gym – anywhere.
The lucky few who have heard it are already asking for more copies.
Vote for your own success and grab a copy here.
Reach for the top,
-Wally
P.S. — Vote early and often for yourself. Before it’s too late.
P.P.S. — No matter what happens today, remember that YOU have
FAR more control over YOUR life than any politician.
You can’t lose if you follow nature
September 25th, 2008. Filed Under: Business Tips, Internet Business Tips, Website Design. Tags: direct response web design, Internet Business Tips, internet sales tips, Melinda Barta, Wally
Last night I fell asleep in my wife Melinda’s studio, while
reading a book about the Chinese study of “li”. Li is a term
for the study of the patterns in nature that reoccur at
different levels in both the physical and energy worlds. We
don’t really have a word for it in English.
Stuff like this really fascinates me.
For instance, have you ever noticed how a spiral galaxy is the
same shape as a small snail shell? Or how the branching of a
tree matches the branching of the neurons in your brain?
Patterns repeat themselves in nature at all levels, grand and
small. The more you begin to notice them, the more you will see.
Lightning branches off much like a tree – for a split second.
A beehive is full of hexagons, and the bees in their hive act
much like cells in a body. The same patterns, repeated in very
different scenes.
If you are able to crack the code, an underlying understanding
develops.
Did you know that there is also a reading pattern that people
follow on the web?
We can track eyeballs and what they look at when they visit a
website. And what we’ve learned is that they follow an
“F-shaped” reading pattern. That is why the best websites have
their navigation on the left hand, on top, or both. It’s where
people are looking.
The best way to get sales is to already be where people are looking.
All of my websites are built in accordance with nature, so you
know that your visitors get into the flow you want, and you get
the results you need. To learn more, visit:
http://www.wallythewebguy.com/
Reach for the top,
-Wally
P.S. – If you don’t know who my lovely wife Melinda Barta is,
you need to check out her awesome new website here.
P.P.S. – The first thing I saw when I started dreaming last
night was a pattern from the book I was reading. Can you
imagine how many more sales you will get when your visitors
start dreaming of your website? Dream on at:
http://www.wallythewebguy.com/
The Real Truth About the Phone Book
June 17th, 2008. Filed Under: Internet Business Tips, Website Design. Tags: Business, Fort Collins, Isaac Newton, Jason Wally Waldron, phone book, website
Summer is in the air here in Fort Collins, and this morning
the flowers were blooming like crazy in my front yard. Don’t
forget to take time to stop and smell the flowers – I know I’m
happy I did.
As I was walking in my flower garden, I thought about a funny
story that happened a couple weeks ago, that I want to share
with you.
I was hanging out in my weekly networking meeting, where we each
get a chance to stand up and give a 60 second commercial about
our business.
When my turn came, I stood up and asked a simple question to the
people in attendance:
“How many people in the last week have used a search engine to
find information?”
Hands shot up all across the room. In fact, 14 out of 15 people
raised their hand.
Next, I asked, “How many people have used a phone book to find
something in the last week?”
Only one person raised their hand. It was the same person who
hadn’t used a search engine.
Hmmm.
I think there’s a lesson to be learned here.
A universal law, from Isaac Newton himself, said that “an object
in motion tends to remain in motion unless an external force is
applied to it.”
In our case, it could be “a person already paying to be in the
phone book tends to keep paying for the phone book unless he
gets smart and changes his ways.”
Lucky for you, you’re a smart cookie. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be
reading this.
I think the lesson here is obvious, but let me spell it out just
in case. You are wasting your money if you are in the phone
book. Instead, you should be investing that in your website.
And if you already have a website, you need to invest it in being
found higher up on the search engines.
Blunt?
Yeah, a little bit. But I hate to see people wasting
money. I mean, things are getting more expensive these days.
Why waste a dime on something that doesn’t work?
Top 3 reasons a website is better than the phone book:
1. It is customizeable. When somebody visits you website,
you can design it in such a way so that they are compelled
to take an action based on what would benefit your sales
process.
2. A website is measurable. When somebody visits your website,
you can track the path they take in a very detailed manner,
to ensure your website design is doing what you want it to.
Most importantly, you can use this information to ensure your
Return on Investment grows higher and higher.
Can your phone book do this?
3. A phone book is a localized resource, used for things
like propping up children on a high chair, making an effective
doorstop, and taking up space under counters. The truth is,
most people don’t use the phone book — they’re going to
search for you on the web anyway.
Don’t believe me? Conduct your own poll. I’d love to hear
the results.
If you’re ready to leave the phone book behind for good, and
start swimming in the sea of prosperity, schedule your free
consultation NOW.
Reach for the top,
-Jason “Wally” Waldron
P.S. — Did you know that Google was named after “Googol” -
a number that approaches infinity?
This isn’t a coincidence – the possibilities for making money on
the web are truly infinite!
Stay tuned for more on this in the near future.
The Amazing Power of a Deadline
May 1st, 2008. Filed Under: Business, Business Tips, Internet Business Tips. Tags: Artonomy Art, Business, Business Tips, deadline, Namibia, Peace Corps
By the time you read this, I will be on a plane, headed to
Namibia, Africa – embarking on the trip of a lifetime to visit
the elephants, rhinos, and my younger brother, who is serving in
the Peace Corps.
The last two weeks have been a blur – a happy blur – as I have
worked to crank out some high value websites in record time.
The power of a deadline is quite amazing. Have you ever noticed
how when a deadline approaches, you are offered two roads to walk
down?
The first one is the road of scattered stress – thoughts like “I
don’t know how I’m going to get it done in time” and “I have so
much to do” race through your head, and your heart starts
pounding.
The other path is the one of crystallized, focused thought -
thoughts like “I’m going to focus on one thing at a time” and “No
matter what happens, I can count on getting it done in time”.
To be honest, I’ve walked down both paths in my mind in the last
couple weeks. But very early on, as the deadline to leave the
country loomed closer and larger, I chose to focus on the path of
focused thought.
Here are a few observations that I would like to share with you,
about the power of a deadline:
* A reason to focus gives you incentive to work faster
and more efficiently
* Working more efficiently brings greater value to you, and also
to those who you work with
* Learning to work faster, and more focused, reduces and
eliminates your stress – once you accept the deadline, and just
start cranking, you are actually quite relaxed while you work
In the old days, when I worked in an accounting firm, I watched
the same pattern take place. We would start off in January,
ramped up, jazzed and ready to go – but without focus. Then
after a few weeks, people would put their heads down and start
cranking again.
Then usually a small freak out about 2 weeks
before the April 15th deadline, and more focused thought and
a healthy effort right through to the deadline.
The amazing thing? Everyone always survived the deadline, and
the bulk of the money was made during those 3 months.
That’s the power of a strong deadline.
Maybe you’ve been thinking about how a website can help grow your
business, but putting it off for another day. Or maybe you even
have a website, but feel it isn’t help your business grow as it
should.
Don’t put off the riches that you can attract through the web any
longer.
Give yourself the gift of a deadline to get in touch and get
on the path of having a money generating website -
Get in touch NOW – to put yourself at the head of the line.
Reach for the top,
-Jason “Wally” Waldron
P.S. — I will return May 20th with stories galore, and I expect
to hear from you!
P.P.S. – Check out the newest website – Artonomy Art – here’s a
lady who put herself at the front of the line and is going to
have a great summer because of it.
