If You Build It They Won't Come

I get a lot of emails from people who think that you can’t start an Internet business to sell a service… that it must require an entirely different approach from selling a product online. They think they will need to use an entirely different set of tools and techniques… that their website design will be dramatically different… and that to drive visitors to their sites, they’ll need to use some strange, newfangled strategies. This simply isn’t the case. You can market your service online just as easily as marketing a product. The only real difference between starting an Internet business to sell a service versus a product on the Internet is your focus:

Those challenges aside, everything else is the same. Here are some simple strategies you can use to start an Internet business and overcome the unique challenges of marketing an online service business… so you can get MORE online leads!Challenge 1: You ARE the productWhen you sell a service, you ARE the product, whether you’re a real estate agent… doctor… lawyer… bed and breakfast owner… auto mechanic… caterer… hair stylist… fitness trainer… accountant… investment advisor… childcare provider… housekeeper… dog walker… landscaper… whatever! You’re selling your time with the promise of a particular result, as opposed to selling a tangible product. Solution: Focus on CredibilityEstablishing your credibility — essentially establishing your value — is critical to closing the sale when marketing your service to get online leads. Not only do you need to establish the benefits of the service you’re offering, you need to establish the value of YOU providing this service.There are different ways you can accomplish this…

Challenge 2: Prove your ability to deliver measurable results, while emphasizing flexibility People will want to see proof that you’ve delivered great results for other clients, but they will also want to know that you are flexible enough to meet their own unique needs. Solution: Show how you satisfied past clients with mixed needs Make sure that you keep confidential client information confidential, while:

Challenge 3: You’re using a global medium to attract local business Frequently, service-based businesses rely on local clients. Sure, the owner of a bed and breakfast in Seattle may be thrilled to be attracting online leads from Australia’s Gold Coast… but is the landscaper in Seattle going to be equally receptive to securing a weekly hedge-trimming and lawn-mowing client from Australia? Probably not. Solution: Actively pursue sources of local trafficAlmost all the traffic techniques used to drive visitors to product-based Internet business sites can also be applied to service-based sites. But here are a few techniques that are useful if you need local traffic…

Once you’ve wrapped your head around these challenges, everything else should be easy. All of the other strategies to start and successfully market an Internet business are the same: creating compelling salescopy… generating qualified traffic… designing a website that sells… these can all be transferred directly to a service-based website. Of course there IS one other challenge that’s unique to selling a service online (or off): your time is limited! There are only so many hours in a day you can devote to fulfilling the needs of your clients. When you’ve reached a maximum client load, you may want to consider other ways of expanding your business… whether it’s creating partnerships with other service providers, writing and selling an eBook on a topic relevant to your industry… or even recommending other businesses’ products as an affiliate.In the meantime, start an Internet business to dramatically increase the online leads you attract, the deals you close, and your overall online service income!