It's No Secret with Dr T.

There is far more to branding than colours, design, headlines and logos, and Dr Fern Kazlow (aka Dr K), New York City Psychotherapist, speaker, author, and business and branding consultant helps explain some of the most common branding mistakes. 

Branding can make or break your business, but when you get it right, everything else you do falls into place. Your marketing, advertising, offers and everything else becomes so much easier and faster to implement. 

"Marketing without good branding is like building a house on poor foundations. If your branding is wrong your marketing will be wrong".

There Are Ten Branding Mistakes Number One: Letting Others Define You

If you don't brand yourself consciously and correctly, your brand will be determined for you by your customers and competition. More often than not they will also interpret and manipulate your unconscious brand to suit themselves. 

"Branding is to business what location is to real estate. It never gets overplayed".  

Branding is not about jumping on the next hot item. It's about building a connection, relationship and a point of communication.

Personal & Business Brands: There is a strong connection between your personal and business brand and they must share the same values. Even as an employee, you have your brand, and this brand must fit with your employers brand. 

Rebranding & Core Values: Every business can rebrand, but you cannot rebrand core values. A company providing a premium product will find it challenging to rebrand into the world of discounting, and visa vera. There must be alignment and connection between the brand and your core values.  

You Need Brand Clarity: Someone can always beat you on price. Therefore your brand needs to be very clear so that it either attracts people or repels people. Clear messages give your customers confidence and build trust.

Branding should quickly let people know whether you're a good fit for them or not. The quicker you can do this the better.  

Endless Possibilities: As previously mentioned, if you do not define your brand someone else will do it for you, and this could limit your true possibilities. 

Survey people: To find out what people think about you, you need to survey them and evaluate what they say. Your clients may see something you cannot see yourself.

BUT, don't let their feedback constrict or limit you. Remember it's only their perception of you and your business.

If you create a void someone will fill that void. 

Advice & Criticism: Remember advice for others, including survey results, could be GOOD ADVICE FOR THEM, but BAD ADVICE FOR YOU. Or, it could be bad advice for them as well.

Some people will try to pass on their fears about business and life onto you, and try and pass it off as good advice. Therefore be careful who you're asking.

"Never ask unsuccessfully people about how to be successful". 

Value Alignment: Also make sure the person your getting advice from has similar values to yourself. If time with your family is one of your core values and you're receiving advice from someone who values money over family, their opinion may not sit well with you. This applies to business coaches and mentors as well. 

Number Two: Not Backing Up Your Brand

Branding is a promise: If you break the promises you break the trust, and it's hard to earn trust back once it is gone. But if you make many trust deposits with clients, you can make an error, and your trust bank account will permit you to fix it. 

Recovery Paradox: If you make an error, and you're honest and prepared to fix it fast it can be beneficial and leave a lasting positive result. 

Social Media: Social media can work for you or against you, which is why you need to handle problems fast. If you have a business with an online presence and social media pages someone must be keeping an eye on it at all times. 

"When an error occurs, own it and fix it inline with your brand". 

Question: Will It Strengthen Or Weaken My Brand?

Ask this question with everything you're planning to do. "Is this going to strengthen or weaken my brand"?

All your marketing ideas, business collaborations and relationships, expansions and renovations, deciding which book to write next, should I start a podcast or not, etc. can all be answered by asking this simple question - "will it strengthen or weaken my brand"?

If your answer to the question is neutral, then the answer is still NO. Your actions must strengthen your brand, and if it doesn't do this, don't do it.  

"If it doesn't strength your brand, it's weakening it". 

Be Aware of Your Actions: You don't know where you are being seen and heard, so be careful with what you say and the actions you take in certain situations.

If you're not happy with the service at a restaurant, you can handle your concerns discretely, or you could get into a heated argument. We've all seen this happen and usually, we feel sorry for the waiter or waitress, so if you did this would you say it's a positive or negative for your brand. 

It's Not About Being Perfect: Promise what you can and want to deliver, don't promise what you think you should be promising.

Promise what you are willing to stand behind and committed to delivering. If for some reason you cannot deliver the promised you can apologise and MEAN IT. 

Branding Mistakes three to ten will be discussed in PART TWO in the next few weeks - stay tuned. 

If you have any questions about this podcast you can contact me directly at [email protected] or connect with Dr K on Facebook, Linkedin or visit her Website: Live In The No Doubt Zone

If you liked this podcast you would also enjoy:

Ep 38: High Performers Live In The No Doubt Zone

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First 16 Pages of My Book – It’s No Secret There’s Money in Small Business.

If you're a Podiatrist you may prefer to order my first book; It's No Secret There's Money In Podiatry 

On this episode, I explain why discounting is not a good marketing strategy and how a small 10-15% discount could reduce your profits by a whopping 33-50%. Also, I discuss why there are no winners in price wars.   

Visit my website for more detailed show notes. 

If you have any questions about this blog/podcast, please email me [email protected] 

If you like this episode, you will enjoy:

Ep 133: Original Or Imitation, Your Choice

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If you enjoy It’s No Secret with Dr T., please tell your friends, and if you enjoy it a lot, it will put a HUGE smile on my face if you left a review on ITUNES.

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☆☆☆☆☆ It's No Secret with Dr T is terrific. Tyson is an absolute wealth of information and has a conversational easy to listen to style. Best of all, he's actually DONE what his podcast is about. He has successfully run his own business and can talk to the talk as well as walk the walk. I had the pleasure of meeting Tyson, and he is a really nice guy to boot. Definitely worth a listen.

Michael Filosi via Apple Podcasts · Australia · 01/01/19

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First 16 Pages of My Book – It’s No Secret There’s Money in Small Business.

If you're a Podiatrist you may prefer to order my first book; It's No Secret There's Money In Podiatry. 

Chris Dayley from Disruptive Advertising explains that 76% of Google and Facebook budgets are wasted because most marketing companies approach marketing the wrong way, they get stuck on increasing traffic to a website and never move beyond this tactic.    

For more detailed show notes, please visit my website https://www.tysonfranklin.com/podcast

If you have any questions about this episode, please email me [email protected], or you can email [email protected]

You can also connect with Chris Dayley on Twitter and Linkedin @ChrisDayley

If you like this episode, you will enjoy:

Episode 134: A/B Website Testing with Chris Dayley

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First 16 Pages of My Book – It’s No Secret There’s Money in Small Business.

If you're a Podiatrist you may prefer to order my first book; It's No Secret There's Money In Podiatry. 

The reason your business name is so important is that its part of your business identity. A good business name can help to set you apart from your competitors and demonstrate the type of business you are, and the clientele you want to attract, and this is why it needs protection using trademarks.  

For example, if the word discount appears in a business name you immediately think lower prices, but do you also think they provide a lesser service? I’m not sure.

If the words rapid, fast, or speedy are in a business name, I’m expecting quick service, and if I don’t get it, I’d be annoyed.

Is Your Business Name Too Cool

Everyone wants to have a cool business name, but it’s important to note that your business name is the first image that you put “out there” about your business, so it must be a reflection of the type of business you want to have one day.

So when you develop your business name make sure it represents you correctly. Remember, your business name can attract or repel people, so you do need to give it some serious thought, but don’t try to be too clever.

You Can Change Your Business Name 

Here’s some excellent news though, if you currently have a business name and you’re no longer happy with it, change it. There’s no law against this.

This is especially important if your business has changed and evolved of the years. Where your business starts is not where it has to finish.

Your business may previously be known for providing a particular service, but if your business now provides different services make sure your name reflects this change.

A Simple Business Name Is A Good Business Name 

When it comes to creating a business name you should make sure it is easy to remember and easy to say and read. A simple name is a good name, and it should also be unique if possible.

Avoid being too generic.

And if possible, do not use words everyone else in your industry is using. For example, in the health industry using the word “clinic” or “centre” at the end of the business name is common, but they are what I refer to as nothing words.

For example, if a business was called ABC Podiatry Centre or ABC Dental Clinic, you’ll quickly remember the word centre or clinic, so if there are ten businesses all ending in centre or clinic, you can see how your business name may get lost in the crowd.

Here’s a quick test for you to try. Look at your business name and remove nothing words and see if it still has the same meaning. If it does, then do it.

Check If The Name Is Already Registered

Before you go any further with a business name, always check if someone else is using a similar business name to the one you are considering. A simple online business name search in your country will take you to the appropriate websites.

In Australia: ASIC - Australian Securities & Investments Commission 

You’ll be surprised how many businesses have similar names, and they wonder why there is so much confusion online.

More and more people are searching online for goods, services and quality information, so if they type in your business name, or something similar, will they get your business or will they get a competitor’s business that sounds similar to yours?

This can be frustrating if you’ve been busting your butt on advertising and marketing and your competitor is simply sitting back and enjoying your efforts.

Check The Domain Name Is Available

It’s also important to see if the domain name for your business exists. Domain names are valuable real estate, and there would be nothing more frustrating than registering your business name only to find out afterwards that someone already has the domain name and all the variations.

When I see a business name, I expect the domain name to be identical to the business name or a slightly shorter version. For example, a friend of mine Nicky Jurd owns a website development company called Precedence, and her website is precedence.com.au, as expected.

If the domain name is available, I’d suggest registering both the domain in your country and also dot-com, as the dot-com is popular and universally recognised.

So, if you live in Australia purchase the (.com.au) domain, and if you lived in the UK, you’d grad the (.co.uk) as well as the (.com).

Can Your Business Name Grow With You

Another question to ask yourself is can your business name grow with you and your business?

If you’re planning world domination will your business name still work, or does your business name contain your current street address or city where you operate? This will only be a problem if you decide to expand in the future?

Odd & Funny Spelling

Next, I want to discuss misspelt business names.

The jury is still out on business names deliberately misspelled. It may look clever on paper but if you’re having to always spell it out for someone so they can find you online because of odd, incorrect spelling, is it a clever name, especially if it could be spelt correctly and have the same meaning?

For example, I’ve spoken to business owners who have used Phyx instead of Fix and 4U instead of For You, and on both occasions, they’ve had to clarify their business name and more importantly their website address. So, be careful.

BUT, this doesn’t mean odd spelling business names won’t work long-term, be aware you may have to work a little harder at the beginning for people to understand what you have done with the name.

Business Names Hold Value

Once you have created your business name, and I cannot stress this enough, you need to protect it because your business name holds a lot of value.

Just having it registered in your state gives you no protection nationally, so the best option is to register it as a trademark.

Register A Trademark For Real Protection

You can register a trademark yourself online, which I have done on eleven occasions, or you can seek legal help, which may be the better option if you have concerns, or you’re planning to go international. Of course, it will cost more using a lawyer, but it will be money well spent. 

I discussed trademarks and business names with one of my past guests, Donna Patane, on Episode 39: Don’t Take A Sword To A Gun Fight, which is worth checking out if you're wanting to learn more about protecting the business name you’ve created.

Monthly Checks Online

The final point I want to mention about business names is to regularly check online if someone else is using your business name in another state, and this is especially important if you have a registered trademark.

It’s also important to do online searches because some companies may try to import products from other countries that contain your trademarked business name.

This happened with our Shoe Store Walk Right Footwear. Another Australian company tried to import footwear from overseas called Walk Right, but because we had a trademark, we were able stopped them.

Take Immediate Action

If you ever find a company or individual has breached your trademark you need to take action immediately, and if you do not feel confident contacting them yourself you need to seek legal advice. Never put it off. 

So I hope you find this information helpful and remember your business name is one of your greatest business assets, so protect it.

If you have any questions about this blog/podcast, please email me [email protected] 

If you like this episode, you will enjoy:

Donna Patane, on Episode 39: Don’t Take A Sword To A Gun Fight

iTunes Reviews

If you enjoy It’s No Secret with Dr T., please tell your friends, and if you enjoy it a lot, it will put a HUGE smile on my face if you left a review on ITUNES.

RECENT REVIEW:

☆☆☆☆☆ It's No Secret with Dr T is terrific. Tyson is an absolute wealth of information and has a conversational easy to listen to style. Best of all, he's actually DONE what his podcast is about. He has successfully run his own business and can talk to the talk as well as walk the walk. I had the pleasure of meeting Tyson, and he is a really nice guy to boot. Definitely worth a listen.

Michael Filosi via Apple Podcasts · Australia · 01/01/19

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If you'd like to be kept up to date with my speaking engagements, EVENTS and other activities I'm involved in, please sign up to my NEWSLETTER I promise not to spam you with daily emails about how good I am. 

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First 16 Pages of My Book – It’s No Secret There’s Money in Small Business.

If you're a Podiatrist you may prefer to order my first book; It's No Secret There's Money In Podiatry. 

 

If you're trying to navigate the challenges of building a successful small business while maintaining a life worth living you need to trust the processes laid down by successful entrepreneurs who have gone before you, and also business consultants like Angela Henderson, based in Brisbane, Queensland.  

Angela Henderson has a background in mental health and counselling, and for some years has run a successful online business called Finlee And Me, and successful coaching business for small businesses called Angela Henderson Consulting. 

Blogging For Netflix & P&O

When you have a substantial audience on Facebook, and Instagram companies like Netflix and P&O Cruises want to reach your audience and will use you as an authority. This is how some people make money from blogging. 

There Is Power In Networking 

The best way to grow your business is to attend networking events; it's all about hugs and handshakes. 

Sometimes you need to pay to play, but it's always worthwhile as the people you meet may be able to open doors for you. 

Cheap Tickets Versus Priority Events 

You get what you pay for, and if an event is too cheap if often means the organisers and speakers will be selling from the stage. A similar thing happened at a recent Gary Vaynerchuk event, and the feedback was all negative. 

This doesn't mean every cheap ticketed event is a waste of time, but be careful. You're better to select one or two events where you think you will get the most value, and budget and plan to go along to those as a priority. 

Saying Yes Means Saying No To Something Else

Whenever you say YES to something, you are also saying NO to something else. For example, if you say YES to speak at an event, you're also saying NO to spending time with your family. 

Looking at it this way helps you work out where to put both your time and money. 

The Consulting Process

In the first six to twelve months of running a small business, there is usually a level of overwhelm and confusion and many important aspects that need to be addressed to build a business with STRONG FOUNDATIONS:

• You must validate new ideas
• Analyse your competitor's strengths and weaknesses
• Register trademarks 
• Survey potential audiences using social media
• Create email lists
• Do Beta Testing
• Create a sales page and test it before building a full website

You Need To Fail Fast

Most entrepreneurs get caught up in the next shiny bright light and move onto the next task before finishing the one at hand, and yes, a website is essential, but why spend $4,000 or more on a site without first validating the idea.  

Set Your Fees To Reflect Time & Effort

As an entrepreneur, you will have people ask you for business advice, and in the beginning, you don't mind giving it away for FREE, but you cannot keep doing this. 

Eventually, you will need to charge people, but remember you're not just selling your time; you're also selling your years of experience and recouping all the amount of time and money ($) you have invested in your education by attending seminars, workshops and events. 

Don't let people devalue what you know, or try and shortcut the learning process for FREE. That's not fare. 

But New Business Owners Cannot Afford A Coach (That's BS)

One of the most significant limiting beliefs is new business owners saying they cannot afford to pay you what you are worth when it comes to business coaching or the services you offer, but that is complete BS. 

If they can afford to take a holiday, they can afford to pay you for your time and service. 

"Good Numbers On Social Media Does Not Make You A Business Coach"

If you do get a business coach make sure they know what they are doing and have owned a business themselves. Having tens of thousands of followers on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram may be good for vanity, but it is not an indicator if someone is, or is not a good business coach. 

You Have Got 6-Seconds

When someone visits your website, you have got 6-seconds to grab their attention, or they are gone. 

You need to make sure of the following:

1. You know who your ideal client.
2. You have a strong message.
3. Your website is not leaky.
4. You're developing the right content for your ideal client.
   1. Podcasts and audio
   2. Video with captions
   3. Articles and blogs
5. You share the shit out of your content
   1. Newsletters
   2. Email Blasts
   3. Facebook Groups
   4. Pay Per Click 
   5. Social Media Pages
   6. Repurpose every 3, 6, 12-months
6. Sales Funnels

Trust The Process

To get the most out of coaching the client has got to trust the process. New ideas will come to mind, but it's essential for the client to stay on track and complete the tasks on hand before moving onto the next one; otherwise, they will eventually feel they have too much on the plate.  

Clients often get bored with the process but they must learn to trust the process and the business coach. 

Budgeting For Extras

A good business coach will make it very clear to the client that they will need to invest money into other areas of their business, not just coaching if they want to grow a successful business. 

Most clients need:

• SEO Audits
• Copywriting 
• Web Developers
• Apps to make business life easier, etc. 

Secondary Markets In The Background

It is imperative for the business owner to know who their ideal client is as it helps direct their content, but many small business owners fear to be so specific with their marketing because they think they will miss out, but that is not the case. 

"I help women in business develop the strategic plan they need for future growth and success". - Angela Henderson

This is Angela's elevator speech, and even though aimed at women, she has many male clients. Therefore never underestimate who is hiding in the background. 

Monday Morning Tip

SMILE: Regardless of what is happening you have a choice to be in a good mood or a bad mood. 

If you have any questions about this blog or podcast, please email me [email protected], or you can email Angela at [email protected]

You can also connect with Angela Henderson via her Facebook Group: Australian Business Collaborative, website Angela Henderson Consulting, and please check out her podcast Business & Life Conversations. 

If you like this episode, you will enjoy:

Episode 32: An Entrepreneurial Journey with Cindy Rodriquez

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Secrets Revealed ☆☆☆☆☆

I love listening to Tyson Franklin's interviews! He is skilled at guiding his guests to revealing the secrets of their expertise! Tune in regularly to gain insight into building your business, no matter what field you are in. Definitely a winner! Singnmae via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 12/28/18 Newsletter

If you'd like to be kept up to date with my speaking engagements, EVENTS and other activities I'm involved in, please sign up to my NEWSLETTER I promise not to spam you with daily emails. 

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First 16 Pages of My Book – It’s No Secret There’s Money in Small Business.

If you're a Podiatrist you may prefer to order my first book; It's No Secret There's Money In Podiatry. 

In December it's quite common to start looking ahead to next year and not reflect on the year that was. There is a lot to learn and to take away if you stop and reflect. 

I'd love to say this was my idea, but it wasn't. Last week I tuned into a webinar with Deb Johnstone, and it was about reflecting on the year that was, and there were three key points. 

Deb Johnstone was my guest It’s No Secret with Dr T., and the episode was called Mastering Your Mindset. 

Focus On The Positive

Firstly – People have a habit of focusing on the negative, what they didn’t achieve throughout the year, instead of the positive things they have done.

Deb asked us to consciously go through the year, month by month, and look at the highlights, and when I did this I was amazed, and I had forgotten many of my accomplishments, not all huge, but still significant.

• Columnist of Tropic Magazine
• 14 consistent monthly coaching clients
• New website
  
• I ran a successful event in August with Dave Frees in Cairns
• I got to speak in Powell River, Canada and Arizona, in the USA
• Started a new Podcast called Podiatry Legends, to be released in January 2019. 

What I Missed Is Not Important 

I had set a goal to be a guest on 50 podcasts but only managed to speak on 34, which is still pretty good. 

Also, I didn’t get Richard Branson on It's No Secret with Dr T. but in hindsight I know I could have pushed harder. However, I now have a choice.

Focus on the negative or focus on the positive. 

2018 Week One Episode 

This webinar reminded me of my first episode in 2018, which was title Was Week One A Hit Or A Miss?

On this podcast, I was talking about how much did you achieve and get done in your first week back at work? Was it a productive week, or was it a complete disaster, or was it somewhere in between?

Create A Personal Scorecard

I was also talking about not focusing on what you didn’t do, and instead, give yourself a rating out of ten, then keep track of your score each week and why you gave yourself this score. 

What reoccurring obstacles keep getting in your way and can you do something to prevent them from happening again?

To change the output of your life, you need to change the input.

So if you’re not getting out of life what you want, you need to make a conscious effort to change the input.

Free Lessons & Gifts - Some Hurt

Every challenge leaves us with a lesson or a gift. Sometimes it’s hard to see what the lesson or gift is in the moment, but it’s there somewhere.

For example, you may have had a challenge at work with a team member, a family challenge, or it could have been a health or weight challenge.

Regardless of what it was, look for the lessons and gifts. Sometimes there may only be lessons, but every lesson is still a gift. 

Key Changes For 2019

Think about what fundamental changes you need to make in your life right now to get the most out of 2019. 

I discovered the following: 

I had to be more aware of my daily habits, and especially how I start and finish each day. How I begin and end a day has a massive impact on my mindset, enthusiasm and how much you get done each day.

My wife Christine recently pointed out that I was looking at my phone a lot before going to bed and also again when I work up, and I have to be honest, she was right.

Conscious Effort To Change 

So I’ve made a conscious effort to stop these bad habits, and after a few short weeks, it has already made a massive difference in how I am performing. 

I also need to be more aware of the obstacles I know are present in my life, and don’t let them, or use them as an excuse for not doing what I said I was going to do.

If you’re going to go to the gym at 7 am, then get up and go. Don’t put it off and say you’ll do it in the afternoon when you know by the end of the day you’re going to be tired and won’t feel like it.

Be patient, and Happy To Be a Novice – Get comfortable with it. - MOG

We All Must Have Gratitude

The third thing Deb discussed was to be grateful for the year as a whole. There would be a lot of people that would love to have the year you had, so be grateful you got to have it.

Gratitude is the closest state to love.

When you look at all three points: 

1. Achievement and highlights
2. Lessons and gifts
3. Be grateful for the year as a whole

It does put 2018, and every other year prior, into PERSPECTIVE. 

I hope you’ve had a great 2018 if you have any questions, please send me an email [email protected], or if you want more information on mindset coaching and personal development training I suggest you get in touch with Deb Johnstone at [email protected]

FREE DOWNLOAD & Book Orders:

First 16 Pages of My Book – It’s No Secret There’s Money in Small Business.

If you're a Podiatrist you may prefer to order my first book; It's No Secret There's Money In Podiatry. 

Every small business wants more traffic to their websites, regardless of the industry, but traffic alone does not guarantee success, there must be a certain level of conversion and long-term engagement with the online users, and one of the best ways to do this is with A/B Testing. 

Chris Dayley is a Digitial Marketing Entrepreneur from Lindon Utah and his company Disruptive Advertising help business learn what their users want on their websites using psychological based testing and analytics. 

When I had my podiatry business in Cairns, I delved into A/B testing on a small scale, so it's great to have Chris Dayley explain this process in more detail. 

The Purpose of A/B Testing 

When you drive people to your website using specific SEO you want to see conversion results. The purpose of A/B Testing is to increase the results by splitting the traffic to different landing pages and learning what your audience ultimately wants to see on your website. 

There is a lot of psychology involved to work out what influences people to make certain decisions when they're online.  

Sometimes Success Is Not Always Success

A lot of small business owners never look at their analytics and therefore never know why their online campaign failed.

But a successful campaign is not always a good thing either, especially if the business owners do not know why it was a success without knowing why it's hard to duplicate. 

Do Not Copy Your Competitors 

Copying your competitors is not a smart business move. Your campaign could crash and burn because your audience and brand are unique to you, therefore taking the same approach as a competitor won't work, or work as well as it could. 

An Existence Test

It's important to work out what should and should not be on specific website pages. 

For example, on your homepage, do you have too much information or too little? Have you tested what happens if you remove sections, numbers of products and amount of information available? 

Information overload can be a detriment. However, some website will produce better results with more information or products. 

Styling and colour, even though visually significant, is not as important as the user experience and how easy it is to find what they are looking for on your website. 

Words On A Page

The amount of text on a page can attract and repel people depending on how they are consuming your content. 

There is a different user experience between consuming content on a desktop computer and a mobile telephone. 

Mobile users tend to prefer a shorter length blog, however, if it is too short it can run the risk of not having enough depth, so keep this in mind when writing. What does your audience want? 

Where Do You Start With Split Testing?

Google Optimize is perfect for A/B Testing, and it lets you select which pages on your website you want to test, it allows you to edit those pages, or create a new page.

To learn more follow the instructions, or you can go to the Disruptive Advertising website and download the free STARTER GUIDE. 

"Every Small Business Should Be Doing Some Form Of Testing".

Testing Changes Your Mindset

When you're in testing mode, it puts you in the mindset of wanting what's best for the end user, your audience. If you're not testing, you're not learning. 

If you're not sure where to start, pick something and test it. It could be the headline, a photo, the amount of text on the page, or different action buttons. 

Ask good business questions and develop a hypothesis. 

Declutter Large Websites

If you have hundreds of articles and blogs, you can condense them, update them and re-release, or delete them altogether if outdated.  

Take a look at your Google Analytics and work out your most successful pages with consistent traffic. Make your decisions based on data, not assumptions.  

High Traffic & Low Conversions

If your traffic is high, but your conversions are low don't assume you have to change the webpage, first take a close look your Google Analytics to see where your traffic is being directed from. 

If most of your traffic is coming from Facebook Ads, it could be crappy traffic. 

Contact your Web Developer if you don't know how to get into your website google analytics. 

Your Website Should Be Consistently Evolving

Many people create a website and do nothing with it, or they do a token redesign every 12-months, and if this is all you're doing your missing some perfect opportunities to increased traffic.

Audience behaviour is constantly changing and your website must do the same. 

It's all about the user experience and therefore you need to have clearly defined buttons on every page. 

Monday Morning Tip

Try something new. If you stick with the same activities each day, you'll get the same results. 

"To accomplish a goal you've never reached, you have to do things you've never done". 

If you have any questions about this episode, please email me [email protected], or you can email [email protected]

You can also connect with Chris Dayley on Twitter and Linkedin @ChrisDayley

If you like this episode, you will enjoy:

Micro-Story Telling with Matt Hanham 

iTunes Reviews

If you enjoy It’s No Secret with Dr T., please tell your friends, and if you enjoy it a lot, it will put a HUGE smile on my face if you left a review on ITUNES.

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FREE DOWNLOAD:

First 16 Pages of My Book – It’s No Secret There’s Money in Small Business.

If you're a Podiatrist you may prefer to order my first book; It's No Secret There's Money In Podiatry. 

Everyone knows an original, especially if you’re talking about artwork, is far more valuable than a copy, no matter how good it is. Even a photocopy of an original document is never as sharp as the original, and if you copy a copy, it gets duller each time.

Business Follows The Same Principles

And this is a mistake often made by new business owners, and even some existing businesses are still making, which is why they find it challenging to grow their business and expand, they try to copy what others are doing.

No Original Thoughts 

And here is where the problem lies; there are no original thoughts.

If you copy what another business or individual is doing the only way it can be successful is if the demand for what they’re offering is so high, and the existing companies in the market cannot keep up with demand, and therefore you can quickly cash in.

Short-lived Success 

I remember the solar roofing industry going through this BOOM a few years ago, and also the training industry, but as government incentives dried up, so did most of the businesses. 

So yes, there will be times you can copy someone else during boom times and succeed, but it’s usually short-lived, and the earlier you get in and get out is the key. Timing is everything.

Copying A Past Employer

More often than not a new business owner will replicate what they’ve seen elsewhere or what they’ve learnt working with a previous employer, and if their former employer was successful, it makes sense in their mind that they will also be successful.

All they need to do is duplicate the idea.

As I mentioned, if the demand is high enough they will succeed, but if there is not a high demand for what they are offering it’s hard to break peoples buying habits.

Hard To Break Buying Habits

If I buy my bread from the local bakery, one block away from where I live, if an employee leaves and opens a store on the opposite corner and produces the same bread I’m not going to change my buying habits. 

The new baker has two options:

1. Be more original, and WOW ME to get my attention
2. Be an imitation and lazy, and try to grab my attention by being cheaper.

If your goal is to be the cheapest and this is how you plan to grow market share, it may work, but I don’t believe this is the best way to develop.

Be More Original Beats Discounting  

I think you can do better by being more original.

Ask yourself the following six questions about your prospective business:

1. How many businesses in your area provide the same service as you intend to deliver?
2. How many are doing everything the same way?
3. Are they all using the same processes?
4. What will distinguish your business from your competitors?
5. What skills have you got that they don’t?
6. What equipment are you going to purchase?

Confused Clients Do Not Buy

If you cannot tell your business apart from your competitors, what chance do your clients have? NONE. 

Also, why would someone refer a friend or family member to your business instead of to the company they’ve been using for the past few years if you’re not offering something better?

If you’re currently in business, you need to put some time aside and answer these questions. You MUST find a way to separate your business from everyone else and stand out in the crowd. 

“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” - Albert Einstein

So if you’re not getting the business success you want, you need to change how you’re doing it.

If you have any questions about this episode, please email me [email protected]

FREE DOWNLOAD:

First 16 Pages of My Book – It’s No Secret There’s Money in Small Business.

If you're a Podiatrist you may prefer to order my first book; It's No Secret There's Money In Podiatry. 

There's a vast difference between writing and copywriting. Writing can be creative, or factual, and used for fictional and non-fiction blog posts and articles, whereas copywriting is about creating words that go on a page, manuscript or advertisement that tells a message, with a goal to get an active response from what you write. 

Rob Sattler, aka Rob The Copywriter openly shares his copywriting secrets to help businesses owners get better online results using effective sales copy and direct response writing. 

"True Sales Is About Solving Peoples Problems". 

Purpose of Blogs 

Blogs should be used to educate, inform and inspire, and over time they help build trust. People want their problems solved, and if they land on your blog post, you must give them the information they were searching. 

There must be value for the reader; however, at the end of each page, you should have a clear CONTACT US or MORE INFORMATION button. It should be a simple invitation, not a hard-sell. 

Sales Copy Purpose

When you're writing copy for sales you are:

1. Selling to someone who wants to buy
2. Helping uncover a problem they didn't know they had. 

Big Website Let Downs 

Most business websites are like brochures. They're full of pretty pictures and a lot of small text. Contact details and phones numbers are often difficult to find, and there's no clear direction button to learn more or buy. 

Create Emotive Headlines

Direct response sales copy if all about creating emotive headlines and emotive sub-headlines, with a goal to get people thinking about the problem they have. 

When someone lands on your website, it's because they've clicked on a link or they found your site while doing a specific search on Google. 

Landing Pages That Work 

Your LANDING PAGE needs to define the problem and how you can solve it. You need to be brief and straight to the point.

Use words that clearly define their problem so they know they're on the right page and explain the solution/s.

Point out the features and benefits and remember this page is not designed to tell them more about you. 

Think About Every Website Page 

All your website pages should be geared around selling or helping the reader take the next step.

Follow this simple format as a minimum:

• Emotive headline
• Emotive sub-headline 
• Short paragraphs that are easy to read
• Contact or Call To Action BUTTON

Your call to action button could say - Are You Experiencing...Right Now. 

Using Fresh Eyes

When you write copy, do not post it straight away. Go back to it the next day or a few days later with fresh eyes. You'll be surprised what you pick up. 

If you're writing late at night when you're exhausted, you can be exceptionally creative, which is excellent, but this is when you must never post online and always go back and re-read the following day. 

"Just because you can write it doesn't mean you can write direct response sales copy". 

Rob The Copywriter 

When Rob works with a client and before he can write any direct response sales copy he will always send a questionnaire to learn more information. 

• Details about the product/service
• All the features
• All the benefits
• Details about competitors 
• Details about the best and worst selling products in their market
• 5 Reasons why people wouldn't buy from you. 

The last question is important because it addresses concerns why people would not use your product/service, and using this information Rob can spin this information into a benefit from a feature. 

Copywriting Is Not Search Engine Optimisation

Direct response copywriting is for people who have already landed on your page, so your SEO should have already been done. 

If you're getting a lot of visitors to your website, but they are leaving without taking any action, it shows your SEO is good, but your direct response copy is weak. 

Monday Morning Copywriting Tip

1. Keep it simple and say what you do.
2. Have a clear headline, so they know what you do.
3. Only have a small amount of text.
4. Have clear sub-headlines down the page so the reader can get the gist of what you're talking about and how you can solve their problem.  
5. At the bottom of every page give them an opportunity to LEARN MORE, or BUY. 

You can email Rob Sattler at [email protected] and if you visit his website https://www.RobTheCopywriter.com.au you can organise a FREE STRATEGY SESSION. 

If you have any questions about this podcast or blog, please send me an email: [email protected].  

If you like this episode, you will enjoy:

Ep 113: The Psychology Behind Writing Content & Copy That Pops with Laura Peterson 

iTunes Reviews

If you enjoy It’s No Secret with Dr T., please tell your friends, and if you enjoy it a lot, it will put a HUGE smile on my face if you left a review on ITUNES.

MOST RECENT 5-STAR REVIEW

I thoroughly enjoy listening to Tyson's conversational style podcasts. I have listened to them from day one, as they are always interesting and fun. The guest’s topics are always diverse in delivering useful information and tips for any business owner.

Leticia M. Moran via Apple Podcasts · Australia · 12/04/18

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Have you stopped and considered the type of business you want to have? And when I say “type of business” I’m not talking about deciding between opening a coffee shop or a bakery.

What I’m talking about is how are you planning to set your business apart from your competitors. Will you:

• Provide the fastest service in town
• Have the most advanced technology
• More locations and therefore be more accessible and convenient
• Have more extended trading hours (start early and finish late)
• Have the largest range
• Provide the highest quality
• Have the best-trained team
• Have the lowest prices 

Knowing the answers to these questions will: 

1. Help you set your prices and fees, and
2. Have direct influence on the type of clients and patients you attract with your marketing campaigns.

Location Does Not Equal Success

For simplicity, I’ll stick with using a coffee shop as my example because it’s a very competitive, busy market and everyone has a favourite coffee shop they like to meet.

When you look at coffee shops, it’s evident that some are highly successful and others are not so successful. Have you ever stopped and considered why? YES, location can play a huge part, but if a coffee shop in a great location makes less than average coffee, they will not last long. Convenience only goes so far.

Closer Look

Most successful independent coffee shops roast their coffee beans, and they do it their way, or they source their coffee beans from a particular coffee roaster for the same reason; they won’t just use the cheapest or most convenient coffee bean supplier, which is essential if they have a competitor close by or competing against successful franchise.

They may also source and offer a wide selection of high-end coffees from various parts of the world.

Uniqueness 

By being selective in their coffee bean suppliers and coffee roasting techniques, it makes their coffee quite distinct from their competitors. This uniqueness sets them apart and allows them to set their prices slightly higher, and therefore this will influence both the clientele they attract and the quality of their barista team.

If you’re looking for a cheap cup of coffee and you're not bothered where the coffee beans come from, and the taste is not a priority, this is probably not going to be the coffee shop for you. 

But if you’re a true lover of coffee and you care about how it tastes, and you want variety from around the world, and you want to experience new coffees, then this is your coffee shop.

If you’re opening a restaurant, a bookkeeping business, a retail outlet, or a podiatry business, the same principles apply again and again. Knowing the type of business you want will:

1. Set you apart from your competitors
2. Determine your prices and fees
3. And dictate the type of clients and patients you’ll attract.

Enjoyment Levels  

In the end, these three factors will determine how much enjoyment you get from your work each day because you get to choose what your business will and will not do.

For example, a coffee shop can choose to serve premade cakes, tarts and wraps, or it could decide to have an onsite kitchen and serve light meals. Once again it comes down to the type of business the owner wants to have and how far they want to separate their business from their competitors.  

Can YOU charge more by offering additional services or products in your business?

Is your business aiming at quantity or quality? This is a huge determining factor when you’re thinking about the type of business you want.

 

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skilful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” - William A. Foster

Enjoyment & Profits

To have a financially successful business you need to focus your efforts into the areas of your business you enjoy most and ideally, the areas that have the highest profit margin, or high dollar value per hour – it’s that simple. 

Don’t get me wrong, every business owner can make good money by fulfilling the basic requirements of their chosen profession or trade, which many do, however, if you’re bored with your daily routine, and you want a pay rise, you need to focus your efforts into the areas of your business with the best returns and most enjoyment.

Get The Business Ratio Correct

This doesn’t mean you’ll never do anything again in your business that you don’t like doing; it’s more about getting the ratio right between what you like to do, and what you do not like to do.

It’s also important to identify and stop the activities you should not be doing, especially if you also don’t like them.

Limit Exposure 

If you’re working all week doing work you despise, it’s going to be a long and uninspiring week, regardless of the money, but if you can limit your exposure to what you don’t like it will make your week far more enjoyable.

For example, when I worked in my podiatry business, there were things I did not enjoy doing, but before I applied this principle about getting the ratio right, I did everything because I knew no better.

Eventually, I got to the point where I wanted to leave the podiatry profession and do something else, but a strange thing happened. When I limited my exposure to the things I did not like to do and focused my efforts on doing the things I did enjoy three things happened:

1. Work was more fun.
2. I made more money.
3. And I had more time off.

And when I did have to do the things I did not like to do, they didn’t seem so bad after all, and doing them on an occasional basis was enjoyable. It’s funny how our minds work.

You Must Attend Workshops  

I would love to take full credit for coming up with this realisation about work ratios, however, I first came across the idea after I attended a weekend workshop on how to have a more profitable business.

After I attended this weekend seminar my thinking changed and so did my business. Within three months of attending this weekend seminar, my business turnover doubled, and I never looked back. I can’t stress enough the importance of continually educating yourself and why it’s important to look outside of your profession.

I talk about this event on a previous podcast episode: Adding A Zero To Your Financial Goals

I can’t place enough emphasis on attending events, and this is why I also run my events because I know how much they can help other business people. 

When The Student Is Ready 

You may find it hard to believe that one-weekend seminar made such a difference to my life, but that’s all it takes. Unfortunately, you do not know which weekend seminar it is going to be!

There’s a saying, “When the student is ready...the teacher will come”, and this applies to everyone. I have spent a small fortune on self-education and development over the past thirty years, and I will continue to do so because I understand the value I receive.

New Or Existing Business?  

If you’re about to open your own business, now is the perfect time to start asking yourself, what type of business do I want? There is no right or wrong answer – you just need to decide, become focused, and then commit to it 100%.

If you’ve been in business for a number of years and you’re feeling a little trapped in what you’ve created, as I did, don’t despair – just start making small changes now and over time you’ll see the benefits.

Start Small  

The tip is to START SMALL. Do not try to change everything about your business all at once, otherwise, you will create overwhelm for you and your team. I’ve done this before as well and it’s it doesn’t take long for before you go back to the way things were.

Just like exercise, you won’t see much change in the first few weeks, but after a few months, the changes will become evident. Just give it time. 

If you have any questions about this podcast or blog please send me an email: [email protected].  

If you like this episode, you will enjoy:

Episode 114: 13 Reason Why You Should Start A Podcast 

iTunes Reviews

MOST RECENT 5-STAR REVIEW - INFORMATIVE & FUN

I thoroughly enjoy listening to Tyson's conversational style podcasts. I have listened to them from day one, as they are always interesting and fun. The guest’s topics are always diverse in delivering useful information and tips for any business owner.

Leticia M. Moran via Apple Podcasts · Australia · 12/04/18

If you enjoy It’s No Secret with Dr T., please tell your friends, and if you enjoy it a lot, it will put a HUGE smile on my face if you left a review on iTunes.

Reviews do two things:

1. It gives social proof this show is worth checking out
2. It lets the host know that people are listening and care

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If you want to be kept up to date with my EVENTS and other activities, please sign up to my NEWSLETTER. I promise not to spam you with daily emails making false claims.