 |
Stacy Karacostas |
“Entrepreneurs…
Discover Exactly How
to
Turn Your Website into a
Lead-Generating,
Sales-Making Machine!”
Whether you sell products or services,
don’t risk wasting another dime or
minute
on your Website without
reading this first...
Dear Fellow Entrepreneur,
Are you thinking about having a new Website designed?
Or revamping the one you have now?
Good for you! Having an effective Website is one of the best ways to put more of your sales, marketing and business growth on autopilot!! In fact, 99% of my business has come via my Website for years.
It’s such a blessing to wake up and find I’ve made sales overnight, or that someone else is dying to hire me. Especially since—once I got my Website done initially—I didn’t have to do anything else to make it happen.
Having a lame website is like having a mushy cast on your leg- it doesn't fail you until you really need it- and then it's more like a spectator to the wreck than a help. Having an effective website is like a key structural unit- it may not be life or death- but it could well make the difference between thriving and just surviving.” – Jim Snyder www.rivrstyx.com |
But any old brochure site won’t make sales. You have to have a site that’s designed to do exactly that. Or you’re just going to end up pouring money down the drain like so many of the other clients I’ve worked with over the years.
If I had a $100 for every client that’s come to me for help after going through a Website horror story I’d be rich by now.
Let me share just a few examples from my client files…
WEBSITE HORROR STORY #1 An accountant came to me with what should have been a simple, 5-page site. The kind that usually cost between $1000-2000 to build, MAX. Unfortunately, the firm she’d hired had convinced her to let them use flash animation to build the navigation. It was supposed to look like an abacus with the beads sliding sideways when you moused over them or clicked. It never worked right—making the site hard to navigate. Plus the navigation took up half the page so there was little content visible. They also used fancy, proprietary backend software to generate the content for this simple site. The whole site was clunky and did nothing to sell her services. Plus it cost her about $8000 – four to eight times more than it should have!! She even told me that she had never liked the way her site worked. And that she’d thought about going to a new firm and simplifying the site. But she didn’t know enough about Websites to be sure until we’d worked together. Then, to add insult to injury, when my client finally tried to fire them, they told her she had to pay them hundreds of additional dollars to uncouple her site from their backend! And she would lose all functionality!!! |
WEBSITE HORROR STORY #2 Another client of mine with a screen printing business kept trying to save a few bucks by hiring art school students or trading for Website design. When they came to me, they had already spent about $4000 having 4 different, equally bad sites built over the course of a few years. Each version was unprofessional and extremely hard to navigate. And it was almost impossible to find even basic info because the site was so poorly organized (for example, their phone number and contact info was on the About page. While the only info on the Contact page was a map to their location—and they weren’t even a retail store!) At that point they fully admitted they almost never got business from their site…They just used it as an online catalog when working with clients over the phone. Four thousand dollars is an awful lot to spend for nothing more than an online catalog. Plus they missed out on years of potential revenue. Instead they could have spent the same or less on one good site. But they just didn’t know any better until we started working together. |
WEBSITE HORROR STORY #3 Some developers promise the moon, then just don’t deliver. I had a real estate development client who was selling lots and homes on the Oregon coast. They’d already spent $8000-10,000 EACH on three different Websites. You see, different Web developers had approached them saying they could make a site that sold better. And since my client didn’t know what makes a Website an effective salesperson, they just kept saying yes, writing checks, then crossing their fingers. Only the results got worse with each version. And they hadn’t gotten a single lead! When I took over as Marketing Director for the current Website being built the new Web firm simply kept dodging my requests to see completed work. It soon became clear they weren’t actually doing anything, so I brought in my own designer. We had a new site up, running and sending them leads in less than 3 months and for less than $3500—even though it was big site with a complicated backend database. |
In each of these examples, the problem was my clients were flying blind. They didn’t know that much about Websites, online sales, or marketing. So they just trusted the advice of their designer or developer. Unfortunately, most Web designers and developers don’t know much about sales or marketing either. So then it’s the blind leading the blind.
Unless you know at least a little something about how Websites work— and what makes one more effective than another—it’s easy to get talked into spending money on a site that isn’t designed to make sales.
And unless you can understand what a Web designer is telling you, you might not even hire the right person to do the job. That alone can cost you a small fortune (and add a bunch of gray hairs to your head).
Even if you’re going to build your site yourself (using templates or from scratch) you have to understand the basics of making sales on the Web. Otherwise you’re just going to waste your time. And you’ll probably end up paying someone else to rebuild your site later.
That’s why you owe it to yourself to read this letter.
If you don’t, you could easily end up with a Website that:
- Looks nice but doesn’t do a darn thing to make you money
- Is so unappealing and/or poorly organized it actually hurts your business
- Has all kinds of fancy bells and whistles that cost you an arm and a leg, but kill your chances of making a sale
- Costs you far, far more money than it makes you!
I’m still implementing some of your changes for our custom gifts section, but I have a lot done too! Anyway I am getting one custom gift basket order every day. Thank you for advising me back during the first site review that I needed to focus on this area. The section is not even finished and people are still ordering, that’s what I call an obvious demand for a product! …overall the new site is doing it’s job!”  “I continue to get a little better than an order a week (that’s going on 3 months now)- which is actually a record for me for this time of year (in 34 years of paddle making). My latest order was a completely cold order for a surfing paddle in Hawaii- he was just captivated by my website! Kaching! There’s dozens of wood paddle makers in Hawaii too- but he chose mine. My customer called and asked, “What should I do? Send you money?” I said “Yeah!”. It was sweet!…
…I’m going to have to stop writing you- my fingers are getting tired of all this repetition….but– 4 more orders last week- 2 this week. I’m gonna crank this machine and make a real living! I’ve been waiting all my life for this.
I just can’t put into words how much my plump little bank account appreciates your help!! (I do too- really) You really helped. You helped feed the cat, the elves, and pay the bills here- so kudos!” – Jim Snyder www.rivrstyx.com |
Here’s the Big Secret... Most Web designers and Developers
Don’t Want You to Know — And it’s The Reason So Many
Websites Suck!
A Web designer is a specialist in knowing how to design nice-looking Websites. They may know how to build sites too (but it’s kind of a right brain/left brain thing, so few are truly talented at both).
Web developers are specialists in building Websites—especially complicated sites with back-end databases, searchable areas, and all kinds of fancy interactivity. Some do design too, but usually not well (see comment above).
Very few of either are also sales and marketing experts. It’s not their job. And it’s not what they’re best at.
Web design and development are time-consuming, highly technical specialties in an ever-changing field. While sales, marketing and copywriting are completely different areas of study.
It would be very hard for one person to be an expert at all of them. I know because years ago I tried to do both. I quickly discovered it wasn’t possible to do both really well.
Sure, you can absolutely find amazing Website designers and developers who DO know something about sales and marketing—it’s just not common.
Most have no clue how to create a site that actually generates leads or makes sales. They just build what you tell them to, or what they think will best, or whatever will cost you the most money.
An awful lot goes into creating a money-making Website; from how to organize your site, to what it needs to say…How it needs to be said…How to get people to your site…How to get them to take action…What action they should take…And a whole lot more.
Unless your Web person has studied direct response marketing, they probably aren’t even thinking about creating a site that makes sales. They are just trying to build you functional, attractive site. That’s their job.
The bottom line is…
You can’t expect your Web person to
know how to create a Website that sells!!
You can only expect them to design or build you a nice-looking, functional site.
In order to create a money-making Website, your Web designer or developer needs direction. Ideally that should come from you because you know your business and customer best.
Of course, if you don’t know anything about sales, marketing or what makes a Website effective, you have a problem.
Because chances are, the kind of Website that makes sales isn’t what you had in mind. So you’re going to end up being another Website horror story after spending too much time and money on a site that doesn’t make you any.
That’s only going to hold your business back.
When Someone Lands on Your Site, You Have Just ½ a Second
to Grab Their Attention and Convince Them to Stay…
Then Maybe 4 More Seconds to Let Them Know You Have What
They Want—or They are GONE!
I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true…The first time someone visits your site, it takes about a half a second for them to viscerally decide if they’re going to stick around or not. After that they’ll spend a few more seconds skimming, scanning and searching around for what they’re after.
You have to make it crystal clear you have what they want. Then really easy for them to find it. If you don’t people will click away from your site in a heartbeat. Because there are always a million other Websites they could go to instead.
Just take a gander at these scary statistics from Gartner Group:
|
Your Website has to be Organized, Designed and Built Right
or You ARE Going to Lose Visitors—and Sales.
Building an effective Website is a lot like building a house. You need to consider your wants and needs, the purpose of the house and the rooms in it, as well as how traffic will flow from room to room. Otherwise you’re likely to end up with a house you hate or that isn’t functional.
Try adding rooms or changing things willy-nilly and you end up with what I call a “remuddle”. You know, one of those houses with odd sized rooms, weird hallways and things (like fridges or heating oil tanks) stuffed into strange places. Exactly the kind of places buyers walk away from as fast as they can.
That’s why most people hire an architect to create a blueprint of the house they want before they start building. Yet all too often no one (including the Web designer or developer) creates a blueprint—or site plan—before building a Website.
The result is a site that’s hard to navigate…Instead of one that leads the visitor on a sensible path towards signing up, calling, or buying. Or one that grows over time like that “remuddled” house into something no one can find their way around.
The reality is, most Websites aren’t planned or designed to sell a gosh-darned thing—not even you or your services. They’re designed to look nice. Yet all too often even the best looking sites don’t make a dime (no leads, no sales, no nothing!).
That’s because making money online isn’t just about having a pretty Website. It’s about having a site that’s clean, well-organized and professional…
That answers your prospects questions and gives them the info they need to take action….And one that is designed and built with a specific goal or purpose in mind.
But most sites are designed with no other goal than letting people know you exist. Or the generic “grow and market my business”.
When it’s designed and built properly, your Website can…
|
The result? You’re going to have that steady stream of hot prospects flowing your way who are ready and willing to hire you—and only you—before they’ve ever even heard your voice! Let me tell you these folks aren’t going to be shopping just on price.
Sounds good, right? Heck, hopefully it sounds great (because it is!!)!
You really can have your site do all this and more. You just have to understand the basics of what works and what doesn’t. That means knowing some terminology. And learning a few key sales and marketing concepts so you can make sure your Website gets built to do the job right.
If you want this to be your reality I’m here to help—no techy knowledge or Web design skills needed on your part at all. You don’t even have to know the first thing about sales or marketing because I’m going to take you step-by-step through what you really need to know.
Are you ready to dig in and discover exactly how to get
a Website that grows your business?
If you’d like to wake up each morning and find $27, $270 or even $2700 has been deposited into your bank account overnight…
Or that three new people are eager for you to call so they can do business with you (and only you)…
Then you’re in luck!
I’ve put Together the Website Sales Catapult
Virtual Coaching Program Just For You!
Here’s What You Get Out of this 5 Week, Over the course of seven, 1.5 hour calls plus homework assignments you’re going to:
When we’re done you can take your plan to your Web designer, use one of mine, or make the changes yourself. Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire it out, going through this process is sure to save you a ton of time and money. And get you a site that does its job. Because by the end you’ll know who to hire, and exactly what you want them to build for you. |
Maybe You’re Thinking “Stacy, This Sounds Great.
But Lots of Experts Make Big Promises.
Why You Should I Listen to You?”
Fair enough. If I was in your shoes I’d be wondering that too.
First off, I want to make it clear that I am not a professional Web designer or developer. I am not hoping you’re going to hire me to build your site after the program is over.
But I have built a few sites from scratch. And I’ve often updated content on my own sites as well. So I speak “Web” and I understand the pros and cons of different methods for building sites.
I’ve also spent more than 15 years as a copywriter and marketing consultant—including writing tons of Web content—and worked with more than 30 different Website designers and developers over the years.
I’m the author of The Small Business Website Bible. Most importantly I’ve regularly helped my clients create Websites that grow their businesses.
I would have saved a few thousand dollars if I had heard this information before hiring my last two Web designers. EVERY business person who has a Website MUST listen to you FIRST!” – Dawn Jones – www.dawnjones.net “This [Website] workshop was interesting and filled with content. I work in an office by myself and really appreciated the opportunity to bounce ideas off of other people and get expert guidance from a professional marketer. It was great for a small business person who doesn’t have a lot of marketing experience and needs some guidance and a format to follow. Plus, now I really understand the type of information I need to put up on my home page and throughout my Website. This class was definitely worth both the time and money.” – Heather Muzzy www.WSFeldt.com “I thought this [Website] workshop was very eye-opening and so helpful in seeing what we were doing wrong [on our Website]. When I walked in I thought our problem was that we had way too much content, but I discovered the real problem was what we were and weren’t saying. Now I feel like we have a better focus and the tools to get our Website working right to sell our services. Learning to focus on what our target market wants instead of just on who we are and what we do was especially helpful in crafting Web content that’s going to get our prospect’s attention.” – Tina Bauer and Stephanie Hamilton www.legacymanagementgroupllc.com “When I first signed up for the Website workshop series, I thought we’d be looking mainly at the layout and design of our Website. We got so much more out of it than we thought we would. This class helped us to not only improve our Website but hone all of our marketing efforts. I was given the tools to really make me think about our target market and our USP, and the class way exceeded our expectations for where we were hoping to go. I loved that it was hands-on and included other materials like homework and The Small Business Website Bible. These really helped pull it together and let me apply what I learned in the class to my daily marketing tasks. Now we have direction to take in creating a Website that will help increase our visibility and our sales. On top of that, doing the homework has helped us to polish our marketing plan. Tightening up our marketing plan was something we needed to do anyway. Now I’ve been able to take what I learned in the class and use it to improve all of our marketing campaigns and copy. We’re really looking at everything in a new light because of this class. As a result, I know we’ll be able to reach and communicate better with our target market and create more opportunities for growth. I would highly recommend this class for anyone looking to improve their Website and their marketing.” Liz Muniz AAAKartak Glass & Closet www.fasterandbetter.com |
“Stacy, what a fabulous communicator you are—clear, concise and to the point! This is the BEST Web sales class I’ve ever experienced. You presented Website sales in a natural progression, answering my questions in the order of priority. You filled in so many blanks in my mind about practical ways to make my Website my #1 salesperson.My own Websites regularly send me new clients, fill my programs for me, and sell products when I sleep—So I’m not just talking about it…I’m doing it.
I built my first Website in 2002 for my old copywriting business The Write Ideas. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was professional and clean. Right from the start it sent me leads. Most of those leads turned into clients.
I slowly added pieces to capture people’s contact info and stay in touch with them. I learned to use email autoresponders to automate my ezine and email campaigns. I created info-laden downloadable reports. I added audios and articles.
Soon more clients were regularly finding my site, reading every word, then calling to hire me than I could handle (Gottta LOVE a waiting list!). Then something totally amazing happened…
I launched my first downloadable book online right before leaving on a 4-day ski trip. When I got back I’d sold enough copies to pay for the trip!
It felt so good to have actually made money when I wasn’t working. WAY better than just trading hours for dollars.
That’s when I started helping my clients plan money-making Websites. Then I’d work directly with their Web person to get it implemented right.
Because the last thing I ever want is for my clients to waste money on a Website that won’t grow their business.
Frankly, I’m sick and tired of seeing Web designers and developers take entrepreneurs to the cleaners and leave them with a site that does nothing for their business. That’s why I wrote the Small Business Website Bible. And it’s why I started this program.
In this totally non-techie program you’re gonna put together all the info you need to have an effective Website designed and built for you—without spending a fortune, including:
|
I know this may seem like a lot of work, but with my guidance it truly doesn’t have to be. And once you have this pulled together you’re going to save tons of time and money on the design/build side.
Because your designer won’t have to guess at what you want and go through endless rounds of revisions. And because you actually end up with a site that brings in revenues and does a whole lot more!
To make sure you achieve your goals, this program includes:
|
Plus, it’s all backed by my…
100% No-Risk Money Back Guarantee!
Simply register for the program and attend the first two calls.
If, at the end of Call 2, you don’t think this is right for you just
let me know and I’ll refund your money in full. No questions asked.
This program starts Wednesday, January 26th at 12:00pm PDT. Calls will be 1:30-1:45 in length depending on the number of questions to make sure you get what you need. Call dates are: W 1/26, W 2/2, W 2/9, T 2/15, Th 2/17, T 2/22, Th 2/24 |
In order to give everyone plenty of personal attention, this program is limited to just 25 participants. So don’t delay…
If you’re committed to having a Website that works this year,
reserve your seat right away!
OR
|
Isn’t it Time You Turned Your Website into a Profit Center
Instead of a Money Sink?
Let’s face it, having a Website costs money. On top of paying to have it designed, built, and updated, you have to pay for a web domain and monthly hosting fees . . .
Yet once you have a sales-making Website, it can be the most inexpensive and effective part of your marketing. Plus, chances are, all you need is one or two new clients or a handful of sales to make back what you’re investing in this program.
Remember, you don’t have to become a Website expert. You just need to know enough to hire the right person and have them build a site that sells. Then you can relax while your Website works for you…
Here's to your success!
P.S. Remember, there are only 25 spots in the program, so you need to act fast before it gets full. Don’t forget about my easy 2-pay option. Click the button below to lock in your spot right now!
OR
|