7 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Virtual Assistant Website
Internet.
Business.
Profit.
To fully integrate all of these words into a successful merging you will need another word. Traffic. Every article you will find about making your site or company successful will in most cases include the importance of generating traffic.
So, we all know that in the core of it all, traffic is the most essential thing to a successful internet based business company. Aside from ensuring that you have a great product to sell, and you have your company’s internal organization well taken care of, it would be time to get to the nitty-gritty of things, generating traffic.
If you already have a site and you think that you’re not getting the traffic that you’re supposed to be getting, then its time to put a plan into motion. If you are in a competitive business, you should always be a step ahead of your competition, increasing your traffic flow should have been done starting yesterday.
Timing is essential, that’s an old adage known to everyone. But with generating traffic, you should always be on your toes and be a day ahead of everyone.
To help you out in generating more traffic for your site, here are 7 surefire ways to increase traffic to your virtual assistant website.
1) Invest in good advertising with search engines
Google’s Adwords provides great advertising schemes that are very popular and assures great traffic, although this surefire way to increase your traffic will cost you money. While some would shy away from spending money to increase traffic, it is imperative that you weigh the pros and cons of spending this money.
2) Exchange links and create backlinks
Exchange links with sites that complement your business, but it comes with a word of caution: you will need to make sure that you do not become a link farm. Create and distribute newsworthy press releases to create backlinks to your website. Not only do press releases create backlinks, but they can attract the media as well.
3) Use Viral Marketing
Viral marketing allows you to spread the word about your company and product without any costs or low costs. Be creative, create a You Tube video, a flash movie…the possibilities are endless.
4) Use proper keywords or keyword phrases for your content
Search engines look for certain keywords and phrases that they will show in their results pages. In doing so, having the right keyword and keyword phrase is a high requirement in ranking high in search engine results pages. You could write your own content or you could hire someone to do it for you.
5) Write Articles that can lead traffic to your site
Submit articles to article directories and ezines that support your service or product. Be sure to create a powerful, catchy byline.
6) Join forums and form online communities
Capture a market and show your expertise and credibility. When you have a good foundation for your site, people will trust you and your site and will pass along this information to people they trust. Traffic will certainly increase because they know that you can provide what they need.
7) Offer newsletters
If people know what you are about and your existence is shared with others, you will find loyal traffic that can provide you with more traffic by recommendation. If you arouse the curiosity of your customers they would be pushed to help you with your traffic.
How to Leverage your Corporate Blogging Strategy
By Chris Baggott
I came to blogging in 2003 the way most marketers did. I was looking for something to build my personal credibility as an expert in my industry. I wanted to get speaking engagements at conferences, be a voice for best practices in my industry, and if I was lucky, get invited to write a book.
By 2006, all of those things had come true. I was presenting at nearly 50 events a year and was invited by the Wiley publishing company to write a book, “E-mail Marketing By the Numbers.”
The blog was very helpful to me personally, and the industry visibility clearly drove more opportunities to my company. But along the way, I found a benefit to corporate blogging that was unanticipated and much more powerful.
The blog ranked well in organic search. Not only did it rank in the top of search results for select keywords, it also converted at a higher rate than the ads my organization was paying for.
The reality of blogging is this: The more you do it, the more opportunities you have to engage in dialog. This is the epiphany that led me to study blogging as a measurable marketing tool.
Generally, as organizations come to realize the SEO benefits of blogging, blogs will move from a C level activity to something that is widely encouraged among all employees.
This influx of human generated content will help with search optimization by creating increasing volumes of fresh, updated and keyword-rich content. Widespread employee blogging also helps increase conversion. If the social networking phenomenon has taught us anything, it’s that people want to deal with people a lot more than they want to deal with institutions. Of course empowering employees to blog has an element of risk that will need to be controlled, and that might ruffle some feathers of more traditional bloggers.
In the short history of blogging there has been almost a snobbery of what the right way to blog is.
What’s right for citizen journalism, however, is rarely right for organizations. The real challenge will be whether corporations can take a tool like blogging and adopt what’s right and good about it (as well as unbelievably effective) without corrupting it into just another spamming tool.
Chris Baggott is an award-winning blogger and the co-founder of Compendium Blogware, an Indianapolis-based company that helps organizations improve their SEO through its simplified blogging software. He can be reached at chris@compendiumblogware.com.
Virtual Assistants - Nice When Someone “Gets It”
I shared this post on my blog and wanted to share it here too:
As a virtual assistant I spend so much time trying to explain to others the value in working with a Virtual Assistant. I recently read a blog that explained the values really well and wanted to share it with you.
Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Allena Tapia of freelancewrite.about.com.
My writing business is moving into young adulthood, and instead of wondering where my next project is going to come from, I’m looking for more money, more projects and more clients. The only catch is, I don’t want to work any more hours.
Ahh, there’s the rub.
The “secret” here is not so secret at all. Of the 28 hours I spend behind the desk, only approximately 14 are billable hours. That’s a dismal 50% billable rate. I simply must increase my billable hours to 75% of my total time, which will increase my income by 25%, with no time adjustment on my part. How?
By hiring and training a virtual assistant.
Fully one half of my hours are spent on administrative tasks like seeking clients, pitching clients, producing Letters of Agreement or contracts, maintaining websites and blogs, invoicing, answering questions and updating spreadsheets. Look at that list again. Every single one of these chores could be farmed out to someone else.
There are a lot of hang ups when it comes to hiring virtual help. As a freelance writer, I understand that. But each of these issues can be solved.
1. Can’t afford it you say? Let’s look at it this way: if you bill at $70/hour and pay a virtual assistant $30-40/an hour, by regaining those billable hours, you’re netting $20-40 more per hour.
2. How can I be sure I’m getting quality help? Well, how do you help your clients to feel comfortable hiring you sight unseen? You probably provide a portfolio of work, with client references and a track record showing at least a couple years of service. Look for the same thing.
3. I want to pay a fair price. Virtual Assistants (VAs) work on much the same system as freelance writers. You won’t be the only client, and you’ve got to accept that. I’ve estimated a rate of $30 per hour to hire a VA. You’ll want to do your own research. Consider what administrative assistants make in your area, and take into account your own billing structure when setting your pay rate. Be open to what the VA suggests, or visit the International Virtual Assistants Association.
4. What about training? This question goes deeper than what’s on the surface. Another way to increase your productivity and your billable hours is to automate your processes. For example, once you’ve found a system that works for you in procuring new projects, or in invoicing and billing, document the details in what will become your business manual. This manual will then become your training manual.
5. I can’t deal with the down time. Down time should be built into your schedule. Successful businesses need a time to relax and recharge after completing big projects- think of the day after taxes are due at a CPA firm, or the day after Christmas in the retail industry. You and your team need to push and give to meet deadlines and bang out quality projects, but you also need to regroup after success. This downtime is the perfect opportunity to bring on your VA. Suspend new projects, and dedicate your time to high quality training, keeping yourself available for questions and doling out your VA’s responsibilities in manageable increments.
Investing in a new addition to your team won’t be easy. Syncing your schedules, dealing with miscommunications and ironing out expectations are all challenges that you will meet together. But doing so will take a load off your shoulders, increase production, and boost your bottom line.
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” - Henry Ford
Allena Tapia is a freelance writer and editor. She helps new freelancers get started in the business at freelancewrite.about.com.
Everybody Needs a Day Off
When we work for someone else, we expect to have a day or two off each week. Working seven days a week would lead to fatigue and burnout. This is just as true for those who run a business as it is for employees.
When starting a business, it can be tempting to work all the time. We want to get ahead, and we know that our success depends almost completely on us. But it is essential to give ourselves some time for rest and relaxation on a regular basis.
All Work and No Play
We’ve all heard the saying, “All work and no play makes Johnny a dull, dull boy.” It’s true that we’re not much fun to be around when we’re strictly business all the time. Work is an important part of our lives, but the fun stuff is important as well.
One of the top reasons that people choose to start their own businesses is so that they can choose their hours. Some want to spend more time with their families, while others have hobbies that they enjoy participating in on a regular basis. But once they get started, they sometimes lose sight of that in favor of growing the business.
If you find yourself working constantly, step back for a moment and think about what you’re missing. You may find that it’s the same things that you wanted to go into business so that you wouldn’t have to miss. If so, schedule some time for those things and don’t let anything get in the way of it.
Working Too Hard Can Be Counterproductive
It takes a lot of hard work to get a business off the ground. In the beginning, many business owners put in long hours in an attempt to get ahead. While putting in some overtime is often necessary, working 60 hours a week every week can be detrimental to our success.
We need some time off to recharge our batteries and attend to other things. Working too hard for too long can affect our concentration, as can worrying about other things that need to be done outside of work. So it is important to schedule time off in order to keep ourselves focused.
Scheduling Time Off When You Don’t Live By a Schedule
Scheduling can be a difficult thing when you’re in business. There are times when you need to work around your clients, and deadlines may necessitate working on a day that you would normally take off. But it is important to schedule some time off every week.
If you find yourself working when you had planned to rest and relax, try to reschedule just like you would if a work-related matter had to be postponed. Getting your work done is essential to your success, but so is taking time for rest and recreation.
You have my permission… go take the day off!
Until next time…
Heather
What Are You Doing To Give Your Virtual Assistant Business Immortality?
I was so excited when Heather and Becki asked for people to join in helping out at the REV blog. I can honestly say that I owe the success of my business to two things:
- A lot of really hard work on my behalf
- The support and information I have received from my REV membership
A number of my successes have come from the encouragement I have received from the REV members to “go out on a limb” and try things that are outside of my comfort zone. If someone had told me before I joined the REV that I would be an author and a Success Partner with CVAN I would have probably laughed in their face, but it all happened.
When I post on the REV blog, I will be providing you, the VA, with lots of tidbits and information on how to have a thriving VA Business. The first in my series of articles is one that I have already written, but from here on out, I am hoping to have fresh content which you will read first on the REV blog!!
So here is the article:
If something disastrous were to happen to you tomorrow, what plans do you have in place to make sure your Virtual Assistant business continues to operate? The motto “Be Prepared” may be used by the Boy Scouts, but it is just as important in our daily lives as it is in our businesses. Should a disaster occur, by creating contingency plans for your business, you eliminate the worry and stress caused by trying to come up with a solution in the thick of the situation.
Before a Virtual Assistant can truly figure out how they would handle an obstacle thrown in their path, it is important to take a step back and think about what possible disasters could occur. This is a very unsettling task for many Virtual Assistants, but for those who have taken the time to map out how an emergency would be handled; the success rate of overcoming that emergency relatively unscathed is much higher. The biggest hurdle for most in writing contingency plans is determining which areas are most important. Perhaps rather than trying to look at the whole picture and trying to think about every conceivable “what if”, the best way to handle this almost impossible task may be to break it down into 4 main considerations – political, economical, sociological and technological.
Consideration #1 – Political Considerations
Political considerations include such things as legislation and how these changes might affect your VA business as well as the businesses of your target market. For example, what impact would there be on your business if tomorrow your municipality decided that you could no longer run your business from home? If you decide that you want to hire employees, what employment laws are applicable? By determining the impact each possible change might have in your business you can take precautions to plan for these changes.
Consideration #2 – Economical Considerations
The economy plays a large role in business. Will a recession negatively impact your Virtual Assistant business or do you think that it will encourage other business owners to utilize Virtual Assistants more as they downsize their workforce?
Consideration #3 – Sociological Considerations
Today’s marketplace is affected just as much by our political and economic culture as it is by fads. As society ages, people are becoming more technologically savvy, what impact will this have on your Virtual Assistant business.
Consideration #4 – Technological Considerations
Staying on the “cutting edge” in today’s society can sometimes be a tricky proposition. This is perhaps the biggest consideration that Virtual Assistants must be aware of and plan for. As technology advances, it will be important to remain on the “cutting edge”, not only through purchasing up to date software, but also through on-going training. Staying on top of those changes and advancements will play a huge factor in whether your business will thrive or not.
As most Virtual Assistants have started their business to allow themselves the opportunity to be there for their families, perhaps the ultimate contingency plan will include a plan to ensure if our family needs us we can drop everything to be there for them. By establishing a Procedure Manual for your business now, you will position your business to allow others to “take over” during absences to allow us to truly be there for our families. It will be then that you will have created the ultimate contingency plan. All other obstacles can be faced head on with the knowledge you have worked diligently towards creating your own thriving business.
Proper Planning
It’s no secret…I think big. I have more ideas than I have time to implement. And often, it’s easy to get caught up in them.There are many things in my business that I have thought up and run with only to find out that I didn’t put enough thought into them and that they weren’t planned properly. They didn’t go over well because I was too excited to focus on their proper implementation.
I’ve also been subjected to the hype of new product launches and have fallen for the hype. It’s okay. I know it’s good marketing when I get suckered into the marketing ploy; when I get to the end of the sales letter and I’ve already got my credit card out and ready to pay.
However, in the past two months, there have been three product launches that I have really looked forward to and when it came time to pay, they weren’t planned very well. I’m a pretty easy going person but here are a few things that happened and how I felt and reacted.
The first was a new membership site by someone whose advice I highly admire. I think he’s a brilliant man and I have learned a great deal from him. In fact, I pay for his newsletter every month. So when he announced his new site, I was there within minutes, credit card in hand ready to get in.
I gave him my information (basically my credit card information and my name) and then I was taken to a login page. They never asked me to create a user name and password and I had no way to get in. I wanted it. They sold me. I wanted the information and I wanted it right then and there. It took me two days to finally get the information. I was so frustrated by then that I canceled my membership and asked for my money back.
A few weeks later I learned of a new product that was coming to the market. I was hooked by the sales letter, the hype, the follow up emails, the sneak peeks; oh I was all over it. I was on the site, counting down to 10am with my credit card in hand. At 10am, nothing happened. There was no where for me to pay. I finally got in at 10:30am and what was promised to me (the bonuses, primarily) weren’t there. A slew of emails came from the owner with incorrect links to get bonuses and to log in and I was frustrated. I cancelled my account shortly there after.
And then this last time just a few weeks ago. I was offered a “pre-launch membership fee” and that the site would go live in just 3 days, March 15th. It’s been pushed back 4 times now, there have been many other emails pushing other people’s products and there is nothing in the membership area. Today, I get an email stating that she is pushing it back to the 31st. She wasn’t ready, and to be quite honest, I’m not impressed with it at all. I’ve cancelled that membership as well.
My point is this. Hype is wonderful. Get people excited about what you have to offer, but make sure that you deliver. The Revolution launches Saturday at midnight. You can bet your bottom dollar that this site will be ready to go and all the major kinks worked out. The payment processor will work, the gateway to the member area will work and the links on the inside will be correct. I’m not saying there won’t be any glitches (what would a new product be without a glitch or two) but nothing major that would affect what we’ve promised you.
With that being said, I’m off to work on the site so that it’s ready for you on the 1st! .
Until next time…
Heather
Your Business is No Different Than Your Garden
Saturday was a beautiful, abnormally warm March day in Southwest Virginia. The kids and I decided that we would plant some fruit, vegetables, and flowers. We decided on porch plants because I do not have a green thumb and we wanted to start with something small and idiot proof. I have yet to keep a plant alive, even the ones that people swore I couldn’t kill.
It’s not that I don’t like plants; I do. I think they are beautiful. I love to eat fresh fruit and vegetables. But for whatever reason, this whole watering thing baffles me, and I completely forget to water them.
We repotted Matthew’s third grade project, his oversized cabbage that will grow to be more than 40 pounds. We also planted strawberries, tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and sunflowers. But here is where I struggle. When I woke up this morning, there sat 7 pots that just had dirt in them – no buds, no blooms, and no sign of life.
As a society, we have come to expect things instantaneously. We have microwaves to cook meals faster, online banking to expedite money transfers, and email to eliminate the time it takes for a letter to make it through the Postal Service. As a whole, we want things now.
Our businesses are no different. We send out a direct mail piece and we want something from it immediately. We submit an article and expect the traffic soon thereafter. We submit our press release and expect some kind of coverage within a day or so. We hang out our open sign and become disappointed when we don’t have some sort of bite right away.
Here is what we fail to realize, and I’m just as guilty as the next guy. With our businesses, we must plant our seeds, nurture them, and provide them what they need to flourish before we will see the results – the fruits of our labor.
Consider the Revolution the Miracle-Gro of your VA business. We’ll be here to aid in the growing process, providing additional nutrients needed to thrive.
The next time you feel discouraged because you have put so much time and energy into your business and have nothing to show for it, stop and smell the roses. Then realize that they weren’t planted yesterday.
Until next time…
Heather
7 Ways To Spot a Brokeback Entrepreneur and How to Avoid Them
Are you bitter that your network isn’t producing results? Angry that the people you’ve been networking with isn’t sending business your way? Tired of working long hours on your business only to see your bank account almost empty and your bills piling up?The problem lies with you – yes, you. You have been giving too much away for too long and you’re now attracting brokeback entrepreneurs.Who’s a brokeback entrepreneur? This is someone who operates using a frugal mentality, but refuses to spend any money to operate their business.You’re a smart entrepreneur with an awesome product or great services. However, the only way you can start to reap the financial rewards you deserve is to rid your life of these brokeback entrepreneurs.First, you need to spot them. Then, you need a strategy to avoid them, or if they’re infiltrating your life already, you need a plan to get rid of them. Here are my 7 tips based on what my friends tell me.
- Brokeback entrepreneurs always pick your brain. They will email or call you everytime they encounter a problem that you have the expertise to solve.How to avoid them: Draft up an email that lists all the freebies you offer on your website. This will include links to your blog, articles on your website, your podcast and any other advice you freely offer online. Then end the email by saying, “If after reviewing my free resources you still have questions, you can rent my brain at $200 per hour.” You’ll never hear from the brokeback entrepreneur again.
- Brokeback entrepreneurs copy from you instead of thinking of fresh, new ideas. They will plagiarize your content, copy your website design and use your trademarked name in their marketing materials.How to avoid them: Use a website such as copyscape.com to monitor who’s copying your website content. Being proactive in protecting yourself will prevent the brokeback entrepreneurs from messing with you in the first place.
- Brokeback entrepreneurs attend every free event you offer. They live for the $0, no cost teleclass, webinar or workshop. They will never, ever pay for any of your events, preferring to listen to the same free one over and over again. Then, they’ll approach you at every break or dominate every Q&A session to get free advice.How to avoid them: You can’t. Instead, cut off the questions being asked by the the brokeback entrepreneur (without being rude of course) and invite him or her to contact you via email. When he or she does, follow my advice in #1 above.
- Brokeback entrepreneurs are uncomfortable when you upsell your products or services. They will email you after your teleclass or approach you after your speech and scold you about how wrong it is to use 2-minutes at the end of your 50-minute information share to sell them anything.How to avoid them: Keep your cool. Remember, price is to a brokeback entrepreneur as billions are to Trump, so they’ll never be your customer since they’ll never spend money with you. Instead, thank the brokeback entrepreneur for their advice, then move on to the next person. Don’t get into an argument with the brokeback entrepreneur. Chances are, when the brokeback entrepreneur complains to her or his colleagues that you actually tried to sell something, the brokeback entrepreneur will have egg on her or his face.
- Brokeback entrepreneurs will seek to barter their services with you. They never want to spend money on anyone’s services simply because no one is spending money with him or her.How to avoid them: Not all bartering relationships are bad. Instead, define the arrangement up front by writing up a statement of work. Detail the start and end dates, what’s included and excluded in the project, plus a timeline. Also, issue an invoice that shows the value of the work you’re providing, but has a $0 for the amount owing. Chances are, the brokeback entrepreneur will find someone else who isn’t taking the bartering relationship that seriously.
- Brokeback entrepreneurs expect you to drop everything for them. Because she or he is sitting in their home office twiddling their thumbs, the brokeback entrepreneur expects that you are as well. The reason why she or he has so much time on their hands is because they aren’t making money. So, when they leave you a voicemail or send you an email, they expect to see a response within the hour.How to avoid them: Update your voicemail greeting to let people know when you typically return greetings. A typical turnaround time is 24-hours. A rule of thumb is to respond to your clients and prospects inquiring about your product or service that same business day. Typically, a brokeback entrepreneur is neither, so get into the habit of responding to networking contacts within 3-business days.
- Brokeback entrepreneurs hang out together. Those who feel they shouldn’t spend money for anything beyond registering a domain name hang out with those of the same mentality.How to avoid them: If you want to be a millionaire, hang out with millionaires. If you want to have a successful business, hang out with people who have a successful business. If you want to be broke, hang out with broke people. It’s just that simple.
Leesa Barnes, Chief Divapreneur™, helps women start a new business or launch an idea on a shoestring budget. Through her coaching programs, speaking engagements and interactive workshops, Leesa is on a mission to help 10,000 women become their own boss by 2010, even if they lack the confidence or start-up capital to do so. Sign up for the Divapreneurs At Work ezine by visiting http://www.savialane.com and receive a F R E E ebook called “The One Thing 85 Women (and One Man) Used to Build a Profitable Business (And It Ain’t Money).”
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