When your site was in development your consultant should have worked with you to determine what the keyword phrases were that your target market would likely use to find a site such as yours. If they didn’t, you now know for a fact that your site is not in a position to have a chance to pull relevantly for your targeted keyword phrases.

See, optimizing a site when working with those who really know what they are doing, begins even before a bit or byte of code is typed. Your top keyword phrases need to be considered during the design process to give you a running start when you launch.

Several times each week I get contacted about why a site isn’t pulling for a phrase that either isn’t searched (or researched) for properly or wasn’t considered during the development process. Time to do some educating on how search engines work and a bit of tweaking on the site to compensate for new targeted phrases!

Ever wonder how you rank with Google, Yahoo and MSN? Check out Marketleap who has some free nifty tools that can help you can get a better idea of even if you are being found by the phrases you want and how the search engines list your site differently.

Then, get to work optimizing your site!

At your service,
Judith

Do I take on every potential site owner that comes my way? Nope. Do I do what is necessary to keep every customer I have from going elsewhere when and if the time comes. Again, no I do not. Sometimes it is best that customer find a new consultant when the situation reflects that a synergy can no longer be maintained or even gained in the first place. Synergy has to do with respect.

The difference between a customer who you can form a synergy with and one that simply isn’t worth the time or effort to try and make profitable is based primarily on respect. Respect on both sides. I would never assume to tell a customer how to run their business off-line. However, I will guide and coach them in regard to online proper practices — that is what they hire me for.

That said, several times each week customers challenge me with something they found online that is cheaper and/or easier than what I advise is necessary to reach their stated goals. Their tone when I explain that the information is inaccurate, hype or plain old BS, is as though my life goal is to only make their life miserable and charge them too much in the process.

My fees are reasonable for my expertise and experience. And, sorry, I’m not going to feel bad or guilty if I prefer to run my business in the black. Why is it so many feel they can dictate the value of my services or what they are willing to pay?

Today, a customer who’ve I’ve offered nothing but expert advice and pronto, accurate service to for over a decade (which they openly admit) actually made me an “offer” for my services. Slightly insulting and, being this customer has been very little profit over all this time (never followed any of my advice because that would cost money), rather nervy. “How about we pay you….?” How about you find a new consultant?

To be a good customer, one has to respect the knowledge and expertise of their partners in order to foster a mutually respectful relationship. Good and honorable customers do not try and barter service fees as though that is acceptable nor do they insinuate that the service provider should lower their prices because they are on a budget (unrealistic or non-existent “budget”) or don’t want to pay the required fees.

Online, when it comes to those who can determine your level of success — you will get what you pay for. Be a good customer and learn just enough to appreciate that.

At your service,
Judith