A few blocks from where I live, an optometrist posted a sign:

A year of manicures and pedicures – $186

One eye exam to save your sight – $45

Wow. That’s a show stopper! An eye exam seems expensive … until you think about what we pay for manicures or even getting our hair done.

The truth is: we hear numbers differently, depending on the context. If you’ve been in the Internet Marketing world awhile, $97 seems very reasonable for a Report related to business; $37 seems like a giveaway. To someone who’s accustomed to bookstores, the number $37 seems high because you can get a hardcover book for $25.

Internet marketers understand this principle so we often promote numbers to gain an advantage. If you’re selling, you may be able to do well by turning large amounts into smaller fees. As far as I know, you’re doing nothing illegal or unethical, by most standards, as long as you disclose everything. If you are buying, you need to be aware of what you are getting.

Example 1:

You get two quotes for copywriting. One quote sounds outrageous: $2000. Another copywriter quotes $40 an hour. Many business owners will grab the $40 an hour copywriter. Sometimes you get great copy. But sometimes that copywriter ends up taking 20, 40 or even 100 hours to write your content. My own rule for most services is, “If you can’t give me an upper limit, I can’t hire you.”

The exception? Most VA’s can’t quote by the project. Each task is just too small. That’s another article.

Example 2:

Your design company offers to create a website free (or for a shockingly low rate). When you read the fine print, you discover you also pay hosting for a year or more. From the designer’s perspective, it’s a good deal. It might work for you, too.

But … does the hosting company offer 24/7 support for hosting issues? If not, you won’t know what to do if your site mysteriously disappears at 3 AM on a weekend. If you’re with a good hosting company you probably clicked the wrong button when you uploaded content and it’s an easy fix. If your host isn’t available, you’re stuck.

Sometimes the hosting company promises to help you with maintenance. Frankly, most sites just don’t need that much maintenance, other than updating content. Modifying WordPress content is about as hard as sending an email, once you’ve learned the basics, or you can hire a VA for updates. If you’re making major changes or adding new pages all the time, you need to find affordable support (and you’re hopefully making decisions that lead to a healthy return on your investment).

My own hosting company, hostgator, charges less than $8 per month for hosting. So if you’re paying $40 a month, you’ve got almost $400 to spend on services you really need. You can choose the services so if you’re not happy – no problem.

My newest service – express websites – doesn’t require ongoing maintenance. You pay one time. For some businesses, it’s exactly what you need. Learn more.

As a copywriter, I work a great deal with clients who want to get more clients. “Client attraction” has become a popular – even critical – focus of marketing. If you’re a coach, consultant or healer, you probably say “More clients” when someone asks, “What is your most important marketing goal?”

Now…here’s the surprise. Getting clients is the hot, sexy part of marketing. Without clients you’d be broke and frustrated. You wouldn’t be able to define yourself by your calling.  That’s why so many consultants promise to teach you the ingredients of getting more clients.

You need these client attraction tools. You need to know how to create a niche, find your clients and sell to them.

But what happens after you land your client? How do you keep your clients happy? How do you stop them from leaving you for the competition or (worse) complaining that you didn’t live up to their expectations?

In my experience, these topics are cold, compared to the hot topics of client attraction. When I say the words “customer service,” my audience takes off (sometimes literally). Their eyes glaze over.

But here’s the funny part. Clients get REALLY emotional AFTER they buy from you. They talk about “my wonderful coach.” They look forward to your calls.

The reverse is also true. When clients get mad, they get even more emotional. It doesn’t happen often for two reasons.

First, experienced marketers know how to defuse an angry client. You need to deal with any hint of trouble before it explodes because by then it’s usually too late.

Second, clients are reluctant to complain. Typically they know you and like you. They may be afraid they’ll get a bad reputation. However, this attitude seems to be changing as resources become scarce. And even if your client keeps quiet, you don’t know how many referrals she hasn’t made because she doesn’t want others to have the same bad experience.

At the same time, many business owners are now getting savvier about marketing than about delivering service. Recently I talked to a business owner who honestly couldn’t understand why I had a problem because he wasn’t delivering the service he promised on his own website. He didn’t deny the discrepancy. He just thought he was being a good marketer. I suggested he talk to his mentors (and maybe his lawyer) before someone (possibly me) filed a complaint with his friendly Attorney General.  In case you haven’t noticed, I hate scams – and when when you admit you’re delivering less than half of what you promised, you deserve the “s” word.

So I have two suggestions for you.

First, check out this hilarious video on YouTube. A musician made this video after United Airlines destroyed his expensive guitar. Since then, this musician has found a new career as a speaker on customer service and his music  career has taken off. The video is brilliantly made with all kinds of special effects. Click here to watch.

Second, I’ve written a Report you can download for just $17. I’ll be adding some audio and bonuses and raising the price, but I think it’s a good value. Just go here and let me know what you think.

Now that I’ve got your attention …

If you’ve been on my list awhile you probably know I have been a long-time admirer of Christina Hills, the Website Creation Expert. I’ve bought her products, attended her workshop and interviewed her for the Cat Chats several times.

Christina was a conscious entrepreneur before we started using the term. She’s always avoided talking about making lots of money or living a glamorous life. She just delivers (and over-delivers) trustworthy, useful information in a professional style.

So I was delighted when Christina just announced her first live event in San Diego, starting September 29th. She’s promised to talk about the things she’s never shared before – how she developed the Website Creation Workshop and built up to 6-figure launches without hype or hard selling.

Here are just a few things you will learn when you attend this event (and knowing Christine, I am confident this is just the tip of the iceberg):

- How you can use your own expertise (things you know so well you don’t think about them) to create lucrative income streams

- How to build a community of loyal fans who will connect and stay connected as you grow your business (even if you are just starting with no list or even a website)

- How to motivate successful business owners to promote your program through joint ventures (a tactic she’s used herself with huge success)

- How to raise your Google page ranking with a few simple WordPress tactics (without hiring an expensive SEO expert)

- How to build profitable relationships online and offline (with special guest Mari Smith)

- How to use YouTube to get instant credibility at no cost (with special guest Paul Colligan)

I’m actually checking my schedules and pet sitters to see if I can get there from Philadelphia.

If you are west of the Mississippi, this could be a no-brainer. The price is right (and the Early Bird Discount is even better). The event promises to be friendly and intimate – not one of those weekends where you’re jammed into a tiny chair listening to a pitchfest. And you’ll get actionable content, not fluff, hype or empty promises. (I don’t think Christina knows how to do fluff, hype or empty promises.)

If you’d like to sign up (there’s a deadline for the Early Bird Discount and hotel room rates) just click here.

To make your decision even more of a no-brainer, when you buy through my link, I will offer you a 45-minute consultation during the month of October. You will have many ideas after this conference and we can talk about how to translate your ideas into action, quickly and effectively. My next workshop starts Thursday – http://budurl.com/youraboutpage

And you know I’m a believer: With a workshop of my own starting Thursday,   I’m actively promoting this event at this time. http://budurl.com/sdhills

“Bob” is a consultant who works with companies to build more cohesive  teams. (Actually he’s a composite of 3 different clients but I want to protect everyone’s identity and keep things simple.)

He had just spent a lot of time and money with a branding consultant. When he called, he said, “Your job is easy! I’ve nailed my brand and my niche,”

“Great!” I said. “What did the consultant say?”

Bob gave me a list of words and phrases. His brand was strong, compelling, “always a leader,” results-driven and determined.

Copywriting is based on features and benefits. So I needed to know what Bob did for his clients and how they viewed him compared to the competition. To fine-tune his strategy, I suggested Bob write up a series of client success stories, using a formula I’ve developed. I also went through his website, materials and testimonials. And I asked Bob some questions about how he interacted with clients. What did they say during their meetings? What questions did they ask?

As we talked, we realized that Bob’s clients valued him because he had a background as an artist. He incorporated graphics into his sessions in a unique way, so groups could visualize their own experiences. He’d also performed comedy so his sessions kept everyone awake and engaged.

“That’s our hook,” I told Bob. “Writing your copy will be easy.”

But Bob hesitated. “I don’t want to get into conversations about art,” he said. “And I want to brand myself as compelling and determined.”

The truth is, translating your message into copywriting requires getting concrete and specific. We focus on action rather than abstraction. And we need to find the “sweet spot” where your unique offerings match what your niche wants.

And we have to do this before we write a single line of copy.

After all, copy has to be about something. If there’s a blank where that “something” should be, no copywriter can make a meaningful contribution to your bottom line.

That’s why every copywriting project begins with a consultation. If you’d like to brainstorm your own strategy, check out http://www.CopywritingWithCathy.com/copy300.html

Okay, I admit it. I was a big fan of the original Apprentice show, even when it crossed the line from ribald to ridiculous. And I have to admit I was puzzled when Donald Trump insisted on contrasting book smarts with street smarts.

As an entrepreneur, you need street smarts for sure. The people I admire most online – some of the most successful business owners – are those who know the way the world works. Most of them didn’t go to business school.

But you also need some book smarts. You need to learn things even before you need them because who knows what you’ll need for your next client or info product?

That’s why I’m excited about the second session of Summer School for Entrepreneurs – a program created by three business owners who teach business owners what they need to know.

It’s like a graduate school where you get a double major in book smarts and street smarts:

– a curriculum that covers what you need to know (even before you realize you need to know it)

– a faculty of experts who talk about their areas of specialization (and they’re not allowed to be stuffy or use tired old recycled notes)

– no grades or exams (but you get to ask LOTS of questions and test the waters before choosing an adviser)

I’m inviting you to enroll today, as my guest, in Summer School for Entrepreneurs 2011, starting next Monday.

The Summer School for Entrepreneurs boasts an exclusive roster of Professors of Entrepreneurship — all successful entrepreneurs who’ve built thriving businesses. I’m both thrilled and honored to be a member of this faculty.

You’ll want to enroll if you are a service-based entrepreneur or independent professional. You might be a coach, consultant, attorney, accountant, author, speaker, or designer. You may be a beginner who’s determined to compete with the experts…or a veteran who doesn’t want the beginners to show you up.

Reserve your spot today!

Just a few of the street smart tips you’ll pick up:

Where and how to get new money making ideas and create new profit centers (in areas you wouldn’t anticipate beforehand)

A simple, surprising formula that increases the odds of a client buying your services by 70%

How to make your business go viral – fast

How top businesses get known in their marketplace and drive targeted customers to their virtual venues

How to get so energized you can’t wait to cross off all your “To Do” items – and add some more

7 steps to grow a profitable, rewarding business without sacrificing your family priorities

How your newsletter can deliver cash flow along with clients

How to get clients to see you as the expert in your field (so you command respect and fees)

How to define your prospects and “get” what makes them tick in just 27 minutes or less

The essential first step you need to create your online products (and it’s so simple everyone can do it) and so much more…

Sign up here.

The Summer School for Entrepreneurs faculty includes…

Bob the Teacher, Kendall Summerhawk, Valerie Young, Teresa de Grosbois, Linda Clair Puig, Terri Levine, Amethyst Wyldfyre and Mikael Sami-Kumara, Stephanie Calahan, Nika Stewart, Cathy Goodwin, Shawne Duperon, Rosey Dow, Donny Lobree and Kirk Prine, Carolyn Herfurth, Ava Diamond, Roberta Mittman, and Melanie Yost…

… led by “Deans” Carrie Greene, Paige Stapleton and Brian Stark.

PLUS you will get some terrific bonuses for “extra credit.”

The classes come to you at NO COST … and there will be a 24 hour webcast replay in case you miss one.

We used to think of creating one BIG website for our businesses. And we expected to make this website become a humongous project…taking a year or more.

Today a lot of savvy entrepreneurs are trying something totally different – tightly niched mini-sites that make money from Adsense ads and sometimes selling your own products and services.

You may have gone through the process of setting up your site – spending hundreds or thousands of dollars. Sometimes ths investment will make sense. For instance if you sell a service, your site has to be set up with care so you develop credibility and introduce yourself to your prospects.

An alternative for some services is to create a set of mini-sites – each 4 or 5 pages max. Your mini-site includes a home page, a contact page, and at least a couple of pages of content, such as articles. You may need a page for your privacy policy but of course you can create this page just once – on one website – and then refer visitors over and over.

Your business can be put together with one or two mini-sites and then add more as your business grows. Because you build each site in WordPress, your construction time is minimal. In fact, once you set up one site, you can just clone the format. You’ll soon discover which plug-ins make the most sense and bring you the best results.

Don’t tear down your current site. Just make notes of what’s working and what’s not. Then begin working on your mini-sites.

You can get a step-by-step guide to mini-sites, created by my friend Connie Ragen Green: It’s affordable and it’s a good way to get started quickly on making money on the Internet. http://bit.ly/tinysite

It’s always a little scary to hire someone to work on a website. We’ve all heard the stories of people who seemed terrific, cashed the checks and then disappeared. Even worse, some of them actually made our websites worse than they were when we started.

I can usually tell when someone’s going to have a bad experience with a resource. They make one (or all) of these 3 mistakes. But if you recognize yourself, don’t feel bad: we’ve all been there and done that.

Mistake #1: Thinking of hours, not projects.

“Kara” sat next to me at a networking meeting. She had hired a web development service for $30 an hour. This rate sounded wonderful till she added, “I sent over $3500 for my site and it still doesn’t bring in enough business.”

For that sum of money she could have enjoyed a complete site – design AND copy.

I thought of Kara when a client asked me for my hourly rate. “Why do you care?” I asked. “You’ve got a budget. You can learn what’s reasonable for the whole project. Who cares if I spend 2 hours or 200 hours if you get a good website?”

Mistake #2: Waiting too long.

Nearly everyone who develops a website begins by hiring a designer. It seems logical … until the project gets put on hold because you don’t have content. You end up paying more than you need and your design often won’t be consistent with your message.

I admit I feel a little smug when I deliver my content (already coded in HTML) and my client says, “The designer was thrilled: we just got to slot the copy into the page.”

Sometimes I find the designer and we do everything … and some savvy clients just create WordPress sites so they get to skip a few steps and save a ton of money. Yaay!

Mistake #3: Hiring a relative.

This one makes me groan. I know what’s about to happen.

“Yeah, I know the color’s all wrong. And sure, it’s not as lively as it could be. But I can’t say anything. He’s family.”

You can always find a new copywriter. We can help you find designers. Your family can’t be duplicated. Why risk a divorce? Why lose a friend?

You can save a lot of money (along with your sanity) when you hire a pro. We come with a thick skin. If you say, “I hate the copy you wrote,” we will work with you to fix it … hassle-free.

If you’re considering some options, you can check out my services here.

Working on the Internet, we tend to assume that we need the latest apps, gadgets and widgets. There’s some truth in this. Nowadays we’re expected to understand video and audio to a much greater degree than we did ten years ago. We’re expected to use social media more than live networking.

But sometimes “old” means “good.” Sometimes a pencil and a paper calendar are easier to use than a computerized datebook.

I’m surrounded by tradition in my new home in Philadelphia, where some buildings haven’t changed much since the 1920s or earlier. That’s a real shock after the West Coast where anything from the 1960s often gets labeled “vintage.”

And it’s true of resources as well. I’ve been recommending one resource that has become a classic. The author has updated the content but not the sales letter. She hasn’t added audio or video — just good ebook pages and updates.

When you order Reach Desperate Buyers, you get info that gurus offer for thousands of dollars. You get a guide to SEO with keywords, a guide to writing powerful sales letters, step by step directions to finding a hungry market, and more … still just $97.

I have no qualms about recommending this proven guide, as I still get notes from readers who want to thank me for the referral. It’s 100% guaranteed so no worries. Check it out here.

Sure I’m an affiliate – and happy to support this resource.

Nearly everyone who wants a website makeover asks about SEO and traffic. Sure, it’s a good point. Without traffic, your website can’t grow your business.

But for a long time I’ve been following the experts who say things like, “I’ve never paid a dime for SEO.” They talk about organic search and driving traffic to their sites without technology, jargon or expense.

Most recently, renowned marketer Armand Morin weighs in with a new free video. He’s got a way to get more traffic to your site with just a well-chosen domain name and the free google keyword tool. Simple, easy and (as far as I can tell) free:
Click here to listen:
http://bit.ly/notyourfault

One question I get often is, “How do I choose a domain name?”

When I work with clients I recommend choosing a domain name based on one of three options: use keywords, come up with a phrase of 3 to 4 words that describes your client’s greatest benefit. or forget the rules and come up with something memorable.

For example, let’s say Bob is a financial planner. He could use “MaximizeYourWealth.com” or “DestroyYourDebts.com” if they were available – and if they had meaning to his market. Bob’s prospects may be baffled by the notion of destroying debt; they think of “paying it off.”

Alternatively Bob could come up with a domain name with keywords like “FinancialPlanningSolutions” or even “FinancialPlanningMadeSimple.” This last phrase combines keywords with a benefit – a nice touch.

At the same time, I’ve met successful business owners who used memorable domain names that didn’t seem to have meaning. I never did figure out how “Amazon” relates to book sales.

“MenWithPens.com” is a straightforward description of the graphic artists who created my caricature. They don’t use self-congratulatory words: just a description.

Bottom line: I wouldn’t agonize too much over a domain name, if it’s holding you back from marketing. It’s easy to change later with a redirect.

But let’s say you are considering 3 names: “GreatMoneyGrowth,” “MakeYourPortfolioGrow,” or “InvestingServicesMadeSimple.” (Bear in mind that I’m trying to create imaginary names not realistic ones.}

I recommend testing them rather than asking friends or coaches or trying to decide what feels right. There are many ways to test but here are two:

(1) Buy the 3 top domain names you are considering. If you want to micro-economize, get the .info version. Set up Google adwords campaigns and see which gets the most click-throughs.

(2) If your list includes prospects who are solidly in your target market, make them an offer. You can say, “I just created three new Reports: which would you like?” Or, “Complete my survey and chooe a complimentary Report.”

We can talk more about this topic on Friday when we explore the question, “Does your website need a makeover?” Details here.