Oh this guy has a lot of “Get Rich Fast” answers for you.

I am referring to the all-knowing awesomeness that is Google. If you’re like the average or above average web searcher, you’re constantly throwing questions at Google. If you don’t, don’t worry… then you’re actually using search terms, which generally renders better results anyhow. The other 80% of the populous seems to be on the “Ask Google a Question” train. They approach Google with their most burning questions, and expect an instant answer.

The Question is: As A Marketer – How Do I Capitalize On This?

The truth is that many internet marketers aren’t doing one of their most important due diligence tasks before throwing themselves fully into the internet marketing game; and that’s studying the search habits of those same users that they’re targeting.

What is your user really searching for, and how are they searching for it?

To answer this basic question, set up a blog or small site on any topic of niche’ that you’re looking to know more about. Grow the site, post regularly, and watch your web analytics closely. You want to look specifically at the search terms people are using to find your site.  What are they? You may notice some astonishing results. Some may seem completely irrelevant.

Many of the search terms that people are typing into Google to find your website are questions.

What kinds of questions are your users asking? What do they want to know? The answers may be surprising to you.

Some interesting questions some of my own readers used to find my site:

• “How can I Build Trust in Sales?”
• “Why no one ever notices my online marketing efforts?”
• “How do I admit marketing weakness?”
• “How Can I save money on my internet marketing?”
• “How did someone find my website?”
• “Is My Website Updated?”
• “How do I redesign my website?”
• “Why Isn’t my Business Growing?”

Take a look at the questions your users are asking to get to your site. This is really priceless information that you can really use to your advantage.

What are your users asking?

Generally, when I ask clients (or even other online marketers for that matter), what their Return Conversion Rate is, the response I receive is “my returnuh huh?” It’s funny that no one seems to know what I’m talking about. This is actually one of the more important metrics in Internet Marketing, yet so few people know anything about it.  So that leads me to my obvious question of the day:

Do you know what your Return Conversion Rate is?

When properly tracked, your return conversion rate has tremendous potential to push and pull your company in greater ways than you realize. It speaks sweet nothings into your ear… sweet data. Data that is very important in understanding your company’s brand awareness factor, service, and even overall culture. Yes, it’s that important. It’s that big.

What is a Return Conversion Rate?

Simply put, it’s when a potential customer visits your site, then leaves without converting (or buying anything), but later on returns to convert (or buy something). This measurement also includes first-time visitors who return, as well as exiting customers who eventually return to convert again.

If you own, or have worked for an online retailer, you know that great lengths are made to keep track of visitors on your site, and where exactly they’re coming from. You also know that rarely does a person purchase from a website on their first visit.  The average conversion rate for most new and returning customers on e-commerce site’s is 2%.

Yes, that’s it. Just 2%.

If returning visitors are a prime demographic for selling, why aren’t most marketers focused on converting these priceless visitors? Well, it’s not the easiest, and it’s quite time consuming. Internet marketers are now (more than ever) needing to shift their focus onto Customer Retention strategies.

Give Them Incentive To Stay

Customer retention hasn’t ever been more difficult than it is now. During our tough economic times, people are eager to change their spending habits. They’re willing to do almost anything to save an extra buck, even if it means changing their monthly cosmetic purchase to another online store… or worse, going to their local drug store. Times are changing, and if you’re going to be successful in business, you’ve got to stay flexible.

Each business has a special way that it can retain it’s current customers. You may be thinking big things need to be offered, but surprisingly, you’ll come to find that the little things seem to work just as well. For instance, Zappos.com starting offering free shipping to help keep their client retention efforts in momentum mode, and they have succeeded greatly. 75% of their customers are returning shoppers. They can justify a purchase with free shipping, and it’s really working for them. They have built a whole brand around their retention efforts, and many growing businesses should really take note. I can’t think of a better company with more clarity in their retention efforts than Zappos.

Retarget, Rebrand, and ReAdvertise

It’s time to take notice of your user’s habits and behaviors. Target your advertisements on what the person has done in the past. Retargeting is the most powerful way to grow that precious Return Conversion Rate.  Retargeting is also one of the only forms of advertising that can work with any size of retailer or business. The beauty of converting warmer leads is that is costs less, which is also a plus during times when many advertisers and marketers and looking to cut costs all around.

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Many of of my colleagues have been asking me for advice on how to earn extra money to keep their marketing stable, or even to grow their overall marketing efforts, since others in their industry are seemingly decreasing their marketing spending.  We know sales and overall conversions are down, but these same sales would be stagnant without any marketing at all, which is why we shouldn’t roll-over and play dead because things are getting tough. It just takes a bit of thinking outside of the box.

While many of my suggestions may seem like they’re “below” some people, I argue that in this economy, nobody is below much of anything, short of working the streets (which I don’t recommend). I know a man who was just laid off of his $200,000 per year job and is now working as a bank teller for less than $12 an hour.  It is because of this, business owners may need to broaden their horizons when it comes to bringing in some extra working revenue into their business. I also see many of my entrepreneur friends dipping into their savings to market their businesses. This is very risky, and I always recommend having some cushion money to fall back on if you’re a business owner, and especially if you have a family.

While brainstorming with a friend, we came up with our list of:

Ways to Raise Money to Market Your Business in a Bad Economy

• Let go of Things that Don’t Matter: This is the first thing I ask clients and colleagues when they say they don’t have money… “Do you have “stuff”? Everyone loves stuff. You will likely sell it for less than you purchased it for, which is fine if it was something you didn’t use often anyways. If you’ve got a $5,000 pool table in your home that you never use, sell it! If you drive a newer luxury car that is paid for, why not trade it in for something a bit more practical? Unused office equipment? Sell it! These downgrades aren’t permanent. We all know that things will eventually get better. For now, every penny really does count.

• Make the Most of Your Client List: All of your old invoices are worth their weight in gold. Even if you aren’t the best record keeper, you should have some record of whose been purchasing from you over the years. If you have employees, put them to work calling or emailing old customers and simply asking how they are doing. Special “loyalty discounts” and other specials could do the trick.  Remember not to be pushy, and to keep the customer’s best interest in mind. You should be calling/emailing with “How can I help them?” in mind.

• Barter or Trade: Now more than ever, I’ve noticed that more and more people are willing to barter or trade services, expertise and even merchandise. Ask yourself what will help you raise money, and brainstorm it onto a list called “Things I Need To Barter or Trade For“. Post your barter request on local and regional classified sites, social networks, and of course on Twitter.  This will likely get you some good results. Do remember that your trades need to be relatively equal in value, and they should equip you with something to better your business by.

• Put Your Other Skills to Use: Outside of your business activities, what other skills do you posses that could earn you extra money? Are you a good writer? Many people make a good amount of extra cash doing freelance writing work, and with the internet, it’s very easy to find. Perhaps you are good at math? Tutoring local students could also earn you some extra cash. I know a local woman who works from her home office, and also watches a handful of kids (all over 9 years old) during the weekdays to supplement her income since business was down a bit.  She ended up making a bit more than she had thought she would, and used the excess to put towards more marketing that helped her immensely.

Besides smarter budgeting, what are some other ways you have found to raise money to keep your business going? Chances are, it required you to be resourceful, and to truly think outside of the box.

I am eluding to The Call and The Response.

The call and the response is just that; a call to action… and the response to that specific call. Even offline marketers know that when you’re marketing something, you’ve got to provide a call to action. A simple shout of your business’s name isn’t going to do as much good as an even larger shout telling your consumers what action they need to do to take next. Your call to action is as important as, if not more important than your actual marketing campaign itself.

You would be surprised at how many clients I have initially encountered who are running what I call “lost man” internet marketing campaigns. I have dubbed campaigns with a weak or nonexistent call to action the “lost man” campaign because that is exactly what your users end up being on your website without a clear call to action…lost men (and women).  What is the point of spending precious marketing funds on aimless traffic?

Gain better leverage and better return on your marketing efforts by always having a clear and concise call to action on your website, along with every landing page you implement.

I always laugh to myself at the response of my clients when I tell them the following:

Like a 3-year old child, you need to put, in very simple terms, in an “attention grabbing” matter… what your web users very next action should be on your website. Just as a 3-year old, you need to tell them exactly what is expected of them to reap the full response. In doing so, always remember that the call should be directly associated with how it will help the user.

What is a call? A call to action can be:

Sign up for our newsletter!

Join our club!

Buy our limited edition chocolate before it’s gone!

and so on…

Your call to action should be done in an “in your face” manner that grabs their attention. Using brighter colors, different fonts, and special graphics generally gets the point across well.

I challenge everyone to take a closer look at their site, and those of their competition. How does your call to action measure up to theirs?

For more ideas on how to implement a solid call to action, simply browse the website of any big company that you admire. Chances are, they will have a very specific call to action that you can learn a great deal from.

What are some of the most creative “call to action” methods you’ve seen?

Can I Get Excited About Your Brand? Can You?

The unfortunate truth is that 1/3 of companies that exist today are nothing to really get excited about. They may produce their promised result, but there’s simply nothing infectious about the company’s brand or community. It always comes back to community, doesn’t it? So many of the internet’s top consultants talk about creating a community around your brand… and for good reason. I remember talking about this in a post called Increasing Sales in 5 Days Today’s tough economy makes effective once marketing methods of the past almost obsolete. Top marketers are now scrambling for newer tactics to “trial and error” other concepts on the newer more frugal marketplace.

If You’re Not Excited About Your Brand, Chances Are, Neither is Your Customer

Have you ever been awake late at night, flipping through the channels on your television, and you come across those mesmerizing infomercials? I’m not talking about the ho-hum infomercials of old. I’m talking about the full-on screaming, yelling, fun and excitement filled infomercials that you end up watching like 4 times, even though you know you aren’t going to buy that particular product or service? Do you notice a common trait among all of these infomercials? Each one doesn’t talk about how great the company is, or even how great the product is. The focus of these hard-hitting infomercials is always on what the product or service can do for the customer! The announcer or narrator is excited, and even sometimes yelling, because his product is doing great things for it’s customer.

I won’t lie… I’ve watched the infomercial with the hot girl who features a six-pack… and almost fell for her story of how she lost all of her post-baby weight, got taller, tanner, and sexier because she used her ab-roller everyday for 5 minutes. Her before picture features her with a sad and forced smile, looking pale, fat, and miserable. The newer, leaner, and better version of the new mom features an instant tan, longer/better styled hair, whiter teeth, and even a guy who appears out of nowhere because he wants a piece of this now-hot girl.  Oh, how I love infomercials! They are great at making the consumer feel that this one product… at this ONE time will solve all of their problems and make everything better in their life… if they just ‘BUY NOW’!

Time to Get Excited About What You Offer!!!!

It’s time to ask yourself an important question. This may be the most important question you’ll ever ask yourself as a business owner, or potential business owner…or eve as a marketer. Are you excited about your business? Your brand? Your marketing? Your clients? If not, why? If so, then are you excited enough?

Think about the passionate people at Apple…specifically Steve Jobs.  Steve Jobs is reknown for his keynotes because of his enthusiasm. You can tell that he thrives on delivering new products and concepts to eager mac lovers to revel at. His passion is infectious. Be the Steve Jobs of your industry. Create passion within your usership that derives from your own enthusiasm.

What keeps you from feeling your product or service is something to get excited about?

I firmly believe that every product or service has the potential to make it’s prospects enthusiastic buyers, and that’s really what it takes to sell in this market. A car is not just a car. It’s a mode of transportation. Kids experience their first life experiences, first beach trips, vital doctor visits, along with trips to visit precious families in these things. It’s more than a car, it’s a tool used to live life to it’s fullest. No longer are things just things. Objects are no longer just there for the sake of being there. Everything has a greater purpose, and tapping into those emotional experiences to elicit excitement in your consumer is the key to creating rabid fans of your brand.

How do you get lured into being a passionate user of a product or service? What are your experiences on this? Please feel free to chime in with your your opinions and experiences -  I am interested to hear your views on this one!

Here’s something to think about:

“A 2007 report by Forrester Research predicts that in 2012, companies will spend almost $9 billion on search engine optimization.”

Those are some crazy numbers. In fact, if you take what’s being spent on SEO right now, you’d probably have to triple or quadruple those numbers to get to this foretold amount of money that Forrester is referring to. In my profession, I’ve noticed an especially dramatic growth trend towards companies being more receptive to amping up their SEO efforts, or to starting them if they haven’t already. SEO doesn’t serve the instant gratification that other methods of internet marketing like Pay Per Click does. However, if you’re looking for more credibility, superior conversions, and a keen understanding of your site’s target users, SEO is your best friend.

To Read more from this NYT article (it’s quite interesting!), check it out here: A Job Guiding Web Surfers to Your Site.

     Trying to entice new customers in this economy has never been an easy task, but the real proof of hardship was seen in the data that last Holiday season’s shoppers brought to internet retailer’s attention. According to a study done by ForSee Results, consumer satisfaction with online shopping fell 3.09% during the second week after Thanksgiving, compared to the same week in 2007 from 77.6 on a 100-point scale to 75.2. Larry Freed, ForeSee’s president and CEO says:

 “Maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction throughout the holiday shopping period will separate the companies who are able not only to survive 2008, but to thrive from those that will be closing their doors in January.”

The Consumer is Now Playing ‘Hard to Get’

     With analysts worrisome forecasts on the rise for the 2009 economical outlook, I am seeing more and more reason to start expanding the horizons when it comes to obtaining new customers and clients. With the dollar being held even tighter in the palms of your target demographics hands, you’re either already looking to make some changes in the way you pursue your sales, or you’re simply ignoring the fact that sales are more difficult to make, and are perhaps even thinking that things will eventually get better, and economic turmoil will soon pass. I’ve got some bad news for you if you’re in agreement with the latter statement… it’s not over, and 2009 is likely going to be a lot like was.

• Your consumer is now trying to buy as much as possible. When they finally decide to buy, it’s going to be a well-thought out purchase, that likely was deliberated for a month or two before the cash even hits the register.

The Domino Affect of Thinking Inside of the Box

     Many business owners are simply waiting too long to implement any type of new marketing efforts within their company. By the time they are on the phone with me, they’re frowning at the idea of implementing social media because the lead-to-sale time is “way too long” for them. They immediately suggest what they are familiar with. It’s this same last-minute fear that is dropping so many business’s like flies these days…. the fear to try something new. 

Doing More of What Isn’t Working Isn’t Going to Make Things Better!

     I can’t stress this point enough. For some businesses, the idea of implementing any indirect sales and marketing avenues are so far-fetched, they often giggle at the idea when it’s suggested in meetings and consultations. They often say how they’d hate to be on the same social network that teenagers, comedians, artists, perverts, and musicians frequent. They say it could hurt their companies credibility, and damage their “professional” persona and reputation. Some say it looks low-budget and shoddy.

     I say that NOT implementing these strategies could not only hurt their business, but quite likely take them out all together (I wouldn’t have said that a few years ago, but times are tough these days!). As for damaging their reputation, social media would actually render them a wide-spread and respected reputation, if used correctly.

     Apple, one of the most brilliantly branded companies in the world, has taken almost every perfect step to building a community around it’s brand. I believe that any company can effectively carry this out… and now is not the time to ponder, or wait around for something else to go wrong, or for sales to slip further downward. It’s time to take action.

He Who Holds the Money Makes the Rules

     And my, have the rules changed! For one, consumers are as demanding as ever, with their once-in-a-while, very calculated purchases. Not only do you have to build even more credibility, trust, and rapport, you also need to provide top-notch support, customer service, and an overall visable and respected brand/image. This is where social media fits in nice and snug. All of these things can be achieved using social media. Content, friends, followers, networks, articles and blogs all make up a giant flurry of buzz around your company. It delivers a powerful punch, and if used correctly, it far outweighs most paid marketing strategies out there.

      What are some of the ways you’ll be ramping up your social media efforts in 2009?

     One of the first things I look over in any client’s company is their brand. If  they lack a brand, is their business model brand-able? This is of course all decided by their target demographic, in other words, who they’re trying their hardest to appeal to. You can’t appeal to all, can you? Perhaps.

Stalk Your Target Audience.

     Listen to the echoes of ideas, suggestions, thoughts, comments, and complaints that wave through your community based on your demographic.  I know, this takes time… and time is probably something you don’t have a ton of these days. Find out what people are talking about in your industry or niche. Check out how your brand is doing by measuring how it stacks up against it’s competition.

     Take a look at sites like Google’s Blogsearch and Technorati for tidbits on what others may be saying about your brand or your industry. Find site’s that are linking to yours via what you see on search engines, and keep a close eye on your Reputation Management. Your business’s reputation can be easily damaged by one negative comment on a local review site, blog, or forum.

Add Something Valuable to Your Consumer’s Lives

     Keeping your brand in front of your customer’s eyes can be tough. It can be annoying if you do it in a way that seems to be pushy, and it can be spam if you send unsolicited sales emails out of the blue – if they haven’t knowingly opted into an email list or newsletter of some sort.  One of the best and most affordable ways entrepreneurs have found success in keeping their audience coming back to their sites again and again is content. Whether it’s through a blog or an email newsletter, content is key to keeping your brand in the forefront of your customer’s mind.

Content That Wow’s Your Customer

     When deciphering what kind of content you’ll be adding to your business’s site, keep in mind that it needs to add value to your demographic’s everyday life. Of course, a blog is perfect for this scenario because if you run a children’s clothing e-commerce site, you can easily add a blog about parenting, health, babies, and even connect with other potential customers utilizing that blog as a tool (but not necessarily a sales tool.. more like a networking tool). Your goal in creating content isn’t to primarily sell to them, but it’s to first add value to someone else’s life. Give them something free. Free advice, content, coupons, industry news, and a good idea of your company culture helps drive sales.

Media Is King

      Adding valuable content via audio and video is one of the internet’s most rapidly growing trends. Rightly so, as it currently accounts for most of the hours spent online by the average person. Establishing your brand using media is important because it’s telling your users that your company is current, and with the times. It speaks a language that says you’re not afraid to spend a little extra time to woo them. Whether it be creating information-styled videos about how to more effectively use your product, or even health-related news or musings for a local doctor or practitioner. I am a firm believer that anyone can integrate media into their brand, and that they should!

The benefits of Integrating Media:

• The possibility of others sharing  what they see, or going Viral. Viral Content is exploding.
• YouTube Videos appear in search results on major search engines like Google and Yahoo. (and they generally rank quite high for relevant keywords and titles).
• Adding another avenue of cost-efficient marketing has never hurt anyone.
• The cost of creating a quality and professional-looking video is cheaper than you may think, and even free if you utilize tools that you likely already have on your computer such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.
• The ultimate expression of corporate culture. Who runs your company? Who is your staff?
• It’s simple to integrate into to your company’s website design. Times have changed, and it’s not as difficult as it used to be to add media to a website.

   I am a firm believer in business’s having a strong brand. Your brand goes so far beyond a logo, and once you realize that potential, you’ll reap the benefits of having an established brand.  A great product or service is obviously still essential, but your brand drives that burning desire for your consumer to buy, even when it’s not necessarily something that they may need. It idealizes the item or service as trusted, established, and sometimes even mandatory, even when it’s not. (think trendy).

 * What other branding concepts will your company be implementing to ring in the new year? How will it coincide with your marketing efforts?

     As a business owner, I’ve learned that goals are better kept when they are dissected into bite-sized achievements. This method is very similar to David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” concept, except it is a bit re-focused on goals rather than smaller tasks.  The following information will help you achieve more sales in only 5 days, with a bit of time and dedication, of course. (Hey, no one said increasing sales would necessarily take no effort)

How does one achieve more sales? Breaking it down into manageable portions helps immensely, especially if you are a smaller business that’s working with less help and less hands to dictate tasks to. However, if you do happen to have a staff, you can really intensify your sales initiatives based on this 5-day goal list.

      Because it is now Monday, you have the rest of the week to figure out how to apply these small goals to your business during the following 5 business days. What better what to start out the New Year than with a solid game plan to achieve more sales?

A How-To Approach – 5 Days to Increasing Your Sales

• Day One: Rebrand Your Marketing Efforts. If you have old sales materials that you were using last year, toss them out initiate a complete re-design. Perhaps there are some new points that you need to drive home in this tough economy? If you sell cars, focus on those gas-efficient or hybrid models in your new campaign. The goal is to improve your Marketing message for the current climate in your industry. If need be, do some research. You may think you have it all figured out, but will end up being surprised at what you find. Figure out what is making your consumer tick…and go with it.  Dust off your business cards and ask yourself how they make you want to do business with yourself. On the Internet side, if you’ve established online marketing campaigns with designed or visual content, do some analyzing and figure out which concepts were most popular with your consumer. Hopefully you’ve installed some type of analytics, and email marketing campaign tracking management. Take that old email Newsletter and give it a more modern feel and a fresh layout that really gives the reader a call to action.
• Day Two:  Work on Building Your Credibility: If you have past clients who loved working with you, now is the time to contact them and see how they’re doing. Ask if they’d be willing to write Yahoo/Google reviews or site testimonials on their experiences with your product or service. Tap into those Social media networks such as LinkedIn, Myspace, and Twitter to request that past clients or customers to tell about their experiences with you. Building your brand’s credibility online and offline is the key to better conversions from the choosiest shoppers.  It’s proven that people buy from those they know and trust.  Place testimonials in marketing materials, along with real names and real web address or photos if available.
• Day Three:  Evaluate Your Sales Methods: If it wasn’t working last year, it’s not going to work this year. I hate to be so blunt, but it’s very true. If your sales team is using the same method of gaining leads with small conversion rates, perhaps there’s a better way to go about the sale. Processes that may have worked for you a few years ago may no longer be pulling in the satisfactory results that they were rendering before. Being flexible is a critical factor in increasing sales. Flexibility as a business includes learning to sell in a manner that gets people to buy at certain times. In a harsh economy, people are obviously harder to sell to than in better economical times. In other aspects, they may be more easily sold to if it has to do with saving money, gaining wealth, being happier, or some other type of security-based sell.  Like the waves moving in an ocean, you don’t move against them… you move with them. The same holds true for what’s happening around you and your business. Pay attention and change your strategy accordingly.
• Day Four: Create a Community Around Your Brand: Have you ever fantasized about a day when your brand or product had a whole set of rabid and avid users and fans? This product “evangelist” mentality runs thick in our culture today, and you too can own a brand that is commonly talked about in a positive manner. If you don’t see a reason that your brand could ever have this type of following, then perhaps it’s time to reavaluate your product/service offerings. Getting people to tell others about your product or service is the most effective and cost-efficient way to advertise. Getting a positive review along with a bit of ‘human interaction marketing’ is 10x more likely to render a solid sale, and a returning customer than traditional methods of marketing alone. Ways to create such communities could be installing a message board or support forum on your site, being active in social media, and taking a proactive approach to putting someone out there to interact with the public and the media on behalf of your company and your brand. Remember that this includes support, and essentially standing behind your product or service out there on the front lines.
• Day Five: Create Loyal Customers by Making their Experience a Memorable One: This is probably one of the most important goals of all. Your existing shoppers are the ones who have already deemed you worthy of their patronage, and already have some form of trust in your business. The key to a successful customer experience should be that it has been a memorable one on their end. Sending out a standard “Thank-You” email to everyone is just the start. With so many people vying for their business, now is the time to really show them why they chose you in the first place. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box on this one. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What can you do to get your customers to tell their friends about what happens when you purchase something from your company?

2. What can you do to elicit that much-needed conversation and friend-to-friend endorsement?

               The goal here is to really “wow” your customer sometime during or after the sales process. This doesn’t always mean it has to cost you a lot of money. Have you ever been to Cold Stone for Ice Cream? Have you ever decided to put a tip in the jar? If so, then you’ll know that all of the people (usually high-school aged girls) working behind the counter break into one of the cheesiest, but amusing songs. And that happens every time someone drops something into the tip jar. 

          I know a realtor in my area who helps families purchase their dream homes. She is really great at what she does, and based on that… it should be enough to keep her in business. However, she takes it a step further when herself and her husband (a verrry talented chef) come into the family’s new home (that she’s helped them purchase) and makes them a world-class dinner, along with entertainment and all. They are well-known in the area, and the dinner is the perfect opportunity to befriend their now former clients and obtain that “word-of-mouth” status. They keep contact with all of their former clients and invite them to dinner, gatherings, and summer BBQ’s to make friends, and to network.

      How can your business take it a step further for the New Year?

     As a business owner myself, I know how overwhelming it can be going into the New Year. You’re likely wondering how bad the economy will decide to pound your profit margins, or how much more you can safely deduct from your marketing or production budget without completely going out of business. Luckily, we are apart of a generation that has one tool that really gives us the upper-hand when it comes to bringing in more sales for our business, and that’s the internet. Whether you’re marketing online or offline, here are some of my tips that will help your business increase sales in the New Year!

• Re-evaluate your Brand. The logo, the colors… all of it! Get feedback, ask people what they think in that first second that they get a glimpse of a new or revised logo or color scheme.
• Give your website a makeover that truly pleases your users. Take to analytics data, and see what users are really doing on your website. Are they not clicking on certain sections? Leaving after just arriving? Only looking at one type of content or page?
• Start Off Fresh by Organizing Everything from Top to Bottom ; If you’re not like me, you may be knee-deep in paperwork, old invoices, and files that don’t have names on them. The best way to start out the new year with clarity is to clean it all out, get rid of whatever you don’t need, and try your best to convert to a computer-based system of keeping track of sales, clients, invoices, and accounting. Have your employees take a proactive approach to cleaning out old things from last year, and getting squeaky clean for the new year. Get them excited and enthusiastic about productivity for the new year as well!  Your desk will thank you in the end.
• Give something away for free: I know this isn’t a favorite idea of business owners since times are indeed tough right now, but you’d be surprised at the positive (and free) PR that holding a contest or giving a deserving person a free product or service can render.  
• Set specific goals for the New Year: Going blindly into something isn’t my idea of clear thinking, and it shouldn’t be yours either. Being satisfied with “just making it” may seem okay right now, but in reality you may be stifling yourself and your business. Map out a detailed month to month goal chart that specifies sale amounts, profit goals, projected marketing budgets, and where exactly those budgets will be spent.  This really kept me on track during 2008, when I started to become intimidated by the falling economy. Not accepting lower than expected sales is the key here.
• Don’t dwell on last year’s mistakes: So you hired that guy who ended up stealing from the company expense account? Who cares if you accidentally launched a marketing campaign for the site wasn’t ready? And what about that client who just ended up being a giant pain in the butt? Forget about it all. You’re starting out clean. Make sure your employees know this too. Clean slates for all!
• Practice better time management skills: You’d be surprised how many precious hours are wasted doing the “little things”. Take a day to jot down how much time is spent doing what. You’d be surprised at what you find! There are a few great time management apps out there that are free. One that I utilize is RescueTime. It even emails you weekly or daily reports that display detailed information on what you’ve been doing.
• Don’t repeat last year’s strategies if they didn’t achieve your goals: I have far too many clients who initially come to me and say they use similar strategies every year, yet they never achieve their goals. I believe it was Einstein who said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”.

What other types of rules do you apply to your business to make a dramatic change? Feel free to add your comments and suggestions!

Cheers to a Prosperous and Successful 2009!