95% of all technical problems can be solved by asking 2 questions: Is is plugged in? Is it turned on? Dr. Hubert Spekkens

What is up with the natural human desire to complicate things to the highest degree possible?  I mean, when it comes to the internet, and business in general things are complicated enough without the seeming self-destructive need to complicate the already complex (like this sentence, for example).

The tried and true K.I.S.S. method of Keep It Simple Stupid, seems to have ended up in most web marketers closets collecting dust.  This usually leads to a business non-system which spends more time administrating than it does DOing anything.

Case in point.  I recently worked with a client who is on the cusp of a potentially huge internet market.  The problem is the current ‘model’ being used is pretty much a shopping cart, a landing page, and a newsletter… THERE IS NO SYSTEM!!!

When you don’t have a simple, measurable, testable system to plug your products and services into you have…wait for it…DREAMS…not to mention a buttload of work (by the way my spell editor is saying buttload is not a word but I’m not changing it…hell, if nobody’s claimed it, I’ll go to Webster’s myself!)

I have a peculiar habit of telling people that I work with not to take my word for ANYTHING.  Yep, that’s right.  Not exactly job security huh?  Well I have this crazy habit of telling the TRUTH so here it is…

I’m not the F*$%ing Expert!!!  Your PROSPECT is!!!

Get clear on that, cuz you aren’t either.  You MUST test things religiously (explains why Avinash from Google refers to himself as the Analytics Evangelist).  It’s the only way to get to the truth and avoid the stupid human habit of chasing down the newest ’shiny object’.

“So Einstein”, you may ask, “How does one go about building a simple, measureable, testable system?”  Glad you asked.  FIRST you sign up and install Google Analytics and Google Optimizer.  If you don’t know how to do that…type it in Google.  This would be part of ‘plugging things in’.  Google provides this KILLER software which they could charge thousands of dollars for, just so YOU can be a website worth searching for.  That just ROCKS in my opinion.  And I’m a big fan of FREE.

The next step I suggest is to take a look at your entire sales process; from lead generation to sale and put every step through the ‘plugged in, turned on’ filter.  For example, I have a client that was using capture on their lead pages…it just wasn’t working. As in, put in name and e-mail, press send…stare at screen.

Thus, plugged in, but NOT turned on.  That’s money on the table. BIG time.

So…In point form:

1. Set up Analytic
2. Map out your sales process
3. Go Through your sales process like a prospect
4. Fix stuff that’s broken
5. Add stuff that’s missing
6. Remove stuff that’s getting in the way
7. Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Okay the last part is mine, but showering will help your business, I promise.

If you take the time to really analyze what you have, to see what is and is not working, and then think about YOUR PROSPECT (you’ve heard this before right?) and take a trip through the whole system, you’ll likely find some things that should be working better and, maybe even some busted stuff you were unaware of.

Bottom line:  You lose a customer because of a faulty system, you are leaving $$$ on the table.

Don’t build widgets.  Build SYSTEMS.

McDonalds built one so good, teenagers can run a multi-billion dollar business…think about it.

Phil Hughes

www.philhughes.tv

PS: Don’t take my word for it.  Test it for yourself

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