- “If you build it they will come”
- “You need a web designer”
- “You need an SEO expert”
- “Your website needs to look polished and professional in order to sell”
- “You can’t DIY”
- “All SEO is rocket science”
- “I’m not good with computers to I can’t do my own website
- “You can just hire a web designer/seo, leave everything to him/her, and magically have a great website”
and the list goes on…
I’ve been building websites professionally since 2002 and have heard these myths time and time again.
LONG STORY SHORT
The best way to market your business using the internet, is to actively promote your business yourself!
That is the foundation
That is the fundamental truth
Everything else is built on that
So, with that in mind, let’s briefly examine each of the myths I mentioned
1) “If you build it they will come” –
This is the classic web-designer-who-doesn’t-do-seo myth.
Pay money for a pretty website and for sure someone is going to see it, right? HA!
There are millions of pretty (useless) websites on the web. Yours is a drop in the sea. Until it is promoted nothing happens.
2) “You need a web designer”
TRUTH: If you can use a computer well enough to send an email or type a Word document, you don’t need a web designer.
At least not to start.
Web designers cost money. Sometimes lots of money. If you pay “Joe” in India, slightly less money.
Trust me, you don’t want to spend money to start.
Enter wordpress.com
Start a site there. (DO NOT start a site on web.com, webby, godaddy, etc. loser web builder website). Start your site on WordPress.com
Look into their option for setting it to your own domain name, i.e. YOURNAME.com , currently that costs $10 and you have an awesome website platform.
WordPress is the web standard. Everyone (almost everyone) uses them. Most SEO experts and web designers are using them.
They have lots of themes. Spend no more than a few hours picking a theme design. secret: Design DOESN’T matter! (see my rant about “professional looking sites” below)
3) “You need an SEO expert”
Like you need a whole in your head.
I started heavy into professional SEO in 2006. I have done SEO as a consultant, as a contractor, in-house; I’ve done global seo, local seo, you-name-it-I’ve-done-it. It all stinks!
I’m not saying there isn’t money. There is a LOT of money. That’s why India is ringing your phone begging to do your SEO.
I’m saying it is broken.
It costs way too much if you are a startup business to have someone do it for you (even from India); if you don’t know what you are doing and hire the wrong help (fraud/incompetent) you shoot yourself in the foot
The only way to do it that isn’t broken, is to DIY. period.
secret: Google wants YOU to do your own SEO.
Google ranks sites that provide VALUE.
Google is tired of the crappy websites “SEO experts” are pushing and the crappy ways they are promoting them.
Google wants you to write about what you do; if your business is local, Google wants to see your customers reviewing you (1-5 stars); stuff like that.
Most “SEO experts” don’t even attempt to do this for you. You know why? It means WORK. That is a four letter word…
Real SEO experts know that you have to WORK on creating quality and value to rank high on google.
Mostly you have to be PASSIONATE about what your business does and TALK/WRITE/TAKE PICTURES & VIDEO about your business. And persuade others to care about and write about your business.
Its your story. You tell it best, not the “SEO expert”
Telling your story – That’s real SEO.
And that brings me to the next myth…
4) “Your website needs to look polished and professional in order to sell”
This is the lie of all lies.
It is the Mother of all bad marketing myths.
TRUTH: Polished/Professional = bland, boring, Dead. NEVER be polished.
My best client, a client I still have on retainer, a client I worked for in-house… has the ugliest website in Boca Raton (his city of business). It’s also the best ranking AND best selling site for that kind of business in Boca Raton. (Ok, its not really the ugliest; but it is cluttered, homely, full of his quirky style)
Instead of being polished I told him to be PERSONAL.
You need to be PERSONAL. People want to do business with people NOT polish.
His site is full of hundreds of photos of his work, photos of the business, photos and text that tell the story of HOW he takes care of the customer. All of these photos have descriptions with keywords like “NameOfService Boca Raton”
He gives his clients lots of info about his work (lots of text that Google can rank too).
He asks his customers to review him on Google Local (1-5 stars). He has over 35 reviews. These boost his local search rank, no SEO rocket science required.
It’s a bit like dating. A homely Girl/Guy that is talkative and fun wins over a polished stiff.
5) “You can’t DIY”
TRUTH: You CAN. enough said. (want a reason? see next myth)
6) “All SEO is rocket science”
99% of SEO is NOT rocket science. And it is becoming less and less difficult everyday.
DIY resources are everywhere, you just have to know where to look. That is what I (and others) am showing people. Sign up for my newsletter of read info I post on this site and you’ll find them.
Need a better site design? Lots of them free. Can use Artiseer to make a custom one for cheap. etc. etc. etc. DON’T SPEND MONEY
7) “I’m not good with computers to I can’t do my own website
TRUTH: If you can send an email you can build a website. If you can type a Word document you can do your own SEO.
The tools to build a website look just like a Word document.
“You can just hire a web designer/seo, leave everything to him/her, and magically have a great website”