I'm going to presume that most of you reading
this consider yourself a "professional," and as
such, you probably fit one or more of these descriptions:
You pursue your occupation as a means of livelihood.
You declare yourself to be well-qualified.
You consider yourself an expert at what you do.
You demonstrate character, integrity, and dependability (i.e., professionalism).
Did you know that it's these very qualities
that can set you apart from the crowd on the Internet?
Let's take them one at a time.
There are many people on the Internet who work other jobs
and are using their websites merely as a source of additional
income. If you look closely, I'll bet you can distinguish
who these people are. Not only do the sites generally have
a very amateurish look to them, but they are often made
up of nothing more than affiliate links or Google ads.
On the other hand, if you are using the Internet to promote
and advance a service that is your livelihood, you
put much more effort into your website. You realize that
visitors are going to make judgments on the quality of your
service by how you present yourself. You recognize any limitations
you may have in writing and/or design and hire someone to
assist you so your site will be the best it can be.
People who are promoting someone else's product or service
have no need to advise visitors of their qualifications.
However, because your goal is to have people hire you to
perform a service, you know how important it is that they
know you are well-qualified, so you include mention
of your training, education, experience, etc. on your website.
A synonym for the word professional is expert. Because
you consider yourself an expert at what you do, you
"market" yourself in your website copy. You tell
visitors what you do and how good you are at doing it. You
include samples of your work, testimonials, guarantees,
etc. Your copy is sales-oriented and brings out the benefits
of doing business with you.
Demonstrating character, integrity, and dependability are the features that truly distinguish you as a Professional
and give you the competitive edge. You know that when people
hire you to provide a service, they are expecting more than
just the service itself; they are also purchasing a relationship
with you. Thus, you fulfill their expectations by answering
their e-mails promptly, anticipating their needs, meeting
deadlines, respecting the limits of their resources, maintaining
confidentiality, and exhibiting honesty and trustworthiness.
Anthony Putnam in his book, Marketing
Your Services, made this statement: "To stand
out from the crowd, positively and distinctively, requires
nothing more than the ability to act as the top-notch professional
you are -- consistently and visibly, from the first words
to the last."
Nan Yielding has nearly 10 years experience as an online business owner. She is the owner of Writing-Etc.com and offers internet marketing services and assistance to help website owners attract more customers and increase sales.
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