I was corrected recently in a forum and told that in business you should appeal to as many people as possible. This was in response to a comment I made:

I’d rather be hated by 50% of people and loved by 50% than cause no feelings in 100% of people.

Well I stand by my comment and I think it’s a good guideline for your website.

It’s also interesting to note that all that ‘free’ advice you pick up in forums can be more costly than paying someone who knows what they’re talking about. After all, how many millionaires are going round forums giving help?

Exactly. But I digress…

Why

It’s hard to differentiate your business while keeping everyone happy. It simply doesn’t work. A grandmother isn’t interested in the same things a teenager is. A hardcore environmentalist will have conflicting views with a capitalist. We’re all different, that’s just life.

We’ve heard so much about product niches recently, especially online. Well don’t forget the emotional niche as well. If you’re too busy trying to impress everyone with the same thing you’re missing out on taking your business to the next level.

How

Now you don’t really have to go out and try to make people hate you. You can if you want, it’s worked for quite a few people. But you can differentiate yourself in other ways. The important part is you don’t worry about keeping everyone happy. Pissing off a few people can be a good thing.

One thing I use is going after bad web designers. I’m quite happy to state that most web designers have no clue how to make money on the Internet. They may make pretty websites but when they start giving advice where they aren’t qualified, I get a little *grrr*

Can you be an advocate in your industry? Can you use your personality to make you stand out? Can you berate and anger 90% of the world while 10% will walk over hot coals to support you and buy your products?

Homework

Based on what was different about your business, how can you take it to the next level? How can you make your website take the high ground…or the low ground? Though, whatever you do, stay away from the middle ground. That’s where businesses go to die!

And for those that want more, there’s another 4 pages about this is the free Members Only Area.

I’ve just added a new article to my super secret members only area. For those that don’t know, when you sign up with your email I give you access to articles and resources that I don’t want to share with just anybody. And yes, it’s free…because I’m just that nice.

In there you’ll find:

• Why running after get rich quick schemes will mean you stay poor forever
• How to find out what your visitors think of your website

And I’ve just finished “What’s in it for me?” It tells you why you should be focusing on your website visitors and steps you through the process of working out what they want.

Coming soon is a revised copy of my free “Your Website Sucks” guide I released about 6 months ago. I’m changing a few things, making it a nicer read, and will be putting it inside the members only area in a few days.

I’m sure you’ll find it useful if you check it out. Otherwise I wouldn’t bother writing this stuff! You can sign up through the “become my client for free” page.

Sheep are notoriously poor. If you’ve ever been friends with a sheep, you’ll know they’re always trying to borrow a couple of bucks (don’t worry, I didn’t understand the pun either). It’s also the reason sheep don’t have wallets.

So why, as a small business owner, would you want to be a sheep? Obviously, you wouldn’t if you want to feed your family or buy a Ferrari. So why do most small business owners just follow the herd when it comes to their website.

Website Super Success Secret #1:
Be different, stand out, and DON’T be a sheep.

Why

Being the same as everyone else is the worst thing you can do in business. Why will visitors choose you if you offer nothing to differentiate yourself? Sure, you say you offer great service, prices, and the best product on the market. But…so does every single one of your competitors.

Go on…ask them!

You want your website to stand out and be remembered. With billions of websites cluttering the web, that’s no easy task. At least for those lesser beings that don’t read this blog!

If you don’t stand out, you compete on price. And that hurts, especially on the Internet. So why wouldn’t you want your visitors to remember you.

How

What is the hands down, easiest way to stand out and be different? Your personality. By infusing your personality into your website, you start to build a relationship with your visitor that is more than just Mr or Mrs Cardboard Salesperson. They get to know the real you just like they would if they walked into your showroom.

There’s a reason I “make websites betterer”, there’s a reason I talk about poor sheep. It may strike you as insanity (the voices say it’s not…), but I just want to make this stuff a little fun. I know what it’s like reading lots of blogs and the ones I remember are the ones that are different.

I heard someone ask, “But what if I don’t have a personality?” First off, everyone has a personality; the question is if it’s the right voice for your business. If it’s not, make one up. I’m not talking about lying completely and becoming a 21 year old Brazilian swimsuit model, but this is the Internet…

You don’t need the life of the party type personality to hold your audience captive. Most of the time, you’re writing, so make the most of your time to craft just the right message. Take some writing classes. Practice is all it takes. In no time you’ll find it a lot easier to do, trust me.

If worst comes to worst, you can always get a good copy writer to do it for you. And don’t forget the images and design of your website also convey personality. Make sure it all ties together the right way.

Homework

Think about the type of personality you bring to your business. Will your audience connect with it? Then work out how you can sprinkle it into your website. You’ve got to start somewhere and you can refine it over time. So just do it.

To tell you the truth, I’ve been a little bit lost with the blog lately. I’ve gotten good feedback on it and people say they enjoy all the information, but I still don’t feel it’s really the best it can be.

So I put on my thinking cap and sat in the corner for a while. Then, after I’d thought about what I’d done as my mother instructed, I gave a little thought to the blog. And low and behold I came up with a whole new idea-like-thing that I hope will increase your learning.

And no, I’m not talking about learning English grammar…as you can see from the name change, this ain’t that sorta blog! But I want to make improving your website as simple as possible. This all resulted in a new format.

From now on, I’m going to number the website tips, 1 through to 1 billion and beyond. This way, if you want to read the actionable tips you can start at 1 and follow through in some kind of order. While this won’t completely stop me jumping all over the place with topics, it’ll clearly mark tips and hints to improve your website in small, bit size pieces. You read…then you do. Easy as oh so delicious pie.

Inside the post I’m also going to cover the why and the how in two different parts. I want to keep these short and sweet since we’re all short on time nowadays. If you want more how, ask me and it’ll go in the free members section. A reason to sign up, how devious am I?

So I hope you all enjoy the new format and it helps you folks out. As always, I’m open to feedback in the comments or my email inbox.

Ok, it’s finally time to admit the truth. I’ve been giving you all these tips to improve your business and marketing online but I’ve been leaving something out.

You see, there’s a bigger reason that myself and my clients have obtained success in our respective industries. It has nothing to do with search engines or social media. It has nothing to do with branding or being different.

The secret is: Being Evil.

You can find out more here: The Evil Genius Guide To Business

I deeply apologise for misleading you all, I hope I can one day regain your trust…