Dog Star Media is proud to present to new web site debuts this week. Congratulations to Dr. Anh-Tuan Trong and his wife April, who completed their Flash web site in exactly the projected number of weeks. Their new site, EastBaySurgicalArts.com, is going to be a centerpiece in the marketing of their new practice.
MedicalSalesConsulting.com has some great Flash Video. Congratulations to this new company who made the wise choice of professional talent for their video.
I would also like to share two great stories from recent meetings with some of my retainer clients, both cosmetic dentists. I have heard a lot of people talking about the slow first quarter over the past several weeks. I have also tried to encourage all of you to fight through it, making improvements when you could and trying not to evaluate your marketing decisions the way an accountant would... based on a short-term bottom line. The fact is, in days like this, the more gun-shy and less battle-tested players tend to recoil. (Then, in better times, the complain to me about wanting to avoid peaks and valleys... the opposite side of the same coin.)
However, there are those that make consistent efforts, consistent investments and search for places where they can personally affect productivity. In other words, they work through slow times rather than running for cover.
Dr. Amy Norman, a cosmetic dentist in Everett, WA (www.dreamsmile.com) reported some great news for me that occurred across the entire fourth quarter. Facing the same slow times we all are, she and her team set the goal of improving case conversion. For the first quarter, she blew past her goal almost doubling the percentage they wanted to increase. The result, her best quarter ever... that is how she will remember 1Q/2008.
Dr. Norman set this goal on her own, but improving case acceptance is a major part of improving your marketing ROI. In my coaching program, I help clients try to focus on tracking this to learn if improvement in this area can help cut marketing expenses.
Dr. John Rose, a cosmetic dentist in Long Beach, CA (www.longbeachcosmeticdentistry.com) combined an improved investment in SEO with some hands-on work by his staff. His team updated their web site with fresh, new content on a regular basis. Dr. Rose and his team have begun to blog, to add new content to his site more frequently and a greater focus on SEO gave way to some telling statistics.
Since Dec. 15, Dr. Rose’s web traffic has steadily increased with new visitors almost doubling each month from this time last year. The traffic stays longer and for the first time ever, made his Patient Services page the most requested page on his web site, even more so than the home page. That means people are clicking to it, checking out a service, then clicking back to it. It also means it is more interested traffic. How has this paid off? His web site has a tracking number which has recorded a steady increase in phone calls from the web site and, in our meeting yesterday, Dr. Rose confirmed that they had exceeded their goal for new patients in the month of March, 2008. He said this was a goal that he thought he would have to work up to over the coming months due to the economy. How will he remember the first quarter of 2008? Probably as the quarter that he beat the odds by sticking to his marketing guns and putting some elbow grease into attracting more people.
The lesson is that you can exceed goals in slow times. How? First of all don't quit. It is okay to re-evaluate but do not quit. Don't let your accountants make marketing decisions for you. I tell my coaching clients (the ones who will allow me to help them budget... yes, some do not) that you should make a consistent marketing expenditure each month and have an annual budget. Why? To avoid cowering when times get tough. The same way you need to pay the light bill, you need to stick to your SEO investment and marketing investments that give you marketing infrastructure. Coming out of slow times is even harder if you start in slow times. If you are getting advising, ask those advisers how to better return ROI. I know in my coaching, the clients get unexpected responses. I almost always advise spending less, but doing it more smartly.
I am not taking the credit for the clients whose story I have told here. But, they are following good advice and practices. I made a call out for anyone who needs advising in a slow market. If you need the advising, sign up for my coaching. Just email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
First Impressions and a $1500 discount on Flash
We use tracking strategies with our retainer clients and we recommend them for my coaching clients. One is a tracking number strategy, where a unique number that traces calls is placed in ads, on the web site in in the call to action on a marketing piece. It tells us where the real calls come from.
Through an analysis of actual responses and, when you watch where your web traffic comes from) it becomes obvious that most calls to action start with one action: Checking you out on the web.
For some of you who have good or great web sites, you are in good shape. However, for those of you with sub-par, outdated or poorly constructed web sites, I have bad news. This is how you appear on first impression to most new prospects.
This can have a quiet but devastating effect on your new business potential. And, these days, when competition is heating up for the available business, you don’t want to make a bad first impression.
The last blog I wrote about web site quality (Feb 26: 10 Signs you need a new web site) triggered a pretty big response. If you are out there wondering what you can do, I want to make three of you a timely incentive.
For cosmetic medicine and dentistry, you should make a great first impression with Flash. Our cost of a Flash web design is $7500, about middle of the road in terms of cost but the design is custom... so the value is definitely there. If you are among the three doctors or dentists out there who are the most motivated to make a better first impression on the web with a Dog Star Media Flash web site, just contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. I will give a $1500 discount on a Flash web site to the next three doctors or dentists that mention this offer and begin their web site design in April.
Improving your first impression just got 20% less expensive if you move quickly.
Through an analysis of actual responses and, when you watch where your web traffic comes from) it becomes obvious that most calls to action start with one action: Checking you out on the web.
For some of you who have good or great web sites, you are in good shape. However, for those of you with sub-par, outdated or poorly constructed web sites, I have bad news. This is how you appear on first impression to most new prospects.
This can have a quiet but devastating effect on your new business potential. And, these days, when competition is heating up for the available business, you don’t want to make a bad first impression.
The last blog I wrote about web site quality (Feb 26: 10 Signs you need a new web site) triggered a pretty big response. If you are out there wondering what you can do, I want to make three of you a timely incentive.
For cosmetic medicine and dentistry, you should make a great first impression with Flash. Our cost of a Flash web design is $7500, about middle of the road in terms of cost but the design is custom... so the value is definitely there. If you are among the three doctors or dentists out there who are the most motivated to make a better first impression on the web with a Dog Star Media Flash web site, just contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. I will give a $1500 discount on a Flash web site to the next three doctors or dentists that mention this offer and begin their web site design in April.
Improving your first impression just got 20% less expensive if you move quickly.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Recession... Now what?
I saw more than one headline on Monday that stated 3/4 of Americans think our economy is in a recession. So now what?
It has been five years since the last economic recession ended (2003) and seventeen years since the one before than finally turned upward (1991). This means, most of you have not had to ride through a real economic downturn as a decision maker.
Many of you who are experiencing a slow time are wondering if this is just the season or will this slow down last a while. For small businesses, it does not matter if you are marketing properly. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel like your marketing infrastructure can help you ride out a slow time? I speak from experience when I say, yes it feels great. All you need to do is have the right database marketing programs in place. The fact is, when there is less business available, the trick to not slowing down is knowing where that business is. So, how do you do that?
In a recent first coaching meeting with a new client, I explained how we approach budgeting for an annual marketing plan. Our budgets are based on the fact that several kinds of marketing strategies are in place, not just major expenses for mass media. We recommend marketing expenses for the year equal a certain percentage of your gross income (Sorry, have to be a coaching client to get all of this. I can’t give it all away free!). The new client was surprised at how low that percentage was compared to what he expected. Then, I had to explain that to achieve this number a practice needed to keep mass media advertising in check by investing time and effort into numerous one-to-one and database marketing initiatives. It is great advice.
The practice that has many active data-driven strategies is the one that best weathers slows downs, slow seasons and recessions. Why is that?
Slow downs and yes, even recessions, do not indicate a stop in the economy or purchases. If it did, we would all go out of business and we all would be keeping our money in mason jars under the bed. Instead, slow downs simply mean that there are fewer more willing buyers immediately available. In other words, to keep growing you actively have to find more leads, rather than simply taking orders. In other words, whoever knows where the most business is, usually gets there first. To manage the kind of knowledge that yields this power, one needs a database and excellent strategies to keep learning... every week if necessary.
Unfortunately, most professional services (like cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic dentists) are much more comfortable gathering what we call “low hanging fruit.” Those are the people that are right there for the picking.
But what happens when there is no low hanging fruit or, more accurately, if the low hanging fruit is harder to pick off the tree. This situation does not mean that there is no fruit on the tree. It just means more effort or different tactics must be used to get to the fruit. The important fact here is that there is fruit on the tree. The change in tactics is where everyone usually seizes up or come to the party way too late to be effective.
The best tactics to use in an economic slow down are database marketing tactics. The strategies we recommend are, for the most part, inexpensive thanks to the Internet. That always makes people feel better about using them in a slow down. Basically, the theory behind what we suggest in this situation is to increase your influence on the people who are within your influence. It is a proven fact that it is easier and more cost effective to sell another service to an existing customer. Trust is already established and that is the expensive part of finding new contacts. To take this one step further, it is easier to acquire new, qualified leads by leveraging the circles of influence of the people in your circle of influence. Done properly, you have an army of foot soldiers out there primed to make referrals to you. (Highlighted and bold for a reason)
This is a viable database marketing process that is designed to network your practice exponentially. Remember the old ad.. “They told two friend, and they told two friends and so on, and so on...” This is possible for you if you know how to do it and it costs a fraction of what one mass media buy costs. Plus the impact often reaches far beyond the results of one ad placement.
It is these kinds of strategies that make it easier to reach the fruit that is higher up on the tree. That is because this is a selling strategy. If you employ these database strategies in your practice, you go from being a full-time order taker to someone who is actively working their network. The patient or client conversion process is the same, but by being active, you will reach more people directly.
Normally, in my blog, I discuss things that we offer and let you make your mind up about if they might interest you. At the very least, I offer something you can use on your own. However, this time, I am going to set my rules aside and call those of you to action who are worried about times being slow.
If, after reading this, you realize that you are
1)Overspending on advertising and your results are being affected by the slow down,
2)Unable to mount a networking campaign because you rely too much on advertising or the Internet for new leads or
3)You realize that you are not working the all-important concept of your Circle of Influence.
then you need to email me about my coaching program. Just do it right now. Here is the link: donald@dogstarmedia.com. My coaching program is only $300/month and it comes with free perks throughout the year. Enroll and I will tell you everything and show you how to do it. I will tell you how I maintain an active network marketing program that bring in new business of various kinds every month for us. And, most importantly, I will show you how an ongoing database marketing program can be like a warm blanket in the cold days of a recession.
It has been five years since the last economic recession ended (2003) and seventeen years since the one before than finally turned upward (1991). This means, most of you have not had to ride through a real economic downturn as a decision maker.
Many of you who are experiencing a slow time are wondering if this is just the season or will this slow down last a while. For small businesses, it does not matter if you are marketing properly. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel like your marketing infrastructure can help you ride out a slow time? I speak from experience when I say, yes it feels great. All you need to do is have the right database marketing programs in place. The fact is, when there is less business available, the trick to not slowing down is knowing where that business is. So, how do you do that?
In a recent first coaching meeting with a new client, I explained how we approach budgeting for an annual marketing plan. Our budgets are based on the fact that several kinds of marketing strategies are in place, not just major expenses for mass media. We recommend marketing expenses for the year equal a certain percentage of your gross income (Sorry, have to be a coaching client to get all of this. I can’t give it all away free!). The new client was surprised at how low that percentage was compared to what he expected. Then, I had to explain that to achieve this number a practice needed to keep mass media advertising in check by investing time and effort into numerous one-to-one and database marketing initiatives. It is great advice.
The practice that has many active data-driven strategies is the one that best weathers slows downs, slow seasons and recessions. Why is that?
Slow downs and yes, even recessions, do not indicate a stop in the economy or purchases. If it did, we would all go out of business and we all would be keeping our money in mason jars under the bed. Instead, slow downs simply mean that there are fewer more willing buyers immediately available. In other words, to keep growing you actively have to find more leads, rather than simply taking orders. In other words, whoever knows where the most business is, usually gets there first. To manage the kind of knowledge that yields this power, one needs a database and excellent strategies to keep learning... every week if necessary.
Unfortunately, most professional services (like cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic dentists) are much more comfortable gathering what we call “low hanging fruit.” Those are the people that are right there for the picking.
But what happens when there is no low hanging fruit or, more accurately, if the low hanging fruit is harder to pick off the tree. This situation does not mean that there is no fruit on the tree. It just means more effort or different tactics must be used to get to the fruit. The important fact here is that there is fruit on the tree. The change in tactics is where everyone usually seizes up or come to the party way too late to be effective.
The best tactics to use in an economic slow down are database marketing tactics. The strategies we recommend are, for the most part, inexpensive thanks to the Internet. That always makes people feel better about using them in a slow down. Basically, the theory behind what we suggest in this situation is to increase your influence on the people who are within your influence. It is a proven fact that it is easier and more cost effective to sell another service to an existing customer. Trust is already established and that is the expensive part of finding new contacts. To take this one step further, it is easier to acquire new, qualified leads by leveraging the circles of influence of the people in your circle of influence. Done properly, you have an army of foot soldiers out there primed to make referrals to you. (Highlighted and bold for a reason)
This is a viable database marketing process that is designed to network your practice exponentially. Remember the old ad.. “They told two friend, and they told two friends and so on, and so on...” This is possible for you if you know how to do it and it costs a fraction of what one mass media buy costs. Plus the impact often reaches far beyond the results of one ad placement.
It is these kinds of strategies that make it easier to reach the fruit that is higher up on the tree. That is because this is a selling strategy. If you employ these database strategies in your practice, you go from being a full-time order taker to someone who is actively working their network. The patient or client conversion process is the same, but by being active, you will reach more people directly.
Normally, in my blog, I discuss things that we offer and let you make your mind up about if they might interest you. At the very least, I offer something you can use on your own. However, this time, I am going to set my rules aside and call those of you to action who are worried about times being slow.
If, after reading this, you realize that you are
1)Overspending on advertising and your results are being affected by the slow down,
2)Unable to mount a networking campaign because you rely too much on advertising or the Internet for new leads or
3)You realize that you are not working the all-important concept of your Circle of Influence.
then you need to email me about my coaching program. Just do it right now. Here is the link: donald@dogstarmedia.com. My coaching program is only $300/month and it comes with free perks throughout the year. Enroll and I will tell you everything and show you how to do it. I will tell you how I maintain an active network marketing program that bring in new business of various kinds every month for us. And, most importantly, I will show you how an ongoing database marketing program can be like a warm blanket in the cold days of a recession.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
A marketing research project that will benefit cosmetic practices
You know, if I had called this column what it really is, I would have torpedoed readership this week. Dog Star Media is beginning a research project, but it is a sales research project. It can be broadly described as marketing if it makes you feel better. Normally, most small business owners start to look for the nearest door. Sales behaviors are key behavior for growth and that is why we are starting this new initiative.
Networking is a sales skill. This skill is enabled by tools, processes and behaviors. For cosmetic medical and dental practices, networking through your referral network is the classic Catch-22. Most of these sorts of practices rely on steady referrals. Matter of fact, they probably out-pace anything that comes in from reasonable marketing efforts. However, the Catch-22 comes in the fact that very few can influence their referral network.
Doing what it takes to take control of your referral network is not for everyone. It requires patience, the right tools and a feel for it. If you are in my coaching program, I try to teach this to you. In my referral blog, I am presenting a long and detailed explanation behind why this is critical. In addition, tonight I am introducing how we will be attacking this issue on a global basis.
Dog Star Media will begin developing a detailed profile a cosmetic practice with successful network-extending practices. We will be gathering data with real numbers from cosmetic surgery practices that use our post-liposuction and post-breast surgery health and fitness DVD series. Participation is confidential and voluntary and those practices that make recurring orders, will play a larger part. We will periodically ask survey questions and gather as much information as possible on the other forms of marketing they are doing.
Our goal will be to develop a profile of the efficiently networking cosmetic practice. This should benefit cosmetic dentists as well as cosmetic surgeons. The profile will be something we refine from time to time as we are able to analyze new data that comes in. Results will be posted on a special blog that follows this project.
WANT TO HELP? Please do. We need all the data we can get.
Start by helping yourself. If you are a cosmetic surgery practice that performs liposuction or breast surgery, try our post-surgical DVDs in your practice. Nearly all those that are trying the DVDs with patients are passing the cost along to them as part of the surgery. So, this is a marketing tool that costs you nothing. You have everything to gain. Plus, your continued use of the product (should you choose that) will help yourself and other cosmetic practices by contributing to our profile project.
We are starting with the premise that most new business is one degree of connection away from you. If you know this to be true but want to quantify how to master this huge potential, start by ordering your first set of DVDs. You can learn more about how the DVDs work at thecosmeticchannel.com/dvd.html
Networking is a sales skill. This skill is enabled by tools, processes and behaviors. For cosmetic medical and dental practices, networking through your referral network is the classic Catch-22. Most of these sorts of practices rely on steady referrals. Matter of fact, they probably out-pace anything that comes in from reasonable marketing efforts. However, the Catch-22 comes in the fact that very few can influence their referral network.
Doing what it takes to take control of your referral network is not for everyone. It requires patience, the right tools and a feel for it. If you are in my coaching program, I try to teach this to you. In my referral blog, I am presenting a long and detailed explanation behind why this is critical. In addition, tonight I am introducing how we will be attacking this issue on a global basis.
Dog Star Media will begin developing a detailed profile a cosmetic practice with successful network-extending practices. We will be gathering data with real numbers from cosmetic surgery practices that use our post-liposuction and post-breast surgery health and fitness DVD series. Participation is confidential and voluntary and those practices that make recurring orders, will play a larger part. We will periodically ask survey questions and gather as much information as possible on the other forms of marketing they are doing.
Our goal will be to develop a profile of the efficiently networking cosmetic practice. This should benefit cosmetic dentists as well as cosmetic surgeons. The profile will be something we refine from time to time as we are able to analyze new data that comes in. Results will be posted on a special blog that follows this project.
WANT TO HELP? Please do. We need all the data we can get.
Start by helping yourself. If you are a cosmetic surgery practice that performs liposuction or breast surgery, try our post-surgical DVDs in your practice. Nearly all those that are trying the DVDs with patients are passing the cost along to them as part of the surgery. So, this is a marketing tool that costs you nothing. You have everything to gain. Plus, your continued use of the product (should you choose that) will help yourself and other cosmetic practices by contributing to our profile project.
We are starting with the premise that most new business is one degree of connection away from you. If you know this to be true but want to quantify how to master this huge potential, start by ordering your first set of DVDs. You can learn more about how the DVDs work at thecosmeticchannel.com/dvd.html
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
New Web Sites from Dog Star Media
I think last week, I hit a nerve in this blog when I wrote about 10 signs that you need a web site upgrade. We had a DSM-record response in the two days following the blog post with people looking for new, better web sites.
Those people are at the beginning of the process. Here are two web sites that we completed in the last week who have completed the big leap to a new web site. Both are HTML web sites with Flash elements added. I like the designs of both and both are very SEO-friendly.
This web site is for a cosmetic dentist in Michigan, Dr. Michael Rak.
http://hollandsmiles.com
This web site is for a sports bar in Frisco, which is north of Dallas. 3rd Base Sports Bar is owned by a cosmetic surgeon located in Plano, Dr. Doohi Lee.
http://www.3rdbasesportsbar.com
This is the time of year when a lot of people revisit their Internet strategies. If you are one of those people who wonder if their web site is hurting their image online, we probably need to talk. You can email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Those people are at the beginning of the process. Here are two web sites that we completed in the last week who have completed the big leap to a new web site. Both are HTML web sites with Flash elements added. I like the designs of both and both are very SEO-friendly.
This web site is for a cosmetic dentist in Michigan, Dr. Michael Rak.
http://hollandsmiles.com
This web site is for a sports bar in Frisco, which is north of Dallas. 3rd Base Sports Bar is owned by a cosmetic surgeon located in Plano, Dr. Doohi Lee.
http://www.3rdbasesportsbar.com
This is the time of year when a lot of people revisit their Internet strategies. If you are one of those people who wonder if their web site is hurting their image online, we probably need to talk. You can email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)