From: Mike Jacobs [mailto:mike@remarketingsidekick.
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2018
To: ‘All Clients’, ‘BIRC’
Subject: Newsletter 4: Negotiate a great 2018
I don’t know about you, but I love this time of year. The excitement of the holidays are over, I’m recovered from that non-stop excitement (and cookies), and I’m optimistic about 2018! Oh, and the Patriots are in the Super Bowl.
This is my first newsletter since before Thanksgiving, which seems like so long ago! After I hit send on that last newsletter, my wife and I went into Thanksgiving lockdown as we prepared to host our first Thanksgiving at our home. The turkey and all the fixings turned out great, and everyone left with a full belly, so I consider it a success. The following three weeks were Christmas prep … decorating … shopping … wrapping … shipping … and baking. Our home was a disaster, but it sure smelled great! We spent Christmas with the in-laws in Michigan, which was a blast, but maybe driving through the snow, sleet, and Canada wasn’t the best idea.
In the midst all of that holiday excitement, I had the pleasure to give a presentation about business websites to the Boston Chapter of IASHP (BIRC). I was scheduled for an hour, but there were so many great questions and such amazing discussion, that the presentation lasted an hour and 40 minutes! Fun was had by all. You can view the presentation slides here.
Now let’s move on to the good stuff…
Your Website – Even More Speed!
Your website just got faster.
I know, each newsletter seems to be about another speed enhancement for my clients’ websites. But this time is different.
This time the speed enhancement isn’t about making your website load faster for your visitors. Instead, it is the speed that you get to enjoy when you make changes to your website. Finally, an update that provides an even better experience for YOU!
How did this happen? The theme that your website is built on recently received a update from the developer that enhanced the technology that runs the website editor. The explanation is boring, but the result is awesome. I have been using the update myself, and it’s a great improvement.
If you have made any updates to your website recently, I would love to get your feedback on this speed improvement.
I’m on Google AdWords (and more)
I recently launched ads on Google AdWords and Bing Ads.
What are Google AdWords and Bing Ads, you may ask? They are a form of Search Engine Marketing (SEM), and I Pay Per Click (PPC) for the website traffic I get from the ads. That terminology may not tell you much, so I’ll explain in English.
Google AdWords is a service from Google. When someone Googles keywords that I set, my ad will show up on the Google results page (or SERP). The ad will look like a regular search result, but will have the word “Ad” next to it. Google only charges me when someone clicks on my ad, hence the term Pay Per Click.
Bing Ads works the same way. The difference is that signing up for Bing Ads allows my ads to get shown on Bing, Yahoo, AOL, and many other search engines.
The ads are driving traffic to my website, and some of that traffic has turned into quality leads.
Now that I have told you about my ads, I have one major favor to ask. If you happen to see my ad in any search engine, please don’t click on it! I have to pay for every click, even if it’s from someone who clicks on links for fun to see how ads work.
Have questions about how Google AdWords and Bing Ads work? Send me an email, and I’ll help any way I can.
What I’m Reading
Never Split the Difference
Wow! Just…wow!
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss is a book about negotiating. The topic may sound boring, but the book is phenomenal.
Everything in life is a negotiation. Voss explains how to negotiate any situation in a very simplistic way, illustrated with fascinating stories.
“Everything in life is a negotiation”? Really Mike, really?? Yes, yes it is. There is the obvious, such as negotiating the price to pay for a car, or negotiating a salary. Then there is the not so obvious, such as negotiating with your kids on their bedtime, or negotiating with your spouse on where to go for dinner.
On the flip side, every time you’ve had to justify the price you charge a client is a negotiation. We’ve all been there, right? Voss gives you the tools to not drop your price the first time a potential client questions you.
Every situation has a different negotiation strategy, but it is all based on the primary premise that there is a way for everyone to win. Voss teaches negotiation in Never Split the Difference in a way where everyone involved is a winner.
As if learning how to negotiate everything in life isn’t good enough, the anecdotal stories that Chris Voss writes about are gripping. You see, Voss used to work for the CIA as a hostage negotiator. So you get to read his accounts of negotiating with bad guys to release hostages, and how he used those same negotiation tools to get a great price for his car. The similarities are eerie.
Never Split the Difference was so entertaining and informative that I couldn’t put it down. Plus, the return on investment for this book will be off the charts!
Obviously, I highly recommend this book to everyone.
You can read my full review of Never Split the Difference here.
Final Thoughts
The holidays are over, and the 2018 is a blank page waiting for us to create a great story. Now is the opportunity to help set your business up for a successful year.
Would improving your website help give your website the curb appeal it deserves? Maybe running online ads (SEM) would help generate leads?
It’s cold outside, so no better time to stay inside and prepare for 2018 by updating your website faster than before, possibly trying SEM, and by reading Never Split the Difference.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2018 with lots of great success.
Go Pats!
– Mike
