In Sales, the Link is the Thing!

How has the Internet affected the world economy? Jeff Jarvis, author of “What Would Google Do?” shares how a simple hyperlink on a website has changed business forever.

A link can now connect you to a wealth of information across the Internet. With a simple link, you can connect with new people, groups, places, reports, videos, audios, images, etc. Anything and everything your heart desires, you can find it on the Internet. All within a few keystrokes.

In the past, you would engage with companies and vendors to share information about your product or service. Not anymore. What was once a world based on scarcity now offers an abundance of choice. Companies operating with the old media model created content and protected it. In addition, they restricted access to it. They even demand that you pay for it. No more. People have greater access and more ways to find the information they seek. They have more options than ever.

Google has disrupted the “old school” model and expanded new possibilities. For companies that embrace the Internet, there are new opportunities. Unfortunately, for traditional companies that continue to cling to the status quo, the results will mean reduced sales, profitability, and certain extinction. Companies that share their information freely will gain great exposure and the potential to generate more revenue, sales and profits.

What does it mean for sales? It means that a simple website will not provide you with the exposure that you need. Just because you build it doesn’t mean people will come to visit and buy from you. You need to create content that makes people stop and pay attention and want to comment and share with their friends and associates. Your content must be unique, different and memorable. It should be easy to share over the Internet.

Everything on the Internet has a link. Your company’s website has a link. Every web page has a link. His podcast page has a link. Your published articles and comments have a link. Their press releases have a link. Your videos have a link. The social network has a link. Your business profile on your network has a link. Perhaps, you are picking up the clue. With a link, you can attract new prospects and business. This is why a bond is so important. The link connects your content with other people interested in the topic. The link offers you the opportunity for the world to discover you and your company. What if 10,000, 100,000, or a million people visited one of your website pages? How would that affect your business? What if you closed the sale with just one percent of those visitors? How many sales would it produce?

Are you creating good content or any content? If you’re not producing content, if it’s not searchable, then your prospects will never find it. If they can’t find you, don’t wait for calls asking about your product or service. There will be none. Also, if someone doesn’t know and you call them, what do you think is the first thing they’re going to do to investigate you and your company? Yes, they will google you for more information about you. Don’t you too? If you don’t have any content that is linkable, you reduce your business opportunities. The more links you produce, the more opportunities you have to generate more sales.

If you are successful in creating great content, people will discover you, save your link, share your link with their family, friends and associates. In sales, it is important to establish credibility, experience, expertise, and results. Think of the possibilities, if visitors could listen to a podcast, watch a video, access a PowerPoint presentation, check out your testimonials page, or read an article you wrote. Would this improve the chances of a sale? Of course. And more importantly, they may want to know more about you and develop a business relationship with you.

I know that when it comes to sales, it’s best to make a direct connection by making a face-to-face call or meeting. However, wouldn’t it be great if someone called or emailed you and wanted to do business with you because of an interesting podcast they heard from you? Or they watched you on your weekly vlog, OR they read an article you wrote. Or they noticed that you participated in an interesting webinar or webcast. Do you understand my point? The customers you want are the people searching the internet, not just pointing and clicking on paid sponsored links.

What if no company in your industry had adopted these new media strategies? What would have happened if you were the first? While your competitors are sending more postcards, form letters, and cold calls and getting the same minimal results, you were attracting people, making new connections, building new relationships, generating new leads, and producing more sales.

What if your competitors embrace the internet and start doing all of the above – blogs, podcasts, articles, videos and press releases – and start attracting more business? How would you feel? How would that affect your company? How would that affect your sales and profits? If you’re not creating a web presence or digital image, you won’t be discovered.

When it comes to your web presence or digital image, is it memorable or forgettable? When it comes to sales and in the Internet age, the link is key.

Embrace the new social networks and consider the possibilities of sale

Search for your name and review your results

Search for your company and check your results

Search for your keywords and phrases and review your results

Review and analyze your website (see http://www.websitegrader.com)

Start a blog and add audio, video and widgets

Start a podcast (audio and video)

Start writing articles and comments.

Start connecting on Twitter

Start creating PowerPoint presentations and share them online: Linkedin, SlideShare, Google Docs, Facebook, etc.

Research how you and add widgets to your website or blog