Photo by Robert S. Donovan
The last time you were feeling lousy, what did you do? Did you wait it out, hoping that it would run its course naturally? Did you go to the pharmacy and try some over-the-counter remedy (hoping one will work)? Or, did you visit your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan?
The biggest marketing mistake small businesses make is using hunches to improve their business without first diagnosing their problems. Business owners will call a website developer and want to freshen their website (making it look more modern or polished). The problem is, most website developers aren’t skilled marketers. They are experts in making the website graphically enticing and functional, but they’re often not as skilled at creating a website that attract more traffic (and more importantly, more clients for you).
The first four questions I ask my new clients are the same:
- Where is your business now?
- What do you want your business to become?
- When?
- What have you tried?
The answers to these questions will start you on a diagnosis and a treatment plan for improving your business. Stop wasting time guessing what’s wrong (or only treating your symptoms).