Lunch began with my client explaining how he needed a website. Why? His friend said he needed one. The business he’s starting is all about finding people. If he can reach customers, he’ll succeed. Each transaction means a lot of money. But how does he find the people? “That’s where the website comes in,” he explains.

What kind of website marketing would he use to reach the people? I had some ideas, but I wanted to ask him first. He didn’t know.

Money is tight in 2009, and this story happens too often. People are willing to spend money, and rightly so, to turn their ideas into a business. And yet so often, their success depends on their business reach - on finding the right people. Exactly how are they going to do this? What are the details? They’re not sure.

There’s something to be said for the ready, fire, aim approach. I certainly admire my client for this. If you don’t get started, you’ll never succeed. However, remember the Dot Coms before 2001? Before the stock market decline? What about all the real estate agents who learned the business just in time for the real estate bubble to burst?

Business marketing is crucial. I strongly believe that websites can succeed, even in 2009. I also believe people can still make plenty of money in real estate. Yet, like so many businesses and ideas, the difference between success or failure is so often in the details. What you know and what you don’t. Or who you know and who you don’t. Let me join your team of advisors. You do have more than one, don’t you?

Let me tell you a little story about sliced bread. I learned this one from Seth Godin. Ever heard of the phrase “That’s the best thing since sliced bread”? About a hundred years ago, a guy had an idea for an invention. You guessed it. A bread slicing machine.

He poured his money into the invention, sure that he’d soon be rich. Nobody was interested, and he died a pauper. Along came a company called Wonder Bread. Instead of marketing the machine, they sliced the bread. They put the bread in a bright wrapper and sure enough, all the kids were asking their moms for it. Nearly instant success and riches.

Certain internet marketing strategies have made me a fair bit of cash. My goal is to show you how I’ve done it. How I’ve helped others do it. How you can reach people too. If I didn’t want to reach people, I’d never have started this blog. Blogging is just a very powerful way to reach people.

Before you go out and start your own blog, remember what we said about details? You don’t have to know everything before you get started, but a few important ones can save you a lot of wasted time and effort. There are a lot of blogs that never make it. There are some simple reasons why, too. More on that later.

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