How to STOP Overspending on SEO

It's an all too familiar story ... 

Running a small business from home, seems like such a great idea when you're first getting started. Just the option of being able to control the type of work and clients you prefer to deal with, is an exciting step forward. At least until one of your friends offers the kind advice ...

        "You should really have a website."

This piece of advice is then quickly followed up with ...

       "I have a nephew who can make websites."

So you decide to take your friend up on their kind offer, and after 3 months of pestering the nephew, your website finally appears. It's not exactly what you expected, but it's better than nothing, right? As he shows you how to make updates, you start to consider the viability of doing a computer programming course at night school.

Surely having a website doesn't have to be this difficult?

Over the next few months, you tell everyone about the new website, asking them to spread the word. You post it up on facebook, tweet about it, stick a business card up on the community noticeboard, and even send out a newsletter to a handful of clients. But nothing happens. It's not even listed on google.

After reading some of those spam emails that arrive in your mailbox each morning ... Affordable SEO ... #1 Page Listing ... Website Promotion ... SEO Proposal With Authentic Results!! ... and not even being sure what "seeyo"is, you call a company with a reputable looking website. They have a professional and friendly phone manner, seem to use all the right jargon, and are very convincing that their promotional package is all you need. It will only cost you $1000 per month, but you'll get that back 10 fold with the amount of work coming in. You feel pretty proud when you strike a deal for $500 per month on a 6 month contract, and sit back, ready to be inundated with work.

The first month brings in a heap of enquiries, but they're not really related to your business. Apparently this is quite normal to begin with, and next month will be better. But as the months go by, you're spending more than you're making, even though the monthly report shows 100 website hits per day. So you start to wonder if working for yourself is really all it's cracked up to be.

Sadly this is a very common scenario, and while the promotional companies aren't doing anything wrong, they are much better sales people than they are promoters.

And what do you do once you've found yourself in this situation?

1. Stop pouring good money after bad
2. Review your website from a customer's perspective. If you need to remake it, then have a look at a DIY WIX website.
3. Choose a product or service that you wish to promote. Just the one. And focus on it.
4. Work out the reality of what you are capable of spending on promotion NOW...
   If it's $1 per day, then don't be convinced otherwise.
5. Work out where your hard earned dollar is best spent. Where is your audience? Facebook? Twitter? or are they searching Google? Then create yourself a small advert but very specifically targeted soas not to overspend on unlikely clients.

You won't get new work in overnight, there is no quick fix. But with regular maintenance, your self promotion will start to build, and the work will follow.

FREE Useful Tools

• DIY WIX website
• Google Keyword Planner
• Google Analytics
• Google Webmaster Tools
• IFTTT - Automated social media posting 
• Facebook Page Review - Likalyzer