subject: Online Business Tools To Help Your Business Grow [print this page] As an internet entrepreneur, I believe that phone numbers are important samples of the online business tools that should be prominently displayed on any website. It may be interesting to consider whether getting a 1300 or 1800 number would be preferable to having a mobile number.
We've done a lot of testing with that sort of thing. It comes down to 1800 numbers and 1300 numbers are there for a reason, because they work. You just find that people will want to deal with professionals, they want to deal with someone who is an expert in their niche. A 1800 number says a lot more than a mobile phone number. Mobile phone, to me personally, says small, one man band; 1800 number says company.
What you can do is have three or four 1800 numbers, one for your website, one for your business card or whatever it might be, they can all answer at the same number, you only need one phone line coming into your office. All the 1800 number is basically, is a redirect. When someone calls the 1800 number, it just redirects the call through to your normal phone number. You can redirect it to a mobile phone. But at least that way you can actually track it separately and it's a big thing in terms of using these online business solutions.
We just did some direct mail that is going out on Monday. We did the split testing of four different DL fliers, each one had its own unique phone number. We can see which one actually works. There is no point in doing work if you're not measuring it. I have a mandate that we do not spend a cent unless we can track if that cent made a profit, especially if we are promoting directory maximizer review. Don't just throw money out there and hope one of them is going to stick. Which one sticks?
After reading internet marketing reviews, I remember that there is that old advertising saying that, I know that half my advertising works using online business tools and the other half doesn't, I just don't know which half. You want to test this sort of thing. It's important, not only to have phone numbers on your site, but make them prominent. The biggest thing is, it's about them, not you.
If one number is on everything, it is going to be difficult to track. Do people want to do business with you because of your phone number? The answer is no. I've had this at the office at the moment. We've just bought into another company. We've taken on a couple of business partners in completely different niches, one even promoting aweber review online. One has a 1300 business name and is adamant about having the phone number on everything.
But people aren't doing business with that company because of their phone number and other online business tools. People are doing business with them because of the value proposition, because of the solutions they are going to get. So it's just a matter of educating them that we can do that, but you'll just be throwing money and not knowing which money sticks.