Bringing The Power of Internet Marketing Secrets to the Non-Internet Marketing Company
Why do you read the “About” page?
More than likely, you’re reading this page because you’re either curious about me or because you’re checking me out as a potential business partner. Either way, what you were expecting to find was the usual biography with information about my background, work history and accomplishments. Then, you’ll read a cutesy piece about my cats and life-long dream to travel the Sahara by camel (not really).
Examine what you have on your company About page. Do you proudly display your company mission and purpose? Do you share your history, company philosphy, and your accomplishments? How about personal data? Do you include photos, video, or bios of your officers?
And if your company is small enough, what about the worker-bees? After all, they’re usually on the front line talking to your clients and customers on a daily basis. Who doesn’t enjoy putting a face to a name?
My Mission and Purpose
The best internet marketers don’t work for B2B and B2C companies. They like the freedom of working on their own. They enjoy the fact that they can create sites any way they choose, and all of the profits go into their pockets. Internet marketers have figured out how to sell stuff online.
They are the best at SEO (search engine optimization). They know how to capture leads and what to do with those leads. They understand how to design a site so that it serves their marketing and how to write copy that puts visitors into action.
My mission is to help B2B and B2C businesses effectively apply the secrets of the top internet markters to their businesses, thereby helping them to sell more of their stuff online.
How I Got Here
Mea culpa. I still dream about being a consultant with Hewlett Packard. Allow me to explain.
I started as a computer programmer in 1974 out of college. Yeah, I’m that old. I was in the computer and high tech industry before most of the internet marketing gurus were born. In fact, one of the top 5 internet marketers was my son’s best friend in elementary school. He was a pretty sharp kid.
After 20+ years as a certified computer nerd, and 17 years as an international consultant and project manager for Hewlet Packard, I bailed from high tech with a flourish. I spent the next three years earning an MA in psychology, mostly studying the deeper aspects of Carl Jung.
My experience led me to become a business and executive coach, which soon gave way to a love for writing. I ghostwrote several business books, including a great book on business strategy. I wrote marketing materials for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Yet, I couldn’t keep the old geek in me down. First it was a study of SEO in which I put my love for writing and computer skills to the test with a web site I created for people who want to write a book. Within six months I had nearly 1,000 unique visitors per day to the site from the search engines, with a half dozen keyword phrases in the top 10 of Google.
I immersed myself in the dark and dangerous world of the internet marketer. I’ve taken every course offered, and then some. I’ve participated in year-long programs to hone my internet marketing skills and knowledge. I’ve built squeeze pages, landing pages, and helped my clients generate mailing lists of thousands, and in some cases also making a ton of money.
I suppose that I’m still a teacher at heart, though. My goal in college was to teach high school math and coach basketball. I never accomplished that goal, and life has brought me full circle back to teaching.
I happen to thoroughly enjoy working with real businesses. I’ve worked with my share of solo entrepreneurs… and yes, they are often as flaky as they seem. I like the stability of a real business. I like working with leaders, and to be honest, most solo entrepreneurs are not leaders or good decision makers. They flitter from one idea to the next.
I like follow-through… taking something from start to finish and then testing the results.
And that’s why I’m here, why I’ve built this blog, and why one friend and colleague calls me an “alchemist.” I’m here to take the raw materials of internet marketing and transform them into something common B2B and B2C businesses can use.
The Personal Stuff…
I do have cats… four of them to be precise. I’m engaged to the most wonderful woman – a fun, sexy, smart RN who holds a steady and reliable job at OHSU as a “Renal Transplant Coordinator” (I love saying that). I call Portland, Oregon my home, and that’s my base for the myriad of outdoor activities in which I partake: dragon boating… hiking… (soon) mountain climbing… and road biking.
