The Boring Truth About Internet Marketing (and 7 Ways to Make Your Life Easier Now)

The Internet may be relatively new, but any entrepreneur seeking to grow a business online is faced with incredible complexity. From what kind of website to build, to what to say, to how to create real conversation in a digital space, there are innumerable permutations and combinations to choose from. Yet the most effective marketing programs are almost always the simplest ones. Boring but true.

How many times have you been told something costs more because ?It?s complicated?? Did that seem fair? Why couldn’t the seller make something hard into something easy? Isn’t that the value add? Maybe complicated = lazy.

Unfortunately, selling complexity has become run-of-mill online and off. From premium coaching programs to longwinded courses and eBooks to consulting that?s more about contriving intelligence than creating doable solutions, there?s more than enough complexity to go around.

Simplicity though? Give me a big scoop of that please.

Stop adding to the noise. It?s the right thing to do. And it can be profitable.

Complex marketing schemes are expensive. They?re difficult to understand. They usually don?t translate as well as they could with the market. And they?re almost never sustainable anyway. However, marketing programs designed for simplicity add immeasurable value for prospective and existing customers (marketing includes product/service design too). You go from being a font of knowledge and ideas (which is all very nice) to being the optimal pathway to a result.

As a recovering complexity-addict myself, I?ve spent a lot of time (and money) learning the value of simplified marketing. Some things I?ve learned by watching others and some I?ve learned the hard way. Today I’m giving you a chance to skip the mess and get straight to the easy stuff with my top seven simplification strategies. They’re boring and they work. So dig in. Be that breath of fresh air people can?t wait to buy from:

1) Streamline your offerings.�Too many choices cause overload and discourage decision-making. If you have five service packages, make it three. If your pricing is all over the map, narrow it down and put enough of a gap between each price point so your prospect knows exactly which one he fits with.

2) Be the sage, not the sap. Wise men say a lot with a little. Concise communication is an art and you can only get better with practice. Keep emails brief. Learn how to write copy that?s plain spoken and conversational. Ensure pre-consults and sales calls are short and to the point. Above all, devise a clear value promise and center all your marketing around that.

3) Don?t stuff your offers. Don?t dump a bullet list of extras into your offer when one great bonus will easily establish your generosity. Is there anything more insulting than a sales page littered with ?free goodies? but you only get the freebies if you buy their overpriced thing-a-ma-jig right now? Stay laser focused on one value promise. Easier on everyone.

4) Offer humble awesomeness. If your people just need cows, don?t sell them the farm. It?s not only unethical but your solution will ultimately fail because the horses and pigs will distract your customer from milking that awesome cow. (Sorry, this was the first analogy that came to mind. If you think of a better one, please share in the Comments.)

5) Be present and personal. The online space is crowded, not with people but with unedited, tiresome, unoriginal marketing noise. It?s NOT that hard to stand out. Act like a human. Resist the temptation to automate everything. Respond to commenters. Have a real conversation. Update your web content more than once a year. Don?t outsource ?you.?

6) Pick your battles. Stop obsessing over how to add the latest and greatest to your marketing program. People thought social media would kill email and they were wrong. There?s a far better chance you?ll gain the visibility you?re looking for if you choose tactics you can sustain with the resources you have right now. Email, a basic social media strategy, a website with quality content and being yourself are still the most effective marketing strategies out there. Boring but true.

7) Focus on need, not greed. A realtor said to me the other day, ?A house will sell itself.? His job is to communicate critical information about the home and close the deal when the right buyer comes along. My point is that a focus on quality product for a quality buyer trumps the hard sell. If you have something truly special to offer?like a great home at a reasonable price?the right buyer doesn?t need a song and dance. He just needs you to look him in the eye and hand him the keys.

The common theme here: good marketing that gets results need not be difficult or expensive or confusing. Work within your means. Know who you are and what your business stands for. Communicate that with the channels you have to the people who are ready and able to hear your message right now. Forget about the rest. Simplicity rules. And that’s the boring truth.