Question #1: "Do You Even Care About What I Sell?"

Have you ever visited a website and couldn't figure out what heck they were selling? I have – for a second or two. Then I leave! I'm certain you've had same experience.

A lot of web designers force you to cram your sales message into a limited amount of space, just so they can show off their fancy graphic designs.

They do this because they don't give a rat’s rump about what you sell. Your sales message should take center stage. Not play second fiddle.

If your website's purpose isn't immediately crystal clear to your prospects, you're losing sales.

Question #2: "What Do You Know About Website Usability?"

Have you ever visited a website and then clicked around like a senseless monkey, trying to find something as simple as a product or contact address?

When prospects visit your site, they shouldn't feel like they're on an Easter egg hunt. If they do, they'll leave and cost you a sale.

Question #3: "I Only Have One Product, So How Many Web Pages Should I Get?"

I'm sure this has happened to you before. You visit a website and see a lot of links. You click on one. Then another. And another. Before you know it, you're on a completely different website.

If a web designer says you need more than 1 page for a single-product site, most of time they're out to take you to cleaners.

The more pages you have, more links you need. Simply put: links create distractions. And distractions kill sales.

I wish my son found a different way to be unique and standout, but this simple example speaks to a similar issue companies must address. What is your companies' unique selling proposition or position? Why will potential customers choose your firm over many competitors available in today's global market arena?

New Webster's dictionary terms unique as:

U*unique", a. [F. unique; cf. It. unico; from L. unicus, ]. Being without a like or equal; unmatched; unequaled; unparalleled; single in kind or excellence; sole.

Are you presenting a unique reason for customers to come your way? More importantly, are you positioning your company with this unequaled or unparalleled product or service?

Back to basics Many times companies begin well. They start, intuitively, with a good product or service idea. They know what they do better than anyone else and they go out into market and do it. They gain some measure of success and then they hit a slight barrier. Usually it comes at $1-2M area first. Then, if company is lucky and continues to grow, they hit another barrier at $10million dollar level.

Paradoxically these barriers are a direct result of success in market. Understanding impact and effect of this phenomena is articulated in Marketing Tip #409 - Barriers to Growth, suffice to say most companies hit barriers due to employee growth rates, and mere issue of success -- not due to lack of available market. Simply put, companies tend to lose their direction , and focus. Basically they forget how they achieved their good results.

Global Marketing suggests that company CEO's and senior leaders must always pay particular attention to what they do best. Always get back to basics. Find ways to remind company, and potential customers reason for business. Companies must continue to enunciate, focus and bang away at unique selling proposition in your target market. Doing so will ensure that your company continues to gain market share, keeps customer confusion to a minimum and frightens your direct competitors. These are all good things.