Online business coaching and Internet marketing training teaching you how to successfully marketing your business online.  OnlineBizU.com is an Internet Marketing community for small service business owners who want automate their business, leverage their expertise, and get more clients online.
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 Rave Reviews
Here are some of our rave reviews from our members ... .

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"Donna Gunter is THE expert for online marketing. Her OnlineBizU website has so many meaty resources for the online entrepreneur that there's no way you won't find what you need there. Her blog posts are filled with useful information that I don't have the time to ferret out for myself, and her classes and products are clear and useful. I'm glad that Donna dedicates herself to serving her customers so well, and


Sue Painter, Marketing Coach and Consultant
ConfidentMarketer.com

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"I recently joined Donna Gunter - OnlineBizU.com membership and from day one have found simply loads of useful and valuable information to support my online business. What a generous lady to share so many 'trade secrets.' Thank you so much and keep the great information coming."


Caroline Nelson, Business Coach for Salons
NelsonBeautyBusinessManagement.com

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"Look at the spring facelift your site got! I am loving the new, softer, rounder look and the colors do POP! Your care about keeping content fresh and your attention for detail is indicative of how you run your business."


Kathy Dannel Vitcak, Entrepreneur
KathyDV.com

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"Thanks for hosting such a great OnlineBizU.com member call on Internet traffic for local business. One of the questions asked was whether this would be a business model for a consultant. You said it was, and I'm here to say it is, too! The list of directories you gave that provide listings for local business was invaluable. I didn't know about most of them! I never would have thought of Craigslist.com as a place to advertise. Also, the tip you gave about setting up a 'throw away' email address was pure gold. Not only will that prevent spam in my 'real' business mailbox, but I can set up email addresses for either different types of inquiries or from different sources. Not only can I help my clients with laser-targeted advertising, this is another way I can track the sources of my own traffic!"


Georgann McCrosson, Marketing Consultant
CatchPhraseMarketing.com

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"I just finished listening to the members-only teleclass, Repurposing Profit Machine.  I soooo appreciate the value, content and clarity you put into everything you do!  The content was well worth paying for and you gave it away to OnlineBizU.com members for FREEEEEE!!!!  Your class was just as clear and to the point as your many articles and your handout was PHENOMENAL -- not one of those weak 1-page fill-in the blank sheets that some hosts use for their teleclasses -- yours is CHOCK FULL of the totally valuable content you shared within the call.  The whole topic of REPURPOSING work so we don't have to re-create the wheel is just so useful in and of itself and you broke it down into over 15 ways we can do it!!  HOORAY!!!  Thanks, as always, for being such an awesome resource!  You totally deserve your title as Queen of Online Biz Resources!  : ) 

 Stephanie Bell, Spirit Coach, Speaker, Author
GrowYourDivineSpirit.com

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"Just wanted to thank you for a great teleclass. I dialed in because I needed help to structure my own teleclasses and your method of turning a previously written article into a teleseminar was especially appealing. You led us through some easy-to-follow steps - and I'm looking forward to trying them out for myself!  My membership at OnlineBizU is proving invaluable as I build my own business online - you're very generous with all the articles and resources you share - thank you!"  

Louise Barnes-Johnston, Business Accelerator & Coach
Frontline-Results.com

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"Just wanted to let you know that you are brilliant! I'm fairly new here and have found so much helpful information already! I became a member of OBU and within a few days cancelled my memberships I was already a part of on other site(s). OBU offers SO much information and helpful products! You are so quick to answer any questions I post on the forums and you always give up to date information and guidance. I am so happy to be a part of OBU and am looking forward to seeing where my business goes from here! Thanks a million!!!" 

Camilynn Bradford
HomeBizCoach.com

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"Thank you for developing and offering Online Biz University - it is one of my top go-to resources. I get so much value from my membership. I enjoy learning new programs and tools (and Donna offers several fantastic resources for continual learning to occur). As my knowledge increases, I am able to demonstrate this new expertise to my clients and offer additional services in my practice, which has allowed me to grow my business." 

Kelly Johnson, Virtual Assistant
Cornerstone Virtual Assistance

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"Donna's OnlineBizU.com website is THE source for Internet marketing ideas and expertise. I found a wealth of information and resources that helped me strategize and find new ways to "get noticed" in cyberspace -- presented simply and intelligently. As always, Donna gives you a huge return on your investment. This is the real deal -- check it out!"

Robin Stephens, Professional Organizer
YourLifeinOrder.com

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"Donna definitely knows her stuff and seems to have an endless supply of ideas for marketing on the Internet that apply whether you are selling products or services. I found her information very helpful at a moment when I needed recharging." 

Stephanie Buehler, MPW, PsyD, CST,
TheBuehlerInstitute.com

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"The uniqueness of what Donna offers is what is most impressive. She'll either have an idea or lead you to a source that no one else who might have a similar product is talking about. I LOVE having that kind of unrivaled information. I rate it as one of the top return's on investments for people who want to get more clients online." 

Pat Weber, America's #1 Coach for Introverts, Shy and Reluctant Who Sell,
ProStrategies.com

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Donna knows her stuff and will go the extra ten miles. I highly recommend that anyone starting an online business check out her excellent consulting and coaching services. You can't go wrong!" 

Ana Young

home | Sample Articles | Grow Your List with an Effective Cli . . .
 

© Photographer: Emin Ozkan | Agency: Dreamstime.com
© Photographer: Emin Ozkan | Agency: Dreamstime.com


Grow Your List with an Effective Client-Capturing Device
Donna Gunter
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You may have heard the saying that "the gold is in your list" for your online business. I've found that to be the case, despite any number of social marketing techniques like blogging, MySpace, etc. It's always extremely helpful to have a list of people to whom you can market.

How do you develop that list and keep adding people to it? You create a client-capturing device. A client-capturing device is a free giveaway that is of value to your target market and serves as a solution to a big problem that challenges your target market.

Once upon a time, the offer for a free ezine was sufficient to capture a visitor's contact info. Alas, that is no longer the case, so you have to up the ante and provide even greater value to your visitor. Your client capturing device can take any of several formats -- an ebook, a recording of a teleclass, a 6- part ecourse, a short downloadable video.

Here is a list of 8 qualities that your free giveaway must contain in order to capture the most clients:

1. Compelling title. Make sure the title of your client-capturing contains a solution to a major problem with which your target market struggles. My title strategy is to use a number and a solution, like 5 Secrets to.... or 7 Mistakes Made By.... When your visitor sees the title, you want him to think, "I've got to get that!"

2. Benefit to visitor. In addition to your compelling title, create 3-4 sentences to describe the content of your client-capturing device. Making an offer is not enough -- you need to convince your visitor that you have the perfect solution to his problem and that he can get that solution very quickly by providing his name and email address to you.

3. Graphic enhancement. A picture is worth a thousand words, and people like to "see" what they're getting. Have a cover or graphic image of your giveaway created that matches the look and feel of your website or blog.

4. Format. You want your client-capturing device to be as easy to use as possible. Therefore, if you're giving away an ebook or special report, create a PDF file that anyone can download and open. If it's an audio file, save it in mp3 format, which can be opened by any audio player. If you want to share videos, embed them into your site using a player that is compatible across both the PC and Mac platforms.

5. Relevant and useful content. Don't hold back in your giveaway. Provide a complete solution to your visitor that can be implemented immediately. Limit the amount of upselling that you do in the content, and save the bulk of that for any followup autoresponders that the visitor receives.

6. More information. Create a page with all the pertinent info about your giveaway. Some visitors will request their copy of your giveaway immediately when they see the offer on your opt-in form, while others will require a bit more convincing.

7. Testimonials. What have previous users said about your download? Add to the excitement and the desire of getting your giveaway by listing how beneficial others have found your information.

8. Put a price on it. To accentuate the value of your giveaway, put a price on it. Make it reasonable for your target market and not completely outrageous. If it sounds too good to be true, most visitors will believe just that and leave your site without requesting your giveaway.

In whatever form it might take, your client capturing device needs to provide some solid information to help your target market solve a pressing problem and not simply be a piece of fluff that advertises your business. If your giveaway is all fluff and no substance, you will have lost this prospective customer for good.

Discuss this topic in the forum.

  Comments or questions? If so, please post them to the discussion forum.

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