Whether you want to admit it or not, prospective clients ARE going to look for you online and you need to be in control of what they find.

The foundation of your online presence is, of course, your website.

If you don't have a polished, professional, client focused site now, or your current site is out of date, you likely have wondered how to go about go about creating a quick and easy, money making website.     

I am all for having a custom designed site that reflects your brand and has all the "bells and whistles" needed to make it an effective marketing tool.

But, I also recognize that for some folks, creating THAT kind of website seems completely overwhelming.

If that sounds familiar, you'll appreciate these two resources I recently discovered that can help:

• http://FreeBlogFactory.com/
• http://OnePagerApp.com/

In both cases, you can setup a polished, professional (albeit somewhat minimalist) website in just a few hours. You won't necessarily have all the extra cool features you could have, but it is a place to get started.

NOTE: I have not personally used either of these sites, but if I was starting from scratch I would strongly consider using either resource as a place to get started. Just make sure you maintain control of your hosting account by using a company such as HostGator or Bluehost.

If you are feeling really ambitious, you might check out my friend Christina Hill's Website Creation Workshop, where she'll walk you through creating your own customized WordPress website. WordPress is THE platform to use if you are serious about leveraging the Internet to increase your income.

You can learn more about Christina's workshop at:

http://smartsimplemarketing.com/recommends/wordpress-workshop

The bottom line is this: There is NO, I mean NO excuse for you to NOT have a polished presence for your busines online. I know you are a serious business owner. I know you are committed to your work. Please don't undermine that by not paying attention to your online "digital business card".

My grandmother used to say (actually, she still says it), "better to let them think you're stupid than to open your mouth and confirm it". The same princple applies here. Better to control what your prospective clients are finding about you and your business online, than to have them wondering if you are really a serious entrepreneur.

'Nuff said.

With the right subject line, you’ll make an impact with your list members and encourage them to open your email and take a look inside. Also, you can increase your sales, deepen your connection and be more valuable to the recipients of your messages.

There are four simple steps to creating more profitable subject lines:     

 1.       Get to the Point

You should always aim at getting to the point with your subject lines. Don’t try to be funny. Being clear and direct is more important than being clever. When people scan through their inboxes, they are making split section decisions about whether or not to open your email. Being clear and relevant will help them understand what your message is about. Stay true to the theme of the message so they won’t be surprised when they open your message.

2.       Brainstorm a Few Options.

 Don't let your subject line be an afterthought. Give it just as much attention as the body of your message.

 It helps to come up with several different options for your email marketing subject lines. Don’t censor yourself and use common formulas to come up with different options. Here are some ideas to play with:

• Just say what it is. (i.e. "Your order is on the way!" "Here are your webinar details")
• Ask a question
• Focus on a particular number of steps to getting a desired result. 3, 5 and 7 work really well.
• Show the reader "How To". Include words like "simple" and "easy".
• Personalize to the reader's needs.
• Highlight exclusivity. Use words such as "brand new" "just released" "only" "first" "best"
• Create a sense of urgency. Set a timeline. Use words such as "deadline" "hurry" "today only" "now."
• Give social proof. Share a statistic, include a brand name, a celebrity’s name, a testimonial or point to a survey result.

 As you’re brainstorming, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Use the subject line space to tell your story.
2. Many email clients cut the subject line at 55 characters, so focus on the first 30 characters the most.
3. Don’t waste your space with excessive punctuation. Save your characters for actual words.
4. Watch out for buzz words like “FREE” too often. This can set off spam filters.
5. Remember the relationship that you’ve developed with your audience. Don’t be too formal or too casual. Stick with your tone of your brand.

 3.     Match Your Call to Action

The call to action of your subject line is the real point of your message. Your subject line needs to match what you want the reader to do. You’re sending the message because you want people to take a specific action – so hint at this with your subject line.

 4.     Test Your Subject Lines

Once you’ve starting applying these principles to your subject lines, you need to do some real world testing to find out what works best for your audience. Use an email service provider that offers split testing. This way you can send out the same message with different subject lines and you’ll learn which formulas get the best results.

Pay attention to the differences in your testing. Even if it’s a 1 or 2 percentage point difference, that can mean a lot more leads or revenue for you. Review your stats every three months to see which subject lines did best, how long they were and what formats out-performed others. Use what you learn through these stats to make improvements going forward.

By implementing these simple guidelines, you can turn your subject lines into interesting and clickable statements that will improve your marketing results and create more profits in your business.

But when you’re showcasing what you do, you have to be very careful about HOW you present your experience and your solutions. Far too many service professionals focus on the mechanics of what they do when they are trying to sell their services. You don't want to make this mistake, because, honestly, people aren't that interested in HOW you do what you do. All they are really concerned about is getting from problem (point A) to solution (point B) in the easiest, quickest and the most affordable way possible. So you want to talk about your services in a way that acknowledges that and clearly conveys your value.

Some solo professionals struggle with describing what they do in a way that connects with their clients – but if you take the following three steps you’ll be able to avoid this struggle. You can connect with more people who need what you have to offer.

Marketing a service business will inquire an investment of your time and financial resources. What if you don't have a lot of money to spend on marketing? Now what? Does that mean you simply cannot market your service business and your only hope is waiting on the sidelines for someone to hire you? Not at all! Today is the day you learn that marketing a service business with a minimal budget is not only possible, it's easier than you think.

One of the first steps in marketing a service business is to get your branding in place. Make sure your business name, your tag line and your logo are all connected – that they send a consistent, positive and results focused message. Your brand is what prospective clients will remember you by. You've only got a few seconds to make a first impression, especially online, so make sure you have your ducks in a row -- everything about your brand should be clear, concise and consistent.

Once you have these critical elements in place, it's time to use them. The most important thing you need, once you have a brand, is a social proof. You need to be able to showcase how others have benefited from working with you. If you have a contact who will recommend you to their colleagues and friends, you have the beginnings of a client base. If you are just starting out your business and don't have any success stories to share, you need to create some.

I'm not advocating that you do anything unethical here. Don't make up a testimonial or pay your Mom to write one for you. Instead, offer a sample of your services free of charge to a friend or acquaintance in exchange for their positive feedback. (Obviously you have to over-deliver on what you promised!) Post the testimonial and their headshot on your website and you have just begun marketing your business! Repeat that action a few of times and your success stories will start shaping up.

OK, so you have a little branding set up and you have a testimonial or two. Now it's time to get out there and make yourself known. Leveraging social media is a great way to do this! Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Get social- create a page on Facebook, a profile on LinkedIn and a bio on Twitter. Schedule 30 minutes each day to update your profiles, connect with ideal prospects and participate in conversations. Your goal is to share helpful information that relates to your services and positions you as an expert, but be careful to , not go into sales mode. Let folks know who you are and how you have the answers to their problems. Don't just tell them you have the answers- give away a little bit of your expertise and show them you have the answers.
• LinkedIn is another great site to use for marketing your service business. This site is excellent for connecting with people you know- former employers, colleagues, college connections- and they can set you up with other people they know.
• Getting great results with social media marketing is all about being strategic in your efforts. This means you want to spend your time on sites where your target market hangs out, engage others in conversations and get to know then and then follow up with them to expand your network.
• Don't get caught in the trap of spending TOO much time on social media sites. It's easy to lose hours posting and connecting to people. Set a timer if you need to. Accomplish your goal and then move on with the next part of your day.

Marketing your service business without a budget really is possible. It just takes time, effort and some creativity to show ideal prospects who you are and how you can help them solve their greatest challenges.

Small business marketing is not only necessary to your success as an entrepreneur, it's easier than you think. Statistics say your small business has a 1 in 6 chance of survival, but without effective, ongoing marketing, your odds are far less than that. Utilize proven small business marketing strategies that will let you spread the word about your business quickly and get in front of the right people.

Small business marketing can seem like a big task. After all, big corporations have entire departments devoted to nothing other than marketing, so what can you do with a one-woman (or one-man) show? The good news is ...plenty! You can market your small business in a number of ways that will have your phone ringing, inbox filling up and your bank balance growing. One of the keys to success is to build a compelling brand and consistently create awareness for that brand.

Build Your Brand and Market
As important as what you do is, what you need to market is who you are and the solutions you offer - your brand. Think about it - when you think tomato soup, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps it's Campbell's red and white can. (It's probably those cute little kids ice skating, right?) Campbell's didn't spend years promoting the vine-ripened tomatoes that make up their smooth, tasty soup, did they? No way! Instead, they taught us all that when you need tomato soup, there is no one else but Campbell's. They marketed the brand, but they made millions off of the soup.

Don't Hide Out
Be diligent about including your brand on everything that moves, along with everything that sits still. Every email you send should have your branding, and a link to your website. Same goes for every information product, brochure, video, audio product or flyer you send to anyone. It doesn't matter what you put your branding on -- it matters that your small business is everywhere people look. Make yourself known - and use your branding to do it.

Take Action In Spite Of Your Fear
One of the most important parts of your small business marketing strategy is your mindset. It's a big, big world out there and there are millions of folks trying to get their share of the market by doing the same thing you do. Don't allow yourself to feel overwhelmed. Instead of caving in to fear and scarcity, focus on creating results for your target market. Every single success story started with a person who wondered if they could make their dream happen – and then they went out and did it. You are no different. No matter what your emotions tell you, just dive in and do it, even when you're afraid.

You Decide!
You don't have to follow the pack and do the same old, same old. You can and should step out and start a trend rather than follow it. If you have an innovative idea for getting your name out there, go ahead and try it. The more unique and novel your idea is, the more interest and buzz it will create. As long as your strategy is planned and organized, you stand an excellent chance of gaining attention and creating a name for your business. Don't be concerned if an idea isn't proven. Everything was new and innovative once!

Successful small business marketing is easier than you think. Build your brand and your market by taking action and doing something new that shows who you are and why your business is the one your prospects need to choose. Step out of the tired old marketing box and try something new - and you'll look at small business marketing in a whole new way.

Key #1 – Package your solutions with your clients’ problems in mind.

Don’t create packages just for the sake of creating them. Make sure your offerings will really fit the needs of your ideal client. The packages should help them solve their most pressing challenges. You can do this by making a list of common challenges and then coming up with ways that one or a combination of your services can solve those problems. For example, an interior designer may find that many of her clients aren’t sure what their preferred style of décor is. She can offer a consulting service that both helps educate the client on different styles and guides them toward the right fit for them.

Just because you have a small business, doesn't mean your brand should look "homemade". Everything you do from participating in social networks, to your website and how you show up at networking events should reflect a polished professional image.  There is NO second chance for a first impression.

Therefore, you’ll want to give careful attention to your marketing materials and what they're saying about you.  No matter what it is: your website, email newsletter, headshot, social media profiles, etc., your marketing materials should be first class.  They speak to your audience even when you aren't there or long after you've met.  What are your marketing materials saying about you and the services you provide?