What about an ad in the local newspaper or a trade publication? They don't come cheap. When was the last time you heard an advertising salesman say:

"If you're not happy with the volume of responses and sales you get from the ad I will give you your money back."

How many times have you heard an ad salesman say:

"I will tell you exactly how many people view your advertisement, how long they read it for and which ad they were looking at before they starting reading your ad. You can use this to work out the profile of your potential customers."

Hardly likely is it? Yet this is the kind of information that you can get your hands on via your website.

Expensive is a dirty word. Nothing is about cost - everything is about value. Having a great profile on the web can not only bring you more customers and sales but it can boost the perceived size and stature of your company.

As a business owner of course you want to see your website at the top of the search engines - everyone wants to be higher than their competitors - what value would you put on this?

Imagine placing an ad in a magazine and asking the salesperson:

"Can you guarantee me more sales? Will you give me my money back if people read the ad but don't buy my product?"

It just wouldn't happen. And yet there is a lot of scepticism surrounding the web - I come across it every single day.

"Michael, we've had our fingers burned in the past and though I like what you're saying how do I know you're not one of the cowboys?"

Ultimately nobody will ever buy anything from anybody unless buyer confidence is established - no matter what is being sold. And the only way to establish buyer confidence is to develop a lasting relationship built on trust, two-way communication and transparency of information.

I don't believe that website marketing is, or should be, a black art. I don't believe that copywriting or accounting are black arts. They are all just things that, if you want done right, you need to get the professionals in to do.

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