“by the time your local business gets on the internet...will it be too late?”

“your customers are online...and so is your competition.
how much longer can you afford to wait?”

dear local business owner,

did you know that over 48 million adults in the u.s. went online looking for local businesses just like yours last year? would you like to know how to turn these hungry consumers into your customers?

bud matto increased his web sales by 500%...

ask bud matto, owner of matto cycle, a motorcycle sales shop in pottsville, pennsylvania... he’ll tell you that his sales have increased by 500% since he started using the web to sell directly to local customers, and provide incentives to lure customers into his store. the shop now makes 40 to 60 sales per month through www.mattocycle.com, up from 8 to 12 sales from its old catalog.

quality transmission’s revenues are now over $500,000 per year..

or talk to bob jones, owner of quality transmission service in tempe, arizona......... his website at www.quality-trans.com has grown into a great resource for local area residents, and along the way, has helped to boost annual revenues to over $500,000. according to bob it does something even more important -- helps to improve the reputation of the transmission industry.

this doctor’s website gets up to 2,000 hits a week..

how about a doctor in nashville, tennessee? dr. steve hines has been in solo practice as a general internist since 1982. two years ago, he built a website at http://www.hinesite2020.md to answer questions about himself and his practice for current and prospective patients. although he had no previous experience when he started building his site, it has succeeded in helping him further his relationships with his patients. the site gets up to 2,000 hits per week.

savvy business owners are catching on to the fact that the local online market is booming – it’s predicted to be a $50 billion market by 2006. what does this mean for your business?

“if your local business isn’t online by 2006,
you might not be in business at all”

and now that it’s possible to target consumers by city -- even down to zip code -- more businesses than ever are using the internet to reach local markets. if your business is not one of them, you’re going to be left behind.

my name is sharon fling, and i’ve been developing websites since 1995. i learned my craft and became a webmaster while working for some of the best “marketeers” on earth. they don’t like ex-castmembers to mention the company’s name unless it’s official business, so i won’t, but... they’re the folks who made mickey, minnie, and goofy famous.

after i left in 2000, i continued to do web development for my old company as a contractor, but i also started helping small businesses get on the internet.

almost without exception, they’d all had bad internet experiences before finding me. things like paying a web developer $2,500 to develop a web presence, but getting a sad-looking site full of “under construction” signs.

or, getting a website that didn’t work ... if they got anything at all. in some cases the developer had disappeared without a trace. in the best cases, they had nice pretty little websites ... but nothing to show for it. maybe a few visitors every now and then, but no sales.

“what’s wrong with this #*&@%! website?” they’d ask me. “nobody’s buying anything .... the internet is a complete waste of money!”

after visiting a few of those sites, i understood why nobody was buying -- and after fixing a few of them, decided i had to do something. this epidemic of internet rip-offs had left many business folks with a bad taste in their mouths. and that taste still lingers today.

look, no matter what kind of experiences you’ve had in the past, which industry you’re in, or how much you know about computers, i know the internet can help your local business. my goal is to show you how.

now, maybe you think all this computer stuff is not for you. “it’s too much work...”, “i’m too old...”, “it’s too hard...”, “i hate computers …”

that’s okay. you don’t have to love it or understand it. just realize that the internet can:

• increase your local profits
• decrease your expenses
• expand your customer base

or ... it may help your competitors put you out of business altogether!

now is the time. next year -- or even next month -- may be too late.

okay ... once you decide to get your business online, here’s the next hurdle: how do you get started?

it could take you days, weeks, or even months to figure out what to do, how to do it, and where to list your site so your local prospects can find you. and just as important, you need to know what not to do!

but instead of wasting your precious time trying to come up with a winning strategy, you can have it delivered instantly for only $37 with:

“how to promote your local business on the internet”

at last! your very own internet strategy, tailor made for the local business owner, laid out from start to finish. as a business with mostly local clientele, your needs are very different from a business that can market to consumers all over the country or internationally.

most internet marketing books give general all-purpose advice, aimed at companies marketing to the masses. but as the owner of a local business, you need specific strategies to make the internet work for you.

the number of people online in your city or region is very limited compared to the huge market that national marketers have. so you can't play the numbers game of driving massive traffic through your website, knowing that eventually somebody will buy.

no, you must reach the limited number of local people online and get them to your website or your brick-and-mortar. detailed instructions on how to do this is something that you won’t find in most internet marketing books, if any.

but “how to promote your local business on the internet” gives you everything you need to get your business on the internet and achieve the success you deserve ...starting today.

if you already have a website sitting out in cyberspace, dead as a doornail, you’ll find out what the problem is and how to correct it.

here are a few things you’ll discover:

• why most small business websites don't have a chance of making any sales.... and how you can change that instantly (p.8)
• who is most likely to buy from local websites – and it’s not who you think (p.81)
• what draws locals online like a magnet (p.83)
• what makes 88 out of 100 people push the order button (p.16)
• how ads can be targeted by states, cities, even zip codes – where only local eyeballs will see them.  (p.48)
• why soon it will be too late to get started on the internet -- you absolutely must get in touch with your customers now (p.16)
• the quickest way to get local traffic to your website today! (p.60)
• the proven formula for building customer relationships that lead to sales. (p. 7)
• how to get exposure for your business for pennies per day -- a little used but big goldmine for small businesses (p.65)
• your #1 secret weapon -- nobody can be successful on the internet without doing this well (p.15)
   

  ---

ebook reviews

"one of the most informative and helpful ebooks i've had the pleasure of reviewing. very highly recommended." (click here for full review) judy justice, midwest ebook review http://www.organizedforever.com

"... an essential read for any web designer/marketer/advertiser who is even remotely concerned with promoting small businesses." (click here for full review) pooja srinivas, ebook reviews weekly http://www.coursesuseek.com/ebooks.htm

"...with this single source, any business owner - local or national - will be able to become an internet success story." (click here for full review)

"wow! i think it's great, sharon -- i really do. i can't believe the extensive research you've done for your customers. the section on statistics could stand on its own. graphs? charts? a local user profile, details on what the local online market is, and a surprising report on just how this market affects online spending? excellent! excellent! excellent! i've never seen anything like it. i very rarely endorse products online -- especially this enthusiastically (lol) -- so be assured that i really do mean every word. again, thanks so very much for giving me the chance to review what i've discovered to be an absolutely excellent, delightful, and professionally delivered product." harmony major http://yahoosecrets.com

i've just downloaded and read "how to promote your local business on the  internet" and it's excellent! a job very well done, and i congratulate you on it. there are tons of hints, tips, facts and resources and zero filler.  when you consider the added bonuses, i truly believe this is right up there in the top flight for value. great job! highly recommended for anyone wanting to take a local business online. neil shearing, ph.d. helping you achieve internet success... http://www.internetsuccessportal.com

there is no doubt that the future of the internet is local – and if you don’t get your local business into the act now, it may be too late.

“in a few years there’ll be two types of businesses -- 
those with websites … and those out of business.
which will describe your local business?”

look at how the big boys are reaching out to consumers, driving traffic to their local stores. staples, office depot, wal-mart – these guys are all going after the local market in a big way. why?

because they know that people spend 80% of their income within 20 miles of home… and that consumers are turning to the internet to research products and services before they buy.

now, maybe you can’t compete with those deep pockets financially, but it doesn’t take a million dollars to have a successful web presence. there are some very simple things you can do to promote your business, and they don’t cost a lot of money. in the book you’ll discover:

• cheap but effective ways to drive the locals to your website and into your brick-and-mortar. (pgs. 74-76)
• how to get free publicity for your local business (p. 74)
• what consumers most want to receive from you -- and it costs you almost nothing to deliver! (p. 67)
• affordable tools created just for small business owners, to help you create your own professional looking website, properly constructed so the search engines can find you (p. 38-40)
• 8 ways to get your website, what it should look like, and how to drive all the traffic you can handle to your website (p. 34-43)  

“here's the honest truth...i've been looking for a resource that would show my local small business clients how to get on the web and make it work for them. i couldn’t find it... until now. ‘how to promote your local business on the internet’ is an excellent piece of work! it’s packed with information and includes a massive amount of links. it must have taken forever to research. i especially liked the section on geo-targeting and using local search guides. i think its the best book out there for local small businesses, and would make a great hard-cover for the bookstores. if you have a small business and want to learn how to make it work for you, buy this book!” david frey www.marketingbestpractices.com

“hi sharon, wow....wow....and wow!!  you have a real winner with "how to promote your local business on the internet".  it's very clean, well organized, no fuss... no muss... "this is how it works" approach is exactly what folks today need.  they may have to call you saint sharon!!  lol” god bless, michael lemm "your one stop advertising shop" http://billzilla.com/mscprez

maybe you think that because your product or service is local, the internet can’t help you. in some cases, that might be true...but i have yet to see a business that could not benefit in some way by having a website, or at least email.

take pizza for example. you can’t get more local than pizza, right? yet there’s a pizza hut in santa cruz, california that gets tons of website orders from the college campus nearby.

maybe you think that nobody in your industry is using the internet...but i guarantee you that whatever your business, one of your competitors is successfully using the internet to promote their business -- perhaps not locally yet, but it’s just a matter of time.

more local business success stories

find out how dry cleaning depot is using the net to get new business...

the people at dry cleaning depot know that customers can't put their clothes in the cleaners by hitting the "enter" key, but they've figured out others ways to use the power of power of the internet. the company website asks "got a minute? probably not. let dry cleaning depot be your corporate partner. we will pick up and drop off your dry cleaning right where you work." customers who sign up online get 10% off their first order. they can also select starch preferences and use their credit cards online. referrals are encouraged by giving customers $25 worth of free dry cleaning when they refer 3 or more people who open an dry cleaning depot account. by advertising that offer on its site and making the referral process super easy, dry cleaning depot is using the internet to accrue new business.

the internet has has a major impact on this business in a number of ways...

tattooartist.com demonstrates that even an ultra-small, locally-oriented company with limited resources can have a great web site that helps to build business. the business web site for new jersey-based tattoo artist patrick levins focuses on answering the likely questions that site visitors would have concerning his art and his business. according to his brother hoag levins, "this site has had a major impact on patrick's business in a number of ways. he has had customers who have found out about him on the web and have driven long distances to visit his shop. one recently drove in from boston."

they put up a website to try to sell their business and increased sales by $35,000...
and then there's www.sperryvilleantiques.com. the owners arthur and peggy smith wanted to sell their business and retire so they decided to use a website to market the sale. it was advertized in all the major metro papers in virginia. there's been some interest but no sale so far. now, even the fact that the web site is devoted solely to marketing the sale, the combination of classified ads and folks going to the web site to learn more...sales have increased 10% since last june! that's about $35,000. they have an incredible store, but it's out here in the country and most of their customers are long time steadies who have money and live in the metro area...in 20 years it's all been word of mouth. the new clientele is all upscale 40's couples who are internet oriented. entirely different from the past and directly attributed to their web site. they have a steady stream of visitors to their web site of about 100 a week even though it hasn't changed in 7 months. the smiths don't even own a computer, so any email they receive -- about 5 to 10 messages a week -- must be forwarded to them by the webmaster. this has resulted in several sales over the phone. not bad for a website that wasn't really designed to sell items in the store, but the store itself

if you’re new to computers you might be thinking...

“i don’t understand computers...and i’m too busy to learn.
how can the internet help me?”

did you know there are some business owners that don’t have computers... but they have websites? check out this note from one of my webmaster buddies on the “mostly local” discussion group:

“the constant thread of the posts is that local businesses don't have any idea about the web, what they are missing and how profitable it can be for them. i did some consulting work a few years ago. we were working for the air force and introducing a new system and software. the engineer we worked with had a favorite phrase about educating the air force personnel on what we were building... "the problem here is, they don't know that they don't know"....it's stuck with me for life! speaking of don't know, every now and then there's genius from the most unlikely places ...take lee hitt, a 50's-something ex-marine turned ex-cop turned cattleman. his passion is restoring 60's muscle cars. he called one day and asked about a web site .... he doesn't even own a computer, but he felt he should have a web site where folks could go and see pictures of the cars he was restoring and selling. in a year and a half, he has sold $205,000 worth of cars! www.leesmoparmuscle.com” (a note from the webmaster of gpages.net chris salmon to sharon fling, reprinted with permission)

ready to order? click here

“how to promote your local business on the internet” provides enough information that even the most novice of users can use the internet to promote their business:

• the absolute easiest ways to promote your business online -- for free ... and you don’t need a website to do it! (p. 70)
• low tech/no-tech ways of spreading the word out about your business -- no computer required! (pgs. 73-79)
• quick, cheap and easy ways to use the internet to promote your business, even if you don’t own a computer – and don’t want to buy one  (pgs. 121-126)

the options for business people without computers will work...but they’re limited. obviously the more involved you are, the more successful your online campaign will be -- nobody can represent your business as well as you can.

i know you’ve heard that it takes a tremendous amount of time and resources to have a web presence...but that’s not true! yes, it will take some time and money, but not nearly as much as it did in the past. things have changed...a lot. if you can retrieve your email and find your way onto the web you can:

• create your own website, and
• promote your business online yourself

let me explain.

there's a product that will allow people without computer skills to build a website simply by pointing and clicking. these are not tacky looking cookie-cutter websites either, they’re very professional looking.

want to add an email campaign? point and click. e-commerce? point and click. search engine marketing? it's built-in. traffic stats and monitoring? included. point and click. if you can click a mouse, you can create a great looking website! even better, your domain name and website hosting are included.

you can update your website as often as you like without waiting for your website guru to get back to you. you can create a simple one-page site, or one with multiple pages. it’s quick, easy, and a lot of fun!

now don't get me wrong. i'm not saying that "point-and-click" template sites are for everyone, or that you'll never need a custom designed website. neither am i saying that all web developers are duds. on the contrary, there are ethical, knowledge-seeking web designers who are sincerely interested in a client’s success.

there is no "one-size fits all" solution because every situation is different. what's important is that you know what your options are... and that your needs are met in the way that's best for you.

so, yes, the short answer is:

if you can click a mouse, you can build a great looking website - guaranteed! (but if point-and-click is not for you, find out seven other ways of getting a site.)

but because i know there are some business people that will never get online, no matter what, i’ve included ways to get at least some of the benefits of the internet without having, touching or even looking at a computer!  (pgs. 121-126)

before i get to your free bonuses, here are a few more time-saving tips you’ll learn:

• how to quickly and easily find any local or community guides for your area (pgs. 52)
• what works and what doesn’t -- read the success stories of real-world local business owners (restaurant, landscaping, auto repair, motorcycle shop, radiant heating, menswear store, auctioneer/appraiser, and more) who are successfully using the internet to grow their businesses (p.90-115)
• regional search engines and directories where you must list your business for maximum exposure (p. 55)
• how to use traditional advertising (newspaper, radio, etc.) to create a traffic stampede to your website (p.51)
• in-store promotions and strategies to build sales relationships with your customers (p.76)
• links to local city and biz guides where you can list your business (pgs. 52-55)
• how to promote local businesses in a small regional area ... and why there might be a “secret online society” in every small town (pgs. 116-230)

ready to order? click here...

there’s so much in this ebook i could probably list 20 pages of bullets...but i want to tell you about the valuable free bonuses you get for ordering today:

plus, it all comes with my 100% better-than-risk-free guarantee

the price for everything, including  "how to promote your local business on the internet”, the "local success secrets" companion ebook, and the ultimate ebook (still selling for $49.97 at www.freetosell.com ... but worth hundreds of dollars) -- the cost for all of this is only $37.00 ...... a fraction of the cost of a newspaper ad.

i know you may be skeptical about buying another “how-to” book. i’ve seen some of the garbage being sold as “information” on the net, and i know how it feels to buy something that turns out to be a piece of junk.

or maybe you’ve had a bad website experience and are afraid of being taken again. after all of the internet hype you’ve heard in the past few years, i wouldn’t blame you for being gunshy. that’s why i’m offering an iron-clad...