Follow Friday: Dr Jenny Brockis -

In the area of health science, there are so many unqualified people calling themselves "experts", and claiming to have the answers to better health, fitness, nutrition and longevity. So it's refreshing to find somebody who does have the right to truly claim to be an expert. Not only is she a doctor (that is, a general practitioner) - so she deals with real-life issues from real patients - Jenny also keeps up to date with the latest research in her area of expertise.

All it takes is one look at her blog, and you know you're dealing with somebody with the authority, expertise and experience to stand behind her claims.

If you're claiming to be an expert - and you're not - the Internet will find you out! Audiences, clients and Web site visitors are more sophisticated than ever before, so if you're truly an expert, show your expertise with a solid foundation, as Jenny does on her blog.

Jenny recently published an excellent book, "Brain Fit", which she discusses in a TV interview here:



Follow Jenny at DrJennyBrockis.com.

Are Amateurs Taking Over Your Business?

My friend Melvin Yeo is a lawyer. And he's an amateur.

I don't mean he's an amateur lawyer. Far from it - he's a highly-respected corporate lawyer who worked for one of Australia's leading companies, and has now branched out into his own consultancy practice. But that's his day job.

In his spare time, he's an amateur "foodie" - in other words, a gourmet (though not a gourmand). And he publishes his experiences, suggestions and ideas in "The Frenchman's Food & Wine Blog".

When I say he's an amateur, I mean him no disrespect. I simply mean that he doesn't do it for money. He's in no way amateurish in anything he does. In fact, he puts some professionals to shame. For instance, his post about how to enjoy airline food has some world-class tips for frequent travellers. And I experienced his skill first-hand when I dined out with him recently at a cheap-and-cheerful Chinese restaurant.

Melvin's blog gets over 1,000 visitors a month. That's not going to break any world records, but it's a lot more than many speakers and infopreneurs get.

Why? Because he's good. And he's passionate. And he's out there, doing it.

Why am I telling you this?

Because the world is full of Melvin Yeos. Smart, savvy passionate people who want to share that passion with the world - and can, thanks to the Internet.

And, if you're not careful, they'll be crowding you out!

We speakers, trainers, consultants and thought leaders used to have it easy. It wasn't easy for amateurs to identify, find and reach an audience. And anyway, most people would rather die than speak in public, so they didn't even want an audience.

But that's changed now. The audiences are there - on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, iTunes and the Web. And it's the smart, passionate amateurs who are reaching them.

Why? Because the professionals are too busy. Or too scared of their image. Or too arrogant. Or too complacent. Or too (fill in your favourite excuse).

This is not just about supposedly lightweight topics like food and wine, either. Do a Google search for leadership, customer service and other "big" topics, and you'll find the passionate amateurs right up there near the top.

The good news is that it's easy to change!

All it takes is a change in attitude.
Stop hoarding your great material - and start sharing it.
Stop waiting for the professionally edited article - publish what you've got.
Stop delaying until you've bought the latest microphone, video recorder or iPhone - record something and put it on YouTube.
Stop building the business case - just do it.
If you don't, somebody else will. In fact, they probably already have!

Your Web Site Navigation Menu Must Match Your Site Visitor's Needs

When you plan your Web site, give careful thought to your site navigation - in other words, the menu "buttons" available on every page of the site to help site visitors find their way around. Many Web site owners think about the colour, font and size of these buttons, but don't think carefully enough about how to arrange them logically for site visitors!

Broadly, there are four types of navigation ...

You can organise your Web site navigation in four ways:

1. Your offerings - in other words, your main products and services
2. The problems you solve for your site visitors
3. The different target markets you work with
4. A tour of a particular product or service

Let's look at each in more detail ...

1. Offerings

The Offerings navigation is ideal when you're dealing with people who know what product or service they want, so they don't want to go through a complicated process to finally get to the right product or service.

For example, Peter Dhu's Web site menu is organised around his three main services - workshops, coaching and speaking (click the picture below for a full-size version):

This is correct for Peter's business, because his site visitors know which service they want. For example, somebody who wants to book Peter for a conference presentation probably won't also want his one-on-one coaching.

2. Problems

If your site visitors don't yet know what they want, a Problems navigation style might be better, because they do have a problem. So they can start by clicking the menu button that matches their problem, and you then lead them on a path to a suitable solution.

For example, David Penglase has identified five key problems he solves for his clients, so his site navigation is based on those problems (click the picture below for a full-size version):

If you're planning to use a Problems navigation for your site visitors, be sure you do know their main problems! Otherwise, you might be focussing on minor problems, omitting the major problems, or even identifying a "problem" that doesn't exist in your site visitor's mind.

3. Markets

If you work with a number of different niche markets, and there isn't a lot of overlap between them, consider a Markets navigation style, which helps your site visitor immediately jump to the area of the site that's specific to them.

For example, Peter Cook works with three markets - experts (thought leaders), business owners and individuals seeking financial independence - so his site navigation clearly takes first-time visitors on one of these paths (click the picture below for a full-size version):

If your niche markets are very different from each other, you might even consider creating a separate Web site for each.

4. Tour

If your Web site features just one product or service, use a Tour navigation, which simply takes the site visitor on a "tour" of that product or service. It's like having one long sales letter, but broken up into different pages.

For example, my own "Build Your Web Site In Two Days" Web site promotes a two-day workshop, so the site navigation is designed to take people on a tour of the workshop:

These Tour-style sites were rare, because it was expensive to invest in a separate Web site for just one product or service. But now that the cost of building Web sites is so low, it is feasible to build a Tour Web site for each of your main products or services.

Which navigation style is right for you?

If you've never thought about your Web site navigation style before, you've probably used the Offerings style, because that is the most obvious. That might be right for you, but take a few minutes now to check whether it really is the most useful for your site visitors.

Out of Office - Predictions for 2012

This is our annual predictions episode, where we look at what's coming up in the year ahead, this time with a focus on what it means for Out of Office work.

Listen to the podcast here:



Download the MP3 file here.

Subscribe to the podcast here.

Buy the book here.

These are our eight predictions for 2012 ...

1. Growth of mobile will facilitate increased telecommuting

The advent of powerful mobile computing devices such as smart phones and tablets has lead to an increasingly mobile workforce. Cloud Computing has become an important technology in support this mobility. Although Cloud Computing is often touted as a way of lowering the cost of IT infrastructure, it's also important in supporting a mobile workforce. As more companies make use of these technologies to enable mobile workers, so too they are enabling their employees to work Out Of Office.

2. More Wi-Fi connectivity out and about

As we become increasingly mobile, there'll be a greater demand for cheap or free wireless Internet access wherever you are - including parks (Brisbane City Council is doing it), city centres (the Perth Lord Mayor promoted it as one of her main election promises) and in the air (Emirates is doing it, Qantas is planning it, many American carriers are doing it).

3. Growth in Mobile Devices

E-book readers will drop below $100 in Australia, high-quality Android tablets will be available for under $300, and smart phones will overtake feature phones.

4. Better support for on-line meetings from tablets and phones

Tablets and smartphones provide many of the features of laptop computers, but there's still some way to go before tablets replace laptops. One of the areas yet to mature is the use of on-line meetings tools, such as GoToMeeting. We predict the vendors of these tools will provide much better support for use on tablets, so Out of Office workers can (realistically and reliably) use a tablet instead of a laptop for on-line meetings.

5. Outsourcing will keep increasing (changing the nature of “jobs”)

It’s the age of the free agent: one in three Americans is a free-lancer, not because they’re finding it difficult to get work but because they want to be. Outsourcing is growing, particularly through the “talent markets” (such as elance.com, guru.com and odesk.com), and this trend will continue in 2012.

6. Google+ will reach 200 million users

Google+, currently at 65 million users, is growing steadily, and we predict it will reach 200 million this year. That number alone doesn't particularly matter for Out of Office work, but it does mean Google has finally created a social network that works, so they are likely to keep investing in it. The Google Hangouts feature in particular could be the video-conferencing solution that we've all been waiting for.

7. A large Cloud-based service will fail (temporarily), causing mass disruption

This is inevitable, not because Cloud Computing is inherently unreliable but rather because it’s becoming more prevalent. More Cloud services are being offered and more people and businesses are using them (as we mentioned earlier, the growth in the number of mobile workers is the main driver behind the adoption of Cloud Computing).

8. E-mail is (still) not dead

Despite various dire predictions to the contrary, e-mail is still going strong, with 3.1 billion users in 2011, and no sign of it slowing down. On the other hand, the volume of spam is decreasing, which means e-mail is becoming even more valuable.

Google Has Just Changed Searching Forever

Two weeks ago, I wrote about "Seven Trends You Must Pay Attention To in 2012", and one of those trends was Google+. I wrote:

"Here's the one thing that matters to us as business owners: Google+ is owned by Google, and what you do on Google+ affects your search engine ranking on Google. That alone should make you sit up and take notice."

Just last week Google rolled out one of the biggest changes ever to the way it works, and it's exactly related to what I wrote (though of course I didn't know it at the time!)

Here's the change in a nutshell: When you search Google for something, Google also displays results from what your friends are saying on Google+. (This feature, by the way, is called "Search Plus Your World").

That means - as I said - that what you do on Google+ affects your search engine ranking on Google. So getting to the top of Google is not only about having a great Web site, although that is still important (very important!); it's also about what you're doing on Google+.

(As an aside, it should also be about what you're doing on Facebook and Twitter. But Twitter no longer gives Google access to its data, and Facebook never has. So Google can't show results from those platforms ... yet.)

When you think about it, that makes sense.

For example:

• If you want to know what a restaurant is like, the reviews from your friends and their friends matter more than other random reviews on Urban Spoon.
• You tend to like movies that your friends like, not just whatever is popular at the time.
• You buy the same phone, car, wine, furniture, books, etc. as your friends and their friends.

As an example, when I visited Florence with a friend a few years ago, she booked a small bed & breakfast, "A Florence View B&B", for our accommodation. I was a bit apprehensive at first, because the TripAdvisor.com reviews were far from flattering. But to my (pleasant) surprise, it turned out to be just perfect for us. So were the Trip Advisor reviewers wrong? No, their reviews reflected their tastes, and probably the tastes of their friends as well. So if their friends were travelling to Florence, they should take those reviews into account. But if my friends are travelling to Florence, they should place more weight on my experience.

So if Google wants to display the most relevant results when somebody does a search, it makes sense for it to give priority to Google+ conversations of that person's friends (and their friends in turn), and show those conversations at the top of the search results.

Conversely, if you want to appear at the top of other people's search results, you'd better be connected to them or their friends in Google+, and actively participating in conversations with them. If you're not speaking up, your voice can't be heard - not just on Google+, but now on the main Google search as well.

I've been beating this drum since August!

In fact, I've been saying this for six months, since Google+ first launched. For your reference, here are some articles I wrote on this topic last August and September:

• Google knows that birds of a feather flock together
• The Real Reason Every Thought Leader Needs to Use Google+
• Why Such a Fuss About Google Plus?

At the time, I didn't know for sure that Google would make the sort of change it announced last week. But I could guess it was coming, and it was an educated guess. That's why I urged everybody to get onto Google+ as soon as possible.

It's not too late.

Google's change is significant for every business owner, and it's going to change the way search engine rankings work ... forever.

If you've ignored Google+ until now, it's time to take action. You haven't missed the boat! There's still time, but the sooner the better ...

If you want to get started, watch this recording of a webinar I ran in August:



Google+ has changed a bit since then, but the principles I describe in the webinar are still relevant.

And if you're a member of my eGurus Community, you can watch a more in-depth webinar I conducted, called "Google+ For Your Business", describing exactly how to get started with Google+.

Watch that webinar recording here.

Follow Friday: Colin Pearce

I was very lucky to have Colin as one of my very first clients, because he was always looking for new ways to use the Internet in his business (so he was stretching me), and was also generous in sharing his ideas to help me improve my business.

At a National Speakers Association of Australia conference in Melbourne some years ago, Colin joined me for breakfast. During a general chat about our businesses, I remember him saying to me something along these lines:

"Gihan, whenever I ask for your opinion, you always give me a number of options. I know you think you're being helpful, but I don't want options - I want a recommendation. You're the expert, and you know enough about me to tell me what to do. Be like a doctor and give me a prescription."

That was extremely useful advice. In my attempt to be helpful, I had been devaluing my own expertise - the very thing clients were paying for! Since then, I've always been willing to give clients options, but also to give them my recommendation as well.

Colin has always embraced the latest technology - but only if it enhances, not detracts from - his goals. His "Kick in the Pants" e-mail newsletter is a great model for anybody struggling with writing in an engaging style, and he's creating an active presence on social media platforms.

Follow Colin at ColinPearce.com.

Know Your Market: Webinar Recording

Not all Web site visitors are equal. Know your market and what they want, and you can design a Web site that instantly catches their attention and keeps them interested, so they eventually turn into customers or clients. Based on the "Give Them What They Want" chapter in my book "Fast, Flat and Free".

Watch the recording here:



Register for future webinars in the series here.

Expert Gold Radio January 2012 - Taking Action

The Expert Gold Radio Show brings you monthly ideas, information, interviews and insights into the world of Internet marketing and e-learning.

Listen to the episode here:

Download the MP3 File here

Feature Interview with Erica Bagshaw: Creating Certainty (Goal Setting That Works)

Over some years now, I’ve been privileged to work with Erica Bagshaw from The Alignment Group. Erica has a unique goal-setting process that actually works – even in these uncertain times. In this interview, which is an extract from our audio program "Creating Certainty", Erica describes her six-step goal-setting process in detail.

Find out more about Erica at TheAlignmentGroup.com.

Build a Boutique Business

For too long, Australian businesses have had it too good. But now, things have changed, and they are facing competition not only from other businesses in the same suburb, but other businesses around the world. In this segment, I describe the nine key principles you need to adopt to succeed in business today. Broadly, it's about taking advantage of the fact that you're small, agile and flexible. You can position your business as a boutique business, and tailor your marketing that way.

This is an extract from my book "Fast, Flat and Free".

Your Very First Webinar

Webinars are hot right now, because they are a wonderful way of delivering a message or promoting your products and services. But many people – even experienced presenters – are worried about how to run them effectively. The secret to getting started is to simplify your very first webinar to prevent problems from occurring. So cut down on as many features as possible, and add them in slowly as you become more experienced with webinars. This is an extract from my webinar "Your Very First Webinar".

For more about running successful webinars, get my book and video course at WebinarSmarts.com.

Get Control of Your In-Box!

The first step to managing your overflowing in-box is to reduce the amount of incoming e-mail. Although some of it is outside your control, you might be surprised just how much you can reduce or eliminate altogether. In this segment, Chris Pudney and I talk about how to reduce the amount of incoming e-mail.

This is an extract from our book Out of Office: Using the Internet for Greater Freedom in Your Work Life.

The eGurus Community

These are the top 10 topics (in decreasing order) requested by eGurus members: Webinars, membership sites, e-learning programs, on-line courses, video, promotional Web sites, e-books, newsletters, books and audio programs. I’ll be using this to map out the eGurus curriculum for 2012, including the monthly webinars. The first webinar for 2012 will be on 15th February: "Your E-Learning Strategy".

If you're not an eGurus member yet, find out more about it here.

Build Your Web Site In Two Days

If you want to build a Web site for your business – or even for a specific product, service or market – this is the ideal way to do it. You’ll build a professional Web site, with a newsletter, blog, shopping cart, password-protected section, and more. More importantly, you’re building it yourself, so you have full control of it for the future. Learn it once, and you can even build more Web sites yourself later!

The next workshop is coming up in Sydney on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th March. Find out more at BuildYourWebSiteInTwoDays.com. There’s an Early Bird special, with a discount of $300 if you book by 10th February.

Know Your Market: Complimentary Webinar on Thursday

Not all Web site visitors are equal. Know your market and what they want, and you can design a Web site that instantly catches their attention and keeps them interested, so they eventually turn into customers or clients.

When: Thursday 19th January, 8-8.30am WA time, 11-11.30am AEDT, 1-1.30pm NZ time

Register for the webinar here (it's complimentary).

(This webinar is part of my Internet Business Revolution webinar series. So if you've registered for the series already, you don't have to do it again)

The second most important thing on your Web site

The most important thing about your Web site is targeting the right market. If you don't get this right, nothing else matters.

But even if you have the right market in mind, you need to know their level of understanding about your topic. If you get this wrong, you'll confuse and bore them!

I'll explain ...

Broadly, when people make a decision about something, they go through four stages, based on their current knowledge:



For example, if you’re a financial planner, your Web site visitors fall into these four broad groups:

1. (Why) “Do I require financial planning?”
2. (What) “What sort of things does a financial planner do?”
3. (Who) “What makes you different from other planners?”
4. (How) “How do I work with you?”

Your Web site must match their level.

Based on what you know about your market, you design your Web site to match their needs, like this:



For example, let's look at the financial planner again, and what she does when she knows most of her target market is at a certain level. Let’s work backwards through the four levels, from easiest to hardest:

• How: If most people are already asking how to work with her, she’s in a lucky position, because they already trust her and now simply want information about how to work together. Her job now is to inform them. On her Web site, she could simply list her products and services, and clients will choose from them.
• Who: If they are asking how she is different from other financial planners, that’s more difficult to address, but at least they understand something about financial planning. So her job is to persuade them to choose her. Her Web site needs to focus on her credentials, expertise and authority.
• What: At this level, they don’t know much about financial planning at all, so her job is to educate them. On her Web site, she could explain the benefits of using a financial planner.
• Why: This is the most challenging level, because they haven’t even been convinced financial planning could be useful at all. So her job here is to motivate them. Her Web site needs to work even harder, to convince visitors to start thinking about their financial future.

That's why Apple markets computers and iPads differently.

When Apple started selling computers, they didn't have to motivate and educate people about personal computers, because Microsoft had already done that. Instead, they could focus on persuading people to choose the Macintosh rather than the PC.

In contrast, when Apple started selling the iPad, they did have to motivate and educate people about the benefits of tablet computers. Now, other suppliers such as Samsung can piggy-back on that knowledge, and their marketing is persuading consumers to choose their tablet computer instead.

Focus at the right level, or you'll bore your site visitors.

If you know where your market is, you'll be able to tailor your Web site to suit them. For example, if most of them are asking “Why” questions (the “Why do I need a financial planner?” type of question), there’s no point letting them download Product Disclosure Statements. Instead, you need to motivate them, so perhaps you could start by giving them a free report to download (without asking for their name or e-mail address first).

The reverse is true as well: If you’re dealing with a market niche that understands and values financial planning (your existing clients, for example), they will be asking “Who” and “How” questions. You will frustrate them with a Web site that constantly talks about the benefits of financial planning. They do want all the facts and details, because they are ready to buy.