Google analytics provides information about visitors to your website or blog and how they navigate. Insights gathered from Google Analytics enable you to optimise your online presence. Many business owners are aware of Google Analytics and use it on website and blog but not many use it on their Facebook Business pages.

With the increase in businesses and people using Facebook for marketing it follows that using Google Analytics on your Facebook business page is a must. There is no reason to treat your website any differently to your Facebook pages. To get the most from your investment in them, you need to know what your visitors are doing so you can make appropriate changes if necessary.

Facebook provides ‘Insights’ for your business page, these are useful but limiting. Statistics provided are limited to active users, daily likes, daily post views and daily post feedback.

Google Analytics provides a far more comprehensive set of information. Statistics will show specific page views, bounce rate and time spent on your site. You will learn where your visitors are located and which browser they use to find you. With all this knowledge you can optimise your pages and use to improve your marketing strategies. With all this knowledge you can change your website and Facebook pages to increase conversions and make more money online.

Google Analytics has built in automation so you can receive reports however often you like, direct into your Inbox. Then you can see where your visitors are spending there time and whether you need to alter pages to benefit from this information.

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I’ve recently stopped telling people I’m a virtual assistant when they ask me what I do. This could happen at business networking events or at a local playgroup.

Why? Because it’s a title (like an accountant or a coach) and doesn’treally tell them anything about what I do and how I add value to my clients’ businesses.

So what would I tell them instead?

My answer is that I’m a business problem solver (or a productivity expert specialising in online marketing depending on who I’m talking to). Because that’s exactly what I do. Let’s look at a few examples of problems that you could have and how we here at TJConsulting can provide you with a solution.

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There are many online business owners who have valuable solutions they could provide given the right Internet marketing. With ineffective Internet marketing in place their ideas simply fade away, leaving them wondering where they went wrong, when the web names they admire have made the big time. Entering the market in the beginning, the webpreneurs that we know and admire, had it all their own way by being first in the market. Now, the webpreneurs of today, need strategies in place to help them find their niche and to market to their target audience.

Without a business plan, how can you, or any one else involved with your business, judge where you are? You can have the best business coach in the world, be motivated and have a fantastic idea but a plan makes the difference between disappearing into the darkness or becoming a shining light in your niche. With business plan in hand, you and others involved with your business can time-line and measure your progress. You can tell when you are ahead in your game or dreadfully out of alignment and therefore need to alter your website to regain your audience and customers.

Business plan:
There are several different ways to create a marketing plan to promote your online presence. Your local Chamber of Commerce may offer free or discounted business planning and development resources to members and non-members or you can try the do-it-yourself way with Marketing Plan Pro by John Jantsch ,powered by Duct Tape Marketing.( It is a simple, practical marketing plan software that makes it easy to plan and carry out the marketing activities you need to grow your business.) Another approach is to find a coach or consultant that specialises in creating marketing plans.

Marketing:
With a business plan in place, now is the time to activate your marketing. If you find yourself without the resources to put the plan into action, use Duct Tape Marketing principles to get things moving until you can hire additional resources. A virtual assistant or online business manager may be an alternative. Paying per hour reduces the costs but gains you experienced help for putting your business plan into action. With a business plan in place, all those involved in moving your business forward are aware of your goals.

Steady as you go:
Now you have a plan in place, you have identified the resources to implement; now it’s time to set off. If you have limited resources, aim for a slow, steady approach and find a rhythm that works with your available resources.

Measure:
The results of your marketing plan and strategies need to be measured and assessed for effectiveness on a regular basis. Do you have an e-newsletter or e-mail signup on your site? How many are subscribed? Or unsubscribe? Aweber and other e-mail/e-newsletter programs generally have reports so you can tell how well different campaigns have worked. Google analytics tracks site visits, page visits and time spent on your site so you can analyse how well each page is working. In the beginning, don’t try and track everything but be aware that the information is there when you are ready. With your reports and knowledge gained from these, you can develop consistency in your marketing to build and grow your business.

If you are working on your own, you will often have those frustrating moments, when you are busy getting the work done, trying to concentrate, and your phone rings. Do you answer and lose the moment? Or do you switch it off to go to voicemail? It’s even worse when you are attending a business meeting, the phone rings and you think it may be a new potential client. Can you afford to miss this lead?

That’s why many small business owners use one of the 3 types of business calls delegation: call answering, call handling or call managing.

Call answering is the simplest and the cheapest form of virtual reception. Usually it’s handled by teams of people so that there is always someone available to answer incoming calls. Call centres have advanced IT systems installed, that tell them in an instant which company the call is for, how they need to answer it and how to pick up a message. The conversation will go something like this:

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Unfortunately even today many small businesses I meet at networking events and online believe they have to do everything themselves in their business. Many are concerned they can’t afford the cost incurred with employing others or don’t know how to manage the staff. However instead of hiring someone full or part-time, outsourcing can be time and cost effective, allowing you to work on what you do best. Outsourcing business administration tasks lets you devote time to marketing and advertising, enabling you to generate more sales, more business, talk to more clients – activities that bring more value to the business.

You should definitely consider outsourcing vs do-it-yourself when:

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