The New York Way to a Standout Online Business
Now that we are just a little over a month away from Affiliate Summit East, we’re getting stoked as always to visit the Big Apple. In addition to meeting some of the most inventive and knowledgeable minds in the affiliate space – our CEO being one of the many great speakers – we also get the chance to enjoy a great city.
New York can teach you a lot of valuable lessons quickly. It can reveal how out-of-style your wardrobe is. The subway system almost instantly divides the weak from the strong. And a cab ride can test your digestive system’s durability.
The City That Never Sleeps can also awaken your mind to some online business tactics that will turn small earnings into legitimate income.
The Statue of Liberty
There is no denying the Statue of Liberty when you see it. Her green, copper figure jutting up out of Liberty Island is unmistakable and inescapable in New York. Whether you want to see the statue in person, buy a coffee cup embellished with its likeness or wear an obnoxiously touristy t-shirt, there will be no doubt that you’ll think of New York every time.
You need that level of recognition and association when it comes to your own website.
For some people it’s a logo, for others it’s their picture; some can even manage to have their personality that precedes them. Whatever the case may be, you have to find that one symbol that announces you and your business before you ever have to say a word.
A great example of this is Smart Passive Income. Whether it’s his blog, a video or an ebook, Pat Flynn’s unmistakable brand logo is always present. No matter where you are on the Internet, it’s easy to spot when you’re looking at his content.
Find something that can strike a familiar chord with your audience that will instantly allow them to realize it’s you they’re connecting with. For many marketers?, keeping a consistent profile picture across the board can really help ground your visitors and let them know they are in the right place.
You likely won’t have to erect a metal likeness of yourself, but it helps to have a unifying symbol that is a less than subtle reminder to readers.
Restaurant Choices
In Manhattan alone there are over 3,500 restaurants to choose from. With a gazillion choices, most establishments can’t focus on having the best Italian food or the best sushi. Instead, many will focus on just having one or two elements that are better than everyone else.
One restaurant may have the best chicken parmesan, another may try to have the most romantic atmosphere, but if they tried to have all the elements, they might end up being only mediocre at everything.
Likely your niche has competitors all trying and testing similar methods. Niches can be extremely crowded and it can be difficult to gain traction with so many entrepreneurs in the same loop.
Where most of them go wrong is by trying to be the best at everything. You can separate yourself simply by being really good at just a few elements.
Take fellow ASE speaker Victoria Gibson for example. She works within the social media realm, but instead of trying to cover every topic that niche has to offer, she focuses on a single element. Facebook Ads.
While that may limit her ability to reach every curious social media marketer, it ensures she gets the clientele that is most interested in her business.
If you’re dining out, you likely won’t remember a place that has pretty good food. What you will remember is having the best steak of your life.
Central Park
Though the hustle and bustle of New York is part of the fun, everyone needs a moment to relax. Central Park provides New Yorkers 843 acres to tuck themselves away and shut out the noise.
Give your audience that same opportunity. If you think the more often you contact your subscribers or the more frequently you write detailed blog posts is going to mentally force them to buy from you, you’re way off base.
Your audience sometimes needs a break from you. Whether you simply send out a thank you email with a funny, relevant comic strip or you just stay quiet for a few days, you may find that you’re missed.
Johnny B Truant does this really well. The guy has all kinds of stuff he could be throwing at his list – ebooks, podcasts, blog posts, webinars – but he doesn’t overload his subscribers with contact. Even the items he offers free of charge are spaced out strategically to ensure he doesn’t overwork his audience.
Find that balance between getting your information out there and oversaturation.
Give your audience and yourself a chance to take a walk in the park.
We’re all looking for ways to improve our business, but sometimes the answers are right in front of us. If a city of NYC’s size can function so wonderfully, why not apply some of its traits to your work? Infuse some of that New York style into your online business and you might find the best kind of traffic jam happening on your site.
