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The Most Valuable Resource In Your Business' Survival?

by Willie Crawford
3 replies
I'm one of those internet marketers who is
constantly preaching the value of your list
to your business, but to be perfectly honest
with you, that's NOT what I consider THE most
important thing in my business.

The thing that I consider the most important
is the same thing that 20+ years of military
experience taught me won and lost wars,
elections, and entire countries.

That one thing is accurate intelligence...
something most of us here probably think about
VERY little.

I'm talking about know:

- What problems your customers really care about

- What products or services your competitors
are getting ready to release

- How well your competitors are REALLY doing...
what's actually selling for them and what's not

- What technological changes are just beyond
the horizon

- What legal and regulatory changes are just
beyond the horizon

- Where your customers actually hang out online

- How many customers are actually in your niche
and how fast that number is changing

Do you see the value in having this information?

Most internet marketers are forever in "catchup
mode" chasing after the latest fad, instead of
identifying trends early and steppping in front
of them.

That is what I actually try to do :-)

I'm definitely NOT a trend-setter. I was
taught that, in our business, "pioneers get
arrows in their backs and mud in their faces."

So, I personally wait until something is verified
as definitely headed in a certain direction,
and then I analyze that trend data, and take
action accordingly.

Do you monitor the industry intelligence?

How do you do that?

Willie
#business #resource #survival #valuable
  • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
    With good accurate data, you are no longer
    guessing when making business decisions.

    That's why testing and tracking is so
    important. When you absolutely know what
    is working, and what isn't, then you also
    know what to keep doing and what to stop
    doing.

    You know where it's worthwhile to invest
    your time and advertising dollars.

    That's also why it's important to survey
    your market from time to time, or atleast
    study surveys that others have taken.

    This is actually an area where you can
    easily get an edge because, whether we admit
    it or not, many of us HATE testing and
    tracking, and most of us have no clue how
    to conduct or analyze surveys.

    We find both topics "boring" and would
    rather stick a sharp stick in our eye, than
    do them.

    Here's a secret... marketers who do
    actually test and track, and do surveys,
    and USE that data... actually are so
    surprised by the results that they actually
    turn into geeks who ENJOY doing that stuff.

    And no... I'm not a complete geek yet, but
    I'm rapidly beginning to really appreciate
    knowing my numbers

    Willie
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Meaney
      Originally Posted by Willie Crawford View Post

      marketers who do
      actually test and track, and do surveys,
      and USE that data... actually are so
      surprised by the results that they actually
      turn into geeks who ENJOY doing that stuff.
      Very true, I recently ran a survey to find out what visitors wanted.. I expected to see the majority interested in improving sales copy, but it turned out to be SEO.

      Without that data I would have created the wrong product, and would have been sat wondering what went wrong.
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      • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
        Originally Posted by Mick Meaney View Post

        Very true, I recently ran a survey to find out what visitors wanted.. I expected to see the majority interested in improving sales copy, but it turned out to be SEO.

        Without that data I would have created the wrong product, and would have been sat wondering what went wrong.

        Yeah, the saying use to be "Whatever they're buying, I'm selling."

        They will tell you what they want if you ask them in the right way,
        although you still want to see how they vote with their dollars
        since in a poorly designed survey, you'll get a lot of people
        telling you what they think that you want to hear.

        Willie
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