Gravity Boots

Generating about 2 leads a week now. But my 1997-style sales letter is simply not pulling the 80% conversion (a conversion is "closing the sale") that it did in 1997. I would estimate current conversion at a disappointing 15%. My niche is now a bit crowded. What else should I expect from the internet? It rapidly adapts to consumer demand. Competition increases to the point that everyone is making peanuts and the only companies that survive are those with the economy of scale, which can survive on peanuts.

Without that economy of scale it is impossible for me to imitate my more successful competitors. At the most basic level, though I can design a website from scratch using only Notepad, I am only one man. I don't have the skilled staff to design graphics, let alone Java and CGI applets, nor the sales force to farm out banner advertising.

I must define what my best competitors are NOT offering and concentrate my development there. And I already know the answer. The heavy hitters do not offer local research services, as I do. They offer only "canned" national research. The busy season is spring, which is fast approaching, and like it or not, I am forced at this time to overhaul my pitch in a major way. I must make my sales pitch shout "local service" as well as "personal service". This means a re-write of my website copy.

Not today, though. Today I must travel 60 miles to increase my income by $70. This is another of my "irons in the fire". I will fulfill an independent contract for computer repair services. I have considered PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising for this venture as well, it seems that several search engines are now offering "local" directories of businesses, but right now my "ad money" is tied up in the research service venture. Maybe after the busy season I will switch the "ad money" to my computer service venture.