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Mar 07 2013

You don’t get any business from your website

By Blog

That’s right you’re’ not getting any business from your website… you’re getting business through it! Visitors to your website have to come from somewhere before they get there. Maybe be it’s an online ad, a search engine result or even your business card, but they have to come from somewhere, they don’t just miraculously know your website’s URL. That brings up a couple of interesting questions:

• Where is your traffic coming from? and
• Where is your business coming from?

Traffic does not equal business

Where your site’s visitors are coming from is an important piece in figuring out where your business is coming from. Unless you can track the sales back to the source, you really don’t know where your business is coming from. You may guess, but that’s not helpful in knowing where to invest your marketing dollars. So, unless you have a toll booth on your site, where people are paying just to view it, traffic is not a good indicator of business success.

E-commerce or offline sales?

If you make sales on your website, where someone can enter their credit card info and check out, then you may be able to track back to how they got to your site in the first place… maybe. If this wasn’t their first visit to your site then, unless you have cookies, or some other tracking software, you won’t really know what brought them to your site. Even with cookies or other software you may not be able to connect the dots all the way back. Read More

Feb 05 2013

Article – Reflections of a Guy Who’s Been (Happily) Married for 29 Years

By Blog
Alan Berg - Beautiful Bride Magazine article - reflections of a married man

Call or email Alan for a PDF or text copy of the article to share with your customers

published article by Alan Berg for engaged couples on why they should hire wedding pros and other tips

I like to joke that when I got married, in 1983, they told me where and when to show up, and that was the end of my involvement. It’s funny (maybe), but not really true. While we didn’t have access to the Internet, or local magazines (there were only a couple of national magazines), I do remember driving around to look at venues with my fiancée. I also remember driving her around to dress shops looking for the perfect dress. I remember going to countless jewelry stores trying to find the right setting for the engagement ring and matching wedding bands. We knew we were getting engaged, but I was still able to surprise her with the ring, the one she’d suspected I’d gotten, but wasn’t sure.

While it feels now like I wasn’t that involved, I really was more than I let on. That said most of the details about design were made without me. I didn’t choose a single flower. The colors were not my idea. The tuxedo style was chosen without me (at least I got to get fitted). The band, which my parents paid for, was the same one that played my sister’s wedding the year before.

So what do I wish I’d known before, that I know now (after being around the wedding industry for over 22 years)? I don’t think I realized the significance of the day. Sure, I knew it was special, but no one took the time to explain that it’s really two parts: the ceremony and the reception. I always looked at it as one, cohesive event, especially since we had our ceremony at the reception venue. I don’t remember our vows, I imagine they were the standard, by-the-book phrases. Read More

Jan 07 2013

What a relay race can tell us about marketing

By Blog

In my last article I spoke about how wedding pros have more in common than they think when it comes to their marketing. It transcends categories, with photographers, florists, caterers, plumbers and dress shops all using the same basic principles when it comes to attracting new business. It also transcends borders, cultures and languages.

I spoke about marketing recently at a WeddingWire Networking Night in Minneapolis and I used the analogy of a relay race where the baton is passed from one runner to the next. Only instead of runners, you have these steps: Advertising/Marketing/Social Media > your website > email/phone > you. Your marketing is only as strong as its weakest link, where the “baton” is getting dropped the most.

Follow the bouncing baton
Your prospects find out about you through your advertising, marketing and/or social media. Their next likely step is your website. If they like what they see on your site they email you, use your online availability checker or fill out your contact form. You then have an email conversation with them (phone if you’re lucky). If you do that well you get them in for an appointment. If the appointment goes well you get the sale. At each of those points the baton is getting passed. At any, or all, of those points the baton can get dropped.

If your ad is not compelling or well designed, they won’t go to your website. If they don’t like your social media presence they’ll move on. If they do get to your website, but aren’t moved to take action, once again, the baton has been dropped. If they do like what they see on your site and contact you, but your email communication skills are weak, you don’t get the appointment. If you do get the appointment but your sales skills are lacking, you don’t get the sale. Read More

Nov 19 2012

We’re a lot more alike than we are different

By Blog, Uncategorized

 

One thing I hear over and over again is how different it is for one category of wedding pros versus another. The photographers like to tell me that it’s different for them than it is for the caterers or florists. The DJ’s tell me that they’re different than bands, or even dress shops. While there are distinct differences in the services you provide, there are a lot of similarities when it comes to the business aspects.

You’re a lot more alike when it comes to marketing and advertising than you are different
When I give presentations on marketing and sales, each group wants me to customize the presentation to their needs, which I’m happy to do. The thing is that when I talk to them about their needs, those needs sound almost exactly the same as those for the other categories. You all want more, high-quality leads. You all want your websites to convert more of those leads. You all want more serious buyers and less price-shoppers. You all want a good return on your investment in advertising. Oh, and you all want to spend as little as possible in the process. Read More

Oct 22 2012

What’s the value of FREE?

By Blog

 

Over the years I’ve heard many discussions revolving around “free” things. Couples may be asking for you to throw in free services, or wedding pros may be talking about getting free ads, so I got to thinking about the value of “Free”.

On the surface free usually seems like a good idea: free parking, free samples, free speech, free advice, etc. When we’re on the receiving end of free services and products, we rarely seem to mind. Everyone likes free stuff, regardless of their income bracket.

Is free really free?

In reality, free is not free. There is a cost, it just may not be yours to bear. Free parking is paid for by the merchant who owns the land, or the municipality that built the parking lot (paid for with tax dollars). Free samples are paid for by the merchant who wants to get your business. Similarly, the free advice you get on the WeddingWire Pro Forums is supported by the technology and manpower behind it, paid for by WeddingWire. You get to use the Pro Forums for free, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a cost. Read More

Sep 24 2012

Wedding Planning Article – Do you want to plan your wedding or manage it?

By Blog

 

Alan Berg's Wedding Planning Article

Email Alan to get a copy of the full text or PDF of the article

Published article on why you should hire a professional wedding planner

It’s hard to turn on the TV these days and not see another wedding related program. There are reality shows and movies, all glamorizing the planning process. Whether you are hooked on them or not, one thing’s for sure; they make the planning seem easy, usually because they have professional help.

By now you’ve probably realized that there are way more decisions to be made than you originally thought. From save-the-dates to invitations, rings to dresses, caterers to music, photos and videos to flowers and decorations, there are so many decisions. Have you thought about hiring a professional wedding planner? No? Don’t think you need or can afford one?

There are a lot of misconceptions about today’s wedding planners. Some couples think they can’t afford one while others just want to make most of the big decisions themselves and enjoy the process. Either way there’s a planning service for everyone. A professional planner will work with you to tailor your wedding to your needs, tastes, style and budget. As a matter of fact it’s their job to know all of the best wedding pros in your market. Since they regularly do business with them, they can often get you a preferential rate or additional services that other brides might not get. Read More

Sep 09 2012

How to be the experienced wedding pro, without sounding old!

By Blog

I’m giving a brand new presentation this week at the Las Vegas DJ Show, “How to be the experienced wedding pro, without sounding old.” The catalyst for this was that I’ve been around the wedding industry for over 20 years and in that time, brides have only gotten about 4 years older. While that’s not fair, it’s a reality.

So what’s a wedding pro to do? What can you do so that today’s couples judge you by your work and not the color of your hair (if you have any left, which I don’t).

Let your voice be heard, take the 8-question survey now. It won’t take you very long and you can share your thoughts, whether you’re in your 20’s or 70’s, and anywhere in between.

Here’s the link. Please share it with your friends, thanks!

Aug 27 2012

Anatomy of my new business cards

By Blog
Alan Berg New Business card both fronts

The “two fronts” of Alan’s new business cards – Click to enlarge

As someone who speaks and writes about marketing, often specifically about what your marketing says about you, creating new business cards for myself is no small undertaking. Not only do they have to be functional, they also make a statement to whomever gets them. So, for better or worse, here are my new business cards and the thought process that went into creating them.

Different for a reason, not just to be different

I knew that they needed to be a different size than standard business cards, but what size? I wanted them to fit in my wallet, as the reason I decided to make cards is that my bookmarks, at 2″ x 8″, don’t fit in mine, or anyone else’s wallet. Therefore I was often without a card on me when out in social situations. I’ll still use my bookmarks, but I also wanted something more manageable.

So, if they’re going to be a different size, what’s the right size? A standard business card is 2″ high x 3.5″ wide. I went with 2.5″ high x 3.5″ wide so they’d be noticeably larger, but not too big to fit in a wallet. Yes, I know that they may not fit in a business card file (the pages with slots in them), but not may people still use them and, being standard width, they will still fit in, they’ll just stick up 1/2″. Read More

Jun 07 2012

Are you taking action or afraid to fail?

By Blog
When I write and speak about success I say that successful people don’t necessarily have more ideas, they just take action on more of their ideas. They know that they all won’t be winners, but you can’t find the winners without taking action. This is the thought that grew into my new book: “Your Attitude for Success“

 

You may have seen this on a motivational poster: “What would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail?” It’s a truly empowering concept and, the crazy thing is, you’ve all done this already in your lives. If you started your own business you didn’t do it expecting to fail. You expected great success, or at least a comfortable living doing something you enjoy. Read More
Apr 01 2012

Are you Self-Employed, Unemployed or just Under-Employed?

By Blog

It’s my Anniversary! No, not my wedding anniversary (although that’s coming up in May). April 1st is one year since I untied The Knot, as some friends of mine so eloquently put it. While it’s been a somewhat seamless process, as I’ve still been out speaking, training  and writing, it’s been a year that I’ve been doing it now as an independent consultant, speaker and author.

What does that mean to you? 

Well, for one thing I’m self-employed like many, if not most of you reading this. It’s not my first time owning and running my own business, but it had been 12 years since I published two WeddingPages magazines. In some ways it was like getting back on the bike after not riding for a long time and in others it was a new experience.

I found myself doing things I wouldn’t have done 11 years ago, including investing in better marketing materials, technology and branding. I did invest in those things back then, but I was more timid about it. Now I find that I’m more bold, more confident and more decisive in my decisions, very much as I advise my clients to do. Read More