“Wild Web Woman Talks Online Success Tips”

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Lorrie Thomas Ross spent years in online sales and marketing. When she saw her small business workshop students making BIG impacts faster and smarter than the corporations she worked at, she knew she had to put her focus where it mattered – advising, teaching, speaking, writing and running an agency focused on small business marketing.

Today, Lorrie is the CEO and The Marketing Therapist® of Web Marketing Therapy®, a boutique marketing agency and web marketing education company. She developed a healthy success-backed system for web marketing that helps diagnose needs, prescribe the right next steps and continually guide companies as a virtual marketing support team.

MO: How did you discover that you have a gift for motivational marketing speaking?

Lorrie: Although I can talk and talk and talk, I am a very good listener. I knew I had a gift as a motivational marketing speaker when I heard a pattern in feedback from my speeches. I was being introduced before my talks as a motivational marketing speaker, I got emails after my talks being thanked for being so motivational and the best part was seeing real results of what people put to work thanks to my “marketing motivation”.

MO: Can you tell us why your clients call you and your team the “Wild Web Women?”

Lorrie: Years ago, I was on site with my team and our client told his receptionist to escort “the Wild Web Women in the conference room”. We asked him where that name came from and he said that our Wild approach to web marketing was what put his company on the map…we were his “wild web women”. The name stuck and we have been known as the Wild Web Women ever since!

MO: Can you share 3 things every business owner should know about online marketing?

Lorrie:  In my book, I share my three online marketing rules:

1) Online marketing is not something one spends time or money on. It is something (when done well) becomes an investment.

2) Online marketing success is not about what you know, it is what you are open to learning and what you are committed to managing.

3) Optimal online marketing cannot occur without help. Help from education, outsourcing some of your marketing or having employees help is a must. Do what you do best and hire others to do the rest!

MO: What do you think is the most underused or misunderstood social media tool?

Lorrie: Blogs. No doubt. Blogs are the nucleus of social media and most businesses don’t use their blog strategically. Blogs are the north star to social media. Content should live on your site then branch out to other social media outlets.

MO: What are some of the most common issues you see your clients face and how can these challenges be fixed or avoided altogether?

Lorrie: The most common issue is lack of strategic planning. We do not plan to fail, we FAIL TO PLAN. We help clients assess their current web marketing, make optimization recommendations and propose creative ideas for next steps. It often requires outside help to be able to look critically at web marketing to help create a blueprint for next steps.

MO: What should a business do when faced with online negative reviews? What steps can or should they take?

Lorrie: Successful companies are getting good at being human. Taking blows to the ego is tough to tackle, but when businesses listen, understand and acknowledge the reviews (and correct bad behavior) it shows their current and prospective customers that they care and are committed to doing a great job. The worst thing they can do is ignore them or get defensive.