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The following tips are just a few of the things I do as examplesof setting my service apart from the crowd. In general, theweakest areas in the Internet Marketing and Web Developmentbusiness, are "Customer Communications" and "Customer Service.Set your effort towards learning to deliver "excellence" in bothcustomer service and communication, and youll have distinctadvantages over many other competitors. These tips are based onthe tried and true method of "under promising and overdelivering."1. Manage expectations on initial Search Engine placement:Do NOT tell your prospect that you will get their web siteplacing in the top 10 search results right away. Dont guaranteethat you youll get them thousands of visitors right away. I tellmy prospects that I will do my best to position them within thetop 30 search results initially. As you know, in this businessthere are no absolute guarantees, but even if you can oftenposition a client within the top 10 search results on at least afew of the Majors right away, think about what you say before yousay it.People are tired of hearing a lot hype. Many firms make themistake of pedaling a lot of trumped up claims, even before theylearn and understand a prospects business. With so many peopleout there, who will promise the world to get a sale, a littlerealism goes a long way to establishing your credibility. Settinga clients expectations low initially, only enhances the effectof achieving a high-ranking result. Why not initially tell yourclient something that is EASY to believe.I like to teach the client to expect top placement over a periodof 3 to 6 months. Its much easier for them to believe and foreach time you immediately place within the top 10 quickly, theclient has another exciting surprise! Learn to under promise andreally over deliver every time! Focus on educating your clientsand teaching them truths that others only gloss over (or are notaware of themselves).2. Blow away old misconceptionsWhile some web firms talk about the huge volume of "Hits" totheir customers sites, I teach my prospects very early, that"hits" are irrelevant. Hits are not the best means of determiningsite activity. A hit is NOT a visitor. A hit can be any actionfrom the server. For example a page that displays 1 image, 10buttons, 1 logo and plays music in the background, might generateup to 14 hits for every visitor to the site. This is bestexplained by showing the client an activity report and pointingout the difference between hits (any action from the server) andUser Sessions (actual visitors). Eliminating any of the commonmisconceptions about traffic right from the start, will serve youwell in a marketplace where others are selling nothing more thanhype. Set yourself apart from the rest. Instead of lettingcustomers believe old ideas, educate them and help your customerto grasp how things work.3. Teach your client about the time required for initialindexing:I tell my client not to expect much site activity right away. Ilike to prepare them for the time it takes robots to visit theirsite for the first time. Once again, this a great opportunity toset your clients expectation a little lower. If we give them anexpectation of waiting approximately 6 weeks after registration,before traffic commences, we know that some search engines willprobably begin to visit in 3 to 5 weeks. Indeed a few mayoccasionally even visit within just 48 hours from the time youregister. However, creating an expectation of 6 to 8 weeks allowsyou to out-perform yourself every time. If you really mustexaggerate...then under promise and over deliver.Success Principle: Teach your clients the truth and learn tomanage your clients expectations. If you deliver above averageresults and communicate well, you will have a client for alifetime.4. Tip on Mass Search Engine Registration:Have you been telling your client about how you are going toregister them with 250 search engines for free? This is an oldout dated approach but you may be surprised at how manycompetitors will be saying the very same thing (because literallyanyone can buy auto submission software).I take a different approach. I ask the prospect this question: Have you ever wondered why some web developers may offer toregister you with 250 search engines for free? The answer issimple...thats exactly what its worth. ZERO ......I then go onto teach them how targeted traffic is only realized throughachieving a high ranking on the Major search engines. Show theman activity report to validate it. Then educate them about howyou remain focused on optimizing their Web site for the MajorSearch engines. By setting realistic expectations on search engine registration,and telling them the truth about where most of their traffic willcome from, you once again are providing an education that othersin the business forget to give their clients.5. Teach your clients about the value of Manual SE Registration:If youre like me, you only do manual registration. If you do usean auto-submission program or service, make sure it is one thatworks in a non-spam manner (there are not many that do).6. Teach your clients about the risk and annoyance of FFA Links:FFA Links (which stands for Free For All links) are NOT searchengines. Actually what you have probably learned by now is thatmany FFA sites are often times but not always, nothing more thanspam sites seeking your e-mail address. Over the years I havetried subscribing to these services at times just to determine ifthere may be any benefit. I can determine no benefit in FFA linksand I like to educate my clients so they do not get sucked in bythe many "special offers." Educate your clients and save themheadaches.7. Build long term relationships with your clients. Taking the consultancy approach with SEO offers manyopportunities to not only build customer rapport but also tomaintain it on a long term basis. I see my role as teaching myclients as much as I can about the Internet side of theirbusiness. The time you spend educating your client pays fairlybig dividends in terms of customer loyalty. What happens after awhile is, your customers will seek your advice on issues ratherthan just get taken advantage of by one of those e-mail dealsthat sounds to good to be true. Care for your clients businessas if it were your own!8. Does your client need help to write a Media Release?This may be a stretch for some SEOs but look for opportunitiesto help your client promote their web site in different ways. Ilike to assist my clients by doing little things that are easyfor me to do, dont really take too much time and add extra valueto my service. Examples of these services might be to help yourclient write a good media release or the creation of littlecounter top signs that advertise the clients URL. Do they need alittle checklist to help them promote their URL? Think valueadded!9. Practice customer service excellence.One of the biggest loopholes in the Internet marketing and SEObusiness, is lack of quality customer service. Do you returntheir calls? Do you look after their questions promptly? Do youkeep them informed about the newest trends? 10. See your customer, as a customer for life. Care for your customers business as much as you can with fullattention to detail. Most business owners are far to busy runningtheir business to look after all of their "web presence" issues.This is why they hire you in the first place. If you remember todeliver "excellence" in both customer service and communication,youll have distinct advantages over many other competitors. Lookafter your customers well, and they will definitely look afteryou well too.

About the Author

John Alexander is the Co-Director of Training of Search EngineWorkshops with Robin Nobles. Together, they teach 2-day beginner,3-day advanced, and 5-day all-inclusive "hands on" search enginemarketing workshops in locations across the globe. John alsoteaches online search engine marketing courses throughhttp://www.onlinewebtraining.com, and hes a member ofWordtrackers official question support team.