Belief or Proof – Which comes first in your web site marketing?

I had a email from a client the other day which got me thinking about why, as business people, we choose to do things in certain ways. As someone who has studied human behaviour and psychology for quite a number of years now (OK I know I’m weird), I know that people have well established habits that stop them from making sensible business decisions. We have been trained from early on, that we need to see the evidence or proof of something before we can firmly believe that it will work. Medical science has worked this way for a few hundred years now but it’s also in the business world. We tend not to do something ‘new’ unless it’s tried, tested and had several thousand case studies done first. Only then do we ‘believe’ that this method will work or not work for us.

At first glance this method seems quite logical, doesn’t it? Why on Earth would we spend time and effort on something that’s not proven, unknown or even ‘new’. It’s probably just a fad, isn’t it?

This attitude also inevitably appears when we invest money into a project or campaign to sell our products and services. How often have you thought, and I know I have, ‘once this starts paying for itself I’ll then invest more money and time into it’?

Waiting for the proof!

This idea of waiting until proof shows itself is completely backwards. In order for something to work it requires that we invest either our money or our time into it. Otherwise, it’s just another project gathering dust on the shelf. Ideas, projects, websites and businesses all need energy put into them every single day otherwise they’re all just another great idea.

In order for something to succeed, focus on the project at hand and completely immerse ourselves in it. Swim up to our eyeballs in the good, the bad and the ugly of it. Discover ways around problems. Refine and improve. Enjoy the moments of success. Most importantly, appreciate that business, just like life, is a journey …. and it’s all about the journey, not the destination.

What if there’s no money to invest?

Now I know you may be saying, but there’s a recession on you know! I don’t have the money to invest. I’ve found there’s always ways around the money issue. Swaps, trades, negotiated terms for a start. Or if money is non-existent, then the one thing that’s vital is to invest time. Spend as must time as possible on your business and make it work. If you cannot invest time, then perhaps reconsider why you are in business at all. If your business is online then website marketing is vital as well as learning about social media marketing. Waiting until you see proof of it working means you’ll just sit and wait, nothing more.

Your investment of time

In order for anything to work, it requires the investment of time …. nurturing, supporting, loving. Yes, business needs love too! If you don’t believe me, ask yourself why you started business in the first place. Unless you’re blatantly out to just make money at whatever cost, you’ll probably find you started your business out of love. To help others or out of a passion for what you do. You’ll discover that your business is crying out for attention to make it thrive and grow. Just like a child or a garden, without the proper nourishment, it will wither and disappear.
Also, belief is important. We’ve got to move away from the analytic approach of waiting for proof before we dive right into something. The only way anything has a chance to blossom is to believe it will work. Then give it your undivided attention ….. time, money or both! Then watch what happens.

This reminds me of one of my favourite movie quotes from Loch Ness, where Ted Danson is talking to his young co-star about the possibility of the Loch Ness Monster really existing,

“I’ll believe it when I see it”. She says, “No Mr Dempsey, you have to believe it before you can see it!”

The order of success

1. In order for you to be successful, believe first that you can be successful. If a project is to flourish, you first must believe it will be a triumph.
2. Then invest what you can into it, whether that be time or money. You’ll then see it grow!

Your online business is very much the same. It’s a project that calls for time, money or both. You cannot just sit back and just wait until you see the proof of it working. Involve yourself fully into it, immerse yourself and enjoy it.

… Deb