OK, so I have received the "Google Favorite Places Sticker" in the mail a year ago.

My stats and clicks are being monitored and I get a lot of hits and clicks for weddings, birthdays, etc. (the usual cake stuff).

However, my sales and customer contacts are not even close to the number of clicks I get on my page. (My cakes are not hideous. At least I don't think so. (haha))

So my question is in your experience, what website essentials do you all find most helpful in getting clients to take action once they have clicked on your page?

Just so you know ahead of time I already have a place where clients can send me their info and I give them an electronic quote. They can set up their own consultations online. My company's site has a separate price list that specifically fits the needs of the most common designs and serving numbers in my area and my website is a path site, meaning that all the info is arranged by subject. In addition, the galleries are separated. What am I missing? Any suggestions? Oh yeah and prices are all over the place so it's not like I'm trying to hide anything.

Clicks are not sales.

I never paid for any service that charged me "per click". My view is that a click is someone walking down the sidewalk and looking in my window. I' not paying for that. I will pay for someone who actually opens the door and walks into the shop.

Clicks are window shoppers. Every business has tons of those.

Think of your own internet surfing. how many websites do you click into and NOT buy anything? I do hundreds.

basic rule of thumb for cold calls is 1%. So if you get one order for every 100 clicks, you're doing average.

Alot of people click through websites for ideas, not to buy.... I probably get just as many fellow cakers looking through my photos as potential clients.

Well hello ladies. It is very possible you could be right! That being said, do you have any other more effective methods of advertising to people truly in the market? Or is this just how it is? (I have a super duper small budget. Which is why I am paying for clicks.)

Am I correct Indy that you suggest cold calling potential clients?

Every time you hand out a business card, that's a cold call Sales is cold calling, like it or not, and when you own a biz, you are in sales 100% of the time.

My first preference to getting the word out is networking, networking, networking ..... with other professionals, with other business people. BNI, Rainmakers, Chambers, Wedding Networking Groups (if there isn't one in your area .... form one! PM me for tips on how to do this.)

I gave the cold-call example to show that its not a 1:1 result and that if one is not getting 1:1 results, that it's not a bad thing .... it's normal.

And yes, I took my boxes of cookies and my biz cards and went door to door introducing myself as the local cookie lady!

My WORST advertising has cost me money. My BEST has been free, or nearly so!!!!

Worst: Ad in local paper...ad on The Knot....Bridal Show

Best: Philly charity cake competition....word of mouth/business cards.....website....networking (which I don't do nearly enough of, because of time).

I guess I need to dust off my elevator speech and go back to the basics. And business cards, business cards.... I always seem to be out of them. I get so mad at myself when I am at an event site or in front of potential client when I reach in my chef's coat pocket and don't have anymore of them.

It all goes back to my organization skills which still need to be developed. I am the the worst for having to run out of here cake in hand, hair in net, frosting on face and no business cards to show for it! I have got to do better!

Since I am not in the biz (yet...fingers crossed) I will tell you the ideas that run through my head...

Any place you send a cake....send a stack of cards.

Send a stack of cards to a party (numbered) and do a lottery for a free cupcake or whatever. Then draw and number and the winner gets a free cupcake to taste your work.

Donate to a local church bake sale (send cards)

Try and do some advertising around First Communion time (spring) and the Graduation.

Lastly, I don't know what your website is or what your pictures look like, but looking at your cakes (which are beautiful) I think you need to work on how you photograph your cakes. Invest in a camera (or hit up a friend with one) and unless you are onsite, put a white or black sheet under/behind your cakes. Try and take close up photos.

Word of mouth is the best advertising. My professional wedding group just had a bridal panel where we ask recently married brides about their planning experiences. They all said that if they loved someone's website/bridal show booth/advertising, but one of their friends said that they had a bad experience with them, they wouldn't hire that person. On the other hand, if someone was referred by a friend they'd be much more likely to hire them.

Get to know other wedding professionals, and get your name out there. That will benefit you most of all.