As an online business coach, I have helped many service business professionals market their services online and get more customers online. When we just start working together, many of my clients tell me that they can't get any service clients online. This is because they usually promote their services by advertising them on online message boards and rarely get any qualified leads from these ads.

Why does this happen? This happens because your service is a high-ticket item. Because of the high price not too many people would buy it when they hear about it for the first time on a message board. Because a service costs a lot of money and requires some commitment on the customer's part, it has a longer sales cycle then a product.

Did you know that when your potential customers want to engage your services, they don't hire you as soon as they hear about you? They want to learn more about you first, see if there is a match, and hire you if they like what they see. Before they hire you, they want to know how long you have been in business, how you usually work with your clients and what makes your particular services perfect for them.

How can you convince your potential clients online that your services are perfect for them? Here is how:

- Show the benefits to your target customers. When your potential customers come to your web site they want to know what's in it for them. Make sure that your web site copy communicates all the benefits of hiring you to your future customers. Make sure that you discuss the benefits of hiring you on your web site.

- Start building relationships. Selling services has a longer sales cycle, therefore you need to market your business continuously in order to have clients on a regular basis. Build relationships with your potential customers by publishing a newsletter for your business.

When your potential customers arrive on your web site, make sure that you invite them to subscribe to your newsletter. Publish your newsletter on a regular basis, and offer information that is of interest to your potential customers.

Publishing an effective newsletter is the best way to build a relationship with potential customers. Newsletter subscribers keep getting to know you every time they read an issue of your newsletter. When they need the services that you offer they will not be looking around -- they already know to come to you for these services.

- Make it easy for your customers to get in touch. When your potential customers come to your web site they may have questions for you.

Create an easy to use navigation menu on your web site, and make sure that the link to your Contact Page is included in it.

It takes time to market your services online. This is because services have a longer sales cycle. In order to promote your services online effectively , you should create an online marketing plan. Make sure that your plan includes marketing the benefits of hiring you, building relationships with potential customers and making it easy for them to contact you.