The secret to success in the new year may lie in divining the right keywords. As Christine Churchill says at Search Engine Land, the words you buy in pay-per-click, the terms you target for organic, the phrases you focus on in your images and videos, all depend on making good keyword choices up front. Yet, “the process of identifying keywords is wrought with pitfalls,” she says. She identifies a few common mistakes companies make, and offers some advice:
Targeting keywords that people never use.
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business &search engine optimization &Search Engine Ranking &SEO
Most business cards I see put me to sleep. At best they’re good for jotting down notes. Beyond that they do nothing to make me want to do business with the person who’s name is on them.
You can get more from your business cards though. Here are a few ideas to get the most from them.
Why Have Business Cards?
The first thing to remember when buying business cards is “why are you buying them?” Are they just to sit on your desk and impress people who come to you? Or are they “working business cards” that get are expected to generate business? Do you want them to be passed on so they produce referrals for you? Or would you prefer they stay in your customer’s wallet, briefcase or desk drawer so they call you when they need you?
Build Your Business Cards to Suit Your Purpose
Cards to impress should be fancy. They should shout “I’m expensive!” Cards that are meant to get more business should be designed to send a different message. They should tell your customer why they should do business with you. Use your cards to deliver the same message the rest of your marketing delivers.
Or, you might design your cards to encourage people to pass them on so you get referrals. Create a clever way to suggest this and put it on your business card. Make your cards viral! Think of the dollar bills or stuffed animals that travel all over the world. How can you encourage people to pass your cards on?
The Practical Side
If your budget is moderate and your business cards do not have to be fancy, the online printing companies are a good choice. But, if you want something of high quality, or that is unique (and you’re not a graphics designer) then my advice is to use a local or chain printing shop.
If you use the “bricks and mortar” option, get at least two bids. There is a BIG variation in pricing. The chains are usually more competitive and consistent in their pricing but they might not offer all the bells and whistles a local shop might.
Category : Advertising &Blog &Branding &Business &Business Cards &Marketing
Effective business networking is the linking together of individuals who, through trust and relationship building, become walking, talking advertisements for one another.
- Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.
- Ask yourself what your goals are in participating in networking meetings so that you will pick groups that will help you get what you are looking for. Some meetings are based more on learning, making contacts, and/or volunteering rather than on strictly making business connections.
- Visit as many groups as possible that spark your interest. Notice the tone and attitude of the group. Do the people sound supportive of one another? Does the leadership appear competent? Many groups will allow you to visit two times before joining.
- Hold volunteer positions in organizations. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you.
- Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations. This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how as opposed to those that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them.
- Become known as a powerful resource for others. When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them.
- Have a clear understanding of what you do and why, for whom, and what makes your doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others.
- Be able to articulate what you are looking for and how others may help you. Too often people in conversations ask, “How may I help you?” and no immediate answer comes to mind.
- Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow.
- Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business &Networking
Finding ways to create free publicity can be a tedious task. Though technology has provided many different avenues to promote your business one of the most time-tested methods of publicity is simply word-of-mouth. During tough economic times word-of-mouth recommendations for your products and services may produce the same result as an advertisement with out the cost.
While word-of-mouth is a great start you can always do more. Structure a campaign around the attributes of your business to create a buzz that will bring commitment to your product or service amongst the people with in your community. To save money, try using existing products, knowledge and resources.
One way to set your business apart from competitors is by becoming a trusted advisor in the subject that you specialize in. Contest and fundraisers are another good way to drive people to your business. These are unique because if organized properly they encourage good habits and build buzz at the same time. Contests and fundraisers often expose your good service and products to people who least likely to do business with you otherwise.
Keeping up with your clients is easier then ever before. Blog software and online newsletter services make contacting your client more efficient and less expensive. Internet applications such as these have transformed word-of-mouth communication to the point where one click of the mouse can reach thousands of potential customers.
Businesses are turning to Facebook, YouTube, blogs etc. to post customer reviews, information on new products and how-to tips. Customers appreciate free advice and when they need a service that your business offers, they are more likely to remember the name of your business.
Written by t.davis
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business &Business Cards &low cost advertising &Newsletter
The more you focus on SEO strategy, the more you might begin to think you can outsmart Google. But Dharmesh Shah argues in an article at MarketingProfs.com that gaming the system with sneaky SEO techniques is, in the long run, a losing proposition: “It’s safe to assume that if you try to exploit a hole in the algorithm today, your advantage is going to be temporary,” he says. “More importantly, you carry a significant risk of having your Web site penalized or banned.”
According to Shah, some slight-of-hand tricks you should avoid include:
Link farms. Most SEO professionals agree that the number of inbound links plays a critical role in search rankings. Some less scrupulous practitioners, therefore, create a group of dummy Web sites for the sole purpose of linking to the actual Web site.
Keyword stuffing. Once upon a time, the constant repetition of certain keywords might have manipulated rankings. But no more–search engines got wise to this practice, and it’s now a wasted effort.
Hidden text. Placing white text on a white background–visible to spiders, but not to humans–is a seemingly invisible way to load a page with rank-improving content. But, he notes, “Regardless of how sophisticated the approach, it is still going to be detected at some point.”
The Po!nt: “An Internet strategy that is predicated on outsmarting Google is not a smart strategy,” says Shah. “Working with search engines instead of trying to exploit them is the only approach that works in the long term.”
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business &Design &E-mail &Internet &Marketing &SEO &Websites
- Product is what you sell, whether it’s a physical product or a service, idea, or yourself (like when you search for a new job).
- Price is not only the list price or sticker price of a product, but its also any adjustments to that price, such as discounts.
- Placement is where and when you present your product to customers.
- Promotion is all the sales activities, advertising, publicity, special events, displays, signs, web pages, and other communications designed to inform and persuade people about your product.
- People – Referral Marketing is a powerful marketing force where your customers serve as a sort of “mini” sales force for you. They refer others to you because they’ve had a positive relationship with your people.
Category : Advertising &Blog &Design &Internet &SEO
Both lines of credit and borrowing money on your credit cards can be effective ways to finance small business operations. Both are revolving, and charge interest only on outstanding balances. And both have predetermined borrowing limits. However, there are big differences in terms of cost, convenience, and risk.
The major difference is that credit lines usually have lower interest rates and higher available limits. Commercial lines of credit are therefore more cost-effective than credit cards. But that’s not to say that credit cards don’t have advantages — especially in terms of convenience.
Instead of asking your bank to transfer funds from your credit line to your checking account — to write a check for office supplies, for example — you can just whip out your plastic and charge it. Another credit card plus is record-keeping. Monthly statements are a handy way to track expenses for general record-keeping and tax purposes.
Credit cards also frequently come with perks like air miles, travel insurance, warranty extensions, and discounts on rental cars, hotels, and gas. If these extras are valuable to you and your company, credit cards make a lot of sense.
Additionally, credit cards offer grace periods on purchases, usually 25 days. That means you can avoid interest charges altogether if you pay your balance in full each month.
Fortunately, credit lines and credit cards aren’t mutually exclusive. You will certainly want to obtain at least one credit card for business expenses. But you may also want a line of credit for larger purchases and to draw upon during periods of irregular cash flow.
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business &Business Cards &Business Credit &SEO &Websites
Maintaining regular customers is more cost-effective than going after new ones. The 80/20 rule maintains that 80 percent of your business will come from repeat customers, so keeping those familiar faces coming back should be high on the list of priorities for any business.
But many businesses might take regular customers for granted and may not realize if some of those familiar faces aren’t frequenting their establishments as often. These tips will help you keep them coming back.
- Get feedback: Customers come to your business because you meet a need or solve a problem for them. As time goes by you need to determine whether you are still meeting those needs or solving their problems. The only way to effectively do this is by reaching out to regular customers through written surveys, questionnaires, telephone surveys, and your Web site. Ask specific questions about past experiences and clients’ current needs.
- Break the high-tech barriers: Voice mail, computerized phone calls, kiosks, and e-mail form letters do nothing to bring you closer to your customers. While technology has made it faster and easier than ever to communicate, it has also taken the human element out of business transactions. Customers have gone full circle and are once again seeking human beings when they have questions or problems that need to be solved. Being accessible, especially to regular customers who have established a relationship with your business, is very important.
- Create loyalty programs: Pay for nine car washes and you get one free. Many business owners have never thought about creating their own clever twist on such a simple loyalty concept. Customers like to be rewarded for their loyalty, whether it comes from paying for a one-year membership and getting three extra months for free or getting discounts in a frequent-buyer program. Make it a point to reward regular customers.
- Maintain a database and use it wisely: Reach out to your regular customers through e-mail. You can use software programs to periodically send messages to your regular customers. Even though it is a mass mailing, you can send something with a personal touch that captures your customers’ attention and meets their needs, which might coincide with a holiday or the change of seasons. Also, keep in mind that too many businesses send the same old reminders again and again. Therefore you should vary your means of contacting your regular customers.
If you have lost a steady customer to the competition or because of dissatisfaction with your service, you need to work a little harder to regain that person’s trust. Here are some tips for bringing back lost customers or clients.
- Offer an incentive for reopening the lines of communication: Give a discount for filling out a survey that could divulge why the customer is dissatisfied or went elsewhere. If you have a personal relationship with clients, there is such a thing as a free lunch: Make the offer and reopen the dialogue.
- Rebuild trust: Offer to resolve the problem and give them a guarantee. This time if they are dissatisfied with your product or service, or find a competitor that is charging less, you will immediately rectify the situation, whether you provide the service for free or beat a competitor’s price.
- Be accountable: Customers respect honesty and accountability. Therefore if you’ve made mistakes, failed to deliver on a promise, or mistreated a customer in any manner, you can simply and sincerely say that you are very sorry. Accountability and an apology can go a long way to rebuilding a relationship.
Whether you are trying to maintain your regular customers or looking to bring back those you have lost, it is always important to remember that flexibility and good customer service should be an inherent part of your plans.
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business &Websites
If your company isn’t as successful as it could be, it may be because you’re satisfying your customers. Having a satisfied customer base could be the worst thing to happen to your business.
If all you’re doing is satisfying them, you’re simply meeting their expectations — and not yet doing anything bad enough to drive them away. You’re also not doing anything to make them want to come back again. As a result, most won’t.
According to research conducted by Bain & Company, 65 to 85 percent of customers who defected to competitors described themselves as “satisfied” or “very satisfied” just before they made their move. Customers who say they’re satisfied are almost as likely to change suppliers as those who say they are dissatisfied. Put another way, a satisfied customer is a former customer waiting to happen.
So if customer satisfaction isn’t the goal, what is? In a word, loyalty. Satisfied customers have no particular attachment to your company or brand, and they buy from the competition all the time. Studies have found that only 9 percent left because of the competition, and only 14 percent because their former supplier didn’t address their concerns. More than two-thirds — 68 percent — didn’t have a specific reason.
On the other hand, loyal customers will stick by you. They’ll put up with a little inconvenience to do business with you. They’ll even forgive your mistakes. They’re committed to getting the products or services they can get from you alone, and it will take something truly earth-shattering to get them to go elsewhere. The bottom line is that satisfaction is temporary, while loyalty is forever.
So how can you turn satisfied customers into loyal ones? You need to know the customers’ rules.
All customers have rules. Customers’ rules are the beliefs, policies, needs, desires, and expectations that determine how, when, what, and why they buy.
For example, a frequent traveler might set a rule that he won’t buy a laptop computer weighing more than four pounds. Things like screen quality, storage capacity, and even brand don’t matter, while the four-pound limit matters greatly.
THE MUST-HAVE CUSTOMER
7 Steps to Winning the Customer
You Haven’t Got
by Robert Gordman with Armin Brott
Category : Advertising &Blog &Marketing &Websites
There are plenty of shopping cart options for e-businesses of all sizes. Because of the overwhelming array of options, you’ll need to narrow down the field. Before you start shopping for a cart solution, make a list of what you need your cart to do.
* Can you install and configure the cart software yourself, or will you need help?
* What kind of transaction volume will it be handling?
* Will it easily integrate into your existing online store?
* How much can you afford to pay for your cart solution?
* What level of security and encryption will you — and your customers — be comfortable with?
The first question is probably the most significant. If you are tech-savvy and feel comfortable setting up your own shopping cart, you will be able to take advantage of one of the many free, open-source carts out there. But if you need a hosted solution, that will take you in another direction entirely.
osCommerce is one of the oldest and most respected free, open-source solutions. It will work on most any PHP-enabled Web server, and will work with most of the popular payment gateways. There are many other open-source solutions, including ZenCart, PhpShop, and MyMarket.
Quick Shopping Cart® makes it easy to create your own online store in just minutes!
But if you need to start accepting payments today, PayPal may be the way to go. You can sign up for an account in minutes, and PayPal’s cart application is free. Once your account is activated, you can start accepting bank transfers, e-checks, credit card payments, and payments from your customers’ PayPal accounts. PayPal’s fees are a little higher than most other big merchant account processors, but the convenience is worth it for many
Category : Advertising &Blog &Design &E-Commerce &Websites
