May 13, 2009
Are you forgetting your current customers?
It seems everywhere you look these days, businesses are trying new gimmicks to bring in new customers. From offering discounts for the first few months to giving out special packages, most businesses are trying their best to add to the number of clients or customers they serve.
While there is nothing wrong with this, these businesses need to ask themselves the question, “Am I neglecting my existing customers?” If your company has advertised a package or discount, do the words ‘offer invalid for existing customers’ follow?
If this sounds like you, here is a bit of information on the importance of existing customers.
Around 80% of your business comes from around 20% of your existing customers!
People enjoy sticking with a company if their products or services are great quality and the prices are fair. Not only do they have the desire to remain loyal, but they will pass your company name onto their friends and family – who then passes it on to their friends and family and so on. Ah, the beauty of word of mouth advertising. Even in today’s computer-driven world, it remains the best and most viral form of advertising.
Staying in contact with your current customers is also very important!
With the busy lifestyles most of us maintain, it’s easy to neglect certain aspects of our lives or forget about certain things we have to do. When you stay in contact with your existing customers, you remind them of your presence. As long as you do this in a way that isn’t invasive, your customers will appreciate it. Keep them in the loop; send out a newsletter, use a blog to keep them updated or use some other way to remain in contact with your existing customers.
Giving back to your customers is a great way to keep them and increase loyalty!
Your current customers are taking care of you – why not take care of them? Give out those discounts and extra packages to your current customers. This lets them know that you really value their business and you want to keep them. When you exclude your current customers from special packages and discounts, it’s like saying, “We’ve already got you and there’s no need to impress you any further.” That doesn’t work in a marriage and it doesn’t work in business. Give back to your customers and let them know just how important they really are.
While new customers are vital to a business’s growth and success, your current customers are just as important. Once you’ve gained the trust and patronage of a client or customer, you must work just as hard to keep it. By doing so, you will ensure the future success and growth of your company.
May 10, 2009
Search engine optimization is typically at the top of every webmaster’s to-do list. The ability to dominate the search results for a specific keyword phrase promises the success every online business dreams of achieving. Searching for this magical pot of SEO gold has cost many webmasters a great deal of wasted money.
SEO specialists are more abundant than rainwater as of late. While many firms have established great track records and may well be worth their exorbitant fees, even more so-called SEO experts are charging webmasters for a bucket full of empty promises.
Those who understand the truth about SEO know that it all boils down to offering the online community something they need or enjoy.
Before investing a large amount of money into search engine optimization, carefully consider the options available and think about the facts below:
1. Meta tag descriptions and keywords that are not related to your content can decrease traffic to your website. Google does not use meta tags to determine search ranking but, instead, uses these descriptions as snippets to display with the results. A poorly written or unrelated description could make first place ranking useless when it comes to click-through rates and actual traffic.
2. The very best keywords and meta tags are completely useless without the same great content. As noted above, Google is one of many search engines that do not read meta tags to actually determine search ranking. Therefore, a website with no real content in the body will typically not fare as well in the search results as a site with quality, keyword-rich content – search rank will depend almost completely on backlinks in these cases.
3. Pay per click campaigns are not as effective as organic search results. Studies have found that Internet users are typically about 3 times more likely to click a naturally ranked search result before visiting a sponsored site. In fact, a number of users believe search ads are untrustworthy.
4. There’s no need for you to find the search engines, they’ll find you. While submission packages that promise to get your website noticed by every known search engine may sound tempting – they’re of very little use. Search spiders are continuously scanning the web for content and will come across yours without any help at all.
5. A long string of keywords at the bottom of your home page will not increase search rankings. Using too many keywords in the content of your site or hiding text within the pages can ultimately hurt your search rankings rather than help them. Most search engine spiders consider the entire context of a page to determine ranking and pay attention to site using phrases in natural, conversational ways.
Organic search engine optimization centers on high quality content that delivers the information your audience is seeking. Don’t spend money on a service you would not consider if there were no search engines – rather invest in opportunities to enrich your visitors and enhance your brand, then high search rankings and increased traffic will follow.
Image Credit: Ignacio Leonardi
May 3, 2009
It's time to shatter common website maintenance misconceptions.
Building a website for the entire online world to see is becoming more of a ‘given’ in this day and age. From brick-and-mortar businesses to work-at-home gurus, there is an urgency to create brand awareness, communicate with as many people as possible, increase consumer interest, and boost overall profits. However, there are numerous misconceptions that one may fall victim to when trying to maintain their presence on the Internet.
In order to set yourself on the right track towards maintaining a website that meets your needs, as well as those of the public, consider the following classic misconceptions:
- I Can Sit Back and Wait for the Traffic to Roll In: Once you have built a site, curious consumers and interested parties will not bang down the door of your URL unless you put a little effort into marketing. In order to pursue cost-efficient and successful ways of directing traffic to your site, you should warm up to the idea of juggling more than one tactic.
Advertising on search engines (like Google and Yahoo) is a common method, but after awhile – this approach can get expensive. For some businesses, they wait months and sometimes years to break the top 10 of organic searches. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. Research affiliate programs, create an email newsletter, consider partnering, and take advantage of keyword-rich, relevant articles.
- My Site is Up, Now My Sales Will Shoot Through the Roof: If you have already been in business and currently enjoy a loyal client base, just because you’ve established a website doesn’t mean you’ll become a millionaire overnight. While you have been building your business and presence on the Web, so has the competition. And now, you’re up against national and international rivals (depending on your niche). You have to constantly explore new ways to stand out and locate consumers most interested in your type of products and services.
- The More I Offer, the Higher My Chances of Making Money: Today’s consumer is interested in purchasing specialized products and services that speak to their needs. Once you’ve determined your niche, stick with it and then focus on separating yourself from the competition. Stray too far from your target audience and you’ll lose your connection to a specialized consumer base.
- I’ll Increase Sales If I Copy Successful Companies: Some entrepreneurs make the mistake of copying their competitors – right down to marketing strategies and website layout. If you think this works in your favor, you’re wrong.
Let’s say you created a soda and used the same bottle design and colors as Coca Cola. In most cases, you’ll only remind potential consumers just how good Coke tastes and how popular the soda is – so popular that a new business decided to follow suit and copy their ‘look.’ While there are plenty of things learned from analyzing the competition, businesses that create their own path towards success become more respected within the marketplace.
- I Need Flash and Animation to Look Professional: We’ve all been on them before – sites that dazzle us with high-quality designs, clever introductions, and innovative features. However, consumers are most interested in finding websites that solve their problems and answer their questions in the least amount of time. If they encounter a site that loads too slowly, it doesn’t matter how good it looks. Most people don’t wait long enough to find out. Give clear, concise, and professional information to keep your visitors coming back for more.
All in all – website creation, development, and maintenance are important aspects when you want to make your mark in the online business world. Whether you wish to sell cookbooks, increase awareness of a new company, attract local sales, or boost your level of credibility – a website can become a valuable tool in making money and furthering your business. Make sure to approach the overall website process with a purpose and a plan.
April 26, 2009
Don't forget your business cards - they get the word out.
Increasing website traffic is always an urgent matter for any website owner. Small business owners in the brick and mortar world – after realizing the many benefits of a company website – can often be at an advantage for promotion techniques using the offline methods they’re already accustomed to. Letterhead, business cards, and printed media are natural places to include your website address – but what if your business operates solely online?
Any webmaster can increase traffic to any website using offline promotion techniques.
In fact, the most successful websites typically use a diverse selection of both online and offline methods to drive more visitors and increase profits. One of the easiest and most cost effective methods is mentioning your website address to family, friends, and colleagues. Add your URL to your business cards, letterhead, and email signatures or consider making business cards specifically for your website if you haven’t already. It makes sense that the more visible your website is, the more traffic it will generate.
There are several different ways you can use business cards, flyers, and other print to promote your online business in your offline world.
- Pass out your card at business meetings, dinner gatherings, or on the golf course.
- Include 5 or 10 cards each time you ship a purchase. Encourage clients to pass along your URL by offering a discount for referrals.
- Leave your card or business flyer on community bulletin boards at convenience stores, libraries, grocers, and other local sites.
- Search for offline businesses with similar clientele and discuss the possibilities of promoting one another. Many local companies will be glad to promote your website to their customers in exchange for an online ad on your website.
Get creative when you promote your website and watch your traffic levels soar – along with your profits!
Printed media isn’t the only place you should consider displaying your website address. Create a moving billboard by placing your URL on a decal for your vehicle; contract an affordable print shop to have your web address printed on pens, key chains, coffee mugs, stickers, or tee shirts.
Take these ideas to your audience.
“If you build it, they will come”…but only if they know it’s there. Promotional paraphernalia is completely worthless sitting in a box. The right techniques can increase your traffic with or without these additional tools.
- Find places where your potential clients gather – and join them. Conventions, workshops, and other public events are a great place to meet people with similar interests and can bring a number of new visitors to your website.
- Start a sticker campaign. A number of websites involve their members and current visitors to generate new traffic. Mail out stickers with your URL and hold contests for referrals, creative placement, and other categories.
- Don’t be afraid to approach your local radio stations, newspapers, or even television stations about possible opportunities to promote a community angle of your website.
Whatever methods you’re using to increase traffic to your website, remember that the key to any successful site is a functional, friendly design with informative, unique, and original content.
April 25, 2009
If you think your email spam filter is the perfect way to screen unwanted solicitations, overseas million-dollar bank transactions, and ploys for ridiculous products, think again.
As a freelance writer, I’ve sent requests for interviews and other notices through the email hundreds of times. I’ve always expected responses to safely arrive in my Inbox, but after anxiously waiting for a confirmation code, I soon learned the hard way that spam filters are not 100% accurate.
Usually, I ignore my spam box, as it can accumulate up to 1,000 pieces of cyber-garbage in one week, including mail with a send date of 2038. Upon further investigation, I discovered registration information, Facebook alerts, and replies to important business emails drowning in a spam wasteland.
I started to panic and recalled all the times I didn’t receive a response to something significant. My heart also sank to think of all the people who thought I was ignoring their emails.
I feel completely relying on a spam filter is foolish. Just with every technological wonder and advancement, there is always room for error and the potential glitches. I have now gotten into the habit of checking my spam box on a daily basis…and like clockwork…I have found relevant emails every single day. I can only imagine the information, potential job opportunities, and business-related details that I have already missed over the years.
If anyone has had an experience with a reliable and effective spam filter, please share in the comments section.
April 22, 2009
Sales letters boost online and offline consumer interest.
Sales copy letters are a hot commodity in the internet marketing and business world. If you’ve ever clicked on a page containing a sales letter and you rolled your eyes, clicked off the page, or figured it was a scam – that sales letter was poorly written. When you are operating an online business or if you’re in internet marketing, you have one disadvantage.
You can not talk to the customer. You have only one chance to make them see the benefits and greatness of your product or service. Sales copy letters are the best way to have a conversation with your readers.
You can reach your customers in a few different ways with a great sales letter:
* Reaching readers or customers through their emotions is a very powerful selling technique! People are emotional buyers, not logical. For this reason, they need to be approached on an emotional level.
* Sales letters which target the desires of readers do a few different things. They force the reader to think of the possibilities. If they are in a certain financial situation but want to be in a better one, a great sales letter will invoke this desire and create interest.
* Without being pushy or overwhelming, a perfectly written sales letter can outline the benefits of the particular service or product in a way that the reader will appreciate.
What is the Proper Length of a Sales Copy Letter?
While there is no ’set’ length, there’s a small rule of thumb that can help you decide the length. The higher the price of your product, the longer the copy needs to be. If you are selling an informational product for several hundred dollars, you really need to let the readers know why they should invest this amount of money. It’s very important that your sales copy letter is meaty enough to get the reader interested. If this happens, they will keep reading and that is the goal.
Most Important Elements of a Sales Letter:
Not every writer follows this rule, but including these things in your sales copy will really increase performance:
- Include statistics – When readers are able to see numbers which actually tell a story in themselves, they relate better to the copy. For instance, when writing a sales letter for a money-making product, you might include something like, “Did you know that 27% of people will become wealthy through their own hard work?” Similarly, you could say, “73% of people will never make enough money to be considered wealthy.”
- Make sure you have an excellent headline – Your headline is quite possibly the most important part of your sales letter. It has the responsibility of catching attention, creating interest and compelling the reader to keep reading.
- Be positive - Include positive phrases like, “Yes you can,” and “You can do this too.” This gets the reader to think positively about the offered service or product as well.
These guidelines can really pump up the performance of your sales letter and this means more conversions and sales. Whether you write it yourself or hire a killer sales copy writer, be sure these elements are present.
April 18, 2009
How satisfying is your marketing efforts?
A friend and colleague of mine recently began printing full color, beautifully designed business cards for local businesses. One of his goals was to receive orders from at least 7 local businesses in his first month of printing. For a local business, this is a pretty large goal, especially in his first month. He came to me and asked for my suggestions on how to receive these orders. After pondering a bit, I gave him my ideas. He said, “Are you serious?” I was quite serious.
So many of us follow specific guidelines on how to market our businesses and get our business information out there to potential clients. While this is definitely a wise thing to do – sometimes we lose the big O. Originality! We are absolutely bombarded with advertisements on a daily basis. From billboards to television and radio to URL’s on spice packets that come from our favorite restaurants – it becomes rather easy to tune these messages out. It’s important to make your message stand out from the rest.
My friend did exactly what I told him to do, albeit somewhat reluctantly. He made a personal visit to 20 different companies in our area. First, he swiped business cards from them and took them back to the shop. After creating some sample cards that made the old ones look outdated and dull, he made another visit to those businesses.
He spoke to the managers or owners and introduced himself and his company. He then left each of them with a set of 10 personalized sample cards that they could actually use for their businesses and asked that they call on him when they needed to re-order. Now, what kind of company gives you something free BEFORE you order? Imagine getting a couple of free meals from a restaurant so you can decide if you like their food…it just doesn’t happen. This was original and although my friend spent a bit of his own money to make it happen, he received 10 orders within 35 days. Not too shabby, right?
If you have a business that operates exclusively online, you may not be able to visit a bunch of clients that you’d like to obtain, but you can still be original. Here are some tips on originality that you can use within your business:
- Do something you know your competitors won’t do. Perhaps you’re a website designer. Visit 20 sites a week and compose a very polite, interesting e-mail complimenting a possible client’s website – and then include some helpful tips. Tell them what to do with their website to make it stand out and convert more visitors. Of course, include your company name and business URL.
- If you sell a certain product, get some small samples together and advertise them on your site. Allow your customers the chance to try the product before they buy it. If you believe in your product and know it’s the best, you will most likely get some orders just by letting your customers try it first!
- Hold actual contests, which are free for potential customers. Make them fun and give away free products or services to the winners. This gets people involved and you will probably get some great orders!
While you’re following your checklists, your handbooks and marketing guides, don’t neglect the big O. You’ll be surprised how your message will stick out from the other advertisements if it’s original and different! Good luck and stay original.
April 6, 2009
Photo by Caitlinator on Flickr
“Writing eases my suffering. When you use words, you’re able to keep your mind alive. Writing is my way of reaffirming my own existence.” Gao Xingjian
Individuals all over the world engage in some type of writing every single day. Whether you’re writing an article to promote your site, a note to let your spouse know you’ll be home early or a letter to a family member out of state.
When is the last time that you wrote something simply because you wanted to – or because there was no real reason?
I keep a journal and although I don’t write every single day, I usually put something down in it at least 3 times a week. Some people would consider this a waste of time – an hour that could be spent doing something more productive.
However, according to studies this hour could be very important for both my physical and emotional health!
When you write about events in your life that are upsetting, wonderful, depressing, exciting, etc. – you are expressing yourself. You’re utilizing a great outlet to drain the negativity and record the positive things that happen to you. Rather than suppressing those important emotions, you allow them to be expressed through writing.
Reducing Stress and Physical Health Benefits of Writing –
Stress is a dangerous thing, yet it’s something that most of us deal with on a daily basis. When stress is allowed to get out of control, serious health problems can develop. Stress has been proven to increase an individual’s risk of anxiety, depression, heart attack, obesity and other chronic health diseases. When that stress is vented regularly through writing, it isn’t permitted to build up and cause these problems.
By just writing for 5 to 10 minutes each day about things that may have angered or saddened you during the day, you can get rid of that dangerous stress buildup. Hey – that’s a pretty cheap and easy way to take care of your health!
Recognizing Patterns in Your Feelings and Making Changes Based on Those Patterns –
Keeping a journal or engaging in regular writing can give you a key to your own personality, moods, feelings and emotions. As you read back over past entries in your journal, you’re able to detect patterns within your own emotions and personality that you may not ever find otherwise. By first detecting these patterns in your writing, you can make positive changes which will affect your life for the better.
In a study designed by Dr. James Pennebaker of the University of Texas at Austin, students who suffered from depression were instructed to engage in expressive writing. Another group of students who suffered from depression were instructed to write about everyday events or things. The group of students who engaged in expressive writing reported improved moods, and a better overall sense of wellbeing.
The Challenge: Write everyday in a journal for 5 to 10 minutes. Write about the things that make you feel angry, depressed, and ecstatic – any thing that triggers emotions. Don’t worry about what you write because this is only for your eyes. Spending just a few minutes each day can have an enormous effect on your health – both physical and emotional. Writing for health…priceless!
March 18, 2009
What are you doing? If you’re an active member of the Twitter community, then you probably already know that you can enter updates beyond the typical Twitter homepage. Armed with cell phones and other devices, an explosion of Twitter platforms, clients, and applications have emerged. To get you up to speed, consider the following selections:
Tweetie: Full-featured Twitter client for iPhone and iPod Touch – available at the iPhone App Store.
Tweet Deck: An Adobe Air desktop application (currently in public beta) that involves more than one social media outlet with a unique display featuring a columned user interface.
twitterfeed.com: Provide this service with the URL for your blog’s RSS feed and enjoy direct posting to Twitter.
Power Twitter: This Firefox add-on enhances the features found on the Twitter Web interface, such as Facebook status updates, custom settings, and photo uploading.
HootSuite: With an easy-to-use interface, you can use HootSuite to manage multiple Twitter profiles and pre-schedule tweets.
Twhirl: Using the Adobe AIR platform, this social software desktop client runs on both Windows (2000/XP/Vista) and Mac OSX.
How to Shorten Your URL for Twitter
With Twitter, you’re only allotted 140 characters to share your daily gripes, ever-changing activities, and call attention to any information you deem worthy. So, let’s say you’d like to include a link to your latest blog post or an article you found interesting. That can surely eat up your 140 characters. With the following options, you can transform long URLs into shorter links for your Twitter updates:
While you’re at it, why don’t you follow us on Twitter!
March 13, 2009
Never Underestimate the Power of a Comment
If you want to increase traffic to your blog, never underestimate the power of a comment. For starters, it is highly recommended to respond to the comments that people leave behind on your blog. Answer questions, thank them, or create dialogue. This not only shows that you are interested in what your readers have to say, but that you also value their opinions.
Don’t miss out on the perfect opportunity to enhance the loyalty of your readers. Visit the links attached to their information when they leave a comment on your blog, and repay the favor.
Another way to increase blog traffic is to leave comments on other blogs, especially when they are within your niche. Keep in mind that readers with the same interests are more inclined to follow a link, so don’t forget to leave the URL of your blog attached to your comment, which creates a link back to your blog.
Lastly, a real no-no in the world of blogging is to spam the comment space of a blog. Posting blatant and irritating advertisements, regarding your own blog, products, and/or services will only anger the online community. If you don’t have anything significant or thought provoking to say, keep to yourself.
In conclusion, the best way to embrace the usefulness of a blog comment and attract new readers is to:
- Respond to comments left on your blog
- Participate and encourage relevant dialogue
- Post interesting and engaging comments on other blogs
