Blog Category: business strategies

Top 10 Website Marketing Tips for Small Business

30 November 2012

Did you know that over 85% of all new business ventures ultimately fail? This statistic shouldn’t deter you from your dreams; it should just put you on alert. You need to realize that, since businesses fail so often, you need to do whatever is necessary to ensure that you succeed. This means focusing on the latest and greatest Internet marketing tips available. Below, you will read about ten website marketing tips that every small business should be using.

10 Must-Use Tips for Marketing a Business Online

1: Create the Business Plan

Some people thinking about starting a web business believe that they don’t need a classic business plan. However, this is not only false, it’s actually completely reversed. Not only do you need a plan, but you need a more thorough plan to compete for customers via a medium that’s so tightly packed with competition.

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To Digg or not to Digg?

18 July 2012

If you’re thinking about building a website to start up an online business, you have probably also entertained the idea of starting a social media presence to tie everything together. For instance, your main website, which will house your main business, will be interconnected with various streams of social media, perhaps video sites, social gathering sites, etc. So with all the many options out there available to you, have you ever considered using a site called Digg?

Digg, simply put, is a social news site that receives its content from its many users.  A basic user will upload their content to Digg, and the community at large thus votes on it. If it’s popular, they can “digg” it, and the content subsequently lives on and rises up through the ranks. If the content isn’t “dug,” however, it is instead buried and ultimately disappears from view.

Any site such as this is a double-edged sword in that, for its ease of use and its massive potential for success in promoting your business and brand, you could also just as easily post something that users do not like and that ends up damaging your efforts.

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Do you need to design your site for tablet devices?

13 July 2012

Tablet PCs are all the rage today. Replacing laptops as the most popular medium for mobile computing, tablets can be found in the hands of millions of people across the world. The most popular tablet, of course, is the iPad, but that in no way is the only tablet PC out there. With the popularity of this type of device, it does beg an important question. Should you take steps to specifically design your website for the tablet-using audience?

The short and most obvious answer is yes. The sad fact of the matter is that tablets display web content differently than that bulky desktop PC you’re probably using to create your website. In a way, it puts the average home entrepreneur at a disadvantage, because it’s all they can do to even grasp website construction the normal and accepted way. Adding tablets and other mobile devices into the mix is like throwing a monkey wrench in the program.

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What plans do Microsoft have for Skype?

09 July 2012

With a world advancing more and more toward the internet every single day, we often see huge brands compromising, tweaking their interface, and merging all to bring about something completely different. Take two of the biggest names out there today as an example, Microsoft and Skype. Microsoft, which is the biggest name in computers all around, and Skype, which is the biggest name in video communications, are planning a merger of sorts, with Microsoft purchasing the VoIP service for around $8.5 billion.

But why would Microsoft decide to purchase Skype? After all, Microsoft has its own version of Skype with Windows Live Messenger – a service that offers practically the exact same things that Skype offers people.

As Aapo Markkanen, ABI Research’s consumer mobility analyst explains, “Microsoft could add a Skype-powered communication platform to Xbox.” This obviously means that Microsoft has other things in mind than simply acquiring what amounts to a video chat service. They’re essentially betting that the combination of the two platforms would create a mega platform – a communication hub that would become the staple in people’s homes, replacing much of what they use now to communicate.

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Should you accept paid reviews on your website?

06 July 2012

There are a lot of things you’re going to learn as you begin to explore website-building, marketing and trafficking techniques, and ways to bring people over to your business on a long-term, repeatable basis. Some of what you learn are going to be good, solid, reliable methods. Other things you learn, more of the black-hat variety, are going to be snake oil salesman tricks – ways in which to dupe your audience. One of these ways is to accept paid reviews.

Now, don’t let this give you the wrong impression. A paid review does not necessarily have to be a crooked review. However, paying a writer money to write something for you automatically implies that they’re writing what you want them to write. Having them write a review then gives the automatic impression that you’re paying them to write a positive review. After all, who on earth would pay to have their product or service slammed in a negative fashion? No one.

So, if you’re hiring content writers to write basic content for your site and to put your product or service into a positive light, that’s perfectly acceptable. It’s something you should do. But if you’re trying to pass a paid review off as an unbiased review written by a real user of your business, this is where you’re crossing the line and will end up causing more harm than good with the decision.

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How to qualify your online leads using call to action buttons

29 June 2012

Unfortunately for even the most popular and successful businesses out there, the lion’s share of people who show up to shop aren’t actually going to purchase products. Just imagine how many people look at Coca-Cola in the grocery store as opposed to buying it. The number has to be at least 500:1, and that’s a very conservative estimate. Now just imagine that you have a relatively new product you’re pitching via your website. The percentage of people who view your product compared to the number of people who purchase it is going to be staggering.

However, it’s still important that you’re always putting your best foot forward. You always need to pitch the product. You always need to provide a thorough scope of your product and how it can enrich the life of the purchaser. And you always want to provide a strong call to action. Even still, you are going to need to qualify the individuals so that you’re not just wasting your efforts on someone stopping in for a visit.

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Is your website a sales system or just a brochure?

21 May 2012

In building websites to sell products online, there’s a huge misconception out there about products selling themselves. Perhaps if you have the brand recognition of Apple or Coca-Cola you may find that products sell relatively easily, but once you examine the “why” behind it, you quickly realize that these huge companies have spent millions of dollars—if not billions—creating and maintaining that brand.

The truth of the matter is that online entrepreneurs have been getting bad information for well over a decade, and the end result is that their websites are set up to function much more like brochures rather than legitimate, sustainable, self-functioning sales systems.

Think about a grocery store circular or tourist information in a new city you visit. It’s somewhat appealing. It’s certainly new and therefore momentarily intriguing. It’s helpful, if only because you wanted to know about the subject before you picked up the brochure. But it’s not exciting; it doesn’t grab your attention and identify a solution to a problem. Unfortunately, this is the common website out there: Insipid, unclear and uninspiring. It’s a brochure, not a sales system.

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What is a personal brand and how does it affect your online business?

18 May 2012

As you begin to learn more about how to be a successful player in the realm of online business, you are undoubtedly going to hear a lot about branding. To explain what a brand is, what it does, how it’s built up and how incredibly fragile it is, just look at a large corporation like McDonald’s. That name alone—that brand—says everything you need to know about the importance of a brand. However, that’s strictly a business brand; it’s not a personal brand.

When you’re getting into the makeup of a personal brand, you’re dealing with a different monster entirely. For the difference between a company brand and a professional brand, you can look at the difference between Bill Gates and Microsoft. One may assume that the brands are interchangeable, because they tie in together, but they’re actually completely different. Mr. Gates’ personal brand, while it has benefited Microsoft in numerous ways, is a wholly separate entity.

His personality, his solo campaigning, his likes and dislikes, his opinions on things – you can liken this to what your personal presence may be online. As you might imagine,having a personal brand can either help your business or act as detrimental to your business. But as long as you’re branding correctly, the two, though separate, will be intertwined.

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Why you need to research your competition

16 May 2012

One of the more daunting aspects of online business that startups deal with is that fact that no matter how original they think they are, they find a lot of competition out there in their respective niche. Even if you’re catering to a niche inside of a larger niche, you’re going to find that you’re dealing with some competitors. No one has the market cornered online, and if you did, you would find that there’s not much of a market at all.

But instead of shying away from the competition, the smart business startups seize the opportunity and actually learns from their competition. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort in order to thoroughly research those guys offering similar products and services, you can leverage your position in the market in a big way.

Here are some of the top reasons that you need to start researching your competition early and often.

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What is brand planning and how does it help your business?

14 May 2012

Do you know what you’re going to name your website yet? Let’s say, for a moment, that you’re deciding on MyNewBusiness.co as your site and business name. Now, let the good times roll. The traffic should be here any minute. Yep. Any minute now…

Oh, no one’s showed up yet? That’s because no one knows who you are. You first have to traffic your business. More importantly, however, you first have to build your brand. And to build a successful brand, you first have to plan the motions.

To sum up what brand planning is, you can think of it like marketing your business as to the point and as positively as possible. Some of the steps in getting your brand out there will undoubtedly include: Defining your mission statement, defining your business metrics and market goals, targeting the right market, evaluating the competition, testing and tracking your brand, and making the necessary tweaks.

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Do you have a digital strategy that works?

11 May 2012

Most of what you’re going to find in business deals directly with strategizing. This is really a phase of business that never ends. You will strategize during the conceptual phase of your business. You will again strategize when launching your business. You strategize to traffic, to leverage your business, to get more leads and customers. You strategize for the long-term success of your brand. In fact, there is not one single aspect of your business that doesn’t correlate directly to some strategy. To that end, you need to make sure you have the proper strategies in place, like a digital strategy.

A digital strategy is imperative for any online business. What is a digital strategy? In the context of the Internet in 2012—the social context of networking—a digital strategy is ultimately an approach that will guide your business from conception to launch and thereafter, harnessing the power of the Internet and enabling you to operate a fluent, successful business via this medium.

Now, for the big question: Do you have a working digital strategy? If you’re planning on launching an online business, then it’s obvious that you do have a digital strategy, even if you call it by another name. But whether or not it’s a working strategy is another thing entirely. Let’s look at some key tips to implement to ensure that your digital strategy is successful.

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Do you know how people find you online?

22 February 2012

You probably have a Google Analytics account, but if you’re not a search marketing wizard you’ve probably only used it to see at a high level how much traffic you’re getting, and where in general your visitors are coming from. Google Analytics can do much, much more though. While this isn’t intended to be a guide to using advanced features of Analytics, I’m going to show you a few tricks that can really make the info you get out of it work for you.

Knowing where your visitors are coming from, and expanding these channels, can make a huge difference to not only your traffic, but your conversions as well.

To illustrate my points I’ll be using data from one of my own sites, a fledgling retail site in a developing country. The site is spending about $100 a month on Adwords, and has spent a few hundred on sponsored posts and things like that, but has done little off-site SEO due to resource constraints.

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How to make the most from a Facebook fan page

20 February 2012

Everyone knows you’re supposed to have a Facebook page if you’re an online business (or any other kind of business, for that matter). But far too many businesses have a Facebook page with 112 fans and four updates. In order to make the most of a Facebook fan page, you need to understand how they work, and how to use them to interact with your target audience.

Here are a few things to note before we start:

1. Pages don’t behave like they used to. If someone likes your post, that doesn’t mean it will show up in their feed for their friends to see anymore. If 10 people do, though, then it will definitely show up.
2. You can do a lot with pages - they’re almost like little websites. They’re not just a mouthpiece, but an extension of your business’s front desk.
3. Some businesses simply do not need a fan page. I do not want or need to be a fan of my brand of orange juice, or the place that cuts my hair. Just because your business is your whole world, doesn’t mean people want it spamming their Facebook all day.

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Are you using Google Places, why you need to!

15 February 2012

Google Places is an innovative new search feature from Google that is specifically designed to help local businesses with a physical presence. If that’s not you, then Google Places won’t really help your online marketing efforts. Google Places is great for people who are trying to market their shop, restaurant, etc., online, and it can dramatically reduce your marketing spend.

 

What is Google Places, in a nutshell?

 

Google Places is simply a location-based tagging system that puts you on Google Maps. You register for it, they send you a code by snail mail, and then you verify that you exist at that address. You can only have one listing per physical address (but multiple places per business if you have more than one branch or location). It helps you only if your business involves getting customers into your store or premises.

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What is the best way to promote your website

01 February 2012

Asking this question is a little like saying “what is the best way to cook food?” The answers are as various as there are types of food. But there are a few simple truths that hold for almost all websites, regardless of niche or product. For the purposes of this article, we’ll stick with websites that are selling a product. Websites that “sell” only information, like blogs, are a slightly different creature - but many of these tactics will work for those as well.

SEO

SEO is the cornerstone of online marketing, and an understanding of it is critical to promoting any website. SEO best practices change over time, and there are no hard and fast rules to how you should approach it. Generally it is made up of two things: article marketing and link building.

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5 ways you can improve your LinkedIn profile

27 January 2012

LinkedIn is a great way to market yourself as a professional. It’s not much use for a business as a whole, but if you’re a freelancer, contractor or independent consultant it’s one of the most important digital business cards you can have, and you neglect it at your peril. Despite being around for a while, I’m amazed at how some people just fail at using their LinkedIn profiles to sell themselves.

Before I make a list, there’s just one thing I want to say about LinkedIn - it is not Facebook. That means that Facebook rules and customs do not apply. You want to be connected to everyone you’ve ever met, and everyone they’ve ever met - because you never know when one of those connections will turn into a business opportunity.

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How can Twitter be useful for businesses?

23 January 2012

Twitter is undoubtedly a useful tool for promoting just about any business, but it’s application needs to be properly understood in the context of your business. Here are a few tips for using Twitter to promote your business.

1.Don’t underestimate Twitter’s usefulness

If you are in an extremely specialized niche market, don’t expect to suddenly have thousands of Twitter followers. Rather focus on entering the circles that are relevant to your business. Identify “power tweeters” in your area, and engage with them. Tweet at them, mention them, etc. Find trending topics relevant to your area and participate in these discussions.

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What does above the fold mean for websites?

03 August 2011

Before the advent of the Internet ‘above the fold’ was an term used in graphic design to describe how they presented an important photograph or news story on the top half of the front page of a newspaper. On a newsstand papers are folded leaving only the upper portion visible to the public who can then read the message that is being across more easily and encourages them to buy the paper.

The term today means pretty much the same when it comes to web pages as it refers to parts of the page which can be immediately seen without having to scroll down it. With more and more people using mobile devices which are a lot smaller than a computer, the term is thought to be rather vague this is because the screen sizes on these devices are so much smaller on them.

Anyone who has a website knows the importance of how the site is ranked by search engines. The higher the ranking the higher your website address will appear at the top of the page which means people see your URL address without having to scroll down it. This of course is the best position for your web address and it is known as having ‘above the fold’. Knowing your address is at the top means you are doing well with your search engine optimization strategy.

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The four timeless principles of intelligent investigating

03 June 2011

Studies have shown that small businesses have a 50/50 chance of surviving the first five years of trading. However, although statistics have improved, it does not mean that new businesses do not fail. There are certain pitfalls the new business person needs to avoid at all costs in order not to be one of those statistics.

Listed below are several points that will certainly be of benefit to a small business just getting off the ground:

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10 lessons on how to survive the highs and lows of starting up

08 April 2011

Running a business is not easy, but it's definitely easier than starting one up! Going into business is a big choice, and once you've made it, there's going to be a lot that will make you doubt it. However, with this handy guide, you will find yourself sailing your course, no matter how stormy the sea.

1. Know that it will not be easy. But that doesn't mean it has to be extremely hard either. Surviving failure is a largely a matter of perspective. So don't make things any harder for yourself than they already are by thinking negatively or judging yourself.

2. Stop comparing. There's no guarantee you would have been happier in a job. Business is full of risks, but at the same time also full of phenomenal rewards and a sense of independence and pride like nothing else.

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Abandonment - Why Visitors Don't Turn Into Customers

09 March 2011

Affiliate marketing is a great internet tool that needs to be investigated by anyone with a website. A well thought out plan will not only get the traffic onto the site but if managed properly will keep visitors there. This in turn offers more chance of them turning from mere visitors to valued customers.

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Turn Your Web Site into a Lead Generation Machine

08 March 2011

To catch a customers attention a website has to instantly be appealing. Its appeal has to be directly related to whatever it is selling, whether a product or a service. The site has to be interesting with no unnecessary information and boring themes.

There are many examples of websites that fail miserably when it comes to attracting positive attention and there are some exceptional websites that just need to be visited over and over again because they are just too good.

First make sure that your site shows clearly and precisely what you are offering a potential customer. Try to avoid idiotic adverts that will either bore the viewer or tempt them away from the site in order to see what they have seen in one of the ads that are on the site. Make sure that the site has a professional look to it with engaging graphics and interesting content.

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Three Factors That Make or Break Your Business

11 February 2011

Whether you are looking to start a business for the first time, buy an existing business or already run a business there are three main factors that will make or break your business.

Below we will take a brief look at the 3 factors highlighting there importance to creating and maintaining a successful business.

1. PLANNING - Every business has goals, right from the very start of the idea of your business and planning is the key to achieving these goals.

1.1. The first stage of planning is to highlight your business's goals in a Mission Statement. Your goals should be measurable, obtainable and completed to a timeline.

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The Fastest Way to Increase Your Sales

09 February 2011

Increasing sales in business is an ongoing battle. We are always looking to improve sales and become more efficient and maximise our sales revenue.

What is the fastest way to increase sales? That is the question we would all like answering today, if only the answer could be defined into one sure fire tactic.

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Five Small Business Tax Strategies the IRS Don't Want You to Know

14 January 2011

Paying tax is one of things no one can escape whether you are a business owner or an employee we all have to pay tax.

The world renowned Benjamin Franklin said Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes. In this article I hope to highlight five small business tax strategies the IRS dont want you to know which will help you get the better deal when it comes to paying your tax bill at the end of the year.

1. START A SMALL BUSINESS starting a small business itself is a great tax strategy because you can claim back the cost of accounting, advertising, banking, consultancy, entertainment, marketing, meals, parking, travel, insurance, computer equipment, medical expenses, trade shows and training equipment and many more. So being able to get the cost of all these things back when doing your return is fantastic.

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10 strategies for running your non-profit like a for-profit business

10 January 2011

In the world today it is widely known that there are two main business classifications Non profit and For profit business's. Firstly lets define the two classifications -

For Profit Business is a business which is ran to make a profit, to be precise a Net Profit which is the monies left after deducting the expenditures form the sales.

Non Profit Business is a business/organisation that has committed legally not to distribute its net profit to its member parts i:e directors, trustees or staff.

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