Driving Sales with Pay Per click
By networksolutions, LLC 2009
In tough economic times, customers are holding back and buying less. They are pickier about what to buy. On average, shoppers spend a month doing research online before making a purchase. This makes online search even more important to marketers.
Research shows that search engine marketing (SEM), including Pay Per Click (PPC), is expected to grow and reach $26 billion by 2013.
In the Internet world, 81% of all users start at a search engine to find what they are looking for. “Customers are going to search engines because they are looking for better deals”, says David Hallerman. “And marketers are going to search engines because that’s where the customers are.”
Since the majority of the online public turns to the search engines first, marketing on search networks such as Google® and Yahoo!® should be a critical component of your online marketing strategy. And the fastest way to break into search engine marketing is through Pay Per Click advertising.
Online marketing analysts agree that a successful Pay Per Click campaign can generate a conversion rate of 1.5% to 3%. For online retailers, Pay Per Click is particularly effective, with a conversion rate sometimes reaching 5% or higher. Pay Per Click advertisers continue to report the highest return on investment compared to other forms of online marketing:
What Is Pay Per Click?
Pay Per Click advertising builds on the popularity of search engines to bring your message to consumers at exactly the time they are looking for you. Most Internet users are familiar with PPC ads – i.e., sponsored links – which appear to the top and right of natural search results. These ads are displayed when the user types a keyword into the search engine that matches the keyword chosen for your search engine marketing campaign as relevant to your business.
An advertiser only pays for an ad when a visitor clicks on it and is taken to the advertiser’s Website. PPC campaign managers bid on keywords with the amount they are comfortable paying per click and the search engine uses that bid, along with a number of other factors, to determine ad placement and how often the ad will be shown.
PPC is relevant advertising. Unlike other forms of traditional and online advertising, only consumers that are already searching for your products will see your ads. This leads to a friendlier user experience for shoppers, less wasted ad costs for you, and a higher conversion rate for your ad campaigns all around. In addition, Pay Per Click lets you to create ads that are targeted to a specific geographic area where your customers are located.
In 2001, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) reported that online advertisers were spending an average of 4% of their marketing budgets on PPC advertising. In 2007, that number jumped to 48%. The PPC industry is booming and with search engine usage rising rapidly year over year that trend is likely to go up.
It Is More Than Just Clicks
Pay Per Click advertising can mean more than visitor traffic to your Website. It can be a source of relevant customer leads that are created when visitors to your Website are encouraged to take action such as making a phone call or filling out an inquiry form. There are a number of actions that potential customers can take online or even offline. Your campaign manager will be able to recommend lead types that will benefit your business the most.
Phone calls – Customers clicking on your search engine ad can be directed to a page on your Website that prominently features a unique phone number. Customers will call this number to inquire or buy your products and services. Your PPC service should be able to track all phone calls and even record them so that you can listen to the conversations at your convenience. Phone call tracking is ideal for service-based companies.
Emails – In addition to a phone number, your landing page can feature an email form that potential customers will use to reach your business. This can be a great way to build a marketing database of customer contacts.
Forms – Submission forms are unique for each business. Customers use these forms to subscribe to a company newsletter, receive discount offers, request a catalog or sign up for a free trial. In return, you get valuable information about potential customers who are interested in your products and services.
Shopping cart checkouts – For online retailers, a search engine ad can lead to a Web page with an Add to Cart or Purchase button that allows customers to complete the transaction online. Your PPC service should be able to track online purchases that originated from your search engine ad and thus, provide an accurate measurement of your return on investment.
For all of the above actions to take place, it is important to have an effective landing page or the page on your Website that customers visit immediately after clicking your sponsored listing. This page must be consistent with the message that you are trying to convey in your online ad. Effective landing pages guide visitors toward taking an action with clever content, attractive graphics and strategically placed links and buttons for the user to click.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
How to funnel clients in social media marketing!
Funneling your clients! Controlling the conversation.
Step one- Hi how are you? Join a community or group or create one.
You need a plan! Create a timeline and stick to it. Create your data base and constantly add to it. If you have 350 personal contacts, (first level connections) then those personal contacts have as many and that can compound to thousands (becoming second level connections)
Step two- Share and Give Breadcrumbs to develop a repoire! Create and engage in conversations. Move your conversations to your own blog. Create a video and put urls and verbiage in the tags. Brand your opening page of your facebook account. People buy people, not goods and services. Take your conversations to conversions.
Step three- Develop events and invite online contacts! Conversations within communities and groups build the data bases, and builds trust. Direct contacts to view your online video. It’s 50 times more successful than keyword googling to get on the first page of google. The value of groups is connecting buyers and sellers on a monthly basis. Read the books by Seth Goden he is the pioneer of social media. Another good book is Trust Agents.
Step four- Send reccomendations! Show support to others and build loyalty. Create eyeballs or banners in sites such as (mofia wars and Farmville use repeating links and have increased sales to those links 10 fold because they get the eyeballs, repetition brings about acceptance)
Step five- Send email directly to contacts that have engaged with you! Create a friendship partnership and engage the contact to be a member with you.
Cross reference all your social media sites with your links to your website and your blog. Load up Prosperous.com and it will syndicate it to all of your accounts, twitter, linked in (your rolodex and resume), facebook (your first level funneling site), etc… This way the branding you create for your personal site will be duplicated and anyone on any particular media site will see that all the others are like branded. Brand polished backgrounds on all these sites and list all your networks and groups as a summary.
Step six- Move your online to offline for a personal meet! Create a reason to meet up and use the personal bread crumbs to build more on your relationship.
Step seven-Pitch your client softly! Talk about your company and what you do and the bread crumbs that show how passionate you are about what you do. They will extend the offer of you doing something for them if they are interested in your passion.
Step eight-Close the sale!
Step one- Hi how are you? Join a community or group or create one.
You need a plan! Create a timeline and stick to it. Create your data base and constantly add to it. If you have 350 personal contacts, (first level connections) then those personal contacts have as many and that can compound to thousands (becoming second level connections)
Step two- Share and Give Breadcrumbs to develop a repoire! Create and engage in conversations. Move your conversations to your own blog. Create a video and put urls and verbiage in the tags. Brand your opening page of your facebook account. People buy people, not goods and services. Take your conversations to conversions.
Step three- Develop events and invite online contacts! Conversations within communities and groups build the data bases, and builds trust. Direct contacts to view your online video. It’s 50 times more successful than keyword googling to get on the first page of google. The value of groups is connecting buyers and sellers on a monthly basis. Read the books by Seth Goden he is the pioneer of social media. Another good book is Trust Agents.
Step four- Send reccomendations! Show support to others and build loyalty. Create eyeballs or banners in sites such as (mofia wars and Farmville use repeating links and have increased sales to those links 10 fold because they get the eyeballs, repetition brings about acceptance)
Step five- Send email directly to contacts that have engaged with you! Create a friendship partnership and engage the contact to be a member with you.
Cross reference all your social media sites with your links to your website and your blog. Load up Prosperous.com and it will syndicate it to all of your accounts, twitter, linked in (your rolodex and resume), facebook (your first level funneling site), etc… This way the branding you create for your personal site will be duplicated and anyone on any particular media site will see that all the others are like branded. Brand polished backgrounds on all these sites and list all your networks and groups as a summary.
Step six- Move your online to offline for a personal meet! Create a reason to meet up and use the personal bread crumbs to build more on your relationship.
Step seven-Pitch your client softly! Talk about your company and what you do and the bread crumbs that show how passionate you are about what you do. They will extend the offer of you doing something for them if they are interested in your passion.
Step eight-Close the sale!
10 tips for working with clients remotely
10 tips for working with clients remotely
By www.FullSail.edu
Collaborating with clients you never meet face-to-face has become normal for most web workers. Ours is an industry where working remotely poses very few real obstacles — nearly every part of the web design process can be done from the comfort of a home office or coffee shop.
We’re lucky to have this flexibility, especially in tough economic times when a swanky office doesn’t fit in the business budget. Even if you do have an office, chances are you will land a few clients who aren’t located around the block. But you quickly discover that working remotely has its downsides.
Without face-to-face interaction it’s easy for major communication issues to develop… often without you knowing until it’s too late. Avoid a major meltdown with these simple tips.
1. Build Trust From The Start
A client’s trust will make or break a project. Without it you’ll spend endless hours explaining and defending your ideas. It’s easy to build trust when you’re meeting once a week to present your work and report your progress, but how do you do it with someone 10,000 miles away?
First, introduce yourself – and I don’t mean send them a link to your portfolio. I see designers skip this step all the time, but it’s essential. Before you dive in to any work, schedule a quick kickoff meeting. A video conference is ideal – I recommend Skype – but if they can’t manage it, a phone call will work almost as well. If you’re in different time zones, wake up nice and early (or go to bed very late) to accommodate them.
Going the video route? Make sure you’re dressed appropriately and your environment looks professional. When you get on the call, take a few minutes to introduce yourself and highlight your accomplishments the way you would if everyone was gathered around a conference table and you were standing at the front of the room. Even if they know you and your work, it’s a good reminder that you are a professional who does this for a living… someone who should be valued and trusted.
Another way to establish trust early in the process is to make the client feel involved. Ask probing questions and brainstorm with them before you propose any solutions. If you’re short on meeting time, send out questionnaires for them to fill out. When it comes time to present work, make sure your solutions reflect at least a few of their ideas and explain to them how the idea was incorporated. This shows that you’re listening. Like any human relationship, that is half the battle.
2. Write A Bulletproof Contract
I know way too many freelancers accepting work without a contract because there is nothing fun about crafting up that type of documentation. It’s stupid no matter what, but when you’re working remotely this is extremely dangerous. You might get away with it for years, but sooner or later you’ll run into a disaster that could have been avoided had you bothered to get sign-off on a few key points.
As a general rule of thumb, if I estimate spending more than 10 hours on a project I will craft a contract and get a client signature before I start working. It doesn’t have to be complex, but it should always include:
• A detailed scope of work. What exactly are you planning to provide the client? What isn’t included? Spend some time and make sure that it’s clear what they are paying for. When the client asks you where the forum is (you know, that one they forgot to mention they needed) you can simply show them that it was never part of the original scope they signed off on. Then you can add it on and charge accordingly.
• A list of deliverables. Will you be creating IA documents, wireframes, style guides, and user manuals for that slick new CMS? Will they get ownership of layered PSDs and all your original artwork or just the HTML, graphics and source files? Make a list to avoid miscommunications.
• A limit on revisions. When I first started freelancing, I failed to set a limit on revisions. 12 updates later it was clear what a big oversight this was. Clearly state how many revisions are included in your proposal and what your definition of “revision” is. (If, God forbid, they hate everything about the design and want you to start over, will you call it a revision?) Include an hourly rate for extra revision hours so that clients understand it doesn’t mean you won’t do them, it just means they’ll pay more.
• A plan for client delays. It’s not uncommon to finish a site completely on your end, then wait 4 months for the client to provide the content. If you’re contract says “final payment upon completion” you’re stuck in limbo until they get their act together. To avoid this, set deadlines on content and any other milestone that requires client approval or sign-off. State in the contract that if content (approval, etc.) hasn’t arrived by the deadline, the site will still be considered finished and payment is due.
• Payment terms. This one is a no-brainer! Half up front and half upon completion is common. If it’s a bigger project, tie payments to milestones so you’re not waiting months and months to collect a paycheck.
Not sure where to start? AIGA provides a Standard Form of Agreement for Design Services that you can customize for your needs.
3. Set Deadlines (And Enforce Them)
This is important for both sides. You already know you need deadlines to keep yourself on track, but you need to set them for the client as well. Asking for timely feedback keeps the project moving forward. Every time you produce something that requires feedback or sign-off, set a short-term deadline and make sure it’s documented in writing somewhere. If the client lets the deadlines slip repeatedly, they can’t complain when the project is delivered.
Having deadlines motivates clients to focus on your work, which may be one of a zillion projects sitting on their desk needing attention. It is also a subtle way of asking for (and getting) respect.
4. Communicate Clearly And Often
Since you’re not meeting face-to-face (and probably aren’t calling too much either) the limited interactions you do have are incredibly important. Make sure you craft your emails and messages carefully; realize that every word you write is amplified and your dry sense of humor isn’t going to come across very well. Best to just be straightforward.
Don’t inundate your clients with needless emails, but make sure you communicate enough to keep them feeling comfortable with your progress. Quick, regular check-ins help set everyone at ease. If you think the client is confused, pick up the phone and have a real conversation. You’ll be amazed how much can be cleared up in 2 minutes when you’re not trying to explain it over email.
Keep a copy of all your correspondence for future reference – you never know when you might need it.
5. Use Web Apps To Facilitate Communication
There are tons of great tools out there for online client collaboration. Pick the ones that work best for your process and use them religiously. Insist that your client uses them too.
I’ve run into quite a few clients who don’t want to be bothered logging in to a new tool – they would rather flood your inbox with email after email after email. Trouble is, email does little to keep everyone on the same page. Unless you have a dedicated project manager, get yourself a web-based project management tool. Make to-do lists, set milestones, and keep discussions in a public space where you can easily point back to them.
Basecamp is one of the most widely used web-based project management tools out there, and for good reason. It’s cheap, it’s easy to set up, it doesn’t have a bunch of extra whistles you don’t need, and clients find it intuitive which means they’ll actually be inclined to use it. It has to-do lists, milestones, a message center and a file repository and even time-tracking. Chances are it will cover most of your needs. There are plenty of other online project management tools out there if Basecamp isn’t your thing. Try huddle.net or wrike.com.
Additional online collaboration tools that you may find useful include:
• ConceptShare – Get feedback on your designs and live web pages. You can add notes to the concept pieces and so can your client.
• Adobe ConnectNow – A free, easy way to hold a virtual meeting. Screen share to present a PowerPoint, share concepts with your client or walk them through a live website. Use the video, audio or chat features to communicate while you’re presenting.
• BlinkSale – Send out bills and reminders in a more formal way. Takes some of the awkwardness out of hounding clients for money.
Follow these steps and you’re well on your way to avoiding major conflicts and keeping your project on track. Stay tuned for the second half of this article and 5 more ways to successfully work with clients remotely.
By www.FullSail.edu
Collaborating with clients you never meet face-to-face has become normal for most web workers. Ours is an industry where working remotely poses very few real obstacles — nearly every part of the web design process can be done from the comfort of a home office or coffee shop.
We’re lucky to have this flexibility, especially in tough economic times when a swanky office doesn’t fit in the business budget. Even if you do have an office, chances are you will land a few clients who aren’t located around the block. But you quickly discover that working remotely has its downsides.
Without face-to-face interaction it’s easy for major communication issues to develop… often without you knowing until it’s too late. Avoid a major meltdown with these simple tips.
1. Build Trust From The Start
A client’s trust will make or break a project. Without it you’ll spend endless hours explaining and defending your ideas. It’s easy to build trust when you’re meeting once a week to present your work and report your progress, but how do you do it with someone 10,000 miles away?
First, introduce yourself – and I don’t mean send them a link to your portfolio. I see designers skip this step all the time, but it’s essential. Before you dive in to any work, schedule a quick kickoff meeting. A video conference is ideal – I recommend Skype – but if they can’t manage it, a phone call will work almost as well. If you’re in different time zones, wake up nice and early (or go to bed very late) to accommodate them.
Going the video route? Make sure you’re dressed appropriately and your environment looks professional. When you get on the call, take a few minutes to introduce yourself and highlight your accomplishments the way you would if everyone was gathered around a conference table and you were standing at the front of the room. Even if they know you and your work, it’s a good reminder that you are a professional who does this for a living… someone who should be valued and trusted.
Another way to establish trust early in the process is to make the client feel involved. Ask probing questions and brainstorm with them before you propose any solutions. If you’re short on meeting time, send out questionnaires for them to fill out. When it comes time to present work, make sure your solutions reflect at least a few of their ideas and explain to them how the idea was incorporated. This shows that you’re listening. Like any human relationship, that is half the battle.
2. Write A Bulletproof Contract
I know way too many freelancers accepting work without a contract because there is nothing fun about crafting up that type of documentation. It’s stupid no matter what, but when you’re working remotely this is extremely dangerous. You might get away with it for years, but sooner or later you’ll run into a disaster that could have been avoided had you bothered to get sign-off on a few key points.
As a general rule of thumb, if I estimate spending more than 10 hours on a project I will craft a contract and get a client signature before I start working. It doesn’t have to be complex, but it should always include:
• A detailed scope of work. What exactly are you planning to provide the client? What isn’t included? Spend some time and make sure that it’s clear what they are paying for. When the client asks you where the forum is (you know, that one they forgot to mention they needed) you can simply show them that it was never part of the original scope they signed off on. Then you can add it on and charge accordingly.
• A list of deliverables. Will you be creating IA documents, wireframes, style guides, and user manuals for that slick new CMS? Will they get ownership of layered PSDs and all your original artwork or just the HTML, graphics and source files? Make a list to avoid miscommunications.
• A limit on revisions. When I first started freelancing, I failed to set a limit on revisions. 12 updates later it was clear what a big oversight this was. Clearly state how many revisions are included in your proposal and what your definition of “revision” is. (If, God forbid, they hate everything about the design and want you to start over, will you call it a revision?) Include an hourly rate for extra revision hours so that clients understand it doesn’t mean you won’t do them, it just means they’ll pay more.
• A plan for client delays. It’s not uncommon to finish a site completely on your end, then wait 4 months for the client to provide the content. If you’re contract says “final payment upon completion” you’re stuck in limbo until they get their act together. To avoid this, set deadlines on content and any other milestone that requires client approval or sign-off. State in the contract that if content (approval, etc.) hasn’t arrived by the deadline, the site will still be considered finished and payment is due.
• Payment terms. This one is a no-brainer! Half up front and half upon completion is common. If it’s a bigger project, tie payments to milestones so you’re not waiting months and months to collect a paycheck.
Not sure where to start? AIGA provides a Standard Form of Agreement for Design Services that you can customize for your needs.
3. Set Deadlines (And Enforce Them)
This is important for both sides. You already know you need deadlines to keep yourself on track, but you need to set them for the client as well. Asking for timely feedback keeps the project moving forward. Every time you produce something that requires feedback or sign-off, set a short-term deadline and make sure it’s documented in writing somewhere. If the client lets the deadlines slip repeatedly, they can’t complain when the project is delivered.
Having deadlines motivates clients to focus on your work, which may be one of a zillion projects sitting on their desk needing attention. It is also a subtle way of asking for (and getting) respect.
4. Communicate Clearly And Often
Since you’re not meeting face-to-face (and probably aren’t calling too much either) the limited interactions you do have are incredibly important. Make sure you craft your emails and messages carefully; realize that every word you write is amplified and your dry sense of humor isn’t going to come across very well. Best to just be straightforward.
Don’t inundate your clients with needless emails, but make sure you communicate enough to keep them feeling comfortable with your progress. Quick, regular check-ins help set everyone at ease. If you think the client is confused, pick up the phone and have a real conversation. You’ll be amazed how much can be cleared up in 2 minutes when you’re not trying to explain it over email.
Keep a copy of all your correspondence for future reference – you never know when you might need it.
5. Use Web Apps To Facilitate Communication
There are tons of great tools out there for online client collaboration. Pick the ones that work best for your process and use them religiously. Insist that your client uses them too.
I’ve run into quite a few clients who don’t want to be bothered logging in to a new tool – they would rather flood your inbox with email after email after email. Trouble is, email does little to keep everyone on the same page. Unless you have a dedicated project manager, get yourself a web-based project management tool. Make to-do lists, set milestones, and keep discussions in a public space where you can easily point back to them.
Basecamp is one of the most widely used web-based project management tools out there, and for good reason. It’s cheap, it’s easy to set up, it doesn’t have a bunch of extra whistles you don’t need, and clients find it intuitive which means they’ll actually be inclined to use it. It has to-do lists, milestones, a message center and a file repository and even time-tracking. Chances are it will cover most of your needs. There are plenty of other online project management tools out there if Basecamp isn’t your thing. Try huddle.net or wrike.com.
Additional online collaboration tools that you may find useful include:
• ConceptShare – Get feedback on your designs and live web pages. You can add notes to the concept pieces and so can your client.
• Adobe ConnectNow – A free, easy way to hold a virtual meeting. Screen share to present a PowerPoint, share concepts with your client or walk them through a live website. Use the video, audio or chat features to communicate while you’re presenting.
• BlinkSale – Send out bills and reminders in a more formal way. Takes some of the awkwardness out of hounding clients for money.
Follow these steps and you’re well on your way to avoiding major conflicts and keeping your project on track. Stay tuned for the second half of this article and 5 more ways to successfully work with clients remotely.
6 Tips for Pitching to Major Clients
6 Tips for Pitching to Major Clients
By www.FullSail.edu
Almost every major web designer faces this dilemma at some point: either continue working with “mom-and-pop” style businesses, enjoying effortless marketing and relatively simple projects, or transition to working with larger businesses and reap the benefits of bigger budgets.
It’s a question of experience, and with enough design work under your belt, new opportunities start to present themselves.
The most difficult part for many is making the transition. The comfort of simple work and the ease of marketing yourself can make maintaining a small client network very tempting.
You see the effort involved in pitching to a major client and you slightly recoil, worried that you’re not quite skilled enough, you’re not quite experienced enough and your business is not quite big enough.
That insecurity leaves so many designers bidding for tiny projects, working for local clients and missing out on lucrative long-term opportunities. That insecurity can grind a business to a halt and stall a career.
The six tactics below don’t guarantee long-term success with major clients, but they will help you get your foot in the door, get a contract on the table and make the possibility of major business relationships very realistic.
1. Never Compete on Price
Big companies have big budgets, especially companies that are focused on fields with as huge a potential for growth as the online world. Marketing yourself on price might work when you’re fighting for micro-clients and short-term projects, but it’s counter-intuitive when trying to appeal to major clients.
Why? Because major clients expect a certain level of size, overhead spending and expenses. They expect you to have infrastructure, employee salaries and office space. They expect you to be able to manage them, and that management begins with a per-project quote that accounts for extra time, minor outsourcing and long-term work.
So quote high—higher than you normally would. The list of corporate deals passed over because they were too expensive is relatively short; the list of proposals passed over because of low pricing and a mist of inexperience is significantly longer.
Of course, be realistic in your pricing (you’re not pitching to Berkshire Hathaway), but remember that large companies value professionalism and ability a lot more than competitive pricing.
2. Pitch on Results, Not Potential
Designers do burn people. Visit a local Chamber of Commerce meeting, and you’ll be surrounded by business owners who have been burned by would-be designers: inexperienced “experts” who have mastered Photoshop in their bedrooms and who market in their afternoons. The design world is full of self-styled experts, an unfortunate reality that it shares with the marketing and publicity industries.
This has bred an unfortunate environment for genuinely good designers. Not only are business owners skeptical of designers on the whole, but many are completely turned off by the prospect of having to update a website that another designer has put time into. The endless promises and presentations touting “progress” and “results” have turned them off, and so the chance of a senior manager assigning a large budget to your design project is low.
Fight this resistance to design by pitching results instead of potential. If you can walk into a meeting with a portfolio of websites that aren’t just pretty but highly effective, you’ll increase your chances of landing lucrative projects and long-term contracts.
Find people who have been burned by rhetoric, and give them real results, establishing yourself as the lone expert in the process.
3. Minimize Risk by Preparing Samples
In today’s economy, risk is a significantly bigger factor than it once was. Companies that had multi-million dollar design budgets have run into rough territory, now sparing only enough money to invest in cosmetic updates and the occasional usability study.
An industry that once felt entitled to massive budgets because of its complexity has run into a cost-cutting drought. Companies are keen to invest in low-cost websites, fearing that an expensive project might end up losing money.
That’s why you need a stack of samples ready beforehand, samples that prove not just your competence and ability but the way you’ve helped other people in their position. Show how your websites have improved conversion rates, how they’ve boosted customer interest and how they’ve reduced customer service costs. Then you’ll gain contracts and long-term interest, even in a troubled economy.
4. Bleed Professionalism in Your Team, Plan and Approach
They’re big, successful and influential. At this point, you’re not. So, make every effort to appear as though you are. Hire a virtual assistant to handle your phone calls. Build a paid-for-results team that functions as different divisions of your business. Treat projects as though they are routine work, not one-off events that you’re unfamiliar with.
Hundreds of small businesses pitch to major companies every month. Most fail, usually not because of incompetence, but because of a lack of managerial resources and size.
To even appear on the radar of Coca-Cola, Apple or Walmart, you need a certain size and degree of complexity. Expand, even if just by illusion, and you’ll appeal significantly more to large companies.
The bonus of this approach is that after you’ve found success with one major company, you’ll gain the security and visibility to be able to approach others. Find a formula that succeeds with one major company and replicate it, not just in your presentation and pitch, but in the way your business approaches new clients.
5. Know Exactly Who to Pitch and How to Do It
Small businesses have an advantage: they’re small, they’re mobile, and they adapt very quickly to change. Big companies, unfortunately, are not like this.
The amount of time for a decision to move down the managerial chain often creeps into the months, and the amount of effort required to even speak with someone at the top can drive employees crazy. When it comes to speed and flexibility, the decentralized micro-businesses of the world have the advantage.
But finding the decision-makers at all is a substantial victory. Hundreds of businesses fail to get the attention of major companies because they pitch to the wrong people. Ignore claims that proposals must always be submitted through entry-level employees, and aim straight for the top. Cultivate links to senior managers, CEOs and managing partners; their recommendations will mean a lot more to marketing, design and online departments than yours will.
6. Think Long-Term
Small projects, one-off assignments and low-paying gigs are of little value to a design business. They’re useful for filling in the blanks and strengthening your portfolio, but they offer barely any long-term opportunity.
Great designers and successful marketers know not to treat their major projects as they would one-off assignments. They understand the value of relationships, and they treat their valuable ones appropriately.
Whenever you submit a proposal to a major company, you’re pitching not just for that project, but for the company’s future business. Approach major clients with a long-term plan, a plan to deliver quality and to prove that sticking with you for future projects is worth the company’s while.
If you can ensure that your first major project goes smoothly, you’ll open your business to huge projects, major ongoing work and professional relationships that would otherwise take years to build.
By www.FullSail.edu
Almost every major web designer faces this dilemma at some point: either continue working with “mom-and-pop” style businesses, enjoying effortless marketing and relatively simple projects, or transition to working with larger businesses and reap the benefits of bigger budgets.
It’s a question of experience, and with enough design work under your belt, new opportunities start to present themselves.
The most difficult part for many is making the transition. The comfort of simple work and the ease of marketing yourself can make maintaining a small client network very tempting.
You see the effort involved in pitching to a major client and you slightly recoil, worried that you’re not quite skilled enough, you’re not quite experienced enough and your business is not quite big enough.
That insecurity leaves so many designers bidding for tiny projects, working for local clients and missing out on lucrative long-term opportunities. That insecurity can grind a business to a halt and stall a career.
The six tactics below don’t guarantee long-term success with major clients, but they will help you get your foot in the door, get a contract on the table and make the possibility of major business relationships very realistic.
1. Never Compete on Price
Big companies have big budgets, especially companies that are focused on fields with as huge a potential for growth as the online world. Marketing yourself on price might work when you’re fighting for micro-clients and short-term projects, but it’s counter-intuitive when trying to appeal to major clients.
Why? Because major clients expect a certain level of size, overhead spending and expenses. They expect you to have infrastructure, employee salaries and office space. They expect you to be able to manage them, and that management begins with a per-project quote that accounts for extra time, minor outsourcing and long-term work.
So quote high—higher than you normally would. The list of corporate deals passed over because they were too expensive is relatively short; the list of proposals passed over because of low pricing and a mist of inexperience is significantly longer.
Of course, be realistic in your pricing (you’re not pitching to Berkshire Hathaway), but remember that large companies value professionalism and ability a lot more than competitive pricing.
2. Pitch on Results, Not Potential
Designers do burn people. Visit a local Chamber of Commerce meeting, and you’ll be surrounded by business owners who have been burned by would-be designers: inexperienced “experts” who have mastered Photoshop in their bedrooms and who market in their afternoons. The design world is full of self-styled experts, an unfortunate reality that it shares with the marketing and publicity industries.
This has bred an unfortunate environment for genuinely good designers. Not only are business owners skeptical of designers on the whole, but many are completely turned off by the prospect of having to update a website that another designer has put time into. The endless promises and presentations touting “progress” and “results” have turned them off, and so the chance of a senior manager assigning a large budget to your design project is low.
Fight this resistance to design by pitching results instead of potential. If you can walk into a meeting with a portfolio of websites that aren’t just pretty but highly effective, you’ll increase your chances of landing lucrative projects and long-term contracts.
Find people who have been burned by rhetoric, and give them real results, establishing yourself as the lone expert in the process.
3. Minimize Risk by Preparing Samples
In today’s economy, risk is a significantly bigger factor than it once was. Companies that had multi-million dollar design budgets have run into rough territory, now sparing only enough money to invest in cosmetic updates and the occasional usability study.
An industry that once felt entitled to massive budgets because of its complexity has run into a cost-cutting drought. Companies are keen to invest in low-cost websites, fearing that an expensive project might end up losing money.
That’s why you need a stack of samples ready beforehand, samples that prove not just your competence and ability but the way you’ve helped other people in their position. Show how your websites have improved conversion rates, how they’ve boosted customer interest and how they’ve reduced customer service costs. Then you’ll gain contracts and long-term interest, even in a troubled economy.
4. Bleed Professionalism in Your Team, Plan and Approach
They’re big, successful and influential. At this point, you’re not. So, make every effort to appear as though you are. Hire a virtual assistant to handle your phone calls. Build a paid-for-results team that functions as different divisions of your business. Treat projects as though they are routine work, not one-off events that you’re unfamiliar with.
Hundreds of small businesses pitch to major companies every month. Most fail, usually not because of incompetence, but because of a lack of managerial resources and size.
To even appear on the radar of Coca-Cola, Apple or Walmart, you need a certain size and degree of complexity. Expand, even if just by illusion, and you’ll appeal significantly more to large companies.
The bonus of this approach is that after you’ve found success with one major company, you’ll gain the security and visibility to be able to approach others. Find a formula that succeeds with one major company and replicate it, not just in your presentation and pitch, but in the way your business approaches new clients.
5. Know Exactly Who to Pitch and How to Do It
Small businesses have an advantage: they’re small, they’re mobile, and they adapt very quickly to change. Big companies, unfortunately, are not like this.
The amount of time for a decision to move down the managerial chain often creeps into the months, and the amount of effort required to even speak with someone at the top can drive employees crazy. When it comes to speed and flexibility, the decentralized micro-businesses of the world have the advantage.
But finding the decision-makers at all is a substantial victory. Hundreds of businesses fail to get the attention of major companies because they pitch to the wrong people. Ignore claims that proposals must always be submitted through entry-level employees, and aim straight for the top. Cultivate links to senior managers, CEOs and managing partners; their recommendations will mean a lot more to marketing, design and online departments than yours will.
6. Think Long-Term
Small projects, one-off assignments and low-paying gigs are of little value to a design business. They’re useful for filling in the blanks and strengthening your portfolio, but they offer barely any long-term opportunity.
Great designers and successful marketers know not to treat their major projects as they would one-off assignments. They understand the value of relationships, and they treat their valuable ones appropriately.
Whenever you submit a proposal to a major company, you’re pitching not just for that project, but for the company’s future business. Approach major clients with a long-term plan, a plan to deliver quality and to prove that sticking with you for future projects is worth the company’s while.
If you can ensure that your first major project goes smoothly, you’ll open your business to huge projects, major ongoing work and professional relationships that would otherwise take years to build.
5 things your clients should know
5 things your clients should know.
By www.FullSail.edu
Do you ever feel like you are endlessly repeating the same day? I do, every time I attend a kickoff meeting with a new client. Each time I find myself covering the same old issues from explaining the client’s role, to encouraging investment in content.
This is not a criticism of clients, however. There is so little information that clearly defines their role. Sure, there is no shortage of material on usability, accessibility, online marketing and copywriting, but who has the time to read all of it?
The problem is that the client does need to have a very broad understanding (certainly more than can be communicated in a single article), however I have found that understanding certain key issues can make an enormous difference to the efficiency of a client.
What follows is a list of the 5 things that I believe will have the biggest impact on a client’s site. At least they should, if the client understands them and chooses to implement them.
1. The client is the secret to a successful website
I have worked on hundreds of websites over the past 15 years and each site’s success or failure has always been attributed to the quality of the client.
As web designers we, of course, like to emphasis our role in the process. This is what justifies our fee, however we can ultimately only point our clients in the right direction. It is their decisions that shape the site and their commitment that defines its long term future.
As web designers, I believe we need to clearly communicate to the client the importance of their role and dispel the misconception that they can hire a web designer and walk away.
Not only do we need to emphasis the importance of their role, we also need to define the extent of it.
2. Clients have a diverse and challenging role
I believe that the role of the client is by far the most complex and challenging in web design. Sure, dealing with IE6 is a pain, but that pales in comparison to the shear extent of issues that most clients need to handle.
A client has to be a:
- Visionary – capable of establishing the long term direction of their site
- Evangelist – able to promote the site both internally and externally
- Content guardian – responsible for ensuring the quality and relevancy of content
- Project coordinator – overseeing all aspects of the site as well as dealing with suppliers
- Referee – making final decisions between conflicting priorities
What is even more is that the client is supposed to know enough about a broad range of disciplines (from marketing to interface design), in order to make informed decisions. It is hardly surprising that, as web designers, we sometimes feel our clients “just don’t get it!” They are simply expected to understand too much.
Unfortunately their role is also often massively under resourced. Most of those responsible for websites are not dedicated website managers. Instead, they run their websites alongside other responsibilities in IT or marketing.
It is our responsibility to explain the role of the client and ensure that they understand how much work is involved. We cannot assume that they instinctively know this.
The danger is that if you do not clearly define the clients’ role, they will end up trying to define yours instead.
3. Clients identify problems, designers provide solutions
One of the biggest problems in most web projects is that the client starts making the decisions that are best left to the web designer. Not only does this lead to bad decisions, but also inevitably leaves the web designer feeling undervalued and frustrated.
This problem can manifest in a variety of ways, however ultimately it comes down to a single issue – the client is trying to find solutions to their problems instead of relying on the web designer.
Let me give you two examples. The most obvious occurs at the design stage. After seeing your design the client comes back with comments such as ‘make the logo bigger’. This is their solution to a problem that they have with the prominence of the branding. If they had expressed the problem instead of the solution, it would have enabled you to suggest alternate approaches. Instead of making the logo bigger, you could have possibly added more whitespace or changed its position.
Another less obvious, but more significant example, is in a client’s invitation to tender. These documents are inevitably a wish list of ideas that they have for the site. They are the client’s attempt to solve an underlying issue. For example, their problem might be a failure to engage with customers, therefore in their invitation to tender, they suggest adding a forum. Of course, in reality there are many other ways to engage with customers, however unless they express the problem to you, you will never have the opportunity to suggest a solution.
At the beginning of every project, encourage your client to focus on problems and not solutions. Whenever the client suggests a solution ask why. This will enable you to understand the underlying issues.
Unfortunately by the time we have been engaged as web designers, the scope of a project has already been set and it is hard to contribute ideas. This is because the way clients commission websites is fundamentally broken.
4. Sites should evolve
A typical website goes through a constant cycle of redesign. After its initial launch, it is left to slowly decay. The content becomes out of date, the design begins to look old fashioned and the technology becomes obsolete. Eventually staff stop referring customers to the site and it is perceived as a liability rather than an asset. In the end, senior management intervenes and assigns somebody to ‘sort out the website’. This inevitably leads to the site being replaced by a new version, and the cycle repeats itself.
This problem primarily occurs because there is no real ownership of the website within the organization. Often the client you deal with is only assigned to it for the duration of the project. Afterwards, the site is left to stagnate.
This cycle of redesign is wasteful for three reasons:
- It wastes money because the old site is replaced, and the investment put into it is lost.
- It is bad for cash flow, generating large expenditure every few years.
- For the majority of its life, the site is out of date and not being used to its full potential.
We need to start encouraging our clients to invest regularly in their websites. They need a permanent website manager and an ongoing relationship with their web design agency. Together they need to keep content up-to-date, improve the user interface and ensure that the technology keeps pace with change. Ultimately this is more cost effective than replacing the site every few years.
The ongoing management of content is an area that needs particular attention. Unfortunately it is often massively under resourced and generally neglected.
5. Content is king – Act like it!
I am constantly amazed at the difference between what clients says and what they do. Take, for example, content; most clients fully accept that content is king, yet few are willing to spend money on ensuring its quality. This is all the more absurd considering the amount they spend on implementing complex content management systems.
Most clients that I encounter feel that hiring a copywriter to ensure the quality and style of their content is unnecessary. Perhaps this is because they feel they are capable of writing copy themselves, however writing for the web is not like writing for any other medium. It presents some unique challenges that cannot be under estimated.
It is strange because clients are perfectly happy (well… maybe not quite ‘happy’) to pay for design. They realize that they cannot do the design without a professional designer, so why then do they believe that they can write good copy themselves?
Often when clients do write copy, it ends up being verbose and inaccessible. Stuffed with sales copy and jargon, which is largely ignored by most visitors to the site.
However, in many cases the reality is even worse than poorly written copy. In my experience, clients under estimate the time involved in producing copy for the web and resort to copying and pasting from a wide variety of offline printed material. This leads to Frankenstein copy, using a mix of styles that are often entirely inappropriate for the web.
It is our role as web designers to educate our clients about the importance of copywriting and explain the size of the task, if they choose to take it on themselves. Without previous experience most clients will significantly underestimate this task.
Conclusions
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
10 Golden Lessons From Steve Jobs
10 Golden Lessons From Steve Jobs
“I think we’re having fun. I think our customers really like our products. And we’re always trying to do better.”
- Steve Jobs
His accomplishments and character helped define a generation and change the world. He is co-founder of the fairytale company we now know as Apple Computers. And he is the visionary of the personal computers world that led the entire computer hardware and software industry to restructure itself. This man with boundless energy and charisma is also a master of hype, hyperbole and the catchy phrase. And even when he’s trying to talk normally, brilliant verbiage comes tumbling out. Here’s a selection of some of the most insanely great things he said, golden lessons to help you succeed in life, Jobs-style:
“1. Steve Jobs said: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
Innovation has no limits. The only limit is your imagination. It’s time for you to begin thinking out of the box. If you are involved in a growing industry, think of ways to become more efficient; more customer friendly; and easier to do business with. If you are involved in a shrinking industry – get out of it quick and change before you become obsolete; out of work; or out of business. And remember that procrastination is not an option here. Start innovating now!
2. Steve Jobs said: “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
There is no shortcut to excellence. You will have to make the commitment to make excellence your priority. Use your talents, abilities, and skills in the best way possible and get ahead of others by giving that little extra. Live by a higher standard and pay attention to the details that really do make the difference. Excellence is not difficult – simply decide right now to give it your best shot – and you will be amazed with what life gives you back.
3. Steve Jobs said: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
I’ve got it down to four words: “Do what you love.” Seek out an occupation that gives you a sense of meaning, direction and satisfaction in life. Having a sense of purpose and striving towards goals gives life meaning, direction and satisfaction. It not only contributes to health and longevity, but also makes you feel better in difficult times. Do you jump out of bed on Monday mornings and look forward to the work week? If the answer is ‘no’ keep looking, you’ll know when you find it.
4. Steve Jobs said: “You know, we don’t grow most of the food we eat. We wear clothes other people make. We speak a language that other people developed. We use a mathematics that other people evolved… I mean, we’re constantly taking things. It’s a wonderful, ecstatic feeling to create something that puts it back in the pool of human experience and knowledge.”
Live in a way that is ethically responsible. Try to make a difference in this world and contribute to the higher good. You’ll find it gives more meaning to your life and it’s a great antidote to boredom. There is always so much to be done. And talk to others about what you are doing. Don’t preach or be self-righteous, or fanatical about it, that just puts people off, but at the same time, don’t be shy about setting an example, and use opportunities that arise to let others know what you are doing.
5. Steve Jobs said: “There’s a phrase in Buddhism, ‘Beginner’s mind.’ It’s wonderful to have a beginner’s mind.”
It is the kind of mind that can see things as they are, which step by step and in a flash can realize the original nature of everything. Beginner’s mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgments and prejudices. Think of beginner’s mind as the mind that faces life like a small child, full of curiosity and wonder and amazement.
6. Steve Jobs said: “We think basically you watch television to turn your brain off, and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on.”
Reams of academic studies over the decades have amply confirmed television’s pernicious mental and moral influences. And most TV watchers know that their habit is mind-numbing and wasteful, but still spend most of their time in front of that box. So turn your TV off and save some brain cells. But be cautious, you can turn your brain off by using a computer also. Try and have an intelligent conversation with someone who plays first person shooters for 8 hours a day. Or auto race games, or role-playing games.
7. Steve Jobs said: “I’m the only person I know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It’s very character-building.”
Don’t equate making mistakes with being a mistake. There is no such thing as a successful person who has not failed or made mistakes, there are successful people who made mistakes and changed their lives or performance in response to them, and so got it right the next time. They viewed mistakes as warnings rather than signs of hopeless inadequacy. Never making a mistake means never living life to the full.
8. Steve Jobs said: “I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.”
Over the last decade, numerous books featuring lessons from historical figures have appeared on the shelves of bookstores around the world. And Socrates stands with Leonardo da Vinci, Nicholas Copernicus, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein as a beacon of inspiration for independent thinkers. But he came first. Cicero said of Socrates that, “He called philosophy down from the skies and into the lives of men.” So use Socrates’ principles in your life, your work, your learning, and your relationships. It’s not about Socrates, it’s really about you, and how you can bring more truth, beauty and goodness into your life everyday.
9. Steve Jobs said: “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”
Did you know that you have big things to accomplish in life? And did you know that those big things are getting rather dusty while you pour yourself another cup of coffee, and decide to mull things over rather than do them? We were all born with a gift to give in life, one which informs all of our desires, interests, passions and curiosities. This gift is, in fact, our purpose. And you don’t need permission to decide your own purpose. No boss, teacher, parent, priest or other authority can decide this for you. Just find that unique purpose.
10. Steve Jobs said: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
Are you tired of living someone else’s dream? No doubt, its your life and you have every right to spend it in your own individual way without any hurdles or barriers from others. Give yourself a chance to nurture your creative qualities in a fear-free and pressure-free climate. Live a life that YOU choose and be your own boss.
Each lesson might be difficult to integrate into your life at first, but if you ease your way into each lesson, one at a time, you’ll notice an immediate improvement in your overall performance. So go ahead, give them a try.
“I think we’re having fun. I think our customers really like our products. And we’re always trying to do better.”
- Steve Jobs
His accomplishments and character helped define a generation and change the world. He is co-founder of the fairytale company we now know as Apple Computers. And he is the visionary of the personal computers world that led the entire computer hardware and software industry to restructure itself. This man with boundless energy and charisma is also a master of hype, hyperbole and the catchy phrase. And even when he’s trying to talk normally, brilliant verbiage comes tumbling out. Here’s a selection of some of the most insanely great things he said, golden lessons to help you succeed in life, Jobs-style:
“1. Steve Jobs said: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
Innovation has no limits. The only limit is your imagination. It’s time for you to begin thinking out of the box. If you are involved in a growing industry, think of ways to become more efficient; more customer friendly; and easier to do business with. If you are involved in a shrinking industry – get out of it quick and change before you become obsolete; out of work; or out of business. And remember that procrastination is not an option here. Start innovating now!
2. Steve Jobs said: “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
There is no shortcut to excellence. You will have to make the commitment to make excellence your priority. Use your talents, abilities, and skills in the best way possible and get ahead of others by giving that little extra. Live by a higher standard and pay attention to the details that really do make the difference. Excellence is not difficult – simply decide right now to give it your best shot – and you will be amazed with what life gives you back.
3. Steve Jobs said: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
I’ve got it down to four words: “Do what you love.” Seek out an occupation that gives you a sense of meaning, direction and satisfaction in life. Having a sense of purpose and striving towards goals gives life meaning, direction and satisfaction. It not only contributes to health and longevity, but also makes you feel better in difficult times. Do you jump out of bed on Monday mornings and look forward to the work week? If the answer is ‘no’ keep looking, you’ll know when you find it.
4. Steve Jobs said: “You know, we don’t grow most of the food we eat. We wear clothes other people make. We speak a language that other people developed. We use a mathematics that other people evolved… I mean, we’re constantly taking things. It’s a wonderful, ecstatic feeling to create something that puts it back in the pool of human experience and knowledge.”
Live in a way that is ethically responsible. Try to make a difference in this world and contribute to the higher good. You’ll find it gives more meaning to your life and it’s a great antidote to boredom. There is always so much to be done. And talk to others about what you are doing. Don’t preach or be self-righteous, or fanatical about it, that just puts people off, but at the same time, don’t be shy about setting an example, and use opportunities that arise to let others know what you are doing.
5. Steve Jobs said: “There’s a phrase in Buddhism, ‘Beginner’s mind.’ It’s wonderful to have a beginner’s mind.”
It is the kind of mind that can see things as they are, which step by step and in a flash can realize the original nature of everything. Beginner’s mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgments and prejudices. Think of beginner’s mind as the mind that faces life like a small child, full of curiosity and wonder and amazement.
6. Steve Jobs said: “We think basically you watch television to turn your brain off, and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on.”
Reams of academic studies over the decades have amply confirmed television’s pernicious mental and moral influences. And most TV watchers know that their habit is mind-numbing and wasteful, but still spend most of their time in front of that box. So turn your TV off and save some brain cells. But be cautious, you can turn your brain off by using a computer also. Try and have an intelligent conversation with someone who plays first person shooters for 8 hours a day. Or auto race games, or role-playing games.
7. Steve Jobs said: “I’m the only person I know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It’s very character-building.”
Don’t equate making mistakes with being a mistake. There is no such thing as a successful person who has not failed or made mistakes, there are successful people who made mistakes and changed their lives or performance in response to them, and so got it right the next time. They viewed mistakes as warnings rather than signs of hopeless inadequacy. Never making a mistake means never living life to the full.
8. Steve Jobs said: “I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.”
Over the last decade, numerous books featuring lessons from historical figures have appeared on the shelves of bookstores around the world. And Socrates stands with Leonardo da Vinci, Nicholas Copernicus, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein as a beacon of inspiration for independent thinkers. But he came first. Cicero said of Socrates that, “He called philosophy down from the skies and into the lives of men.” So use Socrates’ principles in your life, your work, your learning, and your relationships. It’s not about Socrates, it’s really about you, and how you can bring more truth, beauty and goodness into your life everyday.
9. Steve Jobs said: “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”
Did you know that you have big things to accomplish in life? And did you know that those big things are getting rather dusty while you pour yourself another cup of coffee, and decide to mull things over rather than do them? We were all born with a gift to give in life, one which informs all of our desires, interests, passions and curiosities. This gift is, in fact, our purpose. And you don’t need permission to decide your own purpose. No boss, teacher, parent, priest or other authority can decide this for you. Just find that unique purpose.
10. Steve Jobs said: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
Are you tired of living someone else’s dream? No doubt, its your life and you have every right to spend it in your own individual way without any hurdles or barriers from others. Give yourself a chance to nurture your creative qualities in a fear-free and pressure-free climate. Live a life that YOU choose and be your own boss.
Each lesson might be difficult to integrate into your life at first, but if you ease your way into each lesson, one at a time, you’ll notice an immediate improvement in your overall performance. So go ahead, give them a try.
Why Businesses Blog, and How You Can Too.
Why Businesses Blog, and How You Can Too.
If you’ve been too busy running your business these past few years to make the most of online marketing, it’s understandable. When you spend every waking moment helping current customers, ordering inventory, handling paperwork, paying the bills, etc., you don’t have much spare time to teach yourself about search engine optimization, paid advertising, press releases, social media marketing, etc. Of course, if you want more customers and more business, you have to do something online these days. Even if you’re paying someone else to handle Web design and online marketing, you can do your part in building your online presence with blogging.
Why Businesses Blog
In addition to costing next to nothing, blogs provide benefits you can’t get any other way (unless your marketing budget is unlimited). Blogs done right can attract tech savvy readers to you, and readers can turn into customers. The more readers you can attract to your blog, the more opportunities you’ll have for eventual sales. Blogs can make sales reps out of your readers too. When you write a post on your blog, you “open it up for discussion,” inviting participation from your target market. When readers comment on your blog, they spread the good news about your products or services. If handled right, blogs can be great for customer feedback. Instead of expensive market testing
and surveys, you get real time responses from real people. Finally, blogs can function as central hubs. Since they’re a stable venue in a world of fickle social media marketing, they can be your business’s home base. From your blog, readers/customers can venture off to any social media tools you use, like Twitter®, Facebook®, forums, Digg®, etc., and your Website. They can see how involved you are and what you’re about.
How you Can Too
When you choose a blog, make sure it can grow with your business. Whether you create a custom blog or use a hosted blog (Blogspot®, Wordpress®), you will want it to be able to accommodate features like comments, archives, feeds, widgets, plug-ins and anything else that the tech geniuses come up with down the line. One piece of advice encourages businesses to host the blog on their domain, in a subfolder or page, since this is most direct and makes the most of SEO benefits.
Blog Start-up Guide
Here are some things you want to consider before your write your first post.
1. What are your goals for this blog? – This is something you may want to flesh out even before you look for blog hosting. Having clear goals helps your blog stay consistent in its messaging and provides useful topic parameters for the blogger.
2. How will you brand your blog? – Look at the competition and differentiate yourself. Make sure your blog’s appearance mirrors your website and other visual projections of your company.
3. How often can you commit to adding posts? – Regular posting will keep readers coming back. A stagnant blog reflects poorly on your business since readers might assume the worst about your company if you haven’t posted in a while.
4. Who else will be on the blogging team? – Many hands make light the work, and more than one “voice” is refreshing.
5. What will you put on the “About Us” page? – You may be surprised to learn that the “About Us” page is one of the first places readers look when they arrive at a new blog. Make sure yours is ready to go (see below for help on this).
6. Did you provide a way for readers to contact you? – If your readers can’t reach you, that’s a missed opportunity. Make sure to provide an email address or phone number.
7. What about post delivery? Is there an RSS feed tool available to those who want it? Is there also (this is important) a way readers can provide their name/email address so new posts can be sent directly to their inboxes, in case they don’t want to bother with RSS?
The One Rule: Your Blog is not Your Website
One of the hardest things about blogging is getting your head around the genre. Lots of very accomplished business persons have blogs that just don’t do what they should.
Understanding what blog readers visit blogs for is half the battle. Blogs are supposed to be a place where real conversations can take place. They should always be about:
Open dialogue (must go two ways) The chance to network and share valuable information This is important to know, because if you have a blog that isn’t about these two things, you won’t really have a blog. You’ll have another website, set up to sell and visitors will click away from your blog fast.
Elements Common to Good Blogs
1. Open to readers’ thoughts – You can turn off the comments feature on a blog, but “on” is preferable. It establishes the back and forth, transparent feel essential to engage your readers. (Don’t worry: You can review comments before letting them onto your blog to make sure they’re not offensive, spam-ish or irrelevant.)
2. Relationship-centered – Posts should invite readers to join in on the conversation. Think in terms of building relationships. Selling must always come second. Always. If it doesn’t, your readers will smell it and leave your blog.
3. Transparent – Your “About Us” page identifies the authors and provides the basics about your company. Include information that builds your professional credibility. Include pictures of the authors.
4. Chock full of delicious, nutritious content – A good host serves up attractive, substantial posts that don’t look too good to enjoy: Provide new information that is relevant and timely (old news makes you look uninformed about your industry)
Let your readers know that you’re listening and interested in their thoughts. Invite them to respond. Be direct and ask, “What do you think?” Make your posts easy to look at (break up text with sub-headings and add images, etc.) And never shout (all caps).
Take the plastic off the couch: Don’t subject posts to the editorial department’s red pen. Fresh content in sentence fragments and run-ons is preferable to dry, grammatically correct corporate-speak.
5. Reciprocal - Another part of blogging is commenting on other people’s blogs in your industry. Make sure your comments add value to the blog. You can include a link to your blog in the comment if what is on your blog adds to the conversation, but don’t be a “user.” Also, you can add a summarizing type of comment on someone else’s blog and then continue that thought on your own blog.
What Should I Say?
As you start posting, remember #1 in the Blog Startup Guide. Though you will want to stay within your area of expertise, you can and should infuse your posts with information and references to events, trends and information outside your industry. This keeps things fresh and connects your business to the bigger world in the eyes of your readers.
Also, for the most part, be concise. Sometimes you’ll need to write a longer post. But usually it’s best to remember that most readers are busy and will appreciate something that is short and sweet.
Here are a few ideas for posts:
• Create a helpful guide related to your industry
• Conduct a poll or write about a recent poll
• Report on an event or conference you’ve recently attended, including what you found helpful, comment-provoking thoughts
• Host a guest writer: invite an industry notable to write on your blog
• Review a related book/article/document/film
• Embed podcasts or video clips, and add value by providing informed comments or transcripts
• Provide lists of helpful info, how-to, etc. Readers like lists.
The Beauty of the Blog
As you read this, you may be thinking, “If I didn’t have the time to take care of my online marketing, I certainly don’t have the time to create a perfect blog for my business.” But that’s the beauty of blog, and maybe it’s why so many small business owners have started them and kept them going: Blogs are like pencils; they come with erasers. You can get started, add posts when you have a free moment here and there, and edit, delete, tweak and build your blog gradually. You don’t have to open it up to the public until you feel it’s ready. Once you are comfortable with what you have going on your blog, push it out into the world and watch what happens.
Network Solutions® online marketing experts have been professionally trained to navigate small businesses through the world of online marketing through a variety of means, including search engine optimization (SEO), hosting and much more.
To speak to a Network Solutions search consultant, call 1-877-438-8599.
If you’ve been too busy running your business these past few years to make the most of online marketing, it’s understandable. When you spend every waking moment helping current customers, ordering inventory, handling paperwork, paying the bills, etc., you don’t have much spare time to teach yourself about search engine optimization, paid advertising, press releases, social media marketing, etc. Of course, if you want more customers and more business, you have to do something online these days. Even if you’re paying someone else to handle Web design and online marketing, you can do your part in building your online presence with blogging.
Why Businesses Blog
In addition to costing next to nothing, blogs provide benefits you can’t get any other way (unless your marketing budget is unlimited). Blogs done right can attract tech savvy readers to you, and readers can turn into customers. The more readers you can attract to your blog, the more opportunities you’ll have for eventual sales. Blogs can make sales reps out of your readers too. When you write a post on your blog, you “open it up for discussion,” inviting participation from your target market. When readers comment on your blog, they spread the good news about your products or services. If handled right, blogs can be great for customer feedback. Instead of expensive market testing
and surveys, you get real time responses from real people. Finally, blogs can function as central hubs. Since they’re a stable venue in a world of fickle social media marketing, they can be your business’s home base. From your blog, readers/customers can venture off to any social media tools you use, like Twitter®, Facebook®, forums, Digg®, etc., and your Website. They can see how involved you are and what you’re about.
How you Can Too
When you choose a blog, make sure it can grow with your business. Whether you create a custom blog or use a hosted blog (Blogspot®, Wordpress®), you will want it to be able to accommodate features like comments, archives, feeds, widgets, plug-ins and anything else that the tech geniuses come up with down the line. One piece of advice encourages businesses to host the blog on their domain, in a subfolder or page, since this is most direct and makes the most of SEO benefits.
Blog Start-up Guide
Here are some things you want to consider before your write your first post.
1. What are your goals for this blog? – This is something you may want to flesh out even before you look for blog hosting. Having clear goals helps your blog stay consistent in its messaging and provides useful topic parameters for the blogger.
2. How will you brand your blog? – Look at the competition and differentiate yourself. Make sure your blog’s appearance mirrors your website and other visual projections of your company.
3. How often can you commit to adding posts? – Regular posting will keep readers coming back. A stagnant blog reflects poorly on your business since readers might assume the worst about your company if you haven’t posted in a while.
4. Who else will be on the blogging team? – Many hands make light the work, and more than one “voice” is refreshing.
5. What will you put on the “About Us” page? – You may be surprised to learn that the “About Us” page is one of the first places readers look when they arrive at a new blog. Make sure yours is ready to go (see below for help on this).
6. Did you provide a way for readers to contact you? – If your readers can’t reach you, that’s a missed opportunity. Make sure to provide an email address or phone number.
7. What about post delivery? Is there an RSS feed tool available to those who want it? Is there also (this is important) a way readers can provide their name/email address so new posts can be sent directly to their inboxes, in case they don’t want to bother with RSS?
The One Rule: Your Blog is not Your Website
One of the hardest things about blogging is getting your head around the genre. Lots of very accomplished business persons have blogs that just don’t do what they should.
Understanding what blog readers visit blogs for is half the battle. Blogs are supposed to be a place where real conversations can take place. They should always be about:
Open dialogue (must go two ways) The chance to network and share valuable information This is important to know, because if you have a blog that isn’t about these two things, you won’t really have a blog. You’ll have another website, set up to sell and visitors will click away from your blog fast.
Elements Common to Good Blogs
1. Open to readers’ thoughts – You can turn off the comments feature on a blog, but “on” is preferable. It establishes the back and forth, transparent feel essential to engage your readers. (Don’t worry: You can review comments before letting them onto your blog to make sure they’re not offensive, spam-ish or irrelevant.)
2. Relationship-centered – Posts should invite readers to join in on the conversation. Think in terms of building relationships. Selling must always come second. Always. If it doesn’t, your readers will smell it and leave your blog.
3. Transparent – Your “About Us” page identifies the authors and provides the basics about your company. Include information that builds your professional credibility. Include pictures of the authors.
4. Chock full of delicious, nutritious content – A good host serves up attractive, substantial posts that don’t look too good to enjoy: Provide new information that is relevant and timely (old news makes you look uninformed about your industry)
Let your readers know that you’re listening and interested in their thoughts. Invite them to respond. Be direct and ask, “What do you think?” Make your posts easy to look at (break up text with sub-headings and add images, etc.) And never shout (all caps).
Take the plastic off the couch: Don’t subject posts to the editorial department’s red pen. Fresh content in sentence fragments and run-ons is preferable to dry, grammatically correct corporate-speak.
5. Reciprocal - Another part of blogging is commenting on other people’s blogs in your industry. Make sure your comments add value to the blog. You can include a link to your blog in the comment if what is on your blog adds to the conversation, but don’t be a “user.” Also, you can add a summarizing type of comment on someone else’s blog and then continue that thought on your own blog.
What Should I Say?
As you start posting, remember #1 in the Blog Startup Guide. Though you will want to stay within your area of expertise, you can and should infuse your posts with information and references to events, trends and information outside your industry. This keeps things fresh and connects your business to the bigger world in the eyes of your readers.
Also, for the most part, be concise. Sometimes you’ll need to write a longer post. But usually it’s best to remember that most readers are busy and will appreciate something that is short and sweet.
Here are a few ideas for posts:
• Create a helpful guide related to your industry
• Conduct a poll or write about a recent poll
• Report on an event or conference you’ve recently attended, including what you found helpful, comment-provoking thoughts
• Host a guest writer: invite an industry notable to write on your blog
• Review a related book/article/document/film
• Embed podcasts or video clips, and add value by providing informed comments or transcripts
• Provide lists of helpful info, how-to, etc. Readers like lists.
The Beauty of the Blog
As you read this, you may be thinking, “If I didn’t have the time to take care of my online marketing, I certainly don’t have the time to create a perfect blog for my business.” But that’s the beauty of blog, and maybe it’s why so many small business owners have started them and kept them going: Blogs are like pencils; they come with erasers. You can get started, add posts when you have a free moment here and there, and edit, delete, tweak and build your blog gradually. You don’t have to open it up to the public until you feel it’s ready. Once you are comfortable with what you have going on your blog, push it out into the world and watch what happens.
Network Solutions® online marketing experts have been professionally trained to navigate small businesses through the world of online marketing through a variety of means, including search engine optimization (SEO), hosting and much more.
To speak to a Network Solutions search consultant, call 1-877-438-8599.
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