HOW TO MARKET BUSINESS
Small business marketing tips are guidelines regarding potential opportunities in small business marketing. They help to plan and implement an effective marketing strategy. Small business marketing faces many constraints such as poor budget and lack of essential resources. Marketing tips serve to overcome these constraints. They help to improvise the marketing strategy with a step-by-step planning process. Tips can be the short cut to utilize and benefit from a particular situation. The ultimate aim of these ideas is to enhance the business. Marketing tips are also a guide of do's and don'ts in the marketing field. Small business marketing tips come up with innovative and practical ideas for a cost effective marketing strategy.
Small business marketing tips attempt to enhance the marketing according to the prevailing conditions. It helps to choose effective resources for marketing, suitable to attract the attention of customers. The tips are available for all the steps in marketing including planning, formulation of the strategy, selection of marketing materials and effective marketing procedures. It enables a product to grab consumer attention and to position itself in the market. Effective marketing tips will generate sales quickly.
Small business marketing tips also aim to maintain product identity. Most of the tips prefer branding of the products for a unique selling proposition in the market. Creative marketing ideas such as newsletters, business post cards and trade booths are provided. It explores alternate marketing strategies such as bartering system, mail outs and offers. Tips suggest that referral marketing is one of the best techniques to highlight a product. Cause related marketing is also harnessed as a marketing opportunity.
Small business marketing tips are usually formulated from the experiences of people. Many provide free tips through Internet sites and newsletters. Books on marketing tips are also available. They impart a fresh perspective on business marketing as a whole.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
YOUR VISITORS LET THEM BUY
YOUR VISITORS, LET THEM BUY
Because of my experience in marketing and the fact I've spent almost 20 years helping people 'get more business', I'm constantly getting asked to "look at my website and tell me what you think? I've just spent $xxxx on it, doesn't it look great!".
But sadly 'looking great' doesn't cut it. The primary objective of good website design for the vast majority of products and services is to ACHIEVE MORE SALES. Let me say that again, it's not about how great your site looks, or even how many visitors you get to your site, what really matters is HOW MANY BUY? How many part with their own hard earned money to purchase the product or service you're marketing because they can see the value in what it is you're offering.
So the real judge on how good a website is, is in my view on how many sales it achieves relevant to the amount of visitors it gets. 1,000 people visiting your website but with only 3 buying suggests (strongly)that you need to seriously look at your website design. 300 visitors with 20 buying means you're getting your website design much closer to being right.
==> Thought 1. Think like your visitors. It's often too easy to write copy; design headlines; use colours and images all because you think that's what your potential customer will want to read/see. Try and look at it differently - if you were the visitor to your site don't think 'what would I want to read/see' but think more 'what would I need to read/see to encourage me to buy!'. I appreciate it's a subtle difference but it's a very key difference in perspective and it will make the world of difference to your website conversions.
==> Thought 2. Always come from the premis that you can always get 'more business' from your website by being prepared to constantly tune key elements - there is no such thing as a completed website. Every website, no matter how good it is at converting visitors to sales, can still be improved to increase sales. With each website you design, set aside a little time each week to review, amend, test, review again, amend and test again. An extra 0.5% increase here and there can have a profound impact on your bank balance.
==> Thought 3. Study your competitors and think "how can I build a better mousetrap?".
If you are marketing products or services in which you have competitors doing something similar, look at what they're doing to identify what they're doing right AND what they're doing wrong! - both from which you can learn. One of the best ways I've found to identify what's 'right' and 'wrong' about a competitors site is to ask a couple of friends or colleagues to act as 'mystery shoppers' and review the competitor's website as if they were buying from it. Ask them to note down what they like and don't like about it; ask them to jot down what would have encouraged them to buy and what put them off. Because your 'mystery shoppers' (friends) are not so close to internet marketing as you, allows the feed back to be much more relevant.
Learning from what your competitors are doing right, look at those elements to see if you can improve on those things ...and for the things they're clearly doing wrong, make sure you avoid those things. There is one exception to this - the elements that you feel are 'wrong' on competitor's sites might only be wrong because of something small or subtle, and with some tuning on your part, it could be that you could turn that element to a positive that you could then add to your site ...and in turn you are 'building a better mousetrap'.
These were 3 quick thoughts I thought I'd share with you to help you get focused on creating website design that SELLS products and services ...and doesn't just 'look good'.
To your continued success, Steve.
Because of my experience in marketing and the fact I've spent almost 20 years helping people 'get more business', I'm constantly getting asked to "look at my website and tell me what you think? I've just spent $xxxx on it, doesn't it look great!".
But sadly 'looking great' doesn't cut it. The primary objective of good website design for the vast majority of products and services is to ACHIEVE MORE SALES. Let me say that again, it's not about how great your site looks, or even how many visitors you get to your site, what really matters is HOW MANY BUY? How many part with their own hard earned money to purchase the product or service you're marketing because they can see the value in what it is you're offering.
So the real judge on how good a website is, is in my view on how many sales it achieves relevant to the amount of visitors it gets. 1,000 people visiting your website but with only 3 buying suggests (strongly)that you need to seriously look at your website design. 300 visitors with 20 buying means you're getting your website design much closer to being right.
==> Thought 1. Think like your visitors. It's often too easy to write copy; design headlines; use colours and images all because you think that's what your potential customer will want to read/see. Try and look at it differently - if you were the visitor to your site don't think 'what would I want to read/see' but think more 'what would I need to read/see to encourage me to buy!'. I appreciate it's a subtle difference but it's a very key difference in perspective and it will make the world of difference to your website conversions.
==> Thought 2. Always come from the premis that you can always get 'more business' from your website by being prepared to constantly tune key elements - there is no such thing as a completed website. Every website, no matter how good it is at converting visitors to sales, can still be improved to increase sales. With each website you design, set aside a little time each week to review, amend, test, review again, amend and test again. An extra 0.5% increase here and there can have a profound impact on your bank balance.
==> Thought 3. Study your competitors and think "how can I build a better mousetrap?".
If you are marketing products or services in which you have competitors doing something similar, look at what they're doing to identify what they're doing right AND what they're doing wrong! - both from which you can learn. One of the best ways I've found to identify what's 'right' and 'wrong' about a competitors site is to ask a couple of friends or colleagues to act as 'mystery shoppers' and review the competitor's website as if they were buying from it. Ask them to note down what they like and don't like about it; ask them to jot down what would have encouraged them to buy and what put them off. Because your 'mystery shoppers' (friends) are not so close to internet marketing as you, allows the feed back to be much more relevant.
Learning from what your competitors are doing right, look at those elements to see if you can improve on those things ...and for the things they're clearly doing wrong, make sure you avoid those things. There is one exception to this - the elements that you feel are 'wrong' on competitor's sites might only be wrong because of something small or subtle, and with some tuning on your part, it could be that you could turn that element to a positive that you could then add to your site ...and in turn you are 'building a better mousetrap'.
These were 3 quick thoughts I thought I'd share with you to help you get focused on creating website design that SELLS products and services ...and doesn't just 'look good'.
To your continued success, Steve.
GET PEOPLE TO KNOW YOU
GET PEOPLE TO KNOW YOU IN THE MARKETPLACE
A few years ago I was driving around a small Kansas town. It was a really hot day and not a soul was to be found outside. As I made a turn on one street, I saw some kids selling lemonade in front of there home. They had a rather dull looking table with a simple sign that read: "Cup of Lemonade for 50cent...", they had no customers. I kept on driving and at the end of the road I saw some more kids selling cold lemonade, but this time it was a lot different - they had chairs, a little umbrella for shade, and one kid was standing on the curve with a colored sign: "Cold Cup of Lemonade for 50cent".... And cars were stopping!
How do you get people to look at your business? Well the question is what you are you doing that's different that will make people look at your business? How are you standing out? What special offers are you offering? What is unique about your business?
When marketing your business it's very important to put yourself in the customers place and to try and see things from his/her point of view. You need to figure out how you can separate yourself from your competition.
I know of a business consultant who decided that he was going to make himself different by focusing on answering emails as soon as possible and not to leave anyone hanging. This little decision is what helped him become a successful business consultant. His clients knew that he was always there for them.
As you build your marketing plan - don't forget your USP!
A few years ago I was driving around a small Kansas town. It was a really hot day and not a soul was to be found outside. As I made a turn on one street, I saw some kids selling lemonade in front of there home. They had a rather dull looking table with a simple sign that read: "Cup of Lemonade for 50cent...", they had no customers. I kept on driving and at the end of the road I saw some more kids selling cold lemonade, but this time it was a lot different - they had chairs, a little umbrella for shade, and one kid was standing on the curve with a colored sign: "Cold Cup of Lemonade for 50cent".... And cars were stopping!
How do you get people to look at your business? Well the question is what you are you doing that's different that will make people look at your business? How are you standing out? What special offers are you offering? What is unique about your business?
When marketing your business it's very important to put yourself in the customers place and to try and see things from his/her point of view. You need to figure out how you can separate yourself from your competition.
I know of a business consultant who decided that he was going to make himself different by focusing on answering emails as soon as possible and not to leave anyone hanging. This little decision is what helped him become a successful business consultant. His clients knew that he was always there for them.
As you build your marketing plan - don't forget your USP!
MARKETING
MARKETING FOR GOOD
Many self-proclaimed nit whit marketing consultants who write marketing books, give speeches, sell tapes and pretend to be superstars of their field say things like; No Matter What Marketing Will Make Your Goals a Reality. They say that marketing is all about choosing your target customers and then putting out the correct communication.
Well indeed, some of this sounds really special but it is utter hokum and horse dung really. You see most of these marketing specialists and self-proclaimed wannabe, textbook grabbing, gurus of advertising and marketing, used car salesmen types proclaim the answers of what marketing is by baffling business owners with BS. Why? Well simple they want to sell you their tapes and books. Some are decent and worthy, most are a waste of money and nearly all of them are a dime a dozen and say the same things.
These consultant types will say that marketing; “Creates Awareness” of your business offerings to your potential customers? Well creating awareness sure sounds special indeed. But do you really want to create awareness or do you want to sell your products and services?
Indeed awareness is good, but realize that you want to be the discussion at the dinner tables of your clientele and then you want them to come and buy from you. Now then, where in creating awareness does that mean more sales? I am very aware of how Viagra works, but unlike these self-proclaimed marketing authors, book writers and nit wits; I do not have a problem getting it up or moving our products into the shopping bags of our target customers. Be careful of those who say marketing is all about; Creating Awareness. That is a very small part of what marketing is and it is often irrelevant.
Many self-proclaimed nit whit marketing consultants who write marketing books, give speeches, sell tapes and pretend to be superstars of their field say things like; No Matter What Marketing Will Make Your Goals a Reality. They say that marketing is all about choosing your target customers and then putting out the correct communication.
Well indeed, some of this sounds really special but it is utter hokum and horse dung really. You see most of these marketing specialists and self-proclaimed wannabe, textbook grabbing, gurus of advertising and marketing, used car salesmen types proclaim the answers of what marketing is by baffling business owners with BS. Why? Well simple they want to sell you their tapes and books. Some are decent and worthy, most are a waste of money and nearly all of them are a dime a dozen and say the same things.
These consultant types will say that marketing; “Creates Awareness” of your business offerings to your potential customers? Well creating awareness sure sounds special indeed. But do you really want to create awareness or do you want to sell your products and services?
Indeed awareness is good, but realize that you want to be the discussion at the dinner tables of your clientele and then you want them to come and buy from you. Now then, where in creating awareness does that mean more sales? I am very aware of how Viagra works, but unlike these self-proclaimed marketing authors, book writers and nit wits; I do not have a problem getting it up or moving our products into the shopping bags of our target customers. Be careful of those who say marketing is all about; Creating Awareness. That is a very small part of what marketing is and it is often irrelevant.
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