Showing posts with label Business Blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business Blogging. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Insightful B2B and Marketing Articles



 I can change the world!

One famous advertising guru said, "People don't really need you. They don't need your products or services. Real success in business is being able to sell to customers DESPITE not being needed." 

If that sounds cynical, it may also be the truth. 

But hey, it does not mean you should pack your stuff and go home! What's great about business is that if you believe in your services and product ("I can change the world!"), you can become an evangelist of your cause. If you care about your customers, then you will become a recognized expert in your industry. Expertise builds confidence. Confidence builds votes. And votes are transformed from being unnecessary to something customers can't live without. Not only will they need you; they will also WANT  your product or service. Now that's something to cheer us up!

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The power of wall posting

Wall posting is visibility. I remember back when I was in fourth grade, my English teacher had a project called The Wall. On the wall, if you had the best handwriting, best poem, or best essay, your work would be posted on the wall for everybody to see. Wow, what a source of pride! My papers had been tacked on the wall so many times. Since then, people at school have known me for my writings. 

Wouldn't it be cool if your business came up with something similar to The Wall project? Post pictures of great employees, most frequent visitors, or announcements that boost business. In some places, they even do it in public laundromats as a way for many singles in the area to meet. People like checking out things posted on the wall. Take advantage of it. 

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Curiosity, dead squirrels and new clients

In one of my online profiles, I had a motto that said "Curiosity killed the squirrel." Yikes! I just realized that so many more squirrels get killed on the road than cats, but I'm guessing it's really not because they are curious, but indecisive. So maybe a better motto would be "Indecision killed the squirrel!"

Plenty of businesses capitalize on the powerful natural instinct of human curiosity. But curiosity shouldn't equate to being (metaphorically) squashed on the road. Instead, it should be a means to gain new contacts (networking style). New contacts may mean new business. If you send some people something like brainteasers, puzzles, or anything interesting, they will respond and inquire. Fact it, we have earned new friends and clients with this marketing technique. If you haven't tried it for yourself, now is the time to do so. 

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You can never have too much information

One of the most understated but useful techniques in creating web content is research. Little do customers and even business owners know, too little or too much information can be a pain. For example, one of our latest gigs was to create content for a fashion website. However, the owner did not care to provide information on basic stuff to put on About Us and FAQs. We had to practically drill him. If the project requires a certain number of words per page and there was no information provided from the business owner, we have to do our research and be creative. 

Now the fun part. Here are a few techniques/shortcuts here that I've used when researching for content:

1. When somebody called and you missed it but the other party didn't leave a message, try the Reverse Phone Lookup of whitepages.com. Chances are you'll find the owner of the phone number listed. 

2. Search all the major engines. Unfortunately, I just found out a while ago that whatever you find on Yahoo will also show up exactly on Bing. 

3. Forum posts. When you're researching, don't just look into articles that show up on Google search results. Read forum posts as well. They actually provide more in-depth and reliable information regarding the topic. I've fixed a virus in my computer by reading a forum about people who were looking for the same solution. 

4. Yelp. Better than the BBB, you can find more detailed information about whether a business is reliable or not. Yelp.com is where people express their opinions about establishments they visited. Of course, the opinions are mixed, but it's up to you to weigh them. 

5. Ctrl+F. What's simpler than using this shortcut when looking for a keyword in a document? I've passed so many exams using this. I didn't need to read the whole page but using the Find function I can zero in on what I need to know. Also, if you're looking through a whole pile of names NOT listed alphabetically, try typing the initial in the Find box and press Enter repeatedly until you find it. Smart, eh?


Thursday, December 3, 2020

Business Blogging Sample: Pros and Cons of starting a custom website for my Texas small business

 


Pros and Cons of starting a custom website for my Texas small business

As a Texas small business owner, should I start my own custom website? Today, I'm being bombarded with all kinds of information when it comes to selling my products and services online. I get offers from various companies but I also know there are cheaper and better options out there for me. Where should I begin? How do I know building a custom website for my business is the right direction for me?


Using a free website builder

Pros

Free is always best! But by using a free website builder, I'm aware that there are plenty of limitations against my business. I'm always tempted to accept free trials from many website companies online. I would be allowed to use a website builder service for a month, then I would get charged after that. The good thing about this, is that I can assess whether such a custom website builder will work for me or not. Of course, I can opt for the truly free website builders (I found Weebly and Wix.com very useful) but I have to use a subdomain. If I want to be taken seriously, however, I would have to upgrade to a real domain.

Cons

What I don't like about using free website builders is the fact that really, there's no such thing as a free meal. Every one of us should invest in a website that truly connects with our customers. If there are two things you have to pay for to be online, that's domain name and web hosting. Those things are never free -- especially if you own a business. That's why when using free sitebuilders, the best option is to get a domain name that reflects my company as well as a reliable web hosting that comes packed with features I could use. 


Building my own website

Pros

Building my own website with sitebuilders that I pay for are obviously a better option than free sitebuilders. I would know for sure that there are no hidden charges or catch involved. The good thing is that building my own website with the help of website providers like Godaddy, Web.com, or Hostgator, I go through step-by-step process that is very easy to follow. It is very intuitive and it gives me freedom to experiment on how my website will look. Also, a lot of these paid custom website builders are equipped with search engine optimization add-ons that my Texas small business needs to enhance my visibility online. 

Cons

Since I'm not a web designer myself, I may have doubts about my capability to design my own website. The main problem about building my own site is that unlike real web design professional, I may lack a few skills to fine-tune my site for my customers. Thankfully, I can use the Helpdesk or call customer support if I'm having problems with building my site. 


Hiring a professional web designer

Pros

Hiring a professional web designer to help build my Texas small business website online means I have to put my trust in that firm or individual that will handle my site. If I make the right choices, then I know I will be able to sell my products and services online confidently. And since I'm not a web designer, I don't have to worry about layouts and content -- it will be provided for me. Also, since a web design professional is working for me,  I expect quality output at a set amount of time. 

Cons

Expenses are the main concern when hiring a professional website designer for my Texas small business. I have to use a cost calculator, make inquiries, and set a budget in order to get a good service from a web designer. I also need to know about maintenance of the site and of course, do background check on the individual or company. But if all goes well, investment on this option should be worth my dime. 

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Business Blogging, Ecommerce Blogging, Link Building, Link Baiting, Social Media Techniques , Online Selling Articles

Visit http://ebusinessbuzz.blogspot.com/

Shigeru Miyamoto is Nintendo’s Wii-nning Secret

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

To succeed in the videogaming industry, you need only one thing: a desire to create fun. At least, in Shigeru Miyamoto’s world, this guiding principle works. Miyamoto has been responsible for Nintendo’s universal fame and fortune when he conceptualized the Jump Man in Donkey Kong back in the 1980s. The Jump Man is the character we now love so well — Mario.

Miyamoto is an admirable character himself for a lot of reasons. He held up production of certain games just because they aren’t perfect enough for people to play. He split ways with Nintendo’s competitors because he believed playing videogames should bring smiles to people’s faces, and that everyone can play them. On the other hand, Microsoft and Sony focused on the more hardcore aspect of videogaming.If you still have any doubts, here’s a fact: the Nintendo Wii outsold the Xbox 360 and PS3 this year and is predicted to keep on selling like hotcakes even way past the holiday season.

Nintendo is an entirely different breed of game manufacturer. Like its celebrated gaming designer, it fires up interest not because of hype, but because it endears itself to people. And what could be more endearing than a Miyamoto quirk? The guy behind Nintendo’s success rarely played video games and doesn’t drive a BMW. Instead, he rides his bicycle to work.


Visit http://powermerchant.wordpress.com/

Ecommerce Merchant Account Tip: Who lives where?

Posted December 12, 2007 by powermerchant

Why No to P.O. Boxes?
Trying to guess a customer’s identity after it’s already been confirmed by the anti-fraud detection tools that it is a legitimate buyer is a pain in the neck, not to mention insomnia-inducing. But when you finally give in and tell yourself that the security tools work, will you sit back and fall asleep with peace of mind?

I bet the paranoid among you won’t.

But just because you are doing your best to make all transactions secure and legitimate doesn’t mean you need psychiatric help. For business involving credit card transactions, especially with products considered “high risk”, take the final step towards security using the following shipping checklist:
1. Make sure the billing and shipping addresses match.

2. Ask for a complete street address for delivery instead of a P.O. box.
3. Have the addressee sign the paper with corresponding I.D. upon accepting the package.
Your customers should be aware of your shipping policies as soon as they click on the buy button on your shopping cart system. That will back you up in case of disputes and claims. Now you can lay back and sleep like a baby!


Visit http://my-ecommerce-portal.blogspot.com/

Renting DVDs via Ecommerce Store – Who’s Counting the Catalog?

Friday, November 23, 2007

WHO IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
Despite varying opinions that going to the movie theaters is better than renting DVDs through an ecommerce store, or downloading movies on the TiVo or mobile devices, online movie rental has a big market to exploit. People from anywhere in the world love to watch movies now more than ever.

WHEN SHOULD YOU SELL?
There’s no right or wrong occasion to sell. It’s safe to say though that you should market aggressively during the season of the year when people would rather stay indoors than plow through the snow and mud to see a comedy flick.

WHERE DO YOU SELL?
Although movie rental ecommerce stores such as Blockbuster.com as scattered all over the U.S. and can ship DVDs almost at any state, a lot of online DVD rentals still don’t have their own warehouses but merely dropship from a major distributor. Does it matter? The point is to provide customer convenience as part of the business concept.

WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE ECOMMERCE SOLUTION?
Expand your DVD catalog. I am still disappointed, from a consumer point of view, that although ecommerce stores such as Blockbuster.com ship DVD titles pretty efficiently and handle exchanges well, I still have to look elsewhere for other titles I cannot find in their catalog.