In-Business Resources

Facebook can be a great source of quality traffic. It now has over a billion members, so you can be sure that there are lots of people interested in your niche there. Yet actually reaching these people takes some know-how. In this article, we’ll be revealing some simple tips to quickly build your Facebook following.

Understanding customers is so important that large corporations spend millions of dollars annually on market research to gain this knowledge. Although formal research is important, a small business can usually avoid this expense. Typically, the owner or manager of a small business knows the customers personally, which is an added advantage. From this personal foundation, understanding your customers can be built through systematic efforts.

Many time business owners display no personality in their marketing. The reason behind this is a perceived need to look “professional”. Their marketing is often bland, generic and if you swapped out their logo and name from their marketing material, it could be anyone else in their industry. It’s such a shame because if only they communicated in their marketing the way they do in person, they’d have much more success.

Your brand is your company’s long-term identity. It’s what will make your company stand out in that sea of bright lights – the swarm of other competitors trying to get your customers. Marketing on the other hand, is all the activities – promotions, events, advertisements, social media, public relations etc. that you’re doing to craft your brand and build the level of trust adequate to convince customers of the value you’re offering.

Entrepreneurs and small-business owners are used to wearing a lot of hats in their business. However, trying to take care of everything can be harmful to your well-being and your business. With only one person in charge, there’s only so far you can scale. It’s not always easy for highly driven entrepreneurs to give up the reins, but it’s critical to avoid burnout. If you’re struggling to know where and how you should delegate in your small business, take heed of the following six tips.

We almost can’t imagine life without some of these technologies – yet a few short years ago they didn’t even exist. Plain and simple the purpose of any new technology in your business is to eliminate friction. We want the fastest and easiest path to the sale, while increasing customer satisfaction. We also want to avoid situations where technology hinders rather than facilitates business.

As customers (of usually large institutions) we’ve all had the frustrating experience of trying to talk sense to someone who’s being held back by technology and responds with their version of “Computer says ‘No’…”.

As small business owners we must ensure technology is being used in our businesses in ways that remove friction rather than creating it.

While your business may not be a Walt Disney World theme park, you should take advantage of every opportunity to create an enjoyable experience in the minds of the prospective customers. Your brand sensory package represents the combined look, feel, sound, smell, and taste of the business and its products and services as perceived by the customers. This combination of every experience a customer has with a company is developed through this sensory package.

Selling yourself to businesses can certainly be a nerve-wracking experience. Whether this be a boardroom-style pitch or simply a face-to-face meeting when applying for director jobs or other high-profile positions, you need to get your pitch right to create the best impression possible. This is especially true in the current economic climate when work may be thin on the ground.

The goal of any eCommerce website is to sell products. Once you’ve created your site, promoted your products and attracted potential customers, how do you ensure they become repeat buyers? Even the most well-designed eCommerce website can send customers to your competitors if you aren’t careful. Here, five common eCommerce website mistakes and how to avoid them.