Making Sure You're Getting Your Money's Worth Out of Your Website

Competing with giant online companies is difficult, but proper web design for small business will convince your share of visitors to become customers. Here are some ideas on how to get more sales.

1. ONE-CLICK
 Make it simple. The more involved purchasing is, the less likely it happens. Complex or multiple forms may be asking too much. So are needless steps. Making it easy for visitors to convert to customers is the best way of upping conversion rates. It might be worth paying a web design company for an eye-catching and streamlined process.

2. BRIEF COPY
Let images sell, as images inspire deeper emotional reaction than paragraphs of text. If visitors want to learn more, provide links or menus that allow them to do so. But try to limit explanatory text to thirty words or so, and choose images that show off your product and its benefits. The right photos get an instant positive response. If you need to do explaining, use a series of images and meaningful captions, not a stream of text. It's frustrating to scroll through long paragraphs on a small screen, these are reasons why design website that suitable for mobile devices. If you don't know how to embed YouTube videos, find out.

3. REPEAT, REPEAT
 It's boring in everyday communication, but mental conditioning comes from repetition. Not that you want to brow-beat or brain-wash your visitors. Repeating a few key selling points can help drive the point home. Regarding repetition, frequently review your own site to identify room for improvement. Your selling strategy should always evolve with your market. Always make the time to see what your top competition does, and make note of any web design tips and tricks that could improve your own customer conversion.

4. FREEBIES
This might seem contrary to the whole idea of making a profit, but you want visitors to be pleased with your website, even if they aren't ready to purchase. You don't have to give away merchandise. Offer a free service, or buy or create informative eBooks as free downloads; just make sure it’s relevant to your site, that it's fairly unique and quality information, and includes a link back to your site.

You might also consider giving away freeware. If you're prepared to spend, you might hire someone to produce brand-able software with your own logo and links. A Google search can surprise you with what you can get for nothing. Add more, and let subscribers know; this way, you've got a network of happy people, for little or no cost.

Search for free tools, such as search engine submission, SEO analysis, or keyword research. There are free sources for art, eBook compilers, and logo and banner makers. Used correctly, these things bring more professional results.

5. PROMISES
 Believe it or not, your word is still worth something. If you provide guarantees, discounts, or next-day shipping, make sure visitors know it. Willingness to go the extra mile might be what seals the deal. Once you make a promise, though, go out of your way to make it happen. Site admins know better than anyone how tough it can be to get noticed and get paid. Adopt and track successful website design tips and tricks for yourself. Knowing what works with your visitors will mean steady increases in sales.

Online Marketing Outsourcing: Is it Right for Your Business?

Your initial reaction to outsourcing may be to say no. After all, if something needs to be done, then it needs to be done correctly, right? Despite this mentality, outsourcing is necessary for success; there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything yourself, and one of the easiest tasks to outsource is online marketing. 

There are a host of benefits of outsourcing, but there are downsides as well. Let's focus on the benefits first. 

Outsourcing can be a hearty boon to most businesses, especially startups. If you lack the skillset to get a necessary task done, then outsourcing it to an offshore worker can be a great way to focus on your strengths while still accomplishing everything you need to do for your business. You could outsource SEO work to a third-party firm and rely on them to revamp your website to generate the most organic traffic possible. You could outsource your marketing emails in order to find web design clients. 

If you need a logo designed but have only rudimentary Photoshop skills, then outsourcing is a better use of your time. While you may be able to design a passable logo by investing 10 or more hours into it, is it worth it? By spending a small amount of money and outsourcing the task to someone else, you can have your logo done and still accomplish a host of other tasks. Whether this is worthwhile to you or not depends on how much you value your time; what is an hour worth? 

That said, despite all the benefits, there are a few glaring disadvantages to outsourcing. Perhaps the first and most commonly felt issue is that of communication. Outsourcing means you must develop clear and cohesive communication skills with your offshore staff; failing to do so can result in mistakes or dissatisfaction with the delivered product. While many people can explain what they want easily enough in person, the same cannot be said for email. Take the time to read over any briefs you send and ensure they contain the necessary information. 

Another downside is that you will have to train your offshore staff. While they may ultimately save you time in the long run, there is an initial investment of time necessary to ensure they know how to perform the tasks you need them to perform. This applies to more general staff; as a rule, those hired to perform specific jobs will already know what they're doing. 

 Finally, your work will be outsourced to people who are not as passionate about the job as you are. While your startup may be your pride and joy, to your staff it is nothing more than a paycheck. This doesn't mean they won't deliver the right quality, but it does mean they're not as likely to respond to you at 3AM when you're pulling your third all-nighter in a row in search of clients. 

Whether or not to outsource is your decision. Take the time to evaluate the possible benefits and disadvantages and decided whether it is right for you.

How to Use Pricing Psychology to Generate Sales

No matter the market, developing a pricing strategy is essential for ensuring something sells. However, the price can't be determined based solely on what the seller hopes to get for it; there are a variety of factors that come into play, including demand and the current market atmosphere. There are a number of psychological tricks that come into play, as well.

Pricing Based on Market

In some situations, you can price a product as high as you want -- and no one will buy it unless they are stupid. For example, a real estate agent would advise homeowners against pricing a home $200,000 over the market price. If the homes on a street are identical, but one is priced much higher, it may attract more initial interest; after all, buyers are curious. However, once they realize it has no advantage over any of the competitors, they will certainly settle on the lower priced options.

Pricing Based on Competition

Another strategy for pricing something to sell is based on the price the competition sells for. This is a common retail strategy; store A will offer a product for one price, while store B offers it for several dollars less. In most cases, store B will have the market for that product because of the pricing difference. The only time customers would choose to buy at Store A would be due to convenience. Of course, there are downsides to this: the profit margins usually end up being very narrow. The 'race to the bottom' tactics only benefit consumers, not businesses.

Pricing Based on Loyalty

This is often called a penetration strategy. A company will sell a very high-quality product at a price much lower than the competition would. This is most often used for smaller companies trying to break into an industry dominated by giants; it allows them to get a wedge of the market share without offering any initial innovation, but through building customer loyalty, they're able to build slowly until they can compete with the bigger players.

Loss Leaders

This price strategy definition is sometimes called promotional pricing. Because the business doesn't make any profit off the initial sale, it's called a 'loss leader' -- it brings customers in to purchase other products that will turn a profit. The initial purchase is just to capture their interest. As a result, the original product is usually priced much lower than the market is asking.

Using an 'Almost' Price

This tactic is exceedingly common. Companies will price a product at $4.99 instead of $5, but because it isn't quite $5, customers don't see it as so great an expense. It's a simple way to trick the brain into believing a product actually costs significantly less than it does, even if the actual price difference is only one cent off.

These four pricing strategies in marketing examples should help you better understand how to implement them into your own business. By using smart pricing strategies and psychologies, you can begin to generate sales even if there are far stronger competitors against you.

This post comes from Sarah, an inspirational writer who is taking QLD real estate course online at NREL Australia to grow her marketing career. She is part of crews at a specialized training center for the real estate industry, working with entrepreneurs and small business owner to upskills and achieve results that raise the standards of professionalism and respect in the Real Estate industry.

How To Market A Company After You Buy It

Buying a business is one of the best ways for someone to become their own boss. There are many different things to remember when it comes to buying a business. First of all, the legal step when buying a business is to sign a contract with the price that is agreed on. Although that sounds simple in theory, there are other things to keep in mind during this process. There are many contract agreement forms that must be signed before the business can officially be turned over. 

Marketing the new business is something that many people do not understand. Here are several tips in marketing for anyone who has just bought a new business.

Invest Early

It is vital to invest in marketing early on in the process. When buying a new business, it can be tempting to simply put all of the time and energy into getting the business up and running again. However, marketing needs to be considered an essential future component of running the business. 

There are many people who understand this and have had success. With all of the different technology available today, there is no excuse not to leverage this into something larger in terms of marketing.

Use Social Media

Social media is one of the best things a business can have when it comes to spreading the word about its products and services. However, social media must be used correctly in order to have leverage with customers. Simply producing content is not enough to drive the results that are needed. Always make sure to take a targeted approach to social media when trying to attract your customers. This focused effort will pay off over the long run.

Thank You Notes

Many people forget about the power of thank you notes in our new world of technology. However, this is one of the best ways to make your company stand out from the rest. Especially when first starting out, this can be a great way of letting customers know of the business transition after the purchase. Once your customer base grows to a certain level this will not be possible, but until then this is a great gesture to make towards customers.

Build a Website

If your company does not already have a website in the purchase agreement, make sure that you start building one the moment you take over. A website is an essential marketing tool in today's world. Anyone who wants to reach the most customers they can needs to make sure their website is as high quality as possible.

Treat Customers Right

The best marketing tool that anyone new business owner can have is to simply treat customers the right way. If customers have a great experience with a company, they have a much better chance of coming back to do business with them against. Over the long term, the most successful companies are those that treat customers the right way.

About the Author: Tully Rickets is a writer with interests in healthy living and marketing. When he's not blogging about healthy behaviors, he enjoys researching ideas for his marketing website from many blogs and websites.

8 Tactics To Help Manage Your Marketing Campaigns & Boost ROI

As digital marketing becomes more complex, the more difficult it becomes for businesses to
manage an effective budget. Spreading resources across every avenue of the industry is a 
difficult task, and it can lead to key areas being neglected. 

Why is it important to get campaigns right? In 2014 marketing budgets went up by 10% - by 
2016 it’s expected to make up 35% of the average businesses’ budget. Maximizing your 
strategy for strong ROI is now all important, and understanding how to get a shrewd plan 
together should be at the center of any business plan. 

In this 8 point guide the vital tactics which can make a campaign work are explained. It’s an 
insight on how to spread a digital marketing budget across the right areas, ensuring the best chance of excellent ROI. 

1. Get A Plan In Order

Many businesses (particularly start-ups) have a habit of launching into digital marketing 
campaigns without a thorough plan. The idea of winging it and expecting good results can betempting, but the fact is it is essential you work out what your objectives are.

Promoting brand awareness and increasing conversion rates tend to be the key goals, but how do you intend to achieve this? Can it be managed on a long term scale? Who are you going to employ to make it happen? 

The questions can pile up, and there’s also the need to manage a budget between the likes of social media, PPC, and SEO. Knowing where your business needs to focus is the essence of a strong digital marketing plan, which means you need to understand your audience. 

2. Research Your Industry 

One of the forgotten factors is not all businesses can work with SEO and PPC. Not everyone is always looking for the keywords you may want to rank for, meaning there is no point in funding a SEO campaign. Conversely, a PPC strategy won’t work if you have low margins –all this tends to do is lose you money.

The solution to this is to understand your audience and get to know what your competitors are doing. Examine the market and your position in it – how authoritative do you genuinely see yourself? If you’re entering an established and competitive market, for example, then PPC is a great way to learn which keywords to focus on. In turn, this can shape your SEO efforts. 

3. Get Your SEO Structured

Capturing key SERPs is what SEO is all about. SEO is more sustainable than PPC, the problem is the results take quite a while to show, and you run the risk of facing a Google penalty if you get it badly wrong (such as with Black Hat SEO – steer well clear of it).  

For start-up businesses Google uses a cautious tactic to wait and see how the new site 
develops. Many new businesses can fold and the site is essentially abandoned – if this isn’t 
your plan, get on with SEO before your launch: ensure your site is streamlined on a technical front, is mobile-friendly, and structure excellent on-site content. 

Off-site work is also vital – with online buzz around your business, the signals sent to Google will be positive and will assist your ranking. In the meantime, PPC can generate interest in your site whilst Google’s algorithms crawls your site and organic traffic builds up. 

4. PPC Will Always Back You Up

PPC is a safety net of sorts as it can be used to drive relevant traffic to your site. In moments of marketing uncertainty, turn to PPC – even a budget of $1,000 based around broad keywords can have significant results. 

This tactic can help you understand top-performing keywords and popular new ones (again, 
which comes in useful for SEO activities). However, do be aware if you’re a B2B company 
as competition is rife and prices can be extremely high. Respect your budget and see what 
you can achieve with it. 

5. Take A Look Into PPC For Mobile

With Google’s mobile algorithms now in place (benefiting sites with mobile-friendly sites), 
now is the time to capitalize on mobile marketing features. For mobile PPC, there are brilliant CTA options which come in particularly useful for lead generation. 

6. Use The Power Of Remarketing

Setting aside budget for remarketing is another essential tactic which, when deployed 
properly, can deliver great results. Your marketing efforts can’t always win over your 
audience, as many will visit your site, show some interest, but then leave.

Remarketing is an unobtrusive way to get back into their field of vision – setting up tracking 
codes can ensure they return to your site with subtle imagery and clever wording. 

7. Take To Content Marketing With A Flourish

Having good content is now more important than ever. Google’s algorithms will notice poor 
copy and send the site plummeting down SERPs - sculpting quality content through a White 
Hat SEO campaign can build a strong link catalog, boost your authority, and have a steady stream of CTA driven social media output going. 

8. Recognize Key Social Media Tools 

Most businesses are on Facebook and Twitter – this is a given. However, many brands don’t put the effort in to taking advantage of other formats, such as Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and even the likes of FourSquare. 

YouTube, as an arbitrary example, offers an advertising format where companies can tap into utterly vast audiences. It remains largely underused by brands, so try setting aside some budget to get in front of a site which has a hundreds of millions of views a day. With its localized options and specific targeting services, you can effortlessly focus in on your 
demographic.   

Use This Handy 8 Point Guide To Keep Everything On Track

Now we’ve highlighted the areas to focus on, it’s time to take action and make sure your 
budget is spread over the most crucial areas of digital marketing. To get things moving you 
can:

1. Identify if your business is better suited to SEO or PPC – if both, set aside your 
budget appropriately. 
2. Setup a PPC campaign to identify keywords which and relevant to you and, 
importantly, convert.
3. Take the data from this to develop your on-site SEO efforts.
4. Set aside budget for off-site SEO/
5. Begin a major PPC campaign to attract your target consumers.
6. Monitor your progress in Google’s SERPs – perhaps subscribe to Moz to have 
detailed results of your search rankings. You can adjust your PPC expenditure based 
on the results, and focus your efforts on SEO areas which need work.
7. Put in place a remarketing campaign which will boost your conversions. 
8. Don’t forget about your mobile opportunities – accommodate your budget towards 
appealing to this vast audience. 

The award winning Soap Media is a digital marketing specialist from the UK. It has been 
delivering quality results since 2005.

Interview with Kevin Madison

Yesterday I had the honor and privilege of interviewing Kevin Madison, founder of the KGM group, on business, marketing, and entrepreneurship.  Kevin's company helps businesses get to the next level by taking new approaches to common problems and thinking differently about their business.

During the interview, Kevin shares not only his business approach but mindset for success as well.  I've learned that having the right mindset and beliefs can radically transform anyone's business.  During this interview, Kevin shares his personal struggles, triumphs, and what they have taught him.

If you'd like to improve your outlook, business, or achieve a specific goal, Kevin's advice will have you thinking differently.  Not only was this interview fun and informational, but transformational.  Don't waste another minute thinking about how you're going to achieve success, live it.  Listen to this exclusive interview with Kevin and you'll see why he has been a positive force for so many so often.

Click here for more information about Kevin's interview.

Special thanks to Kevin and other Internet marketing related experts who have offered their time for interviews and sharing their expertise!   

Marketing the QR Code...

These small & black looking 2D images have been popping up all over the place - print adds, retail units, visiting cards, on soap cartons, candy wrappers, I can even see them within laptop DVD trays once you pop-them out to put your DVD in.

These QR codes have become a must have to all Marketers, everyone of them is coming up with innovative ways to communicate & market them. The creative agencies have them on their visiting cards through which details printed can transferred onto your contacts within a jiffy, retailers have them in-store to scan & avail discounts, mobile chargers have them in case you need to find out where to get a replacement - the list goes on, & quite innovative these usages.

Now comes the pertinent discussion, in a world of the QR code, does the consumer fundamentally see a benefit or atleast the lure of a benefit, or an associated value that he/she associates with that brand just because that brand is looker 'hipper' because of a QR Code? 

For many marketers any of the above rational associations would mean that their QR code is working in delivering its desired intent. 

In India the smartphones growth is around a 100% every year & poised to reach 100 million+ units by the end of this financial year in an overall base of 900 million+. But QR Code readers (which are to be generally downloaded) available on such phones are a far smaller number, 5 million itself might be an over statement.

Nevertheless this number is poised to grow. Which means that the QR code plans that marketers use have to be of a far higher order, rather than being generic & simple.

The current users of this technology (started in Toyota's manufacturing subsidiary) in India will be the younger or professional crowd whose access to high end smartphones & apps are far higher.

This means their engagement level can also be expected to be higher, maybe leading them on to spend more on the desired brand being marketed through a higher level of involvement.

QR Code led augmented reality, internet app discounts, direct interactive uploads, retail window shopping experience - the lists & implications could be endless.

There is also the QR Code design front - majority of the brands use a simple black 2D image, while a few have flirted with some colours & text too. But technically these QR code designs can be improved to have a better connect & design adherence to your overall brand language.

Real-time Marketing: 5 ways to take advantage of what's going on right now

As you read this, something is happening. Our world is buzzing about with the latest news, events, topics and ideas. Brands just have to reach out and grab the right one to follow its way to fame.

Real-time marketing is defined as “on-the-fly” participation by brands. Everyone has heard of the brilliant Oreo tweet that stole the Super Bowl show during the black out. It was just a simple picture and tagline but because it was released at the perfect moment on the perfect medium it went viral.

Dedicate a small team

Before you begin your hunt to capture publicity and the hearts of men, you need to put together a team. It’s not economical to have all your employees sitting in a room watching TV and scouting Twitter for a big idea. Choose 1-3 people who are creative, responsible and great decision makers who could whip something up in a short amount of time.

At least one of those team members should always be on Twitter, checking news and various related sites for any good opportunities.

Have a plan but be flexible

The team above should create a plan. This may seem counterintuitive since you are supposed to be creating marketing spontaneously. Nevertheless, here is a list of things your team should consider ahead of time:

-What companies are we looking to get in the news (do you have permission from them)?
-What are a few events in the near future that could be a good opportunity?
-What are a few obvious tie-ins with these events? 
-How can our brand or product play a part in the event?
-Who is your designated designer/copywriter for any quick projects?

Brainstorming a few ideas ahead of time will help your team react quickly in real-time.

Know where to look

Surfing is no easy walk in the park. Surfers have to have a keen ability to judge the perfect wave and when to get on at the perfect time. Just like surfers, we are dependent on the waves of publicity. Waiting for the perfect one might take some time. It helps if you know where to find that perfect wave. 

1) Topsy: This real-time search engine is a perfect place to find niche news being talked about. Users can search everything, narrow down by time or language, or even choose news coming from specific areas like experts or videos.

2) Twitter trends: Twitter is a great place to keep your eye on what’s breaking now. Create lists for various genres, such as foreign news, technology, sporting events etc. Check out the trending hashtags to see if your company would fit into one.

3) People in the know: Don’t follow second hand news, go straight to the source. In your industry or news sector, find who’s releasing the information first. For events, go to the official page as well as workers at the event who might be tweeting ahead of time anything that happens.

4) Pinterest: Find out what is trending and popular through Pinterest pictures. 

5) Reddit: Find out what’s getting a lot of attention on Reddit. They have a ton of subreddits that could apply to your industry. 

6) Listen: Use tools like Synthesio to listen to what’s breaking in the social community.

7) Statistics: People love numbers and research. Check the latest statistics on sites like Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gap Minder, Office of National Statistics, and National Centre for Social Research. See how your company can highjack the statistic and apply to their industry.

Be proactive

Popular events aren’t the only time you can steal the news. Get in touch with journalists, take them out to coffee, ask them about upcoming stories. Keep in the loop both on a personal and professional level. 

When something comes up that relates nicely with your brand or product, offer the journalist a unique angle. Journalists are always looking for unique angles to make their story fresh and exciting.

Engage consumers

There’s more to real-time marketing than just getting in the news or riding the tailwinds of a highly talked about event. Real-time also should apply to consumers. Whether it is one or a hundred, brands or their supporting agency should always be on top of quickly responding to consumers’ needs or comments.

Social media has made it possible to interact and respond quickly. People have come to expect a fast reply over Facebook or a retweet from a brand on Twitter. This human reaction from brands is what wins (or loses) the hearts of consumers.

Special thanks to Alicia Lawrence for her contributions on The Marketing Blog.  Connect with Alicia on Google+. Alicia Lawrence is a content coordinator for an Internet marketing company serving clients like 12 Palms addiction rehab center. Her work has been published by the Association for Business Communication, Yahoo! Small Business, and Spin Sucks. 

1 Million Views on the Marketing Blog

Today marks a significant milestone in the Marketing Blog's evolution.  We've hit a total of 1 million views since the blog started a number of years ago.  Special thanks to all of my avid followers and those seeking information on marketing, online marketing, and everything in between.

Marketing is continually changing and evolving.  I'm so glad that blogs have finally come into their own.  If you don't have a blog I encourage you to follow, participate, and even start your own.  There's nothing like sharing your ideas and building community around a particular topic or niche.

I was recently asked about my blogging experience and what topics I like to cover.  That's what's great about blogging, anything goes.  The goal of my blogging is to share my experience, positive or negative, so we can learn together.  Although I've been marketing for 15 years now, I know that things are bound to change - it's the nature of life and marketing.

The biggest change I've seen.

The biggest change in marketing I've seen over the past decade has been digital.  Each year digital marketing evolves and has been accelerated with the utilization of social media in all types of formats (ppc, video, images, etc.).  I'm sure this is bound to change but I think the driver that will continue to instigate the change is mobile.  It's already changed so many things regarding our access to data and customization that I don't see it ending anytime soon.

My goal is to continue to be out in front of these changes and to work with the marketing community to guide the conversation around digital, mobile, and any new form of media we see coming towards us.  Marketing is my life and it's essential for any company or brand who has something of value to provide to others to be on the pulse of marketing change.

How does marketing impact you?
To celebrate our 1 million views, I'd love to hear from you.  How has or does marketing impact you?  What are you focused on as we move into the future?  Any thoughts on how marketing will change or how it can be leveraged to create value for others?

What's great about running a marketing blog is that you can share with others like you and have them share back.  Be sure to provide your thoughts in the comments section below.

Marketing Knowledge: Do You Know?

There have been significant changes in the online marketing world.  From Facebook graphs to Real Time Bidding (RTB), the online marketscape continues to change and evolve.  How are you keeping up with these changes?

One thing I've realized over the last decade is that it's virtually impossible to be an expert in everything.  I've me a lot of smart people who seem to know anything and everything related to Internet marketing but when you dig deeper, you can always find someone who knows more than you do.

Leveraging Expertise
This leads us to the topic of today's post.  At what point do you rely on your own knowledge and when do you reach out to "industry experts"?  I like to stay informed and continue to learn more about the marketing discipline every day but there are really two types of knowledge:

1.  Understanding.

2.  Working Knowledge.

When you read, stay informed, and are generally in tune with whatever is happening the marketplace, you develop an understanding of what's happening.  When others ask questions you can respond based on your general knowledge.  However, this is very different than working knowledge of marketing.

A working knowledge means that you apply what you know.  Whether you consult, manage a client's account, or work on your own internet marketing, you're actually applying and learning how to dial in around a particular goal.  This experience provides a deeper knowledge than you can achieve by simply reading and listening to marketing related conversations.

Choose Your Strategy
With different ways of acquiring information it's important to decide the best type of industry expertise you need to successfully navigate your goals in objectives.  If you are getting paid to learn PPC for example, then having a working knowledge of PPC is paramount.  If, on the other hand, you are managing a team that is responsible for PPC but members of your team have a firm understanding of pay-per-click marketing, then a basic understanding may suffice.

Regardless of which avenue you chose, remember that knowledge is power.

Marketing Your Business to Moms

Mothers are still one of the biggest shoppers around. Hey, moms have kids to shop for, their husbands to shop for, themselves to shop for too.  In fact, moms still make most of the purchasing decisions for household items such as food, clothing and supplies and influence purchase decisions for large items as well. 

About 34 million moms in the U.S. use the internet for research, socializing.  And of those, 70% use the Internet for shopping. You’d be a real fool not to try your hardest to market your business (Assuming it's applicable to a family) to mothers. Here's how to market yourself and your business to moms…

Research
I honestly think mothers are some of the most discerning demographics around and rightly so. When you're shopping for not only yourself, but your baby or a child, you have to do your research carefully. Take advantage of this by making sure your PPC and ads offer advice, facts, and tips. Your metadata in the search results on Google should have some bit of advice as well. And of course, make sure you have solid articles chock full of information on your site too. 

If you want an example of this, look for online strollers and baby gear sites. Not only is there stuff to buy, but articles on what to buy and why. Moms look for quality content that provides value.

Moms Socialize
When you have a five month old in the house, you don't get much rest. So the internet has become a place for moms to connect with others in their cohort. They read, blog, write, tweet, post pictures, give advice, share and compare notes on shopping. If you're already there talking and advising, you can get the attention of mothers without annoying them and they'll be more likely to develop an ongoing relationship with your business, products, or brand.


Moms today may suffer from bouts of isolation. Working moms don’t have enough time to do anything but work and juggle the family and stay at home moms are alone with their child for eight or more hours a day. All of this drives many moms to go online to search for meaningful connections, including connections with businesses.  Focus on cultivating relationships and providing the needed connection moms crave.
Moms Share Information

Make it easy for mothers to share you with other people through social bookmarking, reviewing and sites like Facebook fan pages and Twitter. Just like the old coffee dates where moms compared notes on where they shopped and why, the online venue has become a great forum  for networking. Make sure you are there and lend something to the discussion.

Moms Feel Best in Relationships
Once a mom finds a good doctor, dentist, or school, she's generally not happy to let that go.  The same can be said for places to purchase products and services from. The best way to do that is to let moms catch a glimpse of who you really are. Be honest. Don't be afraid to talk about yourself in your emails, blog posts, and social networking-especially if you have a family. Small business owners in particular may find they become friends to many moms as they share their story and develop meaningful relationships. 

Moms Want Good Customer Service
Don’t be fooled.  Although it might be said that everyone wants good customer service, trends seem to indicate that moms have a higher standard. Research shows that moms will look for recommendations and stay away from businesses that people have had poor experiences with to a higher degree then men. Don't let that be you! 

Have impeccable customer service; add the personal touch with a 'thank you note ' somewhere in the process or offer deals and more information along with downloaded products. 
Remember, it only takes a few minutes for anyone, including moms, to write a poor review of your business, but that poor review may linger for months, impacting you negatively. It’s imperative that you make sure this doesn’t happen to you!

Above all, mothers want one thing: a way to simplify their lives so they can get on with their to do’s and spend more time connecting with their family! The internet is one of the primary tools they use so make sure you are in their tool box. This doesn’t need to be a complex process either. The internet is still a business venue and just like any business venue, good customer service, relationship development, and meaningful information are all ways to make certain that your voice is heard and your business can succeed.

Thanks to Kundan Saha for today's guest post.  Kundan is a Digital Marketing Professional and an enthusiastic writer, who holds an editorial position in Prepgenie, a test prep provider that offers exam preparation courses forGAMSAT, PCAT, HPAT, LNAT, UMAT and UKCAT.

2013 Marketing - What Will Change

As I was contemplating my last post for this year, I couldn't help but start to think about 2013, a brand new year and many new marketing advances which are sure to come our way.

How with 2013 be different?  I'm sure that social media marketing will expand and ad re-targeting will take things to the next level yet again.  In fact, I can almost guarantee that Google and other search engines will once again change their algorithms to make advertising generate even more in the coming year.  Consumer choice is likely to evolve as well. What does this all mean for marketers, businesses, and those trying to rise above the noise?

In my opinion technology is going to continue to influence our marketing practices but the core philosophy of effective marketing does not change.  Knowing your customers, providing value and excellent customer service are tenants that we must continue to follow.  The means to the end may change this coming year but the outcome is the same.  Those who deliver value, customize their approach, and meet or exceed the needs of their customers from a brand and product perspective are going to end up on top.

Following Brands
This coming year, I'm going to spend more time follow and emulating today's top brands and their strategies for growth.  Innovative companies like Apple and Amazon, as well as smaller start-up companies are sure to introduce new ideas and expand out perspective on what is possible.  My goal is to learn from all of them and integrate what works into my own marketing practices.

Do you have a favorite brand?  Watch what they do differently in 2013.  I also think it's important to not just watch their marketing practices but the entire customer life cycle. What do they do differently? Better?  There's always a lot to learn and following your most favorite brands is a great way to get there.

2013 Marketing Goals
My goals for next year are focused on improving the customer funnel.  From prospect to customer, to repeat customer, I know I can do a better job managing process.  How about you?  Are you effectively communicating with those interested in your services or products?  In 2012 I think I left a lot on the table and it doesn't need to be that way.

Let me know what you're focused on in 2013 and be sure to share your thoughts in the SCOOP Marketing Forum for others to comment.

How To Use Social Signals To Dramtically Improve SEO

In order for your website to achieve the level of success you are looking for, you need to engage in some type of online marketing. Currently, search engine optimization and social media marketing are two of the best ways you can promote your website and drive targeted traffic to your business.

While SEO and SMM are two different entities, they are becoming increasingly intertwined thanks to the latest search engine algorithm updates released by Google. Google is now placing a larger emphasis on social signals to determine whether or not a website is providing its users with quality content. The thinking behind Google’s algorithm updates is that if your website does provide value to your readers, those readers will want to share it with their social circles via their social media accounts. If your website has a lot of backlinks coming from these social media websites, then it will be rewarded with a higher ranking in the search results.

Because of these recent Google algorithm changes, it is important for businesses to include social media marketing techniques with their SEO campaigns. This will allow your website to obtain the highest possible rankings within the search results.

How to Improve your Social Signals
There are a variety of ways that you can improve your website’s social signals in order to obtain a higher ranking within the search engine. One of the easiest strategies you can use is to include social media buttons on your website’s content. This will enable any visitor to your website to easily share your content through their social media accounts. If someone has a large following on a social media website, their followers may see your link posted on their account and share it with their followers, greatly improving your website’s credibility in the eye’s of the search engines.

Another way to improve your social signals is to actively market your website on the most popular social media websites. Creating a Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest account for your business will allow you to raise the awareness of your company on those websites while simultaneously connecting with their users.

Once you have created your accounts, you will need to actively engage with people on those social media websites. By interacting with people on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, you will be able to form meaningful relationships with them. This will lead to those people following your account and seeing all of the new content that you produce.

After you start to build a following for your social media accounts, you will want to provide your followers with nothing but high quality content. When you provide your visitors with nothing but great content, you will become an industry leader and viewed as an expert in your field. This will allow your business to gain credibility and the trust of your followers. Once people view your business as an industry expert, they will be more likely to share your content with their social media followers and help build valuable backlinks for your website.

As search engines start to place more of an emphasis on social signals when determining where your website should be ranked, it is important for businesses to add social media marketing to their overall SEO strategy. With an increase of links coming from social media websites, a business’s website will move up the search engine results as Google will view the website as an authority figure.

Guest Post provided by Ben Sawyer.  Ben is well known blogger and Internet Marketing Strategist. Here is his advice about how to implement social signals into SEO to increase online visibility and gain more visitors, which he already implemented into a campaign he done for Vandko Candles, New York based company. 

Marketing New and Different!

What is it that makes someone stand up and take notice?  In marketing, it's what's new and different that catches the eye.  I recently had to address this issue with the SCOOP Internet Marketing Forum.  I started the forum a couple of years ago and have been blessed with a growing number of members. However, now I'd like to expand the platform to help as many marketers as possible find the answers they're looking for.  To do so, I have to begin asking some questions.

Where to Begin?
I thought long and hard about my forum and other forums I've joined in the past and asked that one difficult question.  "What's so great about the SCOOP forum?"  It's not an easy questions to ask yourself.  In fact, I'd like you to try the question out on your product, service, or business.  What is it that's truly unique about you?  How do customers benefit by purchasing your service above other service providers?

The question is difficult because it requires us to think of something new, different. After asking the question to myself I realized that:

--What I had to offer wasn't different
--Consumers could find similar information elsewhere
--I was making excuses for why I had a me-too solution

From Thought to Action
Once I realized that I wasn't offering anything of greater value than my competitors, other marketing forums, I had to begin asking a different question, "How CAN I make my forum different and better?"  Asking that questions really got me thinking.  It also made me realize that I should be working with others to share ideas and evaluate possibilities.

After just a short while we started to find a variety of things that we could do to enhance the forum (expanded profiles, design changes, exclusive content, etc.) to set us apart from the competition.  It was clear to me that once you start asking the right questions, you can do something to set you apart and rise above the crowd.  Keep this in mind the next time you're just getting by and need a change for your company, products, or services!

Marketing Lessons From a Tropical Storm

As the news of a pending tropical storm unfolds, it reminds me of the fact that good marketing lessons can be found just about anywhere.  Living in the supposed path of this soon to hit storm, I've noticed the frenzy of activity from the community around me.  And they're buying stuff... lots of stuff!  Batteries, flashlights, generators, food, and who know what.  

From a marketing perspective it reinforces the power of creating urgency in your marketing message.  I would argue that individuals who are fearful will buy whatever they can find to help mitigate their fear and anxiety without particular interest in brand or cost.  Talk about an ideal situation for sellers!  Some retailers are responding appropriately to this opportunity - making important products easy to find for consumers.  Home depot for example placed batteries, flashlights, and bottled water at designated kiosks near the front of the store.  

The question I have for you this week is how you can create a similar sense of urgency among your prospects and customers.  "Only 3 left!"  or "On sale today only!" are just two examples of creating urgency.  However, you can intensify this effect by building a story of anticipation.  This is what Internet marketers do well.  They communicate in advance of their messages which focus on scarcity.  If you take the time to build anticipation and limit the opportunity to make a purchase, you can dramatically improve sales and not have to compromise on price.

I recently saw this done well with the launch of a new Internet marketing product.  For weeks leading up to the release, the company published videos, interviews with industry experts, data and infographics to show the importance of what was to come.  When the doors were finally opened, people were virtually stepping over each other trying to get the limited supply of software available.

Not only did this marketer "sell out" of available inventory, but he created a habit of scarcity among his potential audience.  What do you think is going to happen the next time he has a product launch?  You guessed it, people will jump on the bandwagon even sooner.  

Consider how scarcity and urgency can motivate your consumers.  Whether you run a one-day sale once a year or introduce new products in a limited way, you can certainly learn from the frenzy around tropical storms.  I know it sounds crazy but the reality is that you can learn valuable marketing lessons from anyone - even mother nature.