Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Why All Businesses Need CRM
Why All Businesses Need CRM If a company has a customer base it needs Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and all companies have a customer base. If a company makes a profit from selling a product or service than CRM can be an effective tool to better learn what their customers are looking for and making sure those needs are meet. In the 21st century customers have more options to choose from than ever before, if a company makes no effort to understand the motivations that makes a customer choose one brand over another, than they cannot be too surprised when their product or service begins to attract fewer customers. Not only is CRM about keeping customers, it is also about learning how to attract new customers. If a corporation is able to understand how an individual customers preferences, habits and behaviors influence his buying habits and then market directly to this customer, the business increase the chances of creating long-term customers who will keep returning. Simply put, companies can learn what marketing strategies work and should be kept and understand what methods they use that are not having the desired effect on customers. Companies looking into CRM solutions may be deterred by the price of the labor involved in setting up a CRM solution but the potential benefits outweigh the expense involved. Over time, the implementation of CRM solutions leads to an increase in sales. This occurs because information about clients spending habit and preferences is collected and compiled. Through tracking of this information, businesses learn how to better anticipate what marketing campaigns will get attention from clients and how to win over new customers with products and services customized to their needs. Companies who utilize CRM understand that their most valuable asset is their customer, and through keeping their customers satisfied, they retain more customers, convert new leads and develop a good reputation in their industry. For some businesses developing and recognizing CRM solutions is simple process. Companies can choose to start out small with CRM solutions. Making use of free products on the market as well as free-trials that can be used to advise on what applications are useful for the business and which can be discarded. Once a company better understands the CRM solutions available they can choose to invest in software or more expensive customized options. Small companies however, may be able to effectively work with free products only needing labor in order to complete their CRM solutions. This solution may be best for local and small businesses that do not have the millions of dollars in revenue and highly specialized and trained staff that corporations do. Companies should be aware that free options usually offer services that are more limited and may not offer exact industry specific guidance. Newer technologies have increasingly been used as an effective means of building CRM and making it more accessible. Mobile and web based solutions offer a faster means of getting results and suit companies that want a more streamlined approach to dealing with customers. Go See Me
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Advertising on a budget
Advertising on a budget I'm illustrating the marketing challenges of a small business. If you don't remember anything else about marketing, remember this: Frequency is king. The more often you can get your name in front of your potential and current customers, the more likely you will make a sale. Depending on what study you look at, people need to see your message anywhere from three to 27 times before they act upon it. And, if you want to brand your business, then you need to get it in front of your customers as often as possible. How do you think Ivory Soap, Campbell Soup and Tide all built their brands so deeply into our minds? Through years and years of repeatedly advertising. That's why those brands pop into our head when we think about soap, soup or laundry detergent. So if you want to build your brand, then you need to advertise frequently. There's another benefit to advertising frequently. It also helps your current customers. People like to know they made the right decision after they purchased something. How much reassurance they need depends on how much they spend, but everyone needs some confirmation they made the right decision. Your advertising can help. Studies have shown that people are more aware of car ads after they purchased a car -- specifically car ads of the model they bought. And they're more likely to both believe and approve of the message. Again, because they want to know they made the right decision. So there are many good reasons to advertise frequently. Does that mean you have to spend a fortune? Not necessarily. There are a few tricks you can use to get the frequency you need at a low cost. (These are print tricks -- other advertising outlets, such as radio and online, we'll talk about in future issues.) 1. Make your ad as small as possible. Small ads cost less. 2. It's better to schedule your ads to run all at once than spread them out. People will never remember when they don't see your ad, only when they do. If they see your ad a lot in one week, they're going to be under the impression you advertise all the time because they won't remember NOT seeing your ad other weeks. 3. Take advantage of any frequency programs your newspaper offers. And definitely sign a contract -- don't run ads under the open rate. Here's how it worked for PWC. The newspaper had a program called "3 For Free." If you ran an ad three days in a row, you got the next three days for free (the paper was published six days a week). We designed a tiny ad -- a one by two inch ad -- and we ran it six days in a row. Then we skipped the next three weeks and did the same thing again the next month. After a year of doing this, PWC had people coming up to her telling her they saw her ad "all the time." Business owners wanted to advertise on PWC because they could see the commitment PWC had to advertising. Brides and grooms were visiting PWC on a regular basis because they were being "reminded" monthly. What did all this cost? About $100 a month. But, a word of caution. It takes time to build a business and a brand. It won't happen overnight. But it will happen, especially if you remember to keep getting your name in front of your customers and potential customers as often as you possibly can. Visit This
What is Social Networking?
What is Social Networking? Social networking, we have all likely heard of it before, but not everyone knows what it means? If you were asked to define what social networking was, would you be able to give an accurate definition. Unfortunately, most individuals cannot, even though it is likely that they participate in some form of social networking, especially online. Social networking is defined as the grouping of individuals together into to specific groups, often like a small community or a neighborhood. Although social networking is possible in person, especially in schools or in the workplace, it is most popular online. This is because unlike most high schools, colleges, or workplaces, the internet is filled with millions, if not more, of individuals who are looking to meet other internet users and develop friendships. When it comes to social networking online, websites are used. These websites are known as social networking websites. Social networking websites are, in a way, like an online community of internet users. Depending on the social networking website in question, many of these online community members share a common bond, whether that bond be hobbies, religion, or politics. Once you are granted access to a social networking website you can begin to socialize. This socialization may include reading the profiles or profile pages of other members or even contacting them. The friends that you can make are just one of the many benefits to social networking online. Another one of those benefits includes diversity. Unlike in most schools or workplaces, the internet gives individuals, from all around the world, access to social networking sties. This means that although you are in the United States, you could develop an online friendship with someone in Japan. Not only will you make a new friend, you but may also learn a thing or two about a new culture. As previously mentioned, social networking often involves grouping specific individuals or organizations together. While there are a number of social networking websites that focus on particular internets, there are others that do not. These websites are often deemed traditional social networking websites. These types of websites typically have an open membership. This means that anyone can become a member, no matter what their hobbies, beliefs, or views are. However, once you are inside this online community, you can begin to create your own network of friends; thus eliminating others that do not meet your criteria. If networking on the internet sounds like something you would be interested in, you are encouraged to learn more about it, such as the dangers of social networking. These dangers often involve online predators or individuals who claim to be someone that they are not. Although danger does exist with networking online, it also exists with networking out in the real world. As when you are meeting friends at a bar, school, or work, you are advised to proceed with caution online. By being aware of your surroundings and who you are talking to, you should be able safely enjoying social networking online. Once you have learned everything that you feel you need to learn, about social networking online, you can begin to search for networking communities to join. This can easily be done by performing a standard internet search. Your search will likely return a number of results, including MySpace, FriendWise, FriendFinder, Yahoo! 360, Facebook, Orkut, and Classmates. Visit This
What Not to Put in Your Social Network Profile
What Not to Put in Your Social Network Profile Online social networks have rapidly increased in popularity, especially over the past couple of years. Social networking websites are popular because they easily allow you to find, connect with, and develop friendships with other internet users, often ones that share the same interests as you. To find those individuals, you must join a social networking website and create a profile. It is often advertised that your social networking profile is the key to making and finding friends online. As previously mentioned, your social networking profile is important when it comes to meeting other internet users. This is because, in most cases, internet users are looking to chat with someone who has the same goals, views, beliefs, and interests as they do. Without a personal profile, it would be difficult or impossible to tell what your interests are. That is why social networking profiles are not only important, but they are needed. When it comes to social networking profiles, a lot of focus has been placed on what you should include in your profile or display on your profile page. It has been said that pictures produce the best responses, as well as detailed personal information. Although a picture and detailed personal information may help to increase your page views, you may be getting views that you do not necessarily want. Despite what you may believe, most social networking websites do not have restrictions on who can view your personal profile. In fact, internet users, even those that do not belong to your online community, can easily see profile. Since anyone, literally anyone, can see your social networking profile, on most social networking websites, you are advised to be cautious. Essentially, this means that instead of focusing on what you should put in your online profile, you should be focusing on what not to put. This is one the best ways to protect your safety, both on and offline. As previously mentioned, pictures are often recommended with social networking websites. If you are interested in positing a personal picture of yourself in your online profile you can do so, but you are advised to carefully choose that picture. While you will want to look your best, you are advised against posting a picture that is too revealing or seductive in nature. Most internet users can look at these types of pictures without feeling a thing, but for others these types of pictures spell danger. If you make the decision to post a picture of yourself in your social networking website profile, you need to be careful about the rest of the information that you post. Although you may not necessarily think about it, a picture is just a picture, but combined with your name and address, it could be a deadly combination. You are advised to only post your first name in your profile. This will make it more difficult for anyone to try and contact you off of the internet. It is also advised that you carefully choose your location. A large number of online social networking sites require that you select a city, as well as a state. If it is allowed, you may only wish to list your state and not the city. If you are required to list the city and the state that you live in, you may want to think about using a nearby city or town, especially if you live in a small town. If an internet predator wanted to contact you and you lived in a small town, it could be fairly easy for them to find you. That is why it is advised that you carefully select the answer to the location question. In addition to the above precautionary measures, it is advised that you do not post detailed information on your children, the location of your home, your income, or when you will be leaving for vacation. By keeping these and the above mentioned points in mind, you should be able to enjoy online social networking without having to always look behind your back. GoSee Me
Monday, February 25, 2013
Why Social Networking Sites are So Popular
Why Social Networking Sites are So Popular Do you use the internet on a regular basis? If you do, there is a good chance that you have heard of websites like MySpace, FriendFinder, Classmates, or Yahoo! 360. What do all of these websites have in common? They are known as social networking websites. Social networking websites, over the past few years, have rapidly increased in popularity, so much that many are wondering why. If you have used a social networking website before, it is likely that you are already fully aware of their popularity and the reason for popularity. There is just something about these websites that draw in millions of internet users. With a wide variety of different social networking websites available, there are a wide variety of different reasons for their popularity. One those reasons being the ease of use. Social networking websites are, for the most part, easy to use. Most sites are easy to navigate. In fact, many require little knowledge of the internet. In addition to being easy to navigate, social networking websites also make it easier to meet new people online. There are many internet users who would love to make new friends online; however, that can sometimes be difficult do. Without social networking websites, you would have to connect with internet users, often in chat rooms, and learn about their interests before deciding if you would like to consider them your "buddy." Social networking sites allow you to learn information about another internet user before ever having to make contact with them. Another one of the many reasons why social networking sites are popular is because many are free to use. In fact, the majority of social networking sites, such as MySpace and Yahoo! 360, are free to use. Despite being free to use, many websites require that you register with them. This registration will not only allow you to create your own profile or online webpage, but it will also allow you to contact other networking members. Although most social networking websites are free to use, there are some that are not. Classmates is one of those websites. Many of these websites give you a free trial period or a free membership. That membership can be used to help you determine whether or not the website is worth paying for. What is nice about paid online social networking websites is that many can be considered exclusive. Since most internet users would not want to pay for something that they can get for free, most paid social networking sites are limited on the number of members they have. This may work out to your advantage because it tends to eliminate those who create fake accounts or aim to cause controversy online. Social networking websites are also popular because they come in a wide variety of different formats. Websites like Yahoo! 360 and MySpace focus on a wide variety of different topics. This means that just about anyone can join. However, there are other social networking sites out there that have a particular focus. These focuses may be on a particular religion, political following, or hobby. Most specialty social networking sites restrict the individuals that can participate in their network; thus, making your experience more enjoyable. Finally, social networking websites focus on meeting new people, especially online, but over recent months, many have started including additional features only available to their online members. Many social networking members can receive their own free webpage, get free access to popular music videos, a free blog, and much more. Although social networking websites are popular enough to bring in members on their own, these additional features are, in a way, providing internet users with an incentive to join. Mentioned above were a few of the most popular social networks that could be found online. Those networks included MySpace, Yahoo! 360, and Classmates. If you are looking for additional social networking websites, you should easily be able to find some by performing a standard internet search. Visit This
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Business goes to Cyberspace
Business goes to Cyberspace It is a well known axiom of doing business in any industry that those who do not stay in step with the times will be those companies that eventually die out. There is no place where that truism is more evident than in the way that companies in virtually every business sector are finding to integrate an internet marketing strategy with their traditional communications and to provide the public with an internet "presence" to supplement their public profiles in other venues. Of course, the value of the internet for sales and promotions has been well known in the industries that service the youth markets and for the companies dealing with entertainment and the arts. Because the internet is in virtually every home and even now on hand held devices of every description, the access it gives to reach a target market are phenomenal. This explosion of an entirely new marketing model has introduced the world of business to entirely new paradigms of marketing and new ways to achieve greater market penetration and sales. And so any business who has had to get out on cyberspace to keep up with the competition has already had to learn a whole new vocabulary that has grown up around the internet marketing phenomenon. Now terms like "Search Engine Optimization", "Auto responders" and "Viral Marketing" become important and powerful tools to any business that wants to tap the power of the internet to increase sales. The second wave of businesses that, perhaps reluctantly, ventured out into cyberspace were traditional retail business that you would not associate with cyberspace at all. This includes sport teams, restaurants and even retail giants such as Wal-Mart and Border's Book Stores. In fact, the wave of change in how products and services are sold has been so rapid that entire market niches have been virtually revolutionalized by internet sales techniques. Book and music outlets have been virtually hard hit as a large percentage of their customers have abandoned the "brick and mortar" sales outlets entirely to use the more convenient tools of internet shopping. This has made it tough on some retailers to keep up. For the "mom and pop" business, the change has been particularly devastating. Already small, home grown businesses were struggling to compete with the giant mega-stores like Wal-Mart to keep their loyal clientele coming back. Add to that the migration of customers to the internet and the need for change just to stay in business became even more urgent. But even businesses who do not depend on marketing at all have seen the need to build and maintain a well functioning business web site so they will have a "face" in cyberspace. In the modern marketplace, the consumer will go to the internet first to find out about a company and it's goods and services. This has turned traditional ways of connecting with existing and new customers upside down entirely. The good news is that these rapid changes in how modern markets work have made the business world more diverse, more able to adjust to changing business dynamics and more open to the creative and innovative minds that have always been the real life blood of the business world. And, ironically, it is often the small business that is most capable of making rapid changes to its online presence and ways to doing things. In that the internet is a phenomenally dynamic place, new ways of reaching our customers change almost annually. Where one year a simple web page may have been sufficient, soon we had to have chat rooms, MySpace pages and YouTube compatibility. Any business that sees these changes as chances to do something new and exciting with their business will be the companies that thrive in this modern world. And, as always, those who do not thrive with change will be destined to be made obsolete by it.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Online Business For Moms
Blogging Tips for Wahms Blogging is one of the best ways to start a Wahm business because it is so easy to get going. However, that does not mean that it is easy to make money from your blog. Don't start a blog and expect to see money rolling in immediately. Blogging is an activity that will take time to build up to a profit level. It's a good thing to start while you are working on other Wahm opportunities to let it build to a profitability level. With time and attention, your blog (or blogs) will grow into a business. When you are blogging for profit, you'll want to pay close attention to how you present yourself in your blog. There are literally hundreds of thousands of blogs out there, and there may be several hundred blogs that are related to your topic. If your readers can't understand your blog and have trouble reading it, they'll just move on to the next one. The following tips can make your blog more user-friendly and help you gain consistent readers. First, pay close attention to the format of your blog. Readers want to understand how your blog works right from the start. Most blogging platforms have similar formats, with links and tags on the left or right margin, and the most recent post on top. Make sure to use the links wisely. Only put links up for blogs or content that is truly related to your blog's topic. The point is to give your readers additional information on your topic. Keep the list short and sweet. There is no reason to overwhelm them with links to other sites. Also, take careful consideration when choosing your blog's background and font color. Although there are a lot of color choices that blogging programs offer, its best to stick with a light background and dark text. Studies have shown that the human brain can process this type of format better than light text on a dark background. Think about this before you commit to a black background and white text. It might look striking, but readers might not want to stay there for long. Also, use a solid background color instead of trying to use a pattern or design. Proofread your entries before you post them to your blog. There is nothing that reduces your authority in the eyes of your readers' more than bad spelling and grammar. The online world is a world of text, so take some time to learn commonly misspelled words and grammatical errors. Keep your blog fresh and interesting by posting at least once per day. With so much information available on the Internet, your readers may go elsewhere if you aren't supplying daily content. If you aren't sure what to write about, try posting a poll, a link to another blog, comment on a news story or post of list of helpful tips. Not every post has to be long and complicated, but you do need to post something everyday. These tips will help keep your blog readable and interesting to your visitors. The more visitors you get, the more your blog will grow in profitability and importance. Just make sure to present yourself in a professional way and keep your readers coming back for more new content each day. In no time, you'll have a profitable blog and then you can move on to create two or three. Go For Millions Club http://kevinssoftware.go4millionsclub.com/login.php
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