Building Ecommerce Web Sites: Where Do I Start?

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Nov 082020
 

Building a web site isn’t something that is really cut and dry. There’s a huge variety of products and services that can either help you get your web site where you want it or simply confuse you. It’s also important that you make the right choices upfront so that you don’t end up having to restructure your whole web site because of some problem in your design layout. The level of time investment neccessary for mastery in a lot of these software packages can range from little to a VERY significant amount. Because of this I feel it’s important to be lead in the “right” direction to make sure you don’t spend time in the wrong areas, or learning some software that might not be all that useful for you later on (*coughs* Frontpage *coughs*).

Where you should start greatly depends on what you plan on attempting to do, and how deep you’re going to dive in. For a moderately professional, clean looking web site without a lot of automation or intensive animated graphics you can probably get by with some basic knowledge of html, ability with a good WYSIWYG editor, and an image editting program. On the other hand, if you’re someone that’s looking to build something that will really wow your audience then you might consider spending some major time and developing some animation skills with a program like Macromedia Flash. I personally always spring for what I believe will bring me the greatest amount of profit with a minimal amount of effort, and because of this I usually end up spending all of my time diving in deeper with ONLY my WYSIWYG HTML editor, and my image editor.

What is a “WYSIWYG” editor?

A WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) HTML editor is what allows you to get by with minimal knowledge of HTML. Yes, that means you don’t have to know EVERYTHING about HTML to have a decent looking website. When you use a WYSIWYG editor it interprets what you’re doing (inserting an image for example) as being a certain series of HTML tags with attributes, and does it for you… Thus, what you see on your screen is what you get. Instead of seeing a bunch of HTML code in text format, you’ll mostly see what will actually show up in your browser once your web site is up WHILE you’re making it. I highly recommend using the latest version of dreamweaver — it is well-known as one of the best HTML editors by general consensus. Dreamweaver’s interface is very friendly, has a built in FTP client, and is specifically built to be flexible enough to suit both the coder and the everyday amatuer webmaster.

Image editing? What do I need that for?

Okay, let’s be realistic here: If you’re going to make a professional *appearing* web site it’s important that you can make some basic, decent looking graphics. There’s a lot of graphics problems that can truly get the job done, but as far as power and flexibility goes I recommend Adobe Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop definitely takes some time getting used to, but in the end it’s VERY rewarding. I’ve ended up using my knowledge of Photoshop to make not only graphics for multiple web sites, but also touched up portraits, made business cards, flyers, and other online advertisments such as banners. Infact, I’ve used it for everything except animation… But it also comes with Adobe Imageready which is very good with animation. This software is amazing, and if you’re going to learn ANY image editing software I recommend you start with Photoshop because of it’s widerange of overall… usefulness!

Let’s get me some sales!

Kick off your new web site you’ve gotten up from your knowledge of webmastering and image editing with a few new sales… Sounds like a plan? Well a great way to do that quickly is with pay-per-click advertising. BUT WAIT! Doesn’t that cost money? Well… Yes. But with the tools brought to us by some of the biggest pay-per-click advertisers out there we should be able to make a good evaluation of how much profit we’re going to make without much investment upfront.

The big question behind pay-per-click advertising is whether or not it’s worth the cash when you can simply get traffic from regular search engine ranking (otherwise known as organic traffic). Afterall, there are plenty of companies out there that promise to help get you all the traffic you need through optimizing your web site for organic ranking. The answer to this question is quite simple: profit is profit. Through conversion tracking tools such as those offered by Yahoo! Search Marketing and Google Adwords anyone can calculate exactly what their profit is after cost of PPC advertising is taken out. In my opinion, Google Adwords has the most user-friendly interface among the PPC advertisers. Google Adword’s interface makes it very easy to see which keywords are pulling you in the most sales, and which ones aren’t even worth your advertising money.

Let us not forget, however, that in order to make those conversions we’re going to be needing a shopping cart! There’s a lot of diverse software packages out there you can use, but I’ve been using Mal’s E-Commerce Free shopping cart for a number of years with great success. The cart’s server is hosted on their machines so that means you not only get away with not having to pay for the software itself, but you get out of having to buy an SSL security ticket too! Nothing’s a better bargain than free, eh?

Getting those sales leads you’ve been building up to BUY!

Once you’ve scored a few sales it would probably be a good idea to start using some kind of lead management services. I highly recommend the use of autoresponders for this purpose. Autoresponders are, essentially, a newsletter sign-up that allows you to strategically determine what you want to send each lead after a certain alotted amount of time. For example, let’s say someone visits your web site and you offer them a free newsletter. If you were selling an ebook on some very complicated topic, you might consider sending them only information on the most basic concepts at first to get them interested. Slowly but surely, you can turn those visitors that might have left your web site and never have returned into some serious revenue!

As far as autoresponders go, I highly recommend the use of Aweber. Their customer service is superb (seriously, these guys really know their stuff!) and can be contacted at any point during the business day via online chat or phone. They also offer tons of free information, and guides on making the most of their services. Check out their month long free trial at http://www.getaweber.com/.

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Seven Inexpensive, Not Cheap, Advertising Tactics

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Nov 072020
 

Copyright 2005 Mary Eule

Most small businesses have limited marketing communication, aka advertising, budgets making it even more crucial to research thoroughly; select the best medium(s) and target prospects carefully.

The following list contains seven suggestions for achieving “champagne” results on a “beer” budget!

1. Develop one or several, robust customer referral programs

Although most business owners acknowledge that customer referrals generate a great deal of their new business, very few have implemented a “formal” referral incentive program, even though this is one of the most effective, least risky way to acquire valuable customers… particularly if you’re a service professional!

Example: Offer current customers who refer a friend a free month/hour of service; instant “bottom of the bill” credit; or free merchandise AND a “spiff” for the “referee”! The details are up to you… I go into much greater detail of types of referral programs in my book, “Marketing” The Art and Science of Getting and Keeping Profitable Customers” if you’d like to learn more.

2. Dance with the Guy Who Brought You

There is absolutely no reason to ditch old marketing collateral (marketing lingo for brochures; direct mail letters; signs; point-of-sale displays; ad copy; promotions, etc.) if they still work! It’s okay to use the very same creative, send it to the very same prospects and/or run it in the very same publications over and over again, as long as it generates the desired results. However, it’s always a great idea to continually conduct small, statically valid tests of new looks, offers and messages.

3. Don’t overdo the quality and quantity of your advertising pieces or media mix

Smart marketers know when to “put on the dog” and when it’s a waste of money. Falling in love with fancy four-colored brochures; glitzy magazine ads; primetime TV spots; or silver-embossed letterhead is a huge mistake.

The sales vehicles, look and feel, and quality of all of your marketing communications must be appropriate for your product or service and most importantly, have a measurable impact on its effectiveness.

For example, variables like paper quality and graphics on a direct mail letter are far less important than the offer, so you could potentially save thousands of dollars by cutting back on the frills. The opposite is true when you’re developing a professional brochure meant to represent your company to the outside world.

Bottom line: Don’t do fancy for fancy’s sake… it’s a waste of money; unproductive and may even be totally inappropriate for your target audience.

4. Use studies, reports and articles to assist in educating potential customers about your products or services

This is a wonderful, low-cost way to add clout! Can you imagine including a New York Times article on obesity with your nutritional services direct mail piece? What an impact! Or perhaps the same nutritionist would enclose a reprint of a medical report that linked certain childhood diseases with poor eating habits?

5.Use Boiler-Plated Literature Templates

What a simple, but powerful, tip! A very perplexing, and often expensive problem is how to develop market-appropriate material for diverse audiences without going broke.

The solution is simple. For instance, you can develop various sales letters using a “boiler plated” template; identical layout and content that are suitable for any audience. However, several predetermined sections are left blank for personalization. This is often called “modular literature”.

6. Don’t change your own car oil

How do you think I know this? You’ve probably had similar experiences… You know the ones… trying to save a few bucks by doing it yourself? So off you go… drive to the store; wait in line; ask questions; look at the merchandise; select the oil, pan, funnel; wait in line to check-out; pay the cashier $24.97; drive back home; try to jack up the car so you can get underneath it to put the pan in place; undo the screw; get some oil in the pan; get most of the oil on you; get the funnel and fill it with the new oil; close everything down; throw your oil-laden shirt in the trash; and take a shower.

Cost? $24.97 in stuff; $1.32 in gas; $25.00 ruined shirt; 3.25 hours of your time; $1,000,000 in frustration… All this, when you could have had it done for you for $32.00!!

Lesson learned: Know what’s best left in the hands of professionals. Low cost is not always best cost!

However, there are times when doing it yourself is smart! If you’ve got better than average computer skills or design talents it’s easy to create things like business cards, letterhead and bill stuffers… but please, unless you’re an ad buyer by trade, do not try to buy, book or design ANY media (especially TV and radio) by yourself! Trust me, you’ll waste more money than you’ll save!

7. Pay suppliers on time

Not only will you endear yourself to vendors, but you can take advantage of your suppliers’ standard early pay discounts or create your own! This also saves money on late fees and will surely make vendors more likely to extend even better prices and offer you ongoing top notch service.

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Stop Stress Now: Ten Proven Techniques

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Nov 062020
 

There’s no such thing as a stress-free life. We face challenges every day, and our bodies are designed to react automatically, equipping us to achieve more than we thought possible. But we were also designed to deal with stressful events quickly and then recuperate during a period of rest before facing the next threat. Many of the things that cause us stress today are not easily handled by fighting or fleeing. As a result, our bodies are trapped in a constant state of alert, and it’s killing us.

Stress management tips can be found everywhere, but which ones really do the trick? After compiling and comparing the favorite techniques of experts from around the world, a tally of the votes revealed the list that appears below: ten proven techniques guaranteed to stop stress.

10. Improve your diet.

Eat more fruits and vegetables. By increasing your antioxidant intake, you’ll also be fueling your immune system. Choose high-fiber carbohydrates like whole grains or sweet potatoes. The slower acting carbohydrates will help you relax without the sugar “crash.” Cut down on caffeine and drink more water.

9. Get enough rest.

Our bodies are designed to repair, recharge, and refresh while we sleep. Without enough sleep, our bodies can’t keep up with the daily damage of stress. In fact, researchers have discovered that the amount of sleep we get predicts how long we’ll live.

8. Put events in perspective.

When you are being stressed by some event or situation, consider its true importance. Is it really a matter of life or death? How important will it be a month from now? Or even tomorrow?

7. Think positively.

Think in terms of solutions, not problems. Evaluate each day by reviewing progress and accomplishments instead of difficulties and setbacks. It probably wasn’t really the worst day of your life.

6. Take a time out.

When you’ve been doing battle for a few hours, it’s OK to call time out. Step away from whatever is getting to you. Give yourself a few minutes to take a deep breath, say a prayer, listen to music, or do nothing at all. The few minutes of work you give up will be more than compensated by the fresh perspective you get from your change of focus.

5. Exercise.

Exercise prepares us for the battle with stress. It helps us look and feel better, increases our energy levels, and improves our general mood. Exercise enhances our self-esteem and confidence, and helps us think more clearly. A health club or home gym is not required. Just do something that’s fun and gets you moving.

4. Simplify your life.

Not everything in our life needs to be in our life. We all accumulate excess baggage. Simplify by clearing out the physical clutter. Give things you no longer need to people who could use them. Evaluate your everyday tasks and commitments, and delegate what you can. Keeping your life simple may mean saying no to some things so you can concentrate on what’s valuable.

3. Do the stuff you hate first.

Try to tackle your most difficult or stressful tasks early in the day. We are most resilient to stress after a good night’s sleep. Hitting these tasks early puts the source of our stress behind us. Don’t procrastinate and let tasks accumulate. Learn how to break big projects up into manageable bits and get started.

2. Do something that you love.

Find something you love doing, something just for you, and do more of it. At least once a week spend some uninterrupted time doing something that makes you happy. Hike in the forest. Write a poem. Take up a hobby. Time spent doing something you love will refuel your sense of enjoyment and refresh your peace of mind.

1. And finally, the number one stress management technique: Laugh.

There’s no other way to say it: laughter really is the best medicine. Studies have confirmed that laughter actually changes our brain chemistry. It reduces the levels of at least four stress hormones. A good belly laugh produces the same cleansing effect as deep breathing exercises. Laughter strengthens our immune system and alters our perception of pain. Develop your sense of humor. Look for the humorous side of every situation. Think of ways to inject more humor into your day. Laugh!

There are numerous ways to manage stress, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. You need to discover what works best for you. These top ten techniques are a good place to start your quest for a happier, healthier and longer life.

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Learn How You Can Fix Your Credit – Before Buying A New House!

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Nov 052020
 

Most people think – mistakenly – that if you have credit problems, you have to wait 7 years for them to go away.

Well, that’s not always true.

Credit repair can help you…once you know how to do it. The time to clean up your credit and pay off your debts is RIGHT NOW, before you start looking for houses and applying for mortgages. Cleaning up your credit and lowering your debt will help you:

• get a better interest rate

• borrow more money

• and save lots of money in interest

Clean Up Your Credit Report

These days, getting credit is easy. Unfortunately, so is getting into debt or financial trouble.

But just because you’ve had some money problems does NOT mean you can’t get a mortgage and buy a house. There are all kinds of loans:

• loans for first time homebuyers

• loans for people with bad credit

• loans for people with perfect credit

• and loans for people without a lot of money for a down payment

So, most people can get a loan these days. The question is, HOW MUCH will you pay in the long run for higher fees and interest rates?

A lot of people think that if something bad goes on your credit report, that it must stay there for 7 years, or longer. But that’s not always true. Credit repair can work, if you know how to do it.

And, you can do it yourself.

For example, I had lots of debt (from a business idea that did not work) and got a lot of bad credit listings while getting myself out of debt.

And within 6 months of paying off my last credit card bill (remember, even if you have some debt you might still be able to get a house loan) I repaired my credit to the point that I got both a car loan and a mortgage. More importantly, I got the LOWEST POSSIBLE interest rates, which over the life of a 30-year loan could save me tens of thousands of dollars!

How did I repair my credit?

I got a copy of all my credit reports, and kept writing letters asking the credit bureaus to remove the bad credit.

So it CAN be done. (And I had some pretty bad stuff on my credit reports.) The worst that can happen is that the credit bureaus can say “no” to your request. The best that can happen is that your credit score will improve, and you’ll pay a lower interest rate, get a bigger mortgage, or both!

So, how do you clean up your credit report?

The first step is to get a copy of your credit report from the 3 credit bureaus, listed below. You might have to pay a few dollars, but it is well worth it. If you moved, changed jobs, and had any other personal info change recently, you can send it to the credit bureaus, and request a free copy.

NOTE: You are now entitled to one free credit report each year from http://www.annualcreditreport.com.

The next step is to circle or highlight the bad credit items, and write a letter to each credit bureau asking them to remove the item. If you have a lot, focus on one or two at a time.

Then, wait a month or two, and ask for another one or two items to be removed.

It might take a few tries.

But if you keep trying, eventually most (or all) of the items will be removed.

In the worst case – even if you only get a few removed – it might still improve your credit score, reduce your interest rate, and lower your monthtly payment!

So don’t give up.

It might take a little time to repair your credit – especially if you’ve had quite a few money problems. But every little bit helps your credit score, your interest rate, and the amount of money you can get.

Then Pay Off As Much Debt As Possible

I know, when preparing to buy your new home money is real tight. But if you have any extra money – any at all – try to pay off as much debt as possible. This will help you:

• Be more likely to be approved for a mortgage

• Be able to borrow more money

• Have one (or more) less bill to worry about once you start having to pay a mortgage every month.

If you can’t pay off your debt, you might want to consider waiting before buying your new home. Or, look into a debt reduction program that can help you get out of debt faster.

There are no rules that say you can’t have some debt and still buy a house!

But think very carefully about your financial situation. And TRY to pay off as much debt as possible before buying a house. There is enough to worry about as a new homeowner, without having to worry about paying your credit card bills.

At the very least, if you do have any debt, MAKE SURE you can comfortably afford to pay your credit card bills as well as your mortgage, before getting started!

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That’s Not What They Meant By “Scooby-Snacks”

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Nov 042020
 

Why do dogs eat feces?

“I don’t eat any animal that hasn’t got sense to disregard his own feces.”

“A dog eats his feces.”

“I don’t eat dog either.”

“But would you consider a dog to be a ‘filthy animal?'”

“I don’t know if I’d call a dog ‘filthy,’ but they’re definitely dirty. But a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.”

“So, by that reasoning, if a pig had a better personality, he’d cease to be a filthy animal?”

“That’d have to be one charming pig. He’d have to be ten times as charming as that Arnold on ‘Green Acres.'”

– Pulp Fiction

For reasons that are still fairly unknown to veterinarians and scientists, some dogs seem unable to resist the tasty treat of their own or another animal’s feces. Amongst a group of dogs a decent sized lump of excrement is less safe than an errant Twinkie at an Overeater’s Anonymous meeting. If dogs ran the world the finest restaurants would serve big steaming plates of the stuff as an entrée and the doggie version of T.G.I. Friday’s would serve it as an appetizer, cleverly fashioned into a flower shape. We don’t even want to guess what would be served as a dipping sauce.

It was once thought that the tendency some dogs have to eat feces stemmed from a nutritional need of some kind. Poor diet and poor health were considered to be the motivation for this seemingly bizarre and definitely disgusting (to humans) behavior. Vets and animal health specialists now say that isn’t the case as research shows no connection between canine dietary or nutritional needs and the phenomenon. At this point, scientists are stymied. No one knows why some dogs do this.

In the case of a mother dog that has recently given birth, the behavior is completely normal. Mother dogs will teach their pups to urinate and defecate by licking their hindquarters. The pups respond to the stimulus by doing what is expected and the mother will eat the results instinctively. For dogs in the wild this behavior served two useful purposes. It kept the whelping area clean and eliminated the odors of the pups’ waste that could attract predators. The puppies often learn this behavior from their mothers and mimic it. Most puppies stop doing this by the time they are weaned.

It is more curious when non-parent adult dogs eat feces whether it is their own or that of some other animal. Some scientists suggest that this is scavenger behavior and natural for dogs who are traditionally scavengers. The theory doesn’t explain why some dogs do it and some do not, however.

As natural as it may be, it is not a good idea to allow your dog to engage in this behavior. Eating of feces can expose a dog to internal parasites and bacterial infections, as well as raise the risk of viral infections like distemper and parvo. The best way to prevent a dog from engaging in this behavior is to remove the temptation. Keep the yard free of feces by disposing of it promptly. Owners can also train the animal early, before it becomes too habitual. Other methods that have been employed with varying degrees of success are feeding the dog things like garlic and pumpkin which are believed to make the feces less appealing and spraying the feces with a foul smelling solution (most dogs despise citronella, for example) that will make the dog not want to eat the excrement.

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A Guide To Online Payment Processors

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Nov 032020
 

‘Free’ Accounts or Merchant Accounts?

Anyone who does business online (and actually takes money from other people) must, at some point, bite the bullet and choose a credit card processing company – this can be quite an expensive decision.

There are effectively two different ways of going about this; you can either go for the free accounts or the specific merchant accounts.

But what is there to distinguish the two? After all they both allow you to accept a payment from a credit card holder right?

Well yes, they both allow you to accept payments from people with credit cards – but there are some underlying and fundamental differences that you should be aware of.

Lets have a look at merchants accounts (ICann, WorldPay or 2Checkout – just as examples), when you register with one of these guys you will have to provide information relating to your business and prove that you are actually a registered business.

You will also have to pay a setup fee, from personal experience I know that this can be in the order of several hundred dollars, you will also pay a yearly subscription or support fee – again this is typically a couple of hundred dollars a year.

You might think that this is OK – but don’t forget you are also paying a percentage of the transaction value, this can be anything up 4.75%.

From this information alone we can see that for the little guy this is quite a high cost – especially if you’re just starting out and you don’t even know if your product/service is going to take off.

There are also other things that you need to be aware of when looking at professional merchant accounts, for instance 2Checkout will, from time to time try and actually call your customers (a selection of) and verify that the goods have arrived – if they can not do this then they will potentially refund ALL currently held sales.

I mention this as I was made aware of 2CO’s operating policy (this morning) by one of my fellow online marketers – this guy lost $5,000 because 2CO phoned the wrong person and lets face it, once you’ve delivered the products and given a refund how many people are going to say ‘Yes, here are my credit card details again’ – not very likely – and then cancelled the merchants account without so much as saying sorry.

So in other words make sure you read the fine print – there is typically stuff in there which is not really in your interest.

Anyway, that’s enough about merchant accounts, now lets consider the free accounts – and the first thing to be aware of is that there is no such thing as ‘free’. With the free accounts you typically don’t pay a setup charge or even a yearly charge – you do however pay a percentage of the transaction value, this can be anything from 1.5% up to 4%.

The two main suppliers of free accounts are PayPal and StormPay. It should be noted that although they both provide pretty identical services there are advantages and disadvantages associated with each of them.

For example, StormPay typically charge slightly more per transaction then PayPal – however PayPal charge more to get your money out then StormPay. PayPal is also VERY quick to respond to allegations of foul play (whether it exists or not) and typically very slow to do anything about it (besides locking your account).

PayPal also has some bizarre habits when it comes to money laundering rules, for instance my younger brother plays on Ebay and makes a few dollars here and there – nothing suspicious about that right (especially seeing as Ebay owns PayPal) but for some reason when his balance went past $50 they locked his account for a couple of weeks and sent him mails requesting proof of ID and wanting an explanation of where the money had come from.

No such problems with Storm pay, they validate you when you sign up by effectively linking you to your credit card to your address – any suspicious transactions are followed on a more gentlemanly basis. As of the time of writing I have not heard of anyone using Storm Pay having their account locked for questionable reasons.

In terms of signing up for the service StormPay is by far the quickest and in terms of market saturation is also on the up and up (PayPal is the established norm but StormPay is catching up quickly).

One thing to remember no matter which type of payment processor you use is that if a customer demands a refund 9 times out of 10 they’re going to get it – unless you can satisfy your processor that you have done everything that they require (so for PayPal if you’re sending tangible goods you need proof of postage that identifies what you’ve sent and in the case of allegations of ‘no delivery’ proof that it has been received – and then there’s still no guarantee that they’ll rule in your favor).

One important distinction between payment processors will relate to geography, i.e. where in the world they accept payments from. Most of the free services do not accept payments from central Africa or south East Asia, this is purely to do with level of fraud (Just think Nigeria).

To summarize, for the brand new business who has little or no client base and has no idea if their offering is going to be picked up by the market it is better to start with a free account, my personal recommendation being Storm Pay. If your business later grows and requires specific merchant account functionality then you can always upgrade or pick one from the market.

If you would like a StormPay account use the following link: http://www.stormpay.com/?2430996

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3 Crucial Elements For Jumping Sales Numbers

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Nov 022020
 

Copyright 2005 Cutts Group, llc

Marketers from every niche have common ground when it comes to bills. Yeah, every month there’s a new stack of bills demanding to be paid. Will there be enough profit to slide right through bill paying time without a flinch? Or do you find yourself fretting about whether you’ll even break even? You don’t have to be victimized by envelopes and 8×10 sheets of paper. Implement these 3 techniques to boost your sales.

1. Find More Customers
The first thing that comes to mind when we think of making more money is getting more customers through our doors. In fact, the majority of advertising focuses on doing just that. There are several things you can do to entice more customers to buy from you.

Implement Follow-Ups
Marketing gurus have discovered that follow ups can increase your customer conversion rates by as much as 50%. Now, that’s a whopping improvement! Don’t let potential customers fade away. Keep the doors for future communication open, and watch the drastic growth in your profits.

Encourage Referrals
Every satisfied customer will tell 3 friends or family members about your business – without encouragement. Imagine what would happen if you start rewarding their efforts.

Get Free Publicity
Nearly everyone keeps a sharp eye on the local news. Hey, it’s funner to know what’s going on when you personally recognize the names and faces in print! Find ways to make your business newsworthy and catch the attention of potential customers without even paying advertising fees.

2. Sell More Per Customer
Think about it… how can you get every customer that walks through your doors to spend more money before walking back out the doors? Here are 3 sure-fire, profit increasing tips:

Increase your prices.
Hey, that might not be as bad as you think. Along with the price increase, focus on increasing the perceived value of your product. Yeah, we all expect to pay a little more for high quality stuff. Not everyone is bent on finding the absolute cheapest price in town… they may be more interested in lasting quality.

Add some higher end products or services to your business.
It’s never wise to put all of your eggs in one basket. That’s why wise marketers diversify their products and services. Think of it this way… higher priced products may not make as many sales, but each sale will bring in a much greater profit. You don’t need to make as many sales to come out on the best end of the deal.

Upsell
Offer every customer an additional product that accents his current purchase at the register. Hey, maybe they forgot they’d need batteries to go with the toy they’re getting for their niece’s birthday gift! You can be a hero… a richer hero.

3. Sell More Often
The fact that it’s easier to sell to the people who know and trust you is obvious. Sometimes we get so focused on new customers that we miss the gold mine in our own back yard. Take advantage of the hard work you’ve invested in winning the loyal customers you already have with these ideas:

Create a Special Deal
Show your customers you appreciate them and understand their needs with a special offer catered just for them. You’ll be thanking them, and selling more in the process.

Add New Products
Increase the number of products you already have available – especially products that your customers have asked for. They’ll know that you’re looking out for them, and you’ll take their thanks to the bank.

Communicate
Resell yourself on a regular basis. Don’t forget to let them know about upcoming specials that they’ll appreciate. Most of all… keep selling them on the benefits of the products or services you offer.

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Give Them Something Useful – A Small Business Marketing Tip

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Nov 012020
 

Copyright 2005 Marketing Comet

Naturally my wife wanted a new Burberry purse when my father in law asked her what she wanted him to pick up in Europe. She’s all about purses. He bought her a beautiful purse in Rome and sent it to her when he got back in the States.

Along with the bag, there was a card-stock envelope containing the receipt and something very interesting – a map of Rome. It was one of those little tourist maps and it had all the Burberry stores in Rome marked off so you could find them.

Absolutely brilliant. First the map is useful, a great marketing tool is something people will keep around. This is why magazine advertising is so effective. It’s also something you might pass on to people you know who are traveling to Rome – and now they’ll know where to get a nice purse just like yours. Also, while you are in Rome you might just decide to pick up a second purse for Aunt Clara and now you can find your way back to a shop.

Companies of all sizes have used giveaways in marketing forever. Gillette had the brilliant idea of giving razors away, and then charging for disposable blades which you had to throw away frequently. Cracker Jacks are known for the toy surprise inside. Food vendors give away free samples to get you to buy more.

The psychological urge to reciprocate when somebody gives us something is so strong that Cialdini wrote about it in his seminal book on Influence. That urge is stronger the more valuable the giveaway. Reciprocity is not the only factor that can make giveaways useful small business marketing tools.

Some of the features of great giveaways:
-They are tools or information that customers will use repeatedly
-They have a positive emotional component
-They can be passed along to others building the marketing effect
-The benefit of the giveaway is overt
-The giveaway builds a strong mental link to your business
-The giveaway helps the customer buy from you.

I personally believe that well-tailored informational products are probably the best giveaway ever. Kraft foods sends out a free monthly magazine full of recipes (all using Kraft foods). That giveaway has all of the above features. So does the tourist map of Rome.

If you’re in business in 2005 you need to take small business Internet marketing very seriously. The Internet is a great medium for giving away information products. If you run a lawn care business, maybe you have a printable planting calendar on your web site. If you own a restaurant near a theater district, maybe you publish a calendar of upcoming shows with your phone number for pre-theater reservations.

I love to go to conventions and walk the floor with a bag picking up tons of free stuff. Honestly, most of it goes right in the trash. I keep pens and other useful stuff, but who has time to look through 500 company brochures? While they are cute, wacky toys and stress relief pillows just clutter up my office. That stuff is very expensive, and I think the marketing value is very small.

This year I went to the Boston wine expo – two days of drinking wine! Some pear grower’s association was there giving out samples of pears. Their giveaway was a cardboard wheel that you could use to match a varieties of pears with a types of wine and types of cheeses. This is particularly useful if you are a chef looking for ways to put a menu together.

My friend who owns a car repair shop is pricing out travel mugs. This is a pretty good giveaway. Ideally, when people have car trouble they’ll have their coffee with his phone number on it in front of them.

What can you give away that is useful? It may just be information in a form that costs you nothing, or it might be a something you budget for. Remember the list of features when you look at your giveaways.

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