Business Information for Entrepreneurs by an Entrepreneur

Mobile text messaging may very well be the newest marketing tool for businesses everywhere. In this age of text messaging, it only makes sense that businesses begin to take advantage of a wildly popular form of communication.

Tremendous Growth in Text Messaging Potential

Called Short Message Service, or SMS for short, this marketing channel seems to be a highly effective way for businesses to communicate with their customers. The Wireless Industry trade group, CTIA, reports that SMS has nearly tripled since 2007 and is now more active than cell phone calls! It is important to recognize that the largest increase in SMS involves people under the age of 30.

Industry analysts note that SMS is a much more effective form of communication than emails. Research on this subject revealed that a whopping 97 percent of SMS marketing messages were opened, and that 83 percent were opened in just one hour.

This is likely due to the fact that many consumers have their phones with them 24/7 and generally respond to them at any give time. It therefore only makes sense that text messages will then be read by most mobile phone users.

How to Use SMS for Marketing

There are a number of ways to begin using SMS to market your business:

1. Hire a text-messaging company, such as MobiQponsis and 8Coupons. These web-based services can perform a number of advertising strategies, from sending out text coupons when consumers are in the vicinity of a business, to allowing consumers to text themselves coupons as they desire.

2. Consider a custom approach that allows you to register your own proprietary short code, thereby allowing dialers to access your text marketing campaign. Companies such as Mobile Commons and HipCricket allow you to share a short code.

3. Use your traditional marketing resources to inform customers about your texting campaign.

4. Consider offering customers “exclusive” access to something in return for their mobile phone number.

5. Don’t irritate consumers by texting constantly; instead, focus on less than five times per month, or if you have a good reason for sharing information with them.

Indeed, you may be soon texting your way to more profits!

Mobile marketing is a growing trend that boasts great potential. Nearly everyone has a cell phone, and some individuals even carry two phones: one for work and one for personal use.

With cell phones in everyone’s pockets, it high time that advertisers start taking advantage of them as marketing tools. Mobile marketing is taking the telecommunications field by storm. Soon, users will be exposed to a plethora of different types of advertisements trying to get them to buy products.

What is mobile marketing?

Mobile marketing comes in a variety of different packages. For example, a text message containing details about a special offer or new product is mobile marketing in its simplest form. Voting campaigns on television shows are another type of marketing that is growing in popularity. Viewers of shows like American Idol can text message their votes in as part of the campaign. In the future, video downloads to cell phones will also become more important mobile marketing mechanisms. These tools are all fresh and interactive. Cell phone users enjoy them, and that is part of the reason why mobile marketing has the potential to explode in the near future.

Who is advertising on cell phones?

Today, most cell phone advertising is conducted by phone companies, in particular whoever your service provider is. Some entertainment companies that produce games for cell phones are also making use of mobile marketing initiatives. Currently, mobile marketing is essentially limited to these two entities. That could change in the very near future as new players are jumping into the market. Companies with financial resources, like car manufacturers and film studios, are exploring the possibility of executing targeted mobile marketing campaigns.

What does the future hold?

There are some companies that are looking at using advertising to support their entire cell phone service offering. This means that much like the television set in your living room that provides basic channels for free, cell phone service might one day be completed funded by mobile marketing. Mobile marketing may very well change the face of communication as we know it. One day, the display on your caller ID might feature a 10-second advertisement for Toyota before the call from your best friend is connected. It won’t happen tomorrow, but it is a definite possibility in the near future. Mobile marketing is much more than a fad; it is a mechanism that will ultimately drive the future of commerce and the cellular phone industry.

As the internet continues to grow as the most popular tool for gathering and sharing information, search engine optimization (SEO) is also growing in importance. This is a simple technique used by web designers and business professionals to maximize the likelihood of a website appearing in a list of search engine results.

Studies show that the closer to the top of the list that a website appears in a collection of search results, the more likely a user is to click on it. In fact, Google users prefer to click on “natural” listings 70% more than pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements.

Thankfully, SEO is easy to implement and at no extra cost to a business owner. Therefore, using SEO is one of the best “free” advertising sources for your business. How can you maximize SEO to get the best results? Use these tips to help you transform your website into a higher performing tool:

1. Use Keywords. The best place to find out words and phrases that are commonly searched for on the internet is by performing an internet search yourself. Websites like Keyword Discovery, Word Tracker, and Google AdWords provide comprehensive feedback on the most commonly used words and phrases. Keywords change regularly so check these sites every few months for what your customers are using to search for your type of product or service.

2. Optimize Your Page Titles. Use keywords and phrases in page titles. Search engines scour through page titles before tackling the actual text included on websites.

3. Optimize Your URLs. Use keywords and phrases in URLs and file names on your website. Search engines use these as part of the search criteria. The more keywords and phrases you use, the more likely your page is to show up in a list of search results.

4. Publish Content. Online, “content is king,” and the more content you publish on your website, the more likely that the search engines will rank you appropriately for your particular keywords. Consider starting a corporate blog or publishing resource articles on your website.

5. Revise & Revisit. SEO is not something that you do one time. It is a process that must be revised and revisited frequently. Dedicate yourself to a schedule and look for opportunities to enhance SEO features on your website at least once every three months, more if possible.

Generally speaking, you can use SEO techniques on your own at no cost, or for a minimal fee with the help of a professional. SEO can enhance traffic to your website by tenfold. It is worth the investment of time to generate such a return.

What you say during a call or meeting with a potential customer ultimately determines your chances of closing the deal.  It’s not always natural for most of us to sell.  But if you run a company or work in sales or marketing, you need to have many phrases at the ready to combat the objections and resistance you may encounter.  You can read some tips on overcoming price resistance in this blog.

This week, one of our MailerMailer clients, Give More Media, just released a wonderful little free ebook that will help you find just the right words to use in different sales situations.

This fast-reading guide includes a checklist to help you prepare yourself prior to the call or meeting. Plus, it provides 30 sample open-ended questions that are designed to get your prospect talking – something you definitely want to do because you close more sales if they talk, not you.

Here are two excerpts of sample dialogs from this ebook that I really love:

WHEN THE PROSPECT PERCEIVES IT IS SAFER TO DO NOTHING:
“The exciting part of this [solution/ program] is not only the additional immediate revenue you’ll likely generate, but also the added referrals that become possible as a result— in addition to the competitive barriers you’ll create by getting the primary customer relationship going now.”

TO CREATE A SENSE OF URGENCY:
“It seems like a great fit to what you’re trying to accomplish, and I’m fairly confident we’ll have the inventory available, but we can only guarantee it [today/ this week/ this month]. What concerns do you have about moving forward now?”

If you are new to sales or need a little inspiration to help close a deal, Be Sales Ready is pure gold.

Download Be Sales Ready for free here.

Having a virtual storefront is a very inexpensive way of displaying and selling your products – and you can tap into a whole new market by employing this method. Here are 5 tips to help you set up your online store:

1. Create an Attractive Website

The first thing to do is to create an attractive website and register it. You can register your business name as your website if it is available. Mention your company history on your site, along with any milestones that you might have achieved.

Showcase your products in an attractive manner. If you do not want to mention the rates of your products or services for fear of your competitors finding out, then offer an e-mail address where your customers can post their inquiries.

2. Get Your Online Store On The Top Of All the Search Engines

Your website designer along, with an SEO expert, should insert keywords into the code of your website so that it ends up on the top 5 or 10 for any of the search engine results pages (SERPS).

This will ensure that your website has a greater chance of getting hits by qualified prospects than it would have otherwise. If you don’t use keywords that are related to your target market, then your online store probably won’t see many sales.

Your website should also have the capability of accepting online payments through credit card or through traditional methods such as check or cash.

It should also be secure to prevent anyone from trying to hack into your site and defraud you or your customers; your website programmer can help you by integrating SSL (secure socket layer) security into your online store.

3. Offer Special Discounts

In order to get an accurate feedback on how many people are actually placing orders after checking out your online store, you can offer special discounts or freebies for customers who place their orders through the Internet. This will provide you with accurate data on how many people were actually able to get access to your online store.

4. Form Virtual Partnerships

Form online partnerships with different companies that are not in competition with you, but offer related products to their customers. This opens the doors for more customers to enter your site – and this move will benefit not only your business, but also your virtual partners.

5. Sort Out Shipping and Tax Matters

Your online store will enable you to get orders from customers that might be in another state or even in another country.

You should form relationships with reliable shippers who will deliver your products on time to your customers. The tax to be charged to your customers will also vary from state to state and from country to country. Make sure that you know who to tax and how much.

You need to put in as much effort to market your website as you have to develop it (in terms of both money and time).

So how do you go about marketing your website inexpensively and effectively? Here are five easy steps for achieving just that.

Step 1 – Make Certain It Is User-Friendly

Visitors to your site will be looking for information or will have an interest in purchasing your products or services. Hold their attention by providing precise information in easy-to-read language with no spelling mistakes.

Navigating your site should be simple, easy and quick. Make sure that tools like shopping carts are compatible with your design and that there is no undue delay in processing. Visitors are easily put off by cumbersome websites and favor sites that are fast and easy to use.

Try to create a signature website in bold colors and images, and try and keep the same template on every page. This helps visitors remember it.

Step 2 – Search Engine Optimization

A revolutionary method of cheap and effective marketing of your website is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In this method, you need to include meta tags such as keywords, titles and descriptions in your website content.

You should register your website with as many search engines as possible. SEO works through keyword placement and density; when a browser searches for the keywords included in your website’s content, the search engine will show your website in the results.

The higher your SEO rankings, the more visibility your site will get.

Step 3 – Spread the Word

Give maximum visibility to your URL by including it everywhere—on your business cards, letterhead and other stationery, on shopping bags, and in all your advertisements.

This helps your existing clients remember your website and also draws other clients in.

Another way to market your site is by submitting articles on other websites and providing your website address at the end of the article, along with a subtle sales pitch.

Step 4 – Make it Interactive

Visitors prefer interactive websites that help them get answers to their questions in a much more efficient manner. Include a feedback form asking your visitors to rank the various functions of your website, and be sure to reply to the feedback.

Newsletters are also effective marketing tools by helping to grow your list of customers that you can market new products and services to.

Step 5 – Affiliate marketing and PPC

Sign up for affiliate marketing programs, where you accept advertisements of other websites on your own website. These companies will pay you every time there is a sale on their website that comes through your site, and vice versa.

You can also ask other websites to include your website in their list of links, and do the same for them.

Below are five motivating tools that persuade clients to buy products and services from any small business.

1. They Need The Product
   
   Many times clients want a product, but if you can convince them that they really need that product and that their life will be incomplete if they don’t own it, then that will convert their want into a need to buy it.
2. They Will Save Time, Money And Energy
   
   Your clients will be motivated if they believe that buying the product will save time and energy, as well as money. You can also remind them that the money they spend purchasing the product will be recovered after a certain period of time.
3. Safety
   
   If you are selling safety items such as safes, fire equipment, etc., stress the benefits of safety for their money and valuables, but also remind them that the product can prevent the loss of their prized possessions and keep their loved ones safe.
   
   The automobile industry is a good example of this. With cars, safety features are important selling points. People are ready to pay a premium for an increase in safety, especially for their loved ones.
4. Exclusiveness
   
   Expensive cell phones, cars, and clothing are bought by customers who want to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Many customers with lots of money also spend it to satisfy their own egos. This is one of the major reasons that high-fashion items continue to sell well.
   
   An exclusive item is usually made in limited numbers or is custom-made for selected clients and is usually quite expensive. This feature in itself is enough for many of your clients to want to own an exclusive product that your business offers.
5. Convenience
   
   Many items, such as dishwashers and washing machines, are sold because of their convenience. These products help save their owners physical effort and make their lives easier.
   
   Products that are used on a daily basis fall into this category – and once you explain the features or arrange a demonstration of products such as these for your customers, it will become very easy to sell them.
   
   In many cases, your customers need to be motivated – and once you link your product with the correct motivation, you will find that less effort is required to sell them.

If you have an online business, then you already know the importance of driving as much traffic to your site as possible. One way to do this is by using articles that are search engine optimized (SEO).

That means that if someone is searching for a word or phrase through Google or some other search engine, then they can be linked to your site through optimized articles.

For example, if on your site you have articles that have been properly search engine optimized for the phrase “outfits for dogs” then people that are searching that phrase may be driven to your site.

SEO Basics

• Aim for articles that are between 550-850 words.
• You can include more than one keyword or phrase, but you don’t want to “stuff” the article with those words of phrases. Generally, you should not have a keyword density more than 2%. So, for a 600 word article with the 2-3 keyword phrases, the phrases should not appear more than 3-4 times each.
• Don’t have all of the keywords in one paragraph, instead try and spread them evenly throughout the article. The keyword or phrase should also appear in the article title. Try to use it at least once in the opening paragraph and once in the final paragraph.

If your SEO copywriting is successful, then it will cause your site to appear as hits through various search engines – but that is only half the battle.

Type in a search for pretty much any keyword you can think of and you are going to get LOTS of hits. The next trick is to get people to click on your site.

Write Good Headlines

You can help in this area by creating article titles that are interesting.

For example, instead of “Survive in an Emergency” you can make the headline more attention-grabbing by adding just a few more words. “Do You Have What it Takes To Survive in an Emergency?” is more bold and direct – and more likely to get someone to click on it than the generic first example.

Write With a Purpose – and Write Well!

So you have achieved the goal of getting visitors to your site, but they probably won’t be back without useful content. Remember the best online writing involves not just SEO, but also great writing!

If you can’t do the writing yourself, there are online sites such Guru.com where you can hire writers, many of whom are familiar with SEO copywriting, to write your articles for you.

Remember, the best online writing is going to get visitors to your site, and it is also going to keep them there!

We all know that a good branding strategy is an important aspect of success in the business world, but often it seems like an impossible task. Small businesses often feel this more so than large businesses, but in today’s competitive world it is even more crucial to their success.

Branding your small business lets the world know the benefits, products and services of your business. It also gives your business an image that will be effective in the marketing world.

1. Corporate Image
   Often, small business owners do not think it is necessary to portray a corporate image to their customers. Even if your business is run out of your home office, it is important to have a good branding strategy.

   It is important to develop a website, business cards, letterhead and other related business tools with a consistent theme. This helps create a level of confidence in your customers, because it portrays you as a professional.

2. Be Unique

   When you are developing business tools it is important to make yourself appear unique. This will help you stand out among a sea of other small and large businesses within your same industry.

   Create a logo and slogan that you use consistently on all of your business tools both online and in print. Doing this allows customers to develop an understanding and recognition of your services.

3. Consistency

   When you create your brand it is important that you maintain a solid level of consistency with all of your business tools. This means that your brand should be unique and recognizable.

   Create your brand by using the same logo, slogan, colors, statements and overall theme in all ads, websites, e-mail and any other business correspondence. Avoid using free images, cheap clip art and other elements that are used elsewhere for other companies.

4. Lasting Impression

   When you have contact with customers and business associates, make sure you leave them with a lasting impression. In many instances, you will only get one opportunity to create a lasting impression.

   Make sure you act professionally and represent your business in the right light. Gather contacts if possible and follow-up with all contacts immediately.

5. Appeal to Customers

   Knowing your customer demographics is essential to effectively branding your small business. When you create your brand you will need to know what style of branding is more likely to appeal to your customers.

   Some demographics are more likely to find fun logos and fonts appealing, while others may be more drawn to something more professional and elegant.

Regardless of your budget, you can create a good branding strategy for your small business. Pulling it all together with consistency and professionalism is key.

Once you have done your research and you know your demographics, you can select business tools that effectively represent your products and services.

Poorly Written Copy

Spending a few thousand dollars to place an ad in the newspaper or to start an email marketing campaign is a huge waste of money if that copy is not well-written.

This doesn’t only mean that all of the grammar and spelling is correct. It also means that the copy is going to be compelling to the people that you need to compel, your target market.

Failing to Clearly Identify Your Target Market

Some small business owners do not even bother to identify their target market before beginning their marketing efforts.

This is a huge mistake as the money you spend could be wasted. Once you figure out who your target market is then you need to develop a plan to reach that portion of the population.

Not Addressing the Needs of Customers and Potential Customers

Some copy goes on and on about how great the product or service is, but it fails to address why customers may need that product or service.

You should include in the copy the need or want that you are going to fill with your product or service.

Skimping on Marketing

While it is true that small business owners need to watch every dime, marketing is not the best place to skimp.

You should cut back on expenses that are not directly related to increasing revenue. While it might seem like a good idea to slash your marketing or advertising budget, the bottom line could suffer for it.

Even if you need to make cuts, do all you can to leave some room in the budget for marketing and advertising.

Failing to Deliver

A customer who responds to your ad is not going to be happy if the promises in that ad are not kept. You should consider outstanding customer service to be an important part of your marketing plan rather than something separate from it.

One of the best ways to keep customers coming back is, obviously, to keep them happy. If you provide excellent service, most customers are going to stay with you even if someone is offering a similar product or service a little cheaper.

Great customer service is some of the best marketing there is.