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Creating the Perfect Social Media Marketing Plan – How Your Business Can Do It

Tamara — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:20:21 +0000

Thanks to the surging popularity of websites like Twitter and Facebook, companies have started devoting bigger and bigger chunks of their budgets to social media marketing. But, just like any other promotional strategy, you need a solid plan if you want to be successful.

So, how do you create a social media marketing plan that helps boost your web traffic and your sales?

1. Figure out who you’re targeting

Most people spend time on some sort of social media site, but those sites can differ from group to group. For example, if you’re targeting college kids, you’re much more likely to find them on Facebook than LinkedIn. But if you’re targeting older professionals, LinkedIn or Twitter might be more useful for your efforts.

Whether you focus on one site or a variety of sites, you need to find the right sites to appeal to your target audience. Otherwise, your message won’t get seen by the right people.

2. See what the competition is doing

As popular as social media is, many companies haven’t gotten to it yet. Beating the competition to a particular platform automatically makes you the leader of the pack. If, for example, you discover that Twitter is a great site for reaching your target audience – and none of your competitors are Tweeting yet – go full-speed ahead so that you can be the first ones on the site. That way, everyone else has to play catch up.

3. Be prepared to wait

Social media doesn’t necessarily work overnight. Sure, you can see some fast successes here and there, but a solid social media marketing strategy is one that’s catered to the long haul. After all, it can take time to develop your personality and show people the “real you”, instead of just offering more corporate speak.

However, in the meantime, focus on creating compelling content – whether it’s links, pictures, videos, or status updates. On the social media sites, interesting stuff can go viral in the blink of an eye. Even one viral video can give you a major boost in traffic!

4. Keep tabs on your progress – and be prepared to make tweaks

Social media strategies aren’t always perfect right off the bat. But by keeping tabs on your progress, you can make changes to that your strategy becomes perfect.

By using Google Analytics or a similar program, you can see exactly where your traffic is coming from. If, for example, you’re getting a lot of clicks from the videos you’re posting on Facebook – but getting very few clicks from the pictures you’re posting on Facebook – focus more of your efforts on videos. After all, it’s in your best interest to give your target audience exactly what it wants!

Kirsty LaVier is editor for Shopping Cart Reviews, the leading site dedicated to helping you find the Best Shopping Cart Software.

Future of Ecommerce: Mobile

Mike Valentine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:42:06 +0000

Mobile Commerce

Mobile Commerce

Mobile commerce is when consumers shop with their cell phones and PDAs. A mobile commerce website is an updated business website that has been designed to cater to cell phones and PDAs. Some mobile commerce websites have been designed to increase sales, and to add additional branding for their products and services.

Why is mobile commerce necessary for website owners?
An interesting fact about mobile transactions is the purchases they are conducting. It has been found that almost sixty-percent of mobile phone users are purchasing digital content for their phones. On average, fifty-percent of consumers purchased electronics and thirty-seven percent purchased computers and computer-related equipment. Others purchased clothes, jewelry and books.

The presence of retailers on the Internet is increasing; Internet retailers are taking the steps required in forming a mobile commerce presence. Currently, the majority of mobile commerce transactions are being limited to add-ons such as games, screensavers, wallpapers and ringtones. Mobile commerce is still small, but it proves clear that it has the potential to escalate into profitable resources for Internet retailers.

Mobile Brands

What proves intriguing are the purchasing decisions by mobile consumers. The number of mobile consumers using mobile platforms has not increased dramatically, but their purchasing power has. It was discovered that on average, sixty-percent of mobile users buy digital content for their phones. Fifty-percent buy electronics; thirty-seven percent purchase computers or computer-related equipment. The other mobile users purchase items such as books, jewelry and clothes. This proves that mobile users are conducting purchasing much the same as if they were in retail stores.

This is an expansion and diversification of purchasing patterns that will likely increase as the confidence level of consumers increase with decreasing security concerns. Approximately seventy-percent of consumers have confidence with website security, to enable them to purchase items via their mobile phones.
What does this technology mean for Internet retailers?

Mobile commerce does not appear that it will explode with addictive popularity in the near future, but it has been predicted that it will increase steadily as more handheld accessories and applications become available within the mobile market. Internet retailers should know that in order to take advantage of this growing demographic of shoppers, they must get on-board with the new technology.

One of the biggest challenges viewed is that over the next couple of years, Internet retailers need to address the following issues:

Mobile user experience
Security concerns
Negative perceptions of consumers
Negative perceptions of investors

Great information about mobile commerce
Ecommerce companies should read these two key things:

Educate themselves about mobile commerce
And – Begin working on mobile commerce for their marketing plans

It proves useful to find out as much as you can about mobile commerce now and stay updated on the advancements and latest news about this upcoming direction of technology. Mobile commerce will, in the future prove vital to your Internet retail business. Lastly, begin developing marketing strategies to target the mobile-user demographic, and this will influence your mobile commerce website when it is time to start investing into it.

Author Box
The article is contributed by William Taylor. William is quite knowledgeable about ecommerce, mobile commerce and mobile commerce security. Apart from that he wants to bring transition in the world of business. Visit his site for adsl internet and digital tv (Dutch Language Site).

The Importance Of Backlinks To Your Websites Success

Tamara — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:20:18 +0000

We often hear about backlinks, but what are they? Simply, these are links from other people’s sites to your site. They are also commonly called inbound links, referring to the fact that the link in coming in to your site rather than going out to another site. So an inbound link for you, is an outbound link for the person linking to you – make sense?! Good, lets proceed …

In the beginning there were links, but no Google

Links were pivotal to navigation on the Internet in the early days. People moved around the Internet in two ways. Firstly, though entering URLs in browser bars and secondly, through the use of links between pages and websites – links from one page to another. This was because search engines were either non-existent, or not nearly as powerful as they are now (anyone else remember AltaVista?!)

This central position at the beginning of the web, meant that Google and other search engines gave them significant weight in determining the importance of pages. In fact, Googles PageRank algorithm, their scoring system for pages, is based entirely on the weighting of pages based on the number and quality of the pages that link to it. The original Google PageRank formula interprets a link from Page A to Page B as a vote by A for B.

This all means that Google and other search engines use quality in-bound links as a measure of a site’s prominence.

Quality or quantity, or both?

We must state that quality is very important for backlinks, with quantity of links considered as a far-off second. Even the original PageRank formula took into account not only the number of linking pages but the PageRank of those linking pages.

This fallback is there to prevent webmasters gaming the system by simply creating thousands of worthless links, simply for the sake of SEO.

Search engines will look at a number of things to determine the quality of sites and their backlinks. Clever modern search engines like Google also work hard to identify irregular linking behaviour and devalue it in order to combat the “gaming” of their rankings. Sites that see notably fast growth in backlinks over short periods may be flagged as suspicious by search engines and are often punished. Slow, constant building of links is seen as the manner to get the most from a link building campaign.

Search engines recognise that there are particular webmasters and programs, which build and hide links in other pages in deceptive manners and aim to devalue or actively punish webmasters who take part in this sort of activity.

As the value of links became more apparent in online business we saw the emergence of what would become known as “link farms”. These are sites created just to sell backlinks to other sites. These link farms charge money for links and offer no value to users, hence search engines sim to de-value them. Connecting with these sites can often mean your own site is seriously punished in SEO terms and is never recommended. Although in the short term certain types of manipulative linking building is still effective.

The value of good links

On the other hand, building good backlinks is a very important part of making your site visible on search engines. When you look at the ROI of all your marketing efforts, the return you get on building high quality, permanent backlinks can be astonishing.

Building backlinks can be a fantastic way to gain exposure for your site both by driving direct traffic from other sites and by improving your search engine rankings. Though there are a number of factors to be aware of, generally anything you do to build links back to your site which also adds value for website visitors is going to have a positive effecting the long run.

John wrote this guest post for Basekit – see their site for more web design and internet marketing tips.

5 Benefits Of An Online Business Degree

Tamara — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:20:29 +0000

Sure, you’ve been contemplating business classes. You know a business degree will improve your chances of getting hired, make you a more valuable employee and raise your earning potential.

But times are tight, and work and family commitments are already crowding your plate as it is. If life always seems to get in the way of furthering your education, then you may want to consider an online business degree?

Pursuing your degree online offers many advantages compared to brick-and-mortar institutions, ranging from saving some hard-earned cash to attending class in your pajamas. And frequently online classes offer the same curriculum as their offline counterparts.

So if you are looking for a way to head back to school – without breaking the bank or holing up in a dormitory – then consider the benefits of pursuing your business degree online.

1. You Can Save (Big) Money

You don’t need a degree in economics to know that college is expensive. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of college tuition has consistently increased faster than the nation’s overall inflation rate since 1981.

That is where online education really shines. There’s no expensive room and board to pay for, nor are you stuck with bills for meal plans, commuting and parking costs, airfare if your school is far from home (and you plan on coming home for the holidays), or any of the other myriad costs associated with attending a brick-and-mortar institution. Not to mention that online classes are often discounted, another big perk if you’re looking to save.

2. You Can Have a Life

So, your son was up all night with a fever and you haven’t slept a wink. Or maybe your boss scheduled an emergency 5 p.m. meeting. With an online program, you don’t have to worry about missing class and playing catch-up. Online programs offer maximum flexibility, so there is no need to quit your job or miss out on important family events. You work your education into your life, instead of the other way around.

3. You Can Get Your Business Degree Faster

Many online business programs allow you to earn your degree at an accelerated pace. Also, classes may be offered more frequently, such as every four to six weeks, meaning you don’t have to wait for the new semester to get started earning that degree.

4. Or You Can Get It Slower

On the other hand, you may be busy with work, life, travel – whatever. You may prefer to earn your degree at a slower pace, and an online program will allow for that.

5. You Can Open a World of Possibilities

With an online business program, you can learn from anywhere you have an Internet connection. If your job relocates you to a new city, you can take your degree program with you. If you want you can even attend class from the beach. And that same portability allows you to choose from a wide variety of schools and programs, regardless of their location. The sky – or your wireless connection – is the limit.

Your next step should probably be learning more about accredited online colleges, now that you know about pursing an online business degree. Post written by guest blogger James.

5 Ways to Ensure Your Small Business Keeps Top Talent

Tamara — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:30:04 +0000

Your employees are crucial to the success of your small business. Employee turnover is expensive, both financially and for organizational morale. When you lose top talent, it can seriously impact your ability to recruit and retain other talent. In the long run, this will make it substantially more difficult to remain competitive with other companies. To ensure that your business does not fall into this trap, consider the following five ways to ensure your small business keeps top talent:

Research your competitors and be absolutely sure your employees’ salaries are competitive. Although money isn’t everything, it is definitely important to most employees. If the salary you pay is significantly lower than other companies, don’t be surprised at how difficult it will be to keep good employees.

Offer comprehensive traditional benefit packages. Top employees know that their compensation shouldn’t just be limited to the dollar amount on their paychecks. They expect a competitive benefit package. Be sure to offer a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental and vision insurance, as well as vacation time and a 401k plan. Do your research about what other options you can offer your team members and don’t forget to get their opinions on what they expect. While you’re at it, research companies like Achievers.com, which offer easy-to-implement employee recognition/reward programs.
Offer flexible work assignments. Contrary to popular belief, employee perks do not have to actually cost you anything. Offering flexible work assignments, such as the ability to work partially from home (often called telecommuting), having four-day work weeks or having the ability to have atypical working hours, can help you ensure that your top talent is as happy as possible. Offering this flexibility not only results in happier employees that will stay with your company longer, but also provides a great boost in employee productivity: a win-win situation!
Give employees a vested interest in your business. Help top talent feel like they are truly a part of your company by giving them a vested interest in your success. Employee stock ownership programs and bonuses tied to profits are two common ways to accomplish this.
Make your workplace fun. Little things like birthday celebrations, holiday parties, summer barbeques, and more give employees something to look forward to over the course of the year. Take a Friday afternoon off each month and have Cubicle Wars, or some other fun activity, to set your company apart from any other employer that may be trying to recruit your top talent.

Randall Davidson runs a small business, an audio transcription company, and he knows exactly how important it is to retain top talent. Randall’s company provides an array of transcription services, including business transcription, which affords his company the opportunity to engage with other companies seeking to retain their best employees.

Accounting Software Review – FreshBooks

Tamara — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:20:12 +0000

This article is provided on behalf of McKinley Plowman, expert business and tax accountants in Perth. The views in this article do not constitute professional advice and are the writers opinion only.

When faced with the prospect of returning to billing as a business again, I remembered some of my fundamental weaknesses that I seem to have when running a business.

I don’t invoice promptly for my work
I’m not good at keeping paperwork
I dislike updating spreadsheets

These weaknesses combine together to create an accounting nightmare. It’s a bad dream that I would have to occasionally visit when I realized that I needed more money to come in. I would sit down in front of my computer, start painfully plugging numbers into invoices and then copying those numbers into the columns of a spreadsheet. I would sent out this invoices, and eventually be able to review my data in the spreadsheet I had kept of my invoices.

What is so hard about this you ask? Well, if you are working in a small business where you do 3 jobs per day then issuing invoices, recording the data and following up on payments can be very time consuming and painful.

It was suggested to me that I use FreshBooks, at first I was somewhat against it. Cloud Based? To me that means it’s going to be slow, but at least I can invoice quickly while on premises with the client, if I actually end up doing that. The cost? There is a generous free trial for sole traders with a limited number of clients, that serves me perfectly. So the price is right.

Begrudgingly, I disengaged the spreadsheets and took on FreshBooks. It turned out the be one of the best decisions I have made.

The simplicity of the invoicing is excellent. I simply pick a client from the dropdown, then put in a task, or enter a new task type, then some notes, a rate, time spent and any taxes that are applicable. FreshBooks simply works that all out, and then when I’m finished, I hit “Send by Email” to the client, that sends them a link where they can see the invoice totals. Clients love this software too as it gives them a feeling of interactivity with the payment process. So FreshBooks can actually help you get paid faster.

If by some chance, there is a client who has not paid, traditionally it would have taken me a while to notice, and chase up on. FreshBooks provides an accounts aging report, so I can see who hasn’t paid in 30 days or more, and follow up these accounts.

Come tax time, it is going to be a breeze as well. The easy to find and use reports will simply allow all the income levels to fall into place for a painless tax submission.

In conclusion, FreshBooks is simply a cloud based accounting package, but where it excels is in its speed and user interface. These two things make it a joy to use, and I highly recommend it to any small business looking for an accounting solution.

Creating an Online Store

Mike Valentine — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:09:11 +0000

Creating an online store can be a great way to increase exposure and your profit margin. There are a few steps to creating an online store and knowing what they are ahead of time can help you avoid costly mistakes revealed at a later date. You can create an online store easily with these five basic steps.

Step One: Product and Sourcing
Making the determination as what to sell on an online store is an imperative step. It is better to start with fewer products that are high quality and fill a need rather than a high quantity of less quality goods. If you already have a good idea of what you want to sell, consider different sources to provide your merchandise. Have an action plan ready for a situation in which your main supplier becomes unavailable. If you make your own products, have a contingency plan in place in case you unable to meet your orders.
Step Two: Pick a Host
You will need a hosting service for your actual online store. You will want to find one that has good customer service and technical support while being easy to use and maintain. You can go to sites like iPage.com, Hostgator.com or GoDaddy.com and have a website launched in no time at all. There are many free and pay themes that will make your site look professional and attractive to prospective customers.
Step Three: Choose a Shopping Cart Software
Depending on the type of site you wish to launch and which hosted site you chose, you may have to install separate shopping cart software. The shopping cart will allow your customers to view items, add items to buy and itemize them for the final sale. There are hundreds of options available, some are free and others are licensed software. Look for software that is easy for your customer to use, the easier you make shopping for them, the more likely they are to buy from you rather than your competitor.
Step Four: Select a Merchant Account and Payment Gateway
In order to process credit or debit cards and e-checks, you will need to have a merchant account. If you wish to accept mobile money as well, you will need to find a mobile merchant service provider. Many times you can get a merchant account that will allow for all forms of e- or m-commerce. A payment gateway such as Authorize.net, PayPal, Google Checkout, 2Checkout, CyberSource and Link Point is also necessary to process and receive payments.
Step Five: Marketing
The last step is letting know customers that you are open for business. Take advantage of free social media sites and plan your marketing campaign carefully for the biggest impact.

Shannon Martin is a writer for MerchantSeek.com. She has over 10 years of experience in executive management, corporate governance and business development.

How to Generate Avalanche of Leads with Facebook

Tamara — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:20:04 +0000

Facebook is an excellent channel to generate massive leads to your offer. With its great social power, you can set a good strategy to make more leads from Facebook. It is very useful if you want to increase subscribers in your mailing list or if you are promoting a CPA offer. Here are some tips to generate avalanche of leads with Facebook:

1. Choosing your target market

The first thing to know is your target market. But, before that, you have to know the product you are offering to them. Let us assume that the product you are offering is a free report on how to make $3000 per month online (remember that I’m giving tips to generate some leads, not sales). You want people to sign up to your mailing list and download the report. Now, what is your target market? Of course, internet marketers or work at home moms. Once you’ve found your target market, the next move is to find some active groups where those people meet.

2. Participate in active Facebook groups of your target market

Use Facebook search function to find some groups that discuss anything related to internet marketing or make money online. In those groups, you will find your target market. What you need to do is to participate to those groups and send friend requests to the group members. What you need to keep in mind is that when you send friend requests too often, you may risk your Facebook account being locked, so make sure to use your gut when you send friend request. Send the requests to as many people as possible, but don’t send it too often. In fact, you just need to spare some 30 minutes a day to send friend requests.

3. Repeat the process until you have good numbers of friends

You need to aim to have at least 500 friends in your Facebook account to start generating some leads. It will not take you much time if you are actively searching Facebook groups that correspond with your target market. Once you have at least 500 friends, you can start generating some leads. But, you have to keep adding your Facebook friends.

4. Build some credibility

You don’t want to promote any product blatantly to your Facebook friends because they may have other marketers doing that thing. What you need to do is to teach them and make them recognize you as an expert. Now, since you have many friends, you can start posting status updates by giving them some tips. Once in a while, inform them about your offer and ask them to sign up to your mailing list.

5. Building a blog

Now, the best accompany for this method is a simple blog. You can write some articles in this blog and offer your free report there. Every time you update your blog, you will tell your Facebook friends about it. Remember, they are your target market, so they have an interest in the product that you promote. You should be able to generate more leads this way.

Next, you will create a fan page and offer your free report there to generate even more leads. However, this will be for another article. If you apply the tips above, you will be able to generate avalanche of leads from Facebook.

Kelly has been writing articles for different websites online for the last 5 years and specialised in everything related to social media. She is also a contributor to HowToTradeCommodities.co.uk where you can get some useful tips when it comes to investment.

5 Ways To Find A Great Business Mentor

Tamara — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:20:52 +0000

An effective business mentor can be crucial to ensuring that your business is maximally successful. He or she can help you avoid the mistakes that others have made, putting you a step ahead of your competitors. A business mentor can help you prioritize tasks, provide valuable feedback, and keep your business plans on the right track. That said, finding a business mentor to help you build your business can be challenging. For a leg up in this pursuit, here are five simple ways to find a great business mentor:

Look deeply within your own network. When you begin to think of all of the friends, family members, current business associates, and previous associates you’ve met over the years, there is likely someone you know who has been successful in business. You have the advantage of knowing these people on a personal level, and you can judge whether someone will be a good fit with you as a mentor.
Take your business and personal networks to the next level. If your direct network connections don’t offer up any business mentor choices that you feel are appropriate, ask for your connections to recommend people they know who would make great mentors. If they personally used these people as mentors in the past, that’s even better!

Approach business people you admire. Although Bill Gates may not be readily available as your business mentor, it wouldn’t hurt to ask him! Of course, you may have more luck approaching local successful business people. These community leaders usually understand that, by helping others succeed in the community, they will also benefit. Give these entrepreneurs a call and ask them for a moment of their time. This way, you can explain a little bit about your business and what you’d hope to get out of a mentor relationship.
Try business organizations. A great way to locate a business mentor is through the various local organizations where business people gather. Organizations such as your local chamber of commerce, Rotary Club, or even Toastmasters can introduce you to the perfect person to mentor you and your business toward success.
Try online mentor-matching sites. There are several websites devoted specifically to matching business mentors with mentees. Some sites are free to use, such as Micromentor.org, while others require a paid membership. Most sites ask you to provide details about your business, as well as what you would like to get out of the mentoring relationship.

Through running a transcription services company, Randall Davidson has learned that getting a small business off the ground is anything but easy. He sought out a business mentor early in his company’s growth and, with that support, his company has been able to expand its service offerings. AudioTranscription.Org now offers everything from interview transcription to market research transcription.

Finding The Right Accounting Package For Your Company

Tamara — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:20:35 +0000

The availability of accounting software for business seems to grow almost daily – for those just starting out in business the choices can be overwhelming. However, finding good software that can handle the requirements of your business is essential, allowing you to keep track of cash flow, present a professional image for your business and can even help to encourage banks to make funding available to you. For more complex VAT and payroll calculations, finding a good software package will be a worthwhile investment; but where to start? You can Google the subject and then click and buy in an instant but this is not necessarily the best approach, although alarmingly it is one that many small businesses have taken in the past. Before going near Google, or your search engine of choice, it’s worth listing the features or processes that you will need from your accounting system. This can help to compare features of the various packages available and eliminate those that are not suitable. It’s important to get things right at an early stage, because although it is possible to switch to new systems, that is usually time consuming and a downright hassle of a process.

The main factors to consider

Two important considerations are who is going to be using the software and what size of business do you run. Accounting packages do come in all shapes and sizes to suit just about any budget, but while the cost is an important factor it shouldn’t be the only or main consideration. While many packages are becoming extremely user friendly not all those aimed at smaller firms are designed on the principle that the end user is not likely to be an accountant. User friendly packages are essential if the user has limited experience in book keeping, VAT calculations and payroll management. Support, back up and help lines can be useful in a crisis, so see what’s on offer.
Future proofing shouldn’t be a case of consulting a crystal ball; if you are starting out as a sole trader what are your plans for the future? Do you intend the business to grow and eventually become an employer, or to remain solo for good? In the latter case you’re unlikely to need payroll elements of any accounting package, but if future growth is likely it’s an option to consider at the outset – even if this is in terms of how easy/flexible add-ons will be. Online accounting packages may well be a suitable approach – as these can offer great future flexibility.
The majority of the software packages available are designed for the Windows PC environment and this can be a big factor if you work on Macs. However, with the increasing popularity of Macs there is a corresponding growth in desktop and online accounting software packages that are compatible with them and the range available is growing all the time.

The benefits

The key advantage to accounting software and online accounting software are simply that they take the hassle out of accounting – especially for the inexperienced. Affordable software is now available that allows you to present a professional invoicing impression, calculate VAT, manage payroll and payslips in the most cost effective and time efficient way possible. For smaller businesses the advantages of accounting packages also include a considerable cost saving on accountancy bills allowing you and your accountant to work more efficiently.

Author Bio

Neil works in digital marketing for an online accounting software provider, when he is not online he is an avid film fan and enjoys good food.