Just about every employee of any business has a 2 x 3.5in card lying in a drawer, hiding in a wallet, lost in a briefcase, placed in a holder at the front desk, etc… I know too many friends who have full-time jobs, but don’t have a business card. Now why is that? Scores of people believe only the sales teams; marketing teams and the owners should have cards. How ignorant!
Business cards are often one of the most underutilized tools in one’s marketing. Use the front and back of your business card to gain full benefit. Depending on your market you can put some very valuable information on the back such as a sports schedule, list of services, emergency numbers, or special dates people want to remember.
Creatively distribute your card. When you eat out you can leave one with the tip or ask if you can place some near the register. If you borrow a library book, use one as a book mark and leave it in a page upon return. Hand them to clerks in stores who may know other people who could use your product or service. I saw an episode of "Wife Swap" where the husband was a residential real estate agent and everywhere he went, he had a stack of cards in his pocket handing them out to random people like candy. Why? Because he can and wants people to know who he is, what he does and how to contact him... genius!
When someone gives you their business card be sure to enter their information in your database. Send them a short note or email within 48 hours of meeting them to keep your name fresh in their mind. If you forgot to mention something during the initial contact, send them a link to your website for more information. MAKE YOUR BRAND COLLATERAL WORK FOR YOU?
Speaking of websites… have you considered your website to be a business card? An oversized, user friendly and visually stimulating business card? If not, you should.
Think about it this way. You’ve invested time, energy and money into your business. You’re trying to attract new customers. You’ve hired the best person for a specific job. Here’s the thing, those employees who are leaving their business cards all over town only work a set amount of hours. A website acts as your 24 hour sales representative. Ready to welcome site visitors, receive comments, capture information, record online sales and always able to make your business look great, no matter what time of day. How cool is that!
Business cards will always be necessary, so be sure to carry them with you wherever you go and be willing to hand them out as opportunity presents itself. Revisit the idea of how well your website is working for you and always get an outside, second opinion. Your website is the biggest business card you can have. IS YOUR WEBSITE WORKING FOR YOU?
The Revive Team / 919.802.0424 / Contact Us Today!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Common Online Marketing Mistakes
There are methods which exist to successfully create a profitable future for your business. Majority of the time, businesses see virtually no result from their investments after spending money on advertising. In many cases, one or more crucial mistakes are made when trying to expand your market presence and brand within the community or region.
Many things can go wrong or not be successful when marketing your business, but I wanted to share a few which I feel are most important when dealing with the company website.
#1: Not Having a Website
Research indicates, 70% of all products are researched or found on the Internet. If your business is not online, you cannot capture your share of the millions of dollars exchanging hands online everyday. However, just having a web site will not necessarily increase your revenue.
#2: Type of Site
Most commercial websites are designed as destination sites. What this means is, they are an online brochure or fancy electronic business cards. The main objective for all business websites should be to generate and capture leads. This can be accomplished with online forms, Free Quotes, surveys/questionnaires or anything where you can get that site visitors Name, Phone Number and Email. This tactic increases people contacting you because they don’t have to pick up the phone and call or stop by the office. They want YOU to contact THEM!
#3: Type of Content
Most websites have several pages talking about the company to try and promote the business. All of this information does not give people a reason to request your services. When you are searching for information online, do you expect to get to it as quick as you can? Are you looking for something in particular? Your prospects are also looking for information. You must be a resource for information in order to get people truly interested in your services.
#4: The Developer
How many of you have a cousin or friend who has some knowledge of the Internet and can “build you a website”? Do they understand how dynamic the internet truly is and how to make it work for the business? Are they just designing something and that’s all? Do they understand web marketing? Do they work with a service provider who is capable of hosting your site? Do they have all the tools necessary to make the transition seamless, and can they provide all of the programs for success? There are many more questions I could ask, but I think you get the point I’m trying to make. Educate yourself and choose the designer/developer who has experience, man power and expertise in order to provide the best solution for your needs.
#5: Marketing and Promotion
Does the vendor you chose have a system in place to provide your company with the exposure you need? Are they providing reports to show how your money is working for you? Using a combination of traditional marketing (radio, TV, magazine ads, flyers, business cards, etc) and online marketing (Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search Marketing, email campaigns, etc) should increase your success and provide you a greater number of qualified leads. Get them to your site, keep them on your site and have them contact YOU!
#6: Accountability & Reporting
“If it can be measured, it can be improved” has become a popular mindset in the business community. Proof of your marketing dollars working for you is one of the most efficient ways to keep track of where business is coming from. To stay ahead of your competition a smart business owner should ALWAYS be aware of his marketing spend. If you do not track the effectiveness and success of your methods and strategies, how do you know what truly works? To maintain your competitive edge you must be able to track your progress and make the appropriate decisions to hold you marketing vendors accountable for producing business.
#7: No Way to Harvest Pre-Qualified Leads
A truly effective website must have a way to gather qualified leads. Many websites do not have ways and means to collect the information needed to determine if a prospect is kicking the tires or wants to do business. How would it affect your bottom line if you started each day with qualified requests from potential customers? Why not make technology work for you? This creates the infrastructure multi-million dollar companies have been using for years in their success.
The Revive Team / 919.802.0424 / Contact Us Today!
Many things can go wrong or not be successful when marketing your business, but I wanted to share a few which I feel are most important when dealing with the company website.
#1: Not Having a Website
Research indicates, 70% of all products are researched or found on the Internet. If your business is not online, you cannot capture your share of the millions of dollars exchanging hands online everyday. However, just having a web site will not necessarily increase your revenue.
#2: Type of Site
Most commercial websites are designed as destination sites. What this means is, they are an online brochure or fancy electronic business cards. The main objective for all business websites should be to generate and capture leads. This can be accomplished with online forms, Free Quotes, surveys/questionnaires or anything where you can get that site visitors Name, Phone Number and Email. This tactic increases people contacting you because they don’t have to pick up the phone and call or stop by the office. They want YOU to contact THEM!
#3: Type of Content
Most websites have several pages talking about the company to try and promote the business. All of this information does not give people a reason to request your services. When you are searching for information online, do you expect to get to it as quick as you can? Are you looking for something in particular? Your prospects are also looking for information. You must be a resource for information in order to get people truly interested in your services.
#4: The Developer
How many of you have a cousin or friend who has some knowledge of the Internet and can “build you a website”? Do they understand how dynamic the internet truly is and how to make it work for the business? Are they just designing something and that’s all? Do they understand web marketing? Do they work with a service provider who is capable of hosting your site? Do they have all the tools necessary to make the transition seamless, and can they provide all of the programs for success? There are many more questions I could ask, but I think you get the point I’m trying to make. Educate yourself and choose the designer/developer who has experience, man power and expertise in order to provide the best solution for your needs.
#5: Marketing and Promotion
Does the vendor you chose have a system in place to provide your company with the exposure you need? Are they providing reports to show how your money is working for you? Using a combination of traditional marketing (radio, TV, magazine ads, flyers, business cards, etc) and online marketing (Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search Marketing, email campaigns, etc) should increase your success and provide you a greater number of qualified leads. Get them to your site, keep them on your site and have them contact YOU!
#6: Accountability & Reporting
“If it can be measured, it can be improved” has become a popular mindset in the business community. Proof of your marketing dollars working for you is one of the most efficient ways to keep track of where business is coming from. To stay ahead of your competition a smart business owner should ALWAYS be aware of his marketing spend. If you do not track the effectiveness and success of your methods and strategies, how do you know what truly works? To maintain your competitive edge you must be able to track your progress and make the appropriate decisions to hold you marketing vendors accountable for producing business.
#7: No Way to Harvest Pre-Qualified Leads
A truly effective website must have a way to gather qualified leads. Many websites do not have ways and means to collect the information needed to determine if a prospect is kicking the tires or wants to do business. How would it affect your bottom line if you started each day with qualified requests from potential customers? Why not make technology work for you? This creates the infrastructure multi-million dollar companies have been using for years in their success.
The Revive Team / 919.802.0424 / Contact Us Today!
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