Blog/News

When it comes to ways that you can promote your company and push out content one of the most convenient ways is to start a blog. No matter the amount of blogs that can be seen there is always something your company can say that may help out others that are in your industry. There are great benefits to starting a blog other than the clicks that it may generate on your website. Whether your company is B2B (Business to Business) or B2C (Business to Consumer) a blog should be a staple in your marketing plan, no matter if your company is a startup or has an established audience it can always be beneficial. Here are 3 reasons why if your company doesn’t have a blog you should start one today!

Competitive Landscape

If you look around you will see that every other company is writing a blog. It would be silly if you are the only company that doesn't have one. When it comes to beating the competition, a blog may be the thing that wins over customers because they will feel more connected to their product because they have been reading their blog for some time. When you don't have a blog you are staring at a disadvantage and to be as successful as you can be we need to use every trick in the book and one of the most important things that you can do is connect with your audience and get them talking, one of the best ways to do that is giving them content.

More Traffic

When writing a blog you are able to post more content on social media platforms that can then transfer into clicks. When a loyal customer sees that their favorite company has written an article it can then take them to the website where they can read up on the news article and then browse the website. Blogs in B2C companies can drive sales by pushing customers onto the website where you can then entice them to shop with a banner ad or by talking about something in the article. Blogs are also helpful to B2B because when pushing potential clients to your website after reading the website they may stick around and learn more about your company and then request a quote. There are many ways that it drives traffic and by posting blogs you are also boosting your SEO (search engine optimization) rankings. So this means that it is going to boost you in the rankings when someone searches for your expertise online. This will put you higher on the organic listings and then more likely for people to click on your link.

Personality

A blog will also help your company have a voice. When writing blogs it is important that you are using the same tone of voice when writing all blogs, it is key that the voice is consistent. A blog can also be a mouthpiece for your company and you can greatly show off your expertise. This can help you land a client because you may be able to say exactly what they are looking for in a blog that they click on. Lastly, it gives a human aspect to your company that can make your customer relate more to your company.

At the end of the day, a blog for your company is nothing but beneficial, 82 percent of marketers say that their companies had a positive ROI from their inbound marketing efforts. Blogs are easy to set up and can be managed in-house, the only investment that is time. That may be something that you are lacking so it is also easily out-sourced, tell the company what content you need and they will make sure to publish something that will keep people coming to your website for more.

Starting a business can be extremely intimidating when looking at it as a whole. There are so many things to think about that it may be overwhelming, but it is crucial to think about everything because a few missed steps could cause you to fail before the company is even launched. Here are some tips that you should think about when you are thinking about starting your own business.

Planning is key

The planning phase of a business is the most crucial part of it all. This is the foundation and if you do not have enough research going in you are bound to fail. Creating an in-depth business plan is the only way for you to put everything down on paper in an organized manner. Some things to include in your business plan are Executive Summary, Market Analysis, Marketing Plan, Financial Plan. Those are the rudimentary blocks that all business plans are built on. Doing this gives you a guide into your company and will help you stay on track and achieve your goals.

SMART Goals

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based. When creating goals the acronym is what you should be thinking of. This will make sure that all of the goals that you set for your company are going to make sense and are going to be obtainable. Making these goals are going to make sure that you are staying on track on day-to-day operations and give you something to look forward to.

Spending

When creating a new business it is crucial that you are keeping track of how much you are spending because it can be detrimental to your company if you are spending too little or too much. Sometimes less is more and if you did your research you would have found an option that is as good as something that you are using but you are spending double. Underspending can also limit the growth of your company. If you are afraid of failure and do not want to invest in your idea it limits your potential and can keep a great idea from becoming a reality.

Know When To Ask For Help

Most first-time business owners will think that they will have to do everything on their own, but we are all humans and we have weaknesses. This is where you need to recognize what your strengths and weaknesses are. Where you can recognize your weaknesses you can hire freelance workers to help you, or ask the community that you are in for a helping hand. Most people are going to be happy to help you but are just going to need to take the leap and ask for help.

Starting your own business can be one of the most difficult and rewarding things that can be done in your professional life. There are always going to be ups and downs but in the end, it is the American dream to own their business. Just remember that we are all human and mistakes are all learning experiences and with a great product or service, hard work, and a little bit of luck you can own the next big thing.

Everyone knows that the trend of buying and selling online is a wave that none of us can stop. Slowly brick-and-mortar retailers are moving online to save on overhead and try their luck in the online market. All of us know of one company that hit the gold mine when they moved their business online and we have all lusted to be like them, and there is still a chance. The trend is not going away and your company can be the next company to hit the gold mine! Here are some tips that you can use to help grow or start an eCommerce company.

Products!

It all starts with your product, if you have a product that may not be desirable or is of poor quality it will never do well. Cutting corners will not get you customer retention and will not let your company succeed to the next level. So before starting an online business it is good to find a product that is going to get rid of niche customer’s pain points. If the product is going to benefit one customer’s life, there is a chance that there are going to be more like them that are willing to buy your product. The only way to find this is out is through extensive research and product testing.

Customer Service

We have all had companies that left us with a sour taste in our mouths. We want to offer our customers the best experience that they can have with our product and the motto “The customer is always right” is a great way to make sure they walk away happy. When dealing with problems that are bound to arise it is always best to look at it from the customer’s perspective and try to do anything in your power that both parties walk away happy. Some examples that you can use are flexible shipping, free returns, and communication. Having a speedy response time is key to make sure that the customers do not get frustrated, with that being said keep your information front and center so that customers can find where to contact you easily.

Product Transparency

This is key in making sure that your customers know what they are getting when they are purchasing your product. A good way to do this is having fantastic photography that captures your product in great detail and making sure that your descriptions are accurate. This will help customers digitize your business so they feel comfortable buying your product, we all have to remember that these customers have not seen your product in person so describing your product accurately and in an error-free manner will make you look reputable and professional.

Customer Reviews

Lastly, if you have done all of those things you will get customer reviews to back up your claims. Having these are crucial because customers are more likely to trust those reviews than ones that the company puts out themselves. If you put yourself into the customer’s shoes, we all read the reviews when shopping online to make sure that we are getting a quality product. Starting off with negative reviews will be bad for business and make you look dishonest.

The things on this list are a good start for you when looking into making an online eCommerce site. Just remember like everything it takes time, be patient. IF you have a good product and branding you are bound to succeed. 

When talking about the tools of the trade everyone in the industry knows some software or systems that they could not live without. There are two business practices that you should focus on, Management and Marketing. These practices need to be revamped and updated regularly. Here are some tips that you can implement to make sure those practices listed above will help you grow your company or save you money.

Management Tools

Management is the foundation that makes your company successful, this is the structure that will make sure your business stays afloat. With good management, you will make sure that you will be profitable and have leaders that will usher you to succeed. Here are some tips that you can use to make sure your management can be the best it can be.

Communication

Communication is the starting point of every project. It is essential for your company to stay connected and updated, think about all of the projects that are occurring at the same time, but no one was communicating what they are doing. The bigger the team the harder this gets some applications that I have had success using is Slack and Asana.

Slack is an instant messaging application that can be used to make sure everyone in your company is staying on the same page. This program has a great user interface that makes it easy for you and your coworkers to communicate. The other one that I have mentioned is Asana.

Asana is an application is used to organize tasks and make sure that your deadlines are met. This is a great application that management can use to make sure that others stay on a schedule and have a quantified list of tasks that reminds them what they need to do in a specified timeline.

Marketing Tools

Though whenever times are time marketing expense is the first to go, marketing is one of the most important aspects of a company. If you think about it logically, you can have the best product or service in the market, but if the people don’t know about you then it doesn’t matter. Marketing is what informs your customers that you actually exist and when done correctly will drive customers to your company and will generate revenue. Here is a specific example that can help generate some traffic.

 Email Marketing

• Though everyone always says that email marketing is dead, based on 2018 data it is far from it. Email marketing is still ranked the most effective marketing channel. This means that this form of marketing beat out SEO and Social Media marketing. I believe that this is because email is still used more than any other platform and it is easier to target your audience directly. It is stated in 2017 that more than 85 percent of adults on the internet use email, this beats out search engines and social media. So when creating an email marketing campaign here are some things that you should consider.

• Manners
  It is crucial to remember that you are a guest in their inbox and manners are what can make the difference from them reading your email rather than them instantly deleting it. It is easier to create a campaign if you put yourself in the shoes of the people you are targeting.

• Great Content

When looking to create an email campaign you want to make sure you make an impression. The best way to do this is to have a great call to action and make sure that your information is relevant.  Also when planning this campaign make sure that you have created follow-up emails that you can send out at least once a week to make sure your customers are reminded of your services.

Now that you have gotten some tips and tools, implementation is the hardest part. All of these things will help your bottom line.  Make sure you use some of these tips and implement them to make sure those practices listed above will help you grow your company or save you money.