Blogs can be a powerful tool both in business and personally. You don’t have to be the strongest writer or most eloquent expert on the subject at hand, because blogs are a learning process.  We write until we exhaust a topic and perhaps delve into new points, looking for feedback along the way.

Perhaps you never studied writing and you have never read a book from cover-to-cover since your school days; that does not mean you’re bound to struggle with writing. In fact, studies have shown that reading, albeit a book, article, or glimpsing at a blog can improve a writer’s style ever so slightly. However, after studying writing, there are a few techniques and stylistic choices that can improve your writing on and offline.

Show, Don’t Tell

There’s a golden rule that every writer has been told since they first put pen to page (or, more appropriately, fingertips to keys): “show don’t tell.” Many writers are plagued by this simple phrase because it can often be difficult to grasp the difference between “showing” and “telling”.
Telling means that you are simply writing in a matter-of-fact style (i.e. The ball is red; My business has a large sales and customer service department; We make and develop websites). All of these examples are fine grammatically and they accomplish just what a sentence should – to inform the reader. However, notice the weak nature of these sentences. They lie flat on the page and leave the reader feel nothing more than the movement of their eyes from left to right.

“Showing” is the ability to grasp and maintain the readers attention by giving apt details. A simple way to do this is to think about the subject at hand with all of your senses (i.e. The red rubber ball had a fine, protruding zigzag groove; WEBii’s staff includes a variety of experienced, helpful, and concerned individuals who take pride in their work; Our company develops contemporary, electrifying websites that will place your business at the forefront of the Internet). It’s adjustments like these that will change your sentences into statements, into something you can be proud of and the reader will have enjoyed reading.

Brevity

While “show don’t tell” is the golden rule for any strong piece of writing, brevity is still pivotal to any piece. Blogs, especially, need to be brief (more brief than a fictional story or a book). Some people spend all day sitting at a computer reading whatever’s in front of them for work or pleasure. This can cause bad posture and waning vision. This is the point where proofreading becomes a key component to writing. If you have a difficult time getting to the end of your own piece, then go back and make the necessary corrections. That said, even if you are passionate about your business or cause, you should never make the experience of reading your blog the equivalent to “pulling teeth.” Get to the point, expand with enough detail to either start a discussion or answer a question, and conclude.

A guide to boosting your business using online tools…

With the seemingly constant buzz over social networking, some people may wonder what all the fuss is about. How could these cleverly-named contrivances ever be relevant to your personal or professional life? The answer lies in people power. Millions of people use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and daily deal sites like Groupon on a regular basis. Each of these social media outlets offers ways to connect with customers and generate growth for your business. This includes opportunities in marketing, networking, and advertising. As an added bonus, they’re all free.

LinkedIn

Why it’s useful: LinkedIn’s 135 million users are focused on professional networking. Whether you are staying in touch with colleagues, seeking to fill a position at your company, searching for a potential vendor, or keeping updated on the latest industry news, LinkedIn is all business all the time.

Get started: Creating a LinkedIn account is simple – it only requires your name and email. To get the most return for your efforts, fill out your profile as thoroughly as possible. At minimum this information includes your current job, past jobs, education, honors & awards, and groups (service, industry, alumni, etc.) Next, start searching for and linking with colleagues, former co-workers, old classmates, and any business connections you may have. You can also create a company profile to keep your business connected with current clients, searching for potential customers, and up to date on the competition.

LinkedIn is a great way to follow up with business contacts you have recently met. A quick “Nice to meet you,” message can go a long way in establishing and maintaining a business relationship. As with Facebook and Twitter, always include a link to your LinkedIn profile in your email signature, website, etc.

GROUPON (and other daily deal/group buying sites)

Why it’s useful: An estimated 85 million people subscribe to daily deal sites and there are literally hundreds to choose from; Groupon, Living Social, Google Offers, Yelp Deals, Amazon Local, and BuyWithMe are just a few. The appeal of these sites is advertising exposure to a huge, targeted (i.e. local) audience, which could potentially generate a massive amount of sales and new customers.

Get started: Each of these sites work generally the same way: the merchant (that’s you) contacts a group buying site and arranges to offer a particular product or service at a great discount, usually 50% or greater, if and only if the site can generate a specified amount of sales. Carefully calculate how much this deal may be worth to your business. After factoring in the actual discount as well as the cut for the group buying site, you may make about 25% of what you would on a normal sale. If you think that sounds like a terrible business decision, consider this: 97% of merchants featured on Groupon request to be featured again. The effectiveness of the advertising and the enormous influx of new customers are worth the potential short-term drop in profit. If this viral advertising technique seems like a good fit for your business, go online and fill out a form on any daily deal website to find out more.

Social media offers powerful opportunities for mass advertising, connecting with customers, and industry communication. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Groupon are highly effective tools for your marketing and advertising arsenal. Equipped with these tips (and SOCIAL MEDIA 101), you can step confidently into the world of social media to boost your business and grow your customer base. Happy networking!

So, you got an email from someone asking you to “exchange links” with their website.  They want to link to your website and they want you to put a link to their website on yours.  They give you a little more info and end with a thank you.

What should you do? Is this a good idea?  Is it a scam?  What in the world do you get out of a link exchange?

First, the why: this is an old tactic used since the 90′s to try to promote a website – an early Internet marketing technique.  With today’s SEO, building links to your website (links from other websites that bring traffic to yours) is an important element.   But be wary of invitations to exchange links.

Here are my basic recommendations:

• If the email sounds canned, it probably is.  A lot of “Internet spammers” use automated programs to send thousands of these invites to any site they can find.  And sometimes the sites offering a link to you are not incredibly legitimate or note worthy.
• If you do not know or love the website offering the link, it probably isn’t worth considering.  In fact, that website might even be a competitor.
• If you do know and love the website, or if they are respected in your industry or well known to have high traffic (let’s say the official Pizza Hut website offered you a link), consider it.
• Instead of exchanging links with a website you don’t know (a cold invite) why not link to sites that belong to companies you do actually partner with and refer with?
• If you do accept a link exchange with any site, make sure the link is present on their website before you add one to your site.  And check back somewhat regularly to ensure they keep your link on their website. (If they roll it off in a few weeks – take the link you posted down. It’s only fair.)

Is this kind of email always a bad idea? Well, no.

There are still some legitimate, committed webmasters who manually select particular websites (maybe related to similar subjects or industries) to personally invite to link build with.  There might be some good efforts here and maybe their own website really is well-ranked or has some decent traffic.  (A link on a higher ranked website could have more weight and bring you some “SEO juice”.)

In most cases, you can ignore and delete an email you receive to post a link to someone’s website.  There are other ways to build quality legitimate links to your own website and gain traffic – including writing and guest writing blogs, articles, and press releases.

You can also leave helpful comments on other blogs that you read.  Feel free to leave comments here, but no spammy stuff of course!

In a recent video from Google, Matt Cutts explains his perspective on SEO and clears up the misconception that Google doesn’t like SEO providers.  He states that there is such a thing as quality “white hat” SEO and if you find such a provider, you can benefit your own website as well as Google and the whole searchable Internet.

Watch the Video: Google Says SEO is Not Spam

He points out that good practices include finding the right keywords, structuring your website to be easily legible (able to be found) by a search engine, and making it relevant to the audience.

This is right inline with what WEBii does for it’s clients, and Matt is right – we really are helping people and Google.  Because with every fine tuning we make to your website’s relevance, we are helping the right people find the right information more efficiently.  That is Google’s end goal.

Another thing mentioned in the video is that a good SEO provider will tell you the kinds of things they are going to do.  This is definitely one of the ways we stand out from “black hats”.  We really do tell you everything we are going to do during our proposal, and throughout the process we keep you informed about the tasks we performed.

And an important point is that we do all those things manually, with human intent.  There are plenty of small SEO services out there who will promise you the moon (or several moons) for the price of a few Big Macs.  Let’s be realistic – how can they make that work unless they are just using basic automated software?  How quality of a service can you expect from them?

Our “white hat” techniques are proven techniques, and we are seeing stellar results for our clients.  Our clients are succeeding on Google, because we are pushing good quality, relevant content – and to the right people (your actual customer!).

So do you have a “black hat” SEO experience?  Did someone promise you that “number 1″ ranking and not deliver?  Share your experience with me, and let us know if you would like to learn more about the right direction.

An easy guide to boosting your business using online tools…

With the seemingly constant buzz over social networking, some people may wonder what all the fuss is about. How could these cleverly-named contrivances ever be relevant to your personal or professional life? The answer lies in people power. Millions of people use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and daily deal sites like Groupon on a regular basis. Each of these social media outlets offers ways to connect with customers and generate growth for your business. This includes opportunities in marketing, networking, and advertising. As an added bonus, they’re all free.

FACEBOOK

Why it’s useful: With over 800 million active users, Facebook is undeniably the crown king of social media. Creating a profile for your business on Facebook will only take a few minutes and maximizing your Facebook page’s potential will take only slightly more effort.

Get started: First, ensure that you are utilizing every bit of contact information space with your address, phone number, a map to your location, and a link to your website. Secondly, make your page a helpful resource to your customers (and potential customers) with timely and relevant updates. Another great way to help your page stand out by occasionally adding fun, unique pictures or images that display your company’s unique style and personality. Lastly, encourage interactivity on your Facebook page by using the Questions function to poll visitors and also replying to anyone who posts on your page.

TWITTER

Why it’s useful: Twitter boasts more than 200 million micro-bloggers. Using Twitter as a means of marketing and advertising gives your campaign a more personal feel, making it an especially useful tool for small business owners.

Get started: Completely set up your business profile and add a picture before you start tweeting. If possible, create a custom Twitter background using your company’s brand. Then try posting a couple of test tweets over the course of a few days before you start following other people and asking people to follow you.  Vary your tweets: Twitter is a more personal form of social media so don’t feel like you have to be all business all the time. Keep it fun and interesting by varying comments about your business, helpful links, personal status updates, industry news, etc. Lastly, listen more than you talk. Follow other leaders in your industry to keep up with the latest news, techniques, and information relevant to your business.

Hopefully these statistics and will ignite a creative fire to spark your social media campaign. You may already be posting and tweeting away! However, there are more tools in your arsenal, stay tuned in the coming weeks for…

Social Media 102: LinkedIn & GROUPON (and other daily deal sites)

When you have an e-commerce site, you have ample opportunities to re-market to your customer base.  Maybe you didn’t know it, but there are several of these opportunities right at your finger tips.

1. Product reminders.

Some shopping carts come equipped with this feature, such as Zen Cart.  After the checkout process is complete, the confirmation page can display a “would you like to receive update about this product?”  If the user selects yes, they are subscribed to a basic newsletter or email reminder system that sends them an alert when you update the price or information on that product.

This is especially great for products that fit that high volume benefit – or that come in different sizes and colors.  Maybe I bought the red scarf and if I get a product reminder that the scarf just reduced in price, I will come back and buy the blue one, too.

2. Thank you deals.

Ever have one of those moments when you come back from a shopping trip with your new shirt and as you are unpacking it you think, Man, I should have bought those earrings, too….?  Give your customers a little incentive right after their purchase, and help satisfy that left over craving for your product.

Staple a coupon to their receipt, drop a coupon in their email box, or display a simple discount offer on the thank you page of your website’s checkout confirmation page.  (Thanks for your order!  Use this coupon code next time you shop with us….)  WEBii has been practicing this for many years on it’s web hosting order pages; the final “thank you” page ends with a 10% coupon toward their next account.  Sometimes customers hang onto this and think about that other website they have been planning to start up; they prompt themselves to order web hosting just a little sooner than they might have.

3. Referral programs.

The best compliment your customer can give you is the referral of another customer.  And they probably already do that, right?  But wouldn’t it be nice if everyone else – even someone who hasn’t purchased from you directly in a while – was referring people to your website and your business?

I am a believer of tapping your current customer base.  A great way to do this (and simple) is to drop a referral incentive in their shipment (if you are shipping physical product to them).  If you aren’t shipping anything, try this in your receipt emails.  A simple straight-forward program like “Refer a friend and get a $10 gift card”.  Who wouldn’t like ten bucks?  Set some basic rules, like the gift card is awarded after their friend makes an actual purchase.  Maybe you have other rules, but try to keep it simple (easy is key).

You could run the same kind of program with “outsiders” also – people who are not in your active customer database.  Just invite them to fill out an email form (again, very simple with few fields) to sign up for the free program.

Another route is joining an established affiliate program service, such as Commission Junction.  These types of programs are web-based and manage a network of various company affiliate programs that pay small commissions for referred business.  Companies can go through a review process to offer a program and individuals can sign up to become an affiliate and market those businesses.  The affiliate’s benefit is basically generating cash by sending traffic to your website that result in sales.  There are thousands of these types of programs, so you are in a sort of competition to gain affiliates, but depending on the gain your business receives from a few new purchases, it could be well worth the effort.

4. Sister company offers.

Do you have a related supplemental service or business that compliments your customer?

Instead of offering a coupon toward a purchase on your primary website, try offering a reward for trying out the new service. Or how about sending them a flyer or follow up email asking if they would like to subscribe to newsletter updates about your other new service?  For example, companies like Red Envelope often market their existing online customers with specials from their sister company Sherri’s Berries.

So now your e-commerce website is done and launched.  Congratulations!

Oh, but wait a minute – you need orders?

Yes, that’s right, the Internet is a beautiful thing, but it isn’t a leprechaun.  You have to market your website to bring traffic to it, and you need to pay attention to certain things to convert those visitors to buying customers.  Here are a few things to consider for your e-commerce marketing plan.

1. Tap your current customers.

Announce your new e-commerce website to your established customers!  Make it bold, make it loud, make it plentiful!  Wouldn’t it be terrible if you learned that one of your loyal customers purchased something online from a competitor just because they had no idea you sold it online too?  Use all the standard forms of media that you usually announce news and specials to your customers – in-store signage, window posters, e-mail newsletters, a blog, the stickers at your registers.

If your customers are not used to receiving things from you (especially e-mail), be a little careful and don’t bombard them with information.  You just want to inform them, not offend them.

2. Offer an incentive.

Give people a reason to revisit your business.  For example:

• Offer a small coupon discount toward their first purchase in your online store.
• Offer free shipping for a limited time.
• Offer free shipping for orders of a certain size.
• Offer a free add-on product with every order.

Come on – get creative – you can do it.

3. Tag-team your physical and online stores.

Launching an online site should be an expansion of your business, so it doesn’t have to make your retail store suffer.  Try offering special coupons during checkout of your retail shop for the customer’s next online purchase, and vice-versa, offer a special coupon on your website for in-store purchases.  Feature exclusive items in-store and different exclusive items on the website only.

4. Go to the presses.

Launching (or relaunching) a new website is news!  Write a press release about your new website and how exceptional it is.  Explain the amazing reasons behind why you chose to branch into online sales and what kind of wonderful experience customers can expect when shopping online with you.  Distribute your press release with a marketing consultant and resources like PR Web, or consult your SEO provider to work that content into your SEO marketing plan.

5. Build your SEO campaign.

Search engine optimization is important and you just cannot ignore it. Hire a reliable, proven SEO professional to build a strategy that will drive traffic from Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines to your website.  Learn more about WEBii SEO Services.

6. Maintain your website catalog.

When the visitor reaches your website, what will they see that engages them and urges them to buy?  Update your website (especially the homepage) periodically with new products or specials.  Make sure your catalog is updated regularly with accurate in-stock merchandise and the latest pricing.  Include a striking image (when possible) with each product so the customer understands immediately what you are selling and how great it looks.

6.b. Product images mean something.

I realize that images are not always shot by a professional photographer.  If you can afford to hire a photographer, do. You won’t regret it – because those photos can really help sell your product.  Granted, several website I have worked on have been successful with pretty decent photos taken by a graphic designer or a store owner.  If you are selling a virtual product, such as a class or a seminar, try to find a quality photo that compliments that.  Online shoppers are very visual and very impatient.  Having a photo of your instructor, your classroom, a happy customer – something, is better than a blank background.   One of our clients sells fitness bootcamps online, and in the early days we had photos of fitness gear posted with those product pages; later as their business grew and they gathered more actual photos of the bootcamps, we started using some of those photos of the instructors and customers in action.

iThink you have heard the news.

Yesterday the world lost a visionary business and technology leader. If you have any doubt as to Steve Jobs’s influence on the world today, try reading that first sentence again. In tribute, let’s look at a few lessons business owners can learn from Mr. Jobs:

Think Different, Act Different

Your business is uniquely yours. No one else can do exactly what you do, create the products you produce, or provide the exact same quality of service. It is important to realize the distinctive features of your company and seize upon them as opportunities to stand out from your competitors. Your business is set apart by its individual style, personality, and values.  These elements are reflected through your physical store, your website, business card, and even your Twitter account. Take every opportunity to set yourself apart from the crowd by thinking outside the proverbial box, and then acting on all those unconventional, quirky ideas with gusto.

Be Passionate About Your Work

Mr. Jobs was known for obsessive and enthusiastic dedication to his work. He envisioned the realm of computer extending beyond self-professed tech geeks and into arenas of music, telecommunication, and social interaction. He was so thrilled about the possibilities that he dedicated himself to driving the process forward. So what motivates you and your business? Do you have a product that really could change the world? Do you have a service to offer people that can improve their own businesses or their quality of life? Is customer interactions and finding solutions to meet their needs your favorite part of work? Whatever it is, I hope it is something you are continually excited about. Whenever a business or employee finds genuine enjoyment in doing their job well, customers notice, and your business will grow.

Focus, Simplicity, Excellence

All the bells and whistles in the world won’t hide a low-quality product. The latest technology and hottest gadgets don’t help you if they aren’t what you need to run your business effectively. A colorful website with snazzy Flash animation can’t help your customers if they can’t tell who you are and what you do. Sometimes less actually is more. Apple has often been way ahead of the curve in design and technology because they focus on developing a few products as close to perfection as possible. Focusing your business and striving for flawless performance can take you much further than trying to do everything all the time. Concentrating your company’s efforts helps you excel in your industry by anticipating market shifts and consumer needs, establishing your business as the leader in its field.

We like to talk about “going green”.  People as well as companies are hunting for ways to save the environment, save money, and be more “green”.

I have always thought that it seems wasteful to print out so many paper receipts at retail stores.

Especially the longer than necessary receipts I get from the pharmacy or grocery store which is filled with 10,000 leagues of coupons and reward incentives.   (Why not save that paper by moving the rewards and coupons to an electronic card or online program?)

It looks like the Gap corporation has recognized this opportunity.

During my recent checkout in one of their stores, the cashier asked me if I would prefer an email receipt.  My eyes perked up and I replied, “Yes!”.  She confirmed my email address on the payment pad and we were set.

I love this new method for customer receipts not only because it saves paper, but it also gives me the opportunity to easily access that information on my computer, and potentially archive it for my accounting records.   An excellent example of using Internet technology to make a better world.

We often include a link to a business owner’s Facebook fan page (local business Facebook Pages) on their website, so they can encourage their visitors to “subscribe” to current updates and create a comradery between their business and its customers.

But what if someone clicks on the Facebook link on your website and they are met with nothing but a login page?  They can’t peek inside the Wall a bit and check you out a little first? This is a common problem created by permission settings in your Facebook account.

Here’s what to do:

Login to your administrative Facebook account (the personal account of one of the admins) and visit your Facebook Page.

Click the Edit Page button on the right.

Under Manage Permissions, there is an option for Countries.  People often enter their home country or their customer’s countries in this box, but that will cause problems.  If someone is not currently logged into Facebook, Facebook does not have an immediate way to identify their country so it will force them to login first before they are allowed to view your Page.  Remove any countries listed here, and just leave the Countries box blank.  (Unless you do want to restrict certain countries from seeing your Page at all.)

With that setting adjusted, your Facebook page will be viewable publicly, even to visitors who are not yet logged into Facebook.  They will be prompted to login when they decide to “like” your page.

Find WEBii on Facebook too! Become one of our special fans.