OLUGBENGA OWOLABI

Effective and Smart Customer Survey

2010-05-17T05:06:00.001-07:00

Everyone talks a good game about trying to satisfy customers, but few business owners actually check whether they're hitting the mark.

There's a simple solution to that, of course. Start asking.

When conducted thoughtfully, and with appropriate follow-up, customer surveys can be your single most effective tool for growing sales and turning prospects and one-time buyers into loyal, repeat customers.

Perhaps you already know this and have done some surveying. If you aren't getting enough good feedback to make evaluations, you still need help.

See these tips below on how to produce meaningful customer surveys and then leverage the results to improve your business.

Why survey customers

Most of the time, when customers become dissatisfied, they don't stick around long enough to complain. They vote with their feet and disappear. But if you learn something's going wrong and, better yet, can correct it, you have a chance to retain and improve the satisfaction level of a customer. More importantly, you can make sure the same mistake isn't repeated.

A recent analysis by Fred Reichheld, a Bain & Co. consultant and author of Loyalty Rules, found that even a 5% increase in customer retention rates results in a 25% to 95% increase in profits (depending on the business). It definitely pays off to keep customers happy enough to return.

The many other reasons to conduct satisfaction surveys, according to Jeff Miller, director of client relations at Kohn Communications, a Los Angeles executive coaching firm, include:

Your customers get an opportunity to think and talk about what you do for them, which underscores and articulates your value.
Small annoyances are aired and don't snowball into the kinds of problems that erode relationships.
You get a chance to identify your competitive differences and strengths in the marketplace.
Compared to other marketing efforts, such as parties, gifts, lunches and the like, customer surveys are extremely cost-effective and efficient.

Here are three steps to create effective customer surveys.

1. Choose the right timing for surveys. Do your homework here. Consider how often your customers use your products and gauge your surveys accordingly. Restaurants, for example, often have comment cards at their tables or included with the bill. But let's say you run an event-planning business. Most clients will hire you once or twice a year or even every few years. So a monthly survey or a weekly e-mailed customer satisfaction form makes little sense. Instead, you want to tap your client's reactions directly after each event, and perhaps follow up six months later to reinforce the impression and keep the relationship active. In that case, you might include postage-paid survey postcards with the materials you give clients for events. These can easily be created with the applications included in Microsoft Office Small Business 2007. (Start by creating a useful customer database with Business Contact Manager in Outlook and then import the database into Publisher to design and print the self-addressed postcards.)

2. Ask the right questions. This is crucial. Take some time to think through the wording and goals of your survey. "Give customers open-ended questions," says Briana Marrah, senior account manager at Parker LePla, a Seattle marketing company." Ask questions that help you identify what customers value about you." Mike Avino did just that when he decided to mail surveys to prospects and clients as a marketing strategy. Avino owns a construction company in Long Island, N.Y., with about 15 employees and more than $4 million in annual revenues. He once did most of his business for the federal government, but in 2003 that dried up. So he decided to send out a questionnaire to try to drum up new clients. After doing research online, Avino sent a 20-item questionnaire, along with a self-addressed stamped reply envelope, to the top 25 architects in Long Island. He asked them to identify the greatest challenges about working with contractors, what problems architects most often encountered with contractors, what they liked and didn't like about construction companies, and more. He netted five responses. He followed those up with phone calls and, eventually, one-to-one meetings and lunches. Next, Avino expanded his list to a few hundred top architects in the New York metro area and, most recently, to a regional mailing for 600."We keep a database of potential clients in both Microsoft Access and Excel," he says. "We've used Publisher to create follow-on postcards. We also used Publisher to design our logo, letterhead, biz cards and brochure." Avino says he's consistently getting a 15% to 20% response. And it's very positive. "We're getting some really good info from our questionnaires and it's been a boon to marketing." Plus, he's landed a contract to pave roads in a local condominium community.

3. Plan the right follow-up. There's no point in mounting a survey if you don't follow through. Whether your survey was done via phone, e-mail or surface mail, you should call and personally thank each customer who responded. "Tell them how much you appreciate their efforts and time," says Kohn Communications' Miller. "Make sure you also tell them that you've heard their concerns and are making changes." And be prepared for results you may least expect. For example, Miller tells about an accountant who specialized in serving manufacturing companies. The accountant particularly prided himself on being knowledgeable about the industry and up-to-speed about his clients' problems and challenges. Yet results from a survey he sent out said otherwise. Clients loved him personally, but a whopping 90% thought he wasn't as knowledgeable as he should be about their business." And that question wasn't even on the survey," Miller says." Clients had to write it in." What was the upshot? The accountant joined a high-profile trade organization and began regularly showing up at events. He registered for a few industry seminars and classes. He also wrote some articles and got those published in trade journals that his clients read and respected. Soon enough, his survey feedback was terrific. Many owners avoid surveys because they worry it will turn up bad news. But if you get bad survey results, the good news is that you usually have something tangible that you can fix. If you keep losing customers, however, you'll eventually go out of business altogether.

Web Development Tips

2010-05-15T14:59:00.001-07:00

15 TIPS FOR TIMELY, EFFECTIVE SEARCH ENGINE KEYWORDS

What's attracting paying customers and boosting profits today? Here's one proven strategy: Using keywords effectively to market your business online.

"Many businesses get $3 for every $1 they spend," says Jill Whalen, a veteran search consultant in Framingham, Mass., whose optimization business, High Rankings, was founded in 1995.

For free or "organic" search, it begins by figuring out the keywords used by your preferred customers as they search for what you sell on engines like MSN and Google.

For pay-per-click search, where you bid for positions on results pages, it starts with figuring out the keywords used by your preferred customers.

In other words, it all starts with keywords.

Here's a swift lesson in solving the keyword puzzle.

First things first

Let's get this straight. Targeted search marketing is not plug and play. It's complicated and time-consuming. Every day, it's a moving target. Plus, search is increasingly competitive, so you can quickly get pushed off the page (organic) or outbid (paid). (For search basics, see this article.)

"Search is like golf," says Gord Hotchkiss, president and CEO of Enquiro, a search marketer based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. "It's not that hard to do it halfway right and get results. But like golf, there's a whole other dimension to search that almost no one has scratched."

Given the complexities, success comes faster by harnessing expert help, such as an experienced consultant or inexpensive automated software, such as Microsoft Submit It!, a search-engine submission tool.

What's the good news?

Search engine marketing is a bargain. You know almost immediately what works and what doesn't, which lets you shift tactics and keywords on a dime. And even when done only "halfway" right, search marketing can be amazingly effective.

Keys to keywords

While experts may be better at drilling into engine algorithms and analytics, you're the smartest bet for figuring out keywords that define your business and that will draw serious traffic.

So stay on top of the keyword process. These 15 tips will help.

1. Research, test, and learn. Industry sites such as Overture and Wordtracker now make it easier to select keywords. Their free online tools give you a popularity barometer of keywords and offer suggestions about choices. "However, if you don't get the right percentage of click-throughs to impressions, it can cost you time and money," says Pedro Sostre, a Miami-based online marketing pro. You want traffic that converts into customers, not lots of visitors. Move slowly and build on what you learn.

2. Choose phrases. "Don't just look at one keyword. Look at hundreds of phrases," advises High Rankings' Whalen. The more specific the phrases, the more likely you'll attract exactly the visitor who's looking for what you sell.

3. Mix and match. While you're brainstorming with friends, staff and experts to come up with key phrases, make sure you run the gamut from broad keywords to specific ones, so you reel in all possible prospects.

4. Don't overlook the obvious. The HTML title tag at the top of your browser window is a prime factor in search indexing. "Clients waste their title tag by including only their company name," says Rosemary Brisco at ToTheWeb, a search marketer in San Mateo, Calif. "The tile should include search terms and 'call to action' messaging to entice prospects to click on your link when it is presented in the search engine results page." (For more dos and don'ts, see this article.)

5. Invest in education. Run a pay-per-click campaign for a few weeks to learn which keywords pull. That way you don't have to spend a lot of time and effort optimizing your site pages for keywords you don't yet know will work. Armed with the pay-per-click data, you can then optimize and shift to organic search.

6. . . . Or, if you love graphics. Search engines don't read graphics or Flash animation. If your site relies on Flash or illustrations, then pay-per-click is a smart bet so you don't have to optimize your site.

7. Join the club. Each industry has its own buzzwords and jargon. Use those to draw the insiders you want to reach.

8. Review results. You'll waste time and money if you don't keep checking which keywords attract which customers. Then you can winnow out effective keywords and track which ones pull from which engines. You also learn which engines deliver customers who choose certain wares or services. You can easily measure how your advertising is pulling with affordable site-traffic analysis software such as Microsoft's FastCounter Pro.

9. Be your own customer. Every month or so, visit a search engine and input the keywords you're using and considering. You might be surprised at the results. Also, call your top customers and ask them what keywords they currently use.

10. Use your keywords consistently. An Overture study found that users gave a nearly 50% higher "likelihood to click" to listings in which the keyword was included in both the title and the description.

11. Leverage location. As a small business, you're may be dependent on regional or local business. So, "use word combinations that include your city's name and surrounding suburbs or towns from which you draw customers," says Jim Caruso, chief executive of MediaFirst PR in the Atlanta area.

12. Be a bad speller (or at least know how to be one). Research the keywords that your customers might use but spell incorrectly. "You'd be amazed at how often prospects misspell common words," says ToTheWeb's Brisco.

13. Add content. Keywords work best when there's actual content for engines to cruise and find. When you have post relevant articles, information or reports, competitors and other sites tend to link to your site, which adds to your traffic. As broadband penetration increases and users find searching for information much easier, content is becoming ever more critical.

14. Map pages to keywords. Rather than sending a potential customer to a landing or home page, try to link your keyword descriptions to exactly the page that offers the item or information the user wants.

15. Be honest. Finally, you'll get better long-term results with keywords that actually represent your services or products. Be honest. Hyping your business or shading the value of what you offer via juiced-up keywords will only disappoint searching customers. And what good will that do you?

Not a Success Story! It’s One-Page Business Tip

2010-05-07T20:13:00.001-07:00

This is not a success story!

It's a One-Page Tip on How to Jumpstart Your Business

Write (or revisit) your business plan: You may already have a business plan in place, but with the uncertain economy it's a good idea to revisit your goals and objectives for the next six months, the next year, the next five years. Make your business plan a living document and update it at least quarterly, or even better, every month. It will help you stay on track and more easily adapt to changes in customer demand.
Be known as an expert: You know you are an expert, but if you write, speak, and network like one people will automatically associate you with your niche. You'll make a much greater impression as the speaker at an event than simply shaking hands and handing out business cards. And you can further build expert status by writing articles for publication, having your own newsletter, or starting a blog.
Define your niche: Many people feel that being more general about what they offer makes them more marketable. Often the opposite is true. Most people want to work with a specialist, and one of the best ways to stand out in a crowded market is to be very specific about what you do and who you do it for.
Become (or hire) a marketing expert: At core marketing means building relationships, being able to speak clearly about the benefits of your offerings, and having conversations with people who might need your products or services. Search the Web for tips, use Pinpoint to find expert help, and talk to other professionals about the marketing efforts that work best for them.
Follow-up with new contacts, maintain connections with current ones: You've likely collected numerous business cards, but what have you really done with them? Following up is critical to business success. Consider these ways to keep your company in the front of people's minds:
- Send individual e-mails recalling specifics of your conversation with an invitation to visit your Web site.
- Invite contacts to periodic open houses to see what you do firsthand.
- Distribute a newsletter or blog that builds your reputation as an expert.
- Promote special offers to pique contact interest in what you offer.
Provide information in addition to your offerings: Build customer trust by providing clear, succinct information about your products and services, with emphasis on the benefits to customers and your expertise in meeting their needs. Providing helpful tips on your Web site where appropriate establishes your credibility and helps customers see how what you do can provide value to them.
Keep prices competitive, offer incentives: Everyone is looking for a deal these days. Whether it's reducing your prices, offering something free as incentive on your Web site, or providing additional services to customers when they contact you, doing something above just selling your product or service can give you an edge on your competitors.
Promote results and benefits, not processes: Most people don't care how you help them reach their goals, as long as you do it with integrity, efficiency, and within their budget. Instead of talking about how you work, be clear about your expertise and the changes people can expect from working with you. Get into the habit of asking clients for testimonials and referrals and consider writing (or hiring someone to write) case studies on successful engagements you've had. The most effective promotion comes from satisfied customers.

OWOLABI Olugbenga Resume

2009-12-10T03:59:00.001-08:00

}OWOLABI J. Olugbenga

1, Park Road (Gidan Sambo), Gusau Zamfara State, Nigeria

Phone: 07039230083

E-mail: distinctconcept@gmail.com

Web: http://www.olugbengaowolabi.blogspot.com

Sex: Male

Marital Status: Single

Date of Birth: 2^nd
June 19XX

State of Origin: Osun State, Nigeria

Place of Birth: Surulere, Lagos State, Nigeria

Objectives

Strongly determined to work with noble minds to satisfy the onward global economic and information needs of business organizations to the end of realizing every corporate goal(s). To improve standards through teamwork and dedicated service for excellence.

Education

2006 | BSC Computer Science with Economics

BSc in Computer Science with Economics option (Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye)

2002 | University Diploma

Diploma in Data Processing (Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye)

Professional Qualification

MCITP (Database Developer 2008)

Microsoft Certified Information Technology Personnel

Experience

Mar 2009 – Jan 2010| Manager/Programmer

Twinkles ICT | 1, Park Road, Gusau Zamfara

Project Management

Database/Web development

Market Research and Data Analysis

Jun 2009 - Dec 2009| Director of Programs/Instructor

Passion for Impact, Nigeria (NGO) | I.C.E, Tundu Wada, Gusau, Zamfara

Organized and source for resource persons for human development programs
Developed Web-pages and database
Delivered weekend-seminar talks

Jan 2003 - Jan 2009| DBA/Business Analyst

M.Owo International | 9, Amoo Street, Berger Lagos

Database Administration
Inventory Management

Payroll management

Market Research and Analysis

Product Design and Sampling,

Planning Sales Promotion

Jan 2001 - Dec 2008| Programmer/Consultant

Distinct Concept, Nigeria | Genesis House, Emeka Street, Badagry Lagos

Developed Web-pages and database for I.C.E group of schools, Gusau Zamfara.
Redesigned the logo, designed and managed webpage and photo gallery of products for M.Owo International Nigeria Company.
Designed the logo for Cyber Speed Cafe, Gusau, Zamfara (Including Network re-configuration)
Designed "PERFORMANCE EVALUATOR", a precision sensitive University Students' performance evaluating software (Fuzzy Logic Implement).
Developed a "Loan Risk Evaluator" for decision support application for Integrated Microfinance Bank Ltd, Ikeja, Lagos.
Developed a Replacement Analysis Software (for enterprise usage)
Developed an Inventory Analysis Software (for managerial decision support systems)

Skills

Excellent computer, writing and oral presentation skill
Ability to communicate with, motivate, teach, mentor and manage team,
Excellent creativity and negotiation skill with ability to managing change, plan, organize and execute day-to-day tasks.
Ability to analyzing numbers, solve problems, manage growth and manage risk with strategic thinking.
Pro-active, systematic and target-oriented work approach
Effective public speaking and sharp marketing skill
Heavy capacity
Site-based skill in information technology consultancy and implementation
Excellent fine and applied art skill
Oracle 10g and Microsoft Projects, Server and Database Development (2008) and Web development

Donations and Publications

Designed Logo, database and web page as a free contribution to Passion for Impact (A new NGO, Zamfara: http://passion4impact.blogspot.com )
Database implementation for Zainab International School, GRA, Gusau Zamfara.
Transport Management Software: for Transport Unit of Olabisi Onabanjo University, P.M.B 2002, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.
Cancer Expert System: a cancer diagnosing software, as a proposed contribution to Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu through mathematical sciences department, Olabisi Onabanjo University, P.M.B 2002, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

Hobbies

Computers, fine and applied arts, scrabble, (available for travel)