Business Solutions

Benefits And Tips Of Effective Article Writing In Online Marketing

2013-09-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Writing is a difficult yet challenging and fulfilling task. Article writing for online purpose have benefits not just for businessmen but also for online searchers. In general, there are 2 benefits stipulated and expounded as follows:

1. The articles produced help business sites to rank in the search engines. This is the primary purpose of online writing, to produce articles that are helpful in caddying the site to the top page of Google, Yahoo or Bing. This reflects to SEO content writing. Transparently, both online contents and SEO work together in online marketing.

2. The articles generated serve as sources of information for the skimmers or readers to determine relevant solutions to their problems. Most users out of more than 2 billion regular internet users are subjecting their needs to the search engines. The very reason why people may use Google, for instance, is to look for remedies to their encountered problems or concerns.

For businessmen, having great contents is significant for their business growth. Hence, they may have to opt having articles from the providers of professional writing services. But, there's risk in doing this; that's why there might be a need to understand the dynamics of article writing.

Provided subsequently are the simple yet effective tips on how to produce good and useful contents online:

1. Having a blueprint first before writing down everything with respect to specific niches is important. This blueprint refers to the needed outline. This is a guide in writing. This is a framework of what is going to write, from start to finish.

2. It is vital to make relevant researches in order to solidify the arguments of the articles and to avoid demoralizing critiques from others. The idea that is going to convey to the public is embedded in the articles. Thus, having substantial facts or arguments to support the main idea will certainly help the articles to become great and enticing.

3. When everything is ready, it is time to start writing following the outline or blueprint. In this phase, it is imperative to be mindful in using a 'deductive form of writing.' Others call it 'the pyramid style.' Most online readers are impulsive and not analytically. They would just read the top paragraphs and then scan the rest. Therefore, it is a must to put the very essence of the articles in the first few paragraphs.

4. Doing proofreading is important to check typical human errors in writing like spelling defects and grammar stains before submitting the written articles to the article submission sites. The refinement and polishing of the articles should be done in this stage.

5. Understanding the algorithms of the search engines is the last but still significant point. These algorithms are the bases of the search engines in their site ranking procedures. The search engines, like the ones specified in the foregoing context, are so strict with the articles that should be original, quality, relevant, informative and error-free.

After listing the benefits and the tips, it is perhaps now clear why writing is so significant nowadays in internet marketing. Writing plays a major role towards us so as internet.

Reasons Behind Gold Collecting And Investing

2013-09-02T02:52:00.000-07:00

There are various reasons to purchase gold coins. For one, each one holds a unique story. The style, mint marks, condition, and make up of each coin can provide you a glimpse on what was going on in its country of origin when it was created, and can thus provide you with a better understanding of the past. Collecting coins, also known as numismatics, is considered one of the oldest hobbies. It became extremely popular in the last century when commemorative coins became widely accessible.

Clubs have been created by coin enthusiasts, which enable them to meet and trade with other enthusiasts. There are various kinds of coin collectors. Some complete a collect-able series. Others buy one example of each of the major design for a specific denomination. In addition there are those that collect coins produced in one particular year. Others collect coins that show a specific theme. Some also collect foreign and old coins.

There are individuals who buy gold whose primary reason for doing so is not to collect, but as an investment vehicle. These individuals purchase coins expecting that these will grow in value with time. There are coins that hold an intrinsic bullion value and you can also get those that are valuable due to their rarity. Bullion coins carry market values that are based on the value of their fine gold content, along with a premium which varies from dealer to dealer. They aren't similar to commemorative or numismatic coins, whose value depends on design, rarity, and finish, instead of just the amount of gold they contain.

One advantage of owning physical gold, like coins, is that there is no counter-party risk. Therefore, your investment doesn't count on someone else keeping their promises or staying in business. Furthermore, in contrast to paper currencies, gold coins have preserved their value across the ages, and are hence viewed as a good instrument to pass on wealth from one generation to another.

Another advantage about gold is that it is an excellent vehicle to secure one's wealth. Gold is proven to be an excellent hedge against inflation, because its price will usually rise if the cost of living goes up. In periods of deflation, gold prices tend to soar while other prices decrease greatly. As such, many individuals buy gold not to trade it, but for portfolio diversification or to work as a hedge against the risk of investment losses like in real estate, equities and bonds.

Searching For Jobs? 5 Tips To Ensure Success

2013-08-29T02:52:00.001-07:00

1. Focus your efforts on the right companies: You need to target your search on the companies that are most likely to hire you. Make a list of these companies and do plenty of research on them so that you know exactly to whom or where you have to apply to for a job. If you apply indiscriminately for a job then you'll just be wasting your time effort.

2. Use your network of contacts to hear about jobs that are not advertised: While it helps to apply through job search agencies, you should also start doing networking so that you let people know that you are looking for a job. You'll be surprised at the number of job openings you hear about in this manner.

3. Make sure that your reputation is squeaky clean: This includes your online reputation. You can be sure that potential employers will dig into your background. If your social networking profile has photos of yourself doing foolish or illegal things then you should take them down immediately. If you can't do that then you should at least be prepared to answer tough questions very honestly.

4. Have a great bio-data: Prepare your application by customizing it to the company you are applying to. Be sure to highlight your strengths with specific reference to a company's requirements. In other words, it should reflect exactly why you are the best person for the job.

5. Don't get discouraged: Job hunting can take a lot of time if you are really unlucky. You'll need to keep your spirits up during this difficult time so that you can focus on searching for the right employment.

There are plenty of jobs available, even in the most difficult of times, for those people who know how to search for them. If you use these tips then you'll find that your job search comes to a fruitful conclusion at the very earliest. In fact, you'll be able to get started on a career and not just any sort of employment.

How To Handle The Tough Stuff!

2013-08-27T02:18:00.000-07:00

Did you think it would be 'easy' having your own business? I was driving through a small business area of town last week and commenting to my friend that many people just have absolutely NO idea what it takes to have a business and to succeed in business.

There are so many misconceptions about what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. Anyone who knows me knows that I like to keep things simple. So, taking this simple approach, I want to speak to a number of different situations in business that we all face and give you some of the simple steps I take to handle them.

1) Clients. We all have them. We all want more. And when you get more... well, tough stuff can come up. As I'm often heard saying: "Where 2 or more people are gathered'... And when it comes to clients, you are going to have situations where clients aren't engaged in the work that needs to get done to grow their business - they don't pay on time or they don't pay at all - some back out of their signed contract with you. They lie to you. They let you down. They disappoint you.

2) Team Members. Tough stuff happens when you are just starting out in business and need to hire team members to support you. Tough stuff happens when you are growing your business and you are adding to the team. Personalities get in the way. Different energy creates different synergy. Emotions come into play. There can be competition among team members. Miss-communication is always a challenge - because it happens. We are all people!

3) Opportunities. You might find it a bit weird that I added this one - but, think about it. As you grow your business and certainly as you get more successful, more and different opportunities come your way. When that happens - all kinds of 'stuff' comes up. What if I'm not good enough? What if they don't want to pay me what I'm worth? What if they start comparing me to others in my league? What if they don't like me?

I don't think we talk about the tough stuff often enough because we are so focused on learning and doing everything it takes to GROW the business. The interesting part is we all go through it - often times we haven't learned, or been trained, on how to deal with a lot of it - and so not only do we make mistakes (and costly ones, at that) but a lot of the emotional tough stuff festers and we allow it to eat us up.

There are some things that I have learned and steps I take to handle this and I wanted to pass it on to you.

Entrepreneur - know thyself! What I mean by that is - how do you best handle tough stuff? For me, it's got to be first thing in the morning. That's when my energy is high and my focus is clear. Anything that is a challenge gets handled before noon. My emotions are intact. I make business decisions - and do not come from an emotional space. Deal with the facts.

Keep it simple. When tough stuff happens, we tend to over complicate things - as we do in most other situations. Keep it simple - whether it's writing a response to a difficult email, or an in-person meeting to deal with an uncomfortable situation. Keep it simple and, again, stick to the facts.

Work with a coach. It's so easy to lose perspective when dealing with difficult situations or with difficult people. And it will happen. So, working with a coach is one of the best ways to stay grounded - get perspective - learn from someone who has been there and who can guide you.

Deal with it quickly. Tough stuff happens to all of us. Don't let it fester. Get a handle on the facts - create a plan - and work the plan. The sooner you deal with the tough stuff, the more positive energy you will release which enables you to move on and continue to serve the people you are meant to work with. Then move on...

Content Marketing 5 Tips

2013-08-24T07:40:00.004-07:00

1. Know your audience.

The first rule of content marketing is the same as the first rule of any type of marketing: Talk to your customers. If you work in a more creative space, get creative. If it's more upscale, go in that direction. Stick to what you know and what is expected from you.

When brands dip out of their allotted areas of expertise and try to reinvent themselves as something they're not, things can get a bit off track and confusing. Your content marketing plan should fall well within the company's overall marketing strategy. If it doesn't, it's misguided and unlikely to pay off.

2. Stay in your wheelhouse.

Lack of resources will be an early obstacle you must overcome. Who is going to build it, and how long will it take? If you have designers or video producers at your disposal, you're already one step ahead of some of the competition, but you'll need to budget both money and time.

If the idea is too grandiose and can't be completed in a reasonable timeframe, you've set your sights too high. Dream large and hope for the best possible outcome, but stay within the boundaries of what your team is capable of and what executives are expecting from you.

3. Pick the right angle.

I cannot stress enough how much time goes into selective and crafting the right approach for a topic. I've found that blending together two common, but not associated, ideas works well as art. You can't force two things together; they have to be styled. When you gather your team to brainstorm content marketing ideas, focus on how an original take will elevate your brand, not just look really cool. When done well, the final product will achieve both at once.

4. Make it accessible.

Even the most popular TV shows, movies, books, or other pop cultural trends are still only followed or "liked" by a small population of people. You don't want to limit the scope of your content marketing to just the avid fans. At the same time, you'll want to go into some detail and depth to showcase something worth reading and sharing. That balance is the key to great content.

5. Think about syndication.

Every person who works in PR or marketing is trying to get his company more press and opportunities from industry big shots. I have long believed that the best way to get on people's radar is to study what they do and then show them some more of it; they'll be happy you did it.

Ahead of creating your slides or your videos, consider your target audience and potential online venues. If it's a technology beat, build your content to be more techy. That way, when you do roll it out and send them a note about it, it'll be an obvious fit for them. With it, you'll get the admiration and name recognition that you seek.

10 Signs That Your Website Is Screaming For a Makeover

2013-08-23T02:30:00.001-07:00

Your website needs a makeover if...

It's boxy. Remember cars of the 80's? (If you are too young, hit Google images). They looked like shoe-boxes on wheels. Straight edges and sharp corners everywhere. Now look at today's cars. Smooth sleek curved lines. If your website looks boxy - it's time for a website makeover.

It has cringeworthy photos. We all have a good laugh at the clothes and hair we used to wear (... and think that we looked good in. Me? I was sure my afro perm was brilliant). You can pick the era by what is in the photo. If your photos are showing your age - it's time for a website makeover.

It has mission brown colour schemes. OK. You may not have mission brown and avocado on your website, but colours do go out of fashion. If you haven't refreshed your colour palette for a few years - it's time for a website makeover.

There are cobwebs on your SEO. If your SEO strategy for your site consists of seeing how many times you can shove your keyword into a sentence (and not worry if any human can actually read it) - it's time for a website makeover.

You have rusty code. Would you race your vintage (meaning never been serviced) Datsun 180B at Bathurst? You wouldn't make it round the first bend before blowing a gasket and creating a smoke hazard on the track. The code that runs your website may have been state-of-the-art back in its day. But if it is more than 5 years old - it's time for a website makeover.

It's full of someones that I used to know. Employees (and executive members) come and go. But if your site still is pining over someone who left more than a few weeks ago - it's time for a website makeover.

There are rain cheques on that service. We all know that service offerings change. You pick up new services and discontinue old ones. But if your website still tells everyone about what you used to offer, and not what you currently offer it is like walking into a takeaway food place (I refuse to call them restaurants), and finding that the blackboard menu has lines through everything except for the battered flake. And when you add that the pricelists are only for 2011 and you have to guess the current rate - it's time for a makeover.

You've Got Mail. Remember how excited we were when we first got email? That's when Hotmail and other free email accounts were in their heyday. If you still have a Hotmail account (or Bigpond or Optus or Gmail) as your primary business account, you are wearing the equivalent of a Walkman - it's time for a website makeover.

You have stuffy web copy. If your web copy reads like you have taken a bath in starch, and then rolled in jargon - it's time for a website makeover.

It's only viewable with a massive magnifying glass. If your site is only viewable on a nice large desktop computer, and you issue a microscope to anyone who wants to read your site on a mobile device - it's time for a makeover.

Top 10 Membership Marketing Tips

2013-08-21T03:08:00.000-07:00

• Create and understand your 'buyer persona': Understanding who your core customers are. These will be split into two categories - those that are not members and need to understand who you are and why they should join, and those that are members and need to understand why they should continue to subscribe. Figure out who your typical new or existing member is - what they do for a living, what business/personal issues they face, where do they spend their time online, who do they go to for advice, what's the key driver in their decision to join a membership organization? Understanding your buyer persona will ensure your marketing messages are created to exactly target these people.

• Make more use of your website: Your website and your online presence is you’re most valuable and cost effective marketing tool. Make sure you're squeezing every little bit of benefit out of it.

1. Optimize for the search engines to make sure you can be found online
2. Make clear sales paths so prospective members can easily understand the benefits of membership and the subscribing process
3. Let members log into a self-service portal so they can manage their own membership profile, make purchases, register for events and buy relevant merchandise
4. Enable social sharing of documents and pages
5. Integrate social media feeds.
• Create engaging useful, thought leadership content: Create content that prospects and members alike want to read and share. This is a great way of boosting your site in the search engines and social platforms, driving traffic and positioning yourself and an industry thought leader. It encourages people to come back to your website time and time again (and refer it to others in their industry), whether they are a member or not.

• Encourage online discussions: Let members and non-members communicate through an integrated self-service portal, a member's only forum area and/or though social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. If members can use your website or social accounts as a hub to come and engage in discussions with their peers, you are able to not only keep up to date with the latest industry news, issues and problems but can also market yourself as a hub through which members and non-members alike can network.

• Ensure your membership offering keeps up with the times: People want to make use of online communications, so make sure you can communicate via email, social platforms and through your website. Let members log on to manage their own membership. Try and eliminate as much paper from the subscribe and re-subscribing process - then make sure you communicate these innovations to your members and prospects

• Make it easy for members to re-join: Make sure you communicate with members before their membership expires - if they don't know their membership is due for renewal, how will they remember to do it? Encourage renewals by offering early re-joining discounts and offer multiple ways to pay - including online payments, direct debits and automatic credit card payments

• Make sure all your branding initiatives are in line with your core message: Decide what you want to stand for and make sure everything backs this up - reinforcing the message wherever you can be found.

• Make sure your membership events run as smoothly as possible: Take advantage of event software to make the planning and running of events easy. Invite members through targeted emails, let them register online, give them access to their own self service portal where they can manage their booking details, provide online post event surveys and more.

• Build relationships with key industry personnel: Make sure relevant people in your industry know what you're doing and what your message is. Connect with journalists, key bloggers and industry experts via their websites, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Begin to develop a relationship with these key people and find out what kind of news stories they're looking for. Then make sure you let them know about relevant news and events and provide them with all the information they need to help you promote these.

• Make sure you communicate the value of membership: What do members gain from joining your organization? If they attend events, enhance their qualifications, gain new connections and business - make sure they know about it (it's easy to forget exactly what you've done over the course of a year - you can't assume members will be making a mental list of all the interactions and benefits they've had from their subscription). Make it easy for members to see exactly what they've gained through their membership and reinforce the value over and over again.

10 Steps to Start a Home Based Business

2013-08-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

1. Inspect Your Talents And Skills

Many people confuse talents with skills. Talents are distinctive traits such as a leadership quality, thinking outside the box, or being good with patterns. Most likely, these already define you since you were young. Skills are things that are not inherent, but you have been able to learn such as driving, writing, and programming.

2. Fill A Need

All successful businesses fill a need in one form or another. Assess your target market and note what are their needs and interests. Include information on how large or small the market is.

3. Brainstorm Business Ideas Based on Market Needs and Your Capabilities

Make sure that what you have to offer will fulfill a need or even an interest. For example, if you are good with graphic design and you live in an area near a school and business centers, then you already have a market that includes students with their school projects and businesses with advertising concerns.

4. Know The Profit Potential

Most people asking themselves "How do I start a good business?" equates good business with good profits, and rightly so. Analyze whether you could make enough out of your business to pay your expenses. Know the possible supplies cost, time and work that you invest in it, and how much clients are willing to pay for your product. Be as realistic as possible in this step. Ask yourself, "Will it sustain my needs in the long run?"

5. Legality Checks

Laws about businesses vary from area to area. Make sure you have done your research so you won't end up investing so much only to find out you have broken a law or that operating your business is not feasible in your area.

6. Make A Business Plan

This will provide you a guideline so you won't lose track of your goals, and help you see potential risks that you have overlooked in the process. It lets you see what it entails to start and run your business and if you have the means to do so.

7. Decide Whether To Insure Or Not

Starting a home-based business has its own risks. Getting insurance for your business will prevent you from experiencing great losses from untoward events in the future. Think wisely about this.

8. Invest In The Business

Give your best in preparing for your business. Pay close attention to details. It would greatly help if you could offer people a product or service that is uniquely yours. Make a label that would be easily identified. The best way to do this is to present people with an excellent service or product.

9. Marketing And Networking

Advertising is a powerful tool especially if you're starting up a business. Use the good old word of mouth. Use social media. Use posters and flyers. Ask help to spread the word from family and friends. At this point, you would need all the help you can get.

10. Business Launch

This is it! This is where all your questions on "how do I start a home based business?" come to an end. You have done everything you can to make a successful business launch. Just remember that running a business has its ups and downs. Important tricks of the trade can only be learned not before, but along the way. Good luck!

The 6 Most Important Characteristics of an Entrepreneur

2013-08-18T10:32:00.005-07:00

1. Successful Entrepreneurs are Confident

The business world is highly competitive and you need to have enough confidence to be able to handle the pressures of the job. There will always be failures that occur but do you have the courage to overcome them and the ability to find better solutions? Self-confidence means trusting in your own capabilities. Do you have self-confidence, the drive, and the passion to get the job done?

2. Successful Entrepreneurs are Risk-takers

One of the greatest characteristics of an entrepreneur is to trust his hunches and act on them. Do you have the confidence and drive to take calculated risks? There is always the possibility of failure but entrepreneurs already have a vision of the future and can actually see themselves being successful. They also know success is not just based on luck. It also takes effort and hard work.

3. Successful Entrepreneurs Know the Value of Money

Most entrepreneurs understood the value of money at a very young age. They worked, earned, and saved money as they were growing up. They also had developed keen powers of observation and are very aware of what is going on around them. Because of this power of observation, entrepreneurs are gifted with the ability to know what product or service is going to do well.

4. Successful Entrepreneurs Like Challenges

Another characteristic of an entrepreneur is that he likes the excitement and challenge of taking on new projects and making them work. He is always seeking to improve his business ventures and is constantly on the lookout for great ideas. An entrepreneur is curious and creative and understands how to stay ahead of his competitors by introducing new ideas or exploring new ventures.

5. Successful Entrepreneurs are Trustworthy

Even though the business world can be ruthless, you should always strive to make every business deal honorable. Having good work ethics and good business practices can make a big difference. They will ultimately lead to a good business reputation and a good association with your peers and business partners. Building trust is an essential part of your business.

6. Successful Entrepreneurs Know the Value of Leisure Time

If you are a hard-working businessman you need to know the value of taking time away from your job. Burnout can happen if your work consumes you. Enjoy some downtime with family and friends. You need to build leisure time into your schedule. Having fun and relaxation time refreshes your body and mind and gives you the renewed energy to return to the stressful world of business.

I know that other characteristics of an entrepreneur exist and are not limited to the six I have listed. These are the ones I felt were most important. Also having these characteristics of an entrepreneur is not a guarantee of success but a guideline. So if you have these qualities and are wondering if you should follow your dreams and become a business owner, maybe you should give it a try. A good entrepreneur can often start with a part-time business and eventually turn it into a very successful full-time business especially with the added advantage of internet marketing.

Becoming the Best - 10 Tricks to Becoming a Successful Vendor

2013-06-11T00:01:00.001-07:00

Have a Great Display - You may not be a physical table at a craft fair or a storefront on Main Street, but you are a presence and you should display your website and all online advertising as though it were your storefront -- because it is!

Car Salesmen and Kittens - Don't take this the wrong way, there are some wonderful used car salesmen that are very nice to work with. However, in a stereotypical sense, used car salesmen are seen is pushy, loud and very obnoxious. Don't be a kitten, either; being backwards and super shy won't sell anything. While you aren't physically in front of your customers, your website and online presence should express a balanced personality. Be a confident and savvy salesperson, but be a person, too.

Stay Current - Just like you would change your display in your brick and mortar store to match seasons, holidays, sales, and so on, you should do the same with your online business and website.

Be Fresh! - You want to make sure that your inventory is constantly changing. Keeping the same inventory in the same spot gives a stale impression of your site. Stay fresh and keep new items there all the time; people who visit your site often will learn to purchase an item before it's not available anymore!

Be Customer Conscientious - Know what your customers want and plan your inventory and customer service accordingly. Using tools like surveys and analytics reports can help you do this.

Be Reasonable - Price your items reasonably. The handmade world is particularly known for overpricing. Now there's nothing wrong with pricing for what an item is worth, but you should consider that you want a quantity of customers. Don't undersell, but don't make it so that your customers can only buy one item a year, either.

Learn From The Best - Other small businesses that are successful are certainly your competition; however, they are your silent mentors, as well. They have obviously done something right to get to the position they're in, and picking up their best practices and watching how they run their business is beneficial to you.

Benefit from Rainy Days - When it rains, people usually don't go outside to do shopping, they shop online. It may seem far-fetched, but many online sellers target their advertising to areas where there is predictable bad weather, or offer rainy day sales. Getting creative is half the battle, so it may work for you, as well.

Be A Know-It-All About Your Product - Become an absolute expert in your product. One mistake that sellers make is to introduce too many products too quickly. When you position yourself as an expert in one niche market, you will be the go-to person for all of your customers, and word travels fast about knowledgeable merchants.

Be A Social Butterfly - Be all over social media. It's basically free advertising, and everyone is on their phones these days, so you are literally in the palm of their hand. Since your entire business is online, this is a great opportunity to market to them, where they are, and draw them into your website where they can shop and purchase.

Email Marketing Basics - 7 Keys to Success

2012-11-27T01:45:00.001-08:00

Tip #1: Keep it Simple

Sure, you can spend hundreds of dollars on fancy email template design and rack your brain for creative subject lines - but it's probably not money or time well spent. Most email marketing services offer customizable, ready-to-use templates that provide a clean, polished look. And when it comes to subject lines, research proves that clear, direct subject lines consistently outperform cute and creative ones.

Tip #2: Build Your List

It's simple math: subscribers x response rate = results. And while it can be difficult to generate a massive uptick in your response rate, it's fairly simple to grow your email list by offering a good sign up incentive such as a valuable white paper, report or coupon and promoting your list in every way possible including email footers, web pages, conferences, trade shows and social media.

Tip #3: Offer Value

Whether it's important information, a shopping discount code or even a laugh, be sure each email you send offers something of value to your readers. If your subscribers aren't benefiting from your emails, they'll be sure to tune you out.

Tip #4: Make it Personal

Typically, an email from a person performs slightly better than an email from a business. For example, an email from "Santa Claus" would be better than an email from "The Up North Toy Factory".

Tip #5: Stay on the Radar (Within Reason)

If you maintain an email marketing list, be sure to use it at least once a month. If too much time goes by between emails, subscribers may forget who you are or why they signed up for your list. On the flip side, if you're sending more than once or twice a week, your subscribers may opt out as the annoyance factor rises.

Tip #6: Experiment

Email marketers often ask questions like "What subject line is best?" and "What is the best time of day to send?" The answer: it depends. What works well for one list may not work well for yours, so most email programs offer something called an A/B split. This tool divides your list into two groups so you can test various factors, such as the best day of the week to send or the best subject line. Just remember to test one factor at a time and keep an eye on your results. When done consistently, testing will lead to the constant improvement of your email marketing efforts.

Tip #7: Know Your Goals

Once you know your email marketing goals, you'll be better able to tailor the content of your emails. For example, if you want to increase brand engagement you might offer polls or incentives for following your company on Facebook. If you want to generate new leads for a software program, send out an invitation to download a white paper on a related topic. Perhaps most importantly, setting goals will help you determine the results of your email marketing program and pave the way for future success.

Profit From These Mobile Media Marketing Tips

2012-11-24T00:37:00.000-08:00

Tip 1 - Offer Free Apps

There are numerous zero cost apps you can give away to prospects, however it is also not that difficult to create your own apps. You could create your very own app for your business which would be unique and would help make your mobile market thrive. There are tons of features to choose from; tailor your app to the kind of customers you are addressing.

Tip 2 - Utilize SEO Practices

Your attempts will be more effective if you apply SEO practices to your mobile sites. The search engine used by most mobile phones is Google, so you should definitely rank on the first page of the results.

Tip 3 - Get Social

Social media marketing is a marvelous way to advertise. Reward customers who TwitPic or share deals on your site with a coupon or contest entry. This sort of participation harmlessly co-opts your current customers into your marketing effort.

Never share your short codes, make them dedicated and buy them. It can be expensive, up to 2k, but they will be yours. Over time, more and more people will see the short code and it will be linked to your agency. The price is more than justified because it allows you to sidestep costly legal battles. If the code sharing company abuses the system, you can be in trouble, too.

Work your social networks to build the most need for your mobile marketing. Use social networking, your website and your physical store to inform people of your mobile phone offers. This will give your campaign maximum exposure, and allow your fans plenty of opportunities to sign up for your offers.

Tip 4 - Test Various Pages

Have more than one option when designing your squeeze page. This enables you to understand what your website visitors may be having trouble utilizing or comprehending. The better of the two trial pages you create, as deemed by its success, should be your final choice, no matter how emotionally invested you may be in the other. Then use the one that gets the most conversions.

Tip 5 - Cater to Your Customers Specific Needs

Always customize your campaign for your customers. It is best to understand what your customers need and make use of that premise as your basic mobile marketing advertisement. If you're unable to decipher what your customer is looking to get, then you are unable to gain anything from them.

In order to succeed, you must be prepared to learn all about them. There's an abundance of money to be made in mobile marketing. More people than ever are downloading apps and using social networking sites on their smart-phones. These are highly-visible areas for business marketing. Search for where customers are and bring your marketing there.

Tip 6 - Mobile-Friendly Maps

Make your website even more useful with mobile-friendly maps. It has become a standard trend for folks to use their mobile phone to find directions to where they are going. Make it simple for people to find your location. Make sure your maps look good on mobile devices and show up well when you do a mobile search. Create a link on your mobile site that has a link to Google maps making it easier for your visitors to find your exact location.

Tip 7 -Offer Customers of Specials

Send reminders of forthcoming sales or events to your mobile marketing list several hours before the promotions begin. Make sure to plan the timing of your campaign messages around your customers' time zones. This will create excitement and get them prepared for the sale or event.

Tip 8 - Spy Out The Competition

Take a look at what methods competitors are applying via mobile marketing. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter. You must be one of a kind from your competitors.

Running Your Business Remotely

2012-11-22T04:36:00.000-08:00

Learn How to Set Clear Boundaries

The best thing about working in an office is that it is easy to set boundaries between your personal life and your work life. Once you get outside the office and start working from your bedroom or your hotel room, the boundaries become blurred. If you really want to learn how to work effectively outside the office, you need to figure out how to separate your work life from your personal life.

The best way to go about this is to mark off an area in your bedroom or hotel room or wherever you want to work, and reserve that area for work alone. That way, whenever you enter that area (however small it might be), you will notice yourself starting to shift into a work mindset. And, when you leave that area, you will find yourself better able to transition away from a work mindset.

Pay Attention to Ergonomics

The biggest problem with working outside your office is that most non-office spaces do not have furniture that promotes good posture and comfort while working. Most hotel furniture is not designed to be used as office furniture and while upscale hotels often have desks that can work in a pinch, most hotels do not have furniture that are going to enable you to work at your best for long periods of time without feeling cramped or uncomfortable.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem. If you have a good tolerance for ergonomic nightmares, you might not even need to solve this problem. If on the other hand, you are like most people, you might want to consider shopping around for some good portable or lightweight office furniture. A simple folding table and chair can work wonders and aren't too difficult to haul around.

Guard Your Health

Although health is often overlooked as an important factor in success, the truth is, health is one of the foundational pillars of a successful career. The better your health is, the more energy you have, and consequently, the more likely you will be able to persist in pursuing your goals.

Unfortunately, working from the road or your bedroom is not conducive to good health. There's just something about working in an informal environment that encourages bad food choices. Nothing's easier than grabbing a fat-laden snack while you're in your pajamas and working hard in your bedroom. Ordering a pizza is a cinch when you're working out of a hotel room.

In order to protect your health, make a conscious effort to make good eating choices. Healthy options are almost always available wherever you are, even if they are usually less visible than unhealthy options. Make a little extra effort to put only healthy things down your throat, and the quality of your work will be improved.

Keep a Handle on Your Relationships

Relationships make the world of business go round and round. Unfortunately, most business relationships require regular face-to-face contact to flourish or even survive. We live in the digital age, but there is absolutely no replacement for face-to-face communication. However much you detest your office, you will have to return occasionally to meet with your employees and keep valuable relationships going.

7 Healthcare Marketing Tips

2012-11-17T23:15:00.000-08:00

I. Have a plan in place. Without it, your practice is doomed to fail. Many physicians just dive in without any type of plan. This is the biggest mistake they make. It's obvious, before going further; you need to have a path to follow.

II. You have to be clear about whom you want to target. Your targeted patients may be based upon age, gender, location and certain clinical needs. You can then sort out strategies that would help your practice reach the targeted audience.

III. Not just for the sake of it, a good website is quintessential to making your presence felt among the targeted patients and prospective ones as well. For every medical practice, a website fetches more business than conventional marketing methods. Moreover, website offers quick and detailed information of your practice to potential patients.

IV. Your website will prove its worth only when patients on the internet find it. For that to happen, you need to get it optimized. You can hire SEO personnel who are in a better position to analyze your website and subsequently optimize it. They know the backend tricks to make your site visible on the top pages of leading search engines.

V. A practice can be of huge boost for sharing new developments in healthcare. Blogs are a great way for patients to get a sneak peek into your work ethics, which is often useful in determining the kind of physician they are seeking.

VI. In healthcare marketing, patients get attracted to those websites, which convey their message through videos. Posting videos of medical procedures will allow patients to get an idea of the kind of treatment they will receive. When patients start pinning your videos, you will get an extra edge over your competitors.

VII. Never ever leave social media out of your marketing efforts. Having an updated profile on social networking sites can help blossom your practice. In addition, any positive comment on your practice will spread like fire in the jungle. With a blink of an eye, patients will start pouring in at your clinic. And, you wouldn't be surprised to know how they found you.

Top 10 Tips for Business Networking

2012-11-16T04:21:00.001-08:00

Networking is the perfect opportunity to showcase yourself in a public forum without the pressure of selling. It needn't be a daunting prospect if you have the specific tools, skills and know how to succeed.

Make connections and develop your professional outlook by adhering to 10 easy networking tips:

1. Keep your contacts fresh

In order to maintain your contact list and keep you in the forefront of their minds, mailing them a week before seeing them at event after months of silence won't do. Touch base with your network and be a constant reminder to them how important and helpful a contact you are.

2. Be prepared

It is a cardinal error for any businessperson whether they are a director or entry-level employee to be without their business cards. Always carry a number of business cards with you, as you never know whom you might meet, how you can help them and how they can help you.

If you don't have any corporate cards, consider having a batch printed with your essential details on them. A personally produced card looks a lot better than no card at all.

In addition you should make sure that your cards are accessible. It doesn't look very professional to have to rummage through your pockets for you card, or worse flick through a number of other people's cards before you get to your own.

3. Select your events carefully

It is important that before you attend any event you check that it is appropriate. If you are looking for a certain sector to network with, it is vital that you target your networking.

4. Check the list

The delegate list is your bible. Before you arrive, request the delegate list. If it is unavailable pick one up as soon as you arrive and study who it is you want to talk to. Networking should be strategic.

5. It is easy to be interesting

When you first enter a room remember, most people are in the same position as you and will be receptive to any conversation. Enter conservation with confidence and be the questioner: people like you to be interested and that makes you interesting. Win people over with the sincerity of your interest and your enthusiasm for their topic of conversation.

6. Attention and retention

Once you've begun engaging with new contacts, it is vital that you take in what they are saying and use it to develop your networking experience. Introducing your new contacts to other contacts with real details will make you a worthwhile and memorable new contact. Don't suffer the embarrassment of forgetting your new contact's name whilst introducing them to someone else.

7. Give don't take

Networking is all about mutual benefits. Do not go in on a selling offensive; go with the mentality that you can help others and that is why you are there. People will be more positive in receiving you.

8. Mingle

Try to see as many people as possible whilst spreading your business card far and wide. But remember new contacts may have their sights set on certain other delegates so try not to monopolise people's time.

9. Follow up

Post-networking is almost as important as making the contact in the first place. Remember to follow up with an email at the very least. To make these new contacts into contacts for life, consider dropping them a telephone call or even a handwritten note. Emails can get lost in the inbox following an influx of spam.

10. Social networking v traditional?

Social and traditional networking shouldn't be at war. Use your online presence to support and reinforce your networking position. Activity on LinkedIn can be very beneficial for research and keeping up to date with contacts both old and new.

Budget-Friendly Tips to Success for Small Businesses

2012-11-15T05:18:00.000-08:00

Plenty of small businesses follow tips that cost less and are technology savvy. These multimedia tools to manage, promote and market their business, reduce expenses and increase their revenues. These tools can be easily accessed, user friendly and cheap or even free.

Google it

Google offers so many free services that can help small businesses. Google has a tool called Google Places that lets business owners register the services and products of their business in their database of your specific business. Once someone searches for these services and products locally, your business shows on the list. This service is a big hit with businesses that are after a local crowd.

Flyers

Many sites online have templates and designs for flyers. Try going to sites like Microsoft and use the many different free templates that people made. Look for a design that fits your business. These templates have been formatted so that they have a professional feel and look. This means that you don't need to get a professional graphic artist that might cost a lot to make your flyers. Once you have a flyer, you can distribute these or even place them in bulletins.

Free hosting services

Save money and time by using Google Docs. This free service is made for small businesses and has tips on how to succeed. This service lets small business owners upload different kinds of notes and documents where people collaborate and share them. You don't need to get hosting services to share important documents. The service is great since it tracks shearing which means it's easier to manage.

Groups

If you are looking for people who have the same interest as you do, but do not know where you can find them, look for or make a group. Thanks to social networking sites, you can find people easier by making communities and groups in LinkedIn and Facebook. These social networking sites were made to get people connected with people who share the same traits, ideas, personalities, goals, etc... members of these groups are most likely interested in your business.

Virtual phone systems

You can set up virtual phone systems and make your very own advertising channel while saving money. So many virtual phone systems available today are affordable, flexible and user-friendly. With the correct leverage, a virtual phone system can take you very far. You can minimize the need of answering services, setting up multiple extensions and even provide better support for your customers and clients.

The Eight Golden Rules of SMS Marketing

2012-11-14T02:44:00.000-08:00

1. Never inundate your opt-ins with too many messages.

The general rule with text message frequency is no more than 4 a month. Anything above this amount will become an annoyance and run the risk of your customers opting out.

2. Always give the customer the option to opt out at any time.

Customers should always feel that they are in control of the experience and can opt out at any time. For both ethical and brand protection reasons no promotional text message should ever be sent without the functionality for the recipient to call a halt to further texts.

3. Always include an offer.

People want to be a part of exclusive clubs that receive special offers and discounts; they don't want to have their phone cluttered up with junk texts. Keep offering them value and they will remain opted in and buying from you.

4. Never send out messages outside of business hours.

As a general rule text messages outside of business hours, when consumers are relaxing or with their family, will seem intrusive. In some instances this can be stretched to 7pm or 8pm but it's safest to stick to the rule. As discussed above don't ever give your customers a reason to opt out.

5. Personalize your messages and use humor where appropriate.

If your software allows and you have the data try and include your customers name in the text message. Consumers want to feel special and that you are taking the time out to talk to them personally and not just as part of a mass marketing exercise. Humor also works if it's appropriate to the brand, the campaign and the audience.

6. Always be aware of other marketing efforts.

SMS marketing will rarely, if ever, be the only marketing activity that is being utilized by a business or brand. When planning a SMS marketing campaign make sure you are aware of all other marketing efforts and link in where possible.

7. Speak with a consistent voice that reflects the qualities of your brand.

Don't confuse your audience and dilute the power of your brand by speaking with different voices across the various marketing and advertising channels. If your business has spent a lot of time in building a friendly and playful tone for your brand, keep to this tone in all communications including SMS.

8. Be relevant and respond to current and local events where possible.

Use current events like elections, sporting events, the weather and holidays as inspiration for SMS campaigns that will make you seem in touch with the locality and your customer's lives.

Effective Ways To Promote Your Referral Programs

2012-11-12T03:13:00.003-08:00

Among the most successful ways to generate awareness among people about your newly developed referral programs is to make use of online marketing tactics, which are both cost effective and quick. Although the advantage of some traditional marketing strategies like one-on-one meetings is indisputable, you can still use all your online channels and lists with emails that can help you enhance your business and popularize your company's activity.

You will find that most of online marketing tools are offered at very affordable price or even for free. This gives you an opportunity to apply various options to reach greater results. Such options are email and newsletter campaigns, blog and forum posts, Facebook and Twitter. Posting of relevant information to different forums and online communities is an excellent way to promote your referral programs to people who are outside your network.

Your promotion should always contain a consistent message that gives an idea of your online marketing activities. Make sure you mention all the incentives to show the customers what they can expect when they send you a lead. Make the message interesting and short, including all the contact details needed.

How social media sites can help you in promotion? If you have already registered your profiles in Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and have customers and other business partners following your company's activity, ensure you give some reward to those who send you referrals. You can use the social media profiles to thank everyone who sends you a lead which closes. This is a great way to promote your referral program, showing all successful participants.

How can newsletters and emails help you in promotion? You can reach hundreds of people sending out emails that inform them about your current referral program. You can send emails to all existing customers, who might miss them on social sites. Make sure that in your email you point to more information on your blog, so that all interested customers can find out more about your referral program.

How effective are online communities and web forums in promotion? These online communities are an effective way to post valuable information about your referral program that would be available for all people who are not associated with your company. You can take advantage of your current membership in different web forums, where you are able to post a related message that reveals your program and discusses the opportunities it provides. You should be aware that your message will be removed if you posted it without being an active member in this forum. This may negatively affect your brand.

One of the best strategies of developing a solid marketing strategy is through building a solid presence in several relevant online forums and communities. This does not include only promotion of your new program, but sharing enough useful information that possible clients might be interested in. Spending more time and efforts in developing different online marketing ideas that might promote your referral programs successfully is not a waste of time, as it will successfully result in new leads.

Top 10 Tips for Business Networking

2012-11-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

Business Tips to Maintain a Positive Cash Flow

2012-10-15T04:26:00.000-07:00

-Create a sales forecast. Though you might find it hard to do in the beginning, after running your business for a few months, you will should have a good idea of how sales will stack up month to month. Take a look at your inventory and know which items move quickly and which have been gathering dust for a while.

Have a benchmark for what you think will happen. Make sure to forecast out by month, category and what revenue you anticipate based on history. Make it more detailed. With these forecasts, you may end up finding the cash required to make purchases for your business.

-Manage Your Business Costs. In protecting your bottom line, you do not only need to focus on increasing your income, but you also need to reduce your expenses. The key to achieving a positive cash flow is to do understand simple things such your cost centres and review their numbers on a monthly basis against budgets.

-Work Out an Inventory Management Plan. After finishing writing out your sales forecast, it's now time to think about inventory. Make sure that you do not go overboard when purchasing inventory. Business management experts say "less is more". This is because lean inventory means that you are not investing precious cash in unnecessary, excess inventories.

-Make A Discount Incentive Program For Early Payers. Give rewards or incentives to any customers who pay on time or who pay before the due date. This strategy can help entice customers so you can get the ball rolling towards you all the time. Consider also offering a cash discount to customers that pay in a short period of time, designated by you, or to a customer who pays cash.

-Ask for Full or a Portion of Payment Up Front. Ask for at least a deposit up front as this is a great way to jump-start your cash flow and gets a firm commitment from your clients.

-Closely Manage your Receivables. Make a detailed "aging" schedule of what you are owed, by whom and for how long. Don't forget or hesitate on calling overdue accounts quickly, focusing first on the largest amounts due. Make sure to ask if there is anything you can do to expedite payment. If you can, introduce a automated debtors follow up system which will reduce the time required by administrative employees in following up clients that haven't paid.

5 Reasons For Businesses To Hire Copywriters for Their Web Content Needs

2012-10-12T00:48:00.001-07:00

1. SEO tailored content for your business - SEO or Search Engine Optimization is an important part of ranking on the internet. Most copywriters will know about how to use SEO correctly in written content to rank your pages well in such search engines as Google, Bing and Yahoo.

2. Attention to Detail- Skilled copywriters will not have grammatical errors, nor will they plagiarize content. They will proofread their copy for grammatical and spelling errors as well as consistency.

3. Create visual and sensory images in content - When working in an retail environment such as the internet, words need to create images and sensations in order to attract the reader and get them to purchase your product or services. If the visual pictures are badly written, then your online business will suffer.

4. Have a unique voice- Each copywriter will have a unique voice when writing and will know how to transform content into an eye catching, yet readable piece that will attract readers and keep them on your web site.

5. Work directly with you - A skilled copywriter will work with you to create a piece that is custom tailored to your needs. They will take the information given and present you with content that meets your specifications.

Now that you have an understanding of why it is so important to use a copywriter, you need to understand how to select one for your business.

1. You get what you pay for - Some businesses will use bidding sites to get their copy written at a cheap price. This is not always the best choice. Paying to the lowest bidder could get you a gem or could get you coal. When selecting a copywriter, you need to look at the price per hour, but also the consistency of the writer. It isn't always wise to select a copywriter from a bidding site.

2. Does the writer in question know SEO? If they do not, then you could lose money on this as well as readers.

3. Do they have a portfolio? - A portfolio is a reliable gauge about whether or not they will be able to do the work that you need.

4. Ask to speak to former clients of the copywriter or references. This will also give you information as to whether or not to hire a copywriter.

5. Take a look at the success versus failure rate - Are the copywriter's clients happy with the content that has been written?

6. Look at sample work closely. The portfolio and samples will give you some idea of whether or not this is the right choice for your company.

Ways To Deal With A Difficult Boss

2012-10-12T00:45:00.003-07:00

The first step when you learn how to deal with a difficult boss is to focus on your work. It may be difficult initially. You may feel that he is making life difficult for you and taking the joy out of your work. Your feelings are valid, but it is crucial that you focus on what matters to you, and why you are working for him. By shifting your focus from him and putting your energy into your work, you will improve in your performance and even forget about him.

In order to reduce your stress, you must learn to keep a difficult boss at work and not take him home with you. It is important that leave all workplace stress, gossip and politics where it belongs. If you had an "incident" with your difficult boss, make a conscious effort not to tell your family about it after work. Every time you talk of an experience; you are reliving it in your mind; therefore, compounding your stress levels. By replaying the same event over your head again, you will become resentful and your performance may suffer.

Learn not to take everything your boss says or does personally. It may be difficult initially, but it may be your strongest armour to help you to be immune to his difficult behavior. If he lambasts your report, simply keep quiet and ask for guidance on how he feels the report should be. If you feel that your boss has crossed the line, get guidance from your personnel department on the best way to handle the situation.

As you implement these subtle changes, you will eventually be an expert on how to handle a difficult boss. Furthermore, as long as you have your family and friends surrounding you, it should be fairly easy to go through this one loop. That is why it is important to create a social network of people who are not associated with your work. It is never a good idea to be limited to your colleagues for friendship as this will mean that you are not getting away from the situation.

Fundamental Content Marketing Strategies

2012-10-03T04:37:00.000-07:00

Choose the best target audience

Before you write a single word of content, it is critical that you choose your target audience. If you have the most incredible content that ever existed but you are writing for the wrong audience, it definitely will not achieve the desired results for your business.

The goals that you want to achieve are capturing the attention of the search engines, capturing the attention of other websites, and generating a great deal of traffic in turn. It is definitely worth your while to take the time and effort to research your target audience so that you choose the absolutely most appropriate audience possible.

Putting all of your eggs in one basket

It is very important that you diversify when it comes to social media channels and interactions. Of course, your content strategy is an extension of who you are and what you represent. However, it is not enough to merely share well-written content. You must also share valuable links and interact effectively in order to be successful.

Excellent content

If you present top-quality content, you will get a great deal of attention. Your content must be clear and concise and it must make people want to continue reading what you are sharing with them. Under no circumstances should it sound like a sales pitch or have any flavor of insincerity. Of course, it is also very important that you pay close attention to the basics-it should be free of grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors. If you have errors of any kind, people will definitely notice and it will most likely be distracting enough to dissuade them from continuing to read your content.

Place your content in the most effective places

It is not going to help you if you get your content read through the back door. You should not post to websites that need to use other website's content. You want to promote your business in a direct and sincere manner. Before you post your content anywhere, you should determine the most effective places to put it and you will see that your choices will pay off.

Making your content as appealing as possible

When you post content, you want to make it as appealing as possible for your readers. Don't be afraid to include images, if you feel that it will enhance the appeal. Depending on your topic, graphics may make all of the difference when it comes to how much your readers pay attention, want to keep reading, and want to share your content with others.

Conclusion

Tricks are very effective when it comes to content strategy and how effective you can be for your business. Of course, it is very important that you use those tricks wisely and that you don't overdue it. You must not cross boundaries. At the end of the day, your success is a result of the same thing that everyone else's success is based on: hard work and unlenting, consistent effort. You should also remember to offer an interesting variety of information so that you not only capture the attention of your readers with one article but so that you entice them into wanting to read whatever you are offering whenever they see your name.

10 Referral Marketing Ideas For Your Business

2012-10-02T02:15:00.001-07:00

Helpful Referral Marketing Ideas

1. Mull over some of these tips to see what you can do to grow your business through referral marketing.

2. Offer a free service to your customers from time to time that directly relates to your business. If you are running a car wash, throw in a free buffing towel or a car freshener for all of your visitors.

3. Figure out why your customers come to you as opposed to others. Expand on that, give them more than what they expect and you may find yourself with a willing referral marketing work force.

4. An easy way to stimulate some passive referrals is to create rebates that follow large purchases or costly services. Make sure your customers understand that the volume discounts you receive are being passed down to them.

5. Pick an obscure or unconventional holiday to celebrate annually. Give discounts, gifts or credits to your customers. If the first year doesn't generate enough interest, the second year probably will. Understand that each year the event is celebrated is also branding your business to that event. This is a more non-competitive marketing approach.

6. Brand a helpful item or frequently used tool and give them away to your customers. This type of passive referral works because friends or family see the item and your businesses logo. Remember, the more useful the item, the more often it will be seen. T-shirts, key chains or even items relative to your business are great passive referral marketing ideas.

7. Package an extra item with some of your products with the gentle suggestion that it can be shared with a friend or family member. On a more aggressive marketing campaign, give your consumers a free gift, with a free gift certificate with a friend or family member to come and get for themselves.

8. Cyber mail or snail mail a coupon to your customer to thank them for their business. Include another coupon, or coupon code that a friend or associate can use.

9. Customer appreciation days are always appreciated. Offer sales, discounts and gifts to your current consumers and utilize some of the passive referral marketing ideas such as gifts or coupons for friends and family members who attend the appreciation day as well.

10. Does your business offer a required, timely service or maintenance agreement? Give your customers free planning books or calendars that remind them not to forget your services.

12 Product Launch Ideas For Your Business

2012-10-01T04:09:00.000-07:00

1. Innovation - How does your product stand out? The key to innovating properly is to ensure that your new offering is something that your customers and prospects want. Base your new products upon the complaints and requests from your customers and you can't fail.

2. Attention - How is your product worthy of attention? What does it do that differentiates it from all of the other offerings in your market?

3. Messaging - Every ad for your service or the actual packaging of your product needs to speak the language that suits your exact target group of customers.

4. Clarity - If you can't sum up the value your new offering provides in one sentence, you have a problem. It needs to be clear, concise, and straight to the point.

5. Desire - You may get a complaint that your car cleaning service needs to provide a service with women in lingerie doing the cleaning, but the wives surely aren't going to want it. Focus on the things your entire audience will want and be willing to pay for.

6. Difference - What makes your new offering different from what your competitors are offering? Make the difference a key part of your messaging to help your offerings stand out.

7. Credibility - Why are you the one they have to listen to? Think of what your audience needs to hear to give you their trust. If you gain that, you can't fail.

8. Negatives - Knowing your product is amazing is great, but you have to find and acknowledge the negative side of your product. Then, own it. If you're more expensive than others, justify why. If you're only available for a limited time, give the reasons. Customers will respect your reasons as long as they're real and legitimate.

9. Findable - Your offer has to be where your audience is already spending their time. If they can't find you, they definitely can't pay you.

10. Costs - What is the consumer risking when buying your products? What does it cost them? It can be as simple as a monetary cost or it could be a larger risk. Whatever it is, know it and substantiate it.

11. Delivery - You can't make ridiculous claims and not have a product that stands up to those claims. Deliver quality at all times or you'll permanently lose your customers to your competition.

12. Loyalty - If you can create a loyalty among your customers, you can build a thriving business in any economy. Think about Apple (TM), Harley Davidson (TM), and Dyson (TM). Emulate what they've done for their audience and you'll have a business others will envy.