by Nick Throlson | Jul 3, 2017 | Business
If a business is anything, anything at all - it's a relationship. Every single thing that a business is built on will feature or highlight some kind of relationship. Your business and its foundations are your relationships with your original vision. The products you buy forge a relationship with a supplier. The cashier that sells these products works harder based on their relationship with the business. The customers who buy those products that your business is selling do so because of some sort of relationship. Relationships in each and every form are critical to businesses worldwide. ?If a business wants to succeed, it needs to focus on building long-lasting and fruitful relationships across the board. To simply survive? It needs to do exactly the same. The road to success is built on positive and meaningful relationships in business. The relationships forged in meetings, at the checkout, in pitches, and within a company are the relationships that build great companies and successful businesses.At every stage of business - from the monolithic and huge monopolies, to the graduate going to his or her first job interview after University; relationships are crucial to combined, or individual, success. If an interviewee wants to succeed at an interview, they not only need to prove that they are capable of performing the tasks described, but they also need to forge some sort of relationship very quickly with the company and its proxies, the interviewers. If a company wants to get the word out about products, it will need to build a relationship with the local, or national media to ensure that the latest releases and news are documented in the media that the public consumes. Good things can only come from relationships in business.
A business would make a huge mistake if it ignored building a winning relationship with its workforce: its employees. Relationships with employees need to be built so that the employees feel valued within the company, which could lead to an increase in productivity. If employees are unhappy, or treated unfairly - a business will suffer in the long run. Working with a HR consultancy can ensure a business is protected, but also works hard to ensure it's working by the word of the law when it comes to employees. Happy employees are worth their weight in gold, but unhappy employees might ensure the collapse of a business. You always need to do the best by your employees if you want to get anywhere in business.A solid relationship with customers and clients leads to one great thing: repeat business. The greatest businesses across the world have one thing in common - the same customers keep going back and back. This might be the cult-like sensibilities of Apple, who succeed regardless of the product specification or it might be loyalty to a brand like Sony - these big brands are built on the same customers coming back to them and spending money. This brand loyalty is forged on successful relationships between a business and its customers.If there's one thing that matters in business - it's how well a business can connect with others. Build relationships to build a winning business.
by Nick Throlson | Jun 30, 2017 | Marketing
When you first went into business, chances are you did it because you already had certain relevant skills at your disposal. Much in the same way that some of us are naturally creative, or other naturally good with numbers, there are individual skills that nearly all business people seem to harbor. These range from resilience to good public speaking abilities, and all of them work together to produce a confident and well-rounded business professional. But, like in any job, there is always room to build on any skills you already have, even if you think you are already pretty good in most areas. One such area is the sphere of marketing ? something that is integral to business success, even more so in the modern age. The rise of the internet has changed the way companies market themselves forever, and even the most low-level marketing professional now needs to have a diverse and reliable skill set to rely on. Read on to find out what makes a good marketing executive, and how you can improve your skills to come out at the top of your game.
Education
Marketing IS one of those things you can learn on the job ? but only to a certain extent. Realistically, very few companies have the time to train marketing staff from scratch, especially if they are dealing with a complete novice. Instead, you would benefit from undertaking an education in marketing or public relations, such as a university degree. If that doesn?t take your fancy, however, or if you have already attended university, you may want to consider doing an mba in online marketing instead. Many of these qualifications don?t require you to attend classes in person ? you can do it all online ? making it easy to run alongside your job, or any other responsibilities you may have. 
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People skills
In your role as a marketing manager or executive, you will spend much of your time dealing with other people ? be it through email, over the phone or in person. Often, you will have to negotiate deals with advertising agencies, hire creative staff to help you put together your campaign and work closely with a sales team to tie it all together. Remember, in business, everyone is looking out for themselves, so you need to be calm and tactful to get the best results for your company. Plus, being a friendly and active person makes your working life a lot easier!
Analytical skills
Regrettably, the hard work doesn?t stop when the marketing campaign is over. In fact, it?s often only just begun. Marketing trends move at an astonishing rate, so you need to make sure that you know exactly how well your last campaign worked. Analytical skills are, therefore, integral to making sure you can thoroughly examine what went well, and what didn?t go so well, in the last project you were involved in. Only by doing this will you be able to progress in the work you do in the future.
by Nick Throlson | Jun 13, 2017 | Business
It's pretty much an accepted standard at this point that pretty much every business needs to have some kind of presence on the internet. The internet has taken over so many aspects of the modern world that a business that isn't online may as well not exist at all in the eyes of many customers. However, that doesn't mean that every single business that has any form of online presence is guaranteed to be an automatic success. As with just about anything else, the internet is a tool that you can use to your advantage. However, a tool is as good as useless if you don't actually know how to use it. Just because you have a website that doesn't mean that it's going to actually make a difference to your business other than being a waste of time, money and resources. With that in mind, here are some ways that you can make the most of your business's online presence.Think about your customer's experienceA lot of people think of the internet as little more than another delivery mechanism to get their business and their marketing out there where customers can see it. While this perspective isn't technically wrong, it does drastically underestimate the power that the internet has, and one way in which it's radically different to things like news adverts and TV commercials. The internet is fundamentally interactive. People can interact with almost anything that they come across online. They can pick and choose what they see with almost unlimited freedom; they can comment directly on things they see, replying to posts or commenting on videos. You need to think about this and be willing to take advantage of it in order to make the most of your online marketing. Create marketing that your customers will want to share and respond to. By using your marketing as a place to start a conversation with your customers, you're going to help them become much more engaged in both it and in your business as a whole.Consult the expertsJust because you're able to run a successful business, doesn't mean that you'll be able to market it effectively. And even if you have an understanding of marketing, that doesn't mean that your understanding will transfer over to a digital platform like the internet. Because of this then you might want to hand over the reins to people with a little bit more specific expertise. A company like JRC marketing has a lot of experience in creating digital experiences that can have a huge impact on the way that your customers perceive you and your business as a whole. Whether you need to get a decent website up and running, create a dedicated online marketing campaign, or simply understand how to link together your social media platforms and website, finding a company who can help and support you in these things can be invaluable. It's often quite difficult for many business owners to imagine handing over any aspect of their business to someone else, but you should think about what is best for your company. It is far better for it to be in the hands of an expert than it is to stay in your hands when you don't really understand what you're doing.Content is king!If you've spent any time learning about digital marketing, then you've probably come across this phrase at least once or twice. A lot of people use it as a buzzword without a decent understanding of what it really means. The idea behind the phrase is that, while you might have been able to use traditional marketing methods in the past, the digital landscape, particularly when it comes to the millennial generation, doesn't respond to that kind of marketing anymore. Instead, you need to be able to create the kind of content that will engage with your customers outside of whatever it is that you're advertising. Think about some of the most effective marketing methods of the last few years. Most of them have done one of two things. They've either connected with customers on an emotional level, whether that's through humor or any other emotion. Or they've created a piece of content that their customers want to share with other people on their social media pages. A lot of the time, the fact that these pieces of content are technically forms of marketing doesn't really matter to a lot of customers. What's really happening is that, whether they realize it or not, a strong positive association with your company is being made in their minds. It's this kind of association that can be incredibly valuable when you're trying to attract new customers.
by Nick Throlson | Jun 12, 2017 | Social Media
Social media is one of, if not the most important aspects of marketing in today?s world. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many other platforms can make-or-break a company, determining their ability to thrive on the world wide web. On the surface, Twitter seems like the simplest social media platform of all. Its condensed messages don?t tell the whole tale, however. The entire business world is competing for followers, likes and retweets, and if you don?t know what you?re doing, you?re practically guaranteed to fail. Don?t fear! There are some simple and easy ways to boost any business?s reach via Twitter, as we?re documenting today. Let?s take a look!Media Is KingIncorporating some form of media into your tweets is almost always preferable. Social media users are more likely to engage with a picture, GIF or video than a wall of text, and media?s potential to go viral is much more substantial too. It?s up to you how you do this - factual infographics, how-to videos and even your latest iPhone snap can result in fantastic levels of engagement. Just make sure it?s relevant. Start Using HashtagsTwitter?s hashtags are used to categorize tweets by a specific keyword. This helps businesses to extend their reach to those who are either tweeting or searching based around that keyword. You don?t have to use an existing hashtag either. By developing your own tag, you can encourage existing clients to spread the message in a unique and interesting way. Paid PromotionJust like Facebook, Twitter offers the ability to promote tweets to a wider range of users with the aid of payment. Tweets are configured to display to users whose interests are relevant to the topic and business, eliminating wastefulness in the process. You?ll want to pick a suitable tweet to promote though, so something advertising a competition, website or brand-new product are just a few advisable ideas. Share Content, Build RelationshipsIt?s a common mistake for business owners to treat social media as a promotional tool and nothing else. The social aspect often gets lost, but in Twitter?s case, it?s more important than ever. Don?t be afraid to share interesting content and comment on other company?s posts. By doing so, you?ll start to build relationships, and before long, they?ll start sharing your content as well. Tell People About It! Expanding our Twitter reach isn?t just about the actions we take on the platform itself. We need others to know of its existence, and particularly those aren?t such regular users on the social media front. It?s easy to add social media buttons to our websites these days, while incorporating our Twitter handle on a range of physical marketing material is a two-second job. Engage With AnalyticsWe all know the importance of analytics, and Twitter?s no different. The company?s own analytical tools can provide excellent insights as to how certain tweets are performing compared to others. Additionally, there are a host of free and paid analytics services for Twitter across the web, including Sprout Social and Hootsuite. Take the time to find what works for you. Time Your TweetsAnother feature of these analytical suites is the ability to optimize your tweets? timings. This is very much a time-sensitive platform, to the extent that the same tweet could generate hundreds of additional shares if posted at the optimal time of day. If you don?t want to be huddled around your tablet or smartphone 24/7, many of these services can automatically schedule your tweets for a certain time. Competitions & GiveawaysEveryone wants something for nothing! If you?re going to run a competition, you need to make sure both Facebook and Twitter are involved. By incorporating requirements that entries must include follows, likes and retweets, you?ll begin to increase your reach far beyond its current limitations. And while the costs involved might prove extensive, it?ll hopefully lead to further profits down the line.
by Nick Throlson | May 26, 2017 | Business, SEO, Website Security
Web design has to be one of the most arduous modern day professions. Seeing your website going live may make up for all the hardships during development, but the result does not erase the fact that to reach it, you had to spend countless hours perfecting the code, troubleshooting, and minding the overall design. We offer several Do's and Don'ts that might cut your checklist shorter by reminding you of the few things you should be aware of at all times during development.Don?t gamble early on
Don?t immediately go for the latest software or the greatest new build out, if you don?t have a solid plan how to go about working with it. Taking an unnecessary risk, in this case, might not grant you a high reward. By choosing the latest software that you and your colleagues might not be familiar with, you are using up time you do not have and opening up possibilities for bugs and troubleshooting for days on end. Start with a reliable software or platform, and once you have settled in comfortably, take smaller steps to experiment with completely new software. That way, if it even comes to losses, they are minimal.Don?t access a user database directly with user-supplied information
When a database is accessed directly with the information supplied by the users, you are leaving the door wide open for possible security breaches. This could erase archives with very sensitive data, or give access to confidential information regarding your users. And it can all go into the input box on your website. This is easily addressed by sanitizing user input: you limit how many characters they can use to input a username or a password, whether they can or cannot contain other symbols, and have the code reject any character input you have not pre-approved.Don?t neglect SEO
Many developers have the tendency to leave SEO as the last thing to do for the website when, in fact, it is something that needs to be tackled as you go along. SEO is more than just keywords, content, alt text in images, etc. It also deals with back linking between pages, accounts for load time, gets rid of duplicated content, and keeps the hierarchy of important pages and links refreshed and constantly updated. So, to avoid having to restructure entire sections of your website, later on, take SEO into consideration from the very start.Do keep users in mind
The safest way to stay on track with the original idea and design is to create a profile of what your typical user would be. When you know the demographic, and the target audience, it is easier to analyze the type of people that will be visiting our website. You can build the website around the given data: their age, occupation, financial standing, and lifestyle. These will dictate the user experience, from font styles to the navigation between pages.Do focus on multi - platforming
You can decide to optimize your website for PC users only. And in a time when fewer and fewer people sit at their computers for longer periods of time, this would be a big mistake. A lot of e-commerce and browsing nowadays occurs via tablets, smartphones and other devices. To ensure the website is visited as frequently as possible, adapt the website so it can be seen and read clearly across multiple platforms.Do save the user?s time
The attention span has been in decline over the last twenty years, and new technologies only sped up the process. It is the reality of the modern age and in order to succeed, you will have to adapt to this. Many expert web developers from Sydney advise ?trimming the fat? wherever possible. Get rid of excess imagery in your gallery or pages that cause slow loading time; write shorter texts, then blend them with pictures to create quickly scrollable content that will also be informative and useful.To sum up
Thoroughly plan how to go about the development process of your web page. There are countless factors that can impact not only the final outcome of your work but the process itself as well. As Murphy?s Law says ?If anything can go wrong, it will?, so prepare for everything. It is wise to make your own checklist of Do?s and Don?ts upfront and keep them around as a reminder. The best way to stay on track is to create your typical user profile and tailor the design to them. In this way, you ensure that whatever choice is made, it is in the user?s best interest.
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