by Nick Throlson | Sep 4, 2017 | Business
You may have some customers who gravitate toward you naturally, but the majority of them you?re going to have to win. You do this by learning what it takes to drive more business to your company. Although being a business owner is challenging, you have to make time to nurture relationships and bring in more customers. If you?re struggling to meet your numbers, don?t give up. Start by implementing a few different strategies and taking advantage of opportunities to draw more people to your business. It takes hard work and dedication, but many are already doing it and succeeding. See four ways to attract more customers. Well-Designed WebsiteEven if you own a physical store, a lot of your customers are going to be searching and looking for you online. Make sure you?re not only there, but that you?re there to make an impression. Hire a website consultant to help you if the design isn?t your forte. Potential customers will be instantly judging you based on what they see when they come across your website. Give them the exact information they need in a beautiful layout, and you won?t have much to worry about.Smart MarketingAttract the right customers at the right time by implementing a marketing strategy. Use a full-service marketing agency, like Click Intelligence if you?re in need of help with your SEO, Paid Search, PR Outreach or Link Building. They deliver ROI focused online marketing to improve your visibility on the web. Link building services should never be taken lightly as they are truly the backbone of any effective online marketing strategy. If you?re looking to have your brand easily identifiable as an authority within your industry, it all starts and ends with SEO link building tailored to gain rank on the SERPs.Identify Target AudienceStop trying to do it all and be everywhere. Instead, turn your focus to your target audience and those people who are actually going to purchase your product or service. You?re going to get far better results when you narrow your efforts to those who are more likely to take an interest in your business. Align your marketing efforts with your target audience and you?ll not only find an increase in the amount of traffic to your business and website but the right kind of traffic. Superior Customer ServiceWhat?s going to set you apart from most businesses are offering top-notch customer service. Believe it or not, many companies are failing in this area. Put your time and energy into training your customer service department to deliver excellent customer service and your clients will be thrilled. When people have a particularly great or poor experience, they typically have the urge to go and tell their friends and family. Do whatever it takes to make sure they?re inclined to talk about you because of the fantastic service.ConclusionCustomers aren?t just going to show up at your door. Put your thinking cap on and start implementing new strategies to get their attention. These are four ways to attract more customers.
by Nick Throlson | Sep 3, 2017 | Business, Web Design, WordPress
There are today no second thoughts on the way eCommerce development has taken the entire consumer market by storm- with billions of people using the channel to generate revenues worth hundreds of billions of dollars. But few people actually realize that it is in fact just the tip of the iceberg- with a much larger B2B (Business to Business) component lying underneath. If we go by statistics, B2B eCommerce is at least 4 times that of B2C and is expected to account for a staggering $6.7 trillion market by 2020. So, if you happen to be in the business or are looking to step in, now would be a good time to take a second look at your web development strategy and make the most out of the current boom.While most of the technical aspects for B2B web development remains the same as others, there are some innate factors that ultimately decide the fate of such businesses. And though you can hire any well-regarded web development company to take care of the design and development, following are risks that you must lookout on your own before you actually do:1. Expertise overratedOne of the crudest mistakes that businesses make while choosing web developers for their project is that they look out only for expertise in technologies that their project demands. While that is obviously a plus, it isn?t nearly enough to meet all business requirements in future. Especially in this age of ever evolving technology and ever shifting business priorities, there is no one technology you should lean your business upon. So, while expertise must always be a preference, experience in the industry and competence in widest possible technologies is what you must also consider before finally trusting any web development agency with your business prospects.2. CopycatsThis is more applicable to those who are just starting out or are looking to bring major overhaul to their online presence. These businesses generally find a web developer who has created a product that they would like to copy. In their opinion, it won?t only save the efforts that would otherwise go into analysis and design, but has the additional benefit of being a tried and tested product.But in their rush to save a few bucks and efforts, they overlook a very fundamental aspect- no two businesses are exactly the same and if there are, eventually only one of them will succeed. So, unless you are willing to invest the required efforts and resources to turn your idea into a unique product, there is essentially no leverage you will have over competitors.3. TimelineAs mentioned in the beginning, B2B eCommerce is an immensely huge market with countless businesses competing to make their mark. And every day that you stay out of the competition, is a potential lost opportunity. Many businesses in the hope of launching a perfect B2B platform spends too much time in the development and testing phase and by the time it is ready, they realize that the market has moved on and their product has become outdated even before launch! To put it simply, there is no such thing as a perfect website and the best one are those that keep users engaged and push for maximum sales.4. Static development cycleGenerally, web development follows a fixed procedural cycle- requirement gathering, design, development, testing and deployment. While this approach may serve well for small projects, B2B is certainly not one of them due to the sheer number of clients and much higher financial stakes. Unless the development cycle is flexible enough to incorporate the needs of both these components, there will always be a doubt over business feasibility in the long run.Since the most valuable suggestions and feedback any business can get is from their clients, a better approach would be to start with a prototype and get feedback from all stakeholders. This will not only help you document the requirements precisely, but will also pave the way for the future course of action that is expected.Closing RemarksCreating a B2B platform isn?t an easy task and something that must only be done after in-depth research and with utmost commitment. Having worked with businesses of all scales and industries, we have the first-hand experience of the unique challenges and opportunities they have from web development services. And it is this industry insight coupled with technical competence that our clients bank upon to prosper their business.
by Nick Throlson | Aug 24, 2017 | Business
Despite the wide range of communications tools now available, email is still one that businesses and business people use the most on a daily basis. Emails give you that sense of formality and professionalism. There are etiquettes to follow, but modern email messaging is very robust.You can choose to run a large email marketing campaign to attract clients and generate interest. If the goal is to earn new clients and boost sales, however, a more personalised approach works better most of the time. Here are the top three tips you can try if you want to use emails to boost sales and earn new clients.Know Who to Contact
Every business has a decision maker, especially when it comes to staging events. Knowing who to contact is half the battle; sending your personalised promotional email or offer to the right person in the company will greatly boost your conversion rate.There are plenty of resources you can use to discover the right person to contact. LinkedIn, for example, lets you connect with key figures in different companies. You can find out about the position and responsibility of each person you want to contact in just a few clicks.You can also use services such as The Email Finder to figure out the email address for key figures in a company. It is a good approach because you don?t have to worry about your promotional email not reaching its intended targets. For more information about how to use The Email Finder, check out the company?s website.Build Relationships
Hard-selling is a thing of the past. You may get one or two additional clients by trying to sell you services directly, but it is certainly not the way to build relationships. The latter is what you really want to do. You can get more businesses in the long run by maintaining a genuine relationship with the decision makers.Starting is always the tricky bit. The best way to get started is by introducing yourself, your company, and the services you provide. You can add a couple of paragraphs or lines explaining the kind of services you offer. End the email with a sincere request to connect.Pay Attention to Context
As mentioned before, an email that is too sales-oriented isn?t the kind of email you want to send. Instead, the email needs to be contextual. You can spend some extra time researching the person or the target company. Find talking points that can be added to the email for a more personalised approach.Let?s say the person has just been promoted to his current position. This is information you can easily find online thanks to social networking sites. You can then congratulate the person in your email, turning that information into a positive, highly personalised gesture that will help you start a fruitful relationship.As you can see, using emails to earn new clients is not as complicated as you think. Instead of sending mass emails and hoping for responses, try the personalised approach we just discussed in this article and get better results.
by Nick Throlson | Aug 23, 2017 | Business
Having an agile team at your disposal is a great way to ensure that your business is always running on all cylinders. When you know your employee s are highly flexible, adaptable, and capable, you have a lot more options available to you, for sure, But, how do you ensure that your team is more agile?
Here are some simple tips to increase the agility of your team: ??
Hire the Right Staff
First, and most importantly of all, you need to recruit the right people into your business. This will perhaps mean a more rigorous recruiting process than you?re used to with lots of vetting, interviews, and tests to ensure the people you?re hiring are not only competent, but able to adapt to any situation and willing to work more flexibly, but it will be worth it when you can look at your team and know that they will make your business boom.
Implement Location Neutrality
Location neutrality is an amazingly effective way to boost your team?s agility because having employees in numerous different locations across the globe, where they will be working in different time zones, means that you will not only be privy to different ways of thinking and different cultural practices, but you will also have access to excellent employees round the clock, should you need them.
Increase Collaboration
Increasing the level of collaboration your team has, using, for example, cloud-based software testing tools that offer many integrations, or using Skype and other video conferencing software to ensure everyone is included, is a great way to foster fruitful working relationships which will help employees to come up with more creative solutions faster.
Plan for Defeat
Every business experiences defeat, failures and setbacks along the way, so if you want your team to be as agile as possible, you need to plan for the worst case scenario. This will inform everything from the tightness of your deadlines to the size of your budget, building in a cushion so that your team feels freer to make mistakes along the way. After all, it is mistakes which teach us the most and help us to ultimately succeed.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
It?s the 21st Century, which means we have an abundance of technology at our fingertips, and you?d be remiss not to use it to make your team more efficient, agile and successful. You can use spreadsheets to automate basic tasks, testing tools to find bugs more quickly and, as I mentioned above, collaboration tools to bring the team together, and that?s just the tips of the iceberg or what is possible.
Work on YourselfImage source
As a team leader, it is important that you are always working on yourself, looking at new and improved ways of managing your employees and meeting their needs. There are numerous management styles out there, and experimenting with them all will help you to determine what works best for you and your team in any given situation.
All of the tips above will help you to create a more agile team and a more successful business. All that remains now is for you to jump in and start implementing them as soon as possible.
by Nick Throlson | Aug 17, 2017 | Business, Web Design
One way to attract customers is through your website. It?s a simple approach for connecting with users on a daily basis and exchanging information. The problem is that not all websites are user-friendly. Customers can?t stand it when they come across a company page that?s difficult to navigate.Your goal is to engage customers and create a space that makes them want to stay. Many people look up companies online and judge them before even going into a store or trying out their product. Make sure you?re proud of what they encounter. See five ways to improve the customer experience on your website. SpeedSpeed is very important these days. It?s critical for customer service, data exchanges and a businesses? website. You must have a speedy website and blog for customers to review. It should also be mobile-friendly and available for accessing anytime, anywhere. A slow and clunky site will cause people to click out and not have any desire to come back in the future. ?DesignIf you?re not a designer, it?s important you hire one to work with you. They know what colors, buttons and banners to include for the best customer experience. It?s not a guessing game and should be taken seriously. A beautiful and attractive design has the potential to bring you more business. Don?t let a bad website design ruin it for you. PurposeAsk your users to take action on your website, whether it?s through a lead generation form or purchasing a product. Implement a WordPress shop theme so you have a professional looking store and customers can easily work the shopping cart system. Your website is the perfect place to include a call to action and have users provide you with their contact information or complete a transaction.InformationUse your website to provide value to your customers. Let them explore through organized pages and relevant and timely content. List pricing and contact information so they don?t have to go digging for it somewhere else. Give customers what they want before they have to ask for it. Have enough content on your website to make it worth their time to visit. This is a great opportunity to launch a blog and help educate your audience through engaging posts. Proofread When you?re all done making improvements to your website, take the time to proofread through the details. You?ll look silly if your site has errors all over the place. Take pride in your work and correct mistakes before the audience sees them. A website that looks professionally done and is free of inaccuracies helps build trust with your audience. This is how you get them interested in you and wanting to try your product. Spelling mistakes make you look silly and as if you don?t care enough to fix them. ConclusionCustomers are always paying attention. Impress them by taking pride in your business and rolling out updates they?ll appreciate. These are five ways to improve the customer experience on your website.
by Nick Throlson | Aug 3, 2017 | Business
How To Prepare For Becoming A Business OwnerThe day you decide to become a business owner is the day your entire life will change. It?s a great way to gain your independence and learn how to grow a business; therefore, don?t let yourself get discouraged before you even start.Begin by learning what it is you need to know before you dive in. Step back and evaluate your obstacles and what you don?t know yet. Take the necessary steps to set yourself up for success. One way to come in is with experience, and if you don?t have it, you?ll have to build it on the job. See how to prepare for becoming a business owner.Clear your ScheduleBeing a business owner will require lots of your time. At least initially, there?s no way around it. Dedicate your time to building your business and finding new clients. It?s going to take up all of your energy, and you?ll need to give up other commitments to deal with your business. Remember that it?s what you wanted and you worked hard to get this far. That?s why it?s important to prepare yourself ahead of time for a number of hours you?re going to be spending working on your company. Create A WebsiteOne way to quickly get your name out there is through a website. Luckily, there is a free website builder online that?ll walk you through the steps. Adobe Spark makes it easy to create websites that look professional. Even better, there are no design skills necessary. Using this program, you?re able to create a professional-looking website in minutes. Get your web page up and running in no time and tell your story to the world through images and text. For businesses, a Spark Page can showcase a product catalog, advertise a special offer, or act as a weekly or monthly newsletter.Have A Customer Service Strategy At first, you may be the only person running your business. This means that it?s on you to answer customer inquiries and solve issues. Be prepared to respond to phone calls and emails as your client base grows. Have a plan in place for when you?ll handle them and if you need to plan to hire someone to help. Your first order of business should always be your customers. Be prepared to put other tasks aside so you can be responsive to whatever questions pop up. Build your NetworkStart by building your network before you even open your business. It?s good to know others in the industry and local business owners like yourself. This way you can bounce ideas off of each other and call them for business inquiries. Go to networking events and participate in conferences and speeches, so people get to know you. Put yourself out there and use your network to your advantage as you grow your business. ConclusionStarting your own business is an exciting time in your life. Embrace the journey and understand there will be challenges along the way. This is how to prepare for becoming a business owner. 
Hire the Right Staff
First, and most importantly of all, you need to recruit the right people into your business. This will perhaps mean a more rigorous recruiting process than you?re used to with lots of vetting, interviews, and tests to ensure the people you?re hiring are not only competent, but able to adapt to any situation and willing to work more flexibly, but it will be worth it when you can look at your team and know that they will make your business boom.
Implement Location Neutrality
Location neutrality is an amazingly effective way to boost your team?s agility because having employees in numerous different locations across the globe, where they will be working in different time zones, means that you will not only be privy to different ways of thinking and different cultural practices, but you will also have access to excellent employees round the clock, should you need them.
Increase Collaboration
Increasing the level of collaboration your team has, using, for example, cloud-based software testing tools that offer many integrations, or using Skype and other video conferencing software to ensure everyone is included, is a great way to foster fruitful working relationships which will help employees to come up with more creative solutions faster.
Plan for Defeat
Every business experiences defeat, failures and setbacks along the way, so if you want your team to be as agile as possible, you need to plan for the worst case scenario. This will inform everything from the tightness of your deadlines to the size of your budget, building in a cushion so that your team feels freer to make mistakes along the way. After all, it is mistakes which teach us the most and help us to ultimately succeed.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
It?s the 21st Century, which means we have an abundance of technology at our fingertips, and you?d be remiss not to use it to make your team more efficient, agile and successful. You can use spreadsheets to automate basic tasks, testing tools to find bugs more quickly and, as I mentioned above, collaboration tools to bring the team together, and that?s just the tips of the iceberg or what is possible.
Work on YourselfImage source
As a team leader, it is important that you are always working on yourself, looking at new and improved ways of managing your employees and meeting their needs. There are numerous management styles out there, and experimenting with them all will help you to determine what works best for you and your team in any given situation.
All of the tips above will help you to create a more agile team and a more successful business. All that remains now is for you to jump in and start implementing them as soon as possible.
