Business

  • 11 Ways to Include QR Codes within Your Business

    QR ReaderIf you have a smart phone then you probably have an app that converts QR codes known as a reader. This reader converts the QR code so that you can obtain the information that is stored. If the information stores a website then you are taken to that web address. If it contains text then you will automatically see it.

     

    So exactly what is a QR code? Well QR stands for quick response and it’s a two-dimensional barcode that can be printed and displayed in a variety of locations to help drive prospects to online resources. When used properly, they can enhance your marketing campaigns and increase brand awareness.

     

    When using QR codes remember that codes need to be located where they will get the most targeted action. If you’re targeting surfers, you’ll want your code placed where surfers will see it. Here are some placement locations that you may find useful in your business. 

     

    Magazines and Newspapers – When purchasing advertising in newspapers and magazines include a QR code for special offers, coupons or other promotions. If contributing an article, use a code to direct readers to your website author page.

     

    Storefronts – Windows and flat storefronts are ideal for placing QR codes. Hang a poster or self-sticking windows cling to announce store hours, customer service information and more. In-store signage and displays can be used for this as well.

     

    Product Packaging – What could be easier for consumers than having direct access to your support center right on the product packaging? A QR code can give them this. In addition, you can use codes to direct consumers to online resources such as product manuals, information on medications, instructional videos and even coupon discounts on their next order.

     

    Business Cards – Business cards are small so you can only include your basic information. With a QR code you can expand the details by linking to your website.

     

    Conferences, Tradeshows & Meet-up Material – There is so much information available at these events that it’s hard to carry everything.  Include a QR code in your display, freebies, banners, cocktail napkins and even your ID/Name Tag so prospects can retrieve your contact details easily.

     

    Instructional Manuals – Include customer support location and hours. You could also use a QR code to send people to an FAQ or web page for training tutorials.

     

    Receipts & Event Tickets – Receipts are perfect places to include a QR code for discounts on their next order. Include them on event tickets to send customers to your calendar of upcoming events.

     

    QR Codes

    ID Tags – Animal care facilities as well as pet owners can put QR codes on a pet’s ID tag. Daycares, parents and anyone working with children can add them to the child’s backpack or coat so your contact information is immediately available in case emergency. They can also be added to flyers you hang up if a pet or child goes missing.

     

    Stickers & Temporary Tattoos – Schools, scouts, youth groups and other organizations who regular take groups of children on outings can give each child a sticker or temporary tattoo encoded with a QR code so your organization can quickly be contacted if they get lost.

     

    Promotional Items & Gifts – From mouse pads to t-shirts, anything you are giving away that has a flat scannable surface can have a QR code. Include one to promote your products, services or offer a coupon for first-time buyers.

     

    Post Cards, Gift Cards & Greeting Cards – Include a QR code for free access to a digital product for your client.  Offer a code for discount on their next order. Use them to direct prospects to sign up for a free gift or to view your sales items.

     

    Maps, calendars, brochures, take-home menus and yard signage also make great places to add QR codes. 

     

    While not all of these will work for every business, there are sure to be some that will work for yours. The goal is to supply additional information and to connect with your customers and prospects in a way that is easy for them. 

     

    Ready to design one? Here is a blog post from HubSpot that you might find helpful called “How to Make a QR code in 4 Quick Steps”.

    Read more

  • Ways to Market Your Niche

    Everyone is looking for an angle.  In business today, it is important to find the right way to reach your target customers.  One way to do that is to have a product that no one else is selling in quite that same way.  This is your niche.

    We are going to talk about marketing that niche.  You will have already done your homework and found out that this is a product or service that no one else has marketed up until now.  Check out other websites that sell similar products.  A list of these may be somewhere among your files from the time you researched to find the right niche.

    Use their examples as a starting point.  Inject some of your own creativity into the equation to expand on what they have already done.  It could be a matter of adding a few extra features to your website for customers.

    What about forums?  Business forums that deal with entrepreneurs who have made money with products similar to yours can give you hints about what works.  Since there is no direct competition, they’ll be willing to help you.  Use the forum to discuss your business and make contact with people who can add to your business knowledge.

    niche marketing

    Knowledge is the key.  When niche marketing, knowing everything about that product or service you want to offer is essential to making the whole business work.  Find out who would pay more for your specialized service and where those people are.  Knowing where they are will guide your marketing strategy for reaching them.

    What if you have found a product that no one has tapped yet?  It could be a rare book business or a special component in your product that makes it more valuable.  If the demand is there, acquiring those items would be worth the extra time, effort, and expense.

    Identify the places where your products will sell best.  You can promote the items on your website, but that is not the only place to market your wares.  What about a marketplace like eBay?  When you have found just the right niche, you can expand to increase your profits even more.

    What services would complement that product?  Additional services drive up the value of your product.  Take the time to cultivate these services and further cement the relationship with your existing clientele.

    Now that your product is selling, increase the field.  Global marketing of your niche is the ultimate.  Write expert content and submit it to magazines online and in print.  Let others know that you are the foremost authority on that product.

    What is your niche?  Are you doing everything that you know to do to promote that product or service?  Maybe the above suggestions will help you to fine-tune and expand your profits.  If you need more guidance contact me I can help.

    Read more

  • The Challenge of Keeping up with the Latest Marketing Trends

    Trends
    Staying on top of the latest marketing trends can present quite a challenge. I’m sure that if you have been in business for a while you are aware of that challenge. With that being said, there are a few ways that you can stay on top of the marketing game and make sure you are using the most up-to-date methods of marketing your business.

     

    As a business, it is essential to make your presence known. Keeping a professional website is the first step of course. Your website is the “storefront” for your business and this is what actually sets the tone for those that express an interest in your business and what you have to offer. Make sure your website is search engine optimized (SEO) and mobile friendly.

     

    Let’s look at some tactics that you can use that will help you know what marketing opportunities exist and how you can keep your business marketing one step ahead.

    trending

     

    Having a perfectly optimized website is awesome, but make sure you gain the right exposure. Here are some ways you can find out more about the latest and greatest marketing opportunities available for you and your business:

     

    • Visit Internet marketing forums and blogs.

    Interact with others in the community and read posts by others regarding marketing methods they have tried or those they intend to try. If you see a new opportunity that arises, take advantage of it if it works for your type of business.

     

    • Participate in conferences.

      This will allow you to meet other people, many of whom are right on top of the game. This is a great way to gain useful insight and information that will prove to be invaluable for you and your business.

     

    • Take time to network with other business marketers.

      Share information with others and gather information from those who are trying to do the same thing you are. This allows you to stay on top of the latest marketing trends, and extract information from others as to their experiences with certain methods.

     

    • Research is one of the most important actions you can take that will help you gain knowledge about current marketing trends.

      Put your research skills to use and find information about the newest marketing trends. If anything in life is certain, it’s the fact that marketing trends are always changing. Keeping up-to-date can really be like a rat race if you don’t do your homework and commit time and effort in keeping up with the changes presented into today’s marketing world.

     

    • Make yourself readily available for change. Be resilient and flexible.

      Don’t forget what the main goals of your business really are. Think outside the box. Those are all ways of motivating yourself to entire ownership of the actions you take in marketing your business.

     

    Your success really is based on your efforts in putting your business name right in front of your intended audience. Using the information given will give you the insight and knowledge you need in order to help you keep up with the latest marketing trends for your business.

     

    Don’t have time to keep up with the marketing trends and information out there? Outsource your marketing to us. We are a full service online marketing firm ready and able to help you with all your marketing pain points.

    Get Started

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Read more

  • Success with Webinars

    webinars

    Webinars offer the ultimate in online collaboration. They make use of audio, video and a variety of other technologies to create an interactive experience that’s almost as good as meeting in person. And with today’s fast internet speeds and inexpensive hosting services, just about anyone with a computer and webcam can have one.

     

    Still, a successful webinar requires a great deal of thought and preparation. You must come up with a good topic, choose a capable presenter and put together an itinerary. You have to promote it to attract the right audience and make sure you’re giving them the information they’re looking for. It’s a lot of work, so before you jump in it’s important to make sure that a webinar is the appropriate avenue for your message.

     

    Here are some of the situations in which webinars are most effective:

    Interactive Training – Training can often be accomplished via email, recorded video or a conference call. But in some cases, live, interactive video works best. Participants can follow along with you, asking questions every step of the way. This type of webinar works best with a limited number of participants.

     

    Product Demonstrations – Bricks and mortar businesses often hold demonstrations to show consumers what their products can do. If you sell online, a webinar can accomplish the same goals. It’s better than recorded video because you can interact with viewers and answer their questions right away. You can also record the webinar and post it to your site so that those who are unable to attend can see what they missed.

     

    Focus Groups – Businesses often use focus groups to refine their products, services and marketing efforts. They choose participants from their target market and show them ads or presentations, then ask questions and allow free discussion to see how they react. Online focus groups work well for online business owners because they allow people to participate without regard to geographic location.

     

    Establishing Yourself as an Expert – Online marketers often hold webinars as a means of establishing themselves as experts in their respective fields. This format offers a number of advantages. It allows customers to put a face and personality with their name, increasing trust. It also makes it possible to share information in a variety of ways and gives participants the opportunity for interactive discussion.

    Webinars can be helpful throughout the sales cycle, from finding new prospects who may be interested in your coaching or products. They allow you to connect with your audience in ways that are impossible though email and other methods.

    cover3d_1429483369Want to learn more about webinar basics?
    Check out our eBook “Webinar Basics” for only $9.95.

    Read more

  • 4 Tips on How to Use Your Blog to Build Your Email List

    One of the most important aspects of having an active blog is building your email list. You want almost everyone who visits your blog to feel compelled to sign up for your list. Your email list is one of the most powerful pieces of your online business. It allows you to have a closer relationship with your followers.

    So you need to think of your blog as a gateway to building your list which is essential. That’s why your blog needs to provide excellent, varied, regular and targeted content. Plus, don’t be shy, ask them to sign up. Make it apparent.

    4 Tips on How to Use Your Blog to Build Your Email List

    Excellent Content —

    For content to be excellent it has to be well-written, and targeted to a particular audience. Everything on your site needs to be accurate and above average from the normal site content such as your about page, to the rest of the content you put on your page from a blog post, to articles, to images and more.

    Tip: Get it edited, or hire a writer or VA, then you edit it. No one can write perfect content without editing. You also need to make sure that your voice is infused into everything you put out.

    Varied Content —

    If you put up the same form and type of content every week, people will get bored. Mix it up a bit and use slideshows, podcasts, video casts, eBooks, PDF downloads, apps and more. Your audience will be more excited to check out your content if they’re not sure what type it will be as long as it’s relevant to them.

    Tip: You can re-use content in one form and transfer it to the new form. A blog post can become a podcast, can become a videocast, and can become an infographic.

    home-office-336373_640

    Regular Content —

    If you aren’t going to focus on putting up content on a regular basis, focus on at least 4 blog posts a month. By doing so, you’re going to get the bang for your buck you’re hoping to achieve. Shoot for at minimum 4 blog posts a month and you will reap the rewards with a bigger email list and higher targeted traffic that is ready to purchase from you.

    Tip: To be sure you have plenty of regular content, brainstorm in advance using a calendar so you know what you need before you sit down to write it or hire a writer.

    Call To Action —

    Never forget your call to action. If you want people to sign up for your email list, you need to ask them. Your email list is the lifeblood of your business. If you build a targeted list you can give yourself a raise whenever you want to by promoting a sale, promoting your new blog posts, and getting your audience involved in product creation. The key is to ask them to do what you want them to do.

    Tip: Make it a habit after every blog, podcast, videocast, and so forth to remind users of your newsletter and your other offerings. If they read all the way to the bottom, or listened all the way to the end, then they’re going to want to know more.

     

    Using your blog to build your email list is one of the easiest ways to get action and a good return on investment from your blog. Fill your blog with useful, original, credible and friendly blogs that speak directly to your audience and you’ll discover that being a blogger is profitable and fun.

     

     

    Read more

  • Protecting Your WordPress Content

    Protecting Your WordPress Content
    Online security is a big concern for many online businesses today. How can you protect the hard work that you have put into your WordPress blog and site? How can you try and keep people from stealing your content?

     

    Unfortunately, “scraping” is what can happen.  This is when someone takes the content from your website and uses it as theirs by posting it on their website. Most people don’t even know that they have been scraped until they see the duplicate content or they have problems with search engine rankings because of it.

     

    Protect yourself from the beginning so you don’t become a victim yourself. You’ve worked too hard to build your reputation and your optimized content to have it tampered with. 

     

    Protecting Yourself and Your Content

     

    The reality is that you can’t stop someone who is set on stealing from you with any reliability unless you put safeguards in place.

     

    Here are some tips to get you all set up. Keep in mind at posting that these were up to date with the current WordPress version. We recommend that you always read about any plugin before you consider using them. Sometimes plugins don’t always play nice so always backup your site before trying new plugins.  This list represents some available plugins but there are more options. Visit WordPress for more information.

     

    * WP Content Copy Protection & No Right Click –

    This WordPress plug-in protects the post content from being copied by any other site author. The plugin will keep your posts and homepage protected by multiple techniques (Java Script + CSS). According to the developer no one else offers this technique in any other plugin.

    *WP Secure Image – 

    This WordPress plug-in allows you to copy and protect your images. Protects from right click mouse saves, drag-in-drop, site grabbers and page save.

    Protecting Your WordPress Content

    *Copy Protect Web Pages and Media –

    This WordPress plug-in uses encrypted images to copy protect all media including image, Flash, PDF and video from right-click-saving and mouse-drag and prevent print screen and screen capture. This plugin can add copy protection to any page or post by simply adding a small CopySafe encrypted image.

     

    * Easy Mark –

    This WordPress plug-in can automatically add watermark to images as they are uploaded to your WordPress media library. You can also watermark existing images manually (all at once or an every single image). Watermark can be an image, text or both.

     

    Protecting your website information is vital to your reputation and also making sure that someone else doesn’t profit from your hard work. So take the first step today and research into ways to save your content. Prevention is essential when running an online business.

     

    Have questions or need help with your website development or security? We can help contact us today. Use our contact form below.

    Read more

  • Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

    Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
    Stepping outside our comfort zone can be one of the hardest things any of us can do. Some people experience panic attacks or freeze up just thinking about trying new things. Have you stepped out of your comfort zone lately?

    I like change and learning new things but I still have my comfort zone. So what I purposely do is make myself step outside the zone all the time. I’m not going to lie sometimes its scary and nerve racking but well worth it in the end because I know that’s were awesome happens. You end up gaining new skills and experience that otherwise you may have never mastered.

    Many successful people will tell you that challenging yourself and trying new ideas and strategies doesn’t always work but if you’re not learning or growing you will never experience awesome!

    Being a marketing coach and consultant I find that change is a constant in my marketplace. My job is to help my clients stay current and also step outside their box. Just this past week I worked with my one of my clients and together we both tried something new. She had not really done much video marketing and I had never produced anyone in a video (besides myself) so together we did it!

    Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

    What a great time we had with the camera crew and the staff at GMLCPA. We both made our debut, stepped outside the zone and gained experience. What more could you ask for, right? Well now I’m ready to do more of these and so is my client because we got over the scary part of trying something new.

    I’d like to challenge you to take time this week and step outside your comfort zone and push your personal boundaries. Try something new. Stretch yourself. Push yourself to do something even if it’s a small step and be the brilliant, talented and brave person that you know you can be. Please be sure to share your experience with us here on the blog.

    Read more

  • How to be a Social Media Influencer

    Many people think that building a huge following on social media is all it takes to become a successful influencer. There is actually a lot more to this than you may realize.

    how to be an influencer on social mediaWhile it may be easy for you to create a new Facebook fan page and build a following of thousands of fans, what you need is active followers. An active follower or fan is someone who takes the time to comment and share your content. It is this activity that the major sites like Klout and Kred take into consideration when measuring your influence.

    It is possible to get your fans and followers to engage with you by following some simple steps. First remember that social media is about sharing content. While your main goal may be to have others share your content, this will not happen unless you share theirs first.

    Another aspect that you want to master is the one of listening. Listen and read the comments that your fans post and then take action on them. By doing this you are actually showing them that you are interested in what they have to say. This will help you build trust and respect amongst your followers and in turn this will improve your power of influence.

    Always remember to be yourself when using social media and don’t try to come over as you think people want you to. You should know what your brandhow to be a social media influencer is and what message you are trying to convey to people.  This places you in an honest light and again helps to build trust with your customers. After all you want to be someone who your customers can happily do business with.

    When it comes to adding content to your social media sites then always aim for quality content first. When having any type of social media conversation it is best to have one great conversation with one person than to try and have a mediocre one with ten or twenty people at one time.

    Social media is meant to be fun so don’t forget to include this in your business. You don’t always have to be serious. Exposing a fun side will not hurt your business at all. Instead it will make you look more human and friendly to your followers and more approachable.

    So instead of worrying about how to become the next best social influencer, just get out there and inject your personality into your sites. You may be surprised by what happens. And remember to have fun!

    If you are your looking for assistance with your social media influence please feel free to reach out to me. I understand what it’s like to struggle with the constant changes that happen in our fast paced business world and I’d be glad to be your guide. 

    http://my.vcita.com/d802bba6/scheduler

    Read more

  • How Baseball Coaching Compares to Business Coaching

    Baseball
    My husband and I at Chase Field.

    It’s Springtime and that time of year that I actually like to participate in watching some LIVE baseball games at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ. Anyone who knows me well knows that sports are not usually on the top of my preferred list of what I like to do but baseball is a game that I understand.

    Since we transplanted our lives back in 1998 to Tucson from the East Coast we have followed the Arizona Diamond Back team thru their ups and downs. We don’t get to go as often as we like but nowadays when we do go we usually can garner some tickets from my husband’s boss. He has season tickets on the first row behind third base, SCORE!  These seats definitely beat the ones we used to get when my son was a toddler and we sat in the nosebleed section although we always had fun when we went.

    So baseball games got me to thinking about coaches and how baseball coaches have a lot in common with me when I coach a client.

    Baseball
    You see Coaches matter both in business and in baseball. If a business owner works with a great business coach they can excel and grow their bottom line. In baseball, a so-so team can be taken to an unimaginable level based solely on the coach they have. Coaches in baseball like a coach in business serve many roles.

    1. They see the big picture. A catcher or first baseman may see the game only from their limited perspective; the coach sees everything on the field and how all the pieces fit together.
    2. They have the wisdom of experience. The average coach has lived through more games than the average player, and they’ve seen things that some players haven’t. They bring that experience to the team.
    3. They are invested in the outcome, but they are in it for the long haul. Just as kids can’t see past the end of the school year, players sometimes can’t see beyond the end of the season. The coach can put things into perspective.
    4. They inspire. Because they care deeply about the players and the game, they are able to connect with the team in a way outsiders cannot.
    5. They get you in shape. No one WANTS to do stadium steps or run sprints, but the coach knows that these exercises are what’s needed to whip the team into shape.

    Just as you’ve never seen a winning team without a coach, you’d be hard-pressed to find a winning business person without a coach as well. As a coach I get coached by people who are many steps ahead of me.  This broadens my knowledge base which in turn helps me to be a better coach for those that I work with.

    A business coach can perform many of these same roles that a baseball coach does. They can help keep things in perspective, guide you from their experience and wisdom, help you think past the next fiscal quarter, and motivate and inspire you to move forward. They know what needs to be done, and in what order, so they keep you from wasting time and energy on unnecessary tasks.

    The best coaches get personal satisfaction in helping you succeed, so choose wisely. Find a mentor with a history of successes not just in the field you need help with but as a coach as well. You wouldn’t want a baseball coach who was still reliving his glory days as a Major League player and felt in competition with the players on his team; you also don’t want a business coach who feels threatened by your success.

    Ask around for recommendations, the best candidates come from referrals. Also, in today’s world taking a look on Google can help you gather information on someone’s qualifications. Please be sure to share how you have found a great mentor or business coach on this blog page.

    If you’re looking for an online marketing coach please feel free to contact me for a complimentary 30 minute consultation. I’d love to hear about your business.
    https://strategizeyoursuccess.com/coaching-consulting

     

    Read more

  • Reach for the Stars When Setting Your Goals

    When going into business, setting goals is an important thing. It helps you focus on what you want to achieve and motivates you to do what it takes to succeed. Reaching your first business goals is truly something to be celebrated don’t you think?

     

    Once you’ve reached your goals, what’s left to do? Make new ones! Goals are most effective when they are continuously updated. They motivate us to keep challenging ourselves and achieve higher and higher levels of success.

     

    Reach for the StarsHow to Set Effective Goals

    Some small business owners make the mistake of setting goals that are too vague. While vague goals are more attainable, they do not provide the motivation that more specific goals do. For example, you might set a goal to have higher sales this month than you did last month. Whether your sales are ten cents or $1000 higher, you will have achieved your goal. But which one would be more preferable?

     

    The best goals are ones that are measurable. The measurement doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary, though. It could be a percentage that you would like to increase your profits by next month, or a number of website visitors or mailing list subscribers you would like to reach in a certain amount of time.

     

    Don’t Get Stuck in Your Comfort Zone

     

    It’s a great feeling to meet your goals. It’s even better to meet them consistently. But if you are exceeding each and every one of your goals, it may be time to aim higher.

     

    Failure is so scary to some that they set goals that they have a good chance of attaining instead of ones that might not materialize. But by doing so, they don’t motivate themselves as much as they could. And that may lead to not working up to their potential.

     

    Instead of setting goals that you know you can achieve, consider stretching yourself a bit. Starting out small is fine if it makes you more comfortable. If you meet the slightly loftier goal, make the next one a little more ambitious, and continue this pattern with each goal that is reached. Before you know it, you will be in awe at what you are achieving!

     

    Set Aside Time for Goal Setting

    Reach for the Stars

    Running a business is hard work, and it’s not uncommon to get so caught up in day-to-day operations that we forget to make goals. But by skipping this crucial step, we miss out on an opportunity to evaluate how we are doing and give ourselves new things to aim for.

     

    Setting aside a time to determine our goals is well worth the effort. Adjusting long-term goals and setting short-term ones at regular intervals is time well spent. A good time for goal setting is at the beginning or end of each month. But if those are busy times for you, choose a time you will find easier to stick with.

     

    Setting new goals should be an ongoing process for every business owner. It is important to reward yourself for reaching goals, but it is equally important to continue to set new, higher ones. The more goals you reach and the higher they are, the more you can reward yourself.

    If one of your goals is to learn new skills check out some of my upcoming training sessions at https://strategizeyoursuccess.com/events-2/

    Read more