January - February, 2020 Volume 17 -- Issue 93 One of my most prized books on marketing has been and likely will always be: Harry Beckwith's 'Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing'. I pull it off my bookshelf often when I need a quick jolt of marketing inspiration. As the saying goes: 'Good things come in small packages'. This small volume provides myriad ideas that improve marketing and sales [...]
July - August, 2019 Volume 16 -- Issue 90 If your small business can't seem to find, recruit and retain a constant stream of customers and clients, is it your own fault? It might just be. What steps have you taken to become more visible and [...]
I must admit to a well-intentioned, but bad habit. I've been dealing with it for a very long time and haven't really found a solution. I am a bit paranoid about breaking the habit and losing exceptional ideas and information. Notes and little scraps of paper with gems of wisdom only come around every once in a while. I can't control the growth and success of my company - or my clients' either, for that matter - if I don't put those ideas to work. I am in the midst of efforts to declutter my life. The older we get, [...]
What Does a Small Business Website Cost? Krom Kratthog / www.freedigitalphotos.net In our Small Business Website Basics series, Part I post, our discussion covered small business websites being necessary, not optional, to the success of a small business and ten reasons why it is true. It was pretty alarming to learn that 46% of small businesses in the United States do not have a website for their business. It never ceases to amaze me how many small businesses still do not understand the need for a web site to represent their company online. Let customers know you are out [...]
A Small Business Website Is Not an Option Can you believe that 46% of small businesses in the United States still do not have a website? It’s 2016. The world revolves around the Internet. Yet, nearly half of the small businesses have yet to launch a website. Crazy, isn't it? Entrepreneur.com posted an article quoting statistics from a report prepared by Business-to-Business research firm, Clutch. A small business website is a necessity, not an option. Stuart Miles at freedigitalphotos.net A small business website is the main hub piece of any marketing plan. A website is critical for the success of [...]
Is there ever a tipping point when you’ve saturated the market and you no longer need marketing or advertising for your company, its products and services? According to Christopher Ramey, president of The Home Trust International, the answer is no. “The more you’re seen where you’re not expected to be seen, the more you indelibly imprint your brand on your best prospects’ minds.” Think about some of the big corporate names that have made millions - even billions - selling their products: Nike, Coca-Cola, Ford. They certainly have not stopped marketing to put their names in front of consumers. At the [...]
During a recent meeting with a fellow consulting colleague, we discovered that though our services are not exactly the same, our customers still share similarities. This was especially true when it comes to branding and marketing. Rob specializes in marketing and public relations for larger manufacturing companies. I do strategic management consulting with small businesses. In spite of our different customer bases, it was clear that business leaders of all sizes and types of businesses often lack clarity when it comes to branding their company. During our conversation, Rob mentioned being called in by a prospect to work with their marketing people and [...]
Admit it. The only reason customers do business with you is because they have a problem or specific need, and think you are the best person or company to solve it. Everybody has a problem or a challenge they want fixed to make their life better. Maybe they need you to save them time, provide a solution that will make their life or business more efficient, or remove the stress involved in the challenges they face. Perhaps there is one very unique or specialized service you offer that others do not. Maybe you offer a product that no one else [...]
In case you haven't heard, we are operating in a relationship marketplace these days. You know the mantra: people want to do business with someone they know, like and can trust. Do you offer a product or service that is so over the top wonderful, or just isn't available from anyone else? Are you just the best darned whiz-bang (fill in the blank _____) on the planet? If your answer to either of these questions is 'No’ you may have a serious problem on your hands related to converting web site visitors to actual paying customers. With the advent of the Internet, [...]
'Designing Strategies' Newsletter January - February 2015 Volume 12 -- Issue 63 How Well Is Your Website Working? Small business owners who have been around more than ten years remember well the days of high-cost printed marketing pieces. Small businesses spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for design and printing of glossy company brochures. Unfortunately, most of them became obsolete almost as soon as the ink was dry. Storage rooms had boxes full of outdated and unusable brochures and other marketing materials. The slightest change rendered those expensive, impressive pieces useless. Maybe the company changed location and the [...]
