Image Connect Web Design, Marketing, Printing for Small Business

5 Easy Ways To Increase Sales In 5 Minutes

2010-04-12T16:40:00.000+01:00

Only have five minutes to spare then use your time wisely and incorporate these 5 quick and easy changes and see your sales and readership numbers increase:

Use up to a maximum of 17 words in your main headline to increase readership
Use a Drop Cap Letter in your main headline to increase readership
Insert order buttons adjacent to your customer testimonial boxes to increase conversions
Put a customer testimonial below your P.S. to increase conversions
Change your price to end with a "7" to increase conversions

Making these minor changes or taking these five tips into account when writing a new article, web page, sales page, email or a sales letter could see up to a massive 40% improvement in readership or conversions.

'On Demand' Printing Benefits Small Businesses

2010-03-24T15:04:00.000+00:00

Digital printing or ‘on demand’ printing, as it is sometimes known is a fairly recent edition to a very old established industry. The arrival of digital printing has revolutionised the print industry and significantly changed the way small businesses are now able promote themselves.

Digital printing has reduced the costs of small run print jobs and significantly reduced the turnaround times. This enables a small business to send their customers highly targeted, highly effective marketing messages.

Short run, full colour litho printing was an expensive option for small businesses. A large proportion of the cost was down to the time consuming and costly process of setting up a traditional 'lithographic' printing press. These set-up costs meant that it simply wasn't cost effective to print a few copies of a document or brochure, so small businesses had to think long and hard about what they would print as many hundreds or even thousands of copies would need to be printed.

The set-up process for litho printing would also mean that delivery schedules would be much longer, perhaps a couple of weeks. You also needed storage space for all your printed documents, as you had so many extras printed over and above your initial requirement, you also ran the risk of them being out of date before you used them.

So to summarize the benefits of digital printing to your small business:

Ordering your print 'on demand' means that you only order the quantity you want
Turnaround times for digital printing are faster than traditional printing
Your literature, information and prices will be more up to date and accurate
Your offers can be changed more often perhaps seasonally, instead of repeating the same offer several times a year
You can have specific targeted versions of your literature for each group of customers instead of ‘one size fits all’
You will get a better response rate the more accurately you target your literature and offers and you can even add scarcity value
You can test your marketing messages by trialling different versions and then printing larger quantities of the most successful version
You will be more environmentally friendly as you will have less old out of date literature to throw away

Digital printing has significant benefits to small business owners enabling them to get the most out of their resources and time, both very valuable commodities in the current climate. Being able to specifically target your marketing messages and change and adapt them to the constantly changing environment means you will be in the right place, at the right time with the right message for your prospects and customers.

5 Keys to Mobile Marketing

2010-03-15T11:09:00.007+00:00

In these recession led, budget conscious times, mobile marketing may provide a more cost effective solution for your business. The addition of mobile marketing to your marketing mix for 2010 could see you boosting your sales, your prospects database and your customer list.

Before starting you campaign, you should consider the following 5 key elements:

Accurately target your recipients – chose your recipients with care, ensure that the audience is applicable to the offer you are making
Unique incentive – make a really good offer, whether it’s a discount, a free item or entry in to a prize draw
Re-usable option – don’t just send one message to a prospect, build your list for the future with an ‘opt-in’ for future offers option
Call to action – make the call to action as easy as possible, make sure they can easily redeem it by a code or click to call option
Testing and tracking – track the number of receipts and redemptions of your offer. This enables you to see if it was successful and if you need to make any changes before repeating it or rolling it out to a larger audience. Remember always test, track and refine everything you do and then repeat what works and scrap what doesn’t.

So, put your mobile marketing campaign to work and start promoting your business.

7 Small Business Networking Mistakes

2010-02-05T15:39:00.009+00:00

Networking, the hot topic of the moment is vitally important to small businesses. As a small business or a new business just starting out, networking and making the right connections can make all the difference now and in the future.

So when you get involved in networking, don’t be afraid, it is not as daunting as it may seem, here are 5 mistakes you should avoid.

Not being prepared, take lots of business cards or leaflets
Not rehearsing your sound bite, you need to be confident and make it flow
Do not attend a networking event and sell to those you meet
Do not just collect details for the sake of getting your numbers up, spend your time wisely and talk to people where their is mutual benefit for both parties
Do not pretend to be something you are not, be honest and genuine and people will reciprocate
Do not forget the network of people you already have, do not become solely focussed on building a new network, expand the one you have
Do not be selfish, remember its not all about you, people will help you if you offer them help, but not if you just take, take, take.

Now you are armed with your business cards, strapline and sound bite, so go off and network like crazy!

Recession Busting Tips Summary

2010-01-18T14:10:00.006+00:00

So just in case you missed any of the 10 recession busting tips published in December and January, a quick reminder summary of the 10 tips:

1. Count Every Penny

2. Show Me The Money

3. Check & Double Check

4. Negotiating

5. Financial Status

6. Your Staff

7. Be Visible

8. Promote

9. Remember Your Regulars

10. Stay Focussed

So did you find these useful, have you gone through some or all of the tips yet?

I would love to hear what you think or what you have acted on; it would be great to expand these 10 tips in the future with your new tips. I look forward to reading your comments and stories.....

Recession Busting Tips No10 - Stay Focussed

2010-01-08T17:06:00.005+00:00

Staying focussed and not panicking are vitally important, you now have a list of things you can do to help yourself and your business enjoy a better year ahead.

Work through the list gradually, some things you may already have done or perhaps have been meaning to do, so this is a timely reminder. You may already be following a similar process, well great, whatever position you are in; you are helping yourself to a better 2010.

Wishing you much success, happiness and health for 2010.

Recession Busting Tips No9 - Remember Your Regulars

2010-01-06T17:31:00.007+00:00

Your existing customers are very, very important, they are the reason you are still in business, so whatever you do to get new ones, do not loose sight of your existing customers and their value to your business.

Do not take them for granted, or assume they will always be there. Everyone is in the same situation and feeling the recession to a greater or lesser degree, so make them feel special and valued. It does not have to be something big or a grand gesture, just the fact you have remembered them in some small way will be enough to reassure them that they are important and valued by you.

Do not let another supplier step in and take one or more of your regular customers away, make them feel valued, provide good products and services, keep your promises and live up to your USP.

Recession Busting Tips No8 - Promote

2010-01-04T12:10:00.005+00:00

Firstly, Happy New Year to all my readers; here's hoping that 2010 is a good one for all of us small business owners.

So to continue with the recession busting tips theme.....

Promote the good things about your business.

What is it that sets you apart from your competition, if you do not know what your USP is, then find out quickly and put it in place and make sure everyone knows, staff included.

Now you have a USP that sets you apart from the competition, something that your customers like and the reason they choose you. You must now promote your USP like crazy, if some people like ‘it’ then lots more will also like your product or service, but remember you must keep your promises.

Shout about what makes you different from all the rest, commit to a level of customer service and keep to it, have an unbeatable guarantee and give your customers confidence in you and your business.

Recession Busting Tips No7 - Be Visable

2009-12-23T12:11:00.006+00:00

It is vital in times of recession that you and your business are very visible to existing clients and potential new customers.

In a recession a steady stream of marketing is the lifeblood of your business, this puts you head and shoulders above your competition, be seen on the web and in print and get chosen.

Marketing is a vital tool in this current climate not a luxury, so ensure your profile is out there.

Recession Busting Tips No6 - Your Staff

2009-12-18T17:39:00.002+00:00

Use the thoughts and experiences of one of your biggest assets, your staff. Remember they want your business to succeed as much as you do, particularly during a recession.

Ask you staff what they think, what ideas they have, ask for their input. This will make them feel more valued and part of the team and you may be pleasantly surprised about the ideas they come up with.

One or more of them may produce a great idea which may be very successful and make all the difference, if so remember to reward the person. Show your appreciation, get them involved and other great ideas will come in the future.

Recession Busting Tips No5 - Financial Status

2009-12-17T18:57:00.006+00:00

Always be fully aware of the current financial status of your business and how the next few weeks will impact on it, know the current outgoings and expected income.

Always communicate with your business bank manager. Try to keep in regular contact (this will vary depending on your business and its requirements), keep them informed of your circumstances and if you think you may have difficulties get their help, sooner rather than later.

Always keep to your commitments and do exactly what you say you will do, the bank will look more favourable on you and your situation.

Whatever you do “DO NOT BURY YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND!” This can be fatal.

Recession Busting Tips No4 - Negotiating With Suppliers

2009-12-16T15:18:00.004+00:00

Don’t shy away from asking for a better cost price from your suppliers, even if you have been working with them for many years, don’t just assume, you already get the best deal you can, because you may not!

To strengthen your bargaining power try to establish your competitors selling and cost prices if possible, if you cannot get costs at least get the sales price, it will allow you to make some judgements about margin etc ready for your negotiations with your supplier.

Use all your market information to its maximum potential to assist you in reducing your buying price. If you cannot manage to get price reductions across the board on all your products, at least target your most popular selling items and get a reduction on those.

Recession Busting Tips No3 - Check & Double Check

2009-12-15T10:23:00.003+00:00

In a recession it is essential that you get credit checks on all your customers. It is good practice at any time, but it is even more important in a recession.

If you have not been doing this, it is never too late to start and if you have customers who do repeat business with you, get them checked out as well because things can change in their businesses too.

Also get a credit check on your suppliers, you do not want to spend time and money promoting a product that could disappear or have an intermittent supply line.

Try to take as many of the risks of doing business away, to make your position as strong a possible.

Recession Busting Tips No2 - Show Me The Money

2009-12-14T13:03:00.005+00:00

Your customers are vital to your business, without them you have no business, but so is the money.

Money is critical to your survival, and a steady flow at that, so it is absolutely vital that you get your invoices out on time and that you get paid for the work /products you have supplied.

Good cash flow is critical to your continued survival in this difficult climate and is what will set you apart from the rest.

Very few of us like to chase our customers for payment, but a little time spent now will reap the rewards in the New Year.

Recession Busting Tips No1 - Count Every Penny

2009-12-09T15:54:00.010+00:00

It is a challenging time at the moment for small businesses, staying a float and ready for the New Year with all the additional expenses that Christmas brings from a business and personal perspective mean everyone is looking for ways to economise.

So, the first of our recession busting tips is:

Count Every Penny
Take a little time to investigate where every penny you are spending is going. It will be more than worthwhile to spend a little time on this as you will find some money you can save.

Re-evaluate your business; closely examine all the expenses you have, look at the things that have become old habits, those that just happen because they always have.

Check if you can streamline any of your processes, if you can purchase any better, if you can cut-out anything unnecessary.

The real surprise is that most businesses can cut costs without customers even noticing and without it affecting their high levels of customer service.

So start now and enjoy the benefits.....

.....more tips to follow, look out for No 2 SHOW ME THE MONEY.

Discover what is happening in your business & take control today

2009-10-07T14:27:00.011+01:00

Do you run and hide at the mention of book keeping or sales analysis?

One of the most daunting tasks for most small businesses, unless of course you are an accountant, is the prospect of having to do your own book keeping and organising your records.

However this can open a wealth of opportunities for you and your business to grow and capitalise on some hidden gems.

If you are a sole trader you will need to keep track of monthly expenditure and income as well as VAT, if applicable.

Take charge today

The first thing to do is take charge, don’t be frightened and get yourself organised.
It does not have to be a complicated system when you are first starting up, but good organisation is vital for your business.

It can be as simple as 1, 2 3

Put every invoice and receipt for each month in a clear plastic envelope, clearly labelled expenditure with the month and year in question.
Now take another file or folder for income and add all your invoices that you have raised on your customers, again label accordingly.
Now you have that organised in two files, the next step is to transfer this to, for example, an excel spreadsheet and then keep it up to date with just a few minutes a day.

You can develop an easy to use spreadsheet with columns for income, expenditure and if applicable VAT. As you grow there are lots of software packages you can consider that include product records, stock control, Vat calculations, automatic statement runs and much more. But for now, we are just looking at the spreadsheet option and some of the benefits.

Benefits
This will allow you to quickly see all your suppliers and how your monthly expenditure is against your monthly income and where that income is coming from. Now you can see the profit you are making each month.

With these important figures to hand, you can see if you need to make adjustments to your expenditure or if you are doing well and could consider spending some money on marketing and growing your business even further.

Big businesses do a huge amount of analysis on turnover, profit and loss, gross and net margin %, customer segmentation, product analysis and much more, every month.

As a small business it is very important that you also know where you stand, as small changes have a big impact on your business and your cash flow.

You really cannot afford to wait for the end of the year when you give a big box of paper to your accountant to sort out and then, eventually he tells you if you did ok or not!

Your hidden gems
Here are some of the advantages of getting things under control and being more organised

You are up to date
You can meet your deadlines
You can see how your finances really are at any given point in time
You can give the VAT man all the information he needs when he arrives for a spot check
You can defend your position when the tax man demands a large sum from you, if you have no records, you have no proof
You know how profitable your business is
You know which customers are your big spenders and which spend little, but take up all your time
You know which customers have paid and who has not
You know how much you owe suppliers
You know which suppliers you spend a lot with, so you can ask for more discount
You know which products sell well and which are gathering dust
You know where your stock is going and when to reorder
You have the facts and figures to make the necessary adjustments to protect and grow your business
You know, you do not have guess or panic anymore

“A few simple steps and you are in control of your business, your business is no longer in control of you.”

There are many things you can do with the extra time and money and even more important without the extra worry, so take control and move forward to a more organised, proactive and confident you.

7 tips when using email in your business

2009-09-14T14:08:00.006+01:00

7 things you must know about using email in your business. As a new business you have many things to learn and it’s easy to make mistakes when you are rushing around trying to do too many things at once.

You may see email as an easy and cheap way of communicating with prospects and customers and you would be correct, but you must do it well. There are a few things to remember, do not be lazy because you think it’s not the same as a letter.

Here are some good disciplines to get into early on and then it just becomes automatic.

Spelling and Grammar
Spelling and grammar are very important in all your correspondence, so remember to spell and grammar check everything, don’t risk losing a potential customer because of a poorly written email.

Reply Quickly
Always respond as quickly as possible to an e-mail. Even if you do not have all the answers or have to investigate the question or complaint, at the very least acknowledge the email, preferably the same day, saying you are looking in to it and will reply within 24, 48 hours whatever time frame necessary. If for some reason that is then not possible, don’t leave the person in the dark, tell them what you do know and what you are doing about it, keep them informed every step of the way. Recommit to solving the problem within a new time frame and make sure you do so, they won’t wait forever.

Re: Subject
Make sure you always complete the Subject box; you do not want them to guess or delete it because they don’t know what it is. Don’t mislead people with the subject box either, it should be about the content of the email.

Recipient
Use the recipient’s name, it is much more professional and personal to address the reader by their name, it makes them feel more valued and important, it show you care about your customers, little things matter.

Format
The format of the email does not have to be as formal as a business letter but should still be similar in style and must be grammatical, not text speak, not written in all CAPS or all lower case and do not ramble on without punctuation. It should cover all the necessary points from their email, don’t gloss over things or miss them out completely.

Who are you?
Always include all your contact information, preferably below your signature. You can mention in the email “please contact me if you require further assistance, see details below” or similar just to reassure the person that you are not a faceless, nameless entity. You should add your full name, title, company, address, telephone, email, fax, web address, everything they may need without having to contact you again to ask for it.

Their Message
When you respond to someone and are answering their questions or complaint either include the previous e-mail, or be very specific and include their questions/complaint when answering. This will enable them to quickly relate to what you are saying, we are all busy people and don’t have time to waste trawling our emails to find the one to which your answer refers.

Using email is an effective ways of communicating with all your prospects and customers, but remember in all communications be accurate, honest and professional and put your customer first, offer valuable, useful, informative content and you will reap the rewards.

Social Media - Here To Stay?

2009-09-09T15:44:00.016+01:00

Some really amazing facts and figures on social media......

I would love to hear what you think...

Do you agree or disagree "In the future we will no longer search for products and services, they will find us".

What is your experience?

Local SEO Opportunities Are Important For Small Businesses

2009-08-28T10:18:00.010+01:00

Are you making the most of your local SEO opportunities?

How do customers find you?

By guess work, by map, by sat nav? Ok how about search engines?

Does your website contain not only your full postal address, but also several very detailed sets of driving instructions, as well as walking instructions from the train station or bus stop?

it will take a little time to compile this, but it is well worth it. Go out and drive all the main routes from the motorways or main A roads in your area through to your premises. I am not recommending you drive and write at the same time, so please take someone with you. Also walk the routes from the train station and the bus stop.

Make good, detailed notes including landmarks on the routes and specify
· travelling from ‘A’
· travelling from ‘B’
· travelling from ‘C’
· travelling from ‘D’

Make these separate, easily printable pages and remember to add the full address and telephone number to every page of directions; it’s amazing how many people forget to do this!

Not only will this help your customers but will also help with local SEO, this tactic means you will come up in searches where long tail keywords including street names or landmarks are used, so a double benefit for a little time out on the road on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

A good example might be:
"XYZ Company is conveniently located on the High Street, next to the XXX public library and opposite the ZZZ shopping centre; our full postal address is XYZ Company, 123 Street, Any Town, Any Where, XX1 2YY. Our telephone number is 020 1234 5678.
Directions from all major motorways, 'A' roads, bus stop and train station are also provided for your convenience in easily printable pages". (Add travelling from links in here).

This will then enable you to be found when searches are made on the local area, for a street name, a train station, the library, the shopping centre, the motorways and 'A' roads, as you can see this gives you many more opportunities to be found.

Every business wants to be found by it's prospects, customers, partners, suppliers and visitors, so make sure it is your business they find.

As A Small Business Owner Motivation Is Key

2009-08-18T09:28:00.005+01:00

How motivated to succeed are you?

Self motivation is one of the key elements to the success of your new business.

You may have been very motivated and excited as you were putting your idea together, but as we all know that was just the start.

Now, you have opened the doors and nothing much has happened……., it did not take off as you expected, people did not keep their promises, people haven’t paid you, it’s harder than you thought.

There are many reasons you may be feeling a bit down, it all rests on your shoulders, so it is vital you dig deep, keep focussed and stay motivated.

Now is the time to motivate……..

Think positively, see how far you have come, remember you had nothing to start with
Congratulate your self on your successes
Make a list of your achievements
Find a mentor, if you can
Spend time with positive people, family, friends who support you
Set your self some sensible realistic targets to change your current circumstances
Visualise your success not what you perceive as your failure
Appreciate what you have learnt so far
Identify what motivates you and set a goal around this
Look after yourself & your health
Spend time away from work, get the right work life balance
Take some breaks, coffee, lunch etc
Take time away from your workplace to think, you will be more productive outside your work environment
Remember you started this because it’s something you enjoy doing
Acknowledge what is stressing you out and find a way to lessen the effects
Take a holiday, even if it is only one day and leave it all behind
Give a member of your staff or hire someone to do the thing’s you do not enjoy or are not good at
Finally take positive action, play to your strengths

Need a boost, need to bounce some ideas around to get things going again, I am always happy to help, so get in touch and together we will kick start the process.

Who is your prospect in your target market?

2009-08-10T08:42:00.008+01:00

Having taken into account the 7 key areas, which I discussed in more depth the previous blogs, listed here as a quick reminder:

1. Worries
2. Age
3. Gender
4. Education
5. Relationship/marital Status
6. Income
7. Location

Now it is time to construct a specific profile for your target market and make it really personal, this will then provide you with a picture in your mind, you will now be talking to one specific person and we all know its much easier to talk to just one person, than stand up in front of an audience of thousands.

Your reader will also feel like you are really just talking to them, and them alone, you know their circumstances, you can empathise with them, you are on their wave length, speaking their language, understanding their needs and wants.

Now imagine how well you message will be received, you are appealing to their emotions, they want what you have to offer.

So, bearing all this in mind get started with generating your person, give them: a name, age, gender, marital status, occupation, home, location, children, pets, hobbies etc

Some examples might be:

John is a 22 year old single, care free, no responsibilities, university student, who lives in a shared flat with two other guys. He lives a short distance from university and uses his bike to get to and from lectures. He is into facebook, twitter and the internet and only opens his post if it’s vital and important, conducts his life online and on the phone. Is into sports and fitness, goes to the gym, plays football and cycles. Plans to go around the world when he qualifies in 4 years time before starting work as an accountant.

Sally is a 35 year old married working mum with two children, a 5 year old boy David and an 8 year old girl Jane. She and her husband Paul have their own business in landscape gardening, Paul does all the gardening and Sally runs the office, so she can be around for the kids. They live in a small house in town, run two cars and go abroad once a year in the school summer holidays. They have a cat, a dog and two rabbits. All the family use computers and the internet regularly for work, pleasure and school work, Sally books the summer holiday online every year.

You can expand your prospect profiles with as much detail as you feel is suitable to enable you to picture this person in your mind’s eye; I hope you find the two examples useful and a good starting point to get your thoughts flowing.

You can quickly see from the two examples above how different your messages would need to be to make them interesting and attractive to either John or Sally and her family. You can also see how sending a message that suits John would be a complete waste of time and energy if it was sent to Sally, more importantly Sally may be turned off from one of your products or services in the future because she has already received something from you that is of no interest to her. However had you sent out the correct profile message you could have kept her interested for something in the future.

7 Things you need to know about your prospects in your target market – Part 7

2009-07-27T16:37:00.002+01:00

Their location, where do they live, in a flat or house, in the town or country.

This is not the same as income related i.e. big house in the country, again this is about what they will need and want, a lawnmower is no good if you are living in a flat.

You also need to be aware of both cultural and regional differences, whether you plan to sell across the world or just across the UK ( or your own country) you will still have differences you need to be aware of, possibly even offering different language options.

Values can change widely from north to south and east to west, so be aware of this and target your message accordingly.

These 7 key areas to consider when writing your target message to your prospects will ensure you come away with a much more specific message targeted to and written for YOUR audience at that time.

Also, an added benefit, having done it once, for one , you will find it easy and quick to target the same offer with a new focused message to a different audience when applicable.

In the next blog (part 7 bonus) I will write more about your specific target market profile and how to develop one for all you marketing messages across the web, email, sales letter whatever you use to talk to your prospects.

7 Things you need to know about your prospects in your target market – Part 6

2009-07-20T12:33:00.002+01:00

Their income, this is not a rich or poor scenario, as both may have a need for your product or service, but there may be different levels of service you can offer, or an entry level product with accessories as extras, rather than everything you need purchased at the same time.

……….to be continued

7 Things you need to know about your prospects in your target market – Part 5

2009-07-13T09:57:00.004+01:00

Their relationship/marital status, it’s not a case of are they married, but more the difference between the message to a single 40 something, with lots of disposable income and few responsibilities or a married person in their 40’s with two kids, a mortgage and a lot of responsibilities.

……….to be continued

7 Things you need to know about your prospects in your target market – Part 4

2009-07-06T09:45:00.004+01:00

Their level of education, this is similar in some respects to the age related question, once again we need to speak in language the recipient will readily understand.

It is not a case of treating everyone like idiots or conversely like brain boxes, but being appropriate in what we say and how we say it, to ensure the right message is received and understood by the right audience - your target customer.

……….to be continued