Seasonal Business: Make the Most of Your Slower Months

Photo via myproverbs31life.com

Seasonal businesses don’t have to be viewed as a business that only operates during a few short months – there are ways to help boost business all year long, and make the most of those slower months.  Even after your presumed key season has passed, you can use your resourcefulness to learn more about the needs of your customers and try out new ideas.  Here are some specific ways to maximize the months when you have a little down time:

Have a blog and maintain it.

To build page rank, focus on your blog during the slower months. While it’s important to treat your blog like a queen all year long, it’s crucial not to neglect it when your business is slow.  Write posts that are full of great content and are relevant to your target audience.  Your page rank will increase – just remember it doesn’t happen in a day.

Extend your season.

Sell something specific to cold weather?  Instead of the typical November through March sales months, try to extend your season by one to two months both before and after that time frame. If you offer your products or services for a slightly lower cost your customers will take note and business will likely boom.  Your season is probably longer than you think.

Seek niche markets.

If you bake cookies, pies and muffins that sell like crazy around the holidays, find a way to increase revenue during the other months too.  Consider adapting your products to a niche market.  Contemplate developing gluten or sugar-free products that a smaller audience will adore. There's a lot of reasons why you should serve a niche market.

Hold an event or cross-promote.

As you work hard to stay afloat during the less-than-prime months, remember you are not alone.  Team up with a complementary business and co-market an event or promotion with them.  Think outside of the box -- a photography business could cross-promote with business that sells photo props or headbands for children.  A bed-and-breakfast could cross-promotes with a nearby restaurant or offer deals to a play or movie.  Don’t be afraid to reach out to other businesses – you just may form a successful partnership ally.

Seek customer reviews and feedback.

During your slower time, concentrate on how to earn new, or repeat business during your next busy season.  Customer reviews are priceless.  Ask for testimonials and success stores from past sales seasons and feature those in your e-newsletter, your blog or social media websites.  Not only will this speak volumes about your business, but your customers will also enjoy the recognition.

While your business may have months that are significantly more profitable than others, don’t write off the other months of the year.  The slower times can be a great way to build clout around your business, try new products and seek feedback from your customers.  Your customers’ needs are different all year long – so do your best to serve those needs in ways your current business allows.

How do you maximize the slower months of the year to help your seasonal business?

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Tips to Help You Start, Maintain and Grow a Business Blog

Blogging has literally exploded over the last few years.  In fact, even back in 2005, BusinessWeek proclaimed that Blogs Will Change Your Business – and the publication was right.  If you’ve been holding off with the belief that blogs are a fad, it’s time to realize they’re here to stay and your business needs one.

Why are blogs important for business growth?

Blogs reach and engage large audiences in a way that traditional one-way information doesn’t have the capability to do.  At the same time, blogs put a face to your business name while highlighting your expertise and passion for your industry.  Another bonus: blogs are collaborative and they encourage interactions.  Soliciting comments from readers is a great way to engage with customers.

Here are some tips to help you start, maintain and grow a small business blog:

Identify a goal and blog intention

While you want to promote your business, don’t make the plugs too obvious in your content strategy.  Decide what your purpose is and allow it to drive your content.  Most blogs are centered on sharing information that their readers find useful.  Define your goal, and adhere to it.

Start your blog with the right software

Once you decide you want a business blog, consider your hosting software options.  Free blogging software can be a simple and cost-effective solution for small businesses.  If your blog takes off, you may consider integrations with existing business Wed domains (and remember to communicate to your readers of the host changes).  Remember to make sure your blog is simple for users to navigate.

Dedicate yourself to regular and relevant blogging

Two signs a blog has lost its way are when there are no active posts for more than two weeks, and

Photo via www.zincsolutions.com

when blog content is off topic from previous posts.  Blog inactivity and irrelevant posts give an unfavorable impression of your business.  Keep your posts consistent with the use of a calendar and research current issues so your blog is compelling and relevant.

Develop a traffic-generating plan

Last, but far from least, is finding a way to move visitors to your business blog.  There are a number of ways to generate traffic to your blog, both non-traditional and traditional in nature.  Add built in RSS feeds and remember that your email signature and main business Website and great places to link your blog.


Your blog is worth the time and effort it takes to start and sustain. By sharing content via your blog with your visitors, you’ll establish a strong reputation for your business within your industry.  Happy blogging!

What has helped you maintain and grow your blog following?

Lori is a work-at-home mom living in Noblesville, a suburb of Indianapolis.  She is mom to two young children and enjoys spending time watching them grow.  Lori enjoys shopping, spending time with her husband and kids, reading, and traveling.

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Four Components to a Great Blog Post

According to Hubspot, websites with a blog get nearly 55 percent more viewers than websites that don’t.  But if your blog is lacking, it can be a big waste of your time.  So what is a great blog post?  It’s one that keeps people interested in your content. It encourages, informs, educates and entertains your reader.  Consider these tips to make your posts more attractive, generate more visitors and get more shares.

Select a strong title.

Think along the lines of relevant and descriptive when you choose your title.  It’s considered the most important part of any post.  Think of the most common words and phrases that people use when they may refer to your product or service and use those keywords in your title.  While cute titles are interesting, you may lose your readers if they have to think of what the post may be about.  Focus on a title that’s clear and interesting to invite readers to check out your post. 

Photo resource: www.aimzo.com

Add images or videos. 

Relevant multimedia content can turn a blog article into a memorable and fun article to read.  It breaks up text, making it more visually appealing to readers at the same time.  Remember to always link back and give credit to the originator when applicable.  A little eye candy on your blog goes a long way.

Write high quality content.

Have your customers in mind to make writing quality content a simpler task. What exactly is quality content?  High quality content is information that helps your audience, gives information or advice and provides a few laughs.  Write your blog posts in a manner that addresses the kind of customers you like to serve.  This will separate you from boring stuff people find on the Web and allow you to build a community of followers who look at you and your blog as their go-to spot.

Don’t forget blog links.

Links are an essential component to a blog for a lot of reasons.  They add value to your blog by pointing readers in the direction of useful information and enhance your blog.  As you link, don’t forget to double check and make sure they work before making your blog go live.

Anyone who writes a blog likely has the goal to make it one that readers follow, bookmark for later and share with their friends.  The right mix of components can make your blog powerful.  Utilize these tips to make your blog one that readers flock to for advice and tips, and the first blog your readers recommend to their friends.

                                             

Lori is a work-at-home mom living in Noblesville, a suburb of Indianapolis.  She is mom totwo young children and enjoys spending time watching them grow.  Lori enjoys shopping, spending time with her husband and kids, reading, and traveling. Feel free to leave her a comment.

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What is Page Rank – And How Do I Improve Mine?

Every business that has a website has a goal: for it to rank high in the search engines like Google and Yahoo.  When people go to the search engines in hopes of a product or service you offer, you want them to find your business.  A higher rank results in increased visitors, typically leading to more sales.  Now that you know what page rank is, let’s talk about how to improve it.

Photo via seomarketingprogram.com

Select the right key phrase.

Your key phrase is a critical part of getting page rank.  If your phrase isn’t competitive, that makes things a little easier.  Make sure your key phrase is in the title and in the body of your page. 

If you phrase is competitive, then you’ll need to make your site worthy of a high ranking.  Think: when you search on Google, the best sites usually rank at the top, right?  Google wants it that way, because of the Google search engine wizards refer bad sites, people will turn to Bing or Yahoo instead of Google.

Earn your high ranking.

When it comes to a high ranking for your business, it’s not about tricks.  The search engines never stop tweaking their formula, so tricks won’t do it.  Make your site worthy of a good ranking.  Attributes that make a website high quality (according to a search engine) include a page that’s relevant to the term being searched for, has an authoritative voice, share useful content, is well-established, is quick to load and has links that work.

Build a quality site. 

Figure out which sites are beating you.  Is you site better than them?  If so, you’ll likely eventually surpass them in ranking, just be patient.  If your site isn’t quite as good, make the necessary improvements and higher rankings will follow.

Seek expert help.

Seeking profession help is going to be very beneficial when it comes to making your page rank escalate.  Professionals are called SEO’s, or search engines optimizers, specialize in improving your page.  These experts know just how to help you determine which keywords you should target to get other sites to link to yours.  To help your page see more traffic and earn more sales, expert help is the way to go.

 

As customers peruse the search engines, it’s crucial your business ranks high on the list.  Concentrate on writing content that’s compelling and original to attract links naturally.  Focus on your own judgment of quality, and add value for Internet users and you’ll see your site steadily rise up the search engine results page.

Is your website search engine friendly?

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Five Reasons Your Company Needs a Blog

Blogging has become a household word, continuing to grow in popularity and likely extremely beneficial to your company. Even if it doesn’t seem like having a blog is necessary or even appropriate for your website, you may be happily surprised with the results. With some writing skills and the knowledge of what your company offers consumers, you could create daily, weekly or even monthly blog posts. And if writing isn’t your forte, you can hire someone to do it for you. What are some top reasons a blog is important to the success of your website?

 

 

 

1.   Provide Company Information and Updates: Blogging relevant industry or business information is helpful to your customers. And this benefit can be two-fold; not only are you keeping your public informed, but they will also reach out to you when in need of products or services. Customers will appreciate learning more about your company and establishing you as a good resource for their needs.

2.   Boost Results of Internet Searches: SEO- we have all heard it, but what does it mean? Search Engine Optimization is defined as the “process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid search results” and is invaluable to finding success with your company website. Blog posts can feature key words and topics that will help people find you. By maintaining a blog your name will continue to rise in the ranks when someone does a relatable internet search.

3.   Provide Hard Tracking Number Data: Blogs offer analytics that help you to see how many people are tuning in and checking out the content you are sharing on your site. This can give you a real picture of when your posts are having the most impact and also help you see if you are reaching your target audience. The data is very specific and will help you tailor your blogging for maximum impact.

4.   Maximize Your Marketing Dollars: Blogging is a relatively easy and affordable way to drive potential customers and business to your company web page. Linking key words and adding other appropriate web addresses will bring views to your site. And having archived posts means that you could see ongoing returns; an older blog entry can be accessed for years to come without needing to make any modifications.

5.   Utilize Public Relations Opportunities: Getting your company name out to the public is a top priority when building towards success. As a business blogger you will be viewed as an industry leader to many and you may be contacted for interviews. Public relations opportunities like this would help bring recognition and potential financial gains to your business.

In the end, blogging can be a fun experience, not to mention a great way to stay informed with current events and remain an expert for your product or service. How would a blog impact your business?

 

 

 

 

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Four Sizzling Summer Marketing Ideas

Summer is here so get outside and enjoy the weather.  Sunshiny days, blue skies and green grass boost your customer’s moods and they spend additional time outside of their air-conditioned homes.  That makes these warm months a great time to get outdoors and market in fun and creative ways.  We have some sizzling ideas to heat up your summer marketing campaign.

Participate in a community event.  The hot months in many towns accompany street fairs and carnivals, outdoor movie nights, concerts in the park and more.  Your chamber of commerce or city’s parks and recreation department can tell you about the events scheduled for these upcoming months.  Think about which events have potential and plan to host a booth and hand out samples of your product or show off your service.  Use a fishbowl to gather business cards.  Another way you can get your business name out there is to donate products to the event or sponsor an event.  In exchange, ask to have your business name on the marketing pieces related to the event such as programs or flyers.

Host an event for your customers.

Host a party, barbecue or even a wine tasting evening for your clients and prospects.  This is the perfect way to thank your customers, find out in more detail their needs and wants, and encourage more business.   If you own a restaurant or retail store, have a summer-themed event for loyal customers like an after-hours exclusive shopping night, or a specialty five-course dinner at a discounted price.

Fly a flag!

With the 4^th of July around the corner, this is a great idea.  American flags become a landmark because they’re so noticeable.  If you have a flagpole, that’s great.  If not, think about having a flag bracket installed on the side of your building.  Don’t have a brick-and-mortar location? You can give away miniature American flags as you attend summer networking events instead.

Sponsor a giveaway.

Krispy Kreme Donuts took advantage of National Donut Day on June 3^rd giving away a free donut to everyone that walked through their doors.  This gave the popular franchise the change to introduce itself to new customers and also scored some publicity countrywide.  While it isn’t feasible for you to give away something free to every American, that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of this tactic.  Giveaways are an incentive for customers to do something for you.  Sign up for an email newsletter, like you on Facebook or something similar.  Wile everyone who gets a freebie or discount won’t become a customer, you will get a lot of attention.  That’s exactly what you want, right?

What creative ways are you marketing your business this summer?

Photo Resource: www.printcopyfactory.com

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3 Easy Ways to Boost Your Online Credibility

If you have a small local business, or one that is more global, it is typically a good idea to have a shop online that offers your services and products available for sale.  So many people today actually prefer to shop online, even if they have a local store just down the road.  Wondering how to make sure those who visit your website trust you?  Use these three tactics and watch your prospective customers turn into regular customers.

Demonstrate security

Despite the ever-growing prevalence of shopping on the Internet, there’s still a risk for scams.  It is

important that your online site demonstrates how secure you keep information and how trustworthy you are to entice shoppers to choose your store over online competitors.

To show your customers that your business is one that is trustworthy, you can show the measures you can to protect their personal information.  When you have a secure page, your customers will see a lock icon in the browser.  Customers will also see that your web page URL has a ‘S’ at the end.  There are a number of ways to secure your website.

List all prices clearly

Another step to increase trust among your customers is to clearly share your prices, the costs associated with shipping.  Customers are much more likely to make a purchase if the shipping prices are shared clearly on your website.  Other information that builds credibility includes the details of your shipping and policies related to refunds and exchanges.  People aren’t going to move forward with their purchases if you leave them with too many unknown details about your prices.

Feedback from your customers

Don’t you want to hear what people say about a business and it’s products and services before you make a purchase?  Prospective customers want to hear from people who have had experience with your business.  They want to know what people thought of their products and services, and hear if people were pleased with their purchase.  Share your feedback, reviews and testimonials clearly on your website to allow your current and prospective customers to see and read.  This will encourage purchases from those who stop by to visit your website and help them feel like they can trust you.  While some negative and malicious reviews are better left unshared, a few that may be less than idea are okay to share.  Just make sure you show how you fixed the issues with your customer to ensure their satisfaction.

Businesses of all sizes can benefit from building their credibility and reputation online.  Make sure to always have a website that shows your honesty and willingness to ensure your customers are satisfied.  These three tips are a great check list to use as you make sure your website is one that will make prospective customers trust and believe in your business.

Photo via: 365outsource.com

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Businesswomen: Master the Art of Negotiation

Women often debate about the best pieces of career advice women give one another.  Some say books can teach you to be a good leader.  Others argue that the majority of business books are actually written by men, and they simply don’t understand the challenges face in today’s business world.  Here we have compiled the most successful tips that businesswomen often struggle with, focusing on negotiating.  Here are five tips that can help women conquer their nerves, ease their jitters and master the art of negotiation:

Over-prepare.

Prior to enter any type of negotiation setting, get organized from an informational stance.  Jot down the reasons you’re negotiating for what it is that you want.  Once your rationale is clear, compile research that backs your argument.  For instance, if you’re hoping to hire help, assemble the criteria for bringing on an.  What’s the minimum number of people an assistant typically supports?  Does revenue have a minimum amount of revenue it must clear in order to validate hiring help?  Be prepared to express the ways an assistant would add value to the organization.

Stay steady.

Before your meeting, prepare your facts and your demeanor.  You can’t walk into a negotiation without your ducks in a row.  The result can be a complete nightmare.  Demonstrate your optimism and show that you believe a solution that satisfies all parties is reachable.  Boost your self-confidence by focusing on your strong points and abilities; dwell on your successes to help remind yourself of your value.  Role-play the negotiation prior to the real thing with a person your trust beforehand to help control your emotions.

Inquire strategically.

www.forbes.com

In a negotiation setting, questions that require open-ended answers are often times incredibly powerful.  Questions of this nature open up the dialogue and also can earn you additional time if you need to compose your thoughts.  Think along the lines of: Can you elaborate on how you came to this solution? What is preventing us from coming to an agreement?

Strategize silently.

Use silence to your advantage.  When people are nervous they tend to ramble.  So don’t talk too much, you just tend to over-promise or under-sell—things you’ll later regret.  Stay quiet and think so you can prepare for your next move.  Silence also makes your counterpart open up and talk.  Silence helps keep you in the more favorable position.

Identify mutual gains.

Seek out a way that both parties benefit.  A win-win is the best way to negotiate; never look at the situation as a win-loss.  There has to be a positive in their somewhere if you look at the situation with an open, optimistic mentality.

The art of negotiating is one that is tricky, but can be conquered with the right mentality.  Take an optimistic approach and the above tips can help you overcome your fears and struggles and end up on top.

What advice do you have for other businesswomen?

Photo Source: forbes.com

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4 Ways to Improve Your Website This Week

Business owners are notoriously busy.  You need to run your business, manage your Web presence, serve your customers, pay invoices and keep up with social media efforts.  Oh, and it’s nice to have a little bit of a personal life, too.  With your plate so full of tasks, wouldn’t it be great to get one thing under control? Here are five things you can do so your website is in great shape next week:

Improve your About Page.

Most small business owners wind up ignoring the about page on their website.  If one was created, that seems like a small feat.  Besides, no one really looks at the page anyway, right?  Wrong. 

One of the worst things a business owner can do is ignore the About page.  Customers frequent this page to learn about the business, build a relationship, understand what your business is all about, and decide if your company is worth doing business with.  Use your About Page to share your story, credentials, pictures, your values and other humanizing information.  Don’t view your page as a laborious task, think of it as a place to formally introduce yourself to your audience.

Show off your social media skills.

Put your social media profiles on a pedestal!  Use your website to highlight your social skills.  Are you on Facebook?  Twitter?  Awesome.  Include icons on your home page and other prominent pages of your website (think your About page or Contact Us page) so your visitors will follow you on these social networks.  Cross-linking increases the strength of your profiles and gives customers an additional place to engage with you. 

Update your blog.

Photo via djdesignerlab.com

It isn’t really that hard to bring some life back to your website.  Use some of your time this week to make some changes to your blog.  Write a post that directs your audience to look at the pages within your website that you’ve revamped.  Answer some questions about consumer issues and give your take on where the industry is going.  Talk to your audience again.  Updating your blog gives your audience something to read and engage with, while also boosting your rank on the search engines.

Focus on Navigation.

One of the most overlooked parts of your website is navigation.  It’s essential to creating a website that encourages a successful business.  Your website should be user-friendly, simple to navigate and intuitive.  Focus on what your customers need to know so they can find their way to your products quickly.  Don’t try to get over-clever when you name tabs on your site.  Think simple and do some keyword research to ensure the phrases you’re using in your site navigation are still relevant.

Your website is a crucial component to a successful business.  A few small changes can lead to a big boost in customer satisfaction, leading to happier, loyal customers that come back to your for business time and again.

Photo Source: djdesignerlab.com

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Honest Feedback: Why You Need It and Ways to Get It

In the world, everything revolves around communication.  In order to run a business that grows and thrives, communication and feedback are essential.  Oftentimes, small business owners may think they know what the customers’ want, but might later find out they were wrong.  This is where honest feedback comes into play.  Here are some reasons why you need it and some easy ways to get the feedback that will help your business reach a whole new level.

“It’s expensive and time consuming.”

Many small business owners have uttered these three words time and again.  While it may sound harsh, if you aren’t able to afford to seek feedback some level then you really can’t afford to run a business.  Feedback really isn’t that expensive, a small cost in relation to your gains.  As far as time goes-- make getting feedback a top priority like marketing your business or updating your database.

Photo via fensa.org.uk

Feedback costs both time and effort.  It takes energy to find out what people think of your products and services.  On the back end, it can cost if the feedback is negative and painful. The truth hurts sometimes. 

But the effort is well worth the information you learn.  Selling people what you know they want is more profitable than guessing what you think they want and being offended and confused when they don’t buy.  Customer feedback is your opportunity to listen to what your audience has to say and do something about it.  Point blank, feedback saves you unnecessary actions, wasted money and time.  Find out what people want and you can quit producing and selling what you think people want and stop marketing in avenues that don’t benefit you.  Use feedback so you can deliver what people want, consistently.

Feedback is your friend, but sometimes she’s hurtful.  Have you ever asked someone’s opinion to find out you hated his or her answer?  I have.  How did you respond? 

The truth hurts sometimes, but you need to hear it.  It needs to be an ongoing part of your company if you hope to grow with your customers and stay in business.

Here are ways to get feedback your business needs:

• Social media is a great way to get feedback.  Listen in on conversations about your business in order to find out what people really think.
• Utilize effective questionnaires to receive anonymous responses.  Remember not to lock in on one or two negative responses when you have a plethora of positive ones.  Instead, identify trends among the questionnaires.
• For more in-depth interaction, use interviews.  Feedback is another side of a conversation that can hold incomparable value.  In order to converse with your customers, there must be an exchange, someone giving a message and someone receive it. 

Feedback is something every business needs.  It isn’t always pretty, but it does help you improve your business and it’s products and services.  Use the ways suggested to help get feedback and improve what your business has to offer.

Why do you think feedback is crucial?  How do you get your customers to give honest and open feedback about your business?

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Where to Hire Freelance Writers

Successful companies typically use social media, email marketing and newsletters to help people learn about and discover their business. With the power of the internet, it's important to take advantage of the opportunity to get the word out. You are busy running and growing your business and may not have the time to focus on tasks that involve writing. It's likely the perfect time to hire a professional to help out.

Freelance writers can assist with blog posts, marketing, general content and information on your website. Companies will also utilize freelance business writers to do email and letter templates; this not only simplifies things but insures that you will send out professionally written correspondence every time. Your current and potential customers will take notice and look to you for guidance within your industry.

Now that you have discovered the need, where can you look to find someone? It's also important to know what to look for in finding the right fit for your business. Below are some suggestions to help get you started and off and running with your business writing.

The World Wide Web

Where else would you begin a search but on the Internet? Of course that would seem like the first place to start when looking to hire a freelance business writer, after all a lot of what they can do for your company will center around your own website. A Google search will return several hundred spots to check out; as with most things some are more reputable than others, and some free or fee-based. Ask for recommendations from friends or business associates, and if you don't have any, start chipping away at the list or try some more detailed searches. Elance, Guru and Freelance.com are a few to help you get started. These sites make it easy to see how many writers are available in a specific field. Freelancers can post  their skills and budget requirements, making it easy to quickly narrow down the choices to match your business writing needs.

Universities and Colleges

A lot of college students and recent graduates, especially journalism majors, want to practice their skills and have high hopes of having work published. The key to their journalistic futures often lies far outside their college papers. They may also require lower pay than their professional world counterparts which can be a nice bonus for you; they get a few bylines and you get a writer with fresh perspective, win-win. Obviously these students can be found online as well, but check out local universities and job fairs- it might be nice to meet your potential employee face-to-face. Always ask for examples of their writing and consider having a sample test to see how well their writing represents your company.

Hiring freelance writers is an important decision and can make a really big impact on your business; take the time to find the right person. Do you currently use outside writers for your business?

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