For me, and a large portion of the population, Twitter is quickly becoming a one-stop-shop for information pertaining to both my personal and professional life.

So, as you might have guessed, having a noticeable presence and gaining more followers on Twitter can do wonders for any business — whether it is an entrepreneur on a solo venture or a company with 100+ employees. In fact, it’s one arena where both operations can find themselves on an equal playing field.

But, it’s not as simple as creating an attractive profile and sending out a few tweets here and there. If that’s where your outreach stops, chances are your followers (if you manage to get a few) will take note and lose interest.

Success in social media is generally followed by an overall increase in success for your business. If you’re ready to make an impact on Twitter, here are a few tips to get you started.

Tip #1 – Don’t use Twitter strictly for self promotion.

Twitter can be a great platform to share information about your business, but if that’s all you’re using it for, no one will ever pay careful attention to what you’re saying.

Instead, learn how to reach your target audience by sharing information centered around your line of work. For example, if you own a skin care line, stay on top of trends in the industry and link to articles relating to it, or share tips that your followers might later share with their followers.

Establish your company’s personality and share your knowledge — then sprinkle in a little self promotion.

Tip #2 – Join in on the conversation.

If people are retweeting your tweets or speaking to you directly, take the time to respond. This lets your followers know that there is a live person behind your Twitter account and you aren’t just treating it like an automated system.

This is a great way for companies to keep an eye on their reputation and manage any disgruntled customers before they start spreading their opinion or bad experience like wildfire.

And, of course, people appreciate a pat on the back, so if you’re offering a thank you or letting them know when you appreciate what they are saying, they are far more likely to return the favor.

Tip #3 – Don’t rely on automated direct messages.

I certainly appreciate the idea behind offering a direct message feature, but my inbox is filled to the brim with automated messages that all sound exactly the same — “Thanks for the follow, make sure you check out our blog!” or “Stop in to our store or restaurant for XY or Z!”

Not only is there no originality in these responses, but it shouts “We’re only here for self promotion and don’t really care who you are!”

If you feel the need to send a direct message, personalize it to let them know that you are speaking directly to them.

Tip #4 – Give credit where credit is due.

If you are sharing something with your followers that you heard or saw elsewhere, give credit where it’s due. Let people know you are paying attention and helping to facilitate the conversation and not sharing ideas as if they were your own.

This can also increase your followers by showing that you are paying attention to the Twitter universe and you are a great source of information on whatever topic you are covering.

Tip #5 – Be an active follower.

Always be on the lookout for ways to gain more followers on Twitter by following people that might be interested in what you have to say, and those who might share something relevant to your business. Most people will return the favor by following you, so paying attention to if they are in your target audience can be extremely helpful.

There are automated programs that will do the following for you, but they are incredibly easy to spot. For instance when I send out a tweet that happens to mention office furniture and immediately have a store that sells office furniture in some far off country follow me, I know they didn’t seek me out on their own. These are generally the accounts that I won’t follow back.

Tip #6 – Keep your account updated.

If you’re only tweeting once every couple of days, the chances of you really making an impact are slim to none.

Let your followers know that they can rely on you for a constant stream of information, and you will be far more likely to attract new followers and be added to more lists. Participate in conversations daily — the time it takes can be minimal, but the impact can be substantial.

What are your tips for being noticed and gain more followers on Twitter?

Photo by JefferyTurner.

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“Whether it was for a board meeting, sales call, industry conference, investor pitch or internal review, these presentations needed to get done fast and tell a great story. But most presenters spend more than half of their time creating slides, instead of honing their message. That is why I created Slidevana.”  – Ravi Mehta, CEO of Slidevana, PRWeb.

The Details

For $69, you’ll get a professional bundle of slide templates created specifically for the busy business person. Mehta explains that the idea sprouted from years of rushing through presentations. Too many sloppy slide shows later, and Slidevana was created. Mehta has put together an easy to use and comprehensive presentation toolkit with over 140 of the most widely used business templates.

Now you may be thinking: Is it for Mac, PC, iPad, or iPhone? While that is an excellent question, I have an even better answer for you: All of the above. Originally released for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, the pack has recently been made PC-compatible. The program works in conjunction with Keynote for Mac and iOS as well as PowerPoint on both Mac and Windows. Despite distinct differences between the two systems, the program itself provides all the same features and capabilities, regardless of what device you prefer. It even makes going back and forth between Keynote and PowerPoint easier.

Why You Want It

When it comes to impressing the big wigs, your presentations need to be perfect. With work, family and social obligations, take a load off your shoulders with Slidevana. But, you ask, why not simply use the templates that come with PowerPoint and the like? Why is this perfect presentation medium for you?

• Choose it: Slidevana includes two different color schemes. Decide between Slidevana Light, which features a white background perfect for projecting or printing, and Slidevana Dark, which offers a bolder, powerful look for audiences of all sizes.
• Personalize it: Every clean cut, minimalistic slide can be customized with your personal logo, photos, color palette, and theme layouts.
• Customize it: From diagrams to tables, charts, and lists, you have every option to make the presentation perfect for any occasion.
• Dictate it: Even on the go, completing your presentation is not out of the question. Dictate the contents of your slides with Siri (Apple’s Speech Recognition technology) on the iPhone 4s and the new iPad.

While these options are available to some extent in any other presentation software, Slidevana has innovated the process. Simply cut and paste the perfect slide for your message to make the process quick, easy and a guaranteed success.

The Drawbacks

Slidevana does an excellent job of presenting you with every possible option for optimizing your presentation. However, according to a review by Erica Sadun, on TUAW.com, “. . . there’s a bit of redundancy such as 4 charts worth of duplicate shapes all presented with distinct key colors.” Yet, Sadun quickly changes tone suggesting that despite repetition, the plethora of slides lead to a complete bundle sure to please any user.

When the negative is easily turned into a positive, you can be sure you’re getting a good product. While it may take you a moment extra to sort through a few redundant slides, overall you’re still spending significantly less time putting the presentation together, and getting options to suit every occasion.

Conclusion

As a busy business person, having a toolkit such as this can be the difference between getting a presentation done on time and losing an important potential client. Slidevana’s professionally designed templates will allow you to spend your time creating a persuasive message, rather than pushing pixels in your presentation program.

You can make your next presentation easier with Slidevana and see the results – a notable, well designed slide deck sure to impress and inspire your audience.

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If you are the owner/operator of your own business or an entrepreneur that is getting ready to make your first big move, I’m sure you’ve asked yourself this question more than a few times.

Okay, I’ll admit there are multiple answers to that question, but what I was thinking of is this — successful businesses are reliable. That’s why consumers tend to bring their business to large companies like Walmart or Lowes — they know that if there is a problem with the product, or if they have a complaint, there are hundreds of people that can help.

So, as a small business operator, or a self starter, how do you instill the same confidence in your clients that a big business does?

Easy, seem as big as they are.

So, how does someone who doesn’t have any employees make it look like he has a full staff at his beck and call?

Social media, of course.

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter can be a godsend for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to make their business seem larger than they are.

The are a few different ways you can use social media sites to make your business seem bigger than it is, and the key word is ‘networking.’

First, take advantage of the fact that you can use multiple user names to reach out to different demographics.

For example, you can have multiple twitter accounts. Use one account for general business updates. Use another for promotions. Another for blog updates, and yet another for customer service. Splitting up your business into departments, each with it’s own name and/or Twitter account, will help your customers feel like they are being taken care of by a specialist, even though you’re doing all the work.

Secondly, it’s always a good idea to have a custom Facebook page that is updated regularly. Not only is a Facebook page a great place for you to promote your business and hopefully get new clients, your Facebook page is a chance for you to personally connect with the clients that you already have. It’s the perfect place to add interesting tips about your business that will help your current and future customers get to know you and your brand better.

The best part about using social media to bulk up your company’s image have everything to do with S.E.O., search engine optimization. See, every time someone clicks on a link that goes to your website, or your blog, or even your Facebook page, your S.E.O. ranking gets higher, which mean that your websites move up the ladder on sites like Google and Yahoo. Obviously, the closer your site appears to the top of the screen when someone does a random Google search, the better the chances that they are going to end up pointing their browser in your direction. So, the more links that you post, whether to your Facebook, Twitter, Yelp or LinkedIn accounts, the more people will click on them and the higher your ranking will become.

Getting social media to work in your favor is a lot like cultivating a garden. The more work you put into into it the greater the results. Remember to always offer your readers the best content you can and keep those updates coming!

 How do you use social media for your business?

Photo by Stuart Miles.

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You’re right to be cautious: criticism is a double-edged sword. It can be immensely helpful, but also devastatingly hurtful.

In this post, I’d like to give you eight tips and ideas on how you can offer criticism as constructively as possible — and leave the other person not angry, but thankful for your support.

1. Be polite.

Sometimes, we criticize because we’re angry. In these situations, we often don’t feel like being polite. Even one single signal of impoliteness will greatly hamper our chances of the criticism being taken constructively.

I’m not only talking about rude words or insults here. We also need to avoid sending less obvious signals such as forgetting to knock on the door before entering or interrupting the other person in the wrong moment.

2. Be gentle and kind.

Let’s take this a step further. If we want the other party to really take our words to heart, then we must show that we are on their side.

One big step to achieving this is to be gentle and kind. Smile a lot. Talk soothingly. Employ friendly, relaxed body language.

Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done, especially when you’re nervous or angry. I’ve found it helpful to do sports right before I criticize. That way, I can let off steam first and enter the conversation in a calm and relaxed state.

3. Focus on actions.

When you make your case, focus on the actions you would like the other person to take or to stop taking. Never criticize the person herself.

Unfortunately, many people are very self-conscious in this regard, so they will think you are criticizing them as a person even if you’re actually only criticizing their behaviour.

To keep the risk of such misunderstandings to a minimum, it’s a good idea to emphasize the fact that you’re only criticizing actions with your choice of words.

Stay clear of the verb “to be” (as in: “you are too cautious”) and employ action-orientated verbs instead (“I think we need to take more risks here”).

4. Use the sandwich critique.

Another great way to help someone take criticism lightly is to place it right in the middle between two compliments. Here’s an example dialog:

“Hi Sandra, I loved how you handled that difficult customer yesterday!”

“Thanks! He really was a tough one …”

“Yeah well … you did great … by the way, I’ve been thinking about how we could increase our work efficiency even further, and I believe it would help if we both kept the office a littler tidier. Do you think we could try that?”

“Err…yes, sure. I guess I’ve made a bit of a mess here lately. Sorry about that.”

“No problem, I know you’ve had a lot on your plate. I really admire how you can be so stressed and still treat everyone with a smile.”

5. Frame your criticism as a suggestion.

In the above dialog, the criticizer also employs a second technique to bring her criticism across more constructively: She’s framing it as a suggestion. Instead of pointing out that Sandra has been untidy in the past, her colleague asks her to tidy up more in the future.

You should frame your criticism in this way whenever you can. If you feel that’s impossible or inappropriate, at least make sure to always add specific suggestions for improvement.

6. Criticize in private.

Even constructive criticism hurts a lot more when colleagues are listening. People get defensive easily if they’re afraid to lose face in front of a group. Make it your golden rule to always have a one-on-one talk when you want to criticize someone’s behaviour.

7. Criticize a fictional third party.

A sneaky trick is to make up a fictional person who has supposedly shown similar behaviour to the one you want to criticize.

For example, instead of applying the sandwich critique, Sandra’s colleague could make up a story about her roommate in college who was untidy and point out that this irritated her. Sandra might get the hint and make an effort to become tidier. If she doesn’t, her colleague can still move on to more direct criticism.

To avoid badmouthing third parties, I like to make people up when I use this method. But don’t overdo it — you don’t want to end up in a web of lies.

8. “I’ve made the same mistake.”

One of the most powerful techniques to help the other party take criticism easy is to mention that you’ve once made the same mistake.

I still remember an event when I was in high school and had asked my father to read one of my essays before I handed it in. The essay was on a topic I was deeply passionate about and I had put a lot of work into it.

My father read the essay, walked up to my room, sat down, and told me: “Lucas, you’ve mentioned a lot of very interesting things in this essay (sandwich critique!). But you’ve done something that I once did when I started out writing my dissertation. I had collected a lot of interesting facts, but I didn’t tell a coherent story around a central theme ….”

This wasn’t easy for me — after all it meant that I essentially had to start over — but my father was right and this was an issue I had to deal with.

I know that his “I’ve made the same mistake” method of criticizing my work has helped me a great deal to digest the bad news. Even today, I try to use the same technique as often as possible when I have to criticize someone.

A personal message

Since you’ve read this far, you obviously care a great deal about other people’s feelings. Don’t worry if you don’t always manage to criticize as nicely as you’d like to. I’ve sure made many mistakes when it comes to criticizing and still make them today.

But we’re improving with practice. You’re probably already a better criticizer than most people ever will be and you’re still putting in the effort to become even better. That’s awesome.

Please help us all in our quest for self-improvement by sharing your thoughts and ideas in the comments. What are your favourite ways of criticizing? Do you know any tricks that I haven’t mentioned? I’m looking forward to our conversation!

Photo by Linda Cronin.

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Historically, changes to Facebook are met with a whole spectrum of emotions ranging from utter glee to downright despair. Virtually every change has led to people setting up groups lamenting the new style. “Give us back our old Facebook”, they shout; interestingly, it’s probably the same people who months later are shouting about the next change.

The simple fact is that users often like to remain in their comfort zone. Even so, smart businesses will learn all they can about how to make the most of Timeline and ultimately pass these benefits to their fans. Let’s look at 13 ways that the new Facebook Timeline will be advantageous to business users.

Cover Photo

The new Timeline boasts a pretty impressively sized (851 x 316 pixels) cover photo. Since this image replaces the default landing tab, businesses should use this generous space wisely with photos and graphics that showcase their brand. Be creative but be careful to stick within the page guidelines. Calls to action, for example, are not allowed, presumably because Facebook wants businesses to spend money on the various ad options.

Like-Gating

The practice of using custom landing pages with compelling content to warrant a “like” is not necessarily a thing of the past. Although the cover image is the default landing location, individual apps still have unique URLs. Traffic from Facebook ads, external websites, blogs, tweets and email campaigns can still be driven to the location desired.

Profile Picture

In addition to the new cover photo, businesses will still get a 125 x 125 pixel profile picture. Unlike a cover photo, this image shouldn’t really be changed that often, since it provides businesses with an instantly recognizable primary image that can be seen throughout the whole network.

History

Timeline allows businesses to highlights significant achievements in their history. Moved to a swish new offices? Headhunted a high roller? Got a celebrity endorsement? These are all milestones a business should be shouting about. Timeline makes it easy for users to see all of these achievements — a feature which will undoubtedly go down well with family firms or legacy brands with a long heritage.

Campaign Visibility

If a business wants to shout about a new product, Facebook Timeline makes it easy to do so. Marketing and promotional posts can be positioned at the top of a page by selecting “pin to top” on a specific post. Posts can be pinned to the top for a maximum of seven days though. In order to keep things fresh for repeat visitors, businesses may want to consider changing these every couple of days.

Campaign Management

Businesses can assign names and images to individual campaigns and custom tabs. Whether you want to organize, edit, schedule or publish, Timeline makes campaign management a breeze.

Brand Building

Facebook Timeline gives businesses a much greater capacity to build their brand. Individual pages and campaigns are easily branded and the whole thing really stands out much more than the old page style. Companies and brands are better placed to offer a more visual experience to customers and fans.

Showcase Apps

Underneath the cover image, tabs on Timeline are displayed as views or apps. Businesses can have a maximum of 12 of these, although only four can be displayed at any one time. Views refer to default apps like Photos, Likes, Map and Events, while Apps are used to describe third party apps.

Custom Thumbnails for Apps

A custom thumbnail graphic can be added to all business apps providing a fantastic opportunity to seamlessly brand all calls to action and special promotions.

Like Becomes Liked

The traditional Like button has been tweaked; the Like button now turns to Liked when a user clicks it. This is a useful feature for businesses since it acts as a visual reminder to fans that they already like the page. Although not immediately obvious, if the users hover over the Liked button, several options, including the Add to Interest List, appear.

Wider Posts

Got something important to say? Businesses can opt to display any individual post as double wide; spreading the post across the entire page. This feature can be used for posts made by the business itself or by others. To activate, simply hover over the desired post and click on the star icon.

Adjust Photos

Photos shared by businesses or fans can be repositioned to look their best on the page. To activate this feature, hover over the edit pencil, click for a drop down list and select Reposition Photo.

Private Messages

Visitors to a business page now have the option to send a direct message to the page admins. This feature can be turned off within the page settings but, assuming a business can cope with a possible surge in contact, it should probably be left on to encourage communication.

Facebook Timeline is here, and it’s here to stay — at least for the foreseeable future. Businesses should waste no time looking at the past but instead concentrate their efforts on making their Facebook brand page the best that it can be.

Photo by tungphoto.

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At the same time, resources are stretched from downsizing and the struggling economy. Business issues are more complex than they were just a few short years ago. Employees are expected to do more with less and employers are faced with pressure to maintain a fit balance sheet, attract and retain top talent, and foster a strong corporate culture.

In today’s business environment, innovation, collaboration and creativity are vital for success. In these rapidly changing times, organizations must embrace the complexity of competing in an interconnected world, and leverage the interdependent relationship of people, technology and space.

To determine if your workplace is ready for today’s interconnected world, ask yourself if you are prepared to do the following:

Optimize real estate

Real estate is the largest corporate expense after people, so there is a natural tendency to target office space when cutting costs. In offices everywhere, many individual workplaces are empty either due to a reduced head-count, increased worker mobility or near-constant collaboration. Instead of reducing footprint, we need to rethink how we use space to meet organizational goals.

For example:

• Organizations need to understand mobility and collaboration patterns, balancing between individual spaces and collaborative settings.
• Maximize every square foot of real estate by providing a range of settings that support a variety of work styles and the four modes of work: collaborate, focus, learn and socialize.
• Real estate can work harder and smarter if it can be used for multiple functions – why have any real estate, like a café, only used for a fraction of the day.

This range of settings means spaces will be smaller, shared, collaborative and dispersed.

Support collaboration locally with distributed teams

Capitalizing on collective intelligence is one of the greatest benefits of a global strategy. In fact, a recent Steelcase survey found that 80 percent of organizations feel they need to collaborate more. At the same time, 78 percent say they struggle to effectively connect their workplace and help employees collaborate both virtually and face-to-face.

The work space can help as it offers cues to employees letting them know that it is okay to get up out of their chair, work together, and share ideas. Collaborative work settings scattered throughout the office take a variety of forms, from secluded conference rooms, to open lounges or small huddle rooms for groups of four or less.

Innovation is born from collaboration, so why not offer an environment that fosters this type of work?

Use space to attract and engage workers

Imagine you’re a talented software engineer. You could find work in Silicon Valley, London, Amsterdam, anywhere really. Why choose a company in Small Town, USA? The answer is simple. The company has one of the most collaborative, welcoming, and energizing work environments that connects great employees from all around the world.

Employees know that they don’t need to be tethered to their desks to do great work. Some prefer working on the road and others enjoy working in a dedicated space they can call their own. More companies are recognizing this growing demand. A 2011 study from Steelcase and CoreNet found that 86 percent of companies now offer alternative work strategies such as home offices, hoteling, and mobile work. This number is up from 50 percent in 2009.

Technology can aid communication for distributed workers, but it will never replace face-to-face interaction. For those who do spend the majority of time in the office, it is important that they feel like they are working in an environment that is welcoming and suitable for the task at-hand. By providing an ideal work environment, companies can attract—and keep—top talent.

Reinforce corporate culture and help build brand throughout the workplace

Companies that strongly define their brand and corporate culture must carry it through consistently in offices around the world. Most companies that operate in multiple countries tend to start with an ethnocentric view that’s oriented around their home country and culture.With effort, they slowly evolve to a polycentric perspective that favors the host country’s view in determining local operations.

Eventually, global companies could and should adopt a world orientation. Throughout this evolution, the physical work environment can be critical in defining the brand, establishing a geographic tone and fostering a sense of community among employees.

Promote worker wellbeing – physical, cognitive and emotional

Employees are plagued by stress, ailments, illness and burnout from the post-recession fatigue that impede their productivity, engagement and sanity. The concept of worker wellbeing is not new, but the definition of wellbeing has to change and expand beyond the physical to include cognitive and emotional support.

A recent Steelcase survey found that employees rank trustworthiness and “cares about the well-being of others” as first and second, respectively, when it comes to important leadership attributes. A workplace that is holistically designed for worker well-being can boost an organization’s ability to innovate and thrive.

Conclusion

The bottom line is simple: Workplaces must be flexible and adaptable in order to survive and thrive in today’s interconnected and complex business environment.

Got more ideas on how your workplace play a better role at interconnectedness? Share them with us!

Photo by Sean MacEntee.

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You may be sure that you deserve that perfect raise, but how do you approach your employer? What do you say, and how do you say it?

The ground rules for asking for a raise are basically the same as those for negotiating any deal. Here are some tried-and-true tips:

Start with no.

Never begin by tell your employer what you want. Instead, start by inviting him to say no. Tell him that you are comfortable with a no answer and you want him to be comfortable to say no. This puts him at ease and shows him you’re not needy.

Identify any problems standing in your way.

Has the company just laid off employees? Is there new management in the wings? Before you go into the meeting, have a clear idea of what might keep your boss from giving you a raise. State each problem clearly and ask your boss how these problems might be solved.

Do your critical research.

How do companies decide what to pay? They hire consulting firms and look at pay surveys or they compare notes within the industry. Research what people in your position are paid by using the web and other resources to dig out the normal pay range. The more information you have, the better you will be prepared.

Control your emotions.

Before and during your meeting, turn your mind into a blank slate. Have no expectations or fears. Above all, overcome all neediness, the number-one deal-killer. If you start to feel any kind of emotions during the negotiation, drop a pen or take a drink of water briefly until you regain emotional neutrality.

Use the “Columbo Effect.”

Let your employer feel “more okay” than you. This is called the “Columbo Effect.” Do not dress to impress, name drop, or get on a grandstand. Let him be completely at ease with you, and perhaps even feel a bit superior.

Let him do most of the talking.

Talk as little as possible. Ask questions instead so you can find out your employer’s position, issues, concerns, needs, and objectives. Take notes.

Get him spilling the beans.

Begin your questions with an interrogative — who, what, when, where, how, or why — because these invite exposition rather than one-word answers.

Forget about the end result.

Do not think about, hope for, or plan for getting the raise. Focus instead on what you can control: your behavior and activity during the negotiation.

Have a valid M&P.

A valid mission and purpose is one that’s set in your employers’ world, business, needs, requirements, hopes, fears, and plans.

An example of a good M&P might be: “I want to be a uniquely valuable asset to the company, add more value to my department through extra skill development, expand our customer base through a new initiative I’d like to try, and work on new ways to benefit the company.”

Notice that your M&P wasn’t “to make more money.” Because every decision you make along the way in your discussion with your boss has to fulfill your M&P, stating it this way will handle any contingency that comes up during the negotiation, and will not fail to lead to a good outcome for you.

Develop your employer’s vision.

There is a clear and only one reason your employer will pay you what you request: Doing so will benefit him and the company. Once you are in the negotiation you must help him develop a vision of you that allows him to see what you can do for the company. You do this by spending all of your time in his world understanding the challenges he anticipates, the problems he sees, and the solutions he requires.

Present yourself as the solution.

Pay close attention to the challenges and responsibilities he points out to you and be sure to present different experiences of your handling them in your career. The key is to tie your abilities and your experiences to the solution of his vision. Don’t be afraid to give specific examples of challenges you faced and the solutions you provided. Special assignments that fit the employer’s vision should be explained and discussed. The more examples you can provide, the better.

Never threaten.

Never appear to threaten or posture with another offer or a take-it-or-leave-it stance. Continue to negotiate with no neediness. Use that calm slow voice. State problems clearly and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want to solve those problems. The more effective you appear at discussing the problem as you see it, the better. Just ask in a want mode, not the need mode.

Do not try to be friends.

Your employer does not have to be your friend. You are not seeking friendship; you are seeking an agreement. What you want is respect and a fair agreement that accomplishes your mission and purpose.

Staying calm, being well informed, showing genuine curiosity and interest in the company’s challenges and salient issues, and not being needy are all qualities that any employer wants to see. You are a motivated, talented employee who has the company’s best interests in mind. If you can deliver these messages in the meeting, any employer would want to hold on to you and reward you with a raise.

How would you go about asking for a raise? We’d love to hear from you!

Photo by WillVision Photography.

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So many organisations spend a heap of money on the interior of their business premises or shop floor, yet put up a cheap looking DIY style websites on the Internet. It doesn’t make sense for a business to spend big in-store but spend so little on an online store.

The internet has the potential to provide thousands more visitors than any high street store. So why do people still pull the purse strings tight when it comes to investing in building a shop front within the world’s largest marketplace?

However, if you’ve chosen going the website way, here’s a few must-follows for you:

Your Website is the Customer’s First Port of Call

Your website exists to interact virtually with potential customers who find your business on the internet. Rather than phoning or calling into your premises to find out about your services, a potential customer will visit your website as the first port of call.

In essence, the website is a very large, detailed business card. Your website tells a visitor exactly what your business does. It conveys your values, mission, ethics, level of customer service and attitude towards business. A website says so much without actually speaking.

Presenting Your Company to the World

When putting your business on display to potentially millions of people, the last thing you want to show them is a dated website built in the 90s or even pre 2005. Web design and modern day Internet standards have moved on considerably in the last few years.

An ancient website gives the reader the impression that your company is lazy, old fashioned and disorganised. A shoddy looking website suggests the services of your company will deliver similar results. You need a website to demonstrate to your target audience that the mindset and skills of your company are modern, even if the service you provide is based on skills from decades past.

Avoiding a Bad Reputation

In the celebrity world bad promotion can often work in one’s favour, but unfortunately this doesn’t ring true for website design. Bad promotion through a poor quality, outdated website will repel potential customers.

It isn’t just about losing sales; it is about the knock on effect of a bad impression. The internet community is well-connected. If your website looks cheap and poorly constructed it reflects negatively on your business practice. People with a shared interest in your industry will discuss your inadequacies and often leave negative comments in forums and on blogs.

A bad reputation spreads like wildfire, and once your reputation is tarnished it will cost a lot of money spent on advertising to reverse. Better to invest properly in a website from the start rather than spend money clawing back your reputation at a later date.

Achieving an Admirable Brand Impression

A website conveys the ‘core story’ of a brand. Attached to a brand are the values of a company, the style of conducting business, the level of professionalism and essentially the complete personality of the organisation. When designing the brand of your website you need to consider the following things.

• The Logo:

The logo is the silent voice of your business. The logo should appeal to the type of customer you want to attract and correctly sell the image of your company.

• The Colour Scheme:

Once your logo is in place, the colour scheme of your website should compliment and blend appropriately with your logo. There is nothing more unprofessional than having the logo and the colour scheme of your website clash. Not everything has to be colour coded, but ensure that the uniform of the site is pleasing to the eye.

• Images:

Images need to be appropriate and compliment the website. Images should seamlessly blend into a page rather than distracting the user from more important aspects of the content. Images should be neutral and leave no room for negative interpretation or association by the viewer.

• Video Content:

When using video content be sure to use quality recordings. Amateur phone footage or webcam recordings will reflect badly on the company. All content on your website should be of a high professional standard.

• Textual Composition:

A large aspect of your branding strategy is the implementation of effective copywriting. The copy on your website provides the tone of your brand. For example, a music related website might have a cool, friendly, perhaps conversational tone, whereas a financial services website may choose to employ a corporate approach with a fair amount of industry related technical wording.

All aspects of your branding strategy must work in harmony to deliver the correct image of your business. You are not just selling services or products, you are selling a brand that you want etched in the mind of the consumer. Good branding builds loyalty and loyalty increases profits.

Creating a User Friendly Structure

It is said that you have approximately 7 seconds to hook a visitor before they click that infamous ‘X’ button in the top right hand corner of the screen. If there is a single off-putting aspect to the navigational structure of your website then you could be losing valuable business.

Complicated websites with fancy animations that distract from the desired action are a thing of the past. Simple, user friendly websites that allow the user to dig down effortlessly through content are the modern standard.

There is no shop assistant to show a visitor around your online store, therefore the shopping process must be self-explanatory. The user must be able to get from the front door, through the products/services section and to the checkout with ease. The slightest confusion has the potential to end the transaction before it is completed.

Writing Content that Compels

A website is based on information. Achieving the correct delivery of information is no easy task. The copy must first engage the reader, and then provide the information they need in a concise and interesting manner.

Lastly, the copy must prompt the user with a call to action; this usually directs the user towards a sale or to provide contact details. Unless you are specifically an information portal, web pages should not be wordy.

Most readers will not read every word of the copy, they will skim read perhaps 30-40% of any given page. This means the copy needs to be structured for skim reading by effective use of sub titles and concise sentences. You should also use a reader friendly font and a font size that is suitable for all ages.

Website Maintenance

No website gets it right at the first attempt. No matter how perfect things seem initially, there will always be things you spot after the build that you want to change. Conducting a user survey with clients, customers and friends is a great way to know exactly what is and what isn’t working for the masses.

Websites must move with the times and continual improvements are a part of the process. It is advisable to conduct a website review every few months and look to make enhancements. In addition to this you should be updating the site with fresh content regularly. Search engines value new content and static sites often become less popular. Provide new articles or blog posts, introduce new features or company news updates. Keep things alive, fresh and modern.

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If your website doesn’t cater to the above, we’d say you’re better off without it. You don’t need a (bad) website!

Photo by UggBoy♥UggGirl [ PHOTO // WORLD // TRAVEL ].

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Challenges can pop up when trying to compete with the big fish. In order to stay competitive, it is necessary to use some of the same tools that the big companies use. However, most small businesses do not employ an entire marketing team to help with this process. In many cases, there is no marketing team at all. Thus, when looking for software to help with the marketing aspect of the business, the easier it is to use, the better.

Below we review one such service: MailerLite.

What is MailerLite?

MailerLite is a new email marketing service developed by a UK company with an aim to allow small businesses to compete with bigger counterparts in a user-friendly manner, minus the massive investments of time and money.

Although this email marketing service does not have all the bells and whistles that some of the bigger systems have, it has been tailored to adequately meet the needs of small businesses, without the large cost that goes with some of the other products on the market.

Features at a Glance

MailerLite provides a user friendly tool that is perfect for new companies and small businesses. Its inherent features make this product pretty easy to use:

1. The drag and drop content editor offers several styles and colors to personalize your emails and newsletters. I like how easy it was to design an email with my colors and header.
2. MailerLite displays well on computers, tablets, and phones. It looks great in any e-mail system and on all mobile devices. I pulled the email I designed up on my Android and it looked the same as it did on my laptop. This is a neat little feature.
3. Anybody can use this system. You do not need to know HTML to design a professional looking email.
4. MailerLite makes it simple to manage subscriber lists. Duplicates, unsubscribes, and bounces are handled automatically. And, it is easy to manage multiple lists. The system offers a subscribe form for your website and allows you to manage subscribers with API.
   
   
5. MailerLite is fast. The system is capable of sending out over 1000 emails per minute and it automatically handles delivery issues.
6. There are several analysis tools built in so businesses are able to track views, clicks, opens, bounces, spam reports, and unsubscribe reports. These tools are in place to help businesses provide effective emails to subscribers.
   
7. MailerLite caters to small businesses with the goal of making email marketing easy. The system allows personalization of emails that uses the registered name in the email, which is much more appealing than “Hello Subscriber.”
   
   

Affordability

The program provides an affordable option for small businesses. Let’s face it, small businesses have a limited budget for marketing tools. The other difference between big and small businesses is that the latter do not necessarily need all the tools that are built into products designed for their bigger counterparts.

The good news is that this product is affordable at $99 per year; pretty cost-effective as compared to some of its bigger competitors. MailerLite allows you to manage up to 10,000 contacts with unlimited emails.

MailerLite is in the process of increasing subscribers and services over the next several weeks. The cost for an additional 10,000 subscribers will be $100 per year. An additional 20,000 subscribers will cost $199 per year. This will include unlimited email capability, as it does now.

You can try the service for 30 days free of charge. They do not require credit card information during the trial period. Thus, you are able to use the product for an entire month before making the decision of whether or not it is for you. Oh, and signing up for the free trial period was extremely quick and simple.

Room for Improvement

MailerLite is a functional tool for smaller businesses that is easy to use. However, as the name states, this product is in the light weight arena. It does not compete with some of the heavy weights in the email marketing arena. This program does not offer all of the automation that some other systems offer. Let’s take a look at the cons.

1. There is no auto-responder option in place at this time.  However, they are in the process of developing a system that fits in with the simplicity of this product.
2. MailerLite does not offer automated list switching based on specified criteria. In other words, if you have somebody who has subscribed to your email list and has not purchased anything they are on the “free list”. When they purchase something, you might want them on the “customer list”. Some email systems do this for you automatically. MailerLite does not have that capability at this time.
3. You cannot send plain text emails with this product. It is necessary to use the automated system to design an email. Thus, if you are looking for a system that will allow you to send out plain text emails, MailerLite is not the right system for you.

Is MailerLite Right For You?

If you are looking for an email marketing service that is easy to use and is affordable, you might want to give it a try. This system has been designed for small businesses looking to get into the email marketing arena quickly and easily, without hiring a professional to do so. MailerLite is a one-stop-shop for designing eye-catching emails quickly and easily with a simple drag and drop system. There are nice analysis and tracking tools built in as well.

However, if you are searching for a system with all the bells and whistles that will automate and track absolutely everything for you, this is not the right product. It is important to remember that this system is capable of handling up to 10,000 contacts. If you have more number of contacts than that, you might want to consider another program.

The 30 day trial period gives you an opportunity to give the system a try for free to see if it works for you. The simplicity of the system is a great feature and it allows small businesses to compete with larger businesses in the email marketing service arena.

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Unfortunately, the ideal world is far from reality. Your customers are anywhere in the world. They have questions about everything, including things that you’ve painstakingly outlined on your website. They’ll email you when you are closed and leave you a needy voicemail before you’ve had the opportunity to respond. Then, while you’re solving the problem, your Live Chat window will pop open, demanding your immediate attention.

Streamlining your customer communications will make your business more efficient, save you time and energy, and yield a happier customer base.

Assume Nothing, Decide What You Want to Do

Where are you now? If you’re a start-up, consider what aspects of customer “touch” you’re hoping to personally manage in-house. Don’t fall into the trap of setting up full-featured hard-wired PBX phone systems, enterprise email solutions, Live Chat interfaces, and high-touch social media outreach campaigns all at once before considering the consequences.

If you manage any of these things poorly, it will reflect negatively on your brand. It may be better to not offer Live Chat than to only make it available for a few hours a day. Consider: Does “LIVE CHAT IS CLOSED” look good on your website during the 16 hours every day and all weekend that your chat is unavailable? Similarly, it’s probably better to eliminate your email customer support if it takes two or more days for you or your staff to respond. Whatever you are going to offer, only do it if you can do it well.

So, determine what you and your team are going to do well. It’s OK if it’s only one or two things. Then, outsource the pieces that you still want to offer.

Cover the E-Basics

If you’ve chosen email as an option, make sure your customers can contact you through your website. This can be done several ways, depending on your needs. Small entities will need only direct email links, like support@yourcompany.com, prominently placed, as well as a Contact Us page, which is a standard requirement for e-commerce sites. Larger corporations may choose instead to implement a “ticket” system in which customers can express a concern or place an order. The ticket will then get routed to the appropriate department for follow-up.

The big daddy of help desk management is zendesk, but there are many excellent options on the market now. Search for ‘best help desk’ and you’ll see tons of great options for managing each customer support ticket or “case.”

Whatever you choose, be sure that you have a way to track the communications. Have your staff make notes about each correspondence in your CRM (customer relationship management) software. In fact, many of the more robust CRMs like Salesforce and Zoho already have ticket systems with built-in tracking solutions. Just don’t drop the ball. Consider what happens if the person primarily responsible for email is out of the office. Who is the back-up?

If you’re the least bit technologically savvy, you can employ Google Apps as your email solution. Mail will professionally come and go from your domain, but be accessible from anywhere, and you won’t have to host an enterprise email package on in-house servers. Depending on the size of your company, Google Apps can be FREE, and there are now countless add-ons and integrations that let you run everything right out of your Google account.

Don’t be a Phone-y

Telephone service options are innumerable, and too complex to address in sufficient detail here. But, you’ll probably desire some sort of phone service. If you’ve got business-class broadband Internet service, your provider may offer a digital telephone service option as a bundle with your access. It’s often possible to find a better deal on a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system when NOT using the bundle deal. So, shop around, and don’t be afraid to bargain with salespeople for a lower price.

I’ve had success with RingCentral, Aptela and Fonality — all of which offer lots of interesting call management choices, like call routing, answer anywhere, listen-in and recording of sales people, etc. Despite all those functions, VoIP systems can sometimes be nothing more complex than a special headset and a dialer program on your computer, all connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi. Depending on what you need, PBX and hybrid systems are also available at generally higher costs and complexity.

In many cases, however, you may discover that you can avoid an expensive telephone system if you’re willing to outsource this part of your workload. A call center (or even just an answering service) can field calls for you 24/7/365, take sales orders and provide customer technical support. Your customers will always reach a live human being, and you’re likely to save a lot of money in the process.

Consider the budget implications: To cover your incoming calls 24/7/365, you’ll need 4.2 trained employees working without breaks, holidays, vacations or illnesses. You’ll be providing them with computers, phones, benefits, and very good insurance to ensure their flawless health. You’ll need a physical location large enough for them to work, which you’ll need to heat and keep illuminated. You’ll need to be careful not to lose any sales lest the volume of inbound calls overwhelm the one person on the phones at any given time. Essentially, you’ll need to create your own call center.

Unless you’re in the call-center business, your expertise lies elsewhere. Just because you and your team are great at making recycled surfboard beer cozies, you’re no sure bet at customer support. Call centers add a team of professionals to your operation for a tiny fraction of the cost you’ll incur to do the work in-house. Some call centers can handle Live Chat too.

Live Chats

If you love the idea of offering Live Chat, be sure your website clearly articulates the hours Chat is available, then actively build customer participation. There are lots of good chat clients you can run on your site, like Olark, which you can use to prompt site visitors to chat if they’ve been browsing for a certain amount of time, or reached a specific page.

Off your site, you might consider hosting Live Chat events such as lunchtime feedback or Q&A sessions, and invite your best customers to participate. Google Plus Hangouts now makes it incredibly easy to set up and host live events where you can do all sorts of things, launch new products. Don’t forget to leverage your work in chat sessions by posting the transcripts or reformatted versions of the content to your website FAQ or blog. You have a blog, right?

Whatever you choose, if you clearly steer your customers towards specific methods of communicating with you, they’ll follow your breadcrumbs. Choose only those ways you’re most comfortable with, do them well, and either eliminate or outsource the rest. You’ll free yourself to focus on your business, and you’ll never let down your customers.

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You can offer an awesome customer support with the right tools. What do you think? Share your tips in the comments.

Photo by Wonderlane.

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