Marketing Small Businesses

Who else wants more visitors to their blog? If you’re a blogger, your profit relies upon a secure flow of visitors and getting as large an amount as available. Now, how can you compel more ad-clickers to your web site cheaply and quickly? How can you pump up your search result rankings on your most valuable keywords and get readers to find it?

Have you thought about sending your original article to an article directory?

The article directory, aka free reprint directory, is an amalgamation of writing that other bloggers can use free of charge. The only catch is that the writer’s name and a link to their site must remain as part of their article.

If these reprints are free, how specifically does an article directory assist you? Article directories benefit you by sending traffic to your web site. e-zine editors publish one of your articles to add crucial content for their existing readers.Readers of the site then click and then visit your blog.

As a result, article directories are a win-win opportunity - you increase your page views, and the people using your articles keep their readers happy.

Articles of any size, type, or subject can be sent to article directories. It is as easy a mouse click. The article directory attaches your name and site to your article, and everyone who publishes the article has to do likewise. You get more traffic when people look at your content at the article directory, and again as your content is reprinted on another site and read by viewers of that site.

Even if you choose not to submit your articles, you should seriously consider leveraging the articles written by others Article directories provide a rich assortment of articles about every possible theme, quite a few of them are specifically written to be keyword dense. Understand that the attention with which you insert keywords into your writing will pay off due to search engine traffic!

There is no risk in the use of these articles, since they cost you nothing in the first place. Most free reprint articles are written by talented bloggers and writers like you. Don’t forget that you can of course select only the free reprint articles you feel pass your quality standards.

If you choose to publish articles on a article reprint directory, take advantage of the endless content available, or maybe even a little of both, you are guaranteed to increase traffic to your website - and most importantly, it won’t cost you a dime!

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Break the Golden Rule When Rewarding Your Staff

It appears so very simple, don’t you think? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Golden Rule feels so universal that it should be a fix for all relationships. Simply handle everybody the way you would prefer to be taken care of and all will run smoothly, yes?

Just a second… It seems that something is off…
Would your business’ twenty-something big shot salesman hope for the exact same benefits out of their job that your forty year old office clerk wants? Is your technical staff aiming for similar opportunities and reimbursement as your secretary?

Indeed, their needs and wants are very different, but quite a few business owners use a one-size fits all method when appreciating their key employees. After a big contract is finished, all staff receives the same thing, whether it’s breakfast or a gas card. Giving an identical reward to the whole team is what’s right, isn’t it? But is it actually fair for the best people?

Hold On to Your Top Staff
Too few managers realize that the Pareto theory applied to their employees means that 20% of their employees deliver 80% of your entire company’s bottom-line. Further, just about every management book recounts studies which compare the productivity of the best people to the least skilled (yet still effective) people. The spread between the extremes have been reported as much as 100 to 1. The nearest these ratios ever seem to get to one another is at best 4:1. But how much more does this extraordinary difference in value wind up costing?

Assuming that your annual cost for the company’s least skilled staff member is $30,000, what does it cost for your best staff? Since a fair bit of the costs for staff are fixed, they don’t go up in relation to base salary. For the purposes of this examination, let’s use some worst-case numbers, $60k. Assuming that your $30k employee generates $30k of value (otherwise they’d be reallocated, right?). If your best employee is a measly four times as productive as the worst, they deliver far more value for how much more they cost.

If you invests in more classes for your least valuable members, costs instantly go up, but without any promise that productivity will similarly go up. Also consider what part of your salary is factored into the “cost” of this moderately competent employee? Probably none. Management costs are usually invisible, factored away as overhead. It certainly feels like you’re being productive - trying your hardest to bring along the strugglers, hoping that they eventually rise above their shortcomings. Consider how much of your time is spent with either of these employees:

• The self-managing dynamo who, with speed of a bullet train, handles customer complaints, delivers defect-free results, and even cleans up after himself in the break room
• The newbie who has some interpersonal problems, occasional quality issues, problems listening to reason, and shows up late on Mondays because of his occasional hangover

Indeed your best performers are worth weight in good. As such, it’s incredibly important for every small business owner to keep their winners, as this group of your greatest embodies the bulk of your team’s value. Their familiarity with your unique processes combined with their skills and ability to get the job done in a pinch makes them practically invaluable.

Now, what’s the best way to show appreciation for your best people? What should you do to prove to those top performers that they’re wanted, and boost the likelihood that they’ll be there for you when you need them again?

What’s the best plan to keep your superstars?
Coat their palms with silver. If your $30k employee puts in 70-hour weeks during the final push of a key effort, most exclusively cash rewards would come in at a rate less than minimum wage. Simply reconsider this choice. This can be extremely insulting, seen, instead, as a paltry offering to pay them off and ease your guilty conscience. Regardless, after the taxman gets his chunk, the net impact of this money can end up being a lot less than it costs to give it out.

Send them to extra training. Some folks might be happy to be rewarded with a chance to take training in a new city expenses to the company. They may even try to spend a few days before or after, out of their own pocket, just to cash in on this opportunity to rest up. Be careful though, this could be mistaken by your high achiever that you found their performance less than desirable. They might wrongly believe that they have to have further classes to be worthy of the eventual reward that lies waiting. If your staffer is sensitive, they could be worried that their effort they went through was a warning sign to you that they were struggling along. Proposing a training incentive in this situation could be interpreted that their challenge was obvious, and now you are taking remedial action.

Promote them. Though the attraction of a striking title or tangible gains associated with a promotion may inspire some, more and more workers have come to realize the dangers of the Peter Principle. They fear that their world will shift drastically should they become team lead. Your superstar staff probably like what they’re doing right now. That’s why they’re so darned good at it. Before thinking about a promotional reward, be sure that the new position actually leverages the talents and skills exhibited by these high achievers, or you may end up losing them. If you think it’s best to take this chance, make sure your hotshot realizes that they can get their old job again if it doesn’t work out with the newly promoted position.

Offer additional vacation time. Everyone likes time off, right? Unfortunately, if you offer this bonus to a very dedicated worker who is so wholly committed to their career that they don’t have many friends of work, they may not know how to handle this spare time.
Do unto others as they would have done unto them.

You can see that there are quite a few mechanisms to reward your most valuable. It’s dangerously simplistic to offer all of your workers the same reward. It’s especially easy to offer them something you’d like yourself.

These examples take us to a fundamental concept: communication. In a nutshell, ask your best what they really want. What is it that will allow them to actually feel appreciated? The life that leads someone to be a talented account rep is very different than the life of a great administrative assistant. You may be stunned by the replies you get back. In reality, your employees may be amazed, as well, to discover that you are really giving them a voice to determine the award for their efforts.

• Do they want money?
• Do they want more challenging assignments?
• Do they want some relaxation time to appreciate their children?
• Would they rather have more mentoring?
• Do they simply want to be acknowledged at a company meeting?
• What have they received in the past that really made them feel good?

The results can differ significantly for each individual, depending upon their long-term ambitions, how their needs are currently being met within Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy, and the current stressors in their life. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the answer you get today will remain the same throughout your top performer’s career.

In the end, as opposed to attempting to reward your people the way you would prefer to be rewarded, break The Golden Rule, and invest your time actually appreciating their needs and wants. By involving them in choices that affect their lives so directly, you might inadvertently benefit from the Hawthorne Effect, and inspire your worker by showing you care. You will likely learn that you’ve developed a workplace that makes your high achievers more contented than they’ve ever been. Consequently, they will find a way to push themselves to new levels of productivity, realizing that their hard work will bring about rewards that are actually important to them. You may even earn their respect and loyalty for a lifetime.

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7 Reasons Magnetic Vehicle Signs Work for Your Lawncare Company

If you have a lawn care business, chances are, you need all the new business you can get. Even your best customers move, change jobs, and disappear for all sorts of reasons. You constantly have to bring on new customers to make up for those who leave - even if you’re the best lawn care business in town. It’s just not enough to do a great job — you have to figure out a means for new customers to realize that you have a great lawn care service and how to find you. One of the most cost-effective ways to attract these vital new customers is to get some attractive magnetic vehicle signs.

Read on to understand how magnetic signage can get new customers calling you, and imagine your lawn care business enjoying the benefits:

1. Your signs create an immediate response. There’s no need to wait for printing and distribution like with yellow pages or Valpak advertising. With a good message, you’ll get customers calling instantly. Quite a few of my clients have received calls from people driving right next to them to see if they could schedule a time for a bid.
You can’t get much faster than that! The magnetic signs absolutely do work and they will pay for themselves over and over again.

2. When a next-door neighbor sees your sign, they believe you’re trustworthy. Since a neighbor has already hired you, they’ll avoid looking someone up in the phone book. Quite a few of my clients have ended up getting asked to come next door to give an estimate while they’re working for their neighbor.

3. Magnetic truck signs are a one time expense. After purchasing your magnetic signage, they’re all yours. Unlike a lot of other advertising, there’s no need for monthly payment to keep the customers coming in. Simply by doing the driving you already do or keeping your truck parked in a good location, you are putting your lawn care business name in front of people who are probably have the need for the same services you’re already providing.

4. The signs are removable. Nowadays, neighborhood associations limit the kind of ads allowed in the neighborhood. Since you can take the magnetic signage easily - you solve the problem in an instant. Just peel off your magnetic sign from your truck, and you’re good to go.

5. With attractive and eye-catching magnetic signs, your service stands out from the crowd and have your message noticed. The key to this is spending time working out layout of your truck’s magnetic sign. You need to work with a sign maker who will partner with you to create a powerful marketing message. You are an expert at lawn care, and you deserve to partner with a magnetic sign maker who is an expert at landing you more clients. Request and review a proof before your signs are finished.

6. Your signs are easy-to-maintain and long-lasting. Simply follow the directions your magnetic sign maker provides. Every two months or so, the magnetic signs ought to be removed, washed with a mild detergent, and then air-dried. Some of my clients have had magnetic truck signs for years that look as great as they did when they were made.

7. This is an excellent, cost-effective tool for attracting customers. Magnetic signs are so much easier to afford than yellow pages or newspaper advertising. The cost of a few magnetic vehicle signs will only run you about $80 - that’s far cheaper than yellow pages or newspaper advertising.

Think about the opportunity here: because magnetic vehicle signs are so cost-effective, with the support of your friends and family, you could have a fleet of cars all around the city advertising your lawn care company and phone number. That would bring in so much business you might need to expand just to keep up with the demand.

Before you pay one red cent on your magnetic vehicle signs, though, you have to know that not all magnetic signs and sign makers are alike. You need to get the consumer warning available on http://www.magnetic-signs.info prior to selecting a magnetic sign maker. You’ll save yourself a lot of time, money, and heartache.

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Internet Marketing Articles - Recipe for Writing Good Headlines

Practically all Internet marketing consultants see eye to eye – One of the big keys to effective Internet marketing is through the use of articles.

Since you understand you must leverage the opportunity of Internet marketing using articles, you have to do your best when writing articles to appeal to three, vastly different readers with the same article.

Three consumers of article marketing

The three consumers of article marketing and how to write good headlines for each:

1. Readers - Ultimately, these are the individuals who will come to the conclusion that they are engrossed in what you do adequately to read your message. You need to write a headline that will draw your readers to actually read your message in the first place. You need to attract the reader to read further into your article and actually absorb your words.
   
   80% of readers will see your headline, but only 20% will read your actual article. How well your headline is written will decide the reader’s next step.Readers can find your headline on social networking sites like Delicious, as links in an email from a buddy, and in their Yahoo results. If your headline does not make them want to read your article, you simply won’t get readers, even if you have the best article or service on the planet. You could provide the solution for world hunger, but with a bad headline no one will read about it.
2. Search Engines - Yahoo and the like agree that the page title is the most valuable on-page indicator of the content of the page. Coming in second place is the use of the <h1> heading tag. When your article is published, publishers have a tendency to make either or both the title and H1 tag the same as your article title. Therefore, having words in your article title which are important to those searching for information increase your chances of showing up in search engine results.
   
   You need to have your keywords in the headline and as close to the start as reasonable to still appease the other two audiences.
3. Publishers - One of the reasons article marketing is so effective is the viral mass-publication process. This is the main reason article marketing is so powerful. One well-written article can get published on a thousand sites across the web over the period of a only few weeks.These are the folks who determine whether or not your article is published on their site, newsletter, blog, etc. They are a tough blend of both readers and Google and company. They need to know your article will bring in search engine traffic as well as please their readers. But, if they don’t run across your article because the poor headline doesn’t come up in their Yahoo results, or the headline doesn’t suck them in to read your article – you’re out of luck.One could say that publishers can make or break an article’s success and by making the other two audiences happy you can get on their good side as well.

Writing Headlines for All Three
This article’s title was written expressly to supply an example of how to meet the needs these three audiences. As you can see, the first three words of the article headline are Google fodder - they are a combination of two greatly sought phrases, and those words are the very first in the headline.

The first words also tell you what the article is about. The last part captures your interest and sucks you deeper in. It introduces a topic of interest that will give you what you’re hoping to gain or learn about. It causes you to ask yourself, “I wonder what lesson I can take away from this article…” and so you dig in, just as you did.

Armed with this information, you can now write article headlines that get noticed, get published, and get traffic coming to your web site. Get out there, get writing, and cash in.

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If you’re in the landscaping business, chances are, you need all the new business you can get. Customers move, change jobs, and disappear for all sorts of reasons. You need to constantly bring on new customers to replace those who leave - even if you’re doing do everything right. It’s not enough to do a good job — you must find a means for prospects to know that you run a great landscaping service and how to contact you. One of the best ways to handle this marketing/advertising need is to invest in a set of high-quality magnetic vehicle signs.

Take a few minutes to learn how magnetic signs can get new customers calling you, and picture your landscaping company enjoying the benefits:

Can Magnetic Signs Help Your Landscaping Company?

1. Your magnetic vehicle signs will generate immediate response. You don’t need to wait for printing and distribution like with yellow pages or magazine advertising. With a carefully constructed marketing message, you’ll get customers calling instantly. Several of my clients have received calls from people driving right next to them to see if they could schedule a time for a bid.

How’s that for fast? The magnetic signs absolutely bring in the customers and they will pay you back time and time again.

2. When a neighbor sees your sign, they assume you’re worth the risk. Since someone just like them has has hired you, they’ll just work directly with you and save time. Quite a few of my clients have get asked to come next door for an estimate while they’re working for their neighbor.

3. Magnetic signs are a one shot expense. After you have your magnetic truck signs , they’re yours forever. Unlike most other advertising, there’s no need to keep paying month after month to keep the customers coming in. Simply by doing the driving you already do or keeping your truck parked in a good location, you are getting your name out to who are most likely to use your services.

4. The signs come off easily. Today, community associations limit the kind of advertising allowed in their neighborhood. Because you can easily take down the magnetic vehicle sign - you instantly solve the problem. Just peel off your magnetic sign from your truck, and you’re in.

5. With attractive and eye-catching magnetic truck signs, you stand out from the others and get noticed. The secret to this is paying enough attention to the layout of your truck signage. You need to work with a magnetic sign company who will partner with you to create a powerful marketing message. You are an expert at landscaping, and you need to partner with a magnetic sign company who is an expert at bringing you more customers. Request and review a proof before your signs are complete.

6. Your signs are easy-to-care for and last a long time. Simply follow the directions your sign maker provides. Every month or so, the magnetic vehicle signs should be taken off, washed with a mild detergent, and then air-dried. Some of my clients have had magnetic signs for years that look as great as they did when they were made.

7. This is an excellent, cost-effective tool for attracting customers. Magnetic signs are so much easier to afford than yellow pages or newspaper advertising. The cost of a couple of magnetic signs will only come to about $80 - that’s a lot more affordable than yellow pages or newspaper advertising.

Think about the possibilities: since magnetic signage is so cost-effective, if you get help from your friends and family, you could have a fleet of cars all around the city advertising your landscaping company and phone number. That would bring in so much business you might need to expand just to keep up with the demand.

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Despite having a fantastic product or service, having distributed brochures and fliers, having networked with people in the city Chamber of Commerce for marketing and getting an enviable spot in the latest Yellow Pages, you find that no one is buying. What could be wrong with your marketing style? There could be a variety of reasons for customers not swarming your store or visiting your website. You have to consider the following seven basic reasons for this.

1.    Inconvenience

Present day generations, who are used to high-speed Internet connectivity and fast foods, seek instant gratification. You have to offer hassle free sales process or else many customers will seek other outlets.

• Do you provide multiple payment options?
• If it’s a website you have, is navigation through your website easy and do the web pages open promptly? As per studies, visitors to websites move on if they are unable to locate what they need within 20 seconds. Likewise, can your physical storefront be easily located?
• Are adequate customer services provided by you? Is a sales representative within reach when needed? Is adequate product information available to enable customers to come to well thought of decisions?
• Are your working hours as per customer convenience?

2.    Product Or Service You Are Marketing Is Not Required By The Customer

It is likely that the customer may not feel the need for your product. As a salesperson you have got to convince them that they do. Instead of projecting the product’s features, highlight how the use of this product will save their time and money in addition to making their home a comfort zone. Build up a rosy picture with the use of words like “wouldn’t it be great if…” and “imagine” etc. Encourage their visualization of the benefits: “What is the prospect of this product easing your life?”

3.    Your Product or Service is Not Understood by the Customer

If you have introduced a relatively new product or service, you will have to convince people about its usefulness before you can sell it. For example, the services of a virtual assistant could be utilized. A virtual assistant was virtually unknown in the marketing field two years ago, and hardly anyone knew what it did.  Now of course the public has learned its use, after the word got out through various trade organizations. Today, virtual assistance has grown to become the seventh fastest developing industry in the US, a study of Mitsubishi Research Institute of Sept. 2000 claims. Once, people were unaware that they could obtain remote assistance from independent contractors for their businesses. Now, having learnt of the benefits of a virtual assistant, people are actively looking for them.

4.    You Have Not Generated Enough Trust from Your Customers

Many of the obstacles related to sales in a small business can to a large extent be overcome by maintaining good customer relationship. Do you think that customers have trust in you? Do you think they are willing to enter into business with you? Try out these questions:
*     Do you deliver what you promise (e.g., timely deliveries, crucial technical support, fulfilling warranties and accepting returns)?
*     Are you perceived as an authority in your sphere of business? To appear so, go in for writing and getting articles published and conduct workshops. You could join various forums or discussion groups online for giving expert advice in your line of business.
*     If you have made a web page, does your site show your P.O. box or physical address prominently? (Presence of a physical address builds trust.)
*     Do you maintain an active presence and thus visibility in the community?
*     Do you offer online sales over a server with high security? Is this aspect of security projected to customers?

*     Do you offer shopping privacy to your online customers?
*     Do you offer money-back guarantees?

5.    Your Quality is Perceived as Poor

Perception is what makes the difference in selling a product or service. Your product will remain inferior if it is believed so by the customers. You have to reverse this perception. Yours may be a small business, but you have to compete with the best and literally show the customer that you maintain quality, as, one belie3ves what one sees. Make samples available, which they can tested, felt and seen.

6.    The Value is Perceived as Poor

Do your competitors virtually “give away” things? In these circumstances you have to demonstrate to your customers the reasons why your products or services have to be paid for. What does your product or service offer which your competitor’s doesn’t? Is it warranties? It is superior quality? Is it better customer service or the best technical support?

7.    Not having Asked For The Sale

If you have covered the first six points well, it can’t be taken for granted that you will get the requisite sales. You definitely have to ask. Ensure that your leaflets and brochures contain words like “Order today!” or “Reserve yours today.”

The above tips may not help you close all the deals, but knowledge of why some sales fail to go through will definitely help in getting the better of the competition. Wish you luck!