Done for You Marketing? The Secret to Building Your Online Brand, Business and Bank Account

Q: What is the best way to build my business online? Should I learn SEO? Should I create my own content? Or, should I outsource my marketing to an online agency or brand building authority who will do it all for me?In this article we are going to take a quick and easy look at what I believe is the simple secret to online success, what you SHOULD outsource, what you should do in-house, and what you should avoid altogether. Curious to know more? Let’s take a closer look below!Filed Under: The landscape is LOCALAccording to Google’s published metrics, about 3 quarters (75%) of ALL search is local. That means that people aren’t looking for an accountant… they are looking for a LOCAL accountant. They aren’t looking for a roofer… they are looking for a LOCAL roofer. About 75% of referred traffic has some sort of location qualifier or modifier, meaning that if you aren’t ranking well for your specific geography, you are getting beaten to the punch by those that do.As a matter of fact…Some recent studies show that between 4 and 5 consumers now admit to using a search engine, RATHER than the phone book or yellow pages, to find local businesses to patronize.So, if all this is true, do you need to hire a local SEO to build your brand, and business in your own local marketplace?Ironically, i say NO to SEO.Unless you live in a hyper competitive area (like NYC or Los Angeles for example) and are in a very competitive niche where the transactional values are exceptionally high (like real estate) there are a lot of other things you can do that are LESS expensive than paying for expensive SEO, and getting a better bank for your buck.For example?A good local hyper targeted, paid advertising campaign on Facebook can trump paying for SEO, and you can manage much of this yourselfOptimizing a Google places (or now Google Plus) local listing is very easy, and can trump expensive SEO services as wellGuest blogging on the sites of other related services is a GREAT way to get tons of exposure for your brand and your business, and ironically… is some of the best organic SEO you can do as well. (as quality mentions and traffic emanating from hyper local sites and services are the best kind of links you can build)The kinds of done for you services that ARE a good investment?It depends on the type of business you are in, BUT… I believe that every local business owner should have the following few things, at a minimumA clear, content marketing campaignA creative CHARACTER that clearly identifies their brand, and business sin the area where they live and do business.A an interactive, engaging, entertaining and informative community, where readers can come and opine, suggest, recommend and comment on what it is that you do. (I love BuddyPress for this which is free, over ordinary comments)A consistent conversation with their readers that is updated regularly… either through email follow up, or through a daily blog update. (once per day is optimal, but at least 4 times per week is best)And of course, a clear conversion path that turns strangers into subscribers, and subscribers into sales.Often, these things can be learned by many business owners… and implemented on their own without any outsourcing at all.However, I do find that doing what you do best is often the smartest strategy for building a business, and outsourcing what you are weakest at, and what you need the most help with, can lead to the greatest long term success.The secret?Know what your time is WORTH, and value it accordingly. If you earn $100 an hour providing a service, or $250 a day doing a job and trying to expand, ask yourself if the time and effort you spend focused on marketing is an investment… or a net loss.Once you know what each hour is worth, you’ll know what to do in house, and what to outsource as well!

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How to Find the Right Web Design Company?

“A man’s errors are his portals of discovery.”What does the above quotation convey? To have a portal, you have to commit mistakes. Isn’t that funny? No, not at all. It may be a motivating sentence, but in business it can turn out to be doomsday for small start-ups with little investments. This article has been done especially for small start-ups who want to make it in their respective fields and are planning to launch their website or looking for a facelift or adding new functionalities to there existing site or aren’t sure about their design requirements.Choosing a Web Design CompanyWith a multitude of web designers and developers out there, from freelancers, to agencies, to online templates, how do you know what the right fit is for your company, and more importantly, for your goals and objectives? Choosing a web design company is not that a serious job. But choosing a good web design company is a real serious challenge. People say that Internet has made business processes simple and global, but how about the complexities that Internet offers which are unique. Just Search for the term “Good Web Design Firm” on Google, and it comes up with millions of results. For normal human being it’s impossible to search through every result. We will go through the entire process of selecting a Web Design and Development company in a structured way.STEP 1 – PlanningThe first step involves defining your needs. While searching for the right web designer, it is important to have a clear idea what role your new Web site or a redesigned one will fill. Will it provide information to your customers? Will it serve the needs of your employees? Or will it include an online shopping section so that you can sell your products to visitors? Most Web designers will need to know the following:o The role of your new Web site.o The intended market or audience of your Web site.o Your budget.Take time to consider what you expect from your Web site and the type of information you want to communicate to your potential clients before you approach your designer. This will save you and the designer a considerable amount of time and effort.STEP 2 – Searching and Creating a Primary listSearching is a vigorous process and does not require any special skill other than diligence to effectively come up with good results that fulfill your requirements. Just scan through directories, check Google listings on specific key word searches and ask for referrals from your friends or business partners. It does not have to be a very extensive research work.Referral: Ask business acquaintances, friends, and family which web design firm designed the website for their respective organizations, or if they can otherwise recommend a web design firm.Web sites: Determine the web design firm that is responsible for the websites of organizations that you admire. These organizations may be your competitors, or in related or unrelated industries. Sometimes the web design firm is included in the site credits, or is listed elsewhere on the website. If you cannot find the credits on the site itself, feel free to contact the organization and ask which web design firm is responsible for the website. This can also be a good source for references for that web design firm.STEP 3 – Evaluating and Short listingOnce you have gathered a list of potential web design firms you are ready to pare them down to a shortlist. This requires a bit of research work.o Portfolio – It’s about the three C’s – Credibility, Consistency and Capability. How consistent they are? What are the parameters on which the company is capable enough to fulfill your requirement? Are there any testimonials that speak about their credibility? Do the projects in the portfolio have a consistent quality? Have they consistently given good results in the given time frame? Has the Web design company provided solutions to other companies in your industry? Have they dealt with similar challenges to those faced by your organization? These are some important factors to consider. When you’ve narrowed your search to a few design sources (through recommendations, web directories, or your competitors’ sites), evaluate their online portfolios and their rate structure. A web site doesn’t have to be flashy or animated to do its job. Browse sites they have built, check ease of navigation, organization of information, overall cleanliness and visitor-friendliness. Also, consider hiring a firm that demonstrates some familiarity with your type of business. Just go through the success stories/case studies that have been made available on their web site and corroborate the credentials through references if possible.o Experience and Fees – This is called the EF of web design firm. Experience and fees are very much inter-related. The general norm is the more experienced you are, the more you are paid. This interesting story can tell you what experience is all about.Once upon a time there was a steam generating plant that was not producing much steam. After a frustrating search for the cause, the plant manager, in desperation, called in an expert. After only two hours on site, the expert found the problem and placed “X’s” on two pipes that were causing the problem, saying that they had to be removed. When presented with the bill, the plant manager asked the consultant how he could charge $5,000.00 for only two hours of work. When he asked for an itemized bill, this is what he got:1. $400.00 – Placing “X’s” on two pipes.2. $4,600.00 – Knowing where to place the “X’s”.The plant manager got what he paid for and probably a lot more. He had already used up more than that amount on his own staff not to mention the loss in revenue while the plant was shut down. For him, securing the advisory services of a consultant was the right thing to do.It matters a lot if the company has a good experience in diverse business domains and has professionals and specialists from variegated backgrounds. As such they will have an understanding of different business verticals that may be an advantageous point for your website. Another important factor is budget. What you pay is what you get – WYPIWYG. Never compromise with the quality of your website just for saving few quick bucks. In the long run you will end up on a losing side. Have you ever imagined why American diamonds cost less and than real diamonds when at times it’s difficult to differentiate between the two? It’s obvious – the brilliance and hardness of diamond. This makes another interesting point, you can get a cosmetic surgery done for your website for a lesser cost, but it will lack the functionalities and effectiveness. It can draw visitors but can not turn them into business. So when you pay for something, you definitely get a good deal in return.o Technology – What is their technological competence? Does this match with your requirement? How many projects they have worked on using the same? How frequently their technology is upgraded- both in terms of software and hardware?o Deadlines – Has the company carried out the projects in stipulated time? Time is one of the most important factors as the longer it takes, the higher the input costs get. Some companies may offer you a shorter time period and may be ready with the design. But after that starts the long and torrid journey of finding and fixing bugs which may turn your visitors off.o Responsiveness – How promptly the company responds to your queries? Does it listen to your queries? Are they responsive to my suggestions and questions? Do they explain issues in ways you can understand? Do they share your general vision for the site? Are they interested in Return on Investment for the web site? Do they possess the skills necessary to achieve your goals?o Communication Process – Poor communication is one of the major bottlenecks for business processes. Ensure that the company with which you are working is comfortable with your language. Generally, English (US/UK) is taken as the preferred language to communicate with each other. What are the tools and technologies they use for communicating? How will they keep you updated with the developments with regards your project? These are some of the important factors that should be kept in mind while deciding about the communication process while choosing a Web Design partner.o Services – What are the other services that company can offer other than designing? What kind of value-added products or services can the design firm offer?All these points will help you to narrow down to the list of companies that may offer you viable solutions and help your cause. The next step involves inviting proposals from the short listed parties. Just check through as many cross references that you find justifiable or will satisfy your curiosity. The more time you will invest in this phase, the sweeter will be the returns afterwards.STEP 4- ProposalsOnce you have selected your short-list of top web development firms, request that they send you a proposal. Ask that their proposal include an overview of your requirements and their proposed solution. This will help to determine which web design firm understands your requirements best. Also ask that each web design firm include a description of their development process and a price breakdown for the various aspects of the website project.STEP 5 – Evaluating ProposalsEvaluate each proposal individually on the basis of merit. Take the following points into consideration:a) Wellness of the proposal.b) Respective strength and weaknesses of the companies.c) Evaluate the presentation and format style.STEP 6 – Selecting the CompanyAfter your organization has reviewed all proposals, compare them with each other. How do they fare in terms of presentation? How do their processes appear in terms of project management? Do they present scalability and/or upgrade paths for your project, which go beyond the needs of the immediate goals outlined?After going through all the above process, you should be able to zero in on to a particular company. If the doubt persists, establish communication process between the likely companies to understand their process and commitments.[NOTE: Avoid selecting an individual designer, on a freelance basis, to design and develop your organization's Web site. It is rare to find a single person capable of handling the combined visual and technical elements that make an effective Web presence. Additionally, by depending on an individual, your organization is at risk of losing its investment should anything occur to that one individual - or down the road they simply can't find time to help when you need it.]

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Product Launches

Developing and finalizing a new product is the first step to a successful business future. After the product is complete, it must be prepared for a product launch. This may be the most important timeframe for placing a new product on the market. Planning for the product launch may be stressful and overwhelming. It takes time to organize the launch, prepare a launch conference, or an exhibition. This process is chaotic at times, but is essential to ensure the product is launched and is presented to the public. The process of preparing for the product launch is referred to as learning to fly. By keeping up morale and enthusiasm, the product launch will be more successful. When staff, customers, and product reviewers experience your enthusiasm, it motivates them as buyers or advertisers to purchase or promote the product being launched. There are many methods to use when launching a product. Many products are launched in a conference setting, meetings, seminars, and team building events. Conventions are a popular means when launching a product, and conventions held at well-known hotels and centres have been known to be more successful simply because of the venue. Choosing a launch venue and method will be an important key in successfully launching a new product. The idea is to draw a crowd or audience to the launch. The better known the venue is, the more people will attend.When the product is ready to be launched, planning the conference or exhibition is an important step. Traditional launch conferences have been known to be unexciting. When launching a new product using a convention, look into employing an interactive conference. This way, the audience is more involved in the actual launch. An interactive conference will allow participation and will increase interest in the product being launched. An interactive conference is inexpensive to plan, and it is a perfect method to promote the product and leave the audience with a complete understanding of what is being presented.Trade shows are an inexpensive way to launch the new product. Most trade shows are themed, and all products being launched are in a related category. While this method is extremely popular, it may not be the right choice. Choosing the method in which to launch the product depends on the product itself. If it is a new and top of the line invention or creation, a trade show may prove to be successful. Since trade shows launch similar products at the same time, it is important to consider the possibility of another product launch that is comparable to your own. Having a unique product will ensure the success of the launch at a trade show or any other venue. Trade shows are scheduled more frequently than conventions and launch conferences, which is why they are so popular. It may be worth waiting for the next available convention or conference, if you do not have a product that will steal the show.When planning the product launch, take some time to do market research. This research will allow you to learn what other products are being launched, the methods being used for the launch, and reviews of the product. It is important to have as much information on the competitor as possible. Product launches are very competitive, especially when similar products are being launched at the same time and at the same venue. Doing the extra research will inform you of other launching methods and will keep you informed as to what new product launches have been successful and why. Gaining this information will be important to the product launch as well as the rest of the company. By knowing what products competitors, are launching, you will have an advantage in your business and can apply the knowledge gained to better the company and keep up with the competition. It is imperative to acquire the correct information when conducting any type of market research. Misinformation may lead to losses within the company as well as a failed product launch.Business seminars are a great place to launch a new product. The audience at a seminar or training session are already interested in the company and will be more accepting to new ideas and products. Seminars have a high success rate when used as a method of product launching. Regardless of which method is chosen to launch the product, always keep in mind that the competition is watching. Make sure that your techniques, methods, and ideas used during the launch do not fall into the hands of a competitor. This may be used against the company in future product launches and may result in loss of business or failed launches. Having a unique and top of the line product is a large factor in the success of the product. Take extra time to review options when planning a launch. Choosing the correct venue is very important. Be sure that the venue chosen will complement the product being launched. A common product that has been improved will not fare well at a trade show, but may be a success at a conference or convention. A new and unique product will sit in the limelight at a trade show, but may have more competition at conferences where other companies are promoting their innovative ideas.

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