Finding The Best Ways For Your Team To Communicate

Three focuses of my blog are Business/Entrepreneurship, Organizational/Management Discussions and Workplace Discussions. No matter which sector you’re in, communication amongst your team is absolutely critical and can be the determining factor in achieving your mission. The following contributed post is entitled, Finding The Best Ways For Your Team To Communicate.

* * *

(Image Source)

Communication has always been a fundamental element of business. You need to be able to communicate effectively with your customers, and there are loads of tools that enable you to achieve this goal. Alongside this, though, you also need to consider communication within your business. Your team members need to be able to talk to one another with ease, but there are plenty of tools on the market that can make this possible. Let’s looks at some of the best methods that you can use to make sure that you and your team are achieving what you need from your internal communications.

The Devices

The vast majority of communication in modern businesses is handled via digital tools. With more people working from home than ever before, there has never been more of a need for devices that are capable of providing seamless communication within your business. Computers are a big part of this, but you also need to think about smartphones. It’s becoming increasingly common for businesses to provide their team members with phones so that they are able to communicate without having to use wired telephones or emails.

Email Systems

While emails are quite old compared to many digital communication methods, they are one of the most popular options used today. There are loads of ways to set something like this up, but you need the option you use to be robust and easy to manage. Tools like Office 365 and GSuite make this possible, offering powerful email capabilities without forcing you to invest in your own servers or other expensive tools. This is a great way to get yourself set up with email tools that will make your life easier.

Phone Calls

Alongside emails, phone calls are still very important for businesses, but you no longer need to worry about having landline phones for all of your team members. Smartphones offer a range of different ways to call and talk to people, ranging from traditional telephone services to internet-based options like WhatsApp. Providing your team with the right apps can enable them to talk to their colleagues wherever they are based, with options like WeChat being perfect for international services.

Instant Messenger

Instant messenger services have been around for a very long time, with this type of communication becoming incredibly important in the modern world. Tools like WhatsApp make it easy for your team to communicate without having to rely on talking to one another, but this is something you can expand to the whole team. Tools like Microsoft Teams make it possible for your employees to talk using channels that everyone can have access to. This is great when you have more than one department working on a single project.

Ticketing Systems

Ticketing systems have been used for a long time by customer support and other channels that have to deal with troubleshooting workloads. This sort of tool can be great for your employees too, though, with many companies finding that communication is much easier when tickets are used. Tools like Tikit.ai make it very easy for your teams to keep up with their work with one another, while also adding a layer of accountability to the whole process. This can solve the problem of missed or unreceived emails with ease.

Social Media

Social media is banned from many business environments, and this makes a lot of sense. Websites like this can be very distracting, but they can also provide an excellent communication tool for those working on projects together. Building your own social network within your business has never been easier. This can make it possible for communication to flow in a way that a lot of people are used to.

Employee Training

Finally, as the last area to consider, it’s time to think about employee training. Training people to communicate may seem like an unnecessary pursuit, but this can actually have a very big impact on your business. For example, many employees struggle with verbal communication, but this is something that can be solved with the right coaching. This process doesn’t have to cost much and it doesn’t take a huge amount of work, but it will be worth taking it seriously to make sure that your teams are able to talk to one another.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to increase the effectiveness of your internal communication systems. Many businesses struggle with work like this, finding it difficult to keep their team focused on the right work when they can’t communicate properly with one another.

Is It Time For Your Business To Relaunch

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There are times when you’re running a business that you many need to rebrand and relaunch it. The following contributed post is entitled, Is It Time For Your Business To Relaunch.

* * *

pixabay

Now is as good a time as any to relaunch your business. Every relaunch consists of two distinct phases. First, you need to rebrand. Why bother with a relaunch if it’s still just the same old you? No, you’re a newer, better version of yourself. Then the phase of implementation arrives, where all your blueprints of your new face and plan are put into action. However, each of these phases will have lots and lots of steps that need to be addressed one by one. If you go about them in a linear fashion, it won’t take long before you are successfully back on top of the pile. So, let’s begin, shall we?

Marketing strategy

The first thing you do is, audit your marketing strategy. This will let you know if you are targeting the right customers, whether the old strategy was actually working as intended, or if you could take what was working well, and implement it into your new marketing strategy.

● What is motivating your customers right now?
● Does your marketing approach merge with the culture of today?
● How can you improve customer communication?
● How easy is it currently to purchase your product? Are you on all the relevant online shopping websites?

Could you partner with another business, such as Amazon? This wholesaler could help you with the marketing strategy by giving you access to their own marketing reports. Their analysis tells you what kind of customers they have in the relevant retail categories that matter to your business. You will need to give them exclusive selling rights for a matter of time, however.

Rebudgeting your strategy

The next thing you need to do is to budget your relaunch. When you know what kind of marketing strategy you have, then you can figure out how much it will cost.

● The expenditure is perhaps the most important. This is money which you intend to spend on things which you won’t get back. This could be more staff, outsourcing your marketing ads and potentially, things that you will need to buy such as more equipment or raw materials to satisfy demand.
● Expenses are able to be reclaimed by your tax return. However, your expenses should also be within a certain amount. If employees need to travel to spread the word of your relaunch, such as business trips to clients, investors, B2B partners or just a new market in a foreign land, keep your expenses in check.
● Take the time to make a realistic budget, but make sure it also remains flexible. If you need to spend more suddenly, it should not put a hole in your budget.

Your new face

The heart of this relaunch project, may well be your website. Chances are that you will be relaunching with new but similar products. You can’t veer from what you know how to do best. But your website has to give off the brand new vibe. A company like BizcaBOOM offers high end website design services that have been used by many relaunch projects. This is because they have a unique approach, it’s sales-driven and incorporates a new branding mission. A 4-step process, it’s easy to make a brand new website with their strategy.

First: you need to do research. The digital experts will learn about your website, how it’s been designed, how it runs and who interacts with it. It will be mobile-friendly also.

Second: the design is struck into its first stages. They take small but crucial steps to slow build up each page, each feature and each unique way your website can stand apart.

Thirdly: the mockup design is then shown to you. This is when you can make some important changes that will really impact your website’s overall look. The colors, themes, fonts and layout will be discussed with you.

Fourthly: then comes the launch. They will monitor the SEO side of the website to see how many new customers are arriving.

Humanize your business

Humanizing your business is the number one key when it comes to a modern brand. But why?
Favoring one type of customer over another might be old news, as the new way for businesses to allow everyone on board, is to be neutral. Ask yourself the following.

● Does your brand only bend to one gender?
● This may be because you have historically been a one-gender brand. But this doesn’t have to be so anymore. Can you make products or market your products to the other gender?

● Does your audience have hobbies they would likely use your product for? Why not do something like hold an event in this regard?
● Do you favour one age bracket over another? Does it have to be so?

Finding new grass

Maybe you would prefer to relaunch your brand in another country. So far, everything that has been covered could fit into that. However you do need to take on a new line. Study the retail history of the country before you jump in.

Expanding your business abroad is something many brands do to test the waters of their relaunch strategy. You need to do a few things regarding this.

● Evaluate if you have the budget for the launch you are doing. Is it purely digital or brick and mortar?
● Are you expanding into a hotzone, i.e. a major city?
● You should research the kind of customers present in the market. Are they more prudent, or do they spend more than the average person in the country you are already operating in?
● Consider new ideas, totally out of the blue. This is your chance to try out all those ideas you have put onto the backburner.
● Hire expert advisors in this new country, so they can help you with your strategy. They know the lay of the land and the people in it, better than you.

Relaunching your business is a daunting task but it’s also fun and necessary. When you seem to hit a wall and cannot climb any higher, relaunching can be like changing your old beaten boots for brand new ones.

5 Reasons To Sell Your Business Now

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. In some instances when you’re running a business, the need and opportunity to sell you business may arise. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Reasons To Sell Your Business Now.

* * *

It’s a common preconception that selling your company is a sign of failure. In truth, while bankruptcy is an indication that the company has failed to survive, selling puts you, the business owner, in a unique position of power. Selling can support growth, whether it is monetary, personal, or professional. Here are 5 unique reasons that make selling compelling, meaningful, and POSITIVE for your future development.

Unsplash – CC0 License

#1. Your mental health is suffering

Entrepreneurs are more vulnerable to depression and heightened stress levels as a result of their unique position. Being an entrepreneur is a lonely experience that puts a lot of pressure on your mental health. When you choose to run a business, you need to have a few mental health strings to your bow. Finding solutions can help you regain your peace of mind and relax at the end of the day. It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to value family time and technology detox to reduce stress levels. However, when nothing works, you need to be realistic. Your sanity is worth more than your business.

#2. You don’t have the skills fo funds to grow further

You have overstretched your skills and budget to drive the business further. However, you have failed to unlock enough funds to pursue the growth plans. It can be frustrating to give up when you’ve already done so much. But selling your business to a specialist such as Thrasio ensures that the company can continue to grow. Indeed, growth experts understand the unique skills, activities, and marketing hacks to move small businesses to the next levels. They are also dedicated to financing every step of the growth, proving impossible for solo entrepreneurs.

#3. You want to unlock capital

When you’ve run a business on a bootstrap budget, you’ve essentially built a professional presence using your personal finances. Bootstrapping is a minimalist approach that focuses on sparseness and simple, cost-effective choices. Yet, as Investopedia explains, successful bootstrapping companies can reach their zenith when they are sold. A small company such as GitHub, for instance, started as a weekend project before it develops into a full-time business that Microsoft finally bought it.

Unsplash – CC0 License

#4. You want/need to relocate

The average American moves home over 11 times in their lifetime. So the fantastic small business you’ve started in rural Nebraska may need to change address when you move to a new state. Unfortunately, the cost of moving businesses can be surprisingly expensive. Indeed, business success often depends on your knowledge of the local market. When you change location, you could face expenses as you learn to adjust and adapt to your new market. It’s often easier to sell the business and start something fresh!

#5. You’ve got your eyes on new opportunities

Last but not least, everybody changes. As we experience more in life, we change our expectations, our dreams, and our plans. The fantastic business idea you launched a few years ago may not be relevant to your personality anymore. Selling a business to change career or start something different can be a liberating process.

Selling your business could be the best thing you do for your personal development. Whether you want to finance your next venture or regain mental clarity, selling is not about giving up. It’s all about embracing new opportunities.

You can achieve anything you put your mind to

Two focuses of my blog are Creating Ecosystems of Success and Business/Entrepreneurship. A key component of achieving any goal is personal belief. If you believe that you can do it, the likelihood of achieving that objective increases exponentially. The following contributed post is entitled, You can achieve anything you put your mind to.

* * *

Pixabay CC0 License

“We all have these challenges and stereotypes that exist, but you can’t let that hold you down” – Tamron Hall.

The pandemic has created new career obstacles for everyone, regardless of race or gender. But when coupled with the challenges that African Americans and minority groups often face, it can knock your confidence. Even in these difficult Covid times, though, you can achieve anything. As long as you have the right mindset.

Authoritative voices can now be found in all business sectors. Whether it’s Antonio Brown Councilman in Atlanta City or your favorite sports star doesn’t matter. The importance of having relatable figures in positions of influence provides a huge source of inspiration. Standing on the shoulders of giants will enable you to see further than ever before. Once you visualize and truly believe that the path ahead will lead to greatness, the chances of it happening are greatly improved.

Strength of character is one of the most important ingredients in the recipe for success. An equally crucial breakthrough is to realize that only you can make things happen. Taking the initiative by starting a degree or developing key business skills in other ways can unlock the door to a better future. Sometimes in life, short-term sacrifices are needed to accomplish long-term goals.

The pandemic has seen an evolution in the approach to education and business. When starting a business, you can look at home-based options and online strategies that require little capital. When focusing on education, distance learning is ideal. Aside from cutting the costs, it enables you to build a better future on your terms. Once you find an effective way to juggle your studies with a job and other life commitments, things will fall into place. Without balance, though, something will have to give.

Whether investing in a career or becoming an entrepreneur, there is another key lesson to learn. You are your greatest unique selling point.

Knowing how to market yourself is essential for breaking down barriers and getting your foot in the door. Whether it’s promoting your creative work in the fields of art and music or showcasing your skills as a lawyer isn’t important. The key is to understand your strengths as a candidate or business entity. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Still, nobody should ever feel embarrassed about knowing their worth or celebrating their triumphs.

Belief in yourself is one thing, but having others believe in you can be equally telling. The “it’s who you know” mantra is the oldest cliche in the business manual. Still, its relevance cannot be ignored. Networking can introduce you to suitable opportunities for employment or business partnerships. Meanwhile, the value of finding a mentor is commonly overlooked despite the clear benefits. Any experienced individual who can help you avoid pitfalls and remain on the straightest path to your goals is a great asset to possess.

The journey ahead may still be bumpy, but the satisfaction of hitting those goals and becoming the person you want to be cannot be beaten. With planning, preparation, and persistence on your side, nothing can stop you.

3 Ways To Ensure Business Success For Your Construction Company

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The construction industry is it’s own unique industry and as such, if you’re in it, there are certain things you need to do to be successful. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Ways To Ensure Business Success For Your Construction Company.

* * *

After a difficult year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s likely that you are going to want to ensure your business remains successful in 2021. Construction companies were fortunate in that they were able to work throughout the majority of lockdown. However, that is no reason to rest on your laurels. Here are three ways to ensure business success for your construction firm.

Image Source

1. Focus On Better Customer Service

Repeat business results in success. So, when it comes to your construction company, you need to ensure that your firm is doing its bit to provide excellent customer service to your clients. Remember, people buy from people, so if your project managers aren’t going above and beyond for your customers, then you will need to rectify that. It may be worth sending your employees on a customer service training course to get them up to the necessary standard. It is through excellent reviews and customer referrals that you will earn new business, so make a concerted effort to focus on better customer service to remain successful in the construction space.

2. Use The Best Products & Techniques

Having the industry know-how is one thing but utilising the best techniques and using the highest quality products on your job is what will set your business apart from the other construction companies in your area. For instance, don’t just settle for standard excavation, invest in hydro excavation to improve your industrial projects. If you’re wondering what is hydro excavation, it is the use of a vacuum system and a high-pressured water device for excavation. It’s much more convenient for construction firms as it alleviates the risk of potential underground infrastructure damage, meaning your industrial project can be much more efficient and risk-free. It is by using these sort of techniques that you will become known for being the best construction firm in the area, ensuring you remain successful as a business moving forward.

3. Level Up Your Marketing Output

You need to create a strong online presence to be successful in any sector nowadays – and this is especially true in the construction industry. If you are relying on a junior team member to pop up a few posts on social media as your marketing strategy, then things need to change. Consider bringing onboard a specialist PR or marketing agency to enhance your business’ reputation in the marketplace. Be strategic with your marketing. Make use of digital techniques such as SEO, PPC, or even paid social media campaigns to illuminate your firm in a crowded market. Can’t afford the costs of an agency? It may be worth bringing some expertise in-house to help your construction company grow its marketing output. If you’ve never hired somebody in this space before, it’s probably worth working with a specialist recruiter to get the right person.

Hopefully, these three tips will ensure that your construction firm remains successful in 2021. It’s been a difficult year but it’s important that companies focusing on growing and not just recovering over the next twelve months. These pointers will stand you in good stead!

How To Provide The Best Service For Your Customers Everytime

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. No matter what business you’re in, you want your customer service to be exemplary. Doing so will ensure that your customers comeback and they may even tell others. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Provide The Best Service For Your Customers Everytime.

* * *

Image Pexels CC0 License

Delivering the best customer service is something that all businesses strive to achieve, but it is often a struggle to make this a reality. Running a business is a complicated task, and there is always something that needs to be done. The pressure of having too much to do and not enough time to do it can often mean that customer service suffers. Trying to find a balance between completing everything you need to keep your business operating each day and delivering an exceptional customer experience is a challenging balancing act. Finding tools that help make it easier for you to provide excellent customer service is the best way to solve this issue. If you are struggling to offer high levels of customer service, why not give some of these ideas a try?

Outsource Your Call Center

Monitoring customer phone calls and dealing with every customer query yourself may feel impossible. However, taking on an extra team to handle these calls on your behalf can be cost-prohibitive. To overcome this issue and get the customer support you need without recruiting a customer service team, you could look for Inbound Call Center Solutions that will handle this time-consuming task on your behalf. This will allow you to benefit from a trained and skilled team of representatives taking your phone calls while you concentrate on growing your business.

Make Your Website Easy to Use

If you want to increase sales and provide high levels of customer satisfaction, your website can help. Improving your website to give a flawless customer experience is the best way to improve your conversion rate and make shopping a seamless process for your customers. This will enable customers to find everything they need immediately and will ensure the checkout transaction is smooth and fast. Adding a frequently asked questions page will make it even simpler for your customers to find the answers they need and improve their experience using your site and dealing with your business.

Deliver High-Quality Products

Even excellent customer service will not be enough if your products are not high-quality. Producing the best quality products will ensure your customers are satisfied with their experience of using your business. Making every effort to create your products to the highest standards is the first step toward delivering the best customer service. The next step is to ensure the products reach your customers on time and in the best possible condition. Taking care of how your products are packaged and using a reliable delivery firm so they get to your customers fast will help impress your customers. The combination of high-quality products and fast delivery will leave customers delighted with your service.

Integrate Customer Management Software

For those businesses that deal with a high volume of orders, it can be hard to keep track of them all. Investing in customer management software is the best way to reduce this burden and make your business more efficient.

Having a comprehensive overview of every order and ensuring customers receive updates when their products have been shipped are essential features of any customer relationship management system. These tools will also provide you with useful analytics about how customers interact with your website and will allow you to tailor their experience for maximum satisfaction.

For example, suppose your business sells solar panels. In that case, you could use this solar sales software that tracks how your customers use your website, where they come from, and how many sales you make, as well as managing relationships with the customers. This data will help you identify areas of improvement and tweak your service to deliver the best customer experience possible.

Final Thoughts on Customer Service

Providing the best customer experience relies on a combination of factors. You will need a call center to professionally handle your customer queries and make the shopping process a hassle-free experience. Finally, excellent quality products delivered on time will ensure your customers receive the best service every step of the way.

3 Ways to Fund Business Growth

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Even after you’ve started a business, you have to think about it’s growth. There are multiple ways to do so. The following guest post is entitled, 3 Ways to Fund Business Growth.

* * *

Growing your business can give you the opportunity to generate higher revenues and increase your profits, but you’ll incur more costs too. If you’re expanding your operations or increasing brand awareness, for example, you’ll need to ensure you’ve got the funds required to finance your plans.

Royalty-free image

Fortunately, there are plenty of options when it comes to securing funding, particularly if you’ve got a good track record as a successful startup. To learn more, take a look at these three ways to fund your business growth:

1.Reinvest Your Profits

If your startup is performing well, you could reinvest your profits to fund your expansion. With no need to access external funding, this minimizes the level of risk associated with your company growth and means you won’t have to obtain approval from anyone in order to proceed with your plans.

Although reinvesting your profits can certainly be a viable option, it isn’t always sufficient. If your startup’s profits aren’t going to be enough to fund your growth plans, you can always supplement your reserves with additional financing.

2. Secure a Business Loan

For most startups, securing a business loan is, perhaps, the easiest and most efficient way to scale upwards. With a variety of repayment terms available, you can customize your business loan to match your growth strategy and objectives.

Although you’ll need to gain approval from a lender in order to obtain a business loan, this can be easier than you think. If you’ve been operating successfully as a startup, this can be used to impress potential lenders, for example. To learn how to increase your chances of successfully obtaining a business loan, take a look at this blog post from advancepointcap.com and find out how to build up business credit now.

3. Sell Shares in Your Startup

If you need an injection of cash to fund your growth plans, selling shares in your business can be a viable option. Of course, you won’t be ready to float your company on the stock market just yet, which means private investors are a more realistic option.

Before you can do this, however, you’ll need to have your startup valued or calculate how much your business is worth yourself. Bear in mind – this is a tricky thing to do, so hiring a professional to value your startup can be a worthwhile investment.

Once you know what the commercial value of your business is, you can pitch your growth strategies to potential investors and offer them a share of your business. Although this can be an effective way of securing funding, it does mean that you’ll need to relinquish ownership of at least part of your business, so think carefully about whether this is something you’re prepared to do.

Are You Ready to Grow Your Business?

Securing funding is a critical element of scaling your business, but it isn’t the only thing to consider. From researching the market to hiring more staff, there are numerous aspects of company growth that you’ll need to address. With a comprehensive and strategic approach, however, you can ensure that scaling your business leads to long-term success.

What It Takes to Create A Strong Online Presence

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In today’s digital age, the majority of business is conducted online. As such, you want to create as a strong a presence online as possible. The following contributed post is entitled, What It Takes to Create A Strong Online Presence.

* * *

How solid is your digital presence? Ever since the digital era took hold worldwide, people have seen the need to have an online presence to support business growth. However, not many give much thought to going beyond having a website. The idea of creating a solid online presence is to capitalize on the several advantages the internet offers. Today, it’s not good enough to just have an online footprint. Besides, with 4,208,571,287 internet users worldwide, you have no choice but to employ tools that set you apart from the rest. Here are a few strategies worth considering:

1. Build a captivating website

Image Credit

Your website is the face of your online footprint. It’s the first impression you get to create on people who chance upon your digital address. No matter how well known your brand is, without a solidly captivating website to draw more people, your product or service will be impacted negatively. Apart from being visually appealing, an excellent website must have the following features:

● User-friendly
● Quick loading time
● Suited to drive conversions from web traffic

Nonetheless, the most critical feature of any good website is security. How secure are visitors or guests to your page? Was your website built with a focus to protect visitors’ digital details from virtual attacks? These are essential questions you’ll need to answer if you intend to create a solid presence in the virtual space.

Fortunately, as technology advances, new software is developed to cater to these growing demands. For example, the JAMstack website builder is one such application changing the face of websites worldwide. It’s faster, secure, and designed to beat the competition. It would help if you tried it for lasting positive results.

2. SEO

Search Engine Optimization is a tool you can’t overlook in today’s competitive online world. This digital tool is designed to singularly influence how well your online presence ranks among a sea of others within the same space. According to Statista, over 64% of Americans prefer to conduct an online search on products or services before making an actual purchase. Therefore, companies with excellent SEOs tend to benefit more from such online searches.

Today’s consumer is more discerning, a lot more internet-savvy, and exhibits changing behavioral purchasing patterns. As a result, you should leverage the benefits of search engine optimizations and factor that into the kind of quality content you produce for the end-user.

Moreover, SEO has a direct influence on website performance and traffic conversions. Furthermore, it’s advisable to make a deliberate effort to stay updated on the latest SEO trends not to lose your online influence. Without it, you’ll be no different from those without digital footprints.

3. Be geared toward mobile influence

According to Pew Research, the mobile phone penetration rate in the United States stands at 97%. With the advancements made in the smartphone industry, more Americans own mobile devices that allow them to gain instant access to the internet. Therefore, laptop and desktop computers are gradually coming second to the smartphone, regarding internet access.

Have you optimized your online pages for tablets and smartphones? Because many Americans find their smartphones and tablets convenient for web browsing, you should think along those lines. Suppose your digital pages make it impossible or difficult for mobile users. In that case, you should be ready to record a drastic drop in your followers, customers, or general internet users.

The same Pew Research study reveals that by 2025, business owners stand to lose almost 90% of income generation channels if they fail to make their content mobile-friendly. There’s hope, however; if you’re unsure about your digital status, take a mobile-friendly test by using Google analytical tools. On this platform, you get to resolve relevant usability issues.

4. Register in business directories

Image Credit

Do you remember those bulky yellow pages? Well, they have also gone online, and so should you. Online business directories are designed to simplify the search for credible businesses in varied locations. How quickly do you intend to be found by consumers? Customers tend to trust directories a lot more than online reviews because these listings undergo thorough verification processes. As a result, there is a significantly reduced chance of seeking an inefficient service provider’s assistance.

In conclusion, your commitment to creating a robust online presence should be driven by the desire to meet growing needs. Besides, as a business owner, you’ll be doing your establishment a lot of good by taking the necessary steps to carve a niche in this competitive space.

Achieving Success Day-One Success With Your Ecommerce Business

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Many people have successfully launched ecommerce businesses. If you start one, you want to “hit the ground running” as they say. The following contributed post is entitled, Achieving Success Day-One Success With Your Ecommerce Business.

* * *

(Image Credit)

The last year or so has seen a dramatic shift in the way that many people do their shopping. While e-commerce websites have long been popular, they have never seen as much attention as they have over the last couple of years. For small businesses, this presents an excellent opportunity to get their products into the hands of customers across the world. But how exactly are you supposed to make this sort of website successful from day one?

Social Media

Social media has long been a popular tool for online businesses, offering a way to advertise yourself for free while reaching huge audiences. Building a social media presence before you open your store will help you to develop a customer base that will be eager to shop with you from day one. It can be worth getting help with social media if you haven’t used it much in the past, but you can find a marketing agency that will be able to guide you through this process.

Search Engines

Google, Bing, and the other search engines used on the web today have provided an excellent way for people to find small businesses for a long time. Much like social media, you can build your presence on search engines before you open your website, and this will require a process known as SEO. This can be quite complicated when you first start out, making it well worth taking the time to research it before you dive right in.

Hype Building

Building hype can enable you to develop a customer base for your product without having to sell anything. Many companies do this through social media, using teaser trailers, celebrity endorsements, and other tricks that will appeal to their customers. Building hype can be a great way to make your product take off, but you need to make sure that you approach this carefully. Companies that fumble when they try to build hype can end up having the opposite effect, drawing people away from their products.

Your Website

The website that you will be using to sell your products will be instrumental in your success in the beginning. You will have to work on things like SEO, but you will also need to build a website that looks great and functions smoothly if your customers are going to be drawn in. Platforms like Shopify can be ideal for this, providing you with a secure and easy to use system that will enable you to get up and running in no time at all.

Ecommerce can be a tricky game, and it often takes quite some time for a site to develop into a major success. Of course, though, you can speed this process along, enabling your website to get customers from day one. It’s never worth being disappointed if you don’t get the results you want; you just need to do some learning and spend more time perfecting your online business.

What Customers Want: 8 Great Ways To Give Consumers More

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’re in business, one of your prime directives and aims is to give your customers what they want. The following contributed post is entitled, What Customers Want: 8 Great Ways To Give Consumers More.

* * *

Image – Pixabay CC0 License

Keeping customers (including leads) happy is one of the fundamentals of running a successful business. Ultimately, then, you should always be looking to give them more of what they want.

Here are just eight ways to do just that. In turn, you should see a noticeable upgrade in their responses.

#1. Establish Trust

Nobody will buy from your business if it can’t be trusted. Likewise, search engines won’t rank the company well. A good design with fast loading speeds is essential. Securing lots of verified reviews will also help.

A fair returns policy and a good following on social media are just two additional steps that can further support your strategy.

#2. Show Brand Values

Modern consumers want to align themselves with brands that care about the same things they do. Therefore, your business may see telling benefits from supporting local causes or going green.

Aside from being a good marketing tool, many of those steps will save you money and motivate employees. Perfect.

#3. Tailor Your Interactions

Customers want to feel a quick connection with brands. Website visitor tracking is a very good tool. Not only will it allow you to deploy the right marketing strategy, but you can use the right tone for future interactions.

Many businesses let themselves down by being overly generic. Combat this issue and you will see big results.

#4. Be Responsive

Clients also demand speed like never before. When they have questions about a product or service, a quick response will enhance your hopes of a sale. Social media, live chat, and call redirection services are all great options.

In addition to boosting conversions, transparency in this area can reduce the number of returns you experience.

#5. Provide Flexible Payments

Value for money is naturally something that all customers crave. For many, though, your ability to offer repayment plans could be the difference-maker. Accepting credit cards, PayPal, and digital payments is vital too.

There’s nothing worse than losing a sale simply because a client can’t complete the transaction.

#6. Offer Quick Deliveries

The pandemic has forced online retailers to up their game in the field of order fulfillment. If you can implement a same-day or next-day service, you should. It will increase your sense of professionalism.

Many industries won’t be able to do this due to the nature of their products. Even so, you should aim to outperform the competition.

#7. Give Loyalty Rewards

The immediate sale is a significant breakthrough. However, remarketing to existing clients is usually easier and more affordable than trying to reach new ones. Brand loyalty schemes that work should be on the agenda. Always.

It boosts the frequency of purchases as well as the transaction values. It also gets people talking about the brand.

#8. Keep Their Data Safe

Finally, you need to be responsible in ways that look beyond the sale. Implementing data protection and cybersecurity measures will aid the trust levels. Crucially, it prevents the financial and reputational damage of a breach.

While good security alone cannot secure sales, getting it wrong will be enough to cost you dearly. In short, it’s better to be safe than sorry.