Posted by Lisa Santos on March 6, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Can you believe that some Internet users ONLY access the web from their mobile phones? Considering the explosive popularity the mobile market has experienced in recent years, it really isn’t that hard to believe.
While still in the minority, a significant percentage of internet users (approximately 25%) exclusively access the web through mobile devices. Whether due to preference or circumstance, these consumers do their browsing through their cell phones rather than more traditional desktops and laptops.
What does this mean for your business? With traditional marketing becoming less effective as targeted internet advertising gains popularity, companies that do not offer a web-based option will continue to struggle when it comes to attracting new business and retaining existing customers.
Extending conventional internet presence to include a site optimized for mobile users simply just makes sense. Most people are shocked to learn that consumers who are over the age of 65 make up a huge share of the mobile market.
As a matter of fact, many “mobile-only users” tend to be older – often folks who did not embrace new technology early on. This group found that the dual purpose phone/browser permits them to participate in the online community with a minimal investment of time and money.
With growing numbers, this population owns more than 75% of U.S. wealth, offering more buying power than the all of the younger, more tech-savvy generations combined.
Then, there is the younger generation who seem to be literally glued to their mobile phones at all times. They’re usually too busy to be tied to a desktop computer so they do most of their web surfing right from their mobile devices.
As you can see, catering to the mobile-only preference is a very smart way to hone your company’s competitive edge. Making sure your business website is “mobile-friendly” is the first step. Without it, you’re missing out on a lot of new and repeat business – bottom line.
Posted by Lisa Santos on March 1, 2012 · 1 Comment
The advancement of the Internet along with increasing satellite and cable costs has created a new phenomenon: Internet video streaming.
Let’s face it… the rising costs of EVERYTHING in today’s economy has made people take a serious look at the “luxuries” they pay for.
However, with the rise of companies such as Hulu, Netflix, and Youtube, people have been turning more and more to the internet for their entertainment viewing pleasures.
Music, videos, movies, T.V. shows and other forms of entertainment can all be easily found for low costs or even free on the World Wide Web.
So think about this… With people turning their attention away from their radios and television sets, shouldn’t businesses be actively changing their marketing focus?
One of the best and most powerful new marketing tools available is video marketing. It is an instant, quick way to grab the attention of your target audience.
According to Reuters, people are watching more than one million Youtube videos a day. These are the numbers for just ONE of the many video sharing websites online. Imagine how many people your advertising can reach over the internet! Are you starting to see why your business should be using online videos to your advantage?
Video marketing is not only useful on popular social media and entertainment sites, but it is also effective for company websites.
Videos are the ideal way to provide information to the visitors of a company’s website in a quick and entertaining manner. Not only that, but you can provide tutorials, product demonstrations, video commercials, and many other forms of video presentation.
Videos are proven to keep viewers on your website for a longer amount of time and make their product research experience a lot more enjoyable.
Potential customers can save time by simply watching a minute or two of video instead of reading pages and pages of information.
In a rising digital age, your company’s potential can expand tremendously by adapting and taking advantage of this new marketing phenomenon.
Posted by Lisa Santos on February 23, 2012 · 1 Comment
As a local business owner, you’re probably struggling to figure out the best ways to reach your local market effectively and more affordable.
Due to today’s tough economic condition, most business owners are in the exact same boat. No one has extra money to waste on advertising methods that don’t even return the amount of money you spent to implement them.
But have you ever thought about implementing mobile strategies in your business? Strategies that will help you reach your target market more quickly, more often, and more cost-effectively?
Text messaging has steadily grown in popularity within the last few years. There are more cell phones on the planet than there are television sets.
In fact, according to the Mobile Marketing Association of Asia over 5.1 billion people in the world own a cell phone. There is no doubt that to text messaging is one of the easiest and fastest ways to reach your massive target audience.
Many popular companies have used SMS marketing campaigns to boost their sales while decreasing their overall advertising costs. Companies such as Hilton, Pepsi Co., Guinness, and Dunkin Donuts have all used SMS text messaging as a successful marketing tool.
Hilton Hotels even reported a rise of 10 to 25% in offer redemptions after a text campaign they began in order to increase customer loyalty. What other form of marketing do you know of that can increase redemption rates that easily?
If this type of advertising has worked for these companies, why not make it work for yours? The world is changing and old forms of advertisement will not reach as many people as they once did.
Cell phones abound and there are more working cell phones than television sets on the planet. Great advancements in communication and technology have brought about great opportunities. It is time your business takes advantage of these opportunities as well.
Posted by Lisa Santos on February 20, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Make more prospects aware of your business and what it has to offer by putting the word out there. Some business owners seem to think that consumers will just “find” their website or their location.
With the level of competition out there today, that is not going to happen. Sure, SOME of them will just find you. But in order to really knock your competitors out of the park, you need to write and distribute online press releases for your business on a consistent basis!
Press releases allow you to keep the world up to date with what’s going on with your business; which is HUGE when it comes to managing your business’s reputation.
More importantly, it reminds the world that your business exists in a sea of businesses crowding up the web.
In fact, the more press releases you put out there, the better.
There are multiple online sites that you can use just this purpose. Two of these sites to help you reel in the customers are Marketwire.com and PRWeb.com.
Sites such as Marketwire promise to save you up to three hundred percent in cost, compared to other press release services. Here you not only save money on advertising, but you can reach local customers in your community quickly.
Marketwire has many different options that will help you knockout the competition and is definitely a reliable source for distributing press releases.
Another Press Release site to check out is PRWeb. According to their site, local business owners can attract customers fast. This site allows you to send a news release to your local community.
You can let all the locals know when you have opened a new store, are running a new special, or when you have a new product in stock.
Just think of all the extra business you could bring in by using this method…
Press releases will allow you to build an online reputation for your business by telling everyone what you’re up to. So not only do they make your business more visible on the web, but they eventually help you convert prospects into paying customers.
Posted by Lisa Santos on February 9, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Knowing what customers think of your business is crucial information that every business owner wants and needs to know.
Great online reviews will boost your image and your reputation too. This will potentially lead to more business and more money. However, negative reviews could really put a dent in your plans.
Negative reviews are usually left by unhappy customers, disgruntle employees, or sabotaging competitors. Yes, that’s right… some competitors stoop really low when it comes to knocking you out of their way.
People definitely rely on online reviews when searching for a local product, service, or business. So any negative reviews out there about your business can definitely put a damper on things.
Although you can’t control the reviews your business receives, you can improve the way you handle the negative ones.
In fact, you can even turn them into “positive” reviews.
So how do you do that? It’s simple…
Reply! Reply! Reply!
It’s a good idea to reply back to any and all of your customers reviews. Being more personable will show other prospects and customers that you at least care and value the opinions of your customers.
Local business listing sites such as Google Places and Yelp are wonderful sites that allow business owners to easily see and respond to their online reviews.
Promptness Pays Off!
The sooner you reply back to your customers reviews the better. This will show that you care about the quality of your business and will definitely earn you some “brownie points” from your valued prospects and customers.
Replying back promptly will give you a better reputation and will even encourage more customers to write more reviews (hopefully, good ones).
All you need to do is stay online, see what they’re saying, and get engaged! You’ll be happy you did when you see how powerful a nice, strong, solid online reputation can be for your business.
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Can you believe that some Internet users ONLY access the web from their mobile phones? Considering the explosive popularity the mobile market has experienced in recent years, it really isn’t that hard to believe.
