Why Start a Small Business Blog?

Small Business Blog

Starting or growing a small business is one of the most exciting and potentially one the best steps that you can take. A Small Business Blog can help to accelerate a very simple idea or a passion into an income producing venture.

Small Business Blog

Why? Because when you work on something that you consider your passion it’s not considered work.

And if you already have found your passion and are making an income on it, you know that you will sometimes spend 12 or more hours on it – not because you have to, but because you want to.

Regardless of whether you are a new or established business, with the growth of technology and the every decreasing spare time that we all have, many people are looking to get the information that they desire in as short amount of time possible.

This usually results in a potential customer navigating through to a search engine like Google and entering in a phrase made up of several keywords to find what they are after in 0.04 seconds.

So if you want to grow your online exposure and have your bite of the cherry online you need to develop a strong online presence and there is not better way to do this than to start a blog (or web log).

Traditional websites have been the norm since the inception of the Internet and while many businesses still implement these traditional static websites, there has been a real take-up on the use of blogs to release fresh, relevant content which not only brings in web traffic but also increases the online presence of the business.

Advantages of a Small Business Blog

There is a multiple array of advantages to starting a Small Business Blog:

  • Increase Primary Websites Page Rank and Subject Authority – By creating a blog that is updated frequently containing links back to your primary business website, the Page Rank and Authority of the primary website will increase.
  • Low Start-Up Costs – Many people start up their Online Business purely by utilizing free tools such as Blogging software and Social Media websites.
  • Multiple Streams of Income – With the endless amount of ways to make money online, such as Traffic Trading or Affiliate Marketing you can setup a Online Business using the Parthenon Principle.
  • Drive Natural Search Traffic – Search Engines pick up on what your blog is producing. If you are consistently publishing content regarding pool supplies, then search engines know that ‘pool supplies’ is the primary niche of your blog, hence when somebody searches for “pool supplies”, your blog will appear is the search results.

Disadvantages of a Small Business Blog

These are not specially disadvantages as such but still fall into this category as these points may not be the most favorable part of operating a small business blog:

  • Posting New Content – As you begin to create content and post it to your blog, people are going to start to follow you and expect that you will continually deliver the great articles, videos, etc that you provide. This may take a portion of your time so it is important to plan for and management your time. You can also consider using PLR Articles for high-quality low cost content.
  • Developer Costs – Depending on what you want your blog to look like and perform, you may need to employ the services or a website developer. This should be the only real cost to setting up the blog as domain names and hosting services are fairly cheap these days. A good website developer will have an understand on the current and future technologies and implement something that is user friendly, fast and versatile.

If you want to get serious about driving natural search engine traffic to your blog or website you will need to adopt Search Engine Optimization or SEO techniques. There are simple steps that you can take yourself, or employ a SEO specialist to do the work for you.

The most important thing to remember is that it is never to late to start. Thousands of websites are started daily, however just as many as abandoned. Consistent nurturing of your blog is required for true success just as you would for your small business.

If you are looking for SEO Consulting or Small Business Web Design services, Contact Us today.

Working from Home as a Freelance Writer

Freelance Writer

There are a lot of reasons why working from home as a freelance writer is great. The reasons vary from person to person and these are just a few, butFreelance Writer they are definitely some of the best.

Make Your Own Hours

Though there are exceptions, most freelance writers who work from home make their own hours. For most jobs if you want to work all night and turn in your work in the morning, this isn’t a problem.

If you like to start your day out early and turn in your work in the afternoon, this is typically just as fine. In addition to deciding when to work, you can also decide how much to work. For the most part in the world of online freelancing there is plenty of work and a lot of flexibility for a freelance writer.

If you want to take a week off or sleep in on a Monday this is usually quite easy to arrange without issue. If you want to work forty hours one week and then scale back the next week, simply take on less work. It is all possible in the world of freelance writing.

Free Daycare

Though it isn’t the optimal situation for everyone, parents of young children can typically work their schedule so that they can write and still make sure their children are cared for at home. This not only allows children to stay home with their parents but it also saves the parents money on babysitting and daycare.

Decide Your Income

For the most part freelance writing pays out what you put in. This works in two ways. In the first sense you are able to take on as much or as little work as you see fit, so you are already making a financial decision right there.

The other way that this works is that you are able to set your price for most jobs and even for set price work there are a wide range of pay levels for a freelance writer.

So once you have gained a little bit of experience and developed some references you can refuse to work below a certain price and you will probably find enough work to fill your needs—as long as the price isn’t too ridiculous.

If you are looking for SEO Consulting or Small Business Web Design services, Contact Us today.

Email Marketing – A Golden Business Tool

Email Marketing

Email marketing has become a very powerful tool, in the way to increase online traffic to a business.Email Marketing

A survey done by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) involving small businesses showed that 54%, rated using email as one of the top ways in driving potential customers to their storefronts and web sites.

When you use email marketing it can be easy, cost effective and fast in building a client list and driving sales to your website.

Here’s something to ponder:

Each dollar spent on direct marketing yields, on average, a return on investment of $11.73, versus ROI of $5.23 from non-direct marketing expenditures. That’s the Power of Direct.
From DMA’s The Power of Direct Marketing: ROI, Sales, Expenditures and Employment in the US, 2009-2010 Edition.

Email Marketing List

Create a mailing list of clients that you are interested in sending your marketing email to. The best way to do this is to “buy” a mailing list. It’s important to understand that the use of the word “buy” in this situation is by using a lead generation company to either grow your own list size or leverage off the email marketing expertise of the lead generation company to market your product or service to their subscribers.

By having a mailing list you will be able to constantly send emails to your customers regularly. This ensures that you can keep in regular contact with your customers. However, when having a mailing list the quantity or the list size is less important than the quality of the people on your lists as they will be the ones that will increase your sales.

As part of your email marketing, offer your visitors something of value to them, to make them interested in signing up to your list. These could be special discounts, a weekly tips newsletter plus other incentives. Have a sign up on every page on your website, or place it in a convenient position on your site where it is able to be seen easily.

You can always look to email potential member’s offline, this is especially true for those who have a storefront. You can always look for customers at conferences, events and anywhere you think someone will be interested in your business. Another tip is to put your list into different categories, which will help you test your emails and allow you to know which emails are working.

Benefits Of Email Marketing

The benefits of email marketing are that it can reach a wider audience a lot quicker with little costs associated with it. You are able to target your market to a particular business or people that are in the same market area as you are.

Having a mailing list can build relationships with your clients as a majority of clients tend to and like to deal with email more than any other means. There is also less time involved in campaign marketing as you just need to write and send to who you want.

Using email marketing is a great tool to drive sales to your website. There is less time involved in marketing through emails as you just need to type and send (although there is a certain amount of reporting that must be conducted to see whats working and what isn’t).

When using email marketing you are able to create a client list, which will enable you to build a list of potential customers and those that are interested in what you have to offer, which will produce in sales for you.

It’s important to get the right advice and use a lead generation company or email marketing specialist to delivery what you need.

If you are looking for SEO Consulting or Small Business Web Design services, Contact Us today.

The Email Marketing Phenomenon

Email Marketing

One of the first internet marketing techniques was email marketing.Email Marketing

Social networking sites may be all the rage these days, however they may be considered outdated six months from now and people will stop logging in (there are always a few exceptions).

There is still one place that people will always have to open at a regular basis and that’s their personal email.

Email marketing is very effective in directly reaching potential customers. It is very important for people to have a permanent electronic mailing address in this time and age, and email marketing capitalizes on this necessity.

Why build an Email list?

An email list gradually builds up when the business emails sent out generate positive responses form prospective customers. This list is basically a client list. It is important for any business to have a stable and existing clientele. It indicates an established rapport between you and your customers.

Because of their trust in you, it is highly possible that they will forward your newsletters and updated catalogues to their own friends. Sellers can keep tabs on their devoted customers and comply right away with their product orders.

What are the benefits of Email Marketing?

This marketing technique enables businesses to spread word about their products and services over long distances in a professional manner, as opposed to social networking sites where transactions are very casual.

It also provides a direct communication line for the customers to privately transact a business with the seller. Of course, a big appeal is that email marketing is very cheap compared to other marketing mediums. It also requires less manpower on the company’s part.

Reporting is also very essential for any business and with email marketing you can identify exactly what is working and what is not. With other marketing mediums such as T.V or radio, it is almost impossible to identify the ROI. As many email marketing software packages have in-built reporting capabilities, tracking the delivery, open and click-through rates of your email marketing campaigns are easily performed.

How do you acquire leads?

Some marketing leads can be bought in order for you to have exclusive email marketing. These kinds of leads may cost a bit, but customer response is a guarantee. Leads can also be created by collaborating with other companies or businesses (those that complement yours, of course, and not direct competition) in bulk email leads.

Survey leads are helpful if you want to gain insight on how to best approach the target clients. It is important for any business to know more about their customers, get information on what they need and what are the things that will encourage them to make a purchase. This is done by sending out forms with short, strategic questions for customers to fill in.

Tips to boost sales from your Leads

Your email marketing campaigns should be designed to draw the attention of your leads to the products or services that you are offering.

The key is to be creative in sales pitches and webpage design so that once the customers actually arrive on your doorstep, they won’t click the back button because the site looks generic, or even unprofessional. Make sure the attractive deals are easily spotted and the information is concise yet inviting. You can unleash your marketing skills more quickly and efficiently in this stage of email marketing.

If you are looking for SEO Consulting or Small Business Web Design services, Contact Us today.

How to Acquire Repeat Customers

Acquire Repeat Customers

In the first stages of establishing yourself as a credible freelancer, you put out offers for good services. Getting plenty of job orders from first-timeAcquire Repeat Customers clients is important because it provides a good starting income.

But if you want to generate a steady income, you have to establish a steady client base.

This means having to Acquire Repeat Customers. The income that comes in from regular patrons is what keeps even the most established businesses afloat and functioning. This makes it important for any freelancer to learn how to acquire repeat customers.

Make a Good First Impression

Leaving a good first impression to first-time customers is a sure way to encourage them to come back to you. In dealing with business affairs, most people refer to past experiences when making decisions.

Be respectful and diplomatic in making negotiations, especially if disagreements arise. Show clients that you are more than capable of meeting their standards and they will entrust their future projects to you.

Study Your Clients

Learn more about your clients and their area of business. You might find that there are other services you can offer them, other than the usual ones that they ask of you. Keep up to date with their current needs and see to it that you can keep up with the increasing demands of a client’s growing business.

This way, the client will know that you are sincere in establishing a strong partnership and they will keep coming back to you. This is a sure fire way to Acquire Repeat Customers.

Be Very Professional

A good way to encourage clients to come back is to make them feel that their regular patronage is well worth every penny. Meet deadlines on the dot and even beat them as much as you can. Double-check your work and be critical of yourself. Try to look for any flaws and correct them.

Make Follow-Ups

Doing follow-ups is also an effective method of acquiring repeat customers. Asking clients for some feedback on your services will keep the communication lines open. This is particularly important if you belong to a team. It will be a chance to offer any new services that you can provide.

Remember that keeping repeat customers costs less than attracting new ones. Form strong working relationships so that you can secure your future as a freelancer.

If you are looking for SEO Consulting or Small Business Web Design services, Contact Us today.

How to Acquire Repeat Business

Acquire Repeat Business

Freelance work adheres to a flexible and a more casual lifestyle. The one thing that you do not sacrifice though, in any type of work, is quality.Acquire Repeat Business

How do you look for the right freelance work?

How do you find the individual that can provide the work that you need?

More importantly, how do you acquire repeat business?

Most freelancing jobs are tasks that can be outsourced or that require specific skills to be completed, within a defined time frame.

Freelancers should have the time, skills, and tools to accomplish their projects. It is a balance between getting the right person for the job and finding the right opportunity to showcase your skills and talents.

The goal is the same at both sides and that is, quality output.

What to do to Acquire Repeat Business?

In order to acquire repeat business, you should complete projects that meet the standards and expectations. Competition is high in the freelancing field, especially on the Internet where talents come from locations all over the world. Work in the industry that interests you, where you know that you can showcase your talents and adept knowledge.

You may think that freelancing is only good for short term opportunities. But you will never know how the work you provide will impact the company. Maintain a good disposition about it and keep it interesting. If you continue to acquire repeat business, these customers could be the bread-and-butter for your freelancing business.

When selecting the right person for the job, you consider accomplished projects, previous work experience, skill set and knowledge.

Combine these details to create a profile and at best, require sample work to get a preview of how the individual presents and accomplishes a project. It should give you a good idea whether or not you have found the talent that you need.

In most stores and commercial establishments, customers keep going back for the product and the service that they receive. You go out to buy ice cream and you get a creamy delicious scoop, served with a smile.

You get an experience that is more than what you expect from buying an ice cream, as simple as it may seem. If you go to an ice-cream store where the workers look depressed, service is sub-par and the ice-cream tastes horrible – you never go back there again!

Accomplish the task and if you meet or exceed the expectations of the customers, there should be no reason why they would not keep coming back. This is how you acquire repeat business and grow your portfolio.

If you are looking for SEO Consulting or Small Business Web Design services, Contact Us today.

Boost Sales From Your Email Marketing Leads

Email Marketing Leads

Can you imagine sending out snail mails to hundreds or thousands of clients?Email Marketing Leads

Not only it is certainly very time consuming and would take a lot of work but also it is very costly. In response to this predicament, internet experts have created one useful tool that will not only make the work faster but cost efficient too – and this is through Email marketing leads.

Email marketing is a simple online tool of communicating and reaching out to existing and potential clients through electronic means. This is made possible through the use of certain software that will allow users to send bulk mail in a matter of minutes.

Studies reveal that in United States alone, both small and big companies spent millions of dollars for this kind of marketing campaign. The Australian market is also now catching up on the millions spent in other countries with digital advertising spend increasing year over year. It only proves that this method is an effective way not only to invite clients but also to keep your customers.

Build That Email List

Building an email list is one important aspect to achieve success through email marketing leads. Without this, you’re effort of promoting your business would be a waste of time. A very convenient to do this is to purchase your email list. There are several companies that do sell lists of emails of potentials customers. The better way to do this is to employ the services of a lead generation company who can provide targeted leads.

Having a list of targeted customers will make your job easier.

Create That Perfect Email – Every Time

When sending out emails, you must also know how to catch the attention of the recipient. Your message must not contain words or phrases that are too long. It should be something that is brief and precise and should contain something that will drive the attention of the reader. Make it appear in a natural manner otherwise there is a chance that the spam filters could pick it up before you email marketing leads do.

Let the customer feel that what you have to offer is a win-win solution. Not only that you will benefit from this but most importantly, it will give him or her greater advantage.

Using email marketing as a means of advertising to make potential sales is very beneficial especially to small businesses. Cost wise, this is not very costly at all. And since majority is using the internet, this method can definitely reach a large number of clients.

This can be regarded as another form of direct selling since you are interacting and dealing directly to the customer without third party or business mediator involved. This is a good way to build trust and confidence to your customers. Through constant interaction and communication, you will be able to create a good business relationship with your clients.

Especially in times where competition is really tough, a smart business owner must know how to retain his or her clients and keep them from driving away.

Practice Makes Perfect

Acquiring leads through the use of email marketing is a proven effective way. Once you have acquired or generated your email marketing leads, you must ensure that these customers would build a strong business relationship with your company.

One best way to do this is to make your customers realize the benefit of doing business with you. Lay down all the good things that your product or services can offer. Create an impression that they don’t simply want your product or service but it is a necessity.

Appropriately and intelligently using email marketing leads can be a very useful gear to boost your business and acquire even more leads and make relevant increases in your sales.

If you are looking for SEO Consulting or Small Business Web Design services, Contact Us today.

Improving Email Deliverability by Targeting ISP Spam Filters

Email Deliverability

There’s no point in looking to grow your small business email subscribers to your newsletter or weekly specials unless you can maintain a high levelEmail Deliverability of Email Deliverability.

Overcoming the spam filters so you can get a higher assurance of email deliverability to your customers is a tricky path to walk.

It would be one thing if the email subscriber was simply using Microsoft Outlook spam filtering. Under those circumstances, it is the end customer who is determining how to filter emails.

Besides that, Microsoft Outlook and other local email software spam filters are just not that good.

Add to that the fact that your ordinary internet citizen is not interested in becoming a full time spam security guard and the local spam filtering problem is fairly easy to overcome.

Email Deliverability & ISP Spam Filters

But there is another level of spam filtering that is really making email deliverability a much harder road to travel if you are using cold emails and mass mailings to large groups of customers. That is spam filtering at the Internet Service Provider or ISP level. ISP providers have much greater resources and a much greater motivation to provide sophisticated spam filtering to their customers.

The ability to control spam is a major marketing point for any ISP and if the ISP is unable to stop spam before it even reaches the customer, the customer can be easily lured away by a competitor who can get the job done.

When you are dealing with some of the biggest ISPs in Australia, if you cannot enter into a relationship with that ISP to prove you are a valid internet service and to show that they should not allow their spam blocking software to block you too, you could see hundreds or thousands of your emails get deleted before they even have a chance to go to the customer.

To protect their customer base who for many ISPs represents a huge potential marketing audience for you, ISPs will authenticate vendors to weed out the spammers and phony operators who just want to abuse the trust customers put in their email and internet providers.

Improving Email Deliverability with ISPs

The first step to getting to a relationship of trust with the major ISPs who control access to your customers is to prove to them that you are a valid internet business. They want to know that you are selling a bona fide product or service, that you have been in business a while and that you will be in business to support your customers for the long-haul.

These are not unreasonable requirements to be allowed to use the email box of potentially thousands of email customers.

The second level of authentication that each ISP will require has to do with your integrity in the use of email as a marketing tool. It doesn’t take a lot of examples to demonstrate that email marketing is one of the most abused forms of business communications.

ISPs want to know you are not going to run scams through email to its customers and that you are going to treat customers with respect in regards to how you use your marketing privileges if they are granted. Once this trust has been obtained, you will notice a significant rise in email deliverability – but you must also continue to work at keeping that trust.

The process of gaining approval is one you can learn about by entering into a dialog with one of the major ISPs through whom you hope to send marketing emails. In general, the process will be the same for most ISPs after that.

So once you have walked through the process with one ISP, not only will you know the ropes but you will have the approval of that first internet business entity to show to the rest and your reputation will begin to grow with subsequent applications.

Be patient and give this process proper care and attention because the payoffs of gaining the trust of the major ISPs in the industry can be huge.

If you are looking for SEO Consulting or Small Business Web Design services, Contact Us today.