Web Design, SEO, Blog Marketing and
Social Media Marketing for your Business

The small business owner is always looking for low cost or no cost opportunities to promote their business. The press release is an excellent way to do this. This can be self prepared and released to local media for free; as well as to online newswire sites.

Successful press releases should be a legitimate story that will interest a journalist and your targeted audience. Your press release should cover trends, issues and concerns for your niche or area. Stay away from blatant self-promotion, such as highlighting a new client or talking about how great your product or service is. A good press release answers all of the “W” questions (who, what, where, when and why).

Get to know your local media and the types of stories that they cover. Many of their stories may be dominated by wire stories; but look at the local stories. Who does these stories and what merits coverage? Get to know the editor what sorts of press releases he or she will use.

You should send your press release to journalists that cover your industry. Create a list of journalists that write about your market by looking at other news stories. Then locate their contact information by Googling them. After you send a copy of your release, follow up with a phone call.

If you want to promote your business to a wider audience, consider using the free and low cost online services such as Free-Press-Release.com, PRweb.com or PRzoom.com. More costly services include businesswire.com and PRNewswire.

Consider adding a press room to your website. Include resource materials including photos, history and other background info. Include links to other articles that have been published. This will help journalists easily make changes or additions to your press release.

Price is one of those powerful influencers on our perception of quality. So what happens when a product is placed on sale?

Regular price $799; Now $499. We have all seen ads like this one. They are designed to attract buyers to take advantage of a great deal. But what happens to the consumers perception of that product? Does the cheap price translate into a lower value perception?

Perceived value by the consumer is based on the price vs. what the buyer thinks that price should be. The customer will judge whether prices are too high, too low, or on target. Research shows that major price reductions do cheapen consumers perception of the product or service.

Alternatives

1. Limit the sale time: “Sale! Saturday and Sunday Only.” Research suggests that including a time-limiting component to the promotion stops this perception of product cheapening.
2. Bundling: “Luxury packages” on cars never identify how much you are paying for specific items. Bundling can increase perceived value and minimizes consumer attention to prices. This tends to spur the “emotional buy”.
3. Super size: Giving a larger size or an added companion product at the same price is a good way to increase the perception of savings while maintaining value. Buy-one-get-one-free offers seem to have less of an impact on consumers.
4. Price Points: Pay attention to the psychological price barriers. What is the difference between a home sales price of $295,000 and $310,000? The $310,000 home will probably be shown to about half as many qualified buyers and it could take twice as long to sell.

Business marketing should use a mix of online promotion (SEO and PPC ads) and Off line promotion to drive targeted visitor traffic. Promoting your website URL in ads, brochures and business cards can drive traffic to your website and increase sales, but this is only the start.

Including your website URL in all print advertising can double the volume of website traffic according to studies. Present a short message in your print ad and then refer people to the website for more details. Use the print ad to attract attention and then use the website to close the sale or request a quote.

Here are some ideas that are easy to implement.

1. Email Signature: Include a clickable URL in your email signature that can automatically be added to every email you write or respond to.
2. Direct Mail: Use postcards with a good design and a catchy message sent to your target market. Using an odd size such as 6″ x 9″ or larger can really stand out in a hand full of mail.
3. Newsletters: If you put out a printed newsletter, place specific content areas as ”online bonus” material and direct people to a web page.
4. Yellow pages ads: Many companies do not put their web address in their display ads or below their address/phone line.
5. On-Hold Messaging: Direct your on-hold visitors to special offers on your website or to FAQ’s to answer their questions.
6. Vehicle Graphics: Turn your vehicle into a mobile sign with either permanent graphics or magnetic signs.
7. Promotional Items: Include your URL along with your phone number on everything from pens to refrigerator magnets.

Marketing manager Roger Courville suggests this creative technique.

1. Use a business card printer to print inexpensive cards that have a simple call to action… URL + offer (e.g., free report, free assessment, whatever).
2. Hand these out at trade shows, networking events, etc. Get partners to stack a pile on their trade show table. Leave a few in conspicuous (but appropriate) places for people to pick up.

Business networking is important to grow your business. Networking can range from virtual online networking using tools like LinkedIn or Facebook to face-to-face meetings. Which forms work the best? Actually, I find that a mix of real and virtual networking is best.

The age of your targeted customer should be an important determiner of which way is best. Match the preferences of your targeted customer with the networking strategies that you are comfortable with. Let’s look at generational preferences.

1. Baby Boomers, those in their 50’s and 60’s will always prefer face to face meetings. They tend to be less comfortable with computer communication and like to interact verbally and when possible, in person.
2. Generation X, those in their 30’s and 40’s tend to be much more comfortable with technology. They prefer keep it simple and are very likely to be using LinkedIn and other business networking tools.
3. Generation Y, those in their teens and 20’s are the most comfortable in using all forms of technology. They know what they want and they will come find you. They will usually have a good presence on MySpace or Facebook.

Face-to-Face Networking: This can include “Leads Groups” that meets at your local Chamber of Commerce or with organizations like I take The Lead. You can also use networking services like meetup.com to find local group meetings. If you want to connect with senior level leaders, then attending a $300 a plate dinner may be a better investment than attending a dozen networking breakfasts. Many professional associations have terrific opportunities for face-to-face networking.

Virtual Networking: the best networking tools are those that get you in front of your targeted customer. LinkedIn seems to be the most accepted business networking tool. Other popular tools include Facebook, Plaxo, and Fastpitch.

Is your job really fun? What does it take to have career passion? Although there are many ways of finding it, there are some common paths that people follow to find career passion and excitement that makes their work fun.

There are 3 basic parts that make up the ideal career for a person.

1. Interests, hobbies and abilities are aligned with your work.
2. Your work is strongly connected to your personal values.
3. A long-term plan is in place for your career.

How do you find a career that fits you? It is by searching and understanding what it is that is truly important to you.

1. Formative years. When you were young what were your career dreams, your hobbies and your interests. This was a time before being practical meant giving up your dreams. Do these still fascinate you?
2. What really matters? These are your values such as creativity, being independent, interacting with others, helping people, personal freedom or traveling the world.
3. Understand yourself. There are all sorts of personality and interest surveys and tests, some free, some paid. Use these to understand what it is that interests and captivates you.
4. Explore. Research and understand the possibilities. Explore websites, blogs, magazines and books to understand the possible jobs.
5. Try them. Look at internships, volunteering and part time jobs. If you aspire a professional position, become an assistant to someone to learn the trade.
6. Create a plan. Once you decide what you want, create a plan to get there. Do you need education, experience, licenses? Decide what steps you need to follow and start down the path.

Jobs can be learned but passion is part of our nature. Uncovering what those things are that you are passionate about can unlock a rewarding career future. Remember: “Do what you love, the money will follow.”

Branding is important in establishing your reputation. This applies to a person, an organization or a product. Personal branding is especially important in today’s marketplace for a service provider or a job seeker. Your personal brand is how others compare you with your peers. Those that don’t choose to differentiate themselves are turning into commodities.

In service companies, it is often the person behind the product or service that is its greatest asset. Personal branding builds up your unique value proposition and allows you to stand out from everyone else. Creating your own “personal brand” helps drive yourself to the next level. In a competitive marketplace, blogging is frequently the simplest, fastest and easiest way to spread the word.

In building up your personal brand, these are important elements in forming your campaign.

1. Offer Value: Your brand needs to offer something of value. Your brand is only valuable if you’re different in a way that’s valuable to people.
2. Innovate: In a world full of people doing similar things, the person with new ideas and new ways of doing will draw the interest and attention of the market.
3. Be a Leader: You will have to build your reputation as the “expert.” You have to get the attention of your niche. Show your knowledge without being arrogant.
4. Build Trust: People do business with people that they know and trust. Be authentic and talk about your successes and your failures. Be helpful.
5. Be Personal: Blogs lend themselves to an informal conversational style that people like to read. Inject humor and personality into your writing.
6. Relationships: Build rapport with your readers and with other bloggers. Visit and enter blog conversations on other blogs that deal with your subject.
7. Consistency: Be consistent in your values, your topics and your approach to situations. Developing and changing opinions and ideas as you grow is fine.

Combining business blog marketing and traditional website marketing is especially effective when you start up a new business. Blogging is one of the fastest ways of announcing your business and spreading the word quickly about what you do.

You can quickly gain a following on the Internet. There are an ever increasing number of people who regularly read blogs as their source of news and information.

New companies should look at launching a blog and a website for maximum exposure. A combined approach using a website and a blog is usually the fastest approach. You will that you will gain a much broader reach by using both. The website and blog have different functions.

The website is the advertising and marketing piece. The new website should be the marketing focus that touts the advantages, benefits and conveniences of using your business. The new website should bring in traffic with both pay-per-click advertising and organic SEO.

The blog should provide interesting reading and resource materials to your targeted customers. The blog will much more quickly gain a readership following if the content plan is good and your blog should allow interested readers to find navigation links to your website. This will provide direct referral traffic and valuable link popularity for your website.

The website and blog will reach different audiences, have different focuses, have different conversational tones, but still strive to reach the same targeted customer. The blog and website reinforce each other and magnify the results.

Have you considered the importance of color in branding? There is a powerful emotional effect caused by color. The dominant color you select for your logo, website or business blog sends a message. Choosing colors is a fundamental part of creating any design project.

According to the Institute for Color Research, people quickly make a subconscious judgment about an item and 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone. Judgments are based on human instincts and cultural influences and powerfully communicate.
What each color communicates

Black: Elegance, formality, mystery, death and style.
Blue: Stability, professionalism, trust, peace and coolness.
Brown: Endurance, casual, earthy, poverty and tradition.
Gray: Conservatism, seriousness and enhances messages of other colors.
Green: Safety, harmony, freshness, nature and wealth.
Orange: Enthusiasm, cheerfulness, creativity, playfulness and heat.
Pink: Hot pink: energy, youthfulness, fun and excitement… lighter pinks: sentimental, romantic.
Purple: Power, nobility, magic, sensuality and spirituality.
Red: Boldness, excitement, desire, intensity, and love.
Silver: Prestige, cold, scientific.
White: Cleanliness, purity, simplicity, peace and innocence.
Yellow: Attention-grabbing, happiness, energy, joy and optimism.

In general, red, orange, and yellow are exciting colors while purple, blue and green are calming ones. Yellow is the most visible color. Black on yellow or green on white are the most legible combination.

Many fast food restaurants are decorated with vivid reds and oranges. Studies show that these colors encourage diners to eat quickly and leave.

Combining colors in various combinations creates even different psychological effect. Now color is not the only design element to communicate with, but it is a powerful one.

New sales leads are the lifeblood of any business. To grow your business and keep it healthy, you need a steady flow of new customers. Where will they come from? Here are 30 ways to generate new sales leads. Choose the ones that best fit your business.

1. Write a blog (business blog marketing).
2. Add a clear call to action on your website such as “Request a Quote”
3. Optimize your website for search traffic.
4. Advertise on the search engines (PPC advertising)
5. Advertise on other websites using affiliate marketing.
6. Become known as an expert in your market (build trust).
7. Cold calling
8. Telemarketing
9. Direct mail or sales letters
10. Use a follow-up tool such as a post card or note card
11. Email marketing
12. Communicate using email or printed newsletters
13. Trade shows
14. Speak regularly at business or trade events.
15. Be a guest speaker on a local radio or TV show.
16. Put on a seminar or workshop
17. Educational events through the telephone (teleseminars) or via the Web (webinars)
18. Write a whitepaper
19. Publish a book.
20. Print advertising (newspaper, magazines, trade journals)
21. Hand out business cards at every opportunity.
22. Purchase leads
23. Join a lead referral group like itakethelead.com
24. Be active in your local chamber of commerce.
25. Encourage referrals from current customers.
26. Encourage current customers to email questions, these are sales opportunities.
27. Have good business signs to bring in drive by traffic.
28. Customer complaints can, and should be treated as opportunities.
29. Hire independent sales rep firm.
30. Publish regular press releases

Branding is about making your business unforgettable. When you have a different name for your business and a different name for your website you create confusion. I am a strongly in favor of naming your website and your business the same. This way if someone knows your business name, they will know your website name. Make it easy on them.

There are two events where you should look at domain and business names.  The first is when you are first beginning to name your business. The second time is if you have grown and expanded and you need to rename your business. For instance, you started out as a flooring company selling carpets and flooring and you have now grown into an interior design company.

I strongly recommend that you pick out both a business name and a domain name that match… preferably in a .COM.

Let me give you an example. Five years ago when I started my business: Doug Williams and Associates, the domain dougwilliams.com was not available. So I selected an abbreviated domain name: dwassoc.com. This seemed reasonable to me.  It was short and easy to type.

Now here was the problem. When I verbally gave out my website or email address, I was  having to spell my domain name. It just didn’t make sense to people.  It was not intuitive and easy to remember. I finally got tired of this and sought out the owner of dougwilliams.com and purchased the name. This was the best decision I could have made. Now I say the website or my email once and they have it.

Another one of my clients puts together business referral networking groups. They were getting ready to expand from a local company to a national franchises. Their business name was Take the Lead and their website was itakethelead.com. Takethelead.com was not available.  I suggested that they change the name of their company to I Take the Lead as part of their branding strategy… and they did. They are very happy with their decision.

In researching domain names, I like to use the tool domainsbot.com. There are a number of good ones out there, but this one is my favorite.

Remember, no mater what business name you select and which domain name you select, make it memorable. This is a key part of your company’s branding strategy.