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Business Opportunities

Considerations When Designing Your Trade Show Booth

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I have always considered trade shows to be one of the best ways to promote my business and showcase our new and exciting products. Over the years I have had…

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I have always considered trade shows to be one of the best ways to promote my business and showcase our new and exciting products. Over the years I have had some great success at trade shows and throughout that time I have learned the best and worst ways to go about business, and how we can best attract an audience, and most importantly, sell our business, and our products.

One of the most important aspects of the trade show experience, and how you can really push for success, is the display booth which you decide upon. I must be honest, in the past I never really saw much value in spending money on a custom designed trade booth, and I used to use a stock display, white, and pretty lifeless. I bought a custom made display at ExpoMarketing after some friends suggested that I did, and the next trade show went amazingly well, convincing me of the power which the display can have. In terms of designing your display, there are some key considerations which you need to make, and from experience, here are my suggestions.

Colours

The common theme which runs throughout this design process is that the display which you decide upon should reflect your brand. Colours are key to this as it is the colours, as well as the logos of your business which people will remember and in terms of brand growth, these are the small details which you should be focussed on. Your display’s colours should represent those of your business and your products.

Space

A large display is only beneficial if you are able to fill it with quality, empty spaces are not appealing and large displays are not going to make you stand out any more than something smaller. The key to your display’s size is that it is functional and fit for purpose, that it gives visitors space to view the product without feeling claustrophobic and that it is sizeable enough of you to deal with customers and sales, separately from the people who are viewing your products.

Bells and Whistles

I have seen all manner of different displays throughout the years and what I have found is that those who want to add all kinds of lights, moving parts or ostentatious designs to their booths, are those who sell less. Firstly this is because if you decorate a display in such an eye-catching way, you need to be able to back this up with the quality of your products, in most instances, this is not the case. The second reason to avoid this is that it smacks of desperation and doesn’t give the message of a business who is taking things seriously. The example I would give here is Apple, think about their stores, clean, bright, spacious, fresh and simple product presentation at its fines. The reason that Apple do this is because their products are so good, if your products are great, just get them out there, without the necessary bells and whistles.

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Business Opportunities

Build an Empire From Scratch With a New E-Commerce Website

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If you’re serious about going into business for yourself, it pays to think big. Why settle for being second best when you can slowly but surely build a brand that…

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If you’re serious about going into business for yourself, it pays to think big. Why settle for being second best when you can slowly but surely build a brand that will one day dominate the entire industry? It all begins with a website that you can establish your brand with. As your business begins to grow, the strength of your personal brand will likewise increase. You can sweeten the deal for yourself by buying first class ecommerce web hosting services from a reputable provider. This will be the cornerstone of your initial brand building campaign.

When It Comes to Thinking Big, Why Not Also Think Outside the Box?

There are many ways of hastening the success of your business. One of the best ways to do so is to think well outside the box. It’s one thing to study what your competitors do in hopes of replicating some of their success. But it’s a whole other thing to be able to think a step or two ahead of them. You might consider thinking of what their next move may be, then adopting it yourself before they do. In any case, your main priority will be not only to outsell them, but also to out-think them. You can reach this goal by adopting a proactive online strategy for your new business.

State of the Art Web Hosting Services Are a Must for Your Business

The best way to quickly establish a strong international brand is to reach your customers in the place where they are most likely to shop. In the 21st century, this means the world wide web. Hundreds of millions of people shop on the web each day. A strong SEO campaign will reach these people and bring them to your site. In order to keep their interest – and their loyalty as customers – you will need to have a fully equipped modern e-commerce website in place. This is the means by which you will be able to expand your brand as well as your profit margin.

A Strong SEO Strategy Begins With a Top Notch E-Commerce Website

Your first online advertising campaign will have the purpose of establishing your brand in the strongest measure possible. You will not only need to advertise your business but also your official company website. To make the most of this opportunity, the site you send interested customers to needs to be ready to receive their business. Your site will need to feature all of the expected e-commerce features, such as a web store and shopping cart, in order to impress them as worthy of their consideration. This is one area in which you cannot afford to cut corners or skimp on quality.

The Time Is Now to Secure Your Official Website For Your New Business

When it comes to gathering all the materials you will need to conquer the world of business, there is no time to lose. You already have a good idea of what you will need to get started. Combine this with a well thought out strategy for establishing your brand and you have everything you need. It just remains for you to pull the trigger and fully commit yourself. Securing your domain name is the beginning of a whole new career.

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Business Strategy

Why Building Customer Loyalty is a MUST for Small Business Retail Enterprise

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Building a small business is no small task. You are required to juggle a lot of tasks and activities. You will define the strategy, execute the strategy, evaluate the business,…

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Building a small business is no small task. You are required to juggle a lot of tasks and activities. You will define the strategy, execute the strategy, evaluate the business, manage the business, do the financial accounting and do every other job you simply can’t afford to outsource. And to top that up, you must build customer loyalty. This is as important as any other business activity you carry out. The PR Newswire estimates that by 2020, the customer loyalty market would be worth 4.0 billion USD. If you think that is too much, think again.

Loyal Customers are the most Important

Research has shown that loyal customers buy more than new customers. A customer who feels a connection with your brand is more likely to purchase more products than a would-be customer. The Gartner Group estimates that 20% of your loyal clients contribute about 80% of your earnings. They will have more willingness to try new products and services from your business than others.

Loyal Customers are cheap to sell to

The average cost to sell to an existing customer is far less than the cost to sell to a new one. An existing customer would be more willing and able than other customers to find a solution to their problem from your self-service portal instead of calling you and requesting personal service. Since they are more knowledgeable about your business, they make it easier to be served, and you know, easier is usually cheaper. Also, they do not require marketing because they already know your brand. It is a win-win to have loyal customers.

Loyal Customers sell for you

When customers like a product or service they tell others. If they are loyal, they tell even more people. For instance, your loyal customers are those who would refer their connections to you when they want the particular service you’re providing. This would also help reduce your marketing cost because you have unofficial and unpaid brand ambassadors. TechOneStop suggests that a satisfied customer shares a good experience with 9 other people. They also say that a dissatisfied customer tells 22 people, so you have to ensure that every customer leaves satisfied.

Loyal Customers eliminate your competition

This Marketing Mentor post explains that loyal customers are less likely to stray towards the competition, as if they are completely happy with you a competitor simply won’t appeal. When customers believe that they get good value for their money from you, they don’t think of going elsewhere. This eliminates the risk of losing customers to your competition.

Once you’ve managed to sort the internal aspects of your business like shop protection, you can finally make the effort to improving customer loyalty. You should know it is directly connected to keeping you in business. It also doubles up as customer engagement which creates a positive connection with the customer.

They are more likely to give useful feedback and suggestions which ultimately help the business. An engaged customer is a gift to your business. You are lucky to have them and not the other way round. So, develop good customer loyalty and see your business grow in leaps and bounds.

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Marketing

Great Examples of Conceptual Selling

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(Image Credit: 123RF.com / dolgachov) The first thing to understand about concept selling is that consumers don’t really approach a transaction looking to buy a product or service. People spend…

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Car salespeople provide plenty of Great Examples of Conceptual Selling

(Image Credit: 123RF.com / dolgachov)

The first thing to understand about concept selling is that consumers don’t really approach a transaction looking to buy a product or service. People spend money to purchase something that they think will benefit them in some way. The most successful sales people understand what the prospect hopes to accomplish with the product or service and knows exactly how to tie what he or she is selling with a solution to the customer’s problem. Using a conceptual selling approach offers numerous benefits, including:

  • Allows the sales representative to get to know the customer at a deeper level and focus on achieving results
  • Draws attention away from pricing to deter the customer from going to a lower-priced competitor
  • Offers a way to stand out from the competition
  • Makes it easier for sales professionals to determine early on which customers will bring in the most revenue while costing the least to nurture

Conceptual Selling in Action

For the sake of example, assume that a car dealership just sold a new car. That’s always exiting, but salespeople often neglect to look at the big picture. A new car replaces an old one that no longer works efficiently. This is a straight product sell, which only looks at the immediate need.

A car salesperson who incorporates conceptual selling will help the prospect visualize future automotive needs as well. He or she asks the prospect to consider ongoing transportation needs and the best ways to meet them. In this example, the sales representative would ask the prospect to think about potential future problems with the car and how he or she will meet them when the need arises. This gets the prospect thinking beyond the moment and establishes an early long-term relationship between sales representative and client.

Steps Involved in Using a Conceptual Sales Approach

The first step in any sales process is gathering information from the client<. The sales representative should ask detailed questions to qualify the prospect, such as more information about their company’s problem areas. This helps to develop trust and learn more about how the prospect handles major decisions. It also sets up the selling organization as a credible one.

Moving on, the salesperson should now focus on answering the prospect’s questions and providing detailed information about the product or service. This is another important area where it’s important for the presenter to separate his or her company’s products and services from those offered by the competition. It’s time to capitalize on known strengths to generate excitement and trust with the customer.

After making a sales presentation, the last step is to obtain a commitment from the prospect. If the person can’t provide one, it means that he or she feels the sales representative presented a losing proposition. The prospect couldn’t visualize the benefits from it, regardless of cost. To win a customer, it’s important to keep expectations realistic and listen to his or her needs and objections. If it doesn’t appear to be a good fit by the end of the presentation, a smart salesperson will walk away from the deal rather than continue to pour time and resources into a prospect unwilling to commit.

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Travel

How to Make Your Business Trip Run Like a Dream

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I recently went to Paris on my very first business trip and it wasn’t until I got home and started assessing how it went, that I had the chance to…

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I recently went to Paris on my very first business trip and it wasn’t until I got home and started assessing how it went, that I had the chance to work out what I would do differently next time around. From a business perspective, the trip went just as planned, I wasn’t late for any meetings and I closed the deals that I was looking to close. With that being said, there was many areas of the trip that I could have made better and I wanted to share them with you so that if you are planning a business trip, you can learn from my mistakes.

Airport Transfer

I wish I had booked an airport transfer in Paris because although the flight wasn’t a long one, I was nervous about the meeting the next day and I could have done without trying to negotiate the public transport system upon arrival. Getting straight to the hotel, getting some food and prepping is all I wanted to do so I would recommend that wherever you are heading to, make sure that someone is waiting for you at the airport.

Entertainment

I had no idea how much down time that I would have as I was waiting for meetings or even in my hotel room alone at night and I wish I had planned some entertainment a little better. If you are heading away, take the time to download some movies or games to your electronic devices, it is a great way to switch off and after a day of meetings, you will need it.

Sim Card

One near-fatal error that I made was not realizing that my phone couldn’t accept foreign SIM cards and so I was forced to duck into cafes for their wi-fi whenever I needed to make a call. You should check before you go that your phone is able to accept the local SIM or buy a cheap phone which can, being out of touch when you are in the midst of a business trip is most definitely not recommended.

Day Before

I flew the day before my first business meeting and whilst it worked out alright, I was quickly reminded how fine I had cut it. The flight that went to Paris from London just after mine, was delayed by 9 hours due to mechanical break down, had this been mine, I would have missed my first meeting, not the impression which you want to give prospective clients. If you are booking your flights then I advise you do it 2 days before your first meeting, just to be sure.

Paper Copies

If you are taking important information with you, make sure that you do so in both paper and digital form. Shortly before one of my meetings, my tablet suddenly died and I was forced to ask the receptionist to charge it up for me. I managed to get my information in time but I won’t be running that risk again, print off your info before you go and take it should anything go wrong.

What business trip tips do you have? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section below.

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Marketing

SEO Tricks to Boost Your Business’ Online Presence

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The world of Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) can, at first glance, seem to be almost hopelessly complicated and mercilessly fickle. However, it’s not as much of a dark art…

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The world of Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) can, at first glance, seem to be almost hopelessly complicated and mercilessly fickle. However, it’s not as much of a dark art as many small business owners might initially believe.

While few of us have the luxury of hiring dedicated staff who can manage our business’ web presence on a day to day basis, you will be relieved to know that not all hope is lost; in fact, by incorporating the tips that we’ll be sharing with you today, you can be on your way to boosting your online relevancy right away—sometimes without needing to spend a dime (just a little of your time will do!).

Use Relevant Hashtags on Twitter

You may already be a maverick when it comes to using the micro blogging site, but without proper foresight, all of your hard work will be going to waste. For example, you might be using hashtags to try to make your messages concise and easily understandable to people who happen to see your messages flash by on their screen.

However, by doing some prior research and seeing which tags people are already using, you will be able to potentially grow your audience significantly. So, next time you think about using “#hairstyletips”, do some research on your competitors first; it may be the case that they’re using “#easyhairtricks”, and by incorporating this into your tweets, you’ll become exponentially more visible.

Post Good Content on Your Blog

Your blogs don’t have to read like poetry in order to help your online presence grow. In fact, keeping things simple and sticking to what you know can often be a much more effective way to get seen online.

Put your heart into what you’re writing; is the topic itself interesting? Are you providing the right amount of information, so that it can be skimmed quickly but also providing worthwhile information? By breaking your posts down to smaller paragraphs, and adding some appropriate images, you can make them significantly more readable for those who stumble across them.

Link to Websites You Respect

Even if you’re not getting any traffic from others linking to your site, make sure to link (with moderation!) to sites that you genuinely respect and which relate to your field. By doing this, Google will consider it as a factor when performing its search algorithms. Over time, it can greatly increase your ranking on the search engine.

Use Well-Produced Videos

This may be the most expensive tip on this list, but it could also earn you the greatest rate of returns. Having well-made videos by someone who knows what they’re doing to promote your business can dramatically improve the way others see it.

You can get in touch with local film-makers to get a ball-park figure of how much you’ll need to spend, but many freelancers in the industry will charge a reasonable rate to help you out for a day or two. Likewise, they’ll take care of all the editing work that you don’t want to be involved in, so that all you’ll have to do is upload the video to your YouTube channel and slowly watch the number of views increase!

Mastering SEO is, as you might expect, an arduous slog and will likely result in an epic quest that grows arms and legs along the way. However, it is fascinating; what you essentially learn is a guide to mastering the internet! If you don’t want to do any of the above, though, you can always just hire a web designer who specializes in SEO to help you boost your web presence. Remember to keep checking back for more great posts you can refer to to take your business to the next stage!

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