Successful Blog

How Passion Can Tranform Your Business

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By Chris Nosal

Today the world is more oversaturated than ever; on television you see insurance companies, retailers, car dealers, and pretty much every company under the sun all telling you they’ve got the lowest prices, and trying to compete by offering customers the best deal.

But, recently, I noticed there’s one thing missing from all these commercials, advertisements, and marketing pieces; something that would instantly make any company who used it stand out, so they could lead their industry instead of compete.

Want to know the secret?

It can be summed up in one word:

PASSION.

How To Apply Passion To Your Business

Imagine that you saw a car commercial, and while all the other companies were telling you about how they had the lowest prices, this company decided to innovate out of their passion, their love of what they do, and their desire to create the best experience in the world for their customers?

This company went a step ahead of all the other dealerships, found something they could improve (car buying is usually considered a pressure situation with a lot of hassle), and gave customers REAL BENEFITS that they could offer.

Now, imagine this commercial said:

“We want to make your car buying experience most pleasurable, simple, easy, and fun. We have a commission-free showroom, so that our focus is specifically on helping you, educating you, and making sure that you have all the unbiased information you need from our experts to make sure you get the perfect car for you… we also employ extra team members to make sure that you can always get helped right away when you come to our dealership; you’ll be welcomed the moment you walk into our dealership, because we believe our customers are people too, and people should be treated like family… we want to create the best car buying experience on the planet for YOU.”

Now, while this might be good for customers, it’s also good for your team of workers…

Your Business Needs A Bigger Purpose

People with a common goal connect with each other.

While the desire to make money might motivate the boss of most companies, it doesn’t often motivate the salaried or hourly people working for you.

So what does motivate people?

A PURPOSE

If you ask most people why they come to work each morning, you typically get a common answer, “because I need to make money”.

There is rarely, if ever, true loyalty to a company or business.

But why?

Simple.

Because your company lacks a purpose.

Imagine if you asked someone why they came to work each day, and they said:

“Well, I do need the money, but the job I do is also focused on helping people make important decisions in their lives, and my focus every day is on putting smiles on people’s faces with the service I deliver, making people happy, and enriching lives by giving customers the best car buying experience on the planet… and my every day my work helps me learn something new and grow as I connect with more and more people.”

Now, when a company pressures with sales deadlines, quotas, or commissions, that doesn’t give people a sense of purpose, a sense that they’re having a positive impact on people’s lives, or a sense of true purpose that goes beyond making money for the customer.

And if you give your employees a common goal that involves creating the best experience in the world for your customers, it’s good for your customers, it’s good for your employees, and it fosters loyalty all around, which usually also means many customers referring additional business to you.

The benefits of this are:

  1. You don’t have to play the price game… you play the “providing the best customer experience in the world” game.
  2. Your business grows as a result of customer referrals, because you provide the best service in the world.
  3. Your team members actually care about their jobs, and will work harder, longer, and even turn down other offers for a job that actually has meaning, and is focused on improving people’s lives.

The Key To Success Is NOT Competition

For years, the game of competing on competition has worked. But the world is growing more than ever before, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that competing on price or consumerism is NEVER going to work again, it’s time to start defining ourselves in a different way, and focusing on enriching lives, and creating amazing experiences for people.

If you make this your focus, give an actual purpose to your business that extends beyond simply selling something, and you share this vision you have of a better world with your customers; whether it’s creating the best breakfast restaurant on the planet, the most amazing online shopping experience, or just putting a smile on someone’s face, make your focus on something that has meaning to others, and you’ll be amazed at the transformation that will take place in every area of your business, and your relationships with everyone you work with and serve.

At the end of your life, the amount of money you made isn’t going to matter… but the legacy you create, and the ability of what you created to enrich lives, and make people happy, will love on long after you’re gone.

Author’s Bio: Chris Nosal is a marketing expert who writes at his blog http://chrisnosal.com, and gives private consultations. You can visit his website to download his free eBook, and read more free articles. You can also find him on twitter as @chrisnos, and on Facebook

Thanks Chris, great thoughts to start 2013!

How To Create Good SEO Content That Stands Strong

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By Carol Wales

Content

When it comes to search engine optimization, people all around the world prefer Google; It is one of the most popular and efficient search engines. Google used to favor websites that had more links to high page rank websites. In other words, a website could have a better ranking if it had more high PR links. This was considered as a vote of confidence in terms of the content of the website. Over time, there have been changes in the ranking criteria of Google; however, the prime focus is still the same – providing the best information to people. The new Google algorithm is based on quality signals and social media presence. Having informative and valuable SEO content is the key for developing a successful website or an online store. This is a tried, tested and a sure way of generating traffic and thereby driving sales.

How to create good content? Just keep these points in mind while you are creating.

Uniqueness

When you are creating content on any topic that is already present on many other websites, you must be creative with it and try to find a way of presenting this information in a unique way. Even if you see content on the same topic, research the other websites and check which points they have missed. You can incorporate new information, images and videos to enhance readability. You can also consider presenting the information in some other forum, for instance you can use an eBook instead of posting it in article directories or blogging websites. If you are operating a website, make sure it provides the most relevant information. The content can be added in the internal blog or in article directory or any other blogging website. Make sure that there is something different in the content published by you.

Right Keywords At The Right Time

Research and finalize the keywords you will be using. For creating good SEO content, it is essential to use the relevant keywords. Research commonly used keywords pertaining to your industry. You will come across many online software tools for finding new keywords. Google keyword tool is one of the most efficient tools that provides information on the global and local monthly searches of the keywords along with a wide range of keyword variations. Once you finalize the keywords, start using them in the content; however, make sure that it looks natural.

Precise

Web users normally have a short attention span. You must come up with short, precise and informative content that will hold the attention of the reader.

Headline With Keywords

Your headline is one of the strongest attributes of your content that creates the first impression in the minds of the readers. The title provides the users with an idea about what can be expected from the post. It also appears in the email newsletters, social media shares, RSS feeds and ofcourse in the search engines.

Highlight The Important Aspects

If you have written a long, in-depth article, there is no doubt that it will provide value to the users. However remember that brevity is most important. At times readers only scan pages for some important and interesting information. Highlight the crucial aspects through the use of a table of contents, headline and sub headings along with the right keywords. Preferably make use of short paragraphs so that it is easier to read.

Use Simple Language

When you are setting up a website for a global audience, using simple English is advisable so that it is easier to read and understand the information given. Also try to put yourself in the shoes of the reader so that you will know which information must be presented to them.

Accuracy

Make sure that whatever information you are providing is accurate and is up to date. If you are taking the information from somewhere, ensure that it is an authoritative resource.

Editing

Once you are done writing the article, make sure to proof read and edit it properly. If you have completed the post, do not publish it right away. Read it and give yourself time to edit it. By doing this you will be able to improve on the content further.

Including Images And Videos

An article with images and videos surely has an edge over just a plain article. When it comes to videos, add them only if you think they can provide value to the users. Images can perfectly synchronize with your post; whatever topic you are writing on, you can always find relevant images. Make sure you use high quality images that can also be viewed on mobile devices.

The content creation tips mentioned above are simple and can be implemented right away. You can count on these points in terms of creating the most impressive, efficient and readable content.

Author’s bio: Carol Wales specializes in writing on topics related to technology, search engine optimization and prominent web hosting platforms like Cloud Web Hosting, VPS and Dedicated Server UK. Her aim is to provide users with the most authentic information that can be utilized by them in the best possible way. She believes good content will always be the king and therefore she strives for the best.

Do You Want to Work for Yourself in 2013?

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By Peter Grant

If you’ve been contemplating running your own business but think that the economic climate means you can’t start it yet, think again. The financial slowdown has made it difficult for some businesses, yes, but if you can find a niche to work in, you could make a real success of your fledgling business.

Many people who want to work for themselves start out by opening a franchise business. Running a franchise can help to provide the support you need because you aren’t thrown in at the deep end but rather, are given support by the franchisor. By running a franchise, you essentially buy the rights to trade under a certain brand and use its logo and other intellectual property. Here’re some tips to take on board if you want to start your own business.

Thinking like a businessperson

There are so many franchises available that you can afford to think about what really interests you and what you think you’d be good at. How could your personality help you to run a business? With any business venture, you’ll need to have strong motivation and enjoy meeting people and giving them good service. This is, after all, what makes your customers want to return to you again in the future.

Choosing a franchise

Think about the experience you have and how you could best lend this to a franchise. If you’ve worked in a restaurant before and helped to manage the business, you could think about running a food franchise. Or, if you enjoy graphic design and have good attention to detail, you could contemplate running a print franchise.

Make sure the franchise you choose offers support. Contact existing franchisees and ask them what they think about the franchisor. Use this feedback to help you in weighing up the risks and benefits of each particular franchise you’re interested in.

Your business plan

The very nature of a franchise means you’ll get much more support than if you were going it alone in a start-up. You will need to write a business plan though, to give yourself direction. Your franchisor and any finance lenders you meet with may want to check this.

Start by describing your business and the service you are going to offer. Mention the competition you believe you’ll face in your area and how you will navigate around this to be successful and one step ahead of them. Include a conservative estimate of what you expect to make in your first, second and third year of operation.

How to anticipate your customers

Whatever service or product you want to offer, and however unique you think it is, potential customers won’t come near you unless you can persuade them why they need your product – and why they should choose you over a competitor. You need to focus on unique selling points, or USPs. Which USPs do you think you can offer, and how will these benefit your customers? You might find it easier to come up with USPs by thinking first about the lives of your customers. For busy mums who work full time, can you offer a delivery service in the evening to suit them? Can you do a quick turnaround? Think about what convenience you can offer your customers, including a competitive price.

Money, money, money

One question that will certainly need answering before you jump into a franchise is – how are you going to fund it? While it is certainly significantly cheaper to start a franchise than your own stand-alone business, you will need some funds up front.

If you’re thinking of getting finance to get the franchise going, banks are usually quite positive about lending to franchisees because there is much less risk involved.

Regarding the everyday running of your franchise, remember to set yourself a budget for everything – from phone providers to stationery providers – and stick to it. For a healthy cash flow, make sure your customers pay on time. You can encourage this by asking them to pay a deposit or signing a contract.

Advertising your franchise

Thankfully for franchisees, marketing isn’t as tough as it could be. Due to the awareness of the brand you’re joining already being in the public arena, you’ve got half the battle won.

Don’t forget though that people will still need to know your particular branch of the franchise exists, so it’s often a good idea to focus on your local market, demonstrating local knowledge.

Make sure the area you want to open up in has a market for your business, otherwise it’ll be an uphill battle from the offset for you to win customers.

You can advertise in a number of ways, and don’t underestimate business cards for networking – keep them on you at all times. Doing a little market research could be very helpful too, giving you an insight into what makes your customers tick and what they think about your competitors.

Legal stuff

As you’re running a business, you’ll be able to access your customers’ details so you must be careful with them – and make sure your staff are too. Train them consistently and make sure they check details each time a customer contacts you. Consistency helps to reassure customers and will also help you build a great reputation.

Author’s Bio: Peter Grant is a franchisee at Minuteman Press International, a printing franchise operating throughout the US, Canada, UK and Australia. Minuteman Press provides a wide variety of printing services, from full color printing to graphic design. Minuteman Press has been voted #1 within the printing industry for 2012 – its 20th time overall. Visit http://www.shop.minutemanpress.com for more information.

How to monitor the health of your online business

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by Rosemary O’Neill

These days, everything around us has a built-in indicator to tell us when something’s wrong. My car has been telling me I need “Service A4” for about a month now. Our iPhones have battery life indicators. Even my kids’ school lunch account pings me when it’s low.

But there’s no handy-dandy centralized indicator to tell you when your online business needs maintenance.

Key indicators for your business
Keep an eye on your key indicators

There are so many things to keep an eye on when you’re a small business owner or an entrepreneur.  
 
Industry developments, customer challenges, payroll, legal requirements, and (if you can squeeze it in) planning for the future, all must be monitored. Toss social media tracking and reputation management in the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for stress.

Let’s set up a manageable system that tracks only the most important indicators. Pull out your business plan and/or marketing and sales plan. What are your key milestones for success? What is your “red line” you can’t go below as far as sales pipeline or conversions?

Bearing in mind your goals and critical areas, here are some of the items you might want to add to your weekly checkup. I use simple spreadsheets.

Brand awareness indicators

Set up Google alerts on your company name and your own name, as well as your product name(s).
 
Visit Topsy.com for mentions on the web and on social networks (you can set up alerts or periodically check in). For the spreadsheet, you could track number of mentions over time to see if you’re on an upward trend.
 
Another indicator of increasing awareness is branded searches. In your Google Analytics, click Traffic Sources Overview. The keyword list will show you whether people coming to your site are typing in your brand name to get there. You could tally up the number of branded searches each week and track that trend as well.

Marketing and Sales Indicators

Again in your Google Analytics, track the number of new visitors over time. That’s a good indicator of increasing interest, and possibly marketing success.

Track true conversions over time. You can set up conversion paths within Google Analytics just by telling Google which action on your site represents a “conversion,” for example, subscribing to a newsletter or clicking the “buy” button. Conversions can also be tracked by dividing raw unique visitors by number of sales over a given time frame.
 
If you’re using Hootsuite Pro, you can get reports of activity across all of your connected accounts. This is a good way to keep your finger on the pulse of your social networks. Are your Twitter followers increasing? Is your content getting shared? Your dashboard should include some idea of whether your overall network is increasing.

One other statistic to track is the number of new incoming sales inquiries. Most CRM systems make it easy to keep track of new leads, but it can be as simple as tallying the number of new email inquiries from a form on your website. That’s the top of your sales pipeline, so you want this number to stay healthy.

Revenue, of course, must be on your dashboard as well. Be detailed enough that you can see which lines of business are doing well and which might be struggling. That might mean breaking out products vs services.
 

Planning for the future

Just as you get periodic checkups from your doctor, you should re-evaluate your plan and dashboard indicators routinely.

Weekly updates on the spreadsheets plus a quarterly plan review will keep you on track and allow time for course correction if necessary.

What are your key indicators for the health of your business?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Thank you, Rosemary!

You’re irresistible!

ME “Liz” Strauss

The Necessity of Frustration

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Paintbrushes
Without doubt, no breakthrough

by Ric Dragon

Big Doubt, Little Doubt

Beginnings are typically joyous, euphoric occasions. Whether it’s a software project, a barn-raising, a romance, or a painting, the earliest stages are exciting, not yet informed by the difficulties that lie ahead.

The art of making paintings is remarkable. It doesn’t matter if the painter is portraying mountains and streams, or is creating an abstraction. Taking the three-dimensional world and portraying it on a flat surface is abstraction, and creating shapes and color is quite concrete and real. So it follows that a lot of the distinctions that are made about painting – whether it’s realism, abstraction, or some other genre – are somewhat moot. But what all painting shares is that there is no guidebook. Each painter is on their own in trying to figure out what it is all about.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that I look forward to starting paintings. The canvas, newly tacked over the stretcher bars, presents a vast area of whiteness. A brush loaded with paint is picked up – and that first mark is made. It’s exhilarating.

I also know what to expect about a third of the way into the painting: frustration. In those early years, it was unnerving: I’d be wracked with feelings of doubt and inability. Like an arctic explorer without a compass, I’d look around and realize that I didn’t have a clue as to where I was or why I was there. These aren’t the little niggling doubts that sometimes come to haunt us, but the big doubts. What does my existence mean?

For hundreds of years, practitioners of Zen Buddhism have been using doubt as a key to their practice. In the various approaches to Zen, the feeling of doubt is considered to be critical to finding awareness. In fact, koans, those baffling stories used in zen, seem designed to help bring about that total frustration. As one teacher exhorted, “let all of you become one mass of doubt and questioning.” Without this doubt, you can’t have breakthrough.

Self-doubt can be totally debilitating, too. If you understand, though, the importance of doubt in the creative process, you can more easily say to yourself, “heh, this is all part of the process – let’s just go with it.”

Happy break-through!

—-

Author’s Bio: Ric Dragon is the founder and CEO of DragonSearch, a digital marketing agency with offices in Manhattan and Kingston, NY. Dragon is the author of the “DragonSearch Online Marketing Manual” and “Social Marketology” (McGraw Hill; June 2012), and has been a featured speaker at SMX East, Conversion Conf, CMS Expo, and BlogWorld, on the convergence of process, information architecture, SEO, and Social Media. You can find Ric on Twitter as @RicDragon.

 

Image: John-Morgan, Flickr Creative Commons License.

ADDIE: 5 Simple Ways to Start a Successful Blog

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by Angie Picardo

If you have a website or product that is trying to gain recognition online, you have probably learned by now that it is essential to start a blog. Maintaining a blog about a subject matter you are well versed in—and particularly one that advances the popularity of the product and/or service you are selling—is essential for sales. The vitality of your business will often heavily rely on a blog and social media presence in order to inform users about what you’re selling and provide them a smooth process for purchasing.

But how does one begin to write a blog?

It takes more than just sitting down and freewriting fluff and extraneous content about your product. High quality content is essential, but just as good writing will make for a great blog, bloggers need to know their audience, inform new and potential clients, and drive traffic with snazzy quips and cool pictures.

Use the ADDIE model when building your blog (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation):

Analysis

This is the brainstorming phase. On scratch paper or blank Word document, outline the basics (who, what, where, why) about the blog. Who is your audience? What do you want to say? Why is this blog necessary for your product? Where (in which market) will this item(s) be presented?

Design

Come up with a few sample blog posts off the top of your head. For example, if you are selling a unique twist on children’s coloring books, remember to consider how you can incorporate clear and relevant pictures and images with each post. A few sample posts could be:

o Why Kids Love Coloring Books

o Statistics on the Coloring Book Industry

o Child Education and Art

o What to Use for Great Coloring

o A post on Your Specific Product

o Why Schools Should Embrace Art Classes for Kids

o Top Coloring Books of the Year

Development

Begin to write and design a few blog posts without publishing them. These are essentially rough drafts that you will be able to edit and manipulate before publishing them to the world. Once you have a few drafts, edit for style, grammar, and logic. Be a perfectionist.

Implementation

Publish your articles. Create a routine (2-3 times per day or at least 5 times per week) to add new content to your blog. Add keywords (http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/2012/4-nobrainer-seo-moves/) and categorize each blog post accordingly. Embrace the process. Don’t fall behind.

Evaluation

Pay attention to the web traffic that your blog is receiving. Most free services have a basic web analytics widget or tool that will show you the number of visits per day/week/month and how they were directed to your site. What can you improve? What are your visitors saying in the comments section? How can you increase the traffic to your blog? Evaluate critically.

Following these steps is the perfect way to begin to think about blogging for traffic. While other techniques like search engine optimization and e-marketing and advertising will help increase traffic to your site, those novices who are not sure how to approach blogging should follow these steps to establish a successful blog.

Author’s Bio: Angie Picardo writes about personal finance, travel tips and more at NerdWallet.