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Are You Clicking with Your Online Clientele?

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iphone-410324_640While there are some consumers willing to do anything and everything it takes to avoid the Internet, many individuals simply couldn’t do without it.

Even though that latter group doesn’t necessarily live on the worldwide web 24/7, many of them do use it regularly each and every week. While some use it mostly for entertainment purposes, many others utilize it for browsing and ultimately purchasing goods and services.

In the event you are a business owner looking to attract more customers (what business owner wouldn’t be?), the Internet is one of if not your best resources.

If you have not been putting the worldwide web to use as of late in attracting more business, definitely give that a second thought as you head into 2017.

Using the Internet to Your Advantage

While there are myriad of ways in which you can put the Internet to work for your brand, here are some ways to best click with clientele (both current and prospective):

  • Blog – If you do not have (or are basically not using) a blog to reach consumers, that should definitely change. Your blog is not only a great marketing tool, but it is all but free to use. Unless you are paying professionals to write copy for your blog, you can basically start and market a blog at no cost to you or your business. Even though you do not need daily blog posts, be sure to keep the blog as fresh and informative as possible, giving consumers a reason to view it. This will also help you stay relevant with search engines, especially Google;
  • Mobile app – Do you have a mobile app? If not, this is another resource that your business should not be without. Do your research regarding the different app development companies out there, seeing which one may best suit your mobile app needs. With the right app in your corner, your mobile marketing options can soar over time, something that any business owner will be more than happy to have happen;
  • Social media – Just how social are you online? With the right social media plan in place, you can take your business to new heights. Just as with a blog, you do not need to be on social media 24/7, but you can’t do it only on occasion, figuring a little here and a little there will get it done. Not only is social media good for promoting your brand, but it gives you a window into what consumers are saying about both your company and competition. Lastly, social media allows you to get in touch with consumers whenever and wherever you want. That flexibility is like having a marketing program that is 24/7/365.

Selling Products and Services

  • Online store – If you haven’t thought about an online store up to this point and time, reconsider that in 2017. With an online store, you can sell goods and services 24/7/365. In doing so, you can see your revenue stream increase on a regular basis. If you do go with an online store, make sure it works from start to finish. The last thing you want is having frustrated consumers get stopped at checkout etc. In the event this happens, they may very well not return;
  • Website – Last but certainly not least, how beneficial is your website to those consumers looking to visit and use it? Just having a website is not enough in today’s digital age. Make sure your site is as beneficial as possible to current and prospective clients. Reviewing your site regularly will help you work out and remove any kinks etc. Remember, your site wants to rank as high as possible on Google and other search engines, so it needs to be clicking on all cylinders in order to draw consumers to it.

If you have not been clicking with online clientele up to this point, a New Year starting soon is a perfect opportunity to change things.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

5 Things Home Business Owners Must Have

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Cup Coffee Newspaper Tablet Hands PhoneRunning a home business can be one of the most prosperous activities one chooses in life.

The idea of being independent of an employer, the ability to set one’s own schedule, avoiding long commutes to and from work, those are but a few of the different perks of working from home. With those perks do come some challenges, challenges that can get the best of an individual if they are not careful.

In order to make the home business a success, one must make sure they have all the proper tools and resources at their disposal.

So, if you’re running a business out of your home, how prepared are you for the daily tasks that come your way?

Speed Ahead with the Proper Tools and Resources

If your home business seems to be struggling, is it because you do not have all the tools and resources at your ready? In the event that’s the case, use the remaining weeks of 2016 as an opportunity to reorganize your business, allowing you to be ready to go for 2017.

Among the 5 items you should definitely have:

  1. Proper Internet – Can you imagine trying to run a home business with dial-up Internet service? Well, countless people did that for a number of years until technology made high-speed Internet for home an option. With that option in your home, you can not only work with clients at a much faster pace, but you can also order supplies, handle your accounting needs, research trends in the industry you work in and much more. If your current Internet service provider is leaving you falling asleep at the wheel (your computer), search for a provider where high-speed Internet and all it offers is a priority;
  2. Accounting software – Unlike a corporate job where you can count on your employer to pay you (typically ever two weeks or once a month), being your own boss also means running the accounting department. As a result, you must have top-notch accounting software at your disposal. This is crucial for not only invoicing clients but also for keeping tabs on your expenses (ordering supplies, doing year-end taxes etc.). Try out a number of different software products until you find the one that will best suit your needs;
  3. Headsets – Even if you don’t have kids or animals in the home, it can be rather easy to become distracted while running your business. Everything from the neighbors to nearby traffic (depending of course where you live) can get to you. Make sure you have the right headset to focus on your work, specifically when talking to clients. Not only will it keep you calmer, it allows you to be more professional when talking business with others on the phone or computer;
  4. Business cards – Although many businesses (including a number of home business owners) have gotten away from the traditional business card, don’t take the bait and make the same mistake. You’re best suited to buy business cards in bulk, thereby avoiding having to place orders over and over again. Use the cards at each and every opportunity you get, notably if attending trade shows, local fundraisers in the community etc. That little card could end up turning into one of your most beneficial resources when all is said and done;
  5. Mobile devices – Whether it is a simple cell phone or a mobile tablet, much of today’s business is done over the Internet. That being the case, make sure you are properly outfitted with the best mobile devices when away from home. No, you don’t want to spend what little vacation time you have working, but having the right mobile resources when away from home is important. If there is an “emergency” so to speak with a client, you can check on it from anywhere and hopefully resolve the problem. If you’re running an online store etc. for your home business, make sure it is optimized to meet consumer needs. Those needs are more and more consumers are shopping and ultimately buying goods and services on the run. If you can’t meet their needs, you can all but be guaranteed another home business owner will.

Even if your home business is proceeding along with no major red flags to see, take some time to review your tools and resources.

You might just find that one or more things are in fact lacking, items that could mean the difference between great business and so-so business.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Avoid Being Left Hanging By Your Clients

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Customer blue puzzle pieces assembledWhat makes your business tick?

For many business owners, it is making sure that they keep their company running on an efficient schedule. Remember, efficiency is key to keeping the customers coming through the front door etc.

That said it can be somewhat easy for business owners to get off track at times, especially if they are not putting technology to great use in running their businesses.

One way this becomes a problem is if clients are not showing up for scheduled appointments or are coming in late. When this happens, a day’s schedule can easily get out of kilter.

So, how are you going about making sure you do not get left hanging by your clients?

Let Technology Work for You

So that you are able to manage your working hours as efficiently as possible, remember these tips:

  1. Understanding your business needs – First and foremost, the type of business you run oftentimes dictates what your time management needs will be. As an example, if your run a salon and/or nail business, keep in mind that clients are regularly coming through your doors. As a result, it is important that you don’t have regular breaks in the action, breaks that can ultimately lead to your revenue stream being impacted in a negative manner. In order to lessen the chances of that happening, having a Salon appointment book is a great way to keep things flowing. For example, if you are open say from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., you expect to have clients coming in during those hours, save maybe except for a lunch or dinner break on your part. If some clients either wonder in a half hour late or miss their appointments altogether, it is real easy for the day to get messed up. What you end up having is an unorganized approach to doing business, one that can mean less money coming in and more customers going out;
  2. Reminding clients of their appointments with you – Just as you get quite busy at times, your clients can be equally as if not busier than you. As a result, sending them a “friendly” reminder about their appointment with you simply makes sense. You are not being a nag, simply reminding them that they committed to time with you on a certain day and time. The reminder can be sent as a simple email or text, leaving them no excuse to say they forgot about their time with you;
  3. Keeping yourself on track – With all you have to do in your personal life, running a business can easily overlap into the former. So that you do not have to worry about that happening, using an online appointment book just makes sense. Such a book makes it easy for you to schedule how many hours you plan to work each day, along with determining how many clients you can squeeze in on a regular basis. Lastly, you can keep track of any time off you plan on taking (a day off, vacation time etc.), allowing you to plan out your working appointments months ahead of time.

Being Your Own Boss

There are many advantages that come with running your own business.

One of the great things in doing this is being able to determine your own working schedule. In doing that, there is still a lot of responsibility that falls on your shoulders on a daily basis.

In the past, many small business owners would rely on a paper calendar or even notepads to record when their clients were scheduled to pay them a visit. Even though that worked for countless business owners (it still does for some), many running small businesses will tell you that they’d be lost without their online software to plan out their days.

If you are in need of better planning your work days, look at the different software programs out there on the market.

Inevitably, you will discover one that is best suited for your business needs, needs that require you to be on time.

As for being on time, the same holds true for your clients.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

More Lawyers Becoming Adept at the Internet

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bigstock--125544251Would you be surprised to learn that more and more legal professionals are using the Internet to their advantage?

While that statement may surprise some, many others are not in the least bit surprised to hear such a thing.

As businesses continue to see all the Internet can do for their brands, law offices are certainly not standing on the sidelines. In fact, many lawyers are using their websites and social media on a daily basis, hoping to attract more clients in their time of need.

That said how can would-be clients reach out to lawyers, hoping to find those best suited to handle their respective cases?

Web and Social Media Getting Thumbs up Verdict

As more lawyers head over to the web and social networking venues to state their cases as to why individuals (and families for that matter) should choose them in their time of need, the former should keep these items in mind to present their best case:

  • Where to go? – The first question that someone in the legal arena will likely have when venturing over to the Internet is where should they start? While a formidable website is of course important for one’s brand, it is also quite beneficial to have a regular presence on social media. To start with the website, make sure if you’re not capable of putting it together and/or running it, you find someone who is. Even though having a website is great, one that is put together in sloppy fashion, along with not really serving a purpose to the public, is quite frankly a waste of your time and that of the public. You may choose to outsource such I.T. needs and find an individual or company specializing in website construction and website marketing. Just make sure you have a website that is not only productive for the public, but that is also secure. In today’s world of identity theft and other online issues, you need to make sure your site is as secure as it can possibly be;
  • Social networking is a bonus – As important as having a solid website in the legal field is, whether you are Scheiner Law in Houston or one of the many other law firms out there, it is also a good idea to put social media to work for you. Your social media efforts can also be done by outside sources if you neither have the time or expertise for such efforts. Don’ try and be too many things for too many people right off the bat. For example, if you specialize in DWI cases, there is not a specific social site obviously catering to that problem that will bring you instant business. On the other hand, having a Twitter and/or Facebook profile, you can tweet and share posts with hashtags such as #legal, #DWI, #DrinkingandDriving, #findalawyer and more. When you do that, each of your posts where you added those hashtags will end up in the respective category. Lastly, make sure you do not forget how important LinkedIn is to your law firm. The most popular of sites on social media for professionals, LinkedIn, can be great for bringing more awareness to your firm. Be sure you periodically update your LinkedIn profile, giving the public the latest information about your firm, cases you have been involved in, any new hires to the firm etc. As you can see there is a treasure-trove of opportunities waiting for you when you put social media to work for your firm.

While just about every lawyer will tell you that their top priority is making sure their clients get a fair trial (and hopefully the case goes their way), more in the legal field are learning how much of a role the Internet plays in bringing business their way.

When lawyers apply the time and effort to promoting their services with both a sound website and solid social media promotions, the possibilities for landing new business are endless.

If you are a lawyer looking for more of a presence on the Internet, start today to see how adept you can become at working the worldwide web to your advantage.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and marketing topics on the web.

Why is SEO Not One of Your Top Priorities?

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aseo

Name your top priorities as a business owner.

There is a good chance items like keeping your finances in the black, hiring and retaining the best employees and having the best customer service going are among things you zero in on.

With that said, where does maintaining a strong SEO presence rank? Wait, you are not even up to speed on SEO for starters?

For those a little late to the game, SEO means Search Engine Optimization. If you are not familiar with it, take the time to get familiar sooner rather than later.

With more and more consumers turning to online browsing and buying, business owners must have a solid website that ranks high on Google and other search engines.

When that is not the case, your site can be hard to find in generic searches, oftentimes leaving your competitor/s to rake in the business.

Finding the Right SEO Agency

In order to get your SEO game on and rank at or near the top of your respective industry when consumers search online, working with a knowledgeable SEO Agency is a necessity.

With many business owners glued to their finances, employees and more, knowing how to pick the right SEO agency can be a daunting challenge in some cases.

Among the factors to look at include:

  • The agency’s history and reputation. Do they have a good record or a laundry list of customer complaints;
  • What kind of service are they going to offer and is customer service a top priority? Bad customer service can be detrimental to your company;
  • Does your SEO consultant/company stay on top of various changes in the industry? If they don’t, you could find yourself getting the necessary advice a day late and a dollar short. From content to links, stay on top of what Google and others do and do not like (see below), allowing you to create the best SEO plan.

Need to Change is Important

Just as you have to make alterations in how you run your business, it is also important that your SEO provider adapt to ever-changing Google moves.

Keep in mind that Google is continually providing updates to its search algorithm during the year, so your SEO expert needs to stay abreast of such changes. If he or she doesn’t, your search ranking will suffer for it.

While your SEO provider should know all the basics from A to Z, it doesn’t hurt you as a business owner to be clued in on important facets of SEO. Keyword research and density, important backlinks, relevant content and how often you update your website are among the items you want to stay on top of.

So, feeling a little more up to speed on SEO?

If you’re still facing questions without answers, consider some of these following benefits in having a strong SEO game plan:

  1. Website experience – You want consumers coming to your site to have a positive experience. If your site does not provide this, you may not see them again, but your competition likely will;
  2. Avoiding penalties – If your site’s content is stale and/or duplicative or has that spam feel to it, Google could very well hit you with a penalty that impacts your PR (page ranking). Once that happens, it can take some time for your site to get back to a positive PR;
  3. Optimization – Last but not least, having a site that is correctly optimized gives you the ability to enhance both your search engine visibility and also your stature within the online community. Google Analytics also allow you to get a better feel for who is visiting your site, therefore helping you customize your advertising and marketing outreach.

Making SEO a priority in your daily business tasks should not be an option, it should come as a necessity.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes for a variety of websites on topics such as social media and marketing your business.

Are You Spilling Money Away?

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asuccessfulYou’ve got your business going quite well.

It’s just you and yourself, working from your home, but you’ve got some great clients and accounts. Maybe your business is a bit bigger and you’ve got a few employees and a nice office.

Here’s one thing you need to make sure you have, as well, no matter the size of your business – insurance.

Why do you need insurance if your business is small?

No matter the size of your business, if you are working with anyone, you should have insurance.

If a client comes to your home to meet with you (or your office for that matter) and trips on a loose carpet or an icy stair, you can be liable for paying all costs. If you don’t have insurance, you could be in big financial trouble.

Many customers want to know your insurance background, especially if you are doing work on their property.

For instance, if you are in construction and working in someone’s home, your customers will more than likely want to see you are insured before they’ll sign a contract with you because they don’t want to be responsible if you or your employees get hurt.

What kind of insurance is best?

Most professionals recommend general liability insurance, or commercial general liability insurance.  This protects a broad spectrum of claims, including negligence and injury.

With this, you’ll be covered in the case of a lawsuit, with court costs and reasonable expenses being covered through insurance. Your employees are also covered, even volunteers.

However, liability insurance does not cover if your employees get hurt and sue you. This would fall under workers compensation, which is another story.

Are these lawsuits common?

Unfortunately, yes.

Many slip and fall lawsuits are actually hoaxes by con-artists looking to make money, in fact, probably more are scams than not. However, people do legitimately get hurt and want compensation.

And, it’s not always a slip – as the article “Common Spills in Businesses” notes, these can include a trip, a stumble or anything that causes a fall.

Sure, it can be due to the client being careless, but it also can be your fault, maybe you have loose stones in your walkway or boxes were left in the way inhibiting safe stepping.

Even the legitimate cases are often quite hard to prove and the plaintiff needs a combination of documentation including photos of the scene, proof of injury and medical damage, and other evidence. However, the cost of the lawsuit itself can be detrimental to your business.

Bottom line, you need insurance to protect you and your business.

You don’t want something that could have been prevented or a dishonest person to be the downfall of your business.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Praisaeng at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Heather Legg is an independent writer who covers a variety of topics including small business, social media and education.