In the past twenty years, the internet has evolved from a set of online directories to a world where anyone can find any business simply by typing in a few terms on a search engine. All one has to do is put in the business type and the area and in a matter of seconds, one can find a variety of results. This is a major departure from thirty years ago where one had to look through the yellow pages or read the newspaper in order to find businesses in the area. This article will discuss why not having a website would be harmful for your small business from an advertising standpoint.If You Choose Not To Have A Website, You Will Have To Spend A Lot Of Money To Advertise And Hope That You Will Get CustomersYes, having a website designed for you is expensive. You have to pay for the design and maintenance of the website as well as the search engine optimization so that your website will be noticed by the public. However, you will also have to pay a lot of money if you choose not to have a website for your business and you run the risk that others may not notice your business.In a world of many small businesses and where many of them have utilized the power of online marketing, you will need to advertise for your business. Newspaper advertisements, magazine articles, and flyers are not cheap to obtain or produce. In addition to spending actual money on these things, you also have to spend a lot of time in designing these advertisements or hiring someone to do it for you which will also cost time and money. In addition to losing money, the additional time spent with the advertisements takes away from the time you could be using to run the business.In addition, you also run the risk that your advertising may not be seen by a lot of people. With newspaper and magazine articles, there is no guarantee that your advertisements will get noticed by potential customers. Some people just read the headlines and main articles of newspapers and some just glance over the magazine articles. With flyers, it is possible that they will be blown away or ruined by weather or that others may choose not to pay attention to them.With a website, you can advertise the way you want to, without spending a lot of money, and you can do so on a medium that many people will get to see. So ask yourself, can you really afford not to get a website?
Author Archives: schatzi
Small Business Opportunities – Magazine Business
A Small Business Opportunities Magazine is one of the new small business opportunities opening up everyday. More and more companies are looking to outsource for basic services, cutting their budgets in the process and increasing profits. With this happening globally, the business opportunities available are increasing. This process will only benefit the company’s bottom line, but will also open the door for more employees to own their own businesses and take control of their lives.So where does one go to showcase their skills or to find a small business opportunity? Small business opportunity magazines is one place worth checking out. It is also a great place to make an investment to own a business of your own.Magazines are a multi million dollar industry every year. Advertisers and consumers both will benefit from a well laid out magazine. Opportunity magazines have a myriad of information in them regarding new positions, new trends, and new industries for the small business owner. Having a magazine available to the small business and home based business owners would be a gold mine.This magazine concept would be helpful to anyone looking to start a small business as well. Articles regarding how to start businesses, tax information, and investment estimates are all things that a home based professional will need to know. This magazine could be offered to anyone interested or already involved in a home based business.Additionally, the companies and organizations looking to hire home based employees would then be your advertisers. MLM and other marketing strategies are continually looking for the next advertising boom and your small business magazine could be it. Advertisers are interested in reaching an eager market, and business opportunities magazines would provide them with that.Start up cost for you, as a self publisher of a small business magazine will vary greatly. You will need to find a printing house to print your magazine, or purchase the equipment to do it yourself. With all the computer software available you could do your own publishing quite easily. Deciding on the extent and scale to which you want to distribute is an important factor in cost as well.To avoid the costly nature of publication, some small business magazines are being published on line as ezines (electronic magazines). Ezines offer the same benefits as regular publication, except that you avoid printing costs. Quality and timely delivery are still essential.Even though ezines are a relatively newer market, they are widely popular. Ezines are perfect for email, which is how many telecommuters and home based businesses are communicating these days. Web space to house your ezine is going to be greatly cheaper than print, and of course there are millions of Internet users worldwide. Shipping costs will be zero and you can email links to your subscribers and advertisers virtually for free.Clients interested in web based advertising will appreciate this twist on your publication. You will have access to a worldwide audience. Now all you have to do is get the news out that you have this publication to share.Advertising for your magazine is going to be imperative. Looking through and communicating with web site owners of freelance and small business web sites is a good place to start. Trading advertising is also an idea. Offering an ad in your publication for promotion on a web site could be a good offer.Do some research on ezines and small business magazines for price comparisons. Make sure that you are offering a fair value for your product. Advertisers on the Internet are looking for places to advertise. People looking for home based opportunities are looking for resources. There is demand on both sides of the spectrum, and you should be able to do well in this industry.
7 Tips For The Small Business Owners From Small Business Owners
7 Tips For The Small Business Owners From Small Business Owners, not just other small business owners but ones that have been successful.For most, the dream of owning your own business is a far fetched reality. The free life style that apparently comes with being the boss and accomplishing the best of your abilities within your niche or market are, in fact, reality for the small business owner. Of course, there will obviously be more stress than what you could possibly imagined when you were dreaming of you plans, but with planning and a proper strategy you can get past all those tough spot that you will get in. Here are 7 tips that have been developed by successful entrepreneurs that will help to your business be as successful as can be.1) You Must Develop a Unique Selling Point:To stand out from other competing businesses, you must develop a unique marketing promotion that pinpoints the benefits your clients will receive from doing business with your company. Do they get speedier service? Don’t be shy, be sure to focus and dramatize it, but always maintain your focus on the customer. “Free Overnight Shipping!” Shout It, “Get Faster Service and Discounted Shipping.” These would be 2 benefits with just one marketing campaign.What is the deciding decision maker for someone to buy from you instead of your competitor? Here’s a shock to your ego, and don’t take it personally, but you never come into their mental thought. It’s your product, or your service. Realistically, it is a little self-centered, but clients are attracted by offers that point out everything that is a benefit to THEM, not necessarily what you think is best for them.Do not waste a lot of time creating new products and services to get customers attention. The simple thing is to add a special benefit to the things you already offer. As mentioned before, possibly faster service. The biggest difference that is the most effective are things that emphasize benefits your competition does not or are not wanting to give.2) Get As Many Testimonials As You Can and Use Them:All business owners think that their product or services are the best on the market, but it’s not what you think but what your customers think about you and your product that is the only thing that counts to your potential customers. They see things from their objective and point of view. Word of mouth about your business is one of the biggest and longest lasting impact you can focus on.Testimonials can act as a very important aspect in your advertising – and definitely for small businesses. Big companies with popular names do not worry about this too much, but small businesses should use testimonials as a marketing tool to strengthen their credibility. As well, this is absolutely free advertising.What other way is there to gain credibility than by developing some satisfied customers and marketing what they say about your business? Here are some other ways to use testimonials as an effective and free part of our advertising campaigns.3) Have You Heard of Upselling:Upselling is one of the, if not the most successful advertising skills today. All around you, someone wants you to get or buy more. Like McDonald’s and its “Supersize” choices to stores that try to sell you matching items to match your outfit that you are purchasing, everyone’s doing it. And why not, it works!Clients already know that your products and service that you provide are amazing. They believe you will come through for them. Well then, it’s much easier to add on more sales to existing costumers who you have already developed a relationship with.Take every opportunity to “Up” your sales numbers with the customer’s that already exist. Is there another product that goes with the one they are already buying? Show it to them just before the close of the sale. Anything should be able to be added to any sale. This a proven method and highly effective for increasing your sales numbers. You’ll be surprised at the increase of sales you can create just from those customers who are currently already buying from you.4) Make Your Price Appear Lower Than the Competition:An old war tactic works in marketing to – Divide and Conquer! If the price seems too high, chunk it down into more affordable, little “buyable” bite sizes. A $180 sale is only 12 payments of $15. A $730 buy can cost only $2 a day. This sounds way more affordable attractive.5) Paint Extremely Pretty Benefits:People buy because they want the enjoyment that the benefits of the purchase will provide them, the sooner the better. A woman might purchase a dress because she believes she will feel sexy, or a man will purchase a novel because he will find enormous pleasure in reading it. Benefit emotions are the key factor to drive purchases.Using word pictures to rile up the emotions in a potential customer that will better your chances to instigate the sale. Have them “feel” any benefits they can, and you can be assured that they will be more open to go to the cash register. Guide them where you want them.6) Develop High Attention Getting Headlines:Can you capture your potential customers attention with great ad copy? Headlines are the starting place. How often do you read your local newspaper’s headlines before deciding to read the article? That’s where advertising loses or gains the reader’s attention, it’s pretty important as a main part of the advertising.A great headline should display its message, right to the point, hitting the reader’s nerves, in less than twelve words. Triple check those headlines. Are they making promises about a positive benefit, or ask an intriguing question? Do not settle for anything less than top quality attention grabbing headline, it will be worth the expense.7) Give An Offer They Just Can’t Resist:Do you think your deal too good to pass up? If it isn’t, you better improve it. I’m not talking about slicing prices again, you still have to profit. You could possibly make the offer sweeter simply by increasing the customers knowledge of the value of the product, or you could add bonuses that are perceived as important, but has little expense to you.Inspire customers with expirations. an open-ended offer promotes procrastination, which usually results in… yep, a no-sale. When your clients know they have only until a certain date to complete a sale for an item, they might be more motivated to pay now than have to pay more later. They’ll know it is important to go your store.I hope this has been of value to you and I wish you good fortune in your business goals.As always, here’s wishing you Great Health & Great Wealth.$ – Grant O’Kane (Kano)