Lalupita's Business & Marketing

Archive for June, 2011

I’ve found some great advice in this Business7 article on social media. There’s often a tendency amongst small businesses to think that using social media is something they should leave to the bigger companies with bigger budgets, but I think that’s an error on their part. Social media helps to level the playing field between small and large businesses and it gives you a great opportunity to get your message out to your customers.

The article gives us one really key piece of information – 53% of adults follow a brand online through social media. That’s over half of your clientele who are willing to be in regular contact with you, if you make your social media presence engaging enough. If they’re following you, and you’re generating interesting content, links or offers, they’ll share that with their friends without you having to do anything. In effect, for a minimal outlay of time and resources, you can get your customers to do your advertising for you. We all know that word of mouth is perhaps the most effective form of advertising there is, and social media provides a way for you to tap directly into that, without the public liability issues of hiring people to generate that buzz for you.

As Business7 point out, an engaging social media presence is an essential for any ambitious business. Not only can it generate recommendations and sales, people spreading your message and talking about your brand help to boost your search ranking and brand awareness. It also provides a great low-cost way of dealing with customer service issues and enquiries. People can talk to you direct through social media, and if you’re a small business, they’ll appreciate the personal touch they get from speaking directly to a key person.

During a query language called recently with a new client, they said their main concern is that a good transport network, but sales. I’ve seen a thousand times. Normally, what I think is a place full of content that is full of words and repetitive noise is stupid. The solution is simple: a natural sound, SEO convincing copy that attracts customers to buy. But customers of the site does not fit the stereotype.

Copying the page needs a little work, but it was terrible. The pages of the category and subcategory had copies of everything that needs to be repaired. The descriptions of the products is maintained (by the manufacturer.) While it is certainly not the best way to go for various reasons, not the death penalty. But for a site – a new brand – several hundred visitors a week and not a sale has been frustrating.

Consider some data. Low bounce rate, number of pages viewed per visit, the length of time acceptable to the site. Quotes lot to be desired, but it came together, sometimes with some modifications and some links.

As you approach your pages in the website indicated. the absence of differentiation: This site has been a common curse of e-commerce merchants.

Why should I buy from you?

In general, most supermarkets carry almost the same things. So how do you decide where you purchase most often? It was probably due to the location of the store. Online, we do not have this advantage.

If e-commerce merchants carried the same voices of hundreds or thousands of other sites that customers are comparing a hard time deciding which to buy. Most of the time, is the price. Since my client is not your site will be considered the best connection, which had lost the advantage of location and price.

After providing the search through dozens of websites, the same products, the Internet has no way to answer that burning question: Why should I buy from you?

The identification of points of differentiation

As our tour continued, I asked questions – many questions – to help the effort to find my client through individual and / or better than the competition were.

>> Do you offer free shipping or reduced costs (with or without minimum order)?

He did, but said not on your site. There is an element of differentiation. Online shoppers love free shipping.

>> Any offers?

He did, but does not explain clearly. He made a note alerting her PhD on the home page.

>> There are reductions in the volume?

He did, but the link to the copy that the discount has been declared hidden in his place. We talked about adding a few words for the price of the fee for visitors to learn about discounts.

>> Can you tell me the wish list function? What happens after someone adds an item to the wish list?

He did not, then we went through the process and creates a backup plan for the strategic location to attract visitors to add items to your wish list. Then, we discuss the details of the making of copies of a number of automatic response to people who had created a wish list, but never ordered.

When our time is up, we have a number of action points to work on your site to differentiate from competitors identified. Of course, each tested to see what works best to achieve their goals. But it is now occupied and monitoring of adjustment, instead of scratching their heads.

Which to me recently over lunch in a local Grill Moe’s Southwest, a new phenomenon is the restaurant scene in the form of bad attempts expanded to differentiate itself from its competitors – to rename the business conditions Acquired pseudo cute. This is clearly visible in the field of food faster and it is increasingly common as businesses struggle to communicate with consumers to create loyalty and / or preferred shares.

Moe is a good example. Personally, I think we have to offer a great product, but they left and to confuse the “Twat” to be stupid with silly nicknames for their meals and they serve only to frustrate customers. It is easy to see that the idea is behind the scenes, but the risk of attempted product differentiation. You’re strong competition for franchises such as Qdoba, Baja Fresh, Chipotle, Labamba, Taco Bell and Tijuana Flats, need (and many others), but no translator competitor for a simple burrito or taco . Try one of these places that you stop day and night for a “Joey,” or ask “Alfredo Garcia”. Can be obtained with three heads (rightly) considered.

What is a franchise differ from trying to use childish insults? It’s probably a good excuse for a manager of a marketing concept is the individual competition, but this is not the kind of separation that allows the notion of long-term success. Ultimately, the separate right – the competition is to win the starting time stunt, on and off by complaints from consumers who prefer the perspective of competition, even if all other factors are relatively equal.

Sure, it looks very good today, Moe, and the concept seems to be “cool” today, but that could change in an instant without warning. The current growth could be compromised by a false step, because there is less room to move when you try to satisfy their customers to form their concept. What if consumers collectively said, “I’m in no mood to Moe?” Maybe “nice” set aside the desire to really different (ie better)?

Do not get me wrong, there are many positive things. The restaurants are well established, the decor is modern, the lighting is adequate and the food is delicious, not to mention at a reasonable price. The physical environment is elegant and welcoming. He is also obvious negatives. Employees are called together to: “Welcome to Moe!” at the height of his lungs as a new customer does make me want a business for some time to open. I can not wait to get outside, so I do not know more than me. I want to thank some peace and normalcy Moe with my food.

Atop the time Moe’s frustrating, of course, emphasizes cram into the jaws of private consumption, correcting the customer for the order of ingredients you want rather than his nickname. You’re not my training, Moe’s food supply is suspected of high quality fast and I’ll ring the cash register – I was not right, just boil, take the money and let me eat in peace !

Moe is not alone in this feeble attempt of differentiation and not the last, but the lesson is just to keep that customer service – customer service. The customer pays for what I do not think he will inform the customer if the equation is structured this way. If you pay people to start your franchise or business trip, you’re good to try to train them right, to do business with you. Stick to business and industry dictate to develop a better way of doing things. Then and only then make a real difference. Just change the name of a common element or process does not make you different – it does the opposite. Do not confuse the two.