Get More Web Exposure

Businesses often struggle with getting online exposure. Having a beautiful, amazing website doesn't necessarily result in exposure. Here are a few tips that can help your business and website get more traffic!

Using Social Media to Gain Exposure

Social media alone can help your business get the exposure it needs. First, you will want to create a business profile on a variety of social networks. Start by inviting your family and friends and business associates to follow you. Second, you will maintain your profile, and continue to post fresh content. You can share your latest product, special promotions, or articles related to your industry. The point is to ensure that your followers are continuously reminded that your business exists.

Increase Your Business Website's Traffic

You will want to focus your efforts on obtaining not just traffic but quality traffic. Quality traffic refers to visitors who may actually be interested in what you are selling or your website's content. Quality traffic is more likely to browse different parts of your website. This will reduce bouncebacks, increase your pageviews, and increase the amount of time they spend on your website. This will help you rank higher on search engines. You attract quality traffic by sharing your link on websites visited by your target market.

The use of backlinks also helps increase quality traffic. Backlinks refer to the incoming links to your website. You can increase backlinks by placing an advertisement, writing a blog as a guest, or becoming a sponsor. Your website's reputation and exposure increases with the use of backlinks. This also helps you rank higher on search engines.

You can also add your business to directories, such as Yelp, Google Places, and Yellow Pages. People are always looking for products or services, and this helps them find you.

SEO Content

Last but not least, you will want your website to have search engine optimized (SEO) content. The content must be engaging and include keywords related to the content. For example, if your business is focused on arts and crafts, you will use keywords related to this. You can provide tutorials on how to do certain crafts, also. Original tutorials are informative and often include good use of keywords. Furthermore, they are related to the type of business. You will want to make sure that the images are also SEO by adding Alt Text.

Remember that having a website or social profiles alone will not get you exposure. It requires time and dedication to get quality traffic. Lastly, you will want to ensure that your web design is easy-to-use.

Source: http://www.CaliImage.com

Paying Up Promptly Makes Good Business Sense

I was dismayed a while back to read that a certain global brand was pushing its payment terms out to a staggering 65 days.

OK, I accept that this is only for certain service lines and doesn't include component supply, but it is still a shoddy move and one that smacks of short term thinking and action that could lead to long term problems.

I am a customer of the company concerned and, in recent weeks, have been looking at buying from them again on two continents. They deliver what I've ordered on time and to specification, and their prices are OK, so I was fairly happy about going back to them again, both here and in the USA.

Supply chains are in fact more of a mesh, and being part of a supply mesh is just that; you are all linked. Yes you can break and replace a link, but, as a mesh, you become an entity and should behave with common interest. Any company can have a short term problem, and neighbouring links in the mesh will often be flexible with each other to share the load for the good of the whole. But that is a different argument to one link in the mesh deliberately passing load to other links. In that circumstance one of the overloaded links is almost guaranteed to fail and a hole appears that, in turn, overloads other neighbouring areas. As things go wrong, confidence in the mesh starts to fail. Other links fail and some decide to leave.

I say that this is short term thinking. Think of your own domestic outgoings. What If you decided not to pay any bills for the next month? Say that saved you two thousand pounds, but the next month you have to start paying your two thousand pounds again. There is no long term saving; you had an extra couple of grand for a few weeks, but now you're back on the same level of outgoings and your debt level has gone up. If it helped you round a problem and you can put some effort into slowly catching up then that's not so much of an issue, but just taking a payment holiday? No; not a good idea.

Times are hard at the moment, and there are two ways that we will get back to better times. One is innovation; being different about how we do things and the offerings that we take to market. The other is through collaboration, working together and looking after each other. I'm not talking about doing away with competition, I'm encouraging it, but there is a need for businesses to help each other where they can work together in serving the market. Where the relationship is contractual then delivering on time on the one hand and paying promptly one the other are crucial elements in making things work.

This is an often overlooked element of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Businesses need each other as much as communities do to provide the way that the individual members of the community can support themselves. I talked earlier about supply chains being a mesh, but that applies to society as well. If businesses truly recognise CSR, rather than just ticking the box, then they have to behave in a responsible manner.

I cannot believe that the company whose payment policy started this thread here really need 65 day terms. They may not need the thousand pounds I was about to pay them either, but they won't be getting it now. A small protest at their actions perhaps, but their behaviour has offended me.

Source: http://www.thatconsultantbloke.com/

New Strategy Phobia

When I want something, I immediately go into action to get what I want. I don't do a bunch of research. I'm inspired and excited so I get my rear in gear.

This is not always the best way to be when choosing a new financial investment or choosing new strategies to build a business. I've been burned countless times because I didn't stop to ask myself how the strategy fit into my plan. I also never took the time to research what it would take to fully utilize the strategy for success.

Over time I became skeptical of trying new systems, strategies and technologies in my business. I didn't want to be that person who jumped on every new thing the experts promised would make me a million dollars... and wind up broke and disappointed.

As usual, swinging from one side of a perspective to another doesn't solve your issues. I missed out on tons of awesome resources that my peers were using to uplevel their businesses. I made up a story that I wasn't smart enough to implement those same strategies in a way that got rockstar results.

After many years, I decided I'd had enough of "New Strategy Phobia".

Now when I hear a peer raving about something new they are using to improve their business, I ask questions. I ask about the cost to implement it, the statistics, their overall strategy and what was involved to create a system around it.

Some people try all the latest 'whiz bang' strategies and talk about how amazing it is BEFORE they get results. In the past, I listened to those people because it was verrrry easy for me to jump on board based on their enthusiasm.

Other people test their strategies before they brag. Those are the people I listen to now. And then I still do some research, ask how it fits into my plan and implement with care and attention.

Another important question: Am I willing to do what it takes to keep the strategy or system working well?

During my last launch I installed a chat feature on one of my sales pages. Once installed, we planned for success. Who would man the chat line? How would I know if someone wanted to chat? Who would teach me how to use it?

My team and I created a system to handle this feature. My manager figured out how it worked and gave me a quick tutorial. We decided that I'd man the chat line when I was not on calls and she'd do it when I was busy. I made a Post-it note to remind me to turn on the system when I walked into my office each morning.

The chat feature was directly responsible for over $10,000 in sales during my launch. And it was fun chatting with the potential customers! The system to implement this new feature was critical for my success.

I also tried another new strategy during my launch that scared the pants off me... Facebook ads! Several of my peers had been bragging about this for almost a year.

I immediately discounted it...

It'll cost too much money.

I'd have to figure out the 'perfect' ad.

How would I track the sales?

That's for big-time marketers who have money to burn.

Seems complicated. Too much to learn.

My friend, Justin, was getting phenomenal results with Facebook and he offered to teach me his formula*. He does lots of testing before he shares his strategies. Guess what? I made almost $5,000 of pure profit my first week using it, from people not previously on my email list! Happy dance!

Source: http://masterpeacecoaching.com

4th of July Food and Drink Ideas

For the kids you can use Sprite and Kool-aid for a fun colorful drink.  Mix the Kool-aid with water and make a red and blue tray of ice cubes.  Put the Sprite in a clear glass and throw in a few red and blue cubes.

Patriotic Oreo Pops will be a hit with all ages. You will need white chocolate, red,white, and blue sprinkles, sucker sticks, and Oreos.  It will be fun for the kids to make them as well.

Create a Red, White and Blue Sangria using strawberries, blueberries, pineapple (cut into star shapes with a cook cutter), two bottles of white wine, one cup triple sec, half cup berry-flavored vodka, half cup fresh lemon juice, and half cup simple syrup in a large pitcher.  Stir and chill!

Creating an alcohol free layered red, white, and blue drink is easy.  All you need is one cup red CranApple juice, one cup white Sobe Pina Colada, one cup blue G2 Gatorade and ice. The important part is the order. First fill glass one third full of CranApple than fill to the top with ice. Finally pour the remaining drinks on top of the ice. Pouring slowing is key.

Making Patriotic Puppy Chow, is a great desert to have in bowls around a 4th of July party.  It is cheap to make and the kids will love it.

Make a American flag cheese and fruit plate using strawberries, any desired white cheese, and blue berries. Using a big white rectangular plate, put a pile of blueberries in the top left corner and than to the right make lines of strawberries and cheese to fill the plate.

Another appetizer idea, is creating antipasta kabobs, using skewers, olives, cheese tortellini pasta, small cherry tomatoes, salami, olives, and mozzarella balls.  Fill up a large platter with skewers packed full.

Bacon. Wrapped. Hot. Dogs. seem necessary for the 4th of July.  A classic American lunch item, made even better.  It is simple and easy to make a lot of them for the entire party. Simply wrap the bacon around them before you put them onto the grill.

Preparing for this weekend's festivities, requires a lot of red, white and blue.  With lots of fun and easy food and drink ideas accessible through Pinterest, getting ready for the day with some of these recipes will be easier.

Source: http://kstp.com