(If you haven’t yet read any of this week’s previous posts – you can read the whole report from the beginning by Clicking Here…)

 
5) It can build long term business relationships

We all know the hardest part of any business is having to constantly find new customers and clients.
 
The best scenario is when existing customers return to “buy” from us time and time again – and also recommend us to family and friends.
 
Well your website (with a little tweak) is also a brilliant tool to keep your business at the forefront of your customers mind whenever they next need your service – or they know of someone who does.

 
It’s a very simple process which works fantastically well for independent local businesses – and this is what you do…

 
i) Build a list – encourage your prospects and customers to share their email details with you, by giving them something of value on your site.
 
This could be a special offer, discount voucher, entry into a competition, useful guide or information – or something as simple as offering to keep them informed of any special offers you may have coming up in the future.

 
ii) Keep in touch – how often you do so will depend on the average “buying frequency” of your customer.
 
If you have a business where a good customer may buy from you four, five, six or more times in a year – you should contact them about once a month. Hairdressers, florists, beauty salons, gift shops, dry cleaners, restaurants… in fact most retail businesses would be in this group.
 
At the other end of the scale there will be tradesmen such as plumbers, electricians, builders, garage services or carpet cleaning. For these businesses 2 – 3 times a year will probably be fine.

 
iii) Educate, entertain and entice – make whatever communication you email, one or all of these things. If what you send them is interesting they will read it – but if you are just trying to get them to part with their money every time, they will not.
 
Do this the right way and at the very least you will be at the forefront of their mind whenever they need your service again (or when their friends do).
 
At the very best they will spend more money with you on a regular basis.

 
If you are a hairdresser and your average client has their hair cut every eight weeks, if you can tempt them to come in every seven weeks – your turnover will increase by over 15% this year!
 
If you have a restaurant and your average customer dines with you six times a year, entice and encourage them to eat in your business twice more this year and your turnover will go up by over 30%!
 
And that is without finding any new customers and without introducing new and different products and services to them!
 
For the trades and services with less frequent spending habits, it is a little different – but it still works.

 
And it work’s because you give them something of value or interest – whilst at the same time, letting them know they are appreciated and valuable to you as a customer. Using your website this way – as a business tool, is a very powerful way to grow your business and reduce your advertising costs.

 
And so we come to the end of our 5 Business Booming Benefits Of An Effective Website – phew, it’s been a busy few days.

 
If you started the week thinking a website for your business would be a pointless waste of money, I hope I’ve been able to show you what an invaluable asset an effective website could actually be.
 
A website is so, so much more than just an online business card.

 
If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please Contact Me for a no obligation chat – I’d love to hear from you.

The post 5 Business Booming Benefits – Day 5 first appeared on Getting Local Business Online.

 
2) It provides a perfect introduction of you and your business
 
You can give your prospect much more information on a website than it’s possible to include on a business card, flyer or in a print ad.
 
It tells your visitor who you are, what you do, what you stand for, how you are different from everyone else – and why they should choose to do business with you.
 
You don’t need a flashy, animated, “clever” site to impress your visitor – in fact, quite the opposite.
 
A smart, simple, easy to navigate website – stamped with your uniqueness and personality – is just what you need to create that memorable impression.

 
It is much easier and less “salesy”, than a phone call or a conversation face to face… for both parties.
 
This is a very important factor these days. More people want to make their own decision, from their own research – and would rather do this without speaking to anyone in the process. Sad maybe… but true.

 
You will have a good idea what your customer is looking to find out about your business – and you can give them all the information they need to know to take the next step.
 
You can say everything you want to say without interruption and they are relaxed because they are in control.
 
If they like the sound of what you are offering – and don’t forget, they were searching for you for a reason – they will then get in contact to find out more.

 
A few months ago my partner was looking for Horse Riding Schools for herself and our daughter. She searched online and looked in the Yellow Pages, but she didn’t consider any business that didn’t have a website.
 
She wanted to get a feel for a school that was right for them both.
 
If none of the Riding Schools had websites, she would have had to phone or visit to check them out. But enough did have websites for her to make a judgement and a decision – and she has been very happy with the choice she made.
 
The businesses without websites never got over the first fence – pun intended.

 
At the very least an effective website is an online business card or brochure for your business. But, as we will see over the next few days – it is so much more than that.
 
I’ll be back tomorrow for Day 3, I hope you can join me…

The post 5 Business Booming Benefits – Day 2 first appeared on Getting Local Business Online.

 
So let’s start the week ahead with our first benefit – and it’s a big one…

 
1) It makes your business stand out
 
I heard a report on the radio recently which said, 80% of UK businesses now have a website. From my own research and experience, I would say the number of independent local businesses with websites – is currently much lower.
 
Of the 200+ businesses who regularly advertise in the excellent Go Local magazine in my local area, only slightly more than 50% currently have a website. And these are businesses obviously quite “savvy” and proactive in their marketing.

 
If you provide a product or service in a sector where the majority of your competitors don’t have their own website, your business will stand out “head and shoulders” above them. You become one of the premier business providers in your field – and are seen as a “professional” in your area of expertise.
 
If you provide a product or service in a sector where the majority of your competitors already do have a website, getting your own presence online is a bare minimum requirement. But even here, it is still easy to have a website that stands out.
 
You see, many business website are little more than “contact pages” and don’t attempt to “connect and engage” with the customer at all. They may explain what they do – but not what they can do for their customer.

 
Here are a couple of examples – one bad, one good – to show you what I mean… Click Here… when you have finished reading the last part of today’s post.

 
So “standing out” is not just about having a website, but about how you share your message with your prospects and customers.

 
Finally, being able to include a website address on your business cards, flyers and print ads – is just as important a benefit as being “found” when people search for you online.

 
You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned how important it is to make sure your website stands out by looking better than all your competitors. That’s because it doesn’t!
 
Yes, it’s important it looks sharp and clean and not cheap and tacky, but having the flashiest, fanciest website can often have a detrimental effect.

 
More about this tomorrow when I will be back with the second Business Booming Benefit Of An Effective Website – Providing a perfect introduction.

The post 5 Business Booming Benefits Of An Effective Website first appeared on Getting Local Business Online.

 
The most up to date and cutting edge techniques they are using to communicate with their customers (ie parents) – is probably more about protecting the environment and going green than anything else.
 
Nevertheless, in looking for ways to save money and energy and become more efficient, they have turned to the tools that all the smart business owners are now using to effectively market their product or service.

 
And at the same time they have become even more efficient and effective in building their relationships and getting people to buy!
 
None of these tools are brand new, you’ve probably experienced them all personally – but are you using them consistently in your business?

 
Website
 
They have had a website for quite a while and use it to both connect with potential new “customers” – and communicate with existing ones. It is used more for general background about the school, but there is also some information about recent activities and upcoming events.
 
Most importantly the website is not presented as an alternative to personal contact, but a purely a pre-cursor to it.

 
Newsletters
 
The school has always sent out printed newsletters 2 – 3 times a month. Now it gives the parents the choice whether they would like to receive them via e-mail.
 
Some people may choose the email because they want to help cut down on costs and also the environment – others so they can be sure they are actually getting the newsletter and it’s not left in their child’s drawer until the end of term!
 
(Yes, the latter was me. Sorry headmistress for not completing the survey sent out at the end of November!)

 
Text Messaging
 
This is the most recent addition to their communication arsenal.
 
They use this as a final reminder for upcoming events (usually a call to buy) and also when there is an unexpected change in events at the last minute.
 
It’s a very immediate medium which has a much better chance of being delivered and read. It takes a fraction of the time to send than a phone call and it is better received because it is less intrusive on people’s time.
 
As more people get used to receiving communication in this way – more people find they prefer it.

 
What’s Next?
 
I wonder how else they will be using the internet in the future, to make their communication more efficient and effective and to succeed in their ultimate objective of reducing their carbon footprint even further.
 
Completing school dinner menus online… teachers uploading homework assignments and records for parents to see… Facebook… Twitter… there own mobile phone app??? Who knows where it will end?

 
What can you learn from a village Primary School that you can do in your business right now – to connect and engage with your customers and get them to buy?
 
How can you encourage your potential or existing customers to share their details so you can keep in regular contact and occasionally tempt them to buy?
 
This is the secret of modern marketing. If you are not doing this, you are missing out on a huge amount of potential business.

 
I will leave you to ponder on that one, but will be back with some fantastic, easy to implement ideas for you in the New Year.

 
I wish you a very Merry Christmas to you and your family and I hope that 2011 will be an even more successful year for your business.

The post Returning to School for Lessons in Marketing – Part 2 first appeared on Getting Local Business Online.

 
A couple of days ago I was sat in the church for our youngest daughter’s Carol Concert – the last one before she moves up into “big school” at the end of the summer.
 
A journey that started all those years ago with our son – was now coming to an end.
 
I’m sure anyone with children now in their teens, or older, will understand how I feel. These early years really are the most magical – after this, things are never quite the same again.
 
I made the most of the moment.
 
A moment made even more poignant not only by the nostalgia of the season and the heart warming excitement of the children, but also because it was snowing as we walked into the church.

 
The local Primary School is very much the centre of our community for all those who have children there. I have never felt that connection with our son’s Secondary School – and don’t expect it to change when our daughter joins him next year.
 
It would be very easy to put it down just to the increasing independence of the child as they get older, but I don’t think it’s just down to this.
 
Either consciously or subconsciously, our local Primary School is very successful in applying the 3 basic principles, that I call The ABC of Modern Marketing;
 
A) Develop a connection,

B) Nurture the relationship, and

C) Get us to buy!

Could Your Local Primary School Teach You A Few Things About Marketing?

 
Well, let’s see how they apply these laws to their “business”?
 
A) They develop a connection in Reception Class by showing they care for our children. They want exactly the same for them as we do – The Best.
 
Our children usually have fun at school, the teachers tell us how well they’re doing – how great they are – hell they sometimes even make us feel like they love them as much (or more) as we do!

 
B) They nurture the relationship – keeping us updated about our child’s progress and what is going on in school.
 
They talk to us in the classroom or the playground, send newsletters home and holding regular parent’s evenings. They invite us in to assemblies, Sports Day, to accompany them on trips out of school, the Christmas Show and of course the Carol Concert.
 
They always have time to talk to us.

 
C) They “get us to buy” – in more ways than one.
 
They let us know how important we are to them… to help them in the education and development of our child. We spend time helping our children with their homework – to help them, and the school, maximise their full potential.
 
They also present a master-class in extracting money from our pockets!
 
Christmas Fairs, Summer Fairs, Shopping Evenings, PTFA Summer Ball, Book Clubs, School Photo’s, Bonfire Party, Christmas Raffle, Car Wash for Year 6 Residential Trip… the list goes on! And this excludes events like Harvest Festival and various charity events they support but don’t get any benefit from themselves.

 
I doubt they really know how good at “marketing” they actually are.
 
I know in this case we have to move on – but I don’t WANT to leave. I want to stay a customer forever…

 
However, your customers usually don’t have to leave. If you connect, engage and treat them well, they will stay with you forever.

Can you apply the same principles to your business?

 
A) Develop a connection – Develop the right marketing message and, just as importantly, the right marketing medium – to attract your ideal target customer.
 
Reach out to get them to visit and “try out” your business for the first time.
 
Give them great service and make sure they want to come back for more.
 
B) Nurture the relationship – Encourage them to come back again and find a way to get their details to stay in touch in between times. Treat them better – and make them feel more special and cherished than your competitors do.
 
C) Get them to buy – Once they have bought from you 3 to 5 times you have a regular customer. You will find it very easy to get them to spend more money, more often in your business.

 
And if you’re impressed – and maybe even slightly embarrassed – about how well a Primary School is applying these basic principles, you will be stunned by what else they are doing!
 
I’ll be back in a couple of days to show you how they are way ahead of the game when it comes to the very latest in Social Marketing techniques.

The post Returning to School For Lessons in Marketing first appeared on Getting Local Business Online.

 
What is YOUR exit plan?
 
If you don’t yet have an exit strategy for your business, don’t panic – it’s not too late to develop one.
 
If you would like your exit strategy to be working towards either A) or B) – you have to start looking at ways you can build your business into an asset.
 
However the harsh and brutal truth is, if you don’t have a business that can’t run without you, you don’t really have a business at all – you have a “job.” A highly stressed income source you can never truly walk away from and relax at the end of the day because you are your own boss – but a job nonetheless.
 
If it isn’t already, you need to be thinking about how you can grow your business to a level where it is too much for you to handle all by yourself. If you only ever have a business that generates just enough income to support yourself, you will only ever have options C) and D)
 
For options A) and B) you will almost certainly have to be “earning off the work of others” – but this doesn’t have to mean hiring employees. (MUCH more about this in later posts and future articles on this site)

 
Getting Your Local Business Online is one of the most efficient and effective ways of growing your business both quickly and sustainably. And it works equally well whether you sell a product or provide a service.
 
Whilst you’re thinking of your exit plan, and if you haven’t already done so – grab a copy of my Essential Marketing Strategies for Local Business by Clicking Here
 
If you would like a free consultation about your exit plan – or what an online strategy can do for your business, I would be very happy to talk to you.
 
Contact Me Here

The post Begin With The End in Mind first appeared on Getting Local Business Online.

 
The government has already identified this importance – and has announced at least 3 major initiatives this year.
 
At the beginning of the year it backed Getting British Business Online, a campaign by Google, BT and a number of other organisations, in which the internet giant pledged to help up to 100,000 businesses by providing a free website. (You did have to build it yourself though!)
 
In June, David Cameron continued where Gordon Brown had left off and appointed Martha Lane Fox, one of the original dotcom pioneers – to become his Digital Champion. A month later she launched her Network Nation Manifesto and with it, a plan to get millions more people online by the end of 2012.
 
And this week the coalition announced it is investing £830 million to give the UK, Europe’s best broadband network by 2015.
 
Even though this is 25% less than the previous governments pledge and they’ve pushed the completion date back 3 years – it is still a significant commitment in these cash-stretched times.
 
Ok, so what does this investment and focus mean for your business?
 
Our use of and reliance on the internet is only going to soar over the next few years. If you don’t recognise and embrace this, you may still do ok, but will never maximise the full potential of your business.
 
This doesn’t just apply to businesses that sell a “physical product” – and can extend their reach from locally to nationally, or even internationally. Not by a long way.
 
Smart businesses will be using their websites and the internet to develop relationships that keep their customers coming back for more time and time again. And go on to recommend them to friends… without even being asked.
 
Having a business website or a visible online presence, will be an expectation – the norm – let’s take that as read.
 
Traditional ads are becoming less effective, fewer people pick up the Yellow Pages as the first means of search – and the massive influence smart phones such as the iphone are having in our society, is clear for all to see.
 
Martha Lane Fox has identified that 10 million adults, around 20% of the adult population, currently do not know how to use the internet! If this figure drops as dramatically as she intends it to over the next few years, just think for a minute of the irreversible change this is going to have in the way we look for, find and select local products and services.
 
For those who can see the opportunities, there are truly exciting times ahead for independent businesses.

 
For some fantastic tips, tactics and strategies you can start using today in your business, grab a free copy of my exclusive special report “How to Get More Clients… Spending More Money… More Often… in Your Business”. (There are also lots of ideas you can use without a website too!)
 

Click here now – for your free report

The post Why The Future Is Online For Your Local Business first appeared on Getting Local Business Online.

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