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Showing posts from September, 2019

10 Tips for Making a User-Friendly Website

Ever stumble upon a website and you're just... confused... as to what in the world is going on? There is no clear description of the company. There is no obvious product or service. Maybe descriptions are way too long and complicated. Maybe they're too short and vague. Or you get to shopping and realize you don't know what to click to add something to your cart. Unfortunately,  many small business websites are like this. And, they probably don't realize it. But I have 10 Tips to make sure your website doesn't fall into those pitfalls. 1. Who Are You? Yes, you need to answer who you are on your website. No, you don't need to go into your life story. It could be a short bio of yourself next to the description of your company. Include your expertise, your core values, and something interesting and compelling. Don't write a whole novel on yourself, but absolutely introduce yourself to your customers. They want to know who they're buying...

Three Types of Customers

Ever wonder who in on the other end when you're addressing your customers? Who stays because of your marketing or who leaves because you've missed the mark? There are 3 main types of customers. They stick around for different reasons because they each have different values. Here are a few tips when reaching out to them. 1. Discount Customer Values: Bottom-line Pricing This is the person who collects all the coupons, price-checks multiple sources, and is happy to go with whatever business as long as the price is below budget. Typically, these customers aren't very loyal.  Offering up coupon codes and discounts will keep them happy, but be careful. You need to be smart about it. For example, you could raise your tag prices, which gives you buffer room to o discounts. I suggest you research your competitors and their prices. Compare your products, materials, and techniques. When you know who you're up against, you can reassure your discount-lovin...

30 Questions for Your Next Feedback Form

Knowing what your customers are thinking isn't always easy. But giving them a feedback form to answer is a great way to see what they love, what they hope for, and what they are concerned about. Feedback forms are a great way to guide yourself into the next step of your business. You can gauge customer satisfaction, employee interactions, product improvement, and even go fishing for compliments to add to testimonials. Keep 3 different types of questions in mind: Open-Ended Questions: You can gain more information since the response requires more details. But be careful and sparingly with them. Customers are more likely to skip questions that require more effort. Options: Answers are more specific than "yes" or "no" and can be combined into well-organized data. However, be particular about the answer options you give since customers only have the selections you provide. Yes/No: These are the quickest to answer, so customers are likely to answer ...

The Importance of Branding

Starbucks. Target. Mercedes Benz. Walmart. Vans. Harley Davidson. Unless you've been living under a rock for a few decades, you know these brands. You can close your eyes and imagine you're there, in their establishment. You can hear the conversation between customers. (You know who they are, too). You know what to expect of the employees. The decor is color-coordinated. Their adverts have a similar feeling to them. That whole feeling? That's their brand. Their story they tell you so that you're familiar with them. It's what keeps them in your mind, even when you're not shopping. Because let's face it, you could get coffee anywhere. You can get shoes from several companies. You could get one of a million types of cars. But it's branding that brings you back. And if you're starting your own small business, you need to think of the story you want to tell. And then consider how you want to tell it. Because if you don't tell t...