Save Time & Money with Online Forms

This seems like a no brainer but let's break it down...

Do you have forms that customers, vendors or other associates need to complete?

If you answered "yes" then you could start saving time and money by offering these forms on your website.

How do I make the form available?
You don't need to get fancy here. The easiest way to put a form on your website is to scan it and upload it as a pdf or jpeg file (pdf is a portable document file that most people have the ability to open. You can download the software for free from Adobe if you don't have the software). Then make a link to the file and in a click - a visitor can download the form.

If you need a more comprehensive option you can always use an online form builder like JotForm which is fairly simple to use and is free.

How do I use it to save money?
Now of course most businesses provide these paper forms for completion in their office or by mail but when you offer an online version - customers can go on your website, download and print the form themselves. They can complete it on their own time and bring it in ready to go. Many businesses who require completed client profiles, release waivers and other documents find that they spend less time waiting for a client to complete the form and more time engaging with them for the sale or appointment. It's called efficiency!

Plus you just saved on paper cost! Now, you might already email the forms as part of your daily routine but remember - that takes your time, which is valuable. Imagine if you had to email 50 people their release forms - what if all you had to say was - "Go to our site to download our new customer form"? Can you imagine what you can get accomplished with that amount of time saved?

Will my client like this option?
Everyone is different. You might have older clients who are not as internet savvy who still like their paper form and pencil. Others will like that they don't have to worry about losing the form or spilling something on it because they know where they can go get another one. The fact is that most people use the internet in their daily life and find it conveinant to have resources at their fingertips. Being able to get what they need from you 24/7 makes you look professional.

Before we go - make sure you remember to keep your forms small in file size for fast downloads and stay away from programs that not everyone might have like MS Word or Excel. Stick with PDF or JPEG files that anyone can open - but not alter. AND MAKE SURE YOUR NAME AND LOGO ARE ON IT so they know who the form belongs to.

Why Should I Link to Others on My Website?

There can be quite a bit of disagreement on this subject so we will cover both sides of the issue: Should you put links to outside websites on your website?

Cons - Let's hit the bad news first

• People will leave my page - it's true that when a visitor clicks on a link they might leave your page however nowadays most links can be made to open in a new window allowing the visitor to see the new page while still maintaining a connection with your page.
• It gives away my search ranking - it's possible but there are algorithmic changes taking place right now that may change this and actually give you a higher ranking for having external links.
• It could hurt my reputation - if you are not careful who you are linking to, it could be damaging to your internet reputation. Make sure any website that you connect with distributes accurate content and practices safe browsing (ie: cookies, spamming, viruses etc.) When in doubt - don't link.
• Too many links doesn't look good to search engine spiders - we've all stumbled on those sites that promise to deliver information on something only to find that the page is full of links to other places. Search engines work hard to downplay these types of sites so if you use external links too often - you could get caught in that group. It does take an abundance of links to draw this kind of attention.

Pros - now for the good stuff

• Establish yourself as a resource center - if people see that they can get to the places they want to go from your site (usually relevant to your industry and their interest) they will remember that you are the go-to website to visit.
• Double Sided Linking - You can swap links with affiliates and associated vendors. Back links from other websites does help search engine ranking and so when you link to someone they should be willing to link back to you. Linking can be a two-way street!
• It could help your reputation - yes just as linking to bad sites can hurt you, linking to good, trusted sites can help you. If you are a member of an organization, ask if they have a member badge that can link to your listing on their site or their home page. People will see that you are affiliated with that group and the organization will have gotten a back link to their site.
• It encourages participation and cooperation - There are a lot of very smart, very dedicated, talented people on the web that can either contribute to making your efforts more successful or inhibit your growth. When you link out, especially in a consistent, opportunity-driven way, you build incentives for the bloggers, social media sophisticates, online journalists, website builders & forum participants to engage with your site. Granted, when you're small and just starting out, the incentive is small, but don't underestimate the power of rewarding your community - it's built some of the most amazing brands on (and off) the web.

Okay we admit it - we might be a little biased but it really is up to you!

Building a Mission Statement for Your Business

Every business needs a mission statement. Sometimes, companies, both new and existing, struggle to compose a mission statement. A mission statement can be a very strong motivational statement for staff and employees as well as a strong marketing and branding tool for customers. Some great examples of mission statements that hit the mark completely are:



Disney – "To make people happy"


Would anybody argue that this is not accomplished by Disney? Does it set the tone and atmosphere for Disney employees? Would Disney customers agree? The answer is a resounding yes!


Boeing – "To push the leading edge of aviation, taking huge challenges doing what others cannot do"


If you do any kind of research about the development of Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, you would see this mission in action. Do you think that Boeing's employees or customers doubt this statement? I doubt it.


3M – "To solve unsolved problems innovatively"


How many of you use Post-It Notes? Do you know how they were invented? NASA was looking for a product that would stick to surfaces indefinitely and still be easy to peel off. One 3M engineer spent quite a bit of time getting 3M to market this product commercially. Do you think his motivation was partly driven by this mission statement?


A business’s mission statement can be something that is totally ignored by both its employees and its customers, or it can be something that drives the organization, attracts customers, and brands its products. The latter is the best course of action.


Companies that have created dynamic and compelling mission statements get feedback from the highest and lowest ranking employees as well as their customers. They brainstormed, reviewed and rewrote their mission statement until everyone was satisfied. The employees and management agreed that the mission statement correctly identified what they hoped to accomplish, and the customers agreed that the mission statement defined what they wanted and needed.



Creating A Mission Statement


First of all, you should get everyone involved in a productive manner and do the following:


1. Pick One Central Theme. The theme should be easy to understand, non-controversial, and translate into behavior that can gain support. Take Disney, for example. They wanted people to have fun. They wanted their employees to have fun. They wanted people to be able to escape, for just a moment, the grind and stresses of their day-to-day environment.


So what is your theme? Does it deal with a product, service or both? Can it be easily understood and interpreted by both your employees and customers? In some cases, it may have to be mildly controversial to provoke thought and discussion.


2. Communicate With Action. This will not be something that you type up in 12pt font and lose somewhere. Once you have picked your mission statement, commit to it repeatedly. Review it often – at the beginning and end of every day. Share it actively with your employees and customers. You should be proud of your mission.


3. Focus On A Few Key Attributes Of Your Service Or Product. Take the example of Boeing. Do you want to push the leading edge of your technology? Do you want to accept challenges that others won't or can't? Do you want to solve problems that are difficult and challenging to solve? Does this key attribute bring value to your customers? What makes you stand out from everyone else in your industry? If you have a niche or strong specialty – maybe it needs to be mentioned. Companies have made billions of dollars by focusing on their strengths and incorporating what they do best into their marketing in every way.


4. Don't Rush The Process. Brainstorming and creativity take time. If you think that developing a mission statement in five minutes is the best way to go – you might find yourself revising over and over again. Or not buying into it in the first place. True, your mission statement can be as simple as “To make people happy” but you can bet that a company like Disney has several steps in play to make sure they meet that mission statement – it isn’t just for looks. The main point – this is not a race!

Finally….look at what other businesses have in place already. Get inspired & Get Focused!

Creating Content for your Social Media Marketing Strategy

Quality, focused, fun and relevant content should be at the heart of any social media strategy. Relatable and useful content should reflect your brand and give people a reason to stay engaged.

That’s why it’s imperative to create a content strategy for your social media campaign. Without a guideline for what you will send out and a plan for how and when you say it, you risk leaving your audiences, at best, confused. At worst, they’ll ignore you. No business wants customers to ignore them.


Here are five social media content strategy techniques that will help strengthen relationships and earn your business quality results on the social web.

 1. Identify Your Voice


Everything you say on the social media sites should “sound” like your business. It’s something companies like Skittles do well. Some of their status messages achieve more than 1,000 comments, and many exceed 10,000 “Likes” on Facebook.


Why are these little quips of content so successful? The writing is just like the candy: colorful, playful and imaginative. The pithy, daily, flavor-packed observations are reliably surprising. You can relish today’s post and look forward to tomorrow’s. Skittles want people to think of them and in turn buy their candy and what better way than making a lasting impression through social venues?


Think about your brand in the same manner. What are three words that describe the voice of your business? Now make sure that everything you write and post embodies those three words. This will create a consistent voice in your social media presence.


2. Time Your Content


Create a calendar or timeline that spells out what will be relevant in your business or industry and pay attention to what else is happening….like holidays or local and national events. Now think about what you’re going to say and when you’re going to say. Make sure it’s relevant to where people are in their lives and the season. Nobody cares about Santa Claus in January, but a whole lot of people care about sales after Christmas. A quick look at Google Trends or other social media sites for what is trending can help keep your information up to speed.



3. Know Your Audience


Why would somebody follow you? Why would they like your business? It’s because your content offers them something? Make sure you deliver! For example, a company like SKYY Vodka on Twitter has posted messages in response to what other people are talking about. It shows they are listening and engaging in the conversation. A competitor, Grey Goose hasn’t tweeted in four months and their posts on Facebook are repeats. They aren’t to their followers, Grey Goose is talking at their followers. Their lack of engagement leads people to believe they are just in it for image sake. If a follower doesn’t stick around just because someone posts daily – it’s what the business is saying that makes the impression.

 4. Solve Problems


Humans have survived for so long because we solve problems. And when we don’t know the answer – we look for someone who does and offers it freely.


Give your audience tools to help themselves, and establish yourself as the go-to expert. By making things easier for others, we build trust. Trust strengthens our relationship and people do business and buy from people and businesses they trust.

 5. Be True



Good content isn’t phony. It doesn’t make promises that it can’t keep. It’s human and honest. It has a personality and a point of view. It’s social! That’s why it engages us and makes us want to plug into it on a regular basis. That’s why we follow or like your business.


Your audiences will sniff it out if you’re pretending. But if you’re fun, honest and relevant, they’re going to recommend you to their friends. That is what social media’s all about!

How to Choose a Good Website Domain Name?

In the modern world of the Internet, where people automatically turn to the Web for information, your domain name needs to be unique to you to actively lead people to your business. Customers have short memories; they will not memorize an unrelated URL. Keep it simple for your customers and visitors and uniquely related to your business. Here are some useful answers...


What is a Domain Name?

Just to make sure we're all on the same page here, a domain name is the web address that leads people to your web site. Just the same as your home address, web browsers will direct people to your site via your domain name which ususally starts with 'www.' and ends with .com, .net, .co, .biz, .org etc.


Should My Domain Name Match My Business Name?
In most cases....yes! Example: If my business name is Bloomin Flowers then my website domain name might be http://www.bloominflowers.com/ or http://www.bloomin-flowers.com/. This makes it easy for people to find my website just by searching for my business by name. You want your site to be easy to find and easy to get to. Many new businesses search for and secure their domain name before officially naming their business for this reason.

Not every domain name matches the business name, surprising but true.Suppose those domain names for Bloomin Flowers are taken already. So instead I get http://www.bf.com/ which is my initials but rather obscure since it doesn't delinate what my business is. What happens when my customers type in Bloomin Flowers in a search engine. My competitors' sites will show up first and if I haven't actively made my website search engine friendly, my site might not show up or be recognizable.


What if I can't Match my Domain Name to My Business Name?
Your domain name choice may be already bought and could be a lot of time and money to get ownership of it. You have to determine how important the one you want is and how much you may be willing to spend to buy it from the party that already owns it. Check up the "whois" information for the domain, and contact that person listed to see if they're willing to sell it.

On the other hand, if you're just starting out, you might prefer the cheaper alternative of trying to obtain a domain name first, and then naming your website (or business) after the domain that you've acquired. This may seems a bit like putting the cart before the horse, but that's the reality if you don't want to lose out on the Internet.

Sometimes adjusting the domain name slightly will allow you to get a domain name that matches your business without having to pay extra. Here are some factors to consider...
Abreviations versus KeywordsDomain names can be of any length up to 67 characters. Some argue that shorter domain names are easier to remember, easier to type and far less susceptible to mistakes. Plus if you work with your initials alot you can incorporate this into your marketing. Example: www. RCDbyJohn.com for a business called Really Cool Designs by John. It's increasingly difficult to get short meaningful domain names because most have been sold already. If you manage to get a short domain name though, the key is to make sure it's a meaningful combination of characters and not hard to type and remember

Others argue that a longer domain name is usually easier on the human memory - for example, "gaepw.com" is a sequence of unrelated letters that is difficult to remember and type correctly, whereas if we expand it to its long form, "GetAnEconomicallyPricedWebsite.com", we are more likely to remember the domain name. If you have a tagline that you use often, it can be positive to use that as a domain name. Long domain names that have your site keywords in them also have an advantage in that they seach better in the search engines. This is the key to being found on the internet, can the search engines find your company.
Try to avoid extremely long names verging on 67 characters. Aside from the obvious problem that people might not be able to remember such a long name, it would also be a chore typing it and trying to fit it as a title on your web page.

Hyphenated Domain Names

• Cons

1. Hphens are easy to forget when typing a name. Many users are used to typing things like freecomputertools.com but not free-computer-tools.com. They'll probably leave out the hyphens and end up at your competitor's site.

2. When people recommend your site verbally, having hyphens in your domain name leads to more potential errors.


• Pros

1. Search engines can distinguish your keywords better and thus return your site more prominently in search results for those keywords occurring in your domain name.

2. The non-hyphenated form may no longer be available. At least this way, you still get the domain name you want.


Different forms of Domains with plurals: the and my
Very often, if you can't get the domain name you want, the domain name registrar will suggest alternate forms of the name you typed. For example, if you wanted website.com, and it was taken (of course it is), it might suggest forms like:

thewebsite.com

mywebsite.com

websites.com

and the like, if they were not already taken as well. The question is, should you go with one of these options?

If you take the "the..." and "my..." forms of the domain name, you must remember to promote your site with the full form of the name. Otherwise, people are likely to forget to affix the necessary "the" or "my".

On the other hand, do not take the plural form of the domain name (eg, websites.com) if you cannot also get "website.com", since the chance of the visitor failing to type the "s" in the name is very great.

Domain Name Endings or Extensions
What if you cannot get the “.com” domain but the “.net” or “.org” or others are available. Are these others ok for domain addresses? The answer is not as simple as you might think and should fit your business needs based on some of the features covered below.

.com - the most popular and widely recognized domain extension in the world. It usually pops up first in search results and people are more likely to type it over any other ending. May be registered by anyone. Get it if you can!

.net - used frequently when the .com version of your domain name has been taken. Widely used for internet infrastructure as well.

.info - associated with websites that provide information as opposed to sales. This can be useful for businesses who publish articles and is recognized world wide.

.co - this is a new extension that provides people options if their domains are taken in other widely recognized domain extensions. International recognition and easy to remember.

.biz - made specifically for business and ecommerce sites such as online stores.

.org - popular extension for non-profit and non-commercial organizations as well as highlighting a business or companies charitable features.

.mobi - can be easily viewed on a mobile device such as a smart phone or tablet.

.me - usually reserved for blogs, online resumes or portfolios of an individual

There are other domain extensions that relate to specific countries as well as one's that must be a qualified group to obtain (Example: only an official school can get a .edu extension or government agency use .gov etc)

Can I Have More Than One Domain Name?
Absolutely! Multiple domain names can point to the same website. In fact if you are a new business it's best to secure your domain name with multiple extensions to protect it from a competitor. You can create other search word filled domain names to point to your website but it's a good idea to make sure the domain names are relevant to your content so as not to draw negative attention from search engines.

The best idea is to get your domain name first....before you even make your business offcial! If you're already in business, follow the above hints or seek help from a marketing strategist who understands search engine optimization and establishing a professional web presence.

What Makes a Good Coupon? (And What Makes A Bad One!)

Some people spend their who marketing careers creating the definitive "Good Coupon" (ie: a coupon that brings the customer to you and yet doesn't cost you too much in profit) and avoiding a bad coupon (usually a coupon that gets no response). Small business owners can see a dramatic improvement in their profits by offering coupon. To make a good coupon, you need to think like your customers. What would make you clip that coupon and go use it? What kind of coupon calls you to check out that business if you've never used them before? What coupons do you pass on?

Pick A Product/Service to Discount that your Customer is Actually Interested In
A coupon advertises a discount for a limited period of time on a product or service. You may have an low cost/high profit item that you WANT people to purchase however if that's not the item that is currently bringing customers in the door, your coupon (unless a deep discount) is not going to be as effective.

Don't Limit Who Can Use the Coupon
People dislike fine print. There's nothing I despise more than when I take a coupon and try to use it only to learn that my coupon does not apply to me because I am an existing customer. Why would you not want to reward your current customers for shopping with you? If you are discounting a service that only a very limited number of people can use, make sure you are offering a variety of coupons at the same time that together will include everyone.

Create Urgency with An Expiration Date
Expiration dates create an sense of urgency that your customer will need to act quickly to use and benefit from the coupon. Experiment with expiration dates. A date that is too close can be disastrous if your marketing strategy doesn't get the coupon out in time. Plus it doesn't give people enough time to redeem it. A date too far away will be forgotten. Depending on your advertising, what your discount is and the nature of your business, 2 weeks to 1 month can be a good time frame for a coupon expiration date.

Offer a Discount not just a Coupon
Statistics show that people don't respond if a coupon's face value is too small. I recently saw a coupon for a medical office that offered $1.00 off an office visit. Their visit costs, on average, $35.00 so their coupon gave me less than 3% off. That doesn't make me want to respond to that coupon at all. In fact I was almost turned off to the business itself for offering such a sad coupon. This is where you need to put your customer hat back on. If you see 10% off, 15% off or 25% off coupons - which do you respond to? You may cringe at the idea of offering a 25% off coupon but think about successful chains like Macy's which focus millions of dollars on this marketing strategy that people come shop with them more if they believe they'll save with their coupon.

Create a Coupon Strategy and Go For It!
If you want to do a semi annual or annual deep discount coupon then plan it out and market accordingly. If you want people to consistently check your website or store for coupons then offer a variety and consistently market them. Whatever you decide to do - plan it out and execute it. That doesn't mean you can't modify your plan as you find coupons that work or fail. It means you are taking an active role in this side of your marketing strategy.

Tips on How to Write a Good Business Article

Today, the internet is overflowing with content and there is a growing demand for articles on just about any topic ranging from cosmetics to construction material. However, not everyone can write a good flowing article and people often hire out freelance writers to write articles for them. This is probably why Article Writing in itself has become a fast growing profession that more and more people are taking to for earning a real income. As small business owners, we don't have the luxury of hiring professionals to write articles for us and since we publish your articles on This Is My Town USA.com for FREE and link them to your Virtual Storefront - article writing is a great free form of advertising and marketing.
Here are 5 tips on how to write a good article:

1. Attention Grabbing Headline.

It doesn’t matter how well written your article is unless you have an eye-catching topic name. Most of the time, when people are looking for information on the Internet, they tend to click on the catchy or ‘inviting’ headlines instead of the boring and the mundane topic names.

2. Simplify your Words.

It is also important to remember that people who surf the intern et come from various backgrounds and are usually looking for some information or the other. So in order to reach out to a wider base of readers, you must try to use simple words that are easy for everyone to read and understand rather than use big words that would confuse readers. Also, when catering to a wider audience, it’s important to stay away from technical terms. For example, “PLR articles” maybe a common term for an Internet Marketer, but it is something that an accountant will know nothing about.

3. Use Short Sentences and Paragraphs.

When surfing the web, the attention span of most people is reduced to 9 seconds, equivalent to that of a goldfish! In other words, people tend to be a lot more impatient when reading from a screen as compared to reading from a book. This is why it’s important to keep your sentences and paragraphs short, simple and to-the-point. Another way to keep your readers attention would be to use a lot of bulleted points.

4. Make your Article Conversational.

The best way to make your article likable is to break the ice with your readers by using conversational language. To put it simply, try to use the sort of language you are likely to use on an everyday basis. This should make your article feel more personable and your readers will take personal interest in your article because they feel you’re talking directly to them.

5. Infuse your personality into the Article.

When writing an article, try to inject some of your personality into it as well. For instance, you could mention if you had any personal experience related to the article or if you particularly like something related to your content. You may even slip in a light joke or two to entertain the reader as long as it is funny and goes in sync with your article. Whatever you do, the basic idea is to let the reader know that there is an actual human person who has written the article. Doing so will eventually lead to forge a relationship with your prospects.

To conclude, there are always different approaches to different cases and though you may be able to use all the above mentioned tips in some cases, you can only use one or two of the techniques in most cases. And I am sure you will learn more about how to write a good article as you go along.