| Added for You |
Hubs | Hubbers | Topics | Request |
| #1 in Business | Subscribe Email Print |
|
You are here: Home > Internet and Businesses Online > Internet and Businesses Online > Be an Online Small Business Magician |
|
Added for You - Be an Online Small Business Magician
Two-Step Your Communication product, it’s tech support or customer service; if you feel you’ve been overcharged or want to change your payment method, billing or accounting is what you look for. But how can you manage all those “departments” for your company when it’s just you, or you and one or two others?Ever use someone else to get your message out?For example, big, multi-location companies sometimes make important announcements through local plant or office managers, rather than at head office. Another example: advocacy groups that ask their members to individually write or call politicians.Both examples illustrate what's called a two-step communication strategy - getting extra mileage out of communication by selectively using other people to pass on messages.It's so common we often don't think of it as a distinct strategy. But, it is, and offers many benefits, including: borrowed legitimacy, extended networks, speedy distribution, and unofficial status. Let's review those benefits in more detail, and as we do so, ask yourself how you c The good news is: dividing yourself into more than one department is a snap for an online business. Most web hosting companies provide you with several customizable e-mail addresses when you purchase a domain name, anywhere from 5 to 50 or more. When you set up your e-mail account, you can create addresses like service@yourdomain.com, orders@yourdomain.com, and president@yourdomain.com; then post these addresses on your web site in various sections to help create your big impression. If the company is just you, you can set up your account so that all e-mails arrive in your inbox. Most hosting services will allow you to set up separate folders according to the “To” address of the mail you receive, so you can keep your “departments” separated in your files. If you have an employee or two, you can “give” them an e-mail address with your domain name and have messages sent to their existing e-mail accounts. Y Why You Are Not Yet a Millionaire Running an online business is an amazing feat. Most of your customers will never meet you face to face or step into your office. The only aspects of your company the general public will encounter are your web site, and your product. Everything else happens behind the scenes.Day by day, minute by minute, seconds by seconds, millions of people around the world work very hard to make money in one way or the other. This not withstanding millions of people are still living under the vineyard of poverty. Today, many are poor not because they are lazy but simply because they don’t know the rules of the millionaires.Ironically, most of the millionaires are very lazy; but since there know the simple rules of make millions, they find themselves on top of the world. Does it mean that working 24 hours daily will not make you a millionaire? Answer this question yourself. If you don’t know the secrets of the millionaires, you may end up working had and dieing poor. Basically, working 24 hours a day may even make you mor Successful online business owners know that the bigger and more professional you come across to clients, the more impressed and likely to recommend you to others they will be. Word of mouth is the most powerful method of advertising in existence, and maintaining the illusion is the key to generating powerful buzz that will elevate your corporation to success. Why you must look bigger than you are The power of professionalism cannot be overstated. When consumers visit your web site, it is as vital to impress them with appearances as it would be for a brick-and-mortar establishment to maintain a clean, professional atmosphere. Because of the ease and accessibility associated with setting up web sites, anyone can put one up—and as a result, there are millions of sites that appear sloppy and amateurish, and therefore do not succeed. With many low-quality web sites, it’s easy to tell at a glance that the business or company behind it is a small operation with limited capabilities. There are also quite a few prosperous companies run by only one or two people whose web sites convey a grand-scale impression. These businesses are successful in large part because of that image. Consumers will be far more comfortable dealing with a slick, well-organized web site for Essential Auto Parts, Inc., than with a clunky, poorly laid out site rife with pop-ups and banner ads entitled Uncle Bubba’s Parts-R-Us. In an online business, appearances really are everything. You don’t have to rush out and hire a web designer or lease a warehouse and hire fifty employees to give your corporation a virtual facelift. Some simple adjustments and knowledge are all you need to make your small business look like a million bucks online. Creating the illusion: How to give your small business a big presence Like magicians, virtual corporations require certain tricks to present themselves as prosperous, thriving businesses. Most of these are easy to implement; and though they are small, the changes they will bring to your company are enormous. There is no “I” in “team” It’s only natural to use the word “I” when referring to yourself. But in your business material, it’s a mistake that can cost you sales and clients. Including statements such as “I am available for telephone consultations on such-and-such days…” is a sure sign that you’re a small-time operation. If it sounds natural, a simple solution is to substitute the word “we” in each instance for “I.” You could also refer to “the company” instead. However, using the same phrase over and over in your web copy and promotional materials not only sounds awkward and stilted, it can effect your web site’s search engine rankings (a topic that will be covered in greater detail further in this book) by making it seems as though you’re using a practice known as keyword stuffing to draw traffic. Here’s an example of “me-centric” copy that shouts “I’m a small, inexperienced business!”: About Me: I run a company called Flowers Forever, which provides elaborate floral arrangements, bouquets and live plants for every occasion. All of my flowers and vegetation are grown in my special hydroponic greenhouse with choice natural fertilizers. I never use chemical enhancements or commercial insect repellent. All of my arrangements are hand-configured and include my signature ribbon of quality. You can contact me for all your fresh floral needs at me@flowersforever.com. And here’s how you can make it sound bigger and better by changing just a few words and alternating references: About Flowers Forever: We provide elaborate floral arrangements, bouquets, and live plants for every occasion. Our flowers and vegetation are grown in a special hydroponic greenhouse with choice natural fertilizer. We never use chemical enhancements or commercial insect repellent. Every Flowers Forever arrangement is hand-configured and includes our signature ribbon of quality. Contact our customer service department for all your fresh floral needs at orders@flowersforever.com. Scour your web site for the dreaded “I” and “me” syndrome, and you will have taken an enormous step toward creating your professional online business. Multiple identities: creating “departments” (without hiring staff) When you deal with a big company, you expect to interact with certain departments for certain needs: if you’re ordering a product, you contact the sales staff; if you’re having trouble with a product, it’s tech support or customer service; if you feel you’ve been overcharged or want to change your payment method, billing or accounting is what you look for. But how can you manage all those “departments” for your company when it’s just you, or you and one or two others? The good news is: dividing yourself into more than one department is a snap for an online business. Most web hosting companies provide you with several customizable e-mail addresses when you purchase a domain name, anywhere from 5 to 50 or more. When you set up your e-mail account, you can create addresses like service@yourdomain.com, orders@yourdomain.com, and president@yourdomain.com; then post these addresses on your web site in various sections to help create your big impression. If the company is just you, you can set up your account so that all e-mails arrive in your inbox. Most hosting services will allow you to set up separate folders according to the “To” address of the mail you receive, so you can keep your “departments” separated in your files. If you have an employee or two, you can “give” them an e-mail address with your domain name and have messages sent to their existing e-mail accounts. Yo Revolutionize Your Franchise that the business or company behind it is a small operation with limited capabilities. There are also quite a few prosperous companies run by only one or two people whose web sites convey a grand-scale impression. These businesses are successful in large part because of that image. Consumers will be far more comfortable dealing with a slick, well-organized web site for Essential Auto Parts, Inc., than with a clunky, poorly laid out site rife with pop-ups and banner ads entitled Uncle Bubba’s Parts-R-Us. In an online business, appearances really are everything.Business-minded people gravitate towards franchises because of their pre-existing success. Some may label ‘success’ as opening more franchises than originally thought, but is there a ceiling to put on ‘success?”-We think not!Break the MoldThe initial steps franchising involves continuing the success of the original, but why stop there? An innovative franchiser will look for ways to break the mold and grow in more positive directions. Though certain pre-existing formulas for success can be kept, this convenience should not dissuade the franchiser from being individualistic and a standout. The world would be less interesting if it was predictable and unchanging and consumers view the world of business in the same manner.Be A Smooth Oper You don’t have to rush out and hire a web designer or lease a warehouse and hire fifty employees to give your corporation a virtual facelift. Some simple adjustments and knowledge are all you need to make your small business look like a million bucks online. Creating the illusion: How to give your small business a big presence Like magicians, virtual corporations require certain tricks to present themselves as prosperous, thriving businesses. Most of these are easy to implement; and though they are small, the changes they will bring to your company are enormous. There is no “I” in “team” It’s only natural to use the word “I” when referring to yourself. But in your business material, it’s a mistake that can cost you sales and clients. Including statements such as “I am available for telephone consultations on such-and-such days…” is a sure sign that you’re a small-time operation. If it sounds natural, a simple solution is to substitute the word “we” in each instance for “I.” You could also refer to “the company” instead. However, using the same phrase over and over in your web copy and promotional materials not only sounds awkward and stilted, it can effect your web site’s search engine rankings (a topic that will be covered in greater detail further in this book) by making it seems as though you’re using a practice known as keyword stuffing to draw traffic. Here’s an example of “me-centric” copy that shouts “I’m a small, inexperienced business!”: About Me: I run a company called Flowers Forever, which provides elaborate floral arrangements, bouquets and live plants for every occasion. All of my flowers and vegetation are grown in my special hydroponic greenhouse with choice natural fertilizers. I never use chemical enhancements or commercial insect repellent. All of my arrangements are hand-configured and include my signature ribbon of quality. You can contact me for all your fresh floral needs at me@flowersforever.com. And here’s how you can make it sound bigger and better by changing just a few words and alternating references: About Flowers Forever: We provide elaborate floral arrangements, bouquets, and live plants for every occasion. Our flowers and vegetation are grown in a special hydroponic greenhouse with choice natural fertilizer. We never use chemical enhancements or commercial insect repellent. Every Flowers Forever arrangement is hand-configured and includes our signature ribbon of quality. Contact our customer service department for all your fresh floral needs at orders@flowersforever.com. Scour your web site for the dreaded “I” and “me” syndrome, and you will have taken an enormous step toward creating your professional online business. Multiple identities: creating “departments” (without hiring staff) When you deal with a big company, you expect to interact with certain departments for certain needs: if you’re ordering a product, you contact the sales staff; if you’re having trouble with a product, it’s tech support or customer service; if you feel you’ve been overcharged or want to change your payment method, billing or accounting is what you look for. But how can you manage all those “departments” for your company when it’s just you, or you and one or two others? The good news is: dividing yourself into more than one department is a snap for an online business. Most web hosting companies provide you with several customizable e-mail addresses when you purchase a domain name, anywhere from 5 to 50 or more. When you set up your e-mail account, you can create addresses like service@yourdomain.com, orders@yourdomain.com, and president@yourdomain.com; then post these addresses on your web site in various sections to help create your big impression. If the company is just you, you can set up your account so that all e-mails arrive in your inbox. Most hosting services will allow you to set up separate folders according to the “To” address of the mail you receive, so you can keep your “departments” separated in your files. If you have an employee or two, you can “give” them an e-mail address with your domain name and have messages sent to their existing e-mail accounts. Y Conversation only natural to use the word “I” when referring to yourself. But in your business material, it’s a mistake that can cost you sales and clients. Including statements such as “I am available for telephone consultations on such-and-such days…” is a sure sign that you’re a small-time operation.It has been said that one of the greatest fears people hold is speaking in front of a group of people, yet we seem to have no shortage of public speakers. There is a kind of speaking that inspires greater fear. This is the fear of having a real conversation.Conversation is when two or more people talk openly and honestly, listen deeply to each other, and reach a common understanding. Agreement is nice, but irrelevant. The art of conversation is not about getting someone to agree with you. It is about seeking and finding a common understanding.The first goal in conversation is to understand the thinking of the other person. The second goal is to articulate one's own thinking in a way the other can understand. A true conversation is blameless, non If it sounds natural, a simple solution is to substitute the word “we” in each instance for “I.” You could also refer to “the company” instead. However, using the same phrase over and over in your web copy and promotional materials not only sounds awkward and stilted, it can effect your web site’s search engine rankings (a topic that will be covered in greater detail further in this book) by making it seems as though you’re using a practice known as keyword stuffing to draw traffic. Here’s an example of “me-centric” copy that shouts “I’m a small, inexperienced business!”: About Me: I run a company called Flowers Forever, which provides elaborate floral arrangements, bouquets and live plants for every occasion. All of my flowers and vegetation are grown in my special hydroponic greenhouse with choice natural fertilizers. I never use chemical enhancements or commercial insect repellent. All of my arrangements are hand-configured and include my signature ribbon of quality. You can contact me for all your fresh floral needs at me@flowersforever.com. And here’s how you can make it sound bigger and better by changing just a few words and alternating references: About Flowers Forever: We provide elaborate floral arrangements, bouquets, and live plants for every occasion. Our flowers and vegetation are grown in a special hydroponic greenhouse with choice natural fertilizer. We never use chemical enhancements or commercial insect repellent. Every Flowers Forever arrangement is hand-configured and includes our signature ribbon of quality. Contact our customer service department for all your fresh floral needs at orders@flowersforever.com. Scour your web site for the dreaded “I” and “me” syndrome, and you will have taken an enormous step toward creating your professional online business. Multiple identities: creating “departments” (without hiring staff) When you deal with a big company, you expect to interact with certain departments for certain needs: if you’re ordering a product, you contact the sales staff; if you’re having trouble with a product, it’s tech support or customer service; if you feel you’ve been overcharged or want to change your payment method, billing or accounting is what you look for. But how can you manage all those “departments” for your company when it’s just you, or you and one or two others? The good news is: dividing yourself into more than one department is a snap for an online business. Most web hosting companies provide you with several customizable e-mail addresses when you purchase a domain name, anywhere from 5 to 50 or more. When you set up your e-mail account, you can create addresses like service@yourdomain.com, orders@yourdomain.com, and president@yourdomain.com; then post these addresses on your web site in various sections to help create your big impression. If the company is just you, you can set up your account so that all e-mails arrive in your inbox. Most hosting services will allow you to set up separate folders according to the “To” address of the mail you receive, so you can keep your “departments” separated in your files. If you have an employee or two, you can “give” them an e-mail address with your domain name and have messages sent to their existing e-mail accounts. Y Using Your Business Cards To Create More Business ent. All of my arrangements are hand-configured and include my signature ribbon of quality. You can contact me for all your fresh floral needs at me@flowersforever.com.Here are some tips that are proven to workto increase your chances of creating a business opportunity:1. Never leave without your business cards! Before leaving your workplace or home, create a checklist that includes your business cards as a part of what you should have in your wallet. Even a quick trip to a grocery store could be an opportunity to network.2. Don’t save your business cards to yourself. Be generous. Give business cards out to everyone you know, including your friends and family and always give two cards at a time to each person.3. Send your cards in every piece of correspondence – letters, invoices and even your bills! Bills are often used as an ad And here’s how you can make it sound bigger and better by changing just a few words and alternating references: About Flowers Forever: We provide elaborate floral arrangements, bouquets, and live plants for every occasion. Our flowers and vegetation are grown in a special hydroponic greenhouse with choice natural fertilizer. We never use chemical enhancements or commercial insect repellent. Every Flowers Forever arrangement is hand-configured and includes our signature ribbon of quality. Contact our customer service department for all your fresh floral needs at orders@flowersforever.com. Scour your web site for the dreaded “I” and “me” syndrome, and you will have taken an enormous step toward creating your professional online business. Multiple identities: creating “departments” (without hiring staff) When you deal with a big company, you expect to interact with certain departments for certain needs: if you’re ordering a product, you contact the sales staff; if you’re having trouble with a product, it’s tech support or customer service; if you feel you’ve been overcharged or want to change your payment method, billing or accounting is what you look for. But how can you manage all those “departments” for your company when it’s just you, or you and one or two others? The good news is: dividing yourself into more than one department is a snap for an online business. Most web hosting companies provide you with several customizable e-mail addresses when you purchase a domain name, anywhere from 5 to 50 or more. When you set up your e-mail account, you can create addresses like service@yourdomain.com, orders@yourdomain.com, and president@yourdomain.com; then post these addresses on your web site in various sections to help create your big impression. If the company is just you, you can set up your account so that all e-mails arrive in your inbox. Most hosting services will allow you to set up separate folders according to the “To” address of the mail you receive, so you can keep your “departments” separated in your files. If you have an employee or two, you can “give” them an e-mail address with your domain name and have messages sent to their existing e-mail accounts. Y Plastic Corrugated and Lean Manufacturing product, it’s tech support or customer service; if you feel you’ve been overcharged or want to change your payment method, billing or accounting is what you look for. But how can you manage all those “departments” for your company when it’s just you, or you and one or two others?How a Simple Packaging Product Can Greatly Enhance Your BusinessModern manufacturers are under more pressure than ever to make their operation run smoothly, efficiently and economically. An increase in the number of competitors, higher supply prices, and a growing emphasis on cost cutting have all led manufacturers to seek new, ingenious methods to increase the productivity and profitability of their business.One such method is lean manufacturing, a revolutionary business philosophy that focuses on enhancing product quality, cutting costs, executing more efficient delivery methods, and employing personnel in the most productive manner possible so as to maximize profitability and performance. Industry giants like Toyota and General Electri The good news is: dividing yourself into more than one department is a snap for an online business. Most web hosting companies provide you with several customizable e-mail addresses when you purchase a domain name, anywhere from 5 to 50 or more. When you set up your e-mail account, you can create addresses like service@yourdomain.com, orders@yourdomain.com, and president@yourdomain.com; then post these addresses on your web site in various sections to help create your big impression. If the company is just you, you can set up your account so that all e-mails arrive in your inbox. Most hosting services will allow you to set up separate folders according to the “To” address of the mail you receive, so you can keep your “departments” separated in your files. If you have an employee or two, you can “give” them an e-mail address with your domain name and have messages sent to their existing e-mail accounts. Your web host will provide detailed instructions on managing your e-mail addresses when you sign up.
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
Related Articles:Do You Love Food? - Then Maybe Opening a Restaurant is Not Such a Crazy Idea 10 Ideas To Manage The Workforce Of Tomorrow
|