The reality is, businesses need paying customers to stay afloat. But, as the marketing machine continues to churn out new ways of attracting them, often times, as business owners, we find ourselves moving further and further away from the very people we’re trying to connect with – customers. As a marketer, I’ll admit, things…
“The customer is always right.” A classic saying championed by retail moguls like Marshall Field way back in the 1800s and is still alive and well today. In fact, empowered with smartphones and tablets, customers are supplying feedback on their experiences at the point of sale and sharing it with the masses. So, it seems as if the balance of…
Through online efforts, today’s tech savvy small business owner has an opportunity to reach well beyond their local footprint to find customers. In this new and exciting digital age, small businesses can become global businesses, with customers and resources from all over the world. And they do so by knowing how to be found on…
Creating content takes work. Blogs, videos, eBooks, white papers, infographics, even the snippet of text you send with an article you’re sharing, that’s all content that you can use to brand yourself and your business in the minds of your existing and potential customers. When one engages in content marketing, you’re making a deliberate effort, not to…
You’ve heard all the buzz and now you feel pressured to do it. Blogging. According to HubSpot, B2C companies that blog get 88% more leads per month than those who don’t and B2B companies that blog get 67% more. The numbers seem to speak from themselves. Maintaining and promoting an active blog is a smart business move. But what is a blog? By…
Ok, so maybe not literally 3 seconds, but it’s close. Your customers or potentials are bombarded with thousands of messages everyday and let’s face it, they’re overwhelmed. Today’s information sharing age is rigorous and shows no signs of slowing. Forget about reading, people are glancing at things and you only have seconds to make a…
The truth is, as a business owner, regardless of the industry you’re in, you are first and foremost in the people business. It’s those people you encounter, be it in person or through social media, that you hope to win over and turn into lifelong clients. Business is very much people business and many of…
The most amazing and sometimes depressing measurement to see on an analytics report is site duration. For many, that number is low. Perhaps a minute or two? Or less – 30 seconds! And when you think of all the time, effort, and money you put into building your site, people have the nerve to click…
It can be argued that small businesses are the backbone of America, the ultimate expression of the American Dream. Many companies, though large today, started as a mom and pop store in the middle of Smalltown, USA but grew into the mammoths they are today because of you, our patrons. So, I want to say thank…
Throughout my academic and professional career, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of public speaking. From my valedictorian speech in high school to lunch and learn sessions, I’ve had a chance to chat it up in front of a crowd. I find that I’m at my best when I’m being myself, mixing good…
It has now been a full month of school for my daughter. Daily, her backpack is filled with popsicle stick and glue contraptions, a sticky lunchbox and somewhere near the bottom, classwork she has completed for Mom to see and sign. I’ve noticed, however, that all the worksheets are completed in crayon. We use pencils in our house, so I was concerned….