“In an effort to promote brand-awareness within a cross-section of your target demographic, and increase your monetization potential, it is recommended that you leverage your self-contained locomotive capabilities to establish your physical presence within the center of the highest density collection of core potential consumers(also known in lay terms as a group of people), and capitalize on your vocal assets, and your facial contortions(aka “smile”) to begin the process of introducing your cold market to the services that form the core of your monetization potential. Enhancing this venerable approach by presenting free tangible wood or cotton based sheets of information that your potential clients can retain for future reference purposes can only further improve the efficacy of the potential returns per unit of time and effort expended, thus allowing capable marketers to work “smart” and not hard. Capisce?”

As opposed to the common-sense version:

“Go tell people about your business!”

Don’t let all the marketing technical jargon confuse you. It’s just what marketing experts use to make their advice seem important. But is it really so hard to find a couple of ways to get the word out about your product/service?

Just a thought from AT Design.

Ping.fm

If you’re always on the run, you may not have time to sit down at a computer and update your page every day or two. Did you know that you can update your page status from your phone? Using a service like Ping.fm, you can send a text message or email that will automatically post to your page. While Facebook does already have a similar integrated feature, Ping.fm allows you to post the same thing to several different places, such as twitter, MySpace, other social networks, a blog, etc. You can send updates, and sometimes pictures from the web, your phone, your chat software, or an email.

Import your blog automatically

If you already have a blog, or podcast, you can set your Facebook page up to automatically import it, and post it as a note. To set it up, click on Edit Page in the left hand column, and then click the pencil icon under the Notes section, and select Edit. You will then be taken to the Notes section, and will see a link on the right-hand side that says Import Blog. This will take you to a place where you can paste the link from your blog. Once you’ve done this, you will be able to preview the import, and confirm that it is correct. From then on, your blog will automatically be imported soon after each new post.

Promote your Facebook Page

You can add a badge to your website that advertises your Facebook page, and gives people the ability to immediately become a fan. You could also add a link to your email signature.

Do you want to expand your fan base faster, across a larger area? Then you may consider using Facebook’s paid ad program. Your ads will then show up in the right-hand column of Facebook pages. Cost is based on the number of clicks, and you will have access to stats showing the number of clicks and ad impressions.

Add Applications to your Page

http://www.facebook.com/apps/directory.php#/apps/directory.php?app_type=0&category=100

This is a list of business applications that you could add to your Page, to extend it’s functionality. The sky is the limit when it comes to applications. Just make sure that the applications you use actually add something to your customers experience, not just used for the sake of adding it, or because of it’s “coolness” index!

I hope this series has helped you to see how easy, and useful a Facebook fan page can be for your business. For more help and up-to-date information, be sure to visit Facebook’s own help section. Jump in and get started today!

So how can you get the most out of the time you spend maintaining your page? Read on!

Consistency

It’s really easy to create a page, but for real results from your page, it’s important to be consistent when adding information. This way you are keeping people engaged, and demonstrating trust with your customers. Simply becoming the latest flash in the pan, doesn’t benefit anybody.

Don’t spam

Facebook offers all sorts of exciting ways for businesses, large or small, to connect with their customers. Getting the most out of your page is all about finding ways to help your clients, not simply annoying them with announcements, and gimmicky sales. Nothing is more annoying than a greedy self-centered business spamming our personal profiles.

Connecting vs Marketing

While Facebook can be a great benefit to your business, you shouldn’t see it as simply a marketing tool. You see, the benefit to your business comes from creating loyalty with your customers. When you focus on connecting with your customers by asking for feedback, and showing a more personal side to your business, your clients will appreciate it, and develop more trust with your company. These days, a trustworthy company that cares about it’s customers is valued more by consumers than businesses which simply try to compete financially within a given market. If you’re focused on providing the best for your customers, then Facebook will be great for you. If the money is all that matters at the end of the day, then go market on QVC, and stay away from Facebook. Remember, you can’t fake sincerity! Your customers will know.

Practical Suggestions:

1. Start a discussion by asking for feedback on a new product or service idea. (Some companies spend a fortune on focus groups, while you can find out for free directly from your customers!)
2. Post pictures of your team, products, office location, or even equipment. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and nothing will help potential clients feel like they know you than a well thought out gallery of pictures related to your business.
3. Share links, videos, and news related to your industry. People like to know that you’re staying current in your industry, and that you are actually interested in your field.
4. Share tips related to your business that actually help your customers, e.g., how to select a product for quality, a tutorial, or a product review.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for Part 3 on Friday!

Why should you have a Facebook page for your business?

Simple! Much of the web is based on a ‘pull’ method. You are constantly trying to pull people to your website, for information, pictures, sales, etc. Facebook allows you to “push” updates to where people are already spending much of their time, and as a result becomes a marketing tool to pull people back to your website for more information(where you have full control of the site, and your customers experience), if you already have a site.

Isn’t Facebook just something for young people/nerds/(not you)?

Actually, Facebook’s demographic’s span the entire gamut from young to old(whatever your definition of old might be!). In fact right now, Facebook’s fastest growing demographic is people between the ages of 45 and 55. Hardly just your college students anymore! It’s a marketer’s dream come true, practically every demographic represented, with an easy, low pressure way to connect with them.

Can’t I just create a regular/personal account for my business?

Short answer: Yes, you could, and no you shouldn’t. Facebook fan pages present a much more professional approach to putting your business online. Fan pages are much more public, and easy to join. They also protect the members of the page from businesses. Businesses don’t see as much of their members profile, thanks to greater privacy controls. This means that more people will be willing to join a fan page, than might want to join a personal facebook page used for business, and risk exposing their contact information to overzealous marketers. With Facebook fan pages, you still have the ability to contact your members, but you simply do it within the structure that Facebook has setup(more on that in a future article).

If Facebook is really so great, then why do I need a website?

Having your own website gives you more flexibility over how you present information to your clients. It also allows you to present a custom website to your clients, which helps to re-enforce the legitimacy, and professionalism of your company, as well as re-enforce your brand. A combination of a good Facebook page, pulling people back to a good website, can be one of the most effective online marketing tools for creating top-of-mind awareness for your company.

It’s all a matter of creating trust. Anyone with a few minutes can create an excellent looking Facebook page for their fly-by-night business, but few can or will invest the time or money into creating a great professional looking website for the same company.

How to get Started

Setting up a Facebook fan page is actually very very easy. I would recommend that if you don’t already have a personal Facebook profile, you should create one, and use it for a couple of weeks, to familiarize yourself with Facebook, and begin adding friends. Then once you’re familiar with the interface, and familiar with how others are using Facebook, then go ahead and create your business page. You’ll thank me later!

Creating a Page

Click on the following link to go through the page creation form. http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php It is extremely simple to use. Just select the type of business you have, type in the name, and type in your full name as a “signature”. Once you click “Create Page”, you will be asked to either sign in, or create a personal account from which to manage your page’s profile.

Adding a profile picture

Once your page is created, you will see a placeholder on the top left of the page for a profile picture. Mouseover that image and you will see a link pop up over the image that says “Change Picture”. Click on the link to be taken to an upload form, or to select a previously uploaded image.

Adding your information

Click on the Info tab, and then click on the “Edit Information” link. (I told you this was pretty easy!). Make sure to add your phone number, address, hours, and your website.

You can also upload picture, and even videos by clicking on the appropriate tabs at the top of your page. If you have videos on youtube or a similar video site, you can share those on your page by simply pasting the link to the video in the Share box.

Adding Events

You can simply announce an event through the Share box, or by clicking on the “Add Event” link in the left column of your page.

That’s all for today! Part 2 will cover some Best Practices for maintaining your page, including the do’s and dont’s on content. Part 3 will cover tips and tricks for getting the most out of your page, and a few plugins, and applications to enhance your page’s content.

Part 2 will arrive on Wednesday, and Part 3 will be available on Friday, so stay tuned!

Figure 1. Traditional Web Browsing

Let’s say you want to keep up with all the new information on many different sites, but you don’t have the time to go visit each one of them every day. Figure 1 diagrams the problem.

The solution? RSS of course!

RSS allows you to go to one site(called a reader) that pulls all the new information in from all of the sites you want it to(providing they’re RSS enabled, more on that later), and shows it to you in one place. This method is illustrated in Figure 2. So much easier and faster! If a site hasn’t updated recently, you haven’t wasted any time going to their site, only to be disappointed. If they have added new information, you’re still saving time by reading everything in one place.

Figure 2. RSS Browsing

Figure 3.
RSS Icon

What sites are eligible? Sites must be RSS enabled in order to work with your reader. All blogs, most news sites, and many, many other types of sites, are RSS enabled. How can you tell? The standard icon used to denote RSS compatibility is shown in figure 3. This logo, or some variation of it, is the first and best clue that you can subscribe to that site.

I’m interested, but how do I get started?

1. Sign-up for a reader. There are many free RSS readers out there, but the one that I use, and highly recommend, is Google Reader.

Figure 4.
2. Once you’ve created your account, go to an RSS enabled site of your choice, and click the RSS icon. One of two things will happen:
   
   a.) You’ll be taken to a page that allows you to choose the reader your using(figure 4), and subscribes you to that RSS “feed”.
   
   b.) Or you’ll be taken to a page full of code. In this case, simply copy the url and go to your reader. Once in your reader you’ll see a link that says something like “Add Subscription”. Figure 6 shows the link in Google Reader.
   
   Figure 5.

   Once you click that link, you’ll be given a place to paste the url that you copied earlier. Now you’re subscribed!

That’s it! Now instead of trying to visit 20 or 30 websites every day, you can visit one site, and read everything new in a few minutes! It’s just that simple.

Figure 6. Subscribe Button

More information on using Google Reader.

More in-depth information on RSS.

Quality content for website, print, and advertising is a scarce resource. Content is often created as an afterthought, with little regard for quality. Many avoid it, even fear it, because they don’t consider themselves good at grammar. But what if I were to tell you that good content could be created without a dictionary, and without being able to identify a past participle? (Actually, a past participle is defined as job security for English teachers!).

Writing is as simple as putting a complete thought down on paper. People informally communicate all day long, verbally and in writing(email, notes, etc). But when it comes to writing a “formal” tutorial, or product description, or a proposal, we tend to get writer’s block. The fact to remember is that we are still trying to accomplish the exact same thing as always: communicate a complete thought.

I would propose that formal writing is percieved as more difficult, not because it actually is more difficult, but rather because we are more worried about what others will think.

Addressing Writer’s Block

In my experience, you will never have writer’s block, if you have something to say. Now, before you roll your eyes at such a seemingly obvious statement, hear me out! When we have something to say, something that we know and need to communicate, you don’t have a problem getting it out. But when you’re trying to write an article/paper to fill a space requirement, or fill a commitment, writing’s as fun as a heart attack, right? For some, beginning a paper is the most difficult part. Simple solution: Make a list of points you want to cover, write about those points, and save the introduction for later. Many times your intro will sound better that way.

Writing’s greatest advantage is also it’s greatest disadvantage. You get/have to plan what you’re going to say. For many, taking the time to plan their words is a foreign concept, and thus makes writing seem slow and tedious. But if you embrace the discipline of planning your content, you will find the reward of accomplishment in the resulting quality paper.

Defining Quality Writing

So if an English degree isn’t the key to good writing, then what is? Quality writing exhibits 3 unique characteristics: Concise, Clear, Comprehensive. Let’s look at these individually.

Concise

Most English classes from grade school on up to collegiate classes make a significant mistake when teaching good writing skills. Teachers typically give writing assignments that are length based, rather than content based. The result is that many writers considered good, are actually just writers who know how to fill space. What a waste! The whole point of writing is to communicate an idea or process, and if you can fully explain that idea in one sentence, then why write a whole book about it? All you accomplish by adding “fluff” to your writing is to hide, or water down, the idea you’re trying to convey. Don’t make your readers wade through a tome to get that tidbit of info.

Does your content seem a little confusing, or a little dry? Find a way to cut back on the number of words. It’s amazing how much clearer it will become.

Clear

Very much related to concise content is clear content. Do I need a Phd to understand your paper? If you’re writing to Phd’s then you’ve succeeded, but if you’re trying to write a general product description, then you have failed miserably. Know who you’re writing to, and take great care to make sure they can understand what you’re saying. Note: talking down to your audience is just as bad as intimidating them with foreign lingo.

Comprehensive

Alright, you’ve made great efforts to keep your writing clear and concise. Congratulations! Now the last thing to consider is this: Have you left anything important out? Sometimes you can leave out information simply because you forget that your audience may not be familiar with your profession’s terms and lingo. This is something that I see happen all the time. Read your content with the perspective of your audience, continually asking yourself if anything is missing in that section.

As you can see these three characteristics overlap quite a bit. Making sure that you strike a good balance between the three will create far better content than you can imagine.

1. Virtual Office
   Your website provides your potential customers with a first impression of your business, similar to them actually coming to your place of business for the first time. It offers 24/7/365 availability, and customer support. A website for many people is a low pressure, time-efficient way of gathering pertinent information about your business, such as business hours, directions, contact method, and general product/service information.
2. Expanded Services
   With a professional site, you have the ability to offer your customers a whole range of additional services for their convenience, and ultimately your profit. Whether they be basic features like directions, and contact forms or more custom features such as application forms, progress reports, order tracking, weekly ads/coupons, client discounts, or weekly newsletters, these features provide for many small companies a whole new level of professionalism for a relatively low cost.
3. Enhanced Marketing
   Promotional websites offer a unique opportunity in marketing. A product or service can be fully expounded upon on a website much more than practically any other form of marketing. It is for this reason that websites are increasingly the intermediate goal for many other marketing campaigns. Many tv, newspaper, mail, and radio ads are referring their customers to their websites for more information. This tends to work better long term for sales, due to the inherently low pressure, information rich nature of the web.
4. Efficient Services
   Web based services can bring a critical element of efficiency to many small businesses. Communications can be simplified, and everyone is kept in the loop so much easier than with traditional memos, and time consuming conference meetings. You and your employees are then free to do what you’re there for – to make money. Online applications and forms for clients and prospective employees can reduce the time from request to implementation, further making your company look good.

“The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit; and everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty.”
Proverbs 21:5 (WEB)

Planning is the key to any successful venture, and e-commerce is no exception. This article will look at some of the key areas to plan for when getting into e-commerce. These areas include marketing, maintenance, shipping, and payment gateways. Naturally, this is not a comprehensive planning guide; just some ideas, and questions to get you started towards a good digital business plan.

Marketing

Products and services don’t sell themselves. Keep in mind that when you go online, you are then competing with every online retailer in the world! Welcome to the global economy. Sound depressing? Don’t worry, it’s not all that bad. Advertising on search engines are a good place to start. This gives you immediate visibility to people looking for your category of products.

Setting aside a certain amount every month for paid search advertising should be the first stage of any online marketing budget. As sales start to come in, it is advisable to start putting a percentage back into marketing. This contributes to the desired upward spiral in sales.

Putting links to your new site in your email signature, on your business cards, letterheads, and any print advertising you may do are all great ways to get the word out about your site. Never underestimate the value of local advertsing or word of mouth in driving business to your site.

Maintenance

Just like a local business, online businesses can take a lot of maintenance. Someone has to answer the phone, process and ship orders, add new products, remove discontinued products, deal with vendors, handle customer complaints, update sales, and manage advertising campaigns. Consider whether you have the time to do this yourself, or the funds to hire someone to handle it. Taking into account the time needed for even a small site, can prevent burning out or providing poor service to your customers when the workload becomes too heavy.

As most entreprenurs will anticipate, during the start-up stage, you will have a disproportionate amount of work compared to the level of sales. Many business experts recommend that you have the funds to maintain the business for one year, before you begin. Obviously, this is not always possible, but it is a good rule of thumb when it is possible. Many small businesses are lucky to break even the first year, and show a small profit the following year.

Shipping

“Many find it simpler to just offer free shipping on all, or most, of their products.”

How will you calculate your shipping costs? Your choices depend on your product lines, and your e-commerce software. Should shipping be calculated based on weight, dimensions, or price? What carriers should you offer, UPS, USPS, FEDex? What options for each carrier should be offered, Ground, Next Day? Do you ship orders internationally?

Many find it simpler to just offer free shipping on all, or most, of their products. This provides an added marketing bonus, since studies show that free shipping is extremely popular with customers. The key is to calculate what your average shipping cost will be for each product, and then increase the cost accordingly.

Regardless of your choices, no one shipping choice will be perfect in every situation. Shipping calculators don’t always calculate correctly, and adding a little to compensate for free shipping doesn’t always quite cover the true cost. The trick is to find the solution in which the cost averages out correctly over time.

Payment Gateways

How will you accept payment? Will you process credit cards manually? Will you accept C.O.D. or money orders. Will you use popular payment gateways like Paypal, or Google Checkout for your customers convenience? Choosing your payment gateway and understanding the charges with each is important when you’re trying to maximize your profits.

Debunking the Myths of Online Stores

Myth #1: “It’s easy”

Starting an online business is no different than starting a typical brick and mortar business. It takes planning, investment, time, and a viable product line. This is true even if you already have a brick and mortar business. In fact, if you do already have a local business or franchise, you should consider an online store to be exactly the same as opening another business location.

Myth #2: “It’s cheaper than opening a local store”

Nope. Unless you are prepared to build your own site, and do all the maintenance on it, you will have the expenses of hiring a competent developer to do all the work on it. If you will be doing all the work on it yourself, you have to consider the value of your time, as well as your opportunity cost. Either way, there can be significant cost involved in going online.

Myth #3: “You can just build it and leave it”

Perhaps this one needs some explanation. Many people think that if they can just get a good site built for them, then it will keep making them money without any more maintenance, updates, or expenses. This doesn’t work any better online than it does at brick and mortar store. Any good businessperson knows that any store that’s not improving what it’s offering, updating product information, keeping their store clean, fixed up, and fresh, offering sales, and adding new product lines, will eventually die off. A business that’s not growing and improving is bound to fail.

Myth #4: “If my site ranks high on major search engines, it will be successful”

If only this were true! The reality is that search engines are a very small part of a successful site. Even if someone finds you via search engines, it doesn’t mean they will buy from you. Factors such as poor site design, difficulty finding a specific product, bad splleing, and lack of good information/pictures, all make your site look like that run-down gas station down the road (the one you would never go into!).

“…and never discount the power of word of mouth, and small beginnings.”

You should also take into consideration that just because you have a good site, doesn’t mean it will rank high on the search engines. Every major search engines goes to great lengths to make sure that sites(even good sites) can’t manipulate their way into first place. Therefore, you must realize that your site will be competing against every other site in the world that is selling similar products. Your best marketing tactic, just like a local business, is to advertise in as many different ways as possible, and never discount the power of word of mouth, and small beginnings.

The point that I’m trying to drive home is that a website business is functionally identical to a brick and mortar store. The website itself is much like the building, and obviously a building does not a business make. A website is just the “container” for your business, and creating it without a solid business plan, or perhaps with unrealistic expectations, is a recipe for disaster. Good planning with some common sense is the best road to having a successful online business.