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On-Page Search Engine Optimization

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For most newbies in the internet marketing world, search engine optimization, or the majority of commonly referred to as SEO, is a difficult matter to take care of. Since they are not all geared up with the information to seize the very first standing in Google and other search engines, it is very problematical for them to accomplish this aim. The whole matter may appear meticulous because of all the technicalities concerned, but the fact is, one does not have to understand all those highly confusing terminologies to attain significant SEO results.

There are actually a few easy tactics any internet marketer can do to be successful in search engine optimization. SEO does not have to be wearisome and frustrating after all. The next SEO techniques will provide you some sense of achievement if carried out the accurate way. They are very easy and practical that any beginner will definitely have no trouble in doing.

Simple and Effective On-Page Search Engine Optimization Methods

By doing on-page SEO, you are generating the chance for Google to be clued-up on what your site is all about. The pages must be properly developed to achieve a winning rank in the search engines. Listed here are some methods on how to do it.

Try including Meta title, description and keywords in your site. In on-page SEO, these are the things deemed crucial. Through this technique, you can let the Google know the focus of your web page. For WordPress users, there are actually some plug-ins available to help you easily apply this.
To put emphasis on the target of your web pages, you can highlight your keywords and put them in bold, italic and underlined codecs. You be obliged to also take into accounts the placement of the keywords in an article. Make sure that that they are located in the beginning, middle and ending of the article.

Be certain to put in ALT tags to your images in any page in your site. Again, this is an effective means to let the search engines recognize that your site is focused in a particular area.

Configure your permalinks in such a way that the names and titles of the post are reflected, not the date or time of the article. This particular format is very much deemed as search engine friendly.

Through these undemanding and simple search engine optimization tactics, getting to the first page of search engines becomes so trouble-free.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

Tags: Business Development, Business Services, Google, increase online sales, internet advertising, internet search engines, Meta element, On-Page Search Engine Optimization, Online Marketing, online marketing business, online marketing strategy, onsite optimization, Search Engine Marketing, search engine optimization, SEO articles, Web design, Web page, Web search engine, website promotion, WordPress

Improving Translation Services

Image by Roslan Tangah (aka Rasso) via Flickr

When considering how you may be going to improve the high good quality of one’s translations, the original rule is always to give the evidence readers or editors an uncomplicated job. That means you must make sure that attention is often offered to detail inside the initial place. outstanding, high top quality translations will demand scrutiny of Each word or phrase in the initial levels from the translation. Bear in mind, it really is tricky, time ingesting and pricey to try to improve over a poor job. The editing and proof reading may be really pricey if mistakes are found in approach of going to the editor. Good quality translation services mean commitment, so usually do not push an issue to at lowest one side to become handled later just mainly because it appears as although a challenging stumbling block during the time. It really is much more effective, will ultimately save you funds, and make sure fantastic high exceptional translation in the event you work on it and sort the issues out during the time. So, the next rule then is translate each and every phrase when you are going along and don’t leave it to get back to later.

A rather useful and important bodily work out if you’re to concentrate on the top quality of your translations would be to maintain a log of toughies that arise, for instance phrases which can be baffled having a comparable word, for example personal/ personnel. Just one word can entirely alter the meaning inside of a text throughout translation. It’s additionally a fantastic idea to maintain a log of standard errors as they are created and rectified so that they aren’t produced later on. These little processes will ultimately improve the high high quality of translation services. It’s of course, crucial that you make use of the spelling and grammar checks which should be undertaken by choosing the total document, but, do guarantee that you re read subsequent this instruction considering that it does not often solve a number of the challenges satisfactorily.

To increase translation high good quality, remember that you should take notice of the typography and punctuation rules with the target language. Don’t simply take it for granted that, as an example, in the Portuguese to English translation, every person follows and realize the guidelines inside the English language. By no means utilize the replace all command since this will clear away everything including improvements you’ve previously created.

To make sure a higher top high quality translation services, re-read everything just before going to press. Often when every one of the nouns and verbs appear present and correct, the adjectives and adverbs utilized could possibly be incorrectly translated decreasing or transforming the exact meaning from the text. enhancing the grade of translation obviously needs in depth considerations which can be frequently missed until it’s too late to rescue devoid of big expense and trouble. It’s important to bear in mind the accuracy with the headers and footers where mistakes can lurk, these areas are often overlooked and can lead to problems using under consideration the compatibility of the graphics to the word document.

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Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: Business Services, Improving Translation Services, professional translation, professional translation services, Proofreading, translation, translation services

San Francisco Bay Area Business Services

Small businesses often lack the time, resources and expertise necessary to complete critical business functions.  But to be competitive, small businesses need the same quality of services traditionally accessible to only larger enterprises.  PlusStuff helps small businesses grow by simplifying the execution of critical business functions such as launching an integrated marketing campaign, leveraging technology and providing cost effective resources to enhance small businesses opportunities for success.

Business Planning

We focus on providing due diligence on current and potential market opportunities. This includes understanding the market, the potential share, positioning in that market and accessing the resources necessary to execute. The result is a realistic plan and process that achieves growth and profitability.

Business Services

We recognize that it takes much more than financial support to get a company off the ground, thus we provide assistance in every aspect along the way allowing you to develop and grow a profitable business. Our team offers basic business services including

• Bookkeeping – We offer customized bookkeeping services that are designed to improve your productivity and customer satisfaction, while decreasing your expenses.

• QuickBooks Set Up – Call us for the hands-on QuickBooks® setup, training & support you need to get your business books in order. We’ll work with you on-site to get your books up-to-date. Certified QuickBooks® ProAdvisor since 2006.

• Interim CFO and Financial Management Services – a broad range of financial services designed to keep your books, reconcile your accounts, manage your receivables and develop timely financial reporting and analysis – allowing you to make smart, informed decisions for your business.

We apply our knowledge, talent and resources to be the premium resource for hard to find solutions for the small business community. Our customers enjoy service from one single value-added source. And when a solution doesn’t exist – we strive to create an avenue to develop one.

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Popularity: 6% [?]

Tags: Accounting, Bay Area Business Services, Bookkeeping, Business, Business Services, Finance, Financial Services, Marketing, QuickBooks, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco Bay Area Business Services, Small Business

Want to Increase Your Sales? Get Real!

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I started my sales career almost 20 years ago.  I still find that hard to believe.    Before starting in sales, I knew one thing…I would never be in sales.  Well, I was wrong.  I soon learned not to get too down during unavoidable setbacks nor should I get too elated over temporary wins.  But most importantly, despite many misconceptions and stereotypes, I learned that sales is a noble profession.

Nothing happens until a sales transaction is completed.  No matter the industry no matter the product…no sales equates to nothing.  You may have the greatest product or service in the world (at least in your mind), but until someone pays you for it, you have just an opinion.  Therefore, it is the salesperson or process that facilitates the transaction making sure that a prospective customer becomes a paying customer.  He is the life blood of the company.  Rid yourself of the sales focus and you do so at the detriment of the health of your company.    I have watched failed attempts at sustaining a business while tampering with sales too many times to give it any merit.

Now, here is where things get dicey.  Because, in its most basic form, sales is the interaction between your company or product with that of a prospective customer, can technology only serve as the sales process?  The answer is that if it is done properly…yes.   A website if organized correctly and if it is visually appealing, can make the sale. No humans necessary on the front end.  It happens every day and won’t be coming to an end anytime soon.  And yet, people do prefer dealing with people it is often said.  Well, it all depends on the need being addressed.  A salesperson is required for technical applications or for more intimate products where touch. taste, or smell are necessary.

But in an industry such as office supplies, where the salesperson once feasted, we see that the internet has effectively replaced them.  Why?  Because the knowledge that a salesperson once offered can now be easily found on-line.   Simply put, the office products salesperson has little value by today’s modern business standpoint.   He’s not completely extinct; but if this salesperson is to effectively compete, he better innovate and do it fast.  Everyday my battles take place on what is fast becoming an uneven playing field.  Even if my service is superior, conveying it is becoming more and more difficult

Working smarter was my best weapon if I was to expand or at the minimum maintain my client base.     That meant developing a true process for completing a sale.   The sales funnel is part of the jargon many salespeople have heard way too many times.  However, the truth is that effective and creative follow up is your best weapon.  Without it, you are relying on luck.  Don’t sound just like your competition. Don’t be afraid to inject humor.  Don’t send canned messages and do take the time to write out thank you notes, reminders, and other forms of correspondence when appropriate.  This will clearly demonstrate your interest in developing a lasting business relationship.  The effort won’t always pay off of course but it gives you a fighting chance.

As I sat cranking out sales letters applying the standard avery 5160 label to each envelop, I realized that I would be more likely to open a letter if it was personally addressed to me.  This simple little change increased my readership.  That is of course what we want right?  The diligent follow up can be tedious no doubt.  But failure to do so brings you closer to becoming obsolete.  You have to make them want to do business with you.  This can be accomplished if there is an emotional investment in the process.  If done right, eventually your prospect will feel as though they know you and there is almost an element of trust that develops even before the sale takes place.  Improve your writing skills as despite all the technology around us, the written word as it puts your voice on a topic is still quite powerful.  This will require some effort, but write letters and creative e-mails to break through he clutter of standard advertising noise. Tell an interesting story and your letter will be read.  Relate to your customer and you’re even closer to gaining a client.

Of all the lessons I learned over the many years of direct selling is that I had to become real to people.  If I was just another suitor in a long line of others offering discount office supplies, I would always be treated as such.  Differentiation required work.  Once found, it became the battle cry.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

Tags: Business Services, Customer, Customer Management, Marketing and Advertising, sale, Salesforce.com, Salesmanship, Want to Increase Your Sales? Get Real!

Service Design and its Major Advantages

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Service Design is implemented by businesses that supply services to its customers in various ways. They put into practice diverse services to help their potential customers to improve the existing structures or add new methods to handle those actions more smoothly. Basically, you can customer the service design supplied to be the method of increasing the interaction between client and the supplier for great communication, infrastructure and all some other material elements.

To go into detail, a restaurant may use this type of organization whenever they felt that they desired to enhance the layout or inside or even get a new design of their menu so they can impart a better service to their potential customers. As an example, old consumers really should not be confused if the design of the restaurant is drastically changed. They shouldn’t be left floundering to pick a dish or search for one that they were accustomed to. The nature of the job of the Service designer would be to give the consumers what they really want without letting the customers to the restaurant feel lost and make them to adjust to the new changes smoothly.

The work of the service design company is not constrained only to consumer experience. It can be effectively applied to function in other areas as well. As an example, the moving of the present manual system to one that’s completely electronic should be handled in such a way that the staff don’t get unduly suffering from the transition in the functions. In this instance, there are no customers involved. The staffs in the corporation are those who reap some benefits when the service design is applied.

There isn’t just a front end system but in addition a back end in most companies. The front end is when the business interacts with its customers and provides a service. The back end is when the various aspects of the business are ruled for the smooth working of the organization. You are able to apply service design either in the front or back end system or even both. It’s entirely possible to implement service design smoothly when modifications are needed in design changes or other field of business.

Service design has been implemented in a lot of public sector companies in addition to private blue-chip companies for improving the productivity of the business and offering a much better user experience to the customer. They are able to decide on the changes that need to be effected in the corporation by carefully noticing how it impacts the effectiveness and compiling data after extensive research is performed. When it’s determined what must be altered, a service design firm is then used to apply the changes in a smooth and effective manner with least disruption to the present operations of the business.

http://www.neotenyservicedesign.com.au Do you need to learn to implement the latest design concepts and ideas into your company?
Visits the Neoteny website and find out all of the best Service Design secrets.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Tags: Business, Business Services, Consulting, Customer, Customer Management, customer service, Design, Service design, Service Design and its Major Advantages

Real World Recession Tactics That Are Working Right Now

Sara Wilson had a good article, “How are Franchisees Dealing?” in the January ’09 Entrepreneur Magazine that interviewed four different franchise commercial enterprise owners on how they were dealing with obstacles during this current economic slump. It provided some great insight into how businesses are dealing with the recession and whether a franchise has certain advantages over other types of companies. I include my two cents on their tactics to give you a well rounded analysis of their business strategies. Maybe you will find some that make sense for you.

I. Floyd’s 99 Barbershop: The franchisee, Jay Palmer, couldn’t find a loan for a new store.  He tried using his home and his parent’s home as collateral and no luck with banks, including trying to obtain an SBA or Corporate loan.

– The Solution: Mr. Palmer found a personal investor (Angel Investor).  The investor came into the shop for a shave and a haircut when Mr. Palmer wasn’t around so he could get a good feel for the business.  He ended up investing $150,000 subsequently seeing a steady stream of happy customers and happy, energetic employees.  This was a great move on Mr. Palmer’s part, using a track record of success and clearly showing a precipitous investor the real deal behind the potential success of his future business opportunity:  great service, great product, happy customers and content, energetic employees.  In just one site visit and the positive experience with the business’ services, the investor was ready to supply the needed capital even after multiple bank turn-downs.

II. Kitchen Solvers: Franchisees, Carrie and John Borden Kircher, customer niche based changed.  Their customer market became price orientated, and the business offers premium kitchen and bath remodeling.  Leads dropped 19% and sales are down 25% over the last two years.

– The Solution: Their solution is rebrand their vans, get new signs; increase letters to past customers; leave a gift with a customer after a job is complete; and working with their franchiser on the operational side of the business.  Ok, as Business Planner I am going to give my two cents on the Borden Kircher’s proposed solutions:

• Rebranding Vans and New Signage: In my experienced opinion, this is a waste of money.  I would instead spend this money on a new  Business Turnaround Plan which centers on two areas.
• How to locate higher wealth clients in the market area.
• How to sell price based customers on why premium services and products can save them money in the long run.  Once the new Marketing Strategies bring in profits, then it is a good time to upgrade signs and re-brand with those growth dollars.
• Increase Letters to Past Customers: But what is the purpose behind the letter or is it just more paper (I think the latter)? If you asking for referrals, the time to do it is right after a successful install when the client is on that satisfied high. What would be more effective is a Newsletter that contains useful tips, as well as, examples of jobs and projects completed and customer testimonials. Perhaps throw in a customer discount coupon to get that add on sale or up sale to past customers. The newsletter is also an example way to introduce new services and products or changes to current services and products. Include an article on the design services Kitchen Solvers offers but in a way that is adding of value information and not a pure sales piece. The most efficient, least costly, and by far the most profitable, are continuing sales to existing customers. Focus your marketing in that area during tough times and get those referrals. Offer some great discounts or “thank you’s” for referrals. Give your customers reasons to refer more clients to you!
• Leaving a Gift Basket with a Customer After Job Completion: The Borden Kircher’s are looking to implement better customer service and they believe customers are looking for the “Wow” factor.  Leaving a gift is not customer service, and the wow factor should be as a result of a beautifully completed job.  A Gift Basket will get neither.  Customer Service starts at the Sales and Design Stage and continues throughout the job.  The business owners showing up on the job to check on things and talk with the client is good customer service.  Meeting with the customer in person after a job is completed to go over everything and ensure the client is happy is good customer service (and a great time to drop off the latest company newsletter and ask for several referrals).  Customer Service is showing up on the job when the client is unhappy with the contractor’s work.  This type of highly motivated customer service will create the Wow factor for Kitchen Solvers, along with a quality, premium, beautiful look in the finished kitchen or bathroom, leaving a lasting impression.
• Work on the Operational Side with the Franchisor: This is one of the fantastic advantages a Franchisee can leverage:  utilizing the experience and resources of the Franchisor.  Some Operational Tips I would make as a Business Consultant:
  • Analyze product costs and see where you can cut costs yet still retain a premium, high-end image with quality products and value added results.
  • Work on a Supplier Business Plan which strengthens your relationship with your suppliers, tapping their assistance, experience, resources and expertise to bring better product offerings to your customers.
  • As antecedently stated re-work the Marketing Plan, along with making the resulting key changes in the Strategic Plan to better anticipate future market trends and adapt operations more proactively to those indicating trends.
  • Examine the Operational Aspects of the Business Plan to see how you can better bridge the gap between the design sale stage and the install.  Customers are more prone to pay a premium for a smooth, effective transition from construct and design to install and completion.
  • Incorporate add-on merchandising into your Strategic Sales Plan for existing customers.  A happy customer is more apt to stick with the same company to continue remodeling, so be sure to have a built in process which engages customers and shows them other remodels you can accomplish for them.  Add-on selling takes very little marketing cost for a big return and ties in well with solid customer service.
  • Have the Franchisor witness some sales and installs to see if areas for improvements can be identified.  Incorporate these improvements into your Business Plan.
• My Best Advice: Find a way to sell a premium product and service to higher wealth clientele and offer a product/ service which has a premium look and finish, yet appeals to price conscious customers.  Search for innovative suppliers who can help accomplish this mix.  Follow-up this new business model with strong customer service end-to-end all the sale and install stages.  Concentrate on a post-completion walk-through which asks for referrals and start the add-on sale process.  Follow up with a every month newsletter which contains add-on ideas and offers a loyal customer discount.  The Borken Kircher’s have a lot of challenges in this economy, and as they said, “you can’t just sit around waiting for people to call.”  Use this rough patch as a learning experience in staying ahead of changing market trends, analyzing costs and making new plans for future success.  A premium product + great customer service + a quality install + great value = a viable business model in any economy.  Just don’t wait two years to make changes.

III. The Melting Pot Restaurant:  The challenge Franchisee Michael Frampton was facing during the Real Estate Crash in California was establishing the restaurant in a new shopping center when 10 other centers in the area were all opening at the same time.  On top of this important challenge, property taxes went up from $500 a month to $2,500, which meant $2000 a month cost comes straight off the bottom-line, never being budgeted for.

– Solutions: Mr. Frampton shows why he is going to be a successful business owner.  Clear steps and strategies to overcome the current situation:

• Loyalty Cards: This is a fantastic move.  Appreciate your regular customers during the hard times, and they will keep your doors open.
• Mass Mailing: Targeted within a 10 mile radius as there are so many competing restaurants in the immediate area.  Targeted mailing is measurable, which is key during tough times.
• Analyze where you are spending money and the areas which can be controlled and managed (not necessarily cut): Mr. Frampton actually saved $500 a month in focusing on linen costs for towels used to clean the restaurant.  He also analyzed energy cost:  when they turn on equipment and the length of time it’s used.  A third major cost area for restaurants is staffing, which Frampton cost analyzed as well.
• New Business Opportunity: Mr, Frampton started opening for lunch on Sundays. Typically added operation hours can be a bad move in a recession. So what were his motives and reasons? I imagine he wanted to catch that late brunch / after church lunch crowd who are looking for an upscale meal as their main meal on Sunday. Perhaps since his target market was so close to the restaurant, he thought he could entice them advantageously for a late breakfast or lunch. A great approach would be to analyze customer traffic flow, alcohol sales, food sales and costs for every single day of the week. This analysis will promptly show trends on what days are the most profitable to be open, what hours and the reasons why. With this information in hand, the business owner can make the necessary adjustments to staff scheduling, food prep costs and open hours much more effectively and strategically. Mr. Frampton seemingly believes that the added cost of being open on Sunday for lunch is worth it based upon the cost and traffic flow study he most probably performed.

IV. EmbroidMe: Wendy and Todd Diskin own a franchise that specializes in promotional solutions for businesses, which includes decorating apparel and screen printing.  Their challenge has been rising costs from their suppliers.  They have experienced a 5% increase in the Cost of Goods over the last year.

– Solutions

• Competitive Pricing verses Solution Based: The custom product industry is price competitive.  With rising costs, the Diskin’s have provided a more solution based approach so the buying decision isn’t just made on the quote.  For instance, if one of their customers is trying to increase readership, they figure out how EmbroidMe products or services can help the client attain that goal and come up with a program to do so.  Then the decision becomes one of “risk and reward and ROI instead of price…”  Selling solutions alongside your product and service offerings is a way you can separate your company from the competition and still retain premium pricing in a price based market.
• Continuous Marketing Software: This program sends letters and emails so the Diskin’s can “stay in front of their customers on a regular basis without a ton of effort….”  This software program keeps the company intermeshed with customers, giving EmbroidMe first opportunity to make another value added sale or track how customer market trends may be changing.
• Good Vendor Relations: Leveraging a strong advantage franchises have, EmbroidMe Corporate negotiates the best pricing and strategic relationships with suppliers for their franchises.  This is a huge advantage as it is a time consuming task and volume pricing from a Global Corporate level is much more advantageous than negotiating on your own as a single business unit.  So it is apparent that although COGs has risen, EmbroidMe is still very competitive and successful, even in a recession.

My Concluding Advice

In this article I identified certain types of businesses which excel in an Economic Downturn and why they are successful. Here is some concluding advice for starting or operating a business during Recessionary times:

1. This Recession will have an impact for at least the next 2-3 years.  So keep that in mind when planning for your business.
2. Track Record, Experience, Niche Market Identification and Cash Flow are keys in raising funds for your business.
3. A solid Comprehensive Business Plan, along with realistic, precise Market Planning and Financial Forecasts are very critical during challenging economic times.  An effective Strategic Plan is integrally important in bridging the gap between a Marketing Strategy and Realistic Financial Forecasting.
4. Out of the box thinking:  For Brick and Mortar Companies, key on strong local areas and or apply the web to efficiently bring a product or service to the market.
5. Price Competitiveness becomes less important if you sell value-added business solutions to your customers and have tight controls on costs.

About the Writer – Frank Goley of ABC Business Consulting

Frank Goley is a business consultant, business turnaround consultant and business plan consultant for ABC Business Consulting. He has been helping companies to succeed for many years. Frank wrote his first business plan over twenty years ago. He is an expert in developing business plans, marketing plans, funding plans, strategic plans, turnaround plans, web marketing strategies, and project specific business plans. Frank is also a business coach and a web development, web marketing and web seo consultant. Frank is the author of  Business Plan Guide, The Comprehensive Business Plan Workbook – A Step by Step Guide to Effective Business Planning, and he has over 130 published articles and e-books on business success strategies. He also writes the Business Success Strategies Blog.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Tags: Business, Business Services, Customer, Customer Management, customer service, Franchising, Marketing plan, Recession, Recession Tactics, Recession Tactics That Are Working Right Now, Sales

What Search Marketers Look for in Vendors

PPC Summit recently conducted a survey of leading bid management vendors and their clients.  Some common themes emerged, some of which were unexpected.  This article captures five of several messages search marketers are sending vendors.  See the full report for other expectations, challenges they’ve faced, and advice they have for their fellow marketers.

#1:  Provide Kick-Ass Support or Else

We interviewed more than 50 people and 41 organizations.  Of the 66 criteria they defined, support rated #1 by a long shot.  “Support” means a lot of things, though, not just an 800-number or Internet-based support.  And quite frankly, some vendors don’t even provide an 800-number.

Vendors better listen and prove they’re listening too, before and after the sale.  The level of support a vendor offers before a sale can forecast the level of service you may end up with after the sale.  Sure, some vendors have tiered customer service levels meaning if you pay them extra they’ll be at your beck and call.  With others the amount or type of support you get may depend on your spend level.  For example, you’re spending a couple of thousand dollars a month you won’t have a dedicated account manager but if you’re spending $50,000 a month you likely will.

My favorite pre-sale support story came out of Zappos from Assistant SEM Manager Tim Schaeffer.  When Schaeffer was evaluating vendors he had three companies on his short list.  He sent e-mail messages to all three at the same time and was surprised by the results.  Two of the vendors were located in the same time zone (Pacific).  The third, Kenshoo, was located in Israel.  It was midnight in Israel at the time.  Guess who responded first?  Kenshoo.  Guess who got the business?  You guessed it.

Kenshoo responded immediately.  Both US vendors responded in about 4 hours and one of them was located a five minute drive away!  Oops.

The “support” bucket also now includes customer-requested product features.  Those companies who listen to their customers or solicit customer feedback and turn customer requests and comments into product features or feature enhancements are viewed as more “customer centric” than those who don’t.  Moreover, the customers who have witnessed their ideas transformed into product features are taking emotional equity in the vendor and its product to the point where some sound like a Windows 7 commercial:  “I’m a PPC (search marketer) and I invented my favorite vendor’s product.”

#2:  Frequent Updates Are Important

Vendors differ in a lot of respects but here we’re going to discuss time to market.  Some vendors have agile software release cycles ranging from about two weeks to three months while others still have annual or semi-annual “major release” cycles.

Major release cycles are how software companies have traditionally built software:  They plan, build, test, and deploy a big software release that’s packed with all kinds of features and enhancements.  Traditional software development is a linear practice that moves a product down a line through several types of specialists who specify, build, and test the software, respectively.  Agile development involves software releases that are smaller in scope and released more frequently.   It breaks down interdepartmental fiefdoms like coding and testing, among other things, so software teams can develop better quality software faster and more collaboratively.

Among the people we interviewed the difference between traditional and agile releases meant a lot.  Companies with shorter (agile) release cycles are seen as more in tune with customer requirements and also more up to date with Google’s constant algorithmic modifications than companies with slower release cycles.

This finding also ties back to the point about turning customer ideas into product features:  When customers see product features a few weeks or a few months down the road that they personally suggested they become more loyal customers and they’re also amazed how fast their vendor of choice incorporated their idea(s).

#3:   Make Sure I’m Getting Value

Almost everyone we interviewed had switched vendors at least once or dumped their agency because they believed they could do a better job in-house using the right tools and with the help of the right experts on the vendors’ account team.

“Help” comes in several forms including human assistance and machine assistance.  The human element we’ve already touched on; however, I can say the vendor account teams when they’re good are a valuable extension of the in-house search team.

Machine help is also popular among both experienced and novice search professionals.  Some systems have automated best practice engines that will suggest best practices automatically, kind of like contextual help.  The engines apply algorithms to historical history, keyword prices, the buying patterns of organizations inside or even outside your industry, and then compare the results with your current actions.

Experienced search marketers sometimes ignore the suggestions based on experience.  Seasonal keyword buys are a great example.  They nevertheless value a second pair of eyes, virtual or not, because it forces them to think about what they’re doing and why.  New search marketers like best-practice suggestions because it’s a great way to learn hands-on.

In terms of product features you may have noticed – and we point out in the report – that bid management isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to managing search programs effectively.  Vendors tend to categorize the additional features differently but reporting and campaign management are the two major buckets with the latter including bulk uploads and editing, Quality Score management, and more.

#4:  Help Me Do Business My Way

It’s marvelous some vendors have so many features available for every conceivable vertical market.  On the other hand, who cares?   If a company sells professional services it has no need to tie inventory to paid search because it has no inventory.  The message here is twofold:  1) Make me effective in my vertical and 2) Don’t make me wade through hundreds of features just to guess which 50 actually matter.

(Actually, you can do yourself a BIG favor by prioritizing what you’re trying to accomplish.  That way, what is and is not relevant will be more obvious to you.)

Search marketers appreciate domain expertise but it’s hard to know what you’re missing if don’t know a capability exists.  One gentleman we interviewed is convinced multi-channel attribution is impossible and yet other fellow retailers are doing it with varying levels of success and sophistication.

Vertical market nuances can also play out in sales.  A search marketer who works for a national insurance agency is spending lots of money but on very few keywords so a percentage-of-spend cost model doesn’t work for him.

#5:     Help Me Improve Return on Investment

ROI is a moving target and as you well know search marketers are under constant pressure to improve ROI.  Many search marketers are looking beyond last click attribution to multi-attribution and multichannel attribution for two main reasons:  1) Last-click attribution rarely reflects actual human behavior and 2) Paid search is being integrated into overall marketing strategies more than it has been. As a result, paid search is increasingly being compared to, contrasted with, and optimized in relation to other marketing tactics.

Retailers are a good example of a vertical market making this move.  Admittedly, it’s the larger retailers that are pushing the trend forward but as always sophistication flows downstream over time.  Smaller retailers are already paying attention because they’re hearing more buzz about it generally thanks to AdWords search funnel reports.

Not all vendors provide this capability and those who do don’t necessarily support it to the same degree.  At the present time, some search marketers are doing the functional equivalent of sticking a finger in the wind to using complex data models to attribute costs to specific actions.

It’s a growing area and people are interested so expect to see a lot more about this (and more sophisticated solutions) in the near future.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of reasons to hate bid management solutions and vendors, especially if their products and/or services don’t align with your business.  If you’re unhappy with your present vendor, you’re wise to take a thoughtful approach to vendor selection starting with your objectives.  Along the way, pay attention to things like responsiveness and a willingness to ensure your success, particularly if your spend level is formidable.

The main message is don’t settle.  You don’t have to.  Most vendors offer free trials so you can take their solutions for a test drive and all of them would be more than happy to be your next business partner.  Just make sure you’re in the driver’s seat or you may end up feeling like you’ve been taken for a ride.

Lisa Morgan is CEO of Strategic Rainmakers, a management and marketing consulting firm that helps organizations meet their strategic business and marketing goals.  Its services include in-depth research, marketing consulting, content development, and strategic initiatives, among other things.  Past and present clients include vendors, service providers, event producers, publishers, and associations.

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Call Center Services – Do You Know The Top Five Benefits of Outsourcing?

In today’s environment of cutthroat competition, customer expectations of support and service have reached new highs. Businesses without extraordinary customer support tend to lose favor with consumer, lag behind their competition or even face a survival crisis. Hence, the all-important customer support services can never be overlooked. Your company can set up an in-house call center or outsource such services. Much, however, depends on your available resources including manpower, infrastructure and technical know-how. While large businesses may go in for their own call centers, majority of the mid-sized companies find outsourcing a much viable option.

Listed below are five advantages of outsourcing your call center:

24/7 support to customers across various time zones

In todays’ globalized environment, businesses often have customers spread across various time zones and they expect twenty-four hour customer service.

Call centers, with 24/7/365 operating model, ascertain that customers get the required assistance whenever and wherever they need them. Such activities help cement ties between the consumers and the company and retain them in the long run.

Save on cost of establishing in-house call center

Establishing an in-house call center involves heavy investment on infrastructure and hiring and training of required personnel. This results in diversion of crucial resources from the core operations of the company.

Outsourcing these tasks to a call center service takes care of the entire process of preparation, relieving the company of the headache of putting in place every small element and managing the operations all along.

Tap into required expertise

Maintaining an in-house call center is treated as an extra responsibility for businesses. On the other hand, call centers that are exclusively devoted to these operations treat it as their primary task, concentrating all their energies to deliver very high quality service. It is almost impossible for your company to reach that level of expertise. Thus, outsourcing call center services ensures excellent customer support services.

Focus on your core competence

It is important for every company to focus on its core competence and rely on outside experts to handle tasks that are not part of the core. Call center is one such area that should be outsourced since making and receiving calls is their bread and butter and it would be tough for you to match the quality of service they generally deliver.

Utilize advanced and specialized services

The bouquet of specialized and advanced services that call centers offer today go beyond expectations of the company. In fact, one has to be very careful in making the right choice of the vendor and the collection of services. The right kind of partnership with the appropriate vendor can contribute towards the success of the company at large.

It is not for nothing that call center services are becoming the new buzzword in the world of business. The positive contribution they make to companies far outweigh the investment made in hiring them as partners in business. Specialized call centers are here to stay and help you succeed.

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Outsourcing Tips that Give Results

Outsourcing time consuming tasks has become a vital element in assuring the success of an online business since this is how you can expand your business. Yes, you do need to pay a price for everything you outsource but the investment you make will give you huge returns if you manage it the right way.

An office and hiring employees usually incurs additional costs which is why outsourcing is so popular. In the following article we will be looking into 3 tips that will help you with your outsourcing project. If you wish to use Outsourcing to its best effect be sure you promote services such as The Profit Spy.

How successful your outsourcing project is depends largely on the effectiveness of your communication with the vendor. Plenty of projects fail due in large part to defective communication. An effective communication plan is critical to outsourcing which is why you need to make sure you have one place. This plan can be changed and improved with time. Make sure you’re focusing on using daily status calls to find out what’s happening. When you learn how to communicate effectively with your service provider, it will clear a lot of things up. If you are in constant contact with your service provider, he or she won’t have to search for support when they aren’t clear on something. Your project will progress much easier and more efficiently. When you’re picking your first project for outsourcing, always ensure that’s small and not too big. This first project should serve as an experiment. Start small in order to avoid some of the harsher lessons that go along with almost any learning curve. Testing several firms at once with small projects allows you to see different firm’s responses to your problems and gauge which firm delivers the best and most profitable results for you. There are new service launches happening constantly such as The Profit Spy, and nearly 100% of them will take advantage of Outsourcing.

It’s always wise to keep a sharp eye out for potential problems with the firms you outsource to. Provide a quick response for any and all problems that crop up. You should have a more firm project management and try to take care of problems at an early stage. If you ignore small issues now they could become huge problems for your business later. Outsourcing works wonders for business by freeing your attention from tasks you dislike and allowing you to focus it on things that will grow your business and your profits. There is a learning curve involved in outsource but the more you do it the easier it will become.

You can check out the latest marketing product at the The Profit Spy website and keep up to date.

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Crucial Considerations On Reliable Database Management Techniques

Businesses are all about the client and the product. As such, there are files for products and files for clients. With so much paperwork, it can be quite hard to keep everything organised. Many businesses, particularly if they are smaller, need a virtual assistant database manager.

Wouldn’t it be nice if, as a business owner, you could simply talk about and sell your products or services without worrying about anything else. Unfortunately, there is much more to it than simply that. It’s very important for businesses to analyse their statistics and other reports in these hard times. To generate complex reports accurately, accurate data is required to start off with.

Without well-organised data, a company can quickly flounder. For instance, how would a business ever know how their products are doing in certain areas of the country? Customer feedback is essential.

Data capture is important for a business to enable it to grow. Without this organisation, they would never discover their strong areas, weak areas or whether marketing campaigns were a success. Information is the unrivalled king in the business world.

Its important to manage data in a business in a very efficient manner. Customer names and information need to be logged, reports need to be generated about product demographic, customer surveys and profits to name just a few important areas.

Database management is another area that small business owners especially don’t have time to look after. All this information takes time to organise and detracts from the primary goal of promoting and creating new products. This thorny subject offers an opportunity for a well trained, expert virtual assistant.

You may have experience in setting up databases in a variety of different formats. You should be able to assist off-line or online businesses with this particular skill. Every business keeps a comprehensive record of its inventory, revenues, demographic data, names and addresses of customers and a host of other information.

Virtual assistants involved in website development, database management and setup can provide:

• Database maintenance and design
• Data entry of customer names and information
• Creating data spreadsheets from compiled records
• The processing of new data
• Creating reports for clients
• Creating graphs and other visuals
• Tech support for clients using new databases

Your client’s employees will be able to retrieve information from databases as they perform their jobs. With a little training by you, everyone can learn to access the databases that you create. Information gathering activities are thus streamlined and the business is a lot more efficient. Don’t forget, an “on point” virtual assistant can help you with all the details.

The basic infrastructure of the company’s records is in your hands. The business can transform its situation from a desk full of papers with disorganised information to a highly structured database that can in future be updated very simply. Any information that the client needs right away, you can access immediately, and with ease.

Businesses thrive on information and a virtual assistant database manager; is a major part of this winning equation. If you like working with data and are good at organisation, this might be the niche for you to choose to specialise in. Find something that you really love doing and go ahead!

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