Does your company sell different products to different customer bases? Do you do event marketing? Do you need segmentation of your market to narrow down the needs of each niche you serve? Are you going to hold a special webinar? Welcome to the world of the customized landing page.
Whatever you got, if you can narrow down the target to the service, product or event, even if you have made a dedicated page within your current website, it’s not good enough! The creation of a special landing page can not hurt, but help in so many ways.
If your offer is from an email, direct mail piece, telesales message; you need to make sure that the prospect sees what you want them to see quickly, easily and fast in 1 click. 2 clicks are 1 click too many. 3 clicks and your dead.
In creating a specialized landing page you can focus on that 1 target. Key words can be used. Your H1 title line can talk about it. Your Meta tag key words and description can yell out to the little Google spiders saying here I am, here I am!
In addition it allows you the chance to test marketing your service, product or even without a website remake.
If you just remember the basics on making a web page, good navigation, readable text, nice clear images.
Larson Notes & Satire: I have not talked too much about landing pages for a while. But these little things are really an untapped. It can take you right to the top in your targeted market without compromising the more broad based nature of your website. It really narrows down the clicks your targets need to hit to get to you. 1 click and they are there. Doesn’t get much easier for them to buy or sign up.
Add in a link to the home page of your company web site or any other page that makes more sense for them to hit with their 2nd click and make it happen.
Quick, easy, fast, that is what people want on the web. Make it hard and you lose them. Make yourself easy and accessible and you win.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Website Check Up
How is your website doing? Are you getting enough activity? Enough hits? The sales you were expecting off of it?
Ask yourself these questions and then decide if you need an upgrade of your site.
1. Does your home page clearly say what your company does and the kind of customer you want or serve?
2. Do you use an easy conversational tone in your copy?
3. Do you offer useful content in addition to your product and service information?
4. Is your website optimized for the best possible ranking in the search engines?
5. Are you always updating your websites copy?
6. Do all the pages of your website have an offer that they can’t refuse?
7. Do your action requests talk to the customer at all the different stages to the buying process?
8. Is your phone number on each and every page of your website?
9. If you have them, are your online forms short and asking for only the needed information, not a bunch of junk? (i.e. name, company name, address, phone number, email address?)
10. Do you have a process in place so your website inquiries get followed up on quickly?
If your keeping score give yourself a point for each yes you can answer to. If you are a 6 or below you had better get to work on your site. You’re missing some web action.
Larson Notes & Satire: It seems every day I am doing something to help get my site ranking higher and higher. Post a blog. Do an online key word string search. Ask people to look for my site or got to it and give it a hit. Website rankings don’t come by accident, but hard work. You can pay for clicks or pay to get in the pink area of a word search. But I am not talking about that. I am talking about getting you up there with no, zero money. It can be done.
And just in case you want a little help in finding quick places to improve on go to http://www.pearanalytics.com/ . PearAnalytics is a tool which is easy to use, and provides fast results concerning important SEO factors. Unlike most tools you can find to help you, PearAnalytics provides solutions to improving these factors in seconds at no cost.
If you need help call me and I will charge you to do it. I am only telling you, if you have the time and the patience you can do it all on your own. But it does take perseverance. If I can do it, anyone can.
Today on Google in a keyword sting of “telesales for printers” one of my sites was the 1, 2 and 3 listings. Go on see for yourself.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Ask yourself these questions and then decide if you need an upgrade of your site.
1. Does your home page clearly say what your company does and the kind of customer you want or serve?
2. Do you use an easy conversational tone in your copy?
3. Do you offer useful content in addition to your product and service information?
4. Is your website optimized for the best possible ranking in the search engines?
5. Are you always updating your websites copy?
6. Do all the pages of your website have an offer that they can’t refuse?
7. Do your action requests talk to the customer at all the different stages to the buying process?
8. Is your phone number on each and every page of your website?
9. If you have them, are your online forms short and asking for only the needed information, not a bunch of junk? (i.e. name, company name, address, phone number, email address?)
10. Do you have a process in place so your website inquiries get followed up on quickly?
If your keeping score give yourself a point for each yes you can answer to. If you are a 6 or below you had better get to work on your site. You’re missing some web action.
Larson Notes & Satire: It seems every day I am doing something to help get my site ranking higher and higher. Post a blog. Do an online key word string search. Ask people to look for my site or got to it and give it a hit. Website rankings don’t come by accident, but hard work. You can pay for clicks or pay to get in the pink area of a word search. But I am not talking about that. I am talking about getting you up there with no, zero money. It can be done.
And just in case you want a little help in finding quick places to improve on go to http://www.pearanalytics.com/ . PearAnalytics is a tool which is easy to use, and provides fast results concerning important SEO factors. Unlike most tools you can find to help you, PearAnalytics provides solutions to improving these factors in seconds at no cost.
If you need help call me and I will charge you to do it. I am only telling you, if you have the time and the patience you can do it all on your own. But it does take perseverance. If I can do it, anyone can.
Today on Google in a keyword sting of “telesales for printers” one of my sites was the 1, 2 and 3 listings. Go on see for yourself.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Hitting On The Rich
As we slowly recover from this wonderful fun recession we all might want to look at selling more to the “rich”.
They are out there. But who are they?
66% are women
20% are minorities
68% are married couples
56% of those households earn over $250,000
21% purchased from a catalog 12 or more times a year
10.5% growth in households of $250,000 in income and above
Top 4 wealthiest areas in the United States
$118,509 – Los Alamos NM
$107,499 – San Jose / Santa Clara CA
$100,141 – Bridgeport / Stamford / Norwalk, Conn
$ 94,599 – Washington DC / Arlington VA
$ 92,020 – Bolder CO
Selling to the affluent is changing as is and has the economy. As a marketer you will find a fierce fight for those dollars. Not only is there more competition for their purchasing but the affluent households are looking for value over status. Of that the very top 2% of all this group of people has actually increased their spending 40% from the 3rd quarter of 2009. And studies show that these wealthy Americans do consistently respond to mail and catalogs.
Do you have a product or service that the wealthy need or want?
Larson Notes & Satire: Selling to the rich. Be it the 5 areas targeted above or areas where you live that have enclaves of wealthy people. You know where they are. If not get the census report and it will help you find them.
So ask yourself do you really have a product to sell to them? If so
1. Target the right price point for your product. These people, at least most of them are not rich because they go out on buying binges. They are smart and they are thrifty.
2. Target consumer attributes that are relevant to the product. Yes that’s right; again it falls on you to target the right product into the right demographic profile. Yes you can profile here. This is marketing not airport surveillance and that is what we do. Lol.
3. Have a good website where those prospects can go to get more information or actually buy your product or service. Is your site easy to navigate? Does the shopping cart work easily? Help them to buy.
4. Have multiple ways for the prospect to contact you off your mailer. As stated above, web site, but also phone number, email address and maybe even a return card or envelope.
Don’t think that people are going to buy from you because you’re such a nice person. You will starve if you sit and wait. Grasp your future! Be the driver of your life
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
They are out there. But who are they?
66% are women
20% are minorities
68% are married couples
56% of those households earn over $250,000
21% purchased from a catalog 12 or more times a year
10.5% growth in households of $250,000 in income and above
Top 4 wealthiest areas in the United States
$118,509 – Los Alamos NM
$107,499 – San Jose / Santa Clara CA
$100,141 – Bridgeport / Stamford / Norwalk, Conn
$ 94,599 – Washington DC / Arlington VA
$ 92,020 – Bolder CO
Selling to the affluent is changing as is and has the economy. As a marketer you will find a fierce fight for those dollars. Not only is there more competition for their purchasing but the affluent households are looking for value over status. Of that the very top 2% of all this group of people has actually increased their spending 40% from the 3rd quarter of 2009. And studies show that these wealthy Americans do consistently respond to mail and catalogs.
Do you have a product or service that the wealthy need or want?
Larson Notes & Satire: Selling to the rich. Be it the 5 areas targeted above or areas where you live that have enclaves of wealthy people. You know where they are. If not get the census report and it will help you find them.
So ask yourself do you really have a product to sell to them? If so
1. Target the right price point for your product. These people, at least most of them are not rich because they go out on buying binges. They are smart and they are thrifty.
2. Target consumer attributes that are relevant to the product. Yes that’s right; again it falls on you to target the right product into the right demographic profile. Yes you can profile here. This is marketing not airport surveillance and that is what we do. Lol.
3. Have a good website where those prospects can go to get more information or actually buy your product or service. Is your site easy to navigate? Does the shopping cart work easily? Help them to buy.
4. Have multiple ways for the prospect to contact you off your mailer. As stated above, web site, but also phone number, email address and maybe even a return card or envelope.
Don’t think that people are going to buy from you because you’re such a nice person. You will starve if you sit and wait. Grasp your future! Be the driver of your life
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Blog Writing Secrets
You can be writing your own blog. It is really quite simple, just sit down and write as if you were speaking.
Really it is just that easy. No more procrastination. No more sweaty hands. No more using large, 8 syllable words. Just relax and write. Write as if you were talking to a close friend
Writing the way you talk does not give you permission to write bad. What it does is help keep you focused to be a better more productive focused writer.
Here’s how to use “write the way you talk” to end all the insecurities and avoid sounding like a complete idiot:
1. Imagine your talking with a friend. Write like you are having a good conversation with your best buddy. So when you’re writing, think about how you would explain your chosen topic of the day to a close friend who is sitting next to you.
If you were having a conversation with your friend, what words would you use? What would you talk about first? What questions would they ask you?
2. Record yourself. Not sure what you sound like, try recording yourself. If you talk to on the phone regularly, record the call and listen to it later (Be sure to check the laws in your state first. Some states require you get the other party’s permission before you record).
3. Take a deep breath, relax, take a sip of coffee, and just be yourself. When you write the way you talk, you can’t help but put your personality into the piece. Weave in a couple of good, topical, personal stories and you’re on your way.
4. Use the same words that you normally use. If you write the way you talk, you’ll be more apt to use common, everyday words that you would normally use. Words people understand and don’t need to run to the dictionary to look up. Use the KISS method, Keep It Simple Stupid. That way your writing is simple and clear. If the average person needs to get a dictionary out to know what you’re trying to say, then you need a different word.
5. Toss out the rule book and just start writing. Yes there are rules about grammar, writing styles, active versus passive voice, and punctuation. I don’t know if I have ever met an English teacher that liked me. Just keep focused on getting your points across, and don’t worry about anything else. Once you’ve done that, go back reread and fix what doesn’t sound right.
After you’ve done that, hit save and leave it till morning, come back and look at it again. A freash head cleared out might find some additional changes to make.
6. Find a friend. Want to make sure that what you write actually sounds readable and like you? Get a friend to read it, and let them be critical.
7. Read what you wrote out loud. When you read it aloud you will find all those awkward sentences that you sort of skim over when you just read it to yourself. You will find yourself stumbling over words and sentences that don’t quite fit together
So go ahead, as the Nike slogan says, “Just Do It!”
Larson Notes & Satire: It is really that simple. No English major, no degree in composition. If you are an avid reader of mine, you know I don’t follow any rules real when I blog. I have a basic outline and then, I think it and write it. It is sort of obvious isn’t it? Outside of keeping on my chosen target of blogging about marketing and advertising I just let it flow.
But here I am writing and blogging away and there you are reading. And at the same time my web site is getting a record number of hits and I have been able to hire a new person this month so…
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Really it is just that easy. No more procrastination. No more sweaty hands. No more using large, 8 syllable words. Just relax and write. Write as if you were talking to a close friend
Writing the way you talk does not give you permission to write bad. What it does is help keep you focused to be a better more productive focused writer.
Here’s how to use “write the way you talk” to end all the insecurities and avoid sounding like a complete idiot:
1. Imagine your talking with a friend. Write like you are having a good conversation with your best buddy. So when you’re writing, think about how you would explain your chosen topic of the day to a close friend who is sitting next to you.
If you were having a conversation with your friend, what words would you use? What would you talk about first? What questions would they ask you?
2. Record yourself. Not sure what you sound like, try recording yourself. If you talk to on the phone regularly, record the call and listen to it later (Be sure to check the laws in your state first. Some states require you get the other party’s permission before you record).
3. Take a deep breath, relax, take a sip of coffee, and just be yourself. When you write the way you talk, you can’t help but put your personality into the piece. Weave in a couple of good, topical, personal stories and you’re on your way.
4. Use the same words that you normally use. If you write the way you talk, you’ll be more apt to use common, everyday words that you would normally use. Words people understand and don’t need to run to the dictionary to look up. Use the KISS method, Keep It Simple Stupid. That way your writing is simple and clear. If the average person needs to get a dictionary out to know what you’re trying to say, then you need a different word.
5. Toss out the rule book and just start writing. Yes there are rules about grammar, writing styles, active versus passive voice, and punctuation. I don’t know if I have ever met an English teacher that liked me. Just keep focused on getting your points across, and don’t worry about anything else. Once you’ve done that, go back reread and fix what doesn’t sound right.
After you’ve done that, hit save and leave it till morning, come back and look at it again. A freash head cleared out might find some additional changes to make.
6. Find a friend. Want to make sure that what you write actually sounds readable and like you? Get a friend to read it, and let them be critical.
7. Read what you wrote out loud. When you read it aloud you will find all those awkward sentences that you sort of skim over when you just read it to yourself. You will find yourself stumbling over words and sentences that don’t quite fit together
So go ahead, as the Nike slogan says, “Just Do It!”
Larson Notes & Satire: It is really that simple. No English major, no degree in composition. If you are an avid reader of mine, you know I don’t follow any rules real when I blog. I have a basic outline and then, I think it and write it. It is sort of obvious isn’t it? Outside of keeping on my chosen target of blogging about marketing and advertising I just let it flow.
But here I am writing and blogging away and there you are reading. And at the same time my web site is getting a record number of hits and I have been able to hire a new person this month so…
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The Power To Last
Unemployed? Over 50? Under skilled?
Are you one of the new unemployed people out there? Good work ethic, but no job future for whatever reason? You history filled with life skills but no one wants the hire you for your knowledge? Join the club.
No not the Mickey Mouse Club but the Club of Self Employment.
To this wonderful group of business people from all you new comers or soon to be members we have those who already took the plunge as a New Business Owner or a Small business person already making their own personal mark in the world of economic self sufficiency. We are the backbone of the world!
Now ask yourself if you have the staying power to make it as a small business owner or an entrepreneur? What do I mean by that?
Many if not most of all business owners have not done the research about what is involved to launch and make their business self sustaining. They have not sat down pencil and paper in hand to calculate out what they need to make it work, for them.
Let’s start with you. Yes you! It’s ok to be selfish right now. You’re not out to save the world here, you’re here to save your families economic vitality. What do you need to exist? You might want to make $200,000 dollars a year but once you kick out cable (yes cable is a luxury) the 4 meals out at restaurants a week (sorry restaurant owner friends but you too are a luxury at times) you might only need $50,000 a year. Big difference. That will pay your mortgage, your utilities; keep food on the table and gas in the car.
But let’s stay on your figure of $200,000 or maybe I should up it to $250,000 so you’re in the upper income of those people they want to raise taxes on. Let’s go back to you earning $200,000 a year. If you are going to work 40 hours a week and take 2 weeks of vacation that will give you 2,000 hours to work. If you want that $200,000 and you need to charge $100 an hour and you will make your goal. BUT not all your time is billable. You need to market, sell, research, empty the waist basket and all those other business owner kind of things. I would guess you will spend up to 1 third of your time doing those non-billable kinds of things, cutting off 700 hours or work. Now you need to bill out not $100 an hour but $285 an hour to make your goal.
If we are only taking $50,000 you only need to bill out $28.50 an hour and that is doable. Yes?
That is if you can keep you billing time filled up. Did you become unemployed because your past employer had the work to need you?
Think before you jump.
Larson Notes & Satire: As part of what I do, is I consult with small or would be business owners or owners who what to take their businesses up the next level. You know like add an employee or more from that spare room in the house to an office.
Business is full of hard decisions and small business people and entrepreneurs are hungry for success and will take plunges with their businesses which might not be in the best interest of their businesses. I can think of one owner who I was talking with who is excessive compulsive. I kept telling him to slow down and think first before spending or getting into any long or short term contract. He is one of the lucky ones. He only lost $1200 - $3000 on a bad web hosting web / building decision. It could have been much worse had he signed a 3 year lease for an office on what he thought was a viable business.
You can start and build your own business. Just think before you spend. For more information on the Larson system see PSS below.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Are you one of the new unemployed people out there? Good work ethic, but no job future for whatever reason? You history filled with life skills but no one wants the hire you for your knowledge? Join the club.
No not the Mickey Mouse Club but the Club of Self Employment.
To this wonderful group of business people from all you new comers or soon to be members we have those who already took the plunge as a New Business Owner or a Small business person already making their own personal mark in the world of economic self sufficiency. We are the backbone of the world!
Now ask yourself if you have the staying power to make it as a small business owner or an entrepreneur? What do I mean by that?
Many if not most of all business owners have not done the research about what is involved to launch and make their business self sustaining. They have not sat down pencil and paper in hand to calculate out what they need to make it work, for them.
Let’s start with you. Yes you! It’s ok to be selfish right now. You’re not out to save the world here, you’re here to save your families economic vitality. What do you need to exist? You might want to make $200,000 dollars a year but once you kick out cable (yes cable is a luxury) the 4 meals out at restaurants a week (sorry restaurant owner friends but you too are a luxury at times) you might only need $50,000 a year. Big difference. That will pay your mortgage, your utilities; keep food on the table and gas in the car.
But let’s stay on your figure of $200,000 or maybe I should up it to $250,000 so you’re in the upper income of those people they want to raise taxes on. Let’s go back to you earning $200,000 a year. If you are going to work 40 hours a week and take 2 weeks of vacation that will give you 2,000 hours to work. If you want that $200,000 and you need to charge $100 an hour and you will make your goal. BUT not all your time is billable. You need to market, sell, research, empty the waist basket and all those other business owner kind of things. I would guess you will spend up to 1 third of your time doing those non-billable kinds of things, cutting off 700 hours or work. Now you need to bill out not $100 an hour but $285 an hour to make your goal.
If we are only taking $50,000 you only need to bill out $28.50 an hour and that is doable. Yes?
That is if you can keep you billing time filled up. Did you become unemployed because your past employer had the work to need you?
Think before you jump.
Larson Notes & Satire: As part of what I do, is I consult with small or would be business owners or owners who what to take their businesses up the next level. You know like add an employee or more from that spare room in the house to an office.
Business is full of hard decisions and small business people and entrepreneurs are hungry for success and will take plunges with their businesses which might not be in the best interest of their businesses. I can think of one owner who I was talking with who is excessive compulsive. I kept telling him to slow down and think first before spending or getting into any long or short term contract. He is one of the lucky ones. He only lost $1200 - $3000 on a bad web hosting web / building decision. It could have been much worse had he signed a 3 year lease for an office on what he thought was a viable business.
You can start and build your own business. Just think before you spend. For more information on the Larson system see PSS below.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Marketing Comes in 2 Kinds Acquisition & Retention
There really are 2 sides to any marketing program the gaining of new customers (acquisition) and the keeping of the customers you now have (retention).
To pull back or drop spending on either side of the marketing equation can put your company’s new client or client retention program in a total tailspin.
In a down economy, and it is down, I don’t care if the experts said the recession ended months ago. It is still not nice out there. I know it and you know it.
Let’s face the fact that new clients are the very lifeblood of your company’s existence. If you cut off your companies push to get new customers you will go out of business. The customers you have will slowly disappear some faster than others but it happens.
In a down market like this one it is really one of the better times to get in customers. In past recessions and this one is no different than the others, companies tend to pull back on their over all sales and marketing attack. Less time, less money, fewer resources, resulting in less competition in trying to acquiring new customers, or even holding on to the ones they have.
If you are short on marketing dollars yourself I would put them into retention marketing. Keep what you already have. It’s easier and cheaper to do. A rewards program, a good guy discount, a F2F visit at their location (do people still to real F2F sales appointments? Just kidding).
As for new accounts, get smart. Use predictive modeling to find the best nitch. Use some analytic techniques to target your marketing spending. If you can target down to the best kind of customer you will have less marketing leakage and get the best bang for your buck.
Larson Notes & Satire: If done right, this stuff works. How do I know? Because that is what we do here at Larson’s. When you work on a no contract basis like my company does, it is succeed or loose. Yes you read that right; I do not obligate my clients into long term contracts. I found I did not like long term deals when I was on the receiving side, so I don’t do it to other’s when, like now I am on the giving (of contracts) side. I do have one kind of long term deal floating around out there but that is a % of actual sale situation only and you need to meet special criteria to be eligible.
We are hitting accounts all over the place, phone, mail, email, Social Media, SEO, SEM, web site, linking, classified ads. Even with all I am using here there are hundreds out there that we are not using for whatever reason. I have a firm belief that you start with 2 marketing tools and utilize them at 100% efficacy then add a 3rd and bringing that up to snuff and so on. I have found that the most any one person can master and work at one time is probably 5 or 6, even me. After that even I seek help from other professionals. Just remember, it really does not matter if you’re using 1 marketing tool or 10. The key is utilization efficiency at or near 100%.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
To pull back or drop spending on either side of the marketing equation can put your company’s new client or client retention program in a total tailspin.
In a down economy, and it is down, I don’t care if the experts said the recession ended months ago. It is still not nice out there. I know it and you know it.
Let’s face the fact that new clients are the very lifeblood of your company’s existence. If you cut off your companies push to get new customers you will go out of business. The customers you have will slowly disappear some faster than others but it happens.
In a down market like this one it is really one of the better times to get in customers. In past recessions and this one is no different than the others, companies tend to pull back on their over all sales and marketing attack. Less time, less money, fewer resources, resulting in less competition in trying to acquiring new customers, or even holding on to the ones they have.
If you are short on marketing dollars yourself I would put them into retention marketing. Keep what you already have. It’s easier and cheaper to do. A rewards program, a good guy discount, a F2F visit at their location (do people still to real F2F sales appointments? Just kidding).
As for new accounts, get smart. Use predictive modeling to find the best nitch. Use some analytic techniques to target your marketing spending. If you can target down to the best kind of customer you will have less marketing leakage and get the best bang for your buck.
Larson Notes & Satire: If done right, this stuff works. How do I know? Because that is what we do here at Larson’s. When you work on a no contract basis like my company does, it is succeed or loose. Yes you read that right; I do not obligate my clients into long term contracts. I found I did not like long term deals when I was on the receiving side, so I don’t do it to other’s when, like now I am on the giving (of contracts) side. I do have one kind of long term deal floating around out there but that is a % of actual sale situation only and you need to meet special criteria to be eligible.
We are hitting accounts all over the place, phone, mail, email, Social Media, SEO, SEM, web site, linking, classified ads. Even with all I am using here there are hundreds out there that we are not using for whatever reason. I have a firm belief that you start with 2 marketing tools and utilize them at 100% efficacy then add a 3rd and bringing that up to snuff and so on. I have found that the most any one person can master and work at one time is probably 5 or 6, even me. After that even I seek help from other professionals. Just remember, it really does not matter if you’re using 1 marketing tool or 10. The key is utilization efficiency at or near 100%.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Social Media Marketing Up For Small Business
Tight budgets but still wanting to do something, more small businesses are turning to Social Media for a greater part of their marketing. Does that surprise you? I have said before in a past blog that the new Sweat equity in many businesses has become Social Media (Marketing). I would think that if you are reading this blog you are already most likely engaged in some sort of Social Media / Social Media Marketing.
Despite budget cuts, small businesses are doing what they can to make things happen. With the resiliency of being a Small Businesses owner, we are all adopting and implementing the free side (except for time to learn and implement) of online marketing tools that social media marketing affords us.
During the 2nd quarter for the very first time since the Merchant Confidence Index was started, Social Media was listing as the top channel to be used by businesses with over 50% of all businesses now using some form of Social Media Marketing. The next closest channel coming in at number 2 was e-mail marketing which was top marketing tool for small business in the 1st quarter.
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Nings, MerchantCircle combining in with local based sites like Yelp and Foursquare and video sharing sites like YouTube are finding ways into the Small Business marketing plan.
If you have the time and the tenacity to be a player in Social Media it can pay off, but it does take time. . . lots of time.
Larson Notes & Satire: Each week I find new ways to make Social Media work. I find ways to make it work for me and a small handful of select companies that want me to do it for them. It has helped to make my web site 1st page google and yahoo in the two keyword string natural searches of “telesales for printers” and telemarketing for printers”. I figure if I can do it for myself, I can do the same kind of thing and get the same kind of results for other small businesses, and I do. I like nothing more that going after the “Big Dogs” and getting them to put their tails between their legs when one of my small business client’s web sites goes up higher than theirs on a key word search.
It’s sort of like when a new client hires me on to do telemarketing for them in a new city. I’m sitting there rubbing my hands together in joy, wanting to blow the competition’s drawers off for not hiring me first when they had the chance. Those are the kinds of goals that make my work fun and enjoyable. It really does make work a heck of a lot more fun!
But back to Social Media, there are all kinds of ways to be getting Social Media to work, aside from pushing up your web site in the rankings. There is the posting on forums and other peoples blogs (that’s right you don’t have to write the blog yourself to get exposure just post a good related comment) to attract followers who can then become a loyal customer. It takes time and it takes an approach where you have to keep a long term one track mind in your marketing attack, but it does work. People seem to like people who don’t go changing their minds about things ideas and topics every other month. So consistency is a key here.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Despite budget cuts, small businesses are doing what they can to make things happen. With the resiliency of being a Small Businesses owner, we are all adopting and implementing the free side (except for time to learn and implement) of online marketing tools that social media marketing affords us.
During the 2nd quarter for the very first time since the Merchant Confidence Index was started, Social Media was listing as the top channel to be used by businesses with over 50% of all businesses now using some form of Social Media Marketing. The next closest channel coming in at number 2 was e-mail marketing which was top marketing tool for small business in the 1st quarter.
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Nings, MerchantCircle combining in with local based sites like Yelp and Foursquare and video sharing sites like YouTube are finding ways into the Small Business marketing plan.
If you have the time and the tenacity to be a player in Social Media it can pay off, but it does take time. . . lots of time.
Larson Notes & Satire: Each week I find new ways to make Social Media work. I find ways to make it work for me and a small handful of select companies that want me to do it for them. It has helped to make my web site 1st page google and yahoo in the two keyword string natural searches of “telesales for printers” and telemarketing for printers”. I figure if I can do it for myself, I can do the same kind of thing and get the same kind of results for other small businesses, and I do. I like nothing more that going after the “Big Dogs” and getting them to put their tails between their legs when one of my small business client’s web sites goes up higher than theirs on a key word search.
It’s sort of like when a new client hires me on to do telemarketing for them in a new city. I’m sitting there rubbing my hands together in joy, wanting to blow the competition’s drawers off for not hiring me first when they had the chance. Those are the kinds of goals that make my work fun and enjoyable. It really does make work a heck of a lot more fun!
But back to Social Media, there are all kinds of ways to be getting Social Media to work, aside from pushing up your web site in the rankings. There is the posting on forums and other peoples blogs (that’s right you don’t have to write the blog yourself to get exposure just post a good related comment) to attract followers who can then become a loyal customer. It takes time and it takes an approach where you have to keep a long term one track mind in your marketing attack, but it does work. People seem to like people who don’t go changing their minds about things ideas and topics every other month. So consistency is a key here.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Monday, October 18, 2010
What Is Important in Social Media?
Twits, posts, blogs, followers, friends can make you head spin with working in the confines of Social Media. As a marketer working in this channel you already know you can’t ignore inbound marketing. The latest stats show that 980% of consumers are using some kind of social media that as we go along the time spent on those channels such as twitter, LinkIn, MySpace and Facebook is growing.
As this grass roots channel develops we have 3 angels of the triangle working to take advantage of it.
1st is the channels themselves, the Twitters, Facebook, MySpace, LinkIn, MerchantCircle, Nings. Now the Ning people have already shot themselves in the foot with the changes they made this year. I know I ended my companies Ning site this summer as well as countless other nings. As for the others… they are trying to figure out who they are, and what the countless people involved in them are there for. I wonder it Twitter and Facebook really understand what they have and what, we the user want out of them. Then there are the companies themselves. There are ones like me with my little fan club http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
with only 47 fans in it. As if they should care compared to ones like Walgreens, Craftsman and Duncan Donuts with thousands upon thousands of fans.
As a business I have with each approach from the sites, and yes I even said this directly to a Yelp sales representative, I don’t relate to the kind of company that American Express (she was quoting me statistics from what they did for American Express, as if my company can even start to act like they do), if Yelp can get me 1, just 1 new customer I will put some marketing money in your direction, but until I can get an actual paying customer out of the site the const from me and my company will continue to only be my time, which is costly enough.
Impressions, visits, reach, followers are important statistics but they are not a very important business metrics. For social media to really be taken in by your business as a viable channel yet needs to demonstrate how it responds and how it is relevant to the bottom line. Yes, social media should be judged on not awareness metrics but it must be measured as to what it is doing for your bottom line. If there is no follower/friend conversion to a sale, no matter how filled up you might think your sales pipeline is because of it, it is a total waste of time, effort and if you do spend any dollars on it, money.
Larson Notes & Satire: If you are tracking, you can evaluate the real effectiveness of all the channels you are involved in.
It still comes down to the bottom line, friends and followers are good and nice but you need a pay back of some kind.
That payback can be sales, and I would rate that the number 1 payback but it can also be in the form of information of creating an online board of directors or experts for your business, a way to test new product or service ideas, to find new employees, open new markets.
The more you engage in conversations and build relationships will be the key to unlocking Social Media doors. Are you knocking on the “right” door?
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
As this grass roots channel develops we have 3 angels of the triangle working to take advantage of it.
1st is the channels themselves, the Twitters, Facebook, MySpace, LinkIn, MerchantCircle, Nings. Now the Ning people have already shot themselves in the foot with the changes they made this year. I know I ended my companies Ning site this summer as well as countless other nings. As for the others… they are trying to figure out who they are, and what the countless people involved in them are there for. I wonder it Twitter and Facebook really understand what they have and what, we the user want out of them. Then there are the companies themselves. There are ones like me with my little fan club http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
with only 47 fans in it. As if they should care compared to ones like Walgreens, Craftsman and Duncan Donuts with thousands upon thousands of fans.
As a business I have with each approach from the sites, and yes I even said this directly to a Yelp sales representative, I don’t relate to the kind of company that American Express (she was quoting me statistics from what they did for American Express, as if my company can even start to act like they do), if Yelp can get me 1, just 1 new customer I will put some marketing money in your direction, but until I can get an actual paying customer out of the site the const from me and my company will continue to only be my time, which is costly enough.
Impressions, visits, reach, followers are important statistics but they are not a very important business metrics. For social media to really be taken in by your business as a viable channel yet needs to demonstrate how it responds and how it is relevant to the bottom line. Yes, social media should be judged on not awareness metrics but it must be measured as to what it is doing for your bottom line. If there is no follower/friend conversion to a sale, no matter how filled up you might think your sales pipeline is because of it, it is a total waste of time, effort and if you do spend any dollars on it, money.
Larson Notes & Satire: If you are tracking, you can evaluate the real effectiveness of all the channels you are involved in.
It still comes down to the bottom line, friends and followers are good and nice but you need a pay back of some kind.
That payback can be sales, and I would rate that the number 1 payback but it can also be in the form of information of creating an online board of directors or experts for your business, a way to test new product or service ideas, to find new employees, open new markets.
The more you engage in conversations and build relationships will be the key to unlocking Social Media doors. Are you knocking on the “right” door?
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Friday, October 15, 2010
What Can Mail Do For Lead Generation?
What can Mail or E-Mail really do for your companies lead generation? They both have a place in a multichannel marketing attack.
Mail of either kind paves the way for increasing the response rate to double that of a single channel marketing attack. What you might use depends on your target and if they respond to electronic or ground mail
Looking at telemarketing studies where an email or direct mail piece was sent prior to the phone calls in an outbound telemarketing program being made, actual response rates can double by sending. Did I say double? Did I say double? Yes actual conversion rates went from 1-2.5% to up to 2-5% and even higher in some programs. If we put in another mailing in the middle of a Larson wave telemarketing campaign and we start to get to the WOW stage in action.
Mail is a conversation opener. It gives a starting point that a cold call sometimes needs to break the ice. Most Appointments are not going to happen out of an email or a mailing piece alone but add in a phone call (or 2 or 3 or 4?) and things start to get very interesting.
Add into that a post mailing piece and…. You start to strengthen the other efforts and you can get results in the 10% and higher category depending on the target, the offer and the need.
And any of you who have actually talked to me have heard me say that I do leave Voice Messages in a telemarketing attack. Yes I do, I figure that I took the time to call, I am going to say something and leave a message and I do get call backs. A mailing piece is an excellent way to hammer in my voice message, to provide yet another touch.
Larson Notes & Satire: Most of my customers only want me and my staff for our melodious voices. We can and do get results. Sadly they cut themselves off of hitting real pay dirt. “There’s gold in them hills” when doing a multichannel cold call prospecting program. But like any good prospector, the more tools you have, a pick, a hammer, a drill, dynamite, the faster and greater the work. Add in some heavy equipment like a pay loader and you really start to more some rock. Each element of an attack in the complete Larson Marketing plan has a purpose and supports the others.
There is a cost, but the pay off? Well if a telesales campaign netted 1-2.5% (2-5% with the long term Larson plan) but one with mail and/or email thrown in would get you 4-10% you work out the numbers with your product or service? What is that worth to your company?
Time to stop, have a sip of coffee. Mmm, Ahhh.
Ok, now, can you answer me this question, what is a customer worth to your business a year? Now can answer me this, how long does an average customer keep buying from your business? So for every new customer you get you will earn that much a year. Now tell me what I can do to help you make that kind of money.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Mail of either kind paves the way for increasing the response rate to double that of a single channel marketing attack. What you might use depends on your target and if they respond to electronic or ground mail
Looking at telemarketing studies where an email or direct mail piece was sent prior to the phone calls in an outbound telemarketing program being made, actual response rates can double by sending. Did I say double? Did I say double? Yes actual conversion rates went from 1-2.5% to up to 2-5% and even higher in some programs. If we put in another mailing in the middle of a Larson wave telemarketing campaign and we start to get to the WOW stage in action.
Mail is a conversation opener. It gives a starting point that a cold call sometimes needs to break the ice. Most Appointments are not going to happen out of an email or a mailing piece alone but add in a phone call (or 2 or 3 or 4?) and things start to get very interesting.
Add into that a post mailing piece and…. You start to strengthen the other efforts and you can get results in the 10% and higher category depending on the target, the offer and the need.
And any of you who have actually talked to me have heard me say that I do leave Voice Messages in a telemarketing attack. Yes I do, I figure that I took the time to call, I am going to say something and leave a message and I do get call backs. A mailing piece is an excellent way to hammer in my voice message, to provide yet another touch.
Larson Notes & Satire: Most of my customers only want me and my staff for our melodious voices. We can and do get results. Sadly they cut themselves off of hitting real pay dirt. “There’s gold in them hills” when doing a multichannel cold call prospecting program. But like any good prospector, the more tools you have, a pick, a hammer, a drill, dynamite, the faster and greater the work. Add in some heavy equipment like a pay loader and you really start to more some rock. Each element of an attack in the complete Larson Marketing plan has a purpose and supports the others.
There is a cost, but the pay off? Well if a telesales campaign netted 1-2.5% (2-5% with the long term Larson plan) but one with mail and/or email thrown in would get you 4-10% you work out the numbers with your product or service? What is that worth to your company?
Time to stop, have a sip of coffee. Mmm, Ahhh.
Ok, now, can you answer me this question, what is a customer worth to your business a year? Now can answer me this, how long does an average customer keep buying from your business? So for every new customer you get you will earn that much a year. Now tell me what I can do to help you make that kind of money.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
CDs, DVDs Continue To Boost Direct Mail
Putting a disc into a direct mail piece is an effective way to entice consumers to open it, according to research sponsored by industry group DiscMail Direct and the Direct Marketing Association. The study, released in full at this week's DMA 2010 Conference & Exhibition in San Francisco, found that 91% of respondents said they would rather open a mailer that contains a DVD or CD.
The study found that almost three-quarters (73%) of the more than 800 consumer respondents said they actually played the discs on their computer.
The study also revealed that 59% of respondents believe a DVD is more secure than e-mail, and 85% prefer receiving a DVD or CD rather than an e-mail, indicating that consumer attitudes are still positive for disc media.
Larson Notes & Satire: I few short years ago I was moving over $40,000 of CD/DVDs though my business. Most to that was CD catalogs with a few music CDs thrown in for fun with a couple of small recording studios. As my (personal) block of clients posted their catalogs on line, as the band width of the internet increased allowing larger files to move across. My B2B CD work shrank.
Yes we still do CD’s and DVD duplication/replication here at Larson’s. I use to be out there pushing multimedia work day in and day out. I use to push out these kinds of studies out all the time but have backed off for a few years but this one came flying across my desk today, so I though, heck why not push some CD’s today!
When I saw the number 91% I fell off my chair. You show me anything that is that high and I want my customers to be taking a look at it, to find a way to use it, to find a way to get a targeted package into the hands of their customers and prospects. If it still works that well, you need to take a second look, like I am, into the usefulness of this kind of advertising & marketing medium.
If you want to talk CDs or DVDs, we’re talking.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
The study found that almost three-quarters (73%) of the more than 800 consumer respondents said they actually played the discs on their computer.
The study also revealed that 59% of respondents believe a DVD is more secure than e-mail, and 85% prefer receiving a DVD or CD rather than an e-mail, indicating that consumer attitudes are still positive for disc media.
Larson Notes & Satire: I few short years ago I was moving over $40,000 of CD/DVDs though my business. Most to that was CD catalogs with a few music CDs thrown in for fun with a couple of small recording studios. As my (personal) block of clients posted their catalogs on line, as the band width of the internet increased allowing larger files to move across. My B2B CD work shrank.
Yes we still do CD’s and DVD duplication/replication here at Larson’s. I use to be out there pushing multimedia work day in and day out. I use to push out these kinds of studies out all the time but have backed off for a few years but this one came flying across my desk today, so I though, heck why not push some CD’s today!
When I saw the number 91% I fell off my chair. You show me anything that is that high and I want my customers to be taking a look at it, to find a way to use it, to find a way to get a targeted package into the hands of their customers and prospects. If it still works that well, you need to take a second look, like I am, into the usefulness of this kind of advertising & marketing medium.
If you want to talk CDs or DVDs, we’re talking.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Follow Follower’s Actions before Acting
Ok enough of the heavy tech stuff. Sit down, take a deep breath, and pour yourself a cup of coffee. I know I did.
Now my question for you today is how should you as a seller of goods and services connect with your prospects online?
As an online businesses person you must determine where you’re most important interactions take place. There are different levels of interaction and you need to know what is the most important to you, not me, not your best friend, YOU! Yes you can be selfish here. Facebook, MerchantCircle, LinkedIn, a Ning site, your company Web site?
Now ask yourself; How did the prospect find you? What kind of content did they look at? What did they download? How did the prospect re-engage with you after going over your content?
First track your website movements to indentify your follower’s movements. What activity did they do, where did they go? What did they look at?
Second, consider the time frame of content viewing to next interaction. Is it there to be a quick knee jerk response or long term sale?
Third, get them to ask and have them fill out a form to get a higher level of content. As long as you give people enough good information up front there is nothing wrong with asking for more on who they are. I tend to not like the; tell me about you first to get my information kind of web sites and people, thus I don’t do a lot of downloading of “white papers” because they want to know about me before I know about them, usually. But that’s me. I need to know if they are worth getting bothered from and I don’t know that until I know where they head is at, and company for that matter. I need to know what they are selling and if I really care. Then, going back into the sellers’ mode and not the buyers, when giving information you might ask for an email address just so you don’t get a fake one just to get your stuff and actually send the information or a password to get it.
Forth, determine if the prospects re-engagement online after looking over your “stuff” is relevant. The shorter amount of time the greater the desire to purchase. Are they there to buy or are they a tire kicker?
Larson Notes & Satire: Buy doing even simple tracking of online behaviors you can find a pattern of behavior. Look at the service or product they viewed. Is there a pattern with that specific service/product category or not? Look at the site where the prospect came from? Is there a pattern of behavior from that site between the kinds of interaction?
The more you know and understand the kinds of people and their behavior the more you can create a selling atmosphere from them to buy what you got to sell.
Remember people buy for their reasons, not yours.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Now my question for you today is how should you as a seller of goods and services connect with your prospects online?
As an online businesses person you must determine where you’re most important interactions take place. There are different levels of interaction and you need to know what is the most important to you, not me, not your best friend, YOU! Yes you can be selfish here. Facebook, MerchantCircle, LinkedIn, a Ning site, your company Web site?
Now ask yourself; How did the prospect find you? What kind of content did they look at? What did they download? How did the prospect re-engage with you after going over your content?
First track your website movements to indentify your follower’s movements. What activity did they do, where did they go? What did they look at?
Second, consider the time frame of content viewing to next interaction. Is it there to be a quick knee jerk response or long term sale?
Third, get them to ask and have them fill out a form to get a higher level of content. As long as you give people enough good information up front there is nothing wrong with asking for more on who they are. I tend to not like the; tell me about you first to get my information kind of web sites and people, thus I don’t do a lot of downloading of “white papers” because they want to know about me before I know about them, usually. But that’s me. I need to know if they are worth getting bothered from and I don’t know that until I know where they head is at, and company for that matter. I need to know what they are selling and if I really care. Then, going back into the sellers’ mode and not the buyers, when giving information you might ask for an email address just so you don’t get a fake one just to get your stuff and actually send the information or a password to get it.
Forth, determine if the prospects re-engagement online after looking over your “stuff” is relevant. The shorter amount of time the greater the desire to purchase. Are they there to buy or are they a tire kicker?
Larson Notes & Satire: Buy doing even simple tracking of online behaviors you can find a pattern of behavior. Look at the service or product they viewed. Is there a pattern with that specific service/product category or not? Look at the site where the prospect came from? Is there a pattern of behavior from that site between the kinds of interaction?
The more you know and understand the kinds of people and their behavior the more you can create a selling atmosphere from them to buy what you got to sell.
Remember people buy for their reasons, not yours.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Using Latent Semantic Indexing
Latent Semantic Index (LSI) keywords will boost your SEO, improving your search results page rank, when used in conjunction with your primary search term(s).
While Latent Semantic Indexing is a rather intimidating term, it is really pretty simple.
Simply put, LSI words are those which are commonly related to the keyword phrase that you have targeted for your article or post. Google’s search engine uses the presence of these words within your article to determine its relevance to the search term used.
You can be using as many as 20 to 30 of these related keywords within your post to get your page (s) improved with your search engine page rank. You can also and should use these words within your articles, your meta tags, and image tags.
An example of using related terms would be like, when talking about Search Engine Marketing the three letters "SEM" which most if not all of you know what it means but I can also used various other anchor text combinations to make the linkage data appear slightly less manipulative.
Instead of using search engine marketing or SEM in all the links some of them may use phrases like:
search engine optimization
SEO
search engine submission
SES
search engine placement
SEP
search engine positioning
search engin promotion
search engine ranking
Assuming that you have chosen a primary keyword phrase for your page or blog, you then include that phrase into your title. Then you work it into your first and last paragraphs, finally using Latent Semantic Index words throughout the remainder of your post.
There are many ways to come up with lists of these related LSI words. Just sit down make a list of all of the words that you can think of that hook into your page or articles key word and primary point which are related to the search term used.
Now mix your Anchor Text. Latent semantic indexing (or similar technologies) can also be used to look at the link profile of your website. If all your links are heavy in a few particular phrases and light on other similar phrases then your site may not rank as well.
Simple huh?
Larson Notes & Satire: Weaving in words like this is not a Black Hat way of doing web ranking work; it is White Hat for those of you worried about getting black balled by the search engines. You really need to be creative when using this technique. IN the hands of a Word Master, which I am not, it is totally amazing what can be done, said and accomplished. It takes planning to be able to sit down and write out all those key word combinations but…. Again there are tricks of the trade.
Next week my web site will have a new page added to it, that being a new page for our Search Engine Marketing and in the next month the plan is to put on 4 more pages after that. As said the first new page being added will be for Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Web Site Creation, Web Hosting The 2nd page will be for direct mail and the 3rd will be for our growing consulting business. Originally I was going to push out the Direct Mail page to strengthen our post card and wave mailing work but decided to go with pushing SEM and SEO first as I saw a greater need with my friends, followers and prospects. The other service pages will be a page for our Blog writing and one for Social Media Network Marketing.
I feel that this package of services will work well for both our current customers as well as the growing base of prospects in finding them new customers FAST!
We have some bright new talent here at Larson & Associates in out telesales / telemarketing area as well as on the Web Design side we are very excited to start putting to greater use and highlighting their talents.
With our site hitting top page in the key word string “telesales for printers” in Google, Yahoo and Bing and “telemarketing for printers” now showing up anywhere from 1 to page 8 depending on the day. My feeling is that if I can do it for myself I can do the same for my clients as well, as together we go after the “Big Dogs”!
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
While Latent Semantic Indexing is a rather intimidating term, it is really pretty simple.
Simply put, LSI words are those which are commonly related to the keyword phrase that you have targeted for your article or post. Google’s search engine uses the presence of these words within your article to determine its relevance to the search term used.
You can be using as many as 20 to 30 of these related keywords within your post to get your page (s) improved with your search engine page rank. You can also and should use these words within your articles, your meta tags, and image tags.
An example of using related terms would be like, when talking about Search Engine Marketing the three letters "SEM" which most if not all of you know what it means but I can also used various other anchor text combinations to make the linkage data appear slightly less manipulative.
Instead of using search engine marketing or SEM in all the links some of them may use phrases like:
search engine optimization
SEO
search engine submission
SES
search engine placement
SEP
search engine positioning
search engin promotion
search engine ranking
Assuming that you have chosen a primary keyword phrase for your page or blog, you then include that phrase into your title. Then you work it into your first and last paragraphs, finally using Latent Semantic Index words throughout the remainder of your post.
There are many ways to come up with lists of these related LSI words. Just sit down make a list of all of the words that you can think of that hook into your page or articles key word and primary point which are related to the search term used.
Now mix your Anchor Text. Latent semantic indexing (or similar technologies) can also be used to look at the link profile of your website. If all your links are heavy in a few particular phrases and light on other similar phrases then your site may not rank as well.
Simple huh?
Larson Notes & Satire: Weaving in words like this is not a Black Hat way of doing web ranking work; it is White Hat for those of you worried about getting black balled by the search engines. You really need to be creative when using this technique. IN the hands of a Word Master, which I am not, it is totally amazing what can be done, said and accomplished. It takes planning to be able to sit down and write out all those key word combinations but…. Again there are tricks of the trade.
Next week my web site will have a new page added to it, that being a new page for our Search Engine Marketing and in the next month the plan is to put on 4 more pages after that. As said the first new page being added will be for Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Web Site Creation, Web Hosting The 2nd page will be for direct mail and the 3rd will be for our growing consulting business. Originally I was going to push out the Direct Mail page to strengthen our post card and wave mailing work but decided to go with pushing SEM and SEO first as I saw a greater need with my friends, followers and prospects. The other service pages will be a page for our Blog writing and one for Social Media Network Marketing.
I feel that this package of services will work well for both our current customers as well as the growing base of prospects in finding them new customers FAST!
We have some bright new talent here at Larson & Associates in out telesales / telemarketing area as well as on the Web Design side we are very excited to start putting to greater use and highlighting their talents.
With our site hitting top page in the key word string “telesales for printers” in Google, Yahoo and Bing and “telemarketing for printers” now showing up anywhere from 1 to page 8 depending on the day. My feeling is that if I can do it for myself I can do the same for my clients as well, as together we go after the “Big Dogs”!
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Small Business & Credit Act
Well it passed; yes the “Small Business & Credit Act” passed the house. So what does that mean to you? Good question.
The House’s intent is to pump in up to 30 Billion in capital to small banks that would led the leveraged funds out to as much as $300 Billion in credit to small business who then would grow and produce needed goods, services and jobs. Don’t start jumping up and down or when you walk into your band say “Where’s the money” It’s not there, yet if ever.
It’s going to take some time, maybe a long long time for the money to surface up to “We The People”. 1st the banks need to apply and quality for the program. Then (this is almost too funny for words) the regulations for the program are NOT WRITTEN YET by the Federal Banking Regulators as well as the US Department of the Treasury which are the overseers of the program.
And still, if you don’t have any credit, if you don’t have the collateral or a positive cash flow, no bank I have ever heard of is going to lend you money. It’s just not going not happen.
But let’s look at the other side of the bill, the side I like and we, you and I can use.
The legislation doubles up to $500,000 the amount of purchased assets a small business can write off in 2010 and 2011. If you can buy a piece of equipment you can now write up to $500,000 of it off this year and another $500,000 next year.
The amount of 1st year depreciation a business can claim on a new car goes up to $11,060 and $11,160 for vans and trucks.
The deduction for new business start up expenses is doubling from $5,000 to $10,000.
I’m sure there are more goodies in the bill. I just need to do a little more research and reading and taking to my CPA about it.
Larson Notes & Satire: I am a little excited here since one of my target markets is consulting with people thinking of starting their own businesses. In addition most of my work comes from small business so again I like to see tax deductions. Tax deductions are something we can all use.
As for borrowing money? I don’t like it unless absolutely necessary. Buying a major piece of equipment or a building yes. But hedging your bets on your business growth? Getting a loan for operational expenses? Go rethink your business plan. I see it as putting you under the 8-Ball to business growth. Sometimes you need to borrow, but I am a sweat equity kind of guy, small slow steady growth. But if you have the big dream and need to grow fast and hard now, do it. If you are in technology and if you don’t move fast it will become outdated, more fast! But remember these are loans you need to pay back, not grants which don’t.
If you are out of work and are thinking of starting your own business up, I will set up a free phone appointment for you. This is business planning and marketing NOT financial. If you are “Small Business” (whatever that is) Ill make you the same offer. I also have a service where (for a fee of course) I will do a monthly appointment with you to help you guide your business. Interested? Just ask.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
The House’s intent is to pump in up to 30 Billion in capital to small banks that would led the leveraged funds out to as much as $300 Billion in credit to small business who then would grow and produce needed goods, services and jobs. Don’t start jumping up and down or when you walk into your band say “Where’s the money” It’s not there, yet if ever.
It’s going to take some time, maybe a long long time for the money to surface up to “We The People”. 1st the banks need to apply and quality for the program. Then (this is almost too funny for words) the regulations for the program are NOT WRITTEN YET by the Federal Banking Regulators as well as the US Department of the Treasury which are the overseers of the program.
And still, if you don’t have any credit, if you don’t have the collateral or a positive cash flow, no bank I have ever heard of is going to lend you money. It’s just not going not happen.
But let’s look at the other side of the bill, the side I like and we, you and I can use.
The legislation doubles up to $500,000 the amount of purchased assets a small business can write off in 2010 and 2011. If you can buy a piece of equipment you can now write up to $500,000 of it off this year and another $500,000 next year.
The amount of 1st year depreciation a business can claim on a new car goes up to $11,060 and $11,160 for vans and trucks.
The deduction for new business start up expenses is doubling from $5,000 to $10,000.
I’m sure there are more goodies in the bill. I just need to do a little more research and reading and taking to my CPA about it.
Larson Notes & Satire: I am a little excited here since one of my target markets is consulting with people thinking of starting their own businesses. In addition most of my work comes from small business so again I like to see tax deductions. Tax deductions are something we can all use.
As for borrowing money? I don’t like it unless absolutely necessary. Buying a major piece of equipment or a building yes. But hedging your bets on your business growth? Getting a loan for operational expenses? Go rethink your business plan. I see it as putting you under the 8-Ball to business growth. Sometimes you need to borrow, but I am a sweat equity kind of guy, small slow steady growth. But if you have the big dream and need to grow fast and hard now, do it. If you are in technology and if you don’t move fast it will become outdated, more fast! But remember these are loans you need to pay back, not grants which don’t.
If you are out of work and are thinking of starting your own business up, I will set up a free phone appointment for you. This is business planning and marketing NOT financial. If you are “Small Business” (whatever that is) Ill make you the same offer. I also have a service where (for a fee of course) I will do a monthly appointment with you to help you guide your business. Interested? Just ask.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Short Course On SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
I was reading a paper today and came across a quote buy Chicago Blackhawks Hockey Player Patrick Sharp who in talking about the Stanley Cup said “You can’t win the Stanley Cup in October. It is a process, and you.ve got to get better as the season goes on. You’ve got to keep building.”
As I read what he said I thought to myself, this sounds just like SEO. Putting together a winning SEO program is much the same as winning the Stanley Cup. It is a building process, of learning and growing over the course of the “season”.
Now many “professionals” seem to want to make this all mysterious and secretive so I have broken it down to the simplest way I can do demystify the act of Search Engine Optimization.
1) Find keywords. Pick a list of words relevant to your business. Think about which words are most likely to get people to do what you want them to do (convert into leads) and focus on those words. Then pick one word (or phrase) to use on one page of your site.
2) Put keywords in Page Title. The Page Title is one of the most important things that Google and other search engines evaluate to determine what is on a web page. Put your keyword or phrase in the title, keep it short.
3) Put keywords in Page URL. Google and other search engines also use the text of the URL of the page to determine the content of the web page. You should use your keyword or phrase in the URL of the web page - either the folder/directory structure or the HTML file / page name itself.
4) Put keywords in Meta Data. While the page metadata (Page Description and Keywords) are not nearly as important as they used to be, they still count. Take advantage of them by putting your keyword or phrase there. The description should be readable by a person and make sense and the keyword metadata should focus on your keyword or phrase - do not make it long, less is more.
5) Put keywords in your H1 text. The H1 text is usually the title of an article or some larger bold text at the top of your page. Google and the smaller search engines can see this and they put extra importance on the words in the H1 text. Make sure your keyword or phrase is there.
6) Use keywords in the page content. Putting the keyword in your page content also signals to search engines that the page is actually about the keyword and should show up in search results. We have heard from "experts" that you should use your keyword anywhere from 4-6 times to 10-12 times. Our advice is to just write naturally.
7) Monitor your rank. Give the search engines some time to do their thing (couple days) and then keep checking your rank to see what happened and track your progress.
Larson Notes & Satire: This is as simple as it gets. Now the only choice you need to make is to do it yourself of to contract out to us here at Larson’s to do it for you. Just kidding, NOT!
You can go out and find places that will guarantee you 1st place in a search. Ok, I can do that for you. You want 1st place? This is what they guarantee: 1st place if you type your name or your company’s name. Ya right, that will bring in new customers won’t it. What will that get you? Not much in the way of new business I’m afraid. But if you’re in business for the long-hall, if you in business to make it a moving, growing entity, you need to be able to do a key word search or word string to get you on the 1st page of Google, Yahoo or Bing! That is what you want!
I can say this because I did it for my company. I now have the word string of “telesales for printers” to bring my web site up 1st! (go on and try it, I dare you). Yep there I am, see, I made number one and I am working hard to keep it that way while at the same time working to get myself elevated in and with other key word stings. The complete secret might be a little more than only the 7 steps listed above, but you do those you are well on your way.
It took me 13 months with a brand new site and a new URL to do it. Now, do you want the same search position for your company? Just say the word.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
As I read what he said I thought to myself, this sounds just like SEO. Putting together a winning SEO program is much the same as winning the Stanley Cup. It is a building process, of learning and growing over the course of the “season”.
Now many “professionals” seem to want to make this all mysterious and secretive so I have broken it down to the simplest way I can do demystify the act of Search Engine Optimization.
1) Find keywords. Pick a list of words relevant to your business. Think about which words are most likely to get people to do what you want them to do (convert into leads) and focus on those words. Then pick one word (or phrase) to use on one page of your site.
2) Put keywords in Page Title. The Page Title is one of the most important things that Google and other search engines evaluate to determine what is on a web page. Put your keyword or phrase in the title, keep it short.
3) Put keywords in Page URL. Google and other search engines also use the text of the URL of the page to determine the content of the web page. You should use your keyword or phrase in the URL of the web page - either the folder/directory structure or the HTML file / page name itself.
4) Put keywords in Meta Data. While the page metadata (Page Description and Keywords) are not nearly as important as they used to be, they still count. Take advantage of them by putting your keyword or phrase there. The description should be readable by a person and make sense and the keyword metadata should focus on your keyword or phrase - do not make it long, less is more.
5) Put keywords in your H1 text. The H1 text is usually the title of an article or some larger bold text at the top of your page. Google and the smaller search engines can see this and they put extra importance on the words in the H1 text. Make sure your keyword or phrase is there.
6) Use keywords in the page content. Putting the keyword in your page content also signals to search engines that the page is actually about the keyword and should show up in search results. We have heard from "experts" that you should use your keyword anywhere from 4-6 times to 10-12 times. Our advice is to just write naturally.
7) Monitor your rank. Give the search engines some time to do their thing (couple days) and then keep checking your rank to see what happened and track your progress.
Larson Notes & Satire: This is as simple as it gets. Now the only choice you need to make is to do it yourself of to contract out to us here at Larson’s to do it for you. Just kidding, NOT!
You can go out and find places that will guarantee you 1st place in a search. Ok, I can do that for you. You want 1st place? This is what they guarantee: 1st place if you type your name or your company’s name. Ya right, that will bring in new customers won’t it. What will that get you? Not much in the way of new business I’m afraid. But if you’re in business for the long-hall, if you in business to make it a moving, growing entity, you need to be able to do a key word search or word string to get you on the 1st page of Google, Yahoo or Bing! That is what you want!
I can say this because I did it for my company. I now have the word string of “telesales for printers” to bring my web site up 1st! (go on and try it, I dare you). Yep there I am, see, I made number one and I am working hard to keep it that way while at the same time working to get myself elevated in and with other key word stings. The complete secret might be a little more than only the 7 steps listed above, but you do those you are well on your way.
It took me 13 months with a brand new site and a new URL to do it. Now, do you want the same search position for your company? Just say the word.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
What Should You Measure And Why?
At different times and different parts or a prospects sales cycle, you want to be looking at different things for different reasons.
It our wonderful economy right now you probably want to be measuring the number of web hits you are getting, the number of actual inquiries and responses you are getting, the number of qualified leads you are taking in as well as the number of close and LOST sales. (Yes I do could my lost sales as well as N0’s as a good thing). What you need to be looking at in these or categories you pick out for yourself is not the actual number but the % of improvement you are seeing as well as actual dollars in sales up or down.
Whatever you are using as a marketing sales tool should be measured. If you’re going to spend good time and money on something you need to know if it is worth the investment. I don’t care if it is online or off line. SEO, email mail marketing, blogs, direct mail, trade shows, billboards, you need to know.
Larson Notes & Satire: As you develop your business you get to understand that certain things mean things and have a direct correlation to another. If you know that for every 10 visits to your web site will equal 1 sale worth $500.00 in 4 weeks all you need to look at is your web hits and you can project your sales in a months from now. Sorry all you web analytic gurus out there it is not that complicated unless you need to report or show reports to some higher up “suite” and need fancy charts and graphs. If you have a running shoe store and you know that in every local race you will sell 1 pair of shoes for every 100 runners preregistered in a race you sponsor, you can predict your future sales. These are what you might call your companies “magic numbers”. Once you find out and learn what your magic numbers are for your company the sooner you can use web metrics and other marketing measurement tools to build your business.
Some might call this gut instinct. Maybe but it is that feeling that propels almost all entrepreneurs to greatness.
Oh ya, in case you are thinking that is the road to smallness, don’t believe it. There are some multimillion dollar companies out there run but the gut of the owner. They just also know how to delegate.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
It our wonderful economy right now you probably want to be measuring the number of web hits you are getting, the number of actual inquiries and responses you are getting, the number of qualified leads you are taking in as well as the number of close and LOST sales. (Yes I do could my lost sales as well as N0’s as a good thing). What you need to be looking at in these or categories you pick out for yourself is not the actual number but the % of improvement you are seeing as well as actual dollars in sales up or down.
Whatever you are using as a marketing sales tool should be measured. If you’re going to spend good time and money on something you need to know if it is worth the investment. I don’t care if it is online or off line. SEO, email mail marketing, blogs, direct mail, trade shows, billboards, you need to know.
Larson Notes & Satire: As you develop your business you get to understand that certain things mean things and have a direct correlation to another. If you know that for every 10 visits to your web site will equal 1 sale worth $500.00 in 4 weeks all you need to look at is your web hits and you can project your sales in a months from now. Sorry all you web analytic gurus out there it is not that complicated unless you need to report or show reports to some higher up “suite” and need fancy charts and graphs. If you have a running shoe store and you know that in every local race you will sell 1 pair of shoes for every 100 runners preregistered in a race you sponsor, you can predict your future sales. These are what you might call your companies “magic numbers”. Once you find out and learn what your magic numbers are for your company the sooner you can use web metrics and other marketing measurement tools to build your business.
Some might call this gut instinct. Maybe but it is that feeling that propels almost all entrepreneurs to greatness.
Oh ya, in case you are thinking that is the road to smallness, don’t believe it. There are some multimillion dollar companies out there run but the gut of the owner. They just also know how to delegate.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Why Know Your ROI?
ROI or Return On Investment, has gotten more “press” lately than one might have ever imagined, but that is what has happened because of the Social Media Marketing phenomena.
So now how can you use ROI in figuring out if you should be involved in Social Media Marketing or not?
Let’s start with the value of a customer. Let’s say a typical customer spends 10,000 a year, and is your client for 5 years. If your profit margin is 20% the average new customer is worth 10,000. Once we know that we can plug in the conversion rates to figure out the value of a website visitor, a twitter follower, a webcast registrant a Social Media friend or any other kind of internet hit.
So if we say that your twitter posts bring you 5000 monthly visitors and you can convert 50 or them to a customer, that is worth 50,000 a year to your business. If a SEO can bring you 1,000 new visitors and you have a conversion ratio of 0.3% you just got $30,000 a year in value. If you spent less than that you have a positive ROI.
Larson Notes & Satire: Life should be so easy. But if you have a clear idea of what it costs you to get those needed hits, you can start to understand if you should take the time, outsource the program or bring in a person to do it internally.
So why aren’t more businesses using these very simple kinds of tools? 1st they don’t know the value of a customer. Take the time to fix that problem! Second, start to use the tools of web analytics. Third, set up custom URL or Landing pages so you know where people are coming from, be it Natural Search, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any of the Social Media sites you’re in.
Does it take some time? Yes. Does it take some effort? A little. Is it worth it? You decide.
Better yet. Contract the project out with us.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a 125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
So now how can you use ROI in figuring out if you should be involved in Social Media Marketing or not?
Let’s start with the value of a customer. Let’s say a typical customer spends 10,000 a year, and is your client for 5 years. If your profit margin is 20% the average new customer is worth 10,000. Once we know that we can plug in the conversion rates to figure out the value of a website visitor, a twitter follower, a webcast registrant a Social Media friend or any other kind of internet hit.
So if we say that your twitter posts bring you 5000 monthly visitors and you can convert 50 or them to a customer, that is worth 50,000 a year to your business. If a SEO can bring you 1,000 new visitors and you have a conversion ratio of 0.3% you just got $30,000 a year in value. If you spent less than that you have a positive ROI.
Larson Notes & Satire: Life should be so easy. But if you have a clear idea of what it costs you to get those needed hits, you can start to understand if you should take the time, outsource the program or bring in a person to do it internally.
So why aren’t more businesses using these very simple kinds of tools? 1st they don’t know the value of a customer. Take the time to fix that problem! Second, start to use the tools of web analytics. Third, set up custom URL or Landing pages so you know where people are coming from, be it Natural Search, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any of the Social Media sites you’re in.
Does it take some time? Yes. Does it take some effort? A little. Is it worth it? You decide.
Better yet. Contract the project out with us.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a 125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Using Real-Time Search
Now more than ever people rely on Social Networks; Twitter, Facebook and others for news. As this was trend happening it became evident that the major search engines were not keeping pace with the market’s need for real-time news, real-time search. So the Yahoos, Bings and Googles in an attempt to catch up with the wave of need, started to give us Real Time search. They are now going in to the various Social Networking sites spidering them and giving them time and results with a key word organic search. It could be a simple twit post you just did or the head line of your blog.
Now ¼ of the top 20 sites found in an organic search are from Social Networking. A study from Oneupweb said that over 47% of people that are looking for information are viewing both real-time and sites from a SEO program.
As this new wave of Search evolves there are things you need to remember.
If you Tweet and want to stand out, tweet things that compel your followers and readers to click though to your web site.
2nd, don’t spam or do anything that looks like a piece of SPAM. If you schedule your tweets or blog postings you might want to think how you time them out. If they are scheduled going out once or twice an hour, stop and think again. That will put up the blog flags and get you black balled.
And lastly remember this is social so start or get involved in a conversation. If you want to be engaging, the more up front you are in the world of real time Social Networking and the Online Social Community the more your comments will be retwitted or reposted. And believe me exposure is what it’s all about.
Thinking about what you are doing before doing will get your Tweets, your blogs out to more people and as you are engaging your comments will appear in more and more search results.
Larson Notes & Satire: Keep your eyes open anytime you start to get aggressive in Social Media. ABM, Always Be Monitoring. Watch out for what is being said. Make sure it is what you want it to be. Be sure that you’re putting your best face out there for your fans, friends and audience. The results can be fast both good and bad, and they can leave a long lasting impression.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Now ¼ of the top 20 sites found in an organic search are from Social Networking. A study from Oneupweb said that over 47% of people that are looking for information are viewing both real-time and sites from a SEO program.
As this new wave of Search evolves there are things you need to remember.
If you Tweet and want to stand out, tweet things that compel your followers and readers to click though to your web site.
2nd, don’t spam or do anything that looks like a piece of SPAM. If you schedule your tweets or blog postings you might want to think how you time them out. If they are scheduled going out once or twice an hour, stop and think again. That will put up the blog flags and get you black balled.
And lastly remember this is social so start or get involved in a conversation. If you want to be engaging, the more up front you are in the world of real time Social Networking and the Online Social Community the more your comments will be retwitted or reposted. And believe me exposure is what it’s all about.
Thinking about what you are doing before doing will get your Tweets, your blogs out to more people and as you are engaging your comments will appear in more and more search results.
Larson Notes & Satire: Keep your eyes open anytime you start to get aggressive in Social Media. ABM, Always Be Monitoring. Watch out for what is being said. Make sure it is what you want it to be. Be sure that you’re putting your best face out there for your fans, friends and audience. The results can be fast both good and bad, and they can leave a long lasting impression.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Friday, October 1, 2010
What Analytics Can NOT Do
When talking to companies, people and clients on web presence the subject of Analytics almost always comes up.
Seems everyone wants to know ROI or what a given response rate is. Seems funny that in the same breath they don’t seem to care, well they do but don’t have ways to track it unless it is an online shopping cart, how many actual sales they made off the web.
So were on earth do we start? Well 1st you need to know that although Web Analytics should serve as a primary tool for evaluating your web marketing effectiveness, remember it is only a tool and as a tool you need a human mind to analyze the Analytics. Analytics can measure engagement and time on a page, the number of views and the time spent on a page. But what it cannot do is measure the quality of that visit or the impact that your page had on the prospect. Analytics cannot give us any idea on how your products or service post was thought about or how it is being talked about on the various Social Media venues of twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.
For you to identify criteria for becoming a multi-channel marketer, who is cross marketing yourself, you still need street smarts for quick tactical decision making on individual campaigns to allocate your resources to the right places.
Larson Notes & Satire: Do you know how many hits your web site had last week? I do. Do you know how many web hits your site had last Monday? I do. But more important I know how many sales I had last week. I know that too.
There is analyzing and over analyzing to save your butt. I guess I might rely on gut instinct more than I should but I like it that way. When I revamped my company I made a decision I did not want to be huge and not in total control. Gut instinct works better that way and I like my gut just the way it is.
Am I micro managing? You bet ya, I am. I have my targets and goals just like the big dogs, but when I need to make hard choices I make them within 5 minutes and don’t have to go to a committee or board. Ya I’m that Big Dog in the little junk yard. I am the Grand Poobar of my company with Fred and Barney working for me. I know my numbers online and off line and I know my actual sales numbers and where those sales came from and that, to me, is even more important.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Seems everyone wants to know ROI or what a given response rate is. Seems funny that in the same breath they don’t seem to care, well they do but don’t have ways to track it unless it is an online shopping cart, how many actual sales they made off the web.
So were on earth do we start? Well 1st you need to know that although Web Analytics should serve as a primary tool for evaluating your web marketing effectiveness, remember it is only a tool and as a tool you need a human mind to analyze the Analytics. Analytics can measure engagement and time on a page, the number of views and the time spent on a page. But what it cannot do is measure the quality of that visit or the impact that your page had on the prospect. Analytics cannot give us any idea on how your products or service post was thought about or how it is being talked about on the various Social Media venues of twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.
For you to identify criteria for becoming a multi-channel marketer, who is cross marketing yourself, you still need street smarts for quick tactical decision making on individual campaigns to allocate your resources to the right places.
Larson Notes & Satire: Do you know how many hits your web site had last week? I do. Do you know how many web hits your site had last Monday? I do. But more important I know how many sales I had last week. I know that too.
There is analyzing and over analyzing to save your butt. I guess I might rely on gut instinct more than I should but I like it that way. When I revamped my company I made a decision I did not want to be huge and not in total control. Gut instinct works better that way and I like my gut just the way it is.
Am I micro managing? You bet ya, I am. I have my targets and goals just like the big dogs, but when I need to make hard choices I make them within 5 minutes and don’t have to go to a committee or board. Ya I’m that Big Dog in the little junk yard. I am the Grand Poobar of my company with Fred and Barney working for me. I know my numbers online and off line and I know my actual sales numbers and where those sales came from and that, to me, is even more important.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
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