• Is Your Web Site Behind the Times?
• Create a Marketing Plan in Five Easy Steps
• Put Some 'Fun' Into 'Functional'

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Is Your Web Site Behind the Times?

In today’s world, new technologies are being developed at a very rapid pace and are being adapted by the public very quickly. A year ago, did you use an iPod or any other MP3 player? Do you use one now? Have you heard about blogs, podcasts, and networking sites such as MySpace.com? Have you used them? Many consumers have already changed the way in which they get and use information from the web, which means you may want to take a closer look at your company’s web site.

Although your company may not need to implement blogs and podcasts, you should at least be aware of the new technologies that are available today, and what kind of impact they are having on your customers and potential customers.

For instance, some of the newer technologies might not have existed when you first launched your web site. But today’s users are often already comfortable with them, and ignoring technologies like RSS feeds or interactivity on your web site can give customers a negative impression. New companies and web sites entering your market today are taking advantage of what’s popular with consumers, and are developing web sites with new tools and products that may not have been available when you built your web site.

If your competitors have new technology features on their web sites, you should consider what impact this has on your business. Web sites that provide RSS feeds, blogs, podcasts, or other interactivity are often perceived as having more value than sites that do not. If your competition has a more up-to-date, feature-rich web site, will you still be able to attract new customers? Or even keep the interest of your current customers?

Try to evaluate these new technologies to see if your web site could benefit from implementing any of them. Not a blog user? Go find a blog you’re interested in and check it out! (A good place to start is www.blog-search.com.) Consider adding news headlines from a RSS feed in your industry. Think about adding interactive features such as a dynamic calendar of events, maps, articles, how-to-guides, or even a site-search feature to your web site. Show your customers that your company is progressive by keeping your web site in step with technology, and the impression you make will be a good one.

Create a Marketing Plan in Five Easy Steps

Many small businesses are busy with day-to-day activities with no time left over to create a marketing plan to follow. Well, summer is a great time to put together a plan that will help build your company’s image and provide guidelines for marketing your business for the second half of 2006.

Step 1: Determine Your Value Proposition
What makes you better and more valuable to your customers than the competition? What is your major selling advantage? How do you solve the problems facing your customers? Write down the answers to these questions, then write a summary of them. Try to narrow in on your value proposition until it is a concise statement of 1 or 2 sentences.

Step 2: Create a Brand Identity for Your Business
All of your marketing and promotional materials should have a consistent look and feel, and also have a consistent message. Logos are important; if you don’t have one, consider having a professional create one for you. Also think about coming up with a tag line or slogan.

Step 3: Develop Your Web Site
It is an expectation today that even small businesses have a company web site. Visitors must be able to quickly find information about your company, where it is located, and how to contact you for more information. It’s okay to start small and add features and content as your business grows, but make sure you have a professional, useful web site available as soon as you can.

Step 4: Create a Marketing Kit
We are all familiar with the standard “leave-behind” brochure, but for small businesses it can be an expensive investment that becomes outdated very quickly. A more useful approach may be to create a marketing “kit” as an alternative. Try using a regular manila file folder with a color label on it that has your company name, logo, and slogan. Then add an introduction letter, a data sheet of products and services, a press release, a short biography or history, a current company newsletter, and any other collateral that makes sense for your business. This way, your information is "file-cabinet-ready" instead of ready for the "circular file," making it more likely to be read and saved.

Step 5: Promote and Advertise
Map out a plan to do something each week (or month) to help promote your business. Send out press releases, sponsor community events, and place ads in local newspapers or industry magazines. It takes approximately six impressions before a customer will begin to remember your company and what it does. Be creative – think of ways to be visible and active in your community, and don’t forget to look for opportunities on the web, too. If you need some online promotion ideas, check out the March 2006 issue of Biz Talk (available in our archives).

Put Some “Fun” into “Functional”

When you create marketing materials, web pages, letters, or any other type of company communications, there are certain elements that are purely “functional.” For example, you might pay a lot of attention to writing a killer headline or a great introduction, but how do you conclude the piece with an attention-getting call to action?

On your web site, your conclusion might be a simple “Buy Now” button or “Add to Cart.” Not very original, huh? How about using something like “Start Saving Money Today” or “Order Now and Receive a FREE Gift.” Now that sounds much more exciting, doesn’t it?

Paying attention to detail can really make a difference, especially in the most predictable areas of your company’s published materials. Instead of using a formal “Regards” or “Sincerely” at the end of a sales letter, try something like “Looking forward to meeting you.” Not only is it unexpected, it’s memorable and lets your personality show through.

The same can be true for the contact form on your web site. Instead of using the standard field descriptions such as “First Name” and “Last Name”, try adding “First Name (what your parents call you)” and “Last Name (what your college buddies call you).” This type of subtle humor can go a long way toward building a positive image for your business.

Standard contact information can also be improved by using a little friendliness. For instance, you could consider ranking the contact methods you offer; such as “Mailing Address (good), Email Address (better), Phone Number (best).” Try anything you feel would give your information some added interest.

Information overload is common today, and it can be difficult to differentiate your message from the countless other pieces of information bombarding customers each day. Adding some fun to the functional elements of your company communications can help you stand out and your message be remembered.

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Copyright 2006 Five Sparrows, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
3889 Hartland Hills, Hartland, MI 48353
www.fivesparrows.com