New Business magazine reports that small businesses are investing in their websites in a bid to combat the economic downturn, according to research by Amplify Research.
The survey found that 43% of small companies in the UK are now investing in improving their websites in a bid to increase online sales. Just under 30% of respondents said that social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are good business-to-business networking tools.
It is important to understand what you should be looking to achieve with your website and this might not be what you’d think. Simply having an online brochure will get you nowhere.
Many businesses don’t actually sell anything on their website. And those that do will receive a huge number of visitors who aren’t ready to buy – they are simply browsing or looking for information about something they think they may buy in the future. All well and good you may say - when they’re ready to buy, they’ll come back. Only they won’t.
When it comes time to purchase, or to use your services, they’ll have forgotten all about your site, and the others they looked at. They’ll either start again, or they’ll naturally return to the one site that bothered to take their details and then kept them up to date with news about the product and regularly sent interesting snippets of information. In short, the company that bothered to nurture a relationship by giving you something of value for free - sharing their expertise and information, without any hard sell.
Whether you sell online or not, the main purpose of your website should be allowing you to begin that relationship with your prospect. You need a way of capturing your visitors’ email addresses and a compelling reason for them to provide it, with their permission for you to email them later. Any business can do this, and any business can create information that the prospect will value. Be generous with your knowledge, keep the selling to a minimum and when the time comes to buy – it’s you they’ll come back to.
Turner Associates can help your business evolve its website into an effective marketing tool. Call us on 01483 283810 to discuss further.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Get Networking
Went to the Chamber of Commerce speed networking event today in Guildford. It was great fun and met some really interesting people. Networking is one of those things that people often don't view as marketing but it should actually be an essential part of your marketing plan and the great thing is there are so many opportunities from breakfast clubs to exhibitions.
Networking isn't about talking to someone with the aim of selling them something - it's about building relationships and nurturing them. The more people you know, the more people will know about your business and all manner of unexpected things can crop up.
You will often find people who, rather then buying from you direct, will help you to open new doors that you couldn't have opened on your own and introduce you to even more people which, in time, can be worth far more than a quick sale. It's also a great way of building your contacts on social networking sites such as LinkedIn.
Collect those business cards, make sure to follow up any interesting ones by phone afterwards, and make sure you keep in touch and continue to build the relationships.
Networking isn't about talking to someone with the aim of selling them something - it's about building relationships and nurturing them. The more people you know, the more people will know about your business and all manner of unexpected things can crop up.
You will often find people who, rather then buying from you direct, will help you to open new doors that you couldn't have opened on your own and introduce you to even more people which, in time, can be worth far more than a quick sale. It's also a great way of building your contacts on social networking sites such as LinkedIn.
Collect those business cards, make sure to follow up any interesting ones by phone afterwards, and make sure you keep in touch and continue to build the relationships.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Keep your existing customers happy
There was an interesting and timely article in NewBusiness magazine this week on the importance of looking after existing customers, especially in a downturn.
Why it pays to reward your customers
"...by far the most vital [lesson] is making sure that customers remain happy.
The logic for this is unassailable. Marketing people will tell you it costs anything from five to seven times more to gain a new customer than keep an existing one. According to some, reducing customer defections by as little as 5% can result in a profits increase of between 25% and 125%.
As ever, it takes a major downturn like this one to remind all businesses of the importance of caring for current relationships and keeping customers loyal. Difficult times are already probably forcing your customers to reduce expenditure and look at ways they can save. Creating a solid, trusting relationship with them can reduce the chances of your company being first on the list of cutbacks."
I've seen stats that show 70% of lapsed clients leave because of lack of attention and communication rather than poor products or service - they just felt ignored. A PR friend of mine has just done a survey which shows that figure may actually be as high as 85%.
The reason is that many businesses concentrate mainly on making a quick sale from new customers, and very quickly come to take existing customers for granted. They forget that their competitors will be trying as hard as they themselves once did to woo that customer, yet your existing customers can be your richest source of future profit.
Showing that you value your customers is easy by sending an email or printed newsletter with articles on how to get the best out of their purchase. Maybe you also offer different products that would add value to their lives in the same way the first product did. It shows you are thinking about them and care about keeping them as a happy customer - an attitude that can prove to be extremely rewarding... as well as profitable!
Why it pays to reward your customers
"...by far the most vital [lesson] is making sure that customers remain happy.
The logic for this is unassailable. Marketing people will tell you it costs anything from five to seven times more to gain a new customer than keep an existing one. According to some, reducing customer defections by as little as 5% can result in a profits increase of between 25% and 125%.
As ever, it takes a major downturn like this one to remind all businesses of the importance of caring for current relationships and keeping customers loyal. Difficult times are already probably forcing your customers to reduce expenditure and look at ways they can save. Creating a solid, trusting relationship with them can reduce the chances of your company being first on the list of cutbacks."
I've seen stats that show 70% of lapsed clients leave because of lack of attention and communication rather than poor products or service - they just felt ignored. A PR friend of mine has just done a survey which shows that figure may actually be as high as 85%.
The reason is that many businesses concentrate mainly on making a quick sale from new customers, and very quickly come to take existing customers for granted. They forget that their competitors will be trying as hard as they themselves once did to woo that customer, yet your existing customers can be your richest source of future profit.
Showing that you value your customers is easy by sending an email or printed newsletter with articles on how to get the best out of their purchase. Maybe you also offer different products that would add value to their lives in the same way the first product did. It shows you are thinking about them and care about keeping them as a happy customer - an attitude that can prove to be extremely rewarding... as well as profitable!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Best Guerilla Marketing Adverts
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Every year thousands of hopeful entrepreneurs decide to take the plunge and start up their own business. In How I Made It 40 successful entrepreneurs explain how they managed to defy the odds and turn their dreams into reality. It describes how they got started and what made them successful but it also reveals their doubts, their mistakes and their frustrations - the good bits that many books leave out. Any book recommended by Richard Branson has to be worth a look!
At only £6.99, this is a great gift for anyone you know who is thinking of starting their own business. Click the link in the bookstore on the right to buy your copy now.
“Rachel Bridge’s inspiring book has perfectly summed up the passion, the commitment and the sheer excitement of being an entrepreneur and will help encourage many others to do the same.” Sir Richard Branson
Friday, September 4, 2009
SMEs to market themselves out of recession
A new survey of nearly 1,000 small business owners by YouGov and printing company HP has found that 38 per cent plan to invest more in marketing to make sure they survive the recession rather than panicking and reigning their marketing budgets in.
This is bad news for the 62% of businesses that aren't planning to strengthen their businesses through marketing, as history shows those that market themselves well during a tough economic climate are better positioned to make the most of the recovery, when it finally comes.
If you'd like advice on how to increase both your level of enquiries, and your success rate at converting those enquiries into paying customers, please give me a call on 01483 283810. Download your free guide ‘Top 5 tips for generating new enquiries’ now at www.turnermarketing.co.uk
This is bad news for the 62% of businesses that aren't planning to strengthen their businesses through marketing, as history shows those that market themselves well during a tough economic climate are better positioned to make the most of the recovery, when it finally comes.
If you'd like advice on how to increase both your level of enquiries, and your success rate at converting those enquiries into paying customers, please give me a call on 01483 283810. Download your free guide ‘Top 5 tips for generating new enquiries’ now at www.turnermarketing.co.uk
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
New 3x3 Marketing Consultancy
Turner Associates have just launched a new introductory 3x3 marketing consultancy to help businesses increase the number of new enquiries and the also the conversion success rate.
3x3 = 3 days a month for 3 months and will provide you with:
- Full audit of current marketing materials
- A new Marketing Strategy and Tactical Plan
- Implementation plan to strengthen weak marketing areas
- Objectives and results tracking process for new campaigns
- Implementation plan for additional types of marketing
- How to use low-cost online marketing techniques
- Email list-building and prospect communication strategy
- Opportunities for affinity or joint venture marketing
- Customer retention and referral programmes
Call me to discuss on 01483 283810. http://www.turnermarketing.co.uk/
3x3 = 3 days a month for 3 months and will provide you with:
- Full audit of current marketing materials
- A new Marketing Strategy and Tactical Plan
- Implementation plan to strengthen weak marketing areas
- Objectives and results tracking process for new campaigns
- Implementation plan for additional types of marketing
- How to use low-cost online marketing techniques
- Email list-building and prospect communication strategy
- Opportunities for affinity or joint venture marketing
- Customer retention and referral programmes
Call me to discuss on 01483 283810. http://www.turnermarketing.co.uk/
Is your firm making the most of internet marketing?
Useful article from NewBusiness magazine here which includes a bit about online marketing.
"The internet is a great leveller; with a good website any small firm, no matter how niche, can compete with the more established players in their market. But the website is only the first step. Online marketing tools today offer a plethora of information and feedback from which to continually tweak your marketing strategies, from feedback on who opened your mailshot and information as to who they forwarded it to, to website analytics showing exactly how long someone spent on your product pages. Sophisticated online marketing tools are no longer the preserve of big businesses, so SMEs should leverage them as much as possible."
Many businesses don’t actually sell anything on their website. And of those that do, a huge proportion of their visitors won't be ready to buy – they are simply browsing or looking for information about something they think they may buy in the future. All well and good you may say - when they’re ready to buy, they’ll come back. Only they won’t.
Whether you sell online or not, the main purpose of your website should be allowing you to begin that relationship with your prospect. You need a way of capturing your visitors’ email addresses and a compelling reason for them to provide it, with their permission for you to email them later. Any business can do this, and any business can create information that the prospect will value. Be generous with your knowledge, keep the selling to a minimum and when the time comes to buy – it’s you they’ll come back to.
If you would like to talk to me about how to improve the performance of your company website, call me on 01483 283810. http://www.turnermarketing.co.uk/
"The internet is a great leveller; with a good website any small firm, no matter how niche, can compete with the more established players in their market. But the website is only the first step. Online marketing tools today offer a plethora of information and feedback from which to continually tweak your marketing strategies, from feedback on who opened your mailshot and information as to who they forwarded it to, to website analytics showing exactly how long someone spent on your product pages. Sophisticated online marketing tools are no longer the preserve of big businesses, so SMEs should leverage them as much as possible."
Many businesses don’t actually sell anything on their website. And of those that do, a huge proportion of their visitors won't be ready to buy – they are simply browsing or looking for information about something they think they may buy in the future. All well and good you may say - when they’re ready to buy, they’ll come back. Only they won’t.
Whether you sell online or not, the main purpose of your website should be allowing you to begin that relationship with your prospect. You need a way of capturing your visitors’ email addresses and a compelling reason for them to provide it, with their permission for you to email them later. Any business can do this, and any business can create information that the prospect will value. Be generous with your knowledge, keep the selling to a minimum and when the time comes to buy – it’s you they’ll come back to.
If you would like to talk to me about how to improve the performance of your company website, call me on 01483 283810. http://www.turnermarketing.co.uk/
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
UK economy contracts 0.7%
http://www.newbusiness.co.uk/news/uk-economy-contracts-07
"Britain's economy contracted 0.7% in the second quarter of the year, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics.This decline is less than the 0.8% that economists had predicted and the annual drop in GDP was also revised up to show a 5.5% fall - the initial estimates had suggested a 5.6% decline.The British economy has contracted in the second, third and fourth quarters of 2008 but the second quarter's decline of 0.7% is a marked improvement on the first quarter's contraction of 2.4%."
Trading conditions might still be a bit gloomy, but its still possible to significantly increase the number of enquiries you get. The answer usually lies in how you present your business and your marketing messages to your prospective customers. Simple changes can often bring about a fast and noticeable turnround in the success of your marketing.
You can download my FREE guide ‘Top 5 Tips for generating new enquiries’ here. Register for the guide and you'll also get my FREE weekly marketing tips offering you ideas to help generate more enquiries quickly at little or no cost.
"Britain's economy contracted 0.7% in the second quarter of the year, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics.This decline is less than the 0.8% that economists had predicted and the annual drop in GDP was also revised up to show a 5.5% fall - the initial estimates had suggested a 5.6% decline.The British economy has contracted in the second, third and fourth quarters of 2008 but the second quarter's decline of 0.7% is a marked improvement on the first quarter's contraction of 2.4%."
Trading conditions might still be a bit gloomy, but its still possible to significantly increase the number of enquiries you get. The answer usually lies in how you present your business and your marketing messages to your prospective customers. Simple changes can often bring about a fast and noticeable turnround in the success of your marketing.
You can download my FREE guide ‘Top 5 Tips for generating new enquiries’ here. Register for the guide and you'll also get my FREE weekly marketing tips offering you ideas to help generate more enquiries quickly at little or no cost.
2009 Business Pulse
BT Business, Natwest and the British Chambers of Commerce are among those sponsoring the 2009 Business Pulse - the UK's largest ever survey of small and medium sized businesses.
It will aim to measure the current health, drivers and inhibitors to successful business in the UK and create a better understanding of what's needed to enable the UK to recover faster.
Marketing is one of the major issues concerning small businesses, with many companies not having the skills or resources in house to take advantage of the opportunities open to them meaning a lot of potential leads go wasted. If you would like advice on how to resolve this problem, go to Turner Associates Marketing Services Surrey.
You can enter your thoughts on the survey here:
http://www.smallbusinessweek2009.co.uk/businesspulse Last date for entries is Monday 28th September
It will aim to measure the current health, drivers and inhibitors to successful business in the UK and create a better understanding of what's needed to enable the UK to recover faster.
Marketing is one of the major issues concerning small businesses, with many companies not having the skills or resources in house to take advantage of the opportunities open to them meaning a lot of potential leads go wasted. If you would like advice on how to resolve this problem, go to Turner Associates Marketing Services Surrey.
You can enter your thoughts on the survey here:
http://www.smallbusinessweek2009.co.uk/businesspulse Last date for entries is Monday 28th September
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