Archive for the ‘Business’ Category

What? Are You Even Listening?

March 28th, 2014

Are you listening

Are you listening enough; to customers, employees, and market trends? Often times we get over zealous with the sales approach that we forget to really listen. I know it can be difficult to slow down once you set up your Wazala store and you’re in the zone, but lets look at the benefits of listening first.

Social media and internet networks have given small businesses even more speed and agility to craft promotions, marketing strategies, and sales pitches. Even though speed in industry is a great advantage with it comes a feeling of disconnect from customers if not done properly. Messages and pitches can feel extremely rushed and attack customers in a flurry of convoluted nonsense. This kind of marketing strategy can damage your brand.

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Customer Service Not Customer Serve Us

March 27th, 2014
Customer Service

By: Tom Fishburne

Customers are the driving force behind business which makes customer service an unavoidable priority. Business owners must provide customers with quality service and attention to remain competitive. Often times businesses focus on new customer generation at the expense of customer retention thinking that growing their share of the market will result in a better bottom line. Unfortunately, this thinking isn’t always the best move because it takes away resources from supporting customer service efforts. Without a focus on customer service businesses give the impression that the customers are there to serve the business’s needs, which is a huge risk.

We have all had experiences with businesses that short their customer service programs in favor of new customer generation models. The cable company, the phone company, your local gym are some examples of businesses with this approach. They are concerned with bringing in new customers everyday, locking them into a contract, and then offering convoluted customer service solutions. The problem with this approach really lies in the brand image of these companies and the fluidity of the market. When I first started working professionally as an entrepreneur I was told by my mentor that if you don’t feed your employees they will eat your business. I believe this mantra can be modified to fit customer service. If you don’t feed your customers they will eat your business. What are some nightmare customer service experiences that you have had? What actions did you take after that experience? A powerful marketing plan, customer website, functional Wazala shopping experience, and social media traction can all fall apart if customers are not treated with respect especially in the digital age where one bad move can go viral and smear your brand across the internet. Give this some thought and let me know how you are planning to not only serve your customers but super-serve them.

Work Smarter

March 25th, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

work smart

Work smarter for your business by utilizing technology and online tools. The fate of your small business is in your hands. By working smarter you can optimize your online store and website efficiency. Running a business is difficult and often times is a twenty four hour a day job. Mastering the a few tools can help increase efficiency and saving you money and time.

Google Adwords has become a necessity for all serious business owners and a staple in digital marketing campaigns. Adwords allows you to target your marketing messages at specific customers using keywords. With Adwords you know exactly where every penny goes and how that investment is influencing sales. You can see how customers react to different keywords and which result in sales. In the past, marketers would have to cast out a wide net of ideas and hope that it catches without any direct feedback from customers. Now with Adwords you can get immediate data and adjust your marketing strategy to optimize sales and conversion rates.

One of the greatest things about starting a business today is the sheer amount of data that we have access too. Market research is big business and costs millions of dollars to set up focus groups, case studies, and surveys for businesses to gather data on consumers. Luckily for us, we have Analytics to give us data on our customers for free. With analytics we can see who is visiting our website, where they come from, what products they like, how long they stay on the site, what pages they liked, and what pages they didn’t like. All of this amazing data about customers from analytics helps shape the quality of your website and increases conversion rates.

Utilizing the power of analytics you can test different ideas on your customer base. Using A/B testing you can find out what your customers like better and optimize every aspect of your website to fit. This kind of testing allows you to get the most out of your efforts and gain important insights about your customers. Along with A/B testing, analytics allows you to add a greater feel of personalization to your website. You can know what your customers are looking for and optimize your store to suggest products based off of your data. This in turn will lead to more conversions and a happier shopping experience for your customers.

With just a few tools and a bit of effort on your end you can optimize your website to fit your clients needs and grow your business. Give it a try and let me know how it has helped.

Marketing Trends For Ecommerce

March 24th, 2014

Marketing trends are emerging that will effect the success of ecommerce in 2014. With new technologies, changing economic environments, and evolving consumer trends the savvy small business owner must be aware of the tide and plan for the future. Last year brought continued focus on blogging, SEO, content generation, and HTML 5. This year is going to be a big year for mobile, targeted content, community management, and personalization. Lets take a closer look at some of the buzz worthy trends that are sure to shape 2014.

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Online Sales 101

March 21st, 2014

The age of the internet has changed the way we consume goods and do business. Online sales allow customers to shop 24 hours a day and 7 days a week giving business owners more earning potential. New business plans must include online sales strategies and digital marketing to stay competitive as consumers demand the convince of online shopping. I am going to dive into the this space and touch on key factors in e-commerce. Welcome to online sales 101.

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Slam Dunk With The Harlem Globetrotters

March 20th, 2014

With almost a century of experience, The Harlem Globetrotters have captivated and inspired generations to work as a team, help one another, and grow as a community. I remember the Globetrotters as a boy red, white, and blue basketballs spinning effortlessly on the fingertips of each player. I thought they were supernatural. As an adult I am still in awe of the Globetrotters because of their overwhelming positive impact on youth and community development and I am proud to have them as a Wazala merchant.

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