Why Your Business Should be Investing in Technology

Why Your Business Should be Investing in Technology

As an entrepreneur, investing in technology is not just a luxury, it’s a necessity for staying competitive and relevant. Here are the top five reasons why entrepreneurs should be integrating technology into their business strategies:

  1. Streamlining Business Operations: Technology can significantly enhance the efficiency of business processes and procedures, allowing tasks to be completed more rapidly and with greater accuracy, which leads to improved productivity and cost savings. From financial management software to inventory systems, technology helps to streamline operations and free up valuable time and resources​.
  2. Cost Savings: Advanced technologies offer ways to save time and money. Automation reduces labor costs and diminishes errors associated with manual work. Technology can improve operational efficiency, meaning less spending on labor-intensive tasks and more investment in strategic, revenue-generating activities​.
  3. Enhancing Customer Engagement: Technology provides numerous platforms, like social media, for businesses to reach out and engage with a wider audience more effectively. The ability to market online, through channels like Facebook and Twitter, can lead to increased customer engagement and sales
  4. Facilitating Business Growth: Investing in technology creates opportunities for growth and expansion, even enabling small businesses to operate globally with online services. E-commerce platforms, for instance, allow businesses to reach customers beyond their geographic location, paving the way for expansion and increased market share​.
  5. Maintaining Competitive Edge: Entrepreneurs who invest in technology are better positioned to compete in the market. This is not only because they can keep up with or exceed the pace of their competitors but also because technology can be a significant differentiator in terms of product development, customer service, and overall business model innovation​.

Investing in the right technology will not only give you a competitive advantage but also ensure that your business is poised for success in the long run. It’s about preparing for the future by adopting and adapting to the technological trends that are shaping today’s business landscape.

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8 Reasons Why SEO Helps Your Business

8 Reasons Why SEO Helps Your Business

Smart business owners know how important search engine optimization (SEO) is for their company’s websites. SEO, when done effectively, will help to increase a website’s visibility on search engines.

This means that their website will show up in the top search results when someone searches for a keyword or phrase that applies to their business. Being in the top results can send thousands of targeted prospects to your website.

In fact, smart SEO can help your business in many ways!

Consider these benefits of SEO:

You will see an increase in traffic. As your website becomes more optimized over time, it will start to rank higher in the search engines for various search terms. As this happens, you should see an increase in traffic, or prospects viewing your website. Ultimately, this should increase your sales too.

It will increase the credibility of your business. Your customers are conditioned to believe that the best businesses are those ranked at the top of the search engines, whether that is true or not

    • When you rank highly, your prospects perceive your business more favorably, which leads to an increase in sales, conversions, and brand recognition.

SEO can lead to long-lasting results. Radio, print, and billboard ads produce short-term rewards. SEO, on the other hand, helps to deliver long-term rewards.

    • By investing in SEO, your online presence increases, resulting in a more profitable return on investment (ROI).

You are in control of the cost. Whether you are building backlinks, creating a social media presence, or creating blog content, you will know how much it will cost beforehand. Once you know what each service will cost, you can determine which you believe would give you a better ROI.

Your website will become more user-friendly. A good SEO expert will be able to look at your website and optimize it not only for the search engines but also for your users too.

    • Improving your website’s user experience includes many aspects, including how quickly your website loads, how easy it is to navigate, and whether it is mobile-friendly.
    • By improving the user experience of your website, you will see an increase in conversions, plus you should see an overall ranking increase in the search engines, as this is one of the known ranking factors.

SEO helps encourage users to visit a local store. It has been shown in numerous studies that having an online presence can also increase visits to your offline premises. If you have a restaurant, for example, a potential customer could check out your menu or customer reviews before making a reservation.

Your social media following will increase. As your search engine rankings increase, more visitors will arrive at your website. Even if they do not immediately buy from you, they may still end up checking out your social media platforms, follow them, and then become buyers at later date.

    • These new followers can also share your marketing messages, leading to an increase in social traffic and sales.

SEO helps put you ahead of your competitors. As you integrate SEO and various other online marketing techniques into your business, you will move ahead of those competitors who have not implemented these techniques.

SEO is incredibly important nowadays, and if you are not implementing it in your own online marketing activities, you are limiting your results, sales, and profits.

Look at what your competitors are doing and see what you can do to rise above them. It will be worth your time and effort.

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Modern Rules for Working with a Virtual Professional

Modern Rules for Working with a Virtual Professional

Virtual professionals are one of the relatively few industries that have benefited from the pandemic. While restaurants and exercise studios shuttered their doors, remote work grew by leaps and bounds.

One poll found that 70% of virtual professionals reported an increase in inbound inquiries, and 45% increased their hourly workload in 2020. Labor statistics showed a 41% increase in the hiring of virtual Professionals through offshore agencies, and many agencies increased their staff to keep up with demand.

If you’re exploring remote support, you have more options now. However, you may need guidance to sort through your choices. Brush up on the modern rules for working with a virtual professional.

Hiring a Virtual Professional:

  1. Consult an agency. Hiring decisions can have a big impact on your business, so you may feel more comfortable using an agency if you lack experience. For a fee, they’ll find appropriate candidates and conduct interviews.
  2. Do it yourself. On the other hand, you can save money by managing the process yourself. Browse business publications and websites for tips on writing a job posting, interviewing online, and checking references.
  3. Use online platforms. Many virtual professionals offer their services through companies like Upwork and Fiverr. You may need to sift through hundreds of applicants, but you can find help quickly when you need it.
  4. Search locally. Your virtual professional may live on another continent or down the street. Use local job boards and word of mouth if you want someone close to home.
  5. Think ahead. However you hire, keep your future needs in mind. Look for candidates who may be able to take on more responsibility and help you grow your business.

Working with a Virtual Professional:

  1. Clarify expectations. Misunderstandings can arise among colleagues in the same office. Imagine what it’s like working with someone without any face-to-face contact. Be specific about required tasks and goals. Set boundaries related to spending limits and confidential information.
  2. Document procedures. How-to manuals and video tutorials can explain routine duties and complex assignments. Ask your virtual Professional to write up any new responsibilities to keep your library up to date.
  3. Invest in tools. Technology will make collaboration easier. Shop for software that lets you edit documents and manage projects.
  4. Communicate regularly. Staying in touch may require a more deliberate strategy when you don’t run into each other in the hallways and breakroom. Schedule one-on-one meetings at least once a week. Discuss the best way to reach you with urgent and nonurgent communications.
  5. Encourage questions. New hires may feel pressured to appear competent. Let them know that you’re happy to answer questions when anything is unclear.
  6. Provide feedback. Constructive criticism is essential for learning and high performance. Make your comments prompt, specific, and actionable.
  7. Start small. Virtual Professionals need onboarding too. If time allows, introduce them gradually to their new role and help them to connect with the bigger picture. Make their first assignment something simple that they can excel at.
  8. Respect their time. Maybe your virtual Professional has limited availability or you’re one of several clients. Make the most of your time together by being prepared for the hours they spend with you.
  9. Build morale. Team spirit has more to do with the quality of your relationship rather than sharing the same business address. Create a welcoming environment and promote two-way conversations. Give your new Professional their own company email and send them a coffee cup with your logo.

Your new virtual professional could save you time and enable you to focus on tasks that maximize your strengths. Make your relationship happy and productive by choosing an outstanding candidate for the job and helping each other to succeed.

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5 Ways to Engage with Your Audience on Social Media

5 Ways to Engage with Your Audience on Social Media

Social media is one of the most powerful tools in the world today. It helps you reach out to a million audiences across the globe. The emergence of Tik Tok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and other social media platforms has in many ways benefitted the world.

The benefits of social media are widely distributed. It has affected the social, political, economic, religious, cultural, and all other sectors of human endeavor. And in business, it has had a double-edged effect on business transactions, marketing, and publicity.

If you are a CEO or a small business owner, know that providing good content for your audience on social media is essential. Engage them, and get them to like, comment, and share your posts.

These tips will help you to build a perfect brand on social media: 

Identify your ideal customer outlets. It is the first and most important part of your social media marketing. You can only create a lot of leads, close sales, and get your brand out there when you identify where to reach your target audience. How do you do that?

  • You can hire an expert to conduct an assessment on your website to identify the target audience. Tools like Leadsift can help in doing this survey.
  • Another alternative is to create a survey form for your audience on your website. You can decide where to focus your attention based on their honest responses.
  • Then create a social media campaign for your business based on the response. Use Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Snapchat, or more.

Create engaging content. Now that you have created your social media platforms, you must feed your followers with content. You build trust and increase value by sharing interesting content on your platforms. Ensure that the content you share creates a good image for your brand. 

  • You can hire a social media promoter who will share your posts periodically. Create your post along with trending issues or recent events.
  • For instance, during the World Cup season, all your posts could be related to football and the update on the world cup. It will encourage more traffic on your platforms.
  • Also, share links to articles, videos, and infographics posted on your website on your social media outlets. You can also share posts from other businesses and add your comment to them.

Use strategic hashtags. Hashtags will expand your reach behind a regular following because it increases likes, comments, shares, and retweets. It will give your post more visibility. Hashtags will increase your social media engagements and attract new customers.

  • Using hashtags is the best way to group conversations around a specific topic. It can simply mean putting your company names or a tagline into a hashtag.
  • For instance, Dewalt Group of Companies sponsoring a television show can create a hashtag like #DewaltBeautyShow, or #DewaltCrownQueen.

Show off customer testimonials. Seeing is believing. An effective way to let your brand speak for you is by sharing positive customer feedback. Imagine receiving a good comment from a client such as this:

  • “Hi, thanks to Doreen from Ambicionz for your outstanding efforts to provide a good customer experience. My business has benefitted immensely from your consultation.”
  • Sharing genuine feedback like this can win you wider recognition on social media.
  • Many businesses also hire celebrities as influencers and brand ambassadors for their products.

Be consistent with your content. Consistency is the surest way to assert your dominance in the social media arena. Individuals go on social media almost every day. These people scroll to consume content available to them.

  • You can have your company’s brand glued to their thoughts when you are widely seen on social media.
  • People may forget about you if you fail to give a regular update. Increase your followers by engaging them. Give interactive posts on trending issues. It will get them talking and sharing your posts.

Social media impacts businesses positively. It facilitates brand recognition, customer engagement, revenue, and customer service. Put your business across various social media platforms and watch the positive impact!

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The 3 Biggest Benefits of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

The 3 Biggest Benefits of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

What do you normally do before you buy a product?

Maybe you do a little research online to find out what the best option is. Perhaps you read some reviews from other customers (like 93% of other people) or ask your friends for their opinion.

It’s rare for a customer to make the immediate decision to buy anything based on advertising alone. Instead, we make decisions based on what others think about a product or service.

Sure, a good marketing campaign through your email inbox or social media could make a difference, but a suggestion made by a friend is always more credible and meaningful than any pitch from a company on your TV screen.

Word-of-mouth marketing might not be the most modern form of advertising companies can use today, but it’s still one of the most valuable.

Here’s why.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing: The Basics

Word-of-mouth is the conversations that others have about your business – positive, or negative.

These days, consumers have more ways to share their opinions than ever before. There are full review websites, comment sections on your product pages, and social media.

Since around 97% of your customers use the web to collect information that other consumers share online before making a purchase, it’s a natural part of the buying journey.

Word-of-mouth marketing is how companies can try to use this social chatter to their advantage.

Through word-of-mouth marketing, you encourage brand evangelists (and happy customers) to share positive reviews about your product and service as often as possible online.

You can encourage reviews by:

  • Giving your customers rewards for leaving feedback on your product pages
  • Asking them to leave a review after a purchase
  • Requesting comments on social media

The more of a part you play in the conversation that clients are already having about you, the more likely it is that the discussion will be good.

Why is Word-of-Mouth Marketing Valuable?

So, why is word-of-mouth so effective?

The statistics consistently show that positive reviews and feedback from your customers have a direct impact on your chances of success as a business.

Around 92% of B2B buyers say that they’re more likely to make a purchase after reading a review.

Further studies show that customers are willing to spend up to 31% more on a company with excellent reviews, as experience matters more than price to most customers today.

Ultimately, these are the 3 biggest benefits of word-of-mouth marketing:

Brand loyalty. Word-of-mouth marketing, when done correctly, can help to build a community around your brand. If you encourage your customers to leave positive feedback by providing incentives, great customer service, and excellent experiences, you’re improving your reputation.

  • More importantly, you’re also building a relationship with your customers that shows them you care about what they think and say. Over time, this relationship will lead to greater loyalty from your clients, because they know they can trust you more than your competitors.
  • The more you nurture your community, the more they’ll reward you by referring friends to your business, talking about you positively online, and helping your company to grow.
  • What’s more, loyal customers are more likely to keep coming back and purchasing your products in the future. According to studies, as little as a 5% increase in the number of customers you retain can increase your profitability by 75%.

Brand awareness. Brand awareness is the core goal at the core of every marketing campaign. However, we’re living in a world where people are constantly blocking out things like ads and marketing schemes because they’re sick of the same old messages. So, how do you make your business stand out among the sea of similar ads they see everywhere else?

    • You hook them with authentic messages from customers who already know and love your brand. With reviews and testimonials, you can easily reach your customers wherever they are, whether they’re hanging out on social media or checking product testimonials online.
    • Reviews also have a positive impact on your SEO, convincing Google to rank you higher among your competition when clients are searching for keywords related to your brand.

    Brand reputation. Finally, now more than ever, your customers value authenticity. When a company leverages word-of-mouth marketing, they let their clients do the talking. This is much more credible than making wild claims about your own products and services.

    • People are inherently more likely to trust the opinions and thoughts of other customers just like them than they are to trust messages straight from a brand’s advertising team.
    • Although your marketing campaigns can help you to grow, it’s your reviews and word-of-mouth commentary that will convince your customers that you’re authentic.

    When you want to attract new customers naturally, word-of-mouth is the way to do it. Why wait? Word-of-mouth marketing is free advertising. It keeps both you and your customers happy. And it grows your profits.

    Take advantage of word-of-mouth marketing, starting today! You’ll be glad you did!

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