Market Your Biz Online

Tips to Build Customer Loyalty

2012-02-01T18:48:00.000-06:00

Most local businesses know the value of customer loyalty and the relationship to profitability. It costs significantly more to gain a new customer than to keep an existing one. Small businesses realize that it's more about building relationships than being a good sales person or even having a good product. Inc.com's Goeffrey James shares ways to build customer loyalty simply by putting your

Generate Leads with QR Codes

2012-01-23T15:03:00.004-06:00

Have you been seeing QR codes everywhere? I sure have! They are on everything from ads to business cards to building signage. Check out this article at HubSpot to see if you can find ways to use them in your business! Ciao for now, Paula

2012-01-18T16:07:00.000-06:00

I've been busy closing out my 2011 books, preparing data so taxes can be done, planning my goals for Quarter 1, and many other things one does with the onset of a New Year. I don't make New Years' resolutions, but I decided to be mindful and intentional about shutting out, powering off and taming all the electronic devices I have that keep me "connected" to my business. I've overhauled my

2012-01-03T12:26:00.002-06:00

Hello all! I'm still on blog vacation until next week. Until then I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! Stay tuned for more Small Biz updates soon. In the mean time, I'm considering a partnership with a company that builds apps and I NEED YOUR INPUT, please. Has your business ever considered an app? I need your input to help me decide whether or not my business should make

In the Small Biz News

2011-12-07T19:42:00.001-06:00

Check out the latest headlines in Small Business Internet News. Privacy Data Systems launches new Service. Free service to help individuals and business professionals to communicate easily and securely online. John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing always has timely, applicable articles for small businesses. 5 ways Social Media can drive local business. I love eye-tracking heatmaps that show

Mobile Commerce: PayPal in Stores

2011-11-09T14:48:00.000-06:00

PayPal is making its move to be a payment option in-store. It has set up a demo showcase in a New York storefront to take visitors through different purchasing scenarios. One example in the showcase has a customer buying a grill at a retail location, paying with PayPal and choosing to have it shipped to their home. Cool and hassle-free! I'd use that -- would you? image courtesy of

Free Shipping for Holidays

2011-10-26T15:39:00.000-05:00

According to Internet Retailer, 92% of e-retailers are offering or plan to offer free shipping this holiday season (up from 85% last year). This fall there is already a 10% increase in e-commerce traffic, leading the experts to believe that a healthy holiday shopping season is to come. I'll wait and see if that will be true. I think that many people are simply shopping early (I know I am) in

eTailers: Got Free Shipping?

2011-10-12T13:23:00.001-05:00

If you sell online or ship items from your store to customers, do you offer free shipping? There is a growing trend for e-Tailers to offer free shipping, not just on special occasions or seasons, but ALL the time. Think about it. How many times do you shop online and put things in your cart only to bail at checkout because the shipping and/or handling costs have added too much to your total

Mobile Commerce: Amazon's version of a tablet

2011-09-28T17:16:00.000-05:00

In August a lightning strike fried my computer hard drive and my wireless modem, forcing me to fast-forward my decision to buy a new computer. Each time my husband has to patch my hard drive, he reminds me that I need a new one. He's graciously lending me his home computer, so I've bought some time to make a decision...PC, laptop, tablet, or a combo? There are SO many choices that I'm not even

The Scoop on New Facebook Changes

2011-09-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

Here's the scoop on the newest changes that Facebook has rolled out this week. It's not over yet...there is much more to come! Prepare Yourselves: Facebook To Be Profoundly Changed

Online Retail News: Internet Security, Fraud

2011-09-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

This week's top news stories from Internet Retailer: An online arms race rages between attackers and defenders Retailers have to be on guard Consumers like free computer security tools Social media and mobile devices present security threats Retailers can't relax when it comes to fraud—especially around the holidays

Debit Card Fees Drop on October 1

2011-09-16T15:41:00.000-05:00

image courtesy of zedomax.com Many e-retailers* are not aware that the Fed (US) will drop debit card fees starting on October 1. According to a recent survey published on September 9 by IRNewsLink, the Fed will be capping the debit interchange at 21 cents per transaction plus .05% of the transaction amount. *You are an e-retailer if you have a brick-and-mortar store AND you also sell online,

QR Code Craze

2011-08-31T10:32:00.001-05:00

No doubt by now, you've seen the 2-dimensional QR or smart codes gracing everything from cars, to commercials on TV, to business cards and direct mail. If you're not familiar with them, they are like the bar codes you find on all types of products. Bar codes can only hold 20 numeric digits; QR codes can hold thousands making them practical for use by small business owners. Any consumer can use a

Using Facebook to Drive Fans to Your Web site

2011-08-17T16:23:00.000-05:00

image copyright Social Media Examiner Sharing a link with you this week to Social Media Examiner. It's a good resource for all things in the social media realm including Facebook and Twitter. In a recent post, Ben Pickering shares 5 Tips for Driving Facebook Fans to Your Website. Check it out - it's a short read and will give you some ideas for connecting these 2 areas of your Web

Mobile Commerce

2011-08-10T14:52:00.001-05:00

Mobile is moving at a speed you can't ignore! Are you ready? Is your Web site optimized for a mobile screen such as a smartphone? Can visitors easily purchase from you or find out how to get in touch with you? I thought you'd like to see these mobile commerce stats. In the first quarter of 2011, according to Nielsen Co., 36% of mobile phones were smartphones, up from 23% in quarter 1 of 2010.

Propel Your Business

2011-07-20T08:00:00.014-05:00

For the last week, I've been reading Launch, a new book by Michael Stelzner. In it, Michael reminds us that our business is not about selling our products or services, it's connecting and building relationships with people. He introduces something called the Elevation Principle and it goes like this: Great Content + Other People - Marketing Messages = Growth Michael encourages us to leave the "

Your Digital Data: Is it Backed Up?

2011-07-13T11:15:00.001-05:00

Sadly, I attended a funeral for a friend and business associate last week. She and her 2 daughters died tragically when the Bed and Breakfast she owned and operated caught fire and burned. Her living space was on the 3rd floor and they were unable to escape. A truly sad day. I worked with her several years ago enhancing the user experience of her Web site and looking to the future of blogs,

Google Launches Additional Local Search Features

2011-07-06T14:02:00.000-05:00

Haven't claimed or listed your business in Google yet? Do it today! If you aren't there, Google AND your customers won't be able to find you. 90% of Web users go to the Internet to find a LOCAL business; no more phone books. And what about mobile users in your area? Can't find you if you don't create or claim your listing.What's stopping you? It's free! OK, enough lecturing. :-) Google continues

Are You Using Facebook Advertising?

2011-06-29T11:53:00.000-05:00

If you are a web-only merchant or a brick and mortar store and have a Facebook business page, why not consider giving Facebook advertising a try. Since Facebook knows a lot about its users from data shared on profiles and pages, you have a great opportunity to target only those that might have a specific interest in what you sell. Now where else are you going to get advertising that focused? You

5 Content Strategies for Small Business

2011-06-23T10:27:00.000-05:00

I use these strategies in my business and consider it one of my work smarter, not harder processes that, as a small business and solopreneur, I must utilize to optimize efficiency. It may take a bit of time up front, but in the long run it's a time-saver. Good habits and discipline go a long way. See if this might help you too. 1. Plan content ahead of time If you have a seasonal business, this

3 Steps to Brand/Rebrand Your Company

2011-06-15T13:18:00.001-05:00

1. Why brand or why does my brand need an update? Whether you're branding a new business or rebranding your existing business, ask yourself these questions to help you fully understand your purpose for doing so: *What prompted me to update my brand? *Am I going through a transition like a merger or growth? *Am I introducing a new product or service? It's imperative to conduct research

Overstock Offers $1 Million Dollars

2011-06-08T14:34:00.000-05:00

Overstock.com is offering $1 million dollars to anyone who can create a better algorithm for recommending products to their shoppers. Following Netflix's offering in 2009 that offered $1 million for a better method for predicting which movies subscribers would like, Overstock is offering the same to any researcher, or team of researchers, who can develop an algorithm that can produce a 10%

Easier Online Advertising?

2011-06-01T13:42:00.001-05:00

There may soon be an easier way for small businesses to advertise online. If you have an account and local business listing at Merchant Circle, look for a less complicated way to locally target your customers using a cost-per-lead and cost-per-click advertising model. Merchant Circle will be merging with Rely Inc., a marketplace focused on local web advertising. The combined company will provide

2011 Top eCommerce Trends

2011-05-25T14:19:00.000-05:00