Has This Happened to You?
A local business decided to advertise in local print media. The owner had to commit to multiple months and was assured that the media’s distribution and her great ad would generate customers. But after a few months and no calls, she began to wonder: Did my ad reach the people it needed to reach? Is […]
Why Bubba’s is a Better Role Model than Apple
Many businesses look to Apple as a role model for exemplary customer service. Even large companies like JC Penney are trying to emulate Apple’s retail experience. But there are things in the Apple customer service model that don’t really apply to most neighborhood businesses such as: Ultramodern storefronts Cashless and paperless checkout Minimal inventory Abundance […]
10 Common Local Business Website Mistakes
A good website is now one of the most important things a local business can do to generate new customers. But the definition of a good website is too often that it “looks good” without really understanding how a website functions with customers and the rest of the Internet. Here is a list of the […]
Facebook vs. Email
Facebook and email both serve the same purpose – they help keep your business in front of customers. But each has its own pros and cons and limited time can deter many businesses from making the best use of each. Here’s a quick run down of the two. Facebook Pros Easy to compose and distribute […]
My Website Looks Great, What’s Wrong With That?
There is nothing wrong with a great looking website if that’s all you want. But most local businesses also want their website to make the phone ring and generate sales. A great looking website doesn’t, by itself, achieve these goals. A website is the transition from marketing to sales – where advertising stops and customer acquisition […]
What’s So Bad About Flash on my Website?
100 million iPhones and 50 million iPads. That’s the estimate for Apple unit sales in 2012 alone. And, Adobe Flash runs on none of them. Those numbers are a large part of the reason Adobe abandoned mobile Flash development last year. Adobe’s announcement means that even the newer non-Apple devices won’t be supporting Flash either […]
Getting Customers to Your Business
My son likes the Harry Potter Wii game (hang in there, I’ll make this relevant in just a few sentences). In the game, you have to complete tasks in a particular sequence in order to solve a challenge. Get the sequence wrong and you’ll end up stuck in the game. The game has a flow […]
Hitting a Message Homerun
With a just a little thought, a good message can become a great message. What’s the difference? A recipient reads a good message. But, a recipient shares a great message with their friends and family. Turning a good message into a great message isn’t that hard. The key things that take a message up a level include: Benefit […]
You Look Familiar, But I’ve Forgotten Your Name
People forget birthdays, anniversaries, names and meetings. The list goes on. So, why should someone remember your business? Just because you provide a good product or service at a good price with excellent staff doesn’t mean customers will be back. But, it may not be intentional; chances are they just forgot. To keep from becoming […]
The “I Need More Customers” Checklist
When my coffee maker quit making coffee, I found the manual and started going through the checklist to diagnose the problem. So, if there is a checklist for coffee makers, why not one for neighborhood businesses that don’t generate enough customers? So, after a little background, I’ll give you one. Where Things Go Wrong Think […]