Understanding What Your Customers Want
The second step is to know what your customers want and find a way to give it to them. Speak with your friends and family about your products or services. Ask them to be honest and upfront as to what would motivate them to purchase from you.
Once you have launched your product, keep in touch with your customers through online and / or telephone surveys. Try to get inside their head to determine what they are thinking.
Perry Marshall, one of the leading authorities on Google’s Pay-Per-Click System said, “There is virtually no marketing problem you will ever face that can’t be solved by knowing better what your customer is thinking.”
One way of communicating with your customers is through HIT Web Design’s Stay-N-Touch Marketing 2.0 software. The program is designed to communicate with your prospective, current, and former customers through an automated e-mail program, also called an “auto responder.”
When you first contacted Heritage, you were automatically added to our auto responder e-mail program, which periodically sent you emails that included valuable information about websites and the Internet. We have received positive reviews from our customers concerning those e-mails and have worked hard to make them as helpful as possible.
Recap
Research your competition.
Determine what your competitive advantage is.
Find out from your customers what they want and are looking for.
Match your customers’ needs and you will hit a home run with your marketing.
Maintaining and developing your competitive advantage will made you an industry leader and keep you one step in front of your competition.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Competitive Advantage and Call to Action Part I
Competitive Advantage
As defined by BusinessDictionary.com, competitive advantage is:
“Superiority gained by a firm when it can provide the same value as its competitors but at a lower price, or can charge higher prices by providing greater value through differentiation. Competitive advantage results from matching core competencies to the opportunities.”
This definition might sound a little academic, but competitive advantage is what sets you apart from your competition.
Your competitive advantage could be:
Price
Quality
Shipping and handling fees (or lack thereof)
Experience
Customer service
Credibility
Something unique to your industry.
It is important to understand that having a competitive advantage is not an event, but a process. In other words, making and keeping a competitive advantage is ongoing. It becomes a game of trying to stay one step ahead of your competition. You should never feel comfortable with the status quo, but continue to find ways to improve your advantage.
Determining Your Competitive Advantage
The first step to determining your competitive advantage is to know your competition. Take time to research the main players in your industry. A good way to learn about your competition is to do several product keyword searches on Google. Look at each website listed on the first page of the results, both the sponsored and natural listings, to review their products and services.
Now rate your competition based on the list of possible competitive advantages listed above. One of the best ways to do this is to organize a spreadsheet, listing the possible competitive advantages across the top of your page, and then list the companies down the left side of the page, with your company as the top listing. To make things simpler, you might just focus on one top-selling product per spreadsheet.
Compare price, quality, shipping options, and so on. You should start to see some areas where your product or company outshines you competitors, and some areas where you can make simple adjustments that would give you an advantage.
For example, many years ago, when Heritage Internet Technologies started out in the web design industry, this process was used to determine what we had that was unique and different. One glaring item stood out: pricing. No one in our industry could design a custom website for the price point we were offering. For HIT, price became a strong competitive advantage. It is still used today in all of our advertising.
As defined by BusinessDictionary.com, competitive advantage is:
“Superiority gained by a firm when it can provide the same value as its competitors but at a lower price, or can charge higher prices by providing greater value through differentiation. Competitive advantage results from matching core competencies to the opportunities.”
This definition might sound a little academic, but competitive advantage is what sets you apart from your competition.
Your competitive advantage could be:
Price
Quality
Shipping and handling fees (or lack thereof)
Experience
Customer service
Credibility
Something unique to your industry.
It is important to understand that having a competitive advantage is not an event, but a process. In other words, making and keeping a competitive advantage is ongoing. It becomes a game of trying to stay one step ahead of your competition. You should never feel comfortable with the status quo, but continue to find ways to improve your advantage.
Determining Your Competitive Advantage
The first step to determining your competitive advantage is to know your competition. Take time to research the main players in your industry. A good way to learn about your competition is to do several product keyword searches on Google. Look at each website listed on the first page of the results, both the sponsored and natural listings, to review their products and services.
Now rate your competition based on the list of possible competitive advantages listed above. One of the best ways to do this is to organize a spreadsheet, listing the possible competitive advantages across the top of your page, and then list the companies down the left side of the page, with your company as the top listing. To make things simpler, you might just focus on one top-selling product per spreadsheet.
Compare price, quality, shipping options, and so on. You should start to see some areas where your product or company outshines you competitors, and some areas where you can make simple adjustments that would give you an advantage.
For example, many years ago, when Heritage Internet Technologies started out in the web design industry, this process was used to determine what we had that was unique and different. One glaring item stood out: pricing. No one in our industry could design a custom website for the price point we were offering. For HIT, price became a strong competitive advantage. It is still used today in all of our advertising.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Website Owners Can Learn from Innovative Film Production Part III
Massive Impact for Pennies
This is Part III in this series. Click here for Part I. The meteoric rise of popularity for “The Book of Jer3miah” also illustrates the raw power of social networking and the far-reaching impact that is possible if done correctly—all for little or minimal financial expense. In less than a year, the fans for the show blossomed from zero to thousands. Website owners can take heart that, with a little creativity and imagination, this same power can be harnessed for their own benefit as well.
For more information about social networking, consult these additional blog articles from HIT Web Design.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Website Owners Can Learn from Innovative Film Production Part II
Make the Most of Social Networking
This is Part II in this series. Click here for Part I. For website owners struggling to maximize the power of the Internet and social media, there are some important lessons to learn from studying the success of this series.
Of course, the film episodes themselves provide the thrill, intrigue, and suspense that drives the fan base, just as any website should have good, quality, substantive content that is worthy of a visitor's time. During a presentation at the film festival, Jarod explained that when planning social media applications for the movie, he and Jeff wanted to have “multiple layers” of intrigue to keep their target audience, mainly college-aged youth, hooked. Thus, the intent of the multiple levels, Jarod continued, is to add additional information and content that augments the main story and provides insider information that could not be found elsewhere.
Applying this concept to one's Internet promotion strategy, website owners should consider using blog articles, video clips, tweets, and social network profile pages—but these mediums must augment the purpose of the site substantially, or they will not merit much attention from Internet friends and fans.
This is Part II in this series. Click here for Part I. For website owners struggling to maximize the power of the Internet and social media, there are some important lessons to learn from studying the success of this series.
Of course, the film episodes themselves provide the thrill, intrigue, and suspense that drives the fan base, just as any website should have good, quality, substantive content that is worthy of a visitor's time. During a presentation at the film festival, Jarod explained that when planning social media applications for the movie, he and Jeff wanted to have “multiple layers” of intrigue to keep their target audience, mainly college-aged youth, hooked. Thus, the intent of the multiple levels, Jarod continued, is to add additional information and content that augments the main story and provides insider information that could not be found elsewhere.
Applying this concept to one's Internet promotion strategy, website owners should consider using blog articles, video clips, tweets, and social network profile pages—but these mediums must augment the purpose of the site substantially, or they will not merit much attention from Internet friends and fans.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Website Owners Can Learn from Innovative Film Production Part I
Social Networking Factors in Film Project's National Spotlight
If jumping into the social networking scene to promote your website still leaves you trembling and confused, take a lesson from innovative film professors at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, just down the road from HIT Web Design.
Last week at the 2010 LDS Film Festival in Orem, Utah, executive producers Jeff Parkin and Jarod Cardon explained how they took their film production called “The Book of Jer3miah” and used social networking to create a buzz that continues to capture the attention of thousands of fans.
Faced with a limited budget—as most small businesses are—Jeff and Jarod made maximum use of free services and features on the Internet to gain followers for their series. For example, some of the characters in the 20-episode series now have a dedicated page on Facebook, and additionally, there are other blogs where fans can “interact” with the characters. According to information on the Jer3miah website, “One of the most groundbreaking aspects of the series is 'The Davenport Papers,' an Alternate Reality Game (ARG). Here, viewers collaborate virtually and in the real world by deciphering clues hidden in webisodes, solving online puzzles, and finding physical evidence on the BYU campus. All this combines to shed greater light on the characters and the mysterious organization pursuing Jeremiah (the main character).”
In less than a year, the series has gained national attention from many important press outlets, including the The New York Times. Now, that's marketing genius.
Do You Have the Right Team? -- Preparing to Launch Your Online Business
We’ve talked about creating a mission statement, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and developing a strategy for your online business start up. Now is the time to tout you and your team. Your confidence, enthusiasm, and vision are incredibly important to the success of your business, and to gain the confidence of investors. They are ultimately investing in YOU, so sell yourself and your team! Consider:
Who are your team members, managers, or partners? What is their level of education? Do you or they have any experience in similar ventures or businesses? Are you particularly passionate about your products? Why? Who will be in charge of what? Who has final decision-making authority?
Every business can potentially be faced with challenges. What risks might you face in your business, and how will you be prepared to face them? Consider:
Have you in the past, or are you currently facing litigation? Do you have access to an attorney? Do you have adequate insurance coverage for your business? Who is in charge of record keeping, and how are those records stored and protected? Do you use an accountant?
Once you have a plan for your online business, you need a website. When conceiving your website, before you think about colors, pictures, or even format, take into consideration the answers to the questions above and come up with the purpose of your website. That will make your web design process a lot easier.
This series of blog articles on starting an online business begins here .
For more information on starting an e-business or creating a new look for your current e-business, please visit www.hitwebdesign.com or call 1-866-211-0743. Stay current on the latest products and web trends at www.hitnewsfeeds.com/ .
Who are your team members, managers, or partners? What is their level of education? Do you or they have any experience in similar ventures or businesses? Are you particularly passionate about your products? Why? Who will be in charge of what? Who has final decision-making authority?
Every business can potentially be faced with challenges. What risks might you face in your business, and how will you be prepared to face them? Consider:
Have you in the past, or are you currently facing litigation? Do you have access to an attorney? Do you have adequate insurance coverage for your business? Who is in charge of record keeping, and how are those records stored and protected? Do you use an accountant?
Once you have a plan for your online business, you need a website. When conceiving your website, before you think about colors, pictures, or even format, take into consideration the answers to the questions above and come up with the purpose of your website. That will make your web design process a lot easier.
This series of blog articles on starting an online business begins here .
For more information on starting an e-business or creating a new look for your current e-business, please visit www.hitwebdesign.com or call 1-866-211-0743. Stay current on the latest products and web trends at www.hitnewsfeeds.com/ .
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Business Description and Strategy -- Preparing to Launch Your Online Business
If you plan on starting an online business, consider writing down your business description and strategy. By now you know your company’s purpose and your strengths and weaknesses. Use that information as you work out your business strategy.
The key element in your business description is to address how your business will meet the needs of your customers. In other words, how are you uniquely positioned to get your needed product to the right people and make money in the process?
Now let's discuss the strategy behind your business. Consider:
What type of business are you (retail, manufacturing, consulting, etc.)?
Will you need employees?
Where is your business located?
What are your hours of operation?
How do you plan to make money?
What costs will be involved?
How much money do you need to start, and how will that money be spent?
Take the guesswork out of starting an online business by answering the questions above, along with the other questions found in this series of starting an online business blog articles.
For more information on starting an e-business or creating a new look for your current e-business, please visit http://www.hitwebdesign.com or call 1-866-211-0743. Stay current on the latest products and web trends at http://www.hitnewsfeeds.com/ .
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