Be Wary of One Size Fits All Advice

by -

startupgraphicIf there was a golden entrepreneurial template, everyone would be lining up for a share of the profits. Unfortunately, in today’s economic climate, there are no guarantees that what works for one entrepreneur will work for another. Two similar ideas may result in the clumsy business startup succeeding over the carefully crafted business plan, for no apparent reason other than one business opened at the right time. A budding entrepreneur may be facing some of their worst difficulties over the conflicting advice they’re receiving.

The best business plan begins with research. The new business owner will learn from authoritative sources, including books, journals, blogs, and successful entrepreneurs in a similar field. However, over time you may realize that common advice may be the worst thing for your startup launch. You’ll receive many tips during your new business launch, but not all of them will work for you. Be wary of one size fits all advice, particularly from the well-seasoned millionaires who have forgotten what it’s really like implementing startup tactics in today’s competitive market.

Delegate, while strategizing.
One of the main problems with the “delegate first” school-of-thought is that it doesn’t take into account that most new businesses today are lean startups, and there are few funds in the budget to include personnel. There’s nothing wrong with getting your hands dirty, after all it worked for Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The only person who understands your vision is you, not a CEO for a big box company.

Content marketing will pay off in the end.
Unfortunately, you could hire a celebrity writer to produce the best content for your website, but that’s not what’s going to attract customers to your door. Most new businesses work by word-by-mouth. You’ll get new business when your happy clients recommend you to their needy friends. Great content can attract the attention of your customer base, but don’t forget to focus on your great products or services first.

Buy a time travel machine.
Being everywhere, particularly when you’ve just launched your business is going to be both costly, and time-consuming. Focus on one particular region and find out where your customers are coming from. From there, decide whether it’s profitable to focus on a new target market, or to attract local customers.

Become a salesman.
Most entrepreneurs are not good with salesmanship, nor is it required to have a successful enterprise. Steve Wozniak preferred to stay behind the scenes, while Jobs went out to do the selling. If your products have value for your target market, they’ll sell themselves. Most customers are turned off by harsh elevator pitches anyway. The soft sell is what works today, and as you build trust for your potential client base, you’ll discover that you don’t really need to close the deal, so to speak.

If you need help planning effective marketing strategies tailored to your new business startup, please contact Direct West Media Group.

Mobile Marketing Tips for New Business Startups

by -

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????There must be hundreds of tasks to do when you’re planning your new business startup. From carefully crafting your new website, to getting your location and office set up, it can be a bit mind-boggling by the end of the day. One of the best ways to market your business is via the net, and that includes having a mobile website that is optimized for smart phone users. This means that customers can quickly find you online, and find out what you can do for them in less than ten seconds.

Here are a few tips for helping the small business owner to get started with their mobile marketing website.

1. Who’s Your Target Market?

Right around when you had a vision for your company, you must have known exactly who would be purchasing your products or services. Once you put the business plan into play you likely had to tweak your plan to include a wider range of demographics. Keep this in mind when you create a mobile website. Products aimed at teens need to be catchier, while older people may appreciate a more conservative look.

2. SEO 

Likely you keep on hearing about search engine optimization. Be sure you utilize keywords on your website, and that your business is listed with the main search engines as well, so you show up on the Google map. Your customers may need map guidance to lead them to your door.

3. QR Codes

Either consumers use QR codes or they don’t. But as these special bar codes catch on, you may wish to take advantage of their benefits. You can add them to your marketing materials, signs, and packaging, and consumers can scan the code when they’re on the way to work, bus, or shopping, to get more information about your business on their smart phones.

4. Make An App

Many people worry that having a special app created specifically for their business is going to cost a lot of money. There is software that makes creating apps a snap, for a minimum investment.

5. Don’t focus on only mobile marketing.

While you can have special deals on your mobile website not available in-store or online, you must remember not to neglect the other portions of your market who still use a real computer, or prefer to make a telephone call to learn more information about a company. Keep focussing on your mobile marketing first, but make your products and services the second focus. If you have great products, word of mouth will spread, and consumers will be drawn to your business.

Start implementing these tips as soon as possible, so you won’t leave any customers out in the cold, when they go searching for you online. If you need help reaching your customers, or if mobile marketing is still a puzzle to you, contact Direct West Media Group, and we’ll be happy to help you out with your new business start up.

Start with a Mobile Site

by -

images-4Running a business can keep an entrepreneur busy, so oftentimes they won’t know where to focus their next marketing campaign. There are so many different aspects of business, including print materials, advertising, website updates, and signage. Let Direct West Media Group help you to wade through your inbox, and get you started with a mobile optimized website. A mobile site is designed to work on any iPhone, Android, Galaxy, smart phone or tablet device.

If you’ve ever surfed the net from your phone, you know how frustrating it can be at times. It takes forever for a site to load, and you may never be able to pinch everything down so you can view a page within the window of your device. What generally happens is that a consumer ends up leaving the site, before they ever find their information. One of the most negative aspects of online business is that your customer could end up visiting your competitor, as their online site has been mobile optimized.

For those smart business managers who have had someone set up a mobile optimized website for them, what it means is that a customer can visit their site from their mobile phone, and be pleasantly surprised at how well it works on their device. A mobile optimized website will be streamed down, and the home page will fit within the confines of your smart phone screen. Immediate contact information will be at hand, including a phone number and address. A basic list of products or services will be available from a submenu, which should pop up with only one click.

A mobile website may list specials and have coupons that may not be available on your regular business website. This will entice customers to visit your mobile site. When your customers see the great deals that they can get via your mobile site, they’ll remember to visit again and again. A mobile optimized site is like sending a mini flyer to all your customers, but instead of being through the mail, it’s online.

A mobile website is also simple and easy to update. Specials and coupons can be added and modified at will. Some types of businesses such as restaurants or service-oriented businesses such as lube and oil, or salons may have weekly deals that can be promoted on a mobile site.

Did you know that you don’t need a website first, to get started on a mobile site? You can start with a mobile website first, then once it’s done, you can have your own online site set up. Today, most people are using smart phones, and most likely will be looking up a business from their phone, and not an actual computer. With corporate policies in place, most office workers aren’t even allowed to surf the net, so they’ll reach for their smart phone first, before doing any web surfing.

If you’ve been wading through your inbox wondering where to get started on your marketing, give Direct West Media Group a call. We’ll help you to get started on your business mobile site today.