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Most Efficient B2B Lead Generation Strategies for 2019

The biggest problem with B2B outreach lies in the fact that a lot of people don’t really understand how it works. On the one hand, there are those who believe it to be completely opposite to B2C, seeing as how “B2C purchases are based on emotions and B2B purchases are based on rational decision-making”. This is, of course, oversimplified, due to the fact that businesses are run by people who are just as susceptible to emotions and impulses. Due to the fact that processes are a tad slower and purchases are a tad more valuable, B2B decisions have a more rational and analytical approach. With that in mind, here are several of the most effective B2B lead generation strategies that you should definitely consider.

1. Start with your social media presence

When it comes to boosting one’s social media presence, a lot of people believe this to be an exclusively B2C strategy. The truth is that they couldn’t be more wrong. Just because your audience is more likely to go to your website straight away rather than do their research on your Instagram profile or Facebook page, doesn’t mean that you can neglect social media presence. As for platforms like LinkedIn, they’re suddenly becoming a priority of your social media activity. While this is not talked about that much, LinkedIn is a platform with a rapidly growing user base. In just six years (between 2011 and 2017) the number of users on this network grew from 140 million to 500 million.

2. A/B testing

You also need to keep in mind that the expectations of people in charge of outreach in other enterprises are somewhat higher than those of individual users. They’re less often unrealistic but are not likely to tolerate bugs, glitches, and malfunctions. This is why it’s best if you were to test any change before implementing it. Also, when it comes to appealing to the emotional side of your audience, you need to understand that it’s still incredibly important. While the very term B2B may make the outreach seem quite impersonal or inanimate, you’re not reaching out to the entity, that is this other business, but to the people who are in charge of it. This means that finding patterns and methods that are to their liking still seems to be quite important.

3. Get your finances in order

Previously, we’ve mentioned the fact that B2B leads are based on numbers and are not that affected by appearances. This is why the first thing they might look at is your credit history, your company’s financial status, and your ability to meet all the legal obligations. Even a hint of failing to pay your taxes may be interpreted as a serious misstep by your potential partners, which is something you want to avoid at all costs. Now, there are some taxes that are applicable to the entire country, yet, there are those that depend on the state that your company is in. A perfect example of this is payroll taxes, which vary from state to state. This means that your NSW enterprise needs to find tax consultants from Sydney in order to ensure that everything on this front is in perfect order.

4. Prepare for voice searches

The next thing you need to prepare yourself for is the concept of voice search. More and more people are using this feature on a daily basis due to the fact that the technology itself has become quite sophisticated. In the past, the engine behind the feature was crude and unable to understand anything but the simplest words uttered in perfect English (in some of the most standard dialects such as the UK, US, or Australia). Nowadays, the technology consults your previous search history, tracks your location, and does an excellent job of recognizing the language you’re using. This, on the other hand, means that you have to optimize for voice searches, and especially dedicate your efforts to voice search SEO.

5. Identify and fix broken pages

Having a broken page on your blog or, worse yet, multiple of them, may result in a scenario where your rank drops and your reputation in the digital world suffers. They may cause you to lose audience, and customers and drastically hurt your conversion rates. It’s even worse if a broken link is on your own domain. Imagine a scenario where a person clicks on a link that should lead to a product they want to purchase only to find it malfunctioning. Fortunately, tending to this doesn’t take that much effort. All you have to do is figure out an adequate tool and start using it on a regular basis.

6. Mobile should be paramount

The last thing you need to consider is the importance of making mobile-friendly pages. First of all, in this day and age, where the majority of people online are browsing the internet on their phones, Google is strict to penalize anyone who doesn’t focus on mobile web design. Nonetheless, just because so many people are using their phones to browse the internet, it doesn’t mean that they’re doing it via a browser. Therefore, it might be for the best if you were to develop an app. Any investment in this area is bound to give you an outstanding ROI.

The very last thing worth keeping in mind is the fact that all of these trends also benefit your B2C lead generation, which makes this a win-win scenario. However, those who want a rapid and reliable expansion need to focus on both.

Digital Branding

Some Easy Steps to Create Business Names for Your Brand

An innovative name for your business will pave ways for your firm to be noticed, recognized and acknowledged. In the era where the world is brimming with tough competition, you need to give in to technicalities, methodology, and schemes. To rise above all, you have to use the secret tricks from the experts and use it innovatively.

You cannot afford to have a laid-back attitude while deciding a name. Do not just ask random companies to set up a name for you in exchange for some little cash. There is no short-cut to success. If you want to take help from experts, then find the company with the highest success rate, license, and permit and also read customer reviews.

What are the steps?

In this section, the most important and effective steps will be mentioned. Follow the methods for great results.

Step 1

First, ask yourself if this business will continue to market the same product or service. Or, whether it stands a chance for a change? If you feel you are not very confident about the consistency, then assume there are chances of changes in the future. The reason is the name. If the goal of your business changes, the name needs to be changed too. In such situations, you will give a keep a general name rather than a specific. Hence, clear all doubts and choose a name accordingly.

Step 2

Use different names and prepare a list with synonymous words. For instance, let’s say you have a business for undergarments. In that case, you can pick up names such as Lingerie, underwear, etc. And, give an awesome twist and make it as creative as you can.

Step 3

This is an extremely important step. If you have to go to any popular search engine and find tools and applications for keyword analysis. Once you come across the tool, type in the specific keyword. A list will come up that will show you the relative terms that you may use. This is a great tool. But after you have selected a term, check if it is still available. They may have been taken by others.

Step 4

To make it more creative and peculiar, spin that term to see more variations. All such tools are available on Google. Remember catchy names must either be funny or funky and must be able to grab the limelight from the very start. You can even misspell the words intentionally for a change. For instance, instead of ‘are’ you can use ‘R.’

Golden rules for super branding

Creating a brand image and brand identity is one of the toughest jobs. Also, finding a name that works your years is no easy task. To make your tasks a smidge easier, you have this article for you. Seven golden ways can help you decide the best name for your business. Have a look at them.

  1. Keep it easy to recall
  2. Use easy-to-spell words
  3. Must reflect your business ideals
  4. Keep it cool and catchy
  5. Less than 3 syllables
  6. Provide your clients with a benefit
  7. Let them know your point of sale

So, next time when you sit for deciding a name, make sure you have checked with the above points.

Now, you have to understand one thing, deciding a name takes time. In the above section, you learned what to keep as name, in the following learn how to do so.

Invest time to work it out

It is not going to happen over a day. Fix up some number of hours and rack your brains to prepare a catchy business names list. Now, that you already know the golden rules you have to abide by them and find the name that matches all the criteria.

Schedule your work in blocks of 50 minutes for each deal. Take a break and then start again. Remember, you cannot afford to strain your brain constantly. That will not bring in desired results.

Prepare a list

Yes, do not stick for one name. After you have fixed up the list, select the top 3. Take in votes of the committee. You can even conduct mini-test to perceive how the names would work. For that, you can ask your friends or family members to read out the name. If the majority of them can easily do so, that’s a great sign. Maybe after 2-3 days, you can ask them if they recall the name. If they could quickly recall the name that hints that your name is creative yet easy to be remembered. However, if that works oppositely, you still have a list to go ahead.

Give it a week

After you have made up your mind regarding a specific name, keep it aside and proceed with other important aspects. In short, you have to give it at least a week before you go for the registration. After a week a lot of new decisions will be taken for your business. Hence, now come back and check it the name needs tweaking or it is good to go. You may or may not seem convinced. Whatever is the result, you will always have time to work that out. Remember rebranding should be your last option.

Final Words

If you have a name that is looks and sounds super good, you are just one step behind. There are many apps available in web browsers that will let you run some dummy advertisements with the name you have chosen. Also, to be on the safer side, run some of the ads with the names that were beneath the top name. This is to double-check that you have the right name that compliments the dummy ads.

It is only after your business is launched in the market; you will learn about its success rate. However, if you have followed this article from the start, success is secured for sure. All the best for your business ahead! Have a great time.

Digital Branding

Design Elements to Consider For Your Business Website

The web design of your business website will be one of the most vital aspects of your business marketing strategy on the internet. In this article, you will be learning more about the essential design elements which you should be incorporating.

Responsive: You need to make your web design responsive so that it can ensure that users who are accessing your website through smartphones and tablets are easily able to access them.

Clean design: When you are contemplating the nature of web design that you want to use, it is important that you do not end up creating a cluttered web page with too many information. You should go for a web design which is clean and free from extra clutter and with all the essential links placed at the right spots for the user to locate them. So you should not burden your web pages with too many pictures and videos and colors.

Search box: One of the first things that a user tries to locate when he or she visits your business website is the search box. Most users will not be spending too much time on your page initially when they visit to navigate and look for interesting stuff; they will want to get specific answers for their specific questions. If you have those answers, then you should provide the users with an easy way to access them, and a search box will come in handy in this respect. You need to put your search box in the top of your web pages so that people can quickly view them and enter the necessary keywords to find what they are looking for.

Pictures: You need to decide whether you want to use a background picture or go for a solid colored background. If you want to use a background image, then you can consider using the logo of your business venture. You can also think of putting a specific image which defines your business. Either way, your background image must be mellow and should not be contrasting too much with the content that you are putting on the page. Also, in the contents, it is important for you to use photos. At times, it can so happen that your content is not big enough and hence to compensate for that you may use certain photos to make your article look bigger. You need to use photos which are of high resolutions and are optimized to be viewed on various devices with ease.

But you should also ensure that the pictures do not increase the amount of time it takes for your pages to load. Often, it can happen that having a lot of photos in your pages can slow the loading time of your pages. This can be frustrating for the user. You must also put images of your products which you want to sell along with your content and other allied photos of such subjects; this will help in creating a detailed perspective of the content that you are putting on your pages.

Texts: you will need to focus on both the font sizes and the font types of your texts. You must use a font type which looks professional and not amateurish. Thus, you must choose to use fonts like Times New Roman and Calibri or Cambria instead of Comic Sans MS. You can choose to use different fonts for your headlines and your main content. You will have to use your texts in a way that makes it easy for the reader to comprehend the information that you are sharing. You should use your italics, bold and underlines judiciously also. Do not go overboard with them. Use them to highlight specific information which is important for the reader to know. In terms of the size of the fonts, you must not choose a font size that is either too small or too big.

You can use an optimum font size of 12 or fourteen points because they would work well in driving the information forward without being too bright for anyone’s eyes. Also, you must optimize the fonts so that they become readable on different screen sizes that is, on both smartphone screens and desktops. These little things will impact how a viewer feels when he or she visits your website.

Colors: One of the essential facets of good web design is in choosing the correct color combination. These colors are both for your web page’s backgrounds and your texts. You need to choose a combination which is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. You can either go for a single colored background or a combination of different colors. Ideally, you should limit yourself to a maximum of three different colors if you want to use a color combination. These colors must alternate between lighter and darker shades.

Also, it is vital that these colors should be contrasting each other. You should choose the color of your texts also in a way that they contrast the background. But this color should not be too bright for the eyes. You can use a simple black and white and background and use black for your texts. This is a classic theme and has been used multiple times with increasing efficiency.

If you want to get more information about how you can make a top-notch web design for your business website, then you must visit SEO Atomic Design and take advice from the leading professionals in the industry.

Conclusion

Perhaps the most important aspect of a business website is its web design. The web design determines how the appearance of a website will be to be an outside viewer and a user. It will determine the overall user experience of the website. To make your business website attract more and more people, you must ensure that it is functional, easy to navigate and responsive. This will help in creating a good first impression on the minds of the users. It is also important that you use the appropriate color and picture combinations. Hopefully, the information mentioned in this article will have helped you.

Digital Branding

In-house SEO Vs SEO Outsourcing – What Is The Best For You?

A business website sans search engine optimization will not be visible on search engines, and the company will not be able to reach out to the targeted audience and get the lead conversions desired. With the help of associated keywords, a business website is able to promote its services and products to the targeted customer and establish its brand visibility in the market. There are many companies and businesses in the same niche as you, and in order to stand out in the crowd, you should ensure that you deploy the correct SEO strategies and tools with experienced experts in the field.

In-house SEO or outsourced SEO- what should you choose?

Many companies are now focusing on the importance of search engine optimization for the promotion and marketing of their business. Business owners, however, need to weigh the pros and cons of using their in-house team to do the SEO for their website or should they hire an outsourced company for the same. Experts in the field of search engine optimization say that both in-house and outsourced search engine optimization has their advantages and disadvantages. The business owner needs to look into them before he/she makes the final choice. In order to ascertain whether in-house SEO or outsourced SEO companies will work for you, it is vital to make a list of your needs and expectations when it comes to the choice of using in-house SEO or outsourcing an SEO company for the task. As a business owner, you should examine both of these models in detail before making the final choice.

Advantages of in-house SEO

The following are some advantages of an in-house SEO expert for your business: 1. When you use an in-house SEO expert, they know your business better than an outsourced agency and so will be aware of its challenges and goals. 2. When you hire your in-house team for SEO you as a business owner have complete control over its tools and strategies as well as implementation. In case, you wish to make any changes; you effectively are able to contact the SEO expert instantly for doing the needful. The SEO team sits in the same premise so reaching out to the expert will be no hassles at all. 3. The In-house SEO professional works and focuses on your business site and will never work on any other business site. This means that the expert gives 100% attention to the business website and works on its improvement. 4. In-house SEO helps you to save costs as it is less expensive over other outsourced SEO agencies.

Disadvantages of in-house SEO agencies

The esteemed company in the field of search engine optimization, Joel House say that though in-house SEO has the above advantages, it also has its share of disadvantages. They have been listed as follows: 1. The field of search engine optimisation changes rapidly, and the algorithms of search engines change regularly. The SEO team needs to be informed and educated about these changes. Besides being educated about these changes, they also have to update their skills in the subject. As a business owner, you need to make sure that your in-house team is informed and updated of the latest SEO changes and tools. You need to invest money in their training programs and also keep yourself informed and updated about these changes as well. 2. As a business owner, you must learn the basics of SEO as well. Though you are busy with the core functions of the business, it is important for you to inform as well. This is time consuming, and moreover, you need to support your business with the latest SEO tools- some of them have to be purchased as well as they are premium software. Just having the basic tools will not do and some of them are expensive as well. Once these tools are purchased, you again have to invest time to learn how to use them, and the same applies to your in-house SEO team as well.

Outsourced SEO agencies

The following are the advantages of outsourced SEO agencies: 1. Outsourced SEO agencies have a team of skilled, qualified and experienced SEO experts in the field and so you have specialists working on your website. They will always be aware of the latest SEO trends and tools that are in demand in the current market. They invest money in attending seminars, workshops and training programs on a regular basis so they can offer top-quality services to clients. They create winning strategies as they are familiar and experienced with the current SEO trends. 2. These SEO experts work with a wide range of clients, and so they have experience of managing the customised needs of all businesses with success. They can create the right strategies for promoting and marketing your business to get better visibility in the market with success. 3. With outsourced SEO agencies, you are able to focus on the needs of your business and alleviate tensions when it comes to creating the right strategies for brand establishment and promotion. You do not waste time and effort for hiring an in-house SEO team to manage projects for you, and you do not have to buy SEO tools and software for the business. 4. With outsourced SEO agencies, you effectively are able to get SEO projects for your business faster.

Cons of outsourcing your SEO needs to agencies

There is only one disadvantage of outsourced SEO agencies- you need to constantly be in touch with them to ensure your project is being done on time. You should ask for reports to ensure progress is being made in the right direction. Therefore, when it comes to the SEO needs of your business, ensure that you ascertain what your individual needs and weight the pros and cons of the above to make the right choice. If you decide to outsource search engine optimisation, ensure you hire a credible company with proven track records and experience in the field to get the desired results with success!

SEO
Digital Branding

6 Essentials Traits of a Good SEO Agency in Singapore to Look for

There is no one who doesn’t want to work with the best, especially when it comes to business consulting. For small and big businesses alike, when you are thinking of investing in SEO, one should always look for providers who can deliver the best of their promises in action. But, how to identify who is the best?

Before checking out the characteristics of a good SEO agency, it is essential to understand how SEO works and which all aspects of it play a crucial role in business marketing. Online business is quite a competitive and complicated affair with hundreds of thousands of companies competing in the same space. This is the reason why businesses should hire expert SEO providers in order to get dedicated and loyal customers online.

Professional SEO firms knew all the nooks and corners of digital marketing and ensure that your brand thrives in this highly competitive space. You can be reassured about relevant traffic and in turn, convert it into sales with the help of SEO. If you into the search for such an agency to take your online business marketing to the next level, here are some essentials to look for.

1. Professionalism and experience

Thro succeed in the digital space; it is important for the SEO provider to have significant experience in your industry-relevant SEO practices. If you want to reap maximum results, then it is advisable to sing up with a company or professional provider who has considerable experience in your field of business.

Providers from the same industry will have a better understanding of the competition and the standard SEO practices which will work the best in it. Check if the SEO agency you approach is knowledgeable about the business dynamics of both the local market and international market as your focus. Professional SEO providers know the client as well as user expectations and can work at best to meet all these objectives.

2. Notable reputation

The clients of the SEO providers will have volumes to tell about their services and support. This is the ideal way to identify whether the provider in consideration is reputed or not. You can check online to see the feedback and testimonial about any top SEO agency to ensure whether it is a highly admired service.

You can also get information from the blog discussions and forums by gathering comments and feedback about various providers. You can also check the grievance posting sites also to see what complaints clients used to raise certain providers. It is also ideal to ask someone you know about their experience with SEO outsourcing to see if they have any suggestions to make.

3. Analytical ability

As we know, SEO is a very strategic approach to business marketing, which has to be done based on a thorough analysis. Tools like Google Analytics are used by expert SEO providers in order to understand where their clients stand and the specific areas to be worked on.

While approaching an SEO agency, you should check their analytical tools and methodology in order to understand whether they possess significant expertise in this specialty. Without analytics, getting into SEO will be something getting on to an ocean sail without any map or sail plan.

Any professional SEO provider will have a highly analytical mind and essential analytical tools handy. If your SEO provider is not keen about numbers and if their decisions are not data-driven, then your efforts may ultimately fail. SEO is a precise scientific approach than an art, so choose only someone who focuses on figures and results.

4. Utilizes the latest strategies

As we know, digital marketing is a constantly changing specialty. SEO techniques are evolving day by day, and many of those become obsolete over time. Say, for example, keyword stuffing was one of the top SEO strategies at one time, but now it is considered as a black-hat technique which may end up in a penalty.

A professional SEO provider will always watch for the latest changes and updated in terms of search engine optimization and change their strategies accordingly. In fact, the SEO approach in various industries may also differ. They utilize time-tested techniques and apply them to suit to the actual needs of the clients. In fact, no SEO strategy tends to ensure 100% results, but a fine combination of the best approaches can bring in real results.

5. Professional team

Successful SEO is a team effort. A professional SEO team is an ideal characteristic to look for while finding an SEO agency. A good company will encourage their SEO staffs to do constant research to tackle the latest search engine algorithms and bring their clients on to the top.

A professional SEO team will consist of not an only search engine expert, but good web designers, website planner, content engineers, social media experts, e-mail strategies and so on. Professional agencies will train their staff to continue to make sure that they are fully focused on results based on the changing SEO conditions.

6. Follows an ethical methodology

A reputable and professional SEO agency may use only white-hat SEO techniques while trying to promote client sites. Those agencies which offer over-night results may be trying out the black hat techniques to show some instant (short-lived) results, but this will ultimately put you into deeper troubles.

Good SEO agencies will never use the black hat tactics like spamming, doorway pages, or invisible text to boost search engine positions. Now with their latest algorithms, all major search engines run very strict monitoring on the SEO activities, and if the bots identify any websites employing such strategies, such pages will be instantly penalized or even get banned.

This is the reason why you should join hands with only those providers using legitimate SEO methods which are approved by search engines as ethical. The right approach professional SEO companies utilize now are:

  • Quality link building
  • Website optimization
  • Keyword focused quality content etc.

Proper white hat SEO techniques will guarantee slow, but steady results which are more sustainable.

Most importantly, a good SEO provider will only give realistic commitments to its clients. They may never guarantee the No.1 SERP position, but they may focus more on strategies which help their clients to slowly and steadily build in terms of search engine ranking.

Digital Branding

6 Ways to Use Social Media to Boost Your eCommerce Sales

https://pixabay.com/photos/ecommerce-shopping-cart-buying-3530785/ 

If you want your eCommerce business to succeed in 2019, you should craft an excellent social media marketing strategy. Today, it’s not enough to just produce share-worthy content. It’s also important to utilize sneaky marketing tricks to improve brand awareness and customer loyalty.

In this article, you will find recommendations on how to use Facebook, Instagram, and Tweeter to boost your eCommerce sales. Follow them, and you will take your business to the next level.

Collaborate with influencers

It’s always challenging to make your first online sale. When no one knows your brand yet, no one wants to buy your products.

If you have just started your eCommerce business and want to get first orders immediately, you should collaborate with digital celebrities in your niche. They can easily influence the opinion of your target audience and make people believe that your product is worth buying.

If you can’t afford collaboration with influencers, which have more than 100,000 followers, you can collaborate with micro-influencers. The services of micro-influencers, who have around 15,000 followers, will not cost you a fortune.

Run giveaways

People love freebies even more than you can imagine. Can you guess what the simplest way to draw the audience’s attention to your brand and boost sales is? All you need to do is to provide people with a chance to get something for free.

So, why don’t you run a giveaway on social media? It will help you to raise brand awareness and generate enormous sales. To run a successful giveaway, you should make four simple steps:

  • Offer a valuable prize. It can be a new product, gift card, huge discount, etc.
  • Craft a catchy post to inform followers about the giveaway. If you have no idea how to write winning captions, you may check writing services company reviews and get help from a professional writer.
  • Ask influencers in your niche to inform their followers about a giveaway. The more people will participate in your giveaway, the more returns you will get.
  • Utilize reliable social media contest tools to make sure that the process of winner selection is fair and transparent.

Generate social media buzz

Do you know how to launch a brand new product successfully? You should make people talk about your product everywhere: on social media platforms, at parties, and even in Starbucks’ toilet queues. You should make people feel excited about getting a new product and encourage them to place pre-orders as soon as possible.

To hit this goal, you should generate social media buzz and make your brand irresistible. Every post related to the new product launch should intrigue your followers. Try not to reveal any specific details, but to drive curiosity. Here are a few ideas, which you can use:

  • Start countdown 30 or 50 days prior launch. Mention in every new post how many days have left. Make people wait for your new product as impatiently as they wait for Christmas.
  • Collaborate with bloggers in your niche. Allow them to “leak” some details related to the new product launch on social media
  • Add countdown sticker to Instagram stories

Ask questions to get feedback

If you need to get feedback from your target audience, don’t waste your money on running surveys. In the digital age, you can get answers to your questions using social media.

Let’s imagine that you operate in the fashion industry. This spring, you are going to sell a vintage style dress available in five colors. You need to forecast demand for different colors to avoid inventory stockouts.

To create a demand forecast, you need to be neither a financial expert nor a fashion guru. You just need to use the Instagram carousel. Upload five photos of the dress in different colors and ask your followers to comment on which one they like the most.

That’s all! Now you just need to check the answers. If you know that the green dress gets 2,000 “votes”, and the blue one only 500 “votes”, you can forecast demand easily.

Share user-generated content (UGC)

Another great way to boost eCommerce sales is to share user-generated content on social media. As you know, people tend to trust real customer reviews more than the advertisement. For this reason, user-generated content attracts more potential buyers than any paid ad. Also, UGC costs no money.

It’s worth mentioning that people like to interact with companies. And they feel happy if someone finds their photos and videos share-worthy.

If you want to base your marketing strategy on user-generated content, here is a short guide for you:

  • Create your branded hashtag
  • Invite your followers to share their opinions about your brand on social media
  • Remind them that they should use your hashtag and tag you on photos and videos
  • If you have just started your social media profile, it’s highly likely that you have no followers. In this case, you may send your customers an email to invite them to follow you on social media and share their reviews.
  • Never forget to mention the content creator, when you share UGC on your business profile

Share behind-the-scenes

Let people know more about your company. Reveal information about the technologies and materials you use. Show the team of professionals behind your business.

If you want to build a trustful relationship with your customers, you should share behind-the-scenes photos and videos. It will help to explain to your audience how your company actually works. Absolute honesty will boost customer loyalty and, as a consequence, sales.

In conclusion

As you can see, social media can help you to increase eCommerce sales in numerous ways. You just need to choose a marketing strategy, which perfectly suits your business concept.

Author’s bio.

Daniela McVicker is a blogger with rich experience in writing about UX design, content planning, and digital marketing. Currently, she is the chief contributor at RatedbyStudents where she helps individuals and organizations improve their web content writing, design, and planning skills.

Ecommerce branding
Digital Branding

3 Steps To Branding Your New E-Commerce Business

There is no doubt to the fact that we are currently living in the digital era because right now if you look around, you will see that most industries and businesses are getting digitized as products are not only shown and described online but sold there as well. All of this is justifiable because the number of customers you can get to your local store is nothing as compared to the quantity that you can get online. Now everyone has a phone and almost everyone is using the internet, instead of going door to door to sell your products and services, wouldn’t it be better to use the internet and reach out to the masses that too without any physical efforts? Going online is one wise choice to make so long as you  pay attention to e-commerce branding concepts.

Now, if you are someone who just recently started your e-commerce business and if you want to know how to establish your brand and then promote it then, yes, you are at the right place, reading the right content. You see, you might be selling the best quality products and your services can be extremely amazing but if you aren’t visible to your audience, there’s no point to be on the internet in the first place. Long story short, your visibility is all that matters and that should matter.

Tips For E-Commerce Branding

Here are a few tips that can come in handy to you for branding your e-commerce business:

Select your logo carefully

1- Creating a brand identity

It is but very obvious that to start with the branding process, you first need to create a brand identity for your business which means that the first thing you need to do is to get a logo. Not just any logo will do; in fact, you need to make a proper investment on your logo and hire a professional because your logo will be representing your e-commerce store so make sure to take logo selection seriously. Once you are done with the logo, you then need to focus on your branding guide which includes the color palette you have to follow, the typography, and the style that you will always be following.

2- The story of your brand

People love it when they get to hear the story behind a brand. You need to create a story for your brand too and make your audience hear that story out. From your core values to your missions and goals, you need to mention each and everything in your story. Above all of it, you need to tell and show people that they matter to you and you are there to make an improvement in their lives.

Develop a social media presence

3- Get your hands on social media

Yes, having an e-commerce website of your own is imperative, but what’s more important is the fact that you need to be on social media platforms. You see, right now, every single individual is using social media. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are a few most important platforms to be on because believe it or not, you can make millions of customers just by being on these sites. Long story short, you cannot just overlook the fact that social media is supposed to be a part of your business and you need separate marketing strategies too for being successful there.

Conclusion

These are some of the steps to e-commerce branding that you need to follow in order to be successful. So, use the tips we just gave and make sure to give the best of your efforts to your business if you really want it to reach new heights of success.

Digital Branding

How to Create Your Own Brand on Amazon

How would you like to open an Amazon store filled with products bearing your own brand labels? The thought is literally intoxicating because you know that Amazon is the world’s largest consumer marketplace and the ultimate place to find the greatest number of consumers interested in what you have to sell. If you are sincerely contemplating opening an Amazon storefront, the following information can serve as a guide to why you would want to sell your own brand, private label products and then how to go about ensuring maximum profits. After all, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? You want to make money and lots of it. Here is how it’s done.

Why You Want Your Own Brand

The very first step is to fully understand and appreciate the benefits of selling your own brand products. Sometimes referred to as private label products, these are simply products manufactured by a company and sold to you generically without a label. However, you don’t want to list generic products because consumers expect to buy them at rock bottom prices.

This is why you want to create your own brand so that you can build that brand and price your inventory accordingly as your brand becomes well-established. In other words, you don’t need to manufacture your own merchandise, you just need to build a brand with products manufactured by companies of your choice.

What New Merchants Should Know About FBA Benefits

At this point, it would be in your best interest to understand the benefits of letting Amazon fulfill your orders. Referred to as FBA listings, these products are housed in Amazon warehouses and all orders are fulfilled by Amazon, hence the FBA listing. The major benefits include warehousing and fulfillment. You don’t need to operate a large warehouse and you don’t need to pull orders, pack or ship any products. The best benefit of all is that FBA products are eligible for Prime free shipping which is a huge perk on the customer end.

Unfortunately, you should also know that mistakes can happen and sometimes those mistakes can be costly to a merchant’s bottom line. Many times Amazon owes their merchants money over mismanaged orders, improper stocking or even for products damaged in the warehouse or in shipping. If you want to minimize losses, you might want to consider software like AMZRefund that can help you track any Amazon errors which are affecting your bottom line.

Find Your Niche

This might be one of the most difficult aspects of opening an Amazon storefront unless you know exactly what market you’d like to enter. Consumer goods come in all categories from electronics to pet foods and everything in between. If you don’t know exactly what you’d like to list, it’s imperative that you know which products are hot so that you can find your niche. Much is written on finding a profitable niche and there is an actual science to it from researching to finetuning your sales marketing approach. Expect to spend a good deal of time with this step of your journey unless you have a passion you’d like to pursue.

Sourcing Products & Own Brand Labeling

This is another step which may take some time and research. Check out sites like Alibaba that list suppliers from all around the globe. Many manufacturers specialize in the private label ‘generic’ products and it’s up to you to choose the manufacturer that offers what you are looking for. Remember, a niche isn’t everything when sourcing suppliers and manufacturers because consumers are looking for the highest quality at the lowest cost.

Many new merchants look overseas for manufacturers because their cost is lower but the quality isn’t always inferior. Once you’ve found a supplier, it’s time to create your brand, design your labels and then work with a labeling company to produce your own brand private labels. If you find the right labeling company, they can also assist you with graphic design including eye-catching logos that will help build your brand.

Last But Not Least – It’s Time to List Your Products!

Once you have gone through all the above steps to creating and selling your own brand products on Amazon, it’s time to create a merchant account and start listing your products. Here is where you’ll find another benefit of FBA listings because you are not limited by the amount of merchandise you can warehouse.

Amazon will warehouse your products and fulfill orders so that you can continue working on building your brand and growing your inventory. This is just a snapshot of what it takes to build your own brand on Amazon but once you’ve caught the fever, there’s no end to what you can do or obtain. It’s not a cliché because as an own brand Amazon seller, the sky really is the limit. See for yourself.

Local Branding

Office Design: What Does It Say about Your Brand?

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Stretched thin between trying to stay above the surface and deciding on the right marketing approach for their products or services, not many startup owners have time to consider what their office design says about their brand. However, when it comes to the appearance of the office, there’s rarely a second chance. The moment a new client or potential partner walks into your place of business, the impression they get directly translates to you as an organization. The question, however, remains whether you are making the desired impression?

More than meets the eye

At this point, you need to clearly define what message do you want your office to send about your brand. Would it be a statement of a strong and energetic enterprise? Is there an element of clockwork precision, planning, and organization? Does the place look like it attracts goal-achievers? Perhaps the target clientele is family-oriented, so you want to stress your origins as a family-run business. When considering the details of your office design, you need to account for every inch of your space, as all those details reflect your brand’s values, culture, and core beliefs.

Entrance

Before visitors even enter your place of business, it’s important they have a prelude of what they’re going to see. The entryway, together with the company parking, walkways, and landscaping needs to be clean and inviting, but also to reflect the seasonal mood and festivities. Add decorative items to make it more welcoming. When coming for the first time, people don’t know what to expect, and if the entry area is poorly maintained, the initial tone would be a wrong one.

Reception area

As new clients step into your reception/waiting area, the first thing they’ll notice is its appearance. If you want to impose a serious no-nonsense tone, opt for a dark hardwood desk and chairs. However, if you accent them with bright colours, you automatically infuse the setup with a sense of humour, making the whole place warm and welcoming. On the other hand, bright coloured furniture and wall treatments will paint your company’s portrait as vibrant and lively. On top of it, the kind of furniture, colours, and logo display have a big role in perceiving your business as more or less successful.

Traditional or open plan?

A traditional arrangement with private offices and cubicles always convey an image of privacy and confidentiality. While in creative industries this might be perceived as unwelcoming and unimaginative, it suits perfectly for insurance, financial, and security business niches. An open plan is more suited for companies that want to emphasize their flexibility, cooperative values, and sharing which they aim to invest in their business. If you are not sure which approach to use, consult a construction company which specializes in design and construction of commercial developments with aesthetically appealing outcomes aimed at maximizing your returns.

Exterior

The way your office looks from the outside is just as important as its interior design. Current trends for exterior facades propose the use of lightweight aluminium cladding, comprised of a fire-resistant core with non-combustible minerals sandwiched between two aluminium sheets. In addition to meeting rigorous safety standards, the use of aluminium composite panels is also cost-effective and low-maintenance, and with a practically unlimited colour range that is available today, you can easily incorporate it into your brand identity.

Transitions and lights

The way one space flows into another makes a big difference in how your business is perceived. When a visitor to your space is met with a glass door, they subconsciously see transparency as one of your core values. The more they are able to see your business in action the more they are likely to trust you with their money. The lighting also plays an important role. An office that offers bright, but layered and non-invasive lighting brings on liveliness but also a degree of sophistication.

Office greenery

In order to present their business as environmentally conscious, many offices bring the outdoors inside by resorting to living walls, water features, skylights, and other elements that create an atmosphere of growth and natural cycles. In a simple variant, you can add greenery to your office by choosing office plants which apart from purifying the air, reduce stress and absenteeism. Succulents, for example, are perfect for office environments as they thrive in dry areas, which means their leaves won’t wither in case someone forgets to water them two days in a row.

The way you design your office interior not only advertises the inner culture of your company but also affects how your brand is seen among many others. For your employees, the office design can increase their productivity and efficiency, while for your clients, a positive impression of your space will reinforce their faith in your brand and organization.

Digital BrandingLocal Branding

5 Things That You Need to Invest in When Starting Your Business

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Starting a business is hard, but fun. It’s a dream for many people who want financial freedom and a vehicle to express their creativity while making a living. Whatever your goals area in launching a new venture, here are 5 things that you need to invest in right away early in your journey.

1. Invest In Yourself

New entrepreneurs sometimes forget that they are their business. It’s a direct expression of who they are as people and as business owners. Your business will reflect your values and your level of competency.

Leadership expert John Maxwell talks about the Law of the Lid. It’s a principle that essentially states that your organization’s effectiveness cannot exceed the leadership ability of the leader.

One area you should invest in yourself in first is in business acumen. That is the ability to understand finance and make good business decisions.

Many entrepreneurs are really great at their market and product. They know exactly what kind of styles their apparel customers want in their niche market. They know what kind of widget the companies in their industry needs. But they don’t often know how to run the finance side of running a business.

Roughly half of all startup business in the US fail in the first 5 years. Most don’t fail due to lack of demand for their product or even from not making a profit.

Most fail because they run out of cash. Essentially, these business owners don’t know how to manage their cash flow. Cash management is a real skill set, and it’s something that can be learned.

In addition to business acumen, other areas for investment include marketing, sales, leadership, and communications. Even as you grow, leaders should be readers. Never stop learning.

2. Invest In Your Team

Great companies are built on great people. That means you must invest in your people.

Developing and training is a vital part of employee engagement. You don’t want robots working for you. You want human beings that can problem solve, come up with creative ideas and make their own good decisions for the benefit of the company. That doesn’t happen without development.

Ongoing coaching is invaluable as well. People need regular feedback, encouragement, and direction. If you want your employees to grow and contribute well, you must water them with training, coaching, and affirmation.

3. Invest In Quality Branding

Investing in good graphics and marketing material early on will pay great dividends as you launch. A great logo can do wonders for making your business look credible, professional and reliable.

Even if you have to pay a graphic designer a lot of money, it’ll be well worth it. This is especially if you’re doing a consumer retail business.

For example, if you start an apparel business, good design is a baseline need. You can just consider it the startup costs of starting a clothing business, because your company can’t even launch without good graphics.

Shoddy graphics is a sign of a company that operates haphazardly and an indication that the business won’t last long. No one wants to do business with a loser.

4. Invest In Social Media

Social media has leveled the playing field for small businesses. It provides a very inexpensive way for brands to get their message out to the masses.

Investing in it early on will get you started on the long journey of gaining followers and becoming an influencer. It takes time for brands to get recognized and trusted on social media, so starting early is important.

5. Invest In Website SEO

Another aspect of marketing you should invest in right away is a website with good SEO. It takes time for Google and other search engines to trust a website enough to rank it. It also takes time to gain page authority for search engines to rank it high on the first page.

The age of the website matters when it comes to SEO. As Sewport CEO Boris Hodakel likes to say, “Starting small and niche doesn’t mean your business will stay that way.”.

When you have this type of long term view of your business, you’ll want to start building your SEO right away. You’ll instinctively know that getting ranked high on Google, although won’t pay off in the short term, will have lasting effects as you grow.

Early Investments Pay Off

There are a few things that can’t wait for later. These are the things that are foundational to the success of your new business and well worth your time and investment early on. It’ll set you up for short and long term success.