Is Your Website Ready For Buyer 2.0 Connections?

Oh that Buyer 2.0! 

There are soooo many ways they want to get to know our businesses!  They research and find the answers to their shopping questions on their own! 

What does this mean for business owners? You have to have content out there on the internet that can make a "connection" to each decision making stage of your individual buyers so that you get found by them in the early and ongoing stages of their buying process.. AND you have to know what they are "really" looking for ... what is their "real" need or want!  Think outside of your normal box and discover what surrounds the decision to buy your goods! 

So how do you do that?  With lots of online communication activity, good keyword application, and an understanding that goes beyond the boundaries of your products and services.

Regarding your website specifically, here are some ideas for opening & making connections:

Emotions: 
What emotions and feelings are associated with your products & services?  Romantic, happy, sad, loving, angry, etc.  Does you website reflect these emotions?

Energy:
Do your products & services play into a certain type of energy?  Busy, eclectic, quiet, sleepy, wild and crazy, etc?   Add that type of energy to your website!

Experiences:
What type of "happening" is associated with your offerings?  Marriage, drive in the country, promotion, moving,  new job, sports, etc.  Are any of the experiences that surround the needs you provide solutions for reflected on your website?

Stories:
Does your website have a way to share stories, short & long, that lead your buyers from their initial needs to what you offer?  Maybe a video?  Audio? Or a 3 sentence story highlighted in a scripted font?

Welcome video:
Do your prospective buyers get to know you?  See you and hear you so chemistry can do its magic thing!

Interaction:
At a minimum your website should have clearly marked icons or links to social media sites that you participate on.   If appropriate to your site's energy,  a live feed from a social network can be beneficial.

Questions & Answers:
Q & A sections show that you understand your prospects and buyers and what they might be needing answers to.  A form for submitting questions is also a plus.  Many people do not want to search through a bunch of questions & answers and not ever find exactly what they want an answer to.  Providing a form is convenient and shows you are thinking of your buyer, not yourself.

Easy Navigation:
The Golden Rule of online communications success is to remove the need to "think" when a website visitor visits your site!  A great way to make a strong connection with every website visitor you have is to have a clear and distinct navigation for them to use.

Visual Presentations:
A picture is worth a thousand words!  Do you have great images on your website professionally reflecting what you offer?

Value-Added:
You never ever know exactly why someone buys from you! Make sure your website includes all the value-added pieces of doing business with you!  If you are a restaurant with lots of free parking, mention that!  An online store with shipping included should be in clear sight!  The value-added pieces can often be a requirement before your product is even reviewed. For example, take the restaurant.  If you want to go out to eat you might say, "which restaurants have lots of free parking?"  When you find the free parking, BINGO!  That will be the restaurant of choice - who cares what the food is!! :-)

Return Policy or Warranty
What comes after the sale? That can be something researched by your buyer 2.0 clients.  They want to know your post-sale terms, pre-sale!

 Are you getting the idea?  Think you can now go forth and start preparing your website for your Buyer 2.0 shoppers!   Please leave your comments here.

In the mean time,
Keep Your Business Garden Growing
margie
www.todaysway.net

The 2015 Website - A HUB To All Your Online Communications!

Hi there ....

Have you started to see the role of your website changing?

It used to be that our websites were the "go to" place to find out all the details of our business. The website's content was pretty permanent  requiring updates only from time to time. Actually, more updates were done for acquiring more up to date design elements than content.

Enter social media, blogging, smart phones, tablets, and more!  The internet has never been so busy! AND, you as a business owner need to be out there where the paths your buyers take can cross with what you offer!

As your buyers get to know you from maybe a social media site, article you've written, or mention via a mutual acquaintance/friend,  they may want to pursue knowing more about you in additional ways.  This is when they look for your website address and visit your site! 

Then what happens?  Is it easy for them to choose where they want to go next in getting to know about your business?  Can they find out how to connect with your communications on specific social networks?   Go to your blog to get to know your "inside scoop?"  Join your mailing list to stay in touch with your news  and announcements?  Explore your products and services and understand their "value?"  See or learn about "real time" uses for what you offer and why you?  Find out how credible and reliable your business is?  Hear what other people have to say about you?  Know how you service your clients? See a demo?  Be invited for a conversation?  Know about a seminar or training you have?  

There are so many "different" reasons people will go to your website!  Do you have solutions for these reasons/needs? Do you have avenues for your website visitors to take, no matter where they are in the buying cycle?  And is it easy for your website visitors to see, know about. find and connect with that "specific" they may be seeking?

In 2015 it is a must for you to know how your buyers might choose to be in touch with you and what they will be looking for from your business.  Which layer in their decision making process are they at? What do they need to know about your business per their level of interest each time they visit your site AND ....is what they are looking for easy to find?  They may be able to find what they want from your business in other online locations, BUT your website still serves as an anchor and point of reference out their in cyberspace.

In that regard, do think of your website as a HUB.  Buyers cross-connecting to and from all your communications platforms and building confidence and satisfaction in doing business with you!  Think about why "you" visit websites. Personally the most often reason I go to a website is to find a telephone number and/or their social media sites!  The message being:, don't overlook the practical nor the tiny pieces of your site. Have a clear phone number and make those social media icons be visible!!

Old style website platforms are difficult to support the constant communications that comes with buyer/seller connections of today. You can make it work, especially with small businesses,by using clear navigation layouts, sidebars with links, and headers with links.  Don't think you have to create a new site.  However, if it's in the budget, do look for content management type websites that allow you to make changes easily and store data that can be easily accessed and if possible include a "search" function by your visitors. Wordpress is a popular choices but there are others.

Bottom Line: Make your website 2015 ready .... make it be clear, easy to navigate and a HUB for whatever the communications and information that your buyers will be looking for from your business.

Keep your garden growing ...
margie
www.todaysway.net

Transitioning In & Out Of Blog Topics .... What To Do?

Do you ever get caught in a topic?   I mean do you ever create a series of blog posts on different aspects of "one" topic and then to switch it up are not sure if you should "transcend" into something similar OR change to a completely new & different topic?

Both can be correct.  However, one rule to remember is that too much similarity can cement in only one part of an audience and you'll lose the rest ... so you don't want to stay in one "topic" too long.  The thing to keep in mind is to make sure each "purpose"  varies quite a bit for each post under the same topic.   Giving the "purpose" unique identities can bring a wider audience to the same topic.  Are you still following all this? :-)

Let me outline it a bit.  Single topics can be chosen for a series of blog postings.  BUT each post within that series should have a unique and specific purpose.  The more you can vary the "purpose" for each post the wider the audience potential.  Hope that clarifies it a bit.

As far as transcending or jumping ( as I refer to a huge switch in topics)  the rule of thumb that you might want to follow is to think what  umbrella of thinking your topic comes from.  Move up in your thinking and transcend at a higher level ... this will "change up" the topic but keep it all under the larger umbrella of your industry and solutions.

For example, I am just coming out of a series of blog postings on editorial calendars.  This post is following that series and is actually a part of the planning for that series.  Why, you might ask?  It doesn't mention editorial calendars, etc.  The answer is, because the first week you plan on your editorial calendar is the easiest.  Challenges begin when you say, where do I go from here!   So that's the "why" of this post!  And, also why it is closing up that "specific" series.

Now the next series of blog postings being planned falls under the role of "today's" website!   You might call that a "JUMP"  but stay tuned.   Maybe not!!!  I went up to the level of "planning online communications" and where do all communications from a business begin & end?  The website.

Hope you'll visit my blog again soon and see how it flows!  Your comments are welcomed.

In the mean time,
Keep Your Business Garden Growing,
margie

LOVE Using An Editorial Calendar!!

Have always recommended using an editorial calendar, especially to businesses where more than one person does online posting for the business.  And have suggested editorial calendars to those who do their own posting but struggle with knowing what to say and/or getting it done! 

Using an editorial calendar for myself never really came into the picture as I have no problem with taking on my online marketing with joy!  I "thought"  between a few notes here on my "to do's" and what was in my mind that all was just fine! However, when I wasn't fitting in what I wanted to include in my weekly online presence I thought that using an editorial calendar might be the solution.  AND it sure is!  What a difference it is making in more ways than I ever imagined!

Now, it hasn't been that long, BUT I can't say enough good things!!  Have been enjoying surprises daily/  Here are just a few: 

First ..  I couldn't believe that even when giving 100% of my attention to listing all the mediums I wanted to include on my calendar, that I still forgot one major one! Thank goodness for being able to "see" what I was including. No wonder when I was doing everything in my head that I would forget tasks that I wanted to take on but never got too!   Writing things down does work!

Second ... I found extra time!  This was a BIG surprise!  It was so weird .. kind of noticed that something was different on the first day but it was very apparent on day two that I had all this extra time!  It appears that writing and mapping out my online activity took it out of my head. ( isn't that what they say about making lists also?).   Anyway ... because I have never struggled with ideas for what to say or what I want to do, I never noticed how much background energy was going on in my head.  Creating the editorial calendar seems to have just automatically removed all the noise making me 100% ready to take on other tasks.  It simply made me feel like I had so much extra time!!! LOVE IT!

Third ...  there was much more depth in my daily posts!  Take note that I did not create the posts in my calendar.  I simply wrote down the purpose that I wanted each post to have. Maybe having the same topic made  them come together better?   I really don't know.

So, I hope you'll create an editorial calendar for yourself!  Would love to have you write some comments below after you try one for yourself. If you already use one, please share your experiences below also.  And of course questions are always welcomed! To know more about how I went about making mine click here!

It's for sure that I'm hooked! Can't wait to plan my next week's editorial calendar!  One more benefit is that I just feel more on top of my game!!   What business owner doesn't want to feel that way!?!

Hope to hear from you all soon! 

In the mean time ...

Keep Your Business Garden Growing ...
margie

Walking My Talk With An Editorial Calendar!

Hello, Hello!

Have you been blogging? I hate to admit it, but I've been bad about it.

But. this morning, there was a great article on LInkedin that included 3 great reasons to blog!  Not only were they great reasons, they were also inspiring reasons that  hit me front and center with questions!  Why haven't I been blogging?   I enjoy it when I do blog.  What is my problem?

Creating editorial calendars is how I coach clients who are in this type of situation.. Am a bit embarrassed to say that  I never thought "I personally" needed an editorial calendar, as creating online content is what I do and my mind is trained, right?   But, given when I did my last blog posting, the time  appears to be right for me to walk my talk with with an editorial calendar for myself! 

What is an editorial calendar you ask?  It is sitting down, planning and putting into writing on a calendar,  what you want to say in the next week, when you'll say it,  how you'll say it, to who and WHY!   There are fancy templates online that you can use.  They are probably best served if you are coordinating several people doing messaging for you.  However, if you are doing it all yourself, the basics are all you need.

So, today I am walked my own talk by creating my own  editorial calendar.  I am not using any of the fancy templates, Am just keeping it very simple!  I first listed all the ways I wanted to have online visibility via written messaging this week - for example, blog posts (of course), my weekly mailing, daily postings, etc. Then I assigned  a topic, a purpose and a day of the week for each message type!

One benefit immediately appeared.  After being sure I had made a finalized list of desired ways to be visible, I printed it up and THEN realized that I had forgotten one major way I wanted to be visible!  The benefits of writing everything down were immediately showing up for me! No wonder I don't get everything done when I keep it just in my head!

The entire process took me about 45 minutes.

As the day continued a second immediate benefit showed up for me  I felt like I had more time!  How often does that happen? Having all my online creative and marketing messaging already defined, written down in detail and assigned per day, for the week, appeared to have freed me up more than I ever thought I wasn't previously free ( if that makes sense to you?)   It was amazing to feel the calm, and to have a clear mind for other things that needed to be done.  I realized that prior to creating my first editorial calendar I had been keeping a percentage of my mind and energy busy with an ongoing undefined "thinking" .about my messaging... it was always on my mind as again, that is what I do!  Writing it down hasn't stopped the creativity it has just contained that part of it freeing me up for using it 100% in other aspects of my business.  Simply amazing the difference!!!

Now ... I realize this is only the first day.  So my next blog posting is on the calendar for this Thursday after my Garden Club call.  It's topic is to share with you how this week continues as I use my editorial calendar!  Should be a great post!

If you want more detail on how I created my calendar, join my mailing list by clicking here.  I will detail it in my weekly mailing going out tomorrow!!!  And check in this Thursday evening to see how this week goes!!

In the mean time ...

Keep Your Business Garden Growing,
margie

Curated Content vs Original Content

The study is on!  And I might add, "AT LAST!"

Watching the growth and acceptance of social media has been interesting.  People were shy of it in the beginning and the "excuse" was, "I don't want everyone to know my business" or "it's for kids!"

As time went on, the business community caught on to the benefits of social media as a medium with a reach beyond all other!  They adopted it,  they used it, they created personnel & departments with a full focus for using social media and the study of its metrics! That was it ... social media officially arrived and is here to stay!

HOWEVER . the growth curve continues for many small businesses.  Giving up on the notion that social media can be ignored, the small business owner/entrepreneur has realized they must participate.  (Kind of like when they realized they needed a website.)  BUT, the small business owner/entrepreneur doesn't come equipped with a marketing and sales team.  They are often skilled at what they do and not so much in the selling aspect of what they do. 

The challenge for the small business has been what to say on social media.  Using quotations was discovered!  It has saved many and at a minimum it does get your business name in front of people with good feelings attached.  There are also places one can go online to find "content" that can be used online postings. Also sharing industry news, community news, other items of "interest" can be used.  Anything that can be shared, i.e. videos, songs, photos, etc. can be and is used for content.

All of the above is what is referred to as "curated" content. Basically you are  finding relevant content pertaining to a specific category of your business and passing it on.   This technique has been keeping businesses pretty happy to date.  You are out there in front of your market ( known or a guess? ), and you can even get away with hiring outsiders to do your  posting for you ( if a budget is available).

BUT what is "now" happening is that the business owners/managers who thought they were having social media success are discovering "NOT! " The metrics are there .... lots of LIKES, SHARES, and positive comments!  But who doesn't like a great quote, photo, video, news, etc  It doesn't always translate into prospects, business connections and buyers!! 

Some business owners are not getting any results!  Very few LIKES, SHARES, or comments. They feel like it is all a waste of time.

Enter "ORIGINAL" content!  Original content is required by business of all sizes "IF" you plan to target and make business connections that will buy from you!!  Hootesuite just released a white paper in which IT managers nationwide are projecting an increase in their use of "original content" for all the reasons discussed here. 

So, it's time to bite the bullet business owners!  YOU MUST know how to create, from your business offerings, online social media content that is "original and specific" to what your buyers need! Content that will attract, connect and convert! Content that will create new, repeat and referral business.... but doing so via relationship building, not ads and not "selling."  Matching needs and wants to solutions, sharing concerns, "hitting the nail on the head" for what "your" buyers are looking for "via what" you offer, not "what" you offer! 

It's not difficult to do. It can actually be lots of fun and eye opening! Business owners have turned to me and said, wow .. "I never realized the "true" benefits people get from my services!"

And, It's not difficult to learn how to do if you need help.  Again, it can be FUN to learn and again, eye opening to what you are contributing to your "communities of buyers."

Today's Way has always promoted the use of "original content" so we feel as if our day has come!  Each of our clients is unique so a variety of ways have been created to help you start from scratch, fine tune, or pick up the pieces somewhere in between. 

Let us know where you are at and we can map out a plan to make you 120% with your online social media "original" content.  We offer as low as $1 a minute coaching ( 15 - 45 minuter), have packaged programs that are individualized for you, and hourly ongoing coaching.

Right now our popular "It's Time" program is reduced to $295 (normally $500) until the first day of summer, June 21st. Walk away with purpose, know-how, & control!  Find out more about it and how to proceed by clicking here

The choice is still yours ... Curated or Original?   Can't force you in a direction but if all things were equal which way would you go?

I welcome your thoughts on this.  Please leave comments below. 

Enjoy and ...

Keep Your Business Garden Growing
margie