Sep
15
Written by:
host
15/09/2009 21:15
As business owners and managers there are huge demands on our time, so you may wonder…is marketing essential or am I just creating work and adding to my costs? The answer is, it is vital and the most effective way of bringing in new business or expanding your offer to existing clients.
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In this economic slow down it is harder for everyone to secure new business which means marketing is even more important. Last year you may have converted five out of every ten businesses you approached into customers, now it may be closer to five in twenty… you have to cast a bigger net and double your efforts just to get the same amount of business.
Marketing is key to your success and must be planned to ensure you get the best value from every penny you spend. Online marketing is without a doubt the most cost effective and practical way to market your business.
When did you last look for a business in yellow pages, a business directory or a phone book? Chances are you look on Google for new suppliers and services, and so do your customers.
Having your own website is vital …if you don’t have one this should be your first priority. Create your own using www.bigpixie.com a simple to use, cost effective site. If you prefer to get someone to create your site, go on www.studentgems.com and commission a student to build it.
Before that you will need a domain name… ideally it will be yourbusinessname.com but that may already be taken. The simplest site for buying a domain name is www.godaddy.com. Whatever you choose should be easy to tell people in conversation so make it short, memorable and avoid underscores, hyphens, strange spellings or anything else that could hinder people finding you.
Having chosen a domain, registered it and created your site, you must ensure every communication you produce has your web address on it. From emails to invoices, business cards to brochures, even your text messages should have a signature with your web details on them.
Make sure your email address advertises your website too not someone else’s. It should be yourname@yourwebsite.com and not a homail or aol address. Simply log in to your web hosting account and create an email address using your domain then set up a new account in Outlook and you can start sending and receiving emails to this address right away.
Even in a slowing economy there are still opportunities for new business. The key is paying attention to what your customers want, delivering that and making sure you are visible to as many people as possible so marketing is key to this. (446)
Jane Milton has worked in the food industry for 23 years in product development and marketing roles. In 1996 she set up Not Just Food, www.notjustfood.co.uk a consultancy which works with businesses within the food and hospitality markets identifying opportunities for them to exploit.
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