Perhaps you've owned your business for quite a while. Has your business leveled out? Maybe it has even dipped in this tough economy. Phillip Thow advises you get your business online and back to growing! Of course you have satisfied and loyal customers in your community. But according to Phil Thow, if you aren't online, you are missing out on tremendous opportunities for growth! Maybe you are unsure what the next step is. If this is the case, Phillip Thow can offer ideas that will help you out!
The first thing Phillip Thow recommends to any business owner is to establish a website! Hire an experienced web-developer to help with the technical side. Phil Thow advises working closely with this developer to design a website that conveys the feel of your business, as well as offering an accurate, and literal picture of the product or services you provide. Include a search function on the site, Phil Thow reminds you, and post contact information incase a customer runs into a problem.
The next way to increase business with the internet is advertising. As Phillip Thow emphasizes, you can reach customers all over the world with the internet. There are many ways to help potential customers find your website. Phil Thow often recommends affiliating your business with other businesses. This means that each business links the other's website on their own site. Now any customers who find Website A can easily find Website B. Another cost-effective way Phil Thow suggests to reach countless potential customers is with articles. Hire a writer who can supply you with as many articles as you are interested in publishing. Get informative articles that explain what your business does and why people want to work with you. Then, Phillip Thow says you can publish them on any website you have access to! Search Engine Optimization and YouIf your online business is not getting quite the traffic it ought to be, it may be time to increase your online visibility. As Phillip Thow explains, online visibility is basically the number of times your business name is found online in a search engine result. Phillip Thow offers some suggestions to help you achieve the visibility you need.
Phillip Thow first suggests business owners try publishing articles. Write up a few articles yourself, about the products your business offers. Since you know your business best, Phil Thow points out, you may be best for this job. However, if your communication or writing skills are lacking, Phil Thow advises you hire a writer. Another thing to note is that if you intend to publish many articles, a writer can dedicate their time to these articles while your time can be spent on your business. According to Phil Thow, articles that promote your business can be published on blogs, on social networking sites, and on many business article sites. Since there is no limit to the articles you publish, as Phil Thow says, you could do this as often as you like or as often as you need, based on how busy things are.
A variation on these articles which Phillip Thow recommends is using SEO, or search engine optimization. If you contract with an SEO company, they will write articles for your company, and they use a crawler which will direct search engines straight to these articles. Phil Thow says this means that when potential customers type your business product into a search engine, the search engine will find these articles and direct shoppers to your business! SEO is a great marketing tool, suggests Phillip Thow because the company publishes articles for you, all over the internet, but it also designs them to bring you the needed traffic and that means customers. Key success factors for a manager
phil Thow says that as a manager, you want to be the best manager that you can be. This can be a challenge. To start to be the best manager that you can be, think back to managers that you have worked for in the past. What did you like about their management approach? What didn’t you like? Phillip Thow say to take these answers into consideration when determining what kind of manager you are going to be. By answering these questions and utilizing the answers, you are on your way to becoming a successful manager. Phillip Thow says that in addition to these answers, here are some tools to use:
Trust
Build trust with your employees. This will be your greatest asset in becoming an effective manager. Employees that trust their manager work more productively, efficiently and effectively. Having trust shows your employees that you are reliable and approachable. Phil Thow added that you must begin building this trust by listening. When you start your management position, take time to meet with each employee individually to listen to them, get to know them and their job and to listen to any concerns or thoughts they have about the current work environment. Let them speak uninterrupted and listen carefully, with your full and utmost attention.
Always be empathetic towards your employees, says Phillip Thow. This goes hand in hand with listening. Showing that you care about them as individuals will let them know that you are a respectful, caring manager that truly wants to create the best environment to work in.
Have A Plan
Having a plan of action will show your employees that you are organized and they will want to help you engage that plan and reach the end goals. Working on your leadership is crucial, as putting a plan into action requires that you be able to lead your employees in the right direction and at the most productive pace. Create a plan and share it with the employees so that they are a part of it, so that they know what is expected of them. Phillip Thow says that this creates an environment where everyone is ready to work and obtain goals. Phil Thow recommends after presenting your plan to your employees, ask for feedback and suggestions. This lets them know that their opinions are valued and that they are part of the ongoing success of the company.
Have a good attitude
Phil Thow says never come to work with a bad attitude. Leave your personal issues at home and don’t bring them into the work environment. Always arrive each day with a positive attitude, your employees will catch on to this and will do the same. Attitudes can make or break an office. If everyone is happy and comfortable in their work environment, they will be more productive and more willing to work hard. Being able to admit that you’ve made an error is hard to do. But an effective manager can do this easily and in turn, your employees will see that you are only human and that you too learn from your mistakes and use them as a tool. Phil Thow says “Admit, learn, and move forward”. Share your learning experience with your employees so that they can see how to do the same and also so that they can see how humble and approachable you really are. If they see that you are on the same level, they are more likely to approach you with problems before they escalate and are also more likely to have a better attitude towards you and their work.
Wind-Down
As a manager, Phil Thow reminds us to be mindful and aware of the environment surrounding you and your employees. If the atmosphere seems to be getting stressful and overloaded, require that everyone take a 20 minute break and step outside, relax and unwind. Phil Thow recognizes that taking a break from a large project or stressful task will only help your employees to be more productive. Phil Thow says “laugh, relax and unwind” with your employees. Take time out of each day to joke around, have an easy-going lunch together and de-stress. Phil Thow suggests taking this down time as an opportunity to convey your thanks for your employees and their hard work. Be grateful and your employees will in turn respect your kindness and efforts.
Phil Thow Hiring mistakes to avoid
Hiring people is one of the biggest challenges you may face. There are a lot of companies that just hire to get a person in the seat and to do the work but they don't really hire quality people that will really contribute in an effective manner to the company. Phillip Thow says that hiring is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make as a business owner and you need to do it right in order to avoid wasting thousands of dollars on training new people. Here are some hiring mistakes Phillip Thow says you need to watch out for.
Hiring by a resume
Everyone that applies for a job will usually submit their resume so you can learn a little bit about their experience and who they are. A resume should be used to help you screen out candidates for the job but it shouldn't be the only thing you trust when hiring people. Phillip Thow says that although a person with a college degree does show persistence and motivation, a person without a degree shouldn't be ruled out as they may have a lot of work experience and knowledge as well. Learning in the classroom is always great but there are a lot of great people out there that have learned in real-life experiences so you need to give everyone a fair chance.
Customer Service
It can be hard to find out how this new hire will interact with your customers until you put them on the floor with the customer. During your screening process you need to really target customer service questions in order to learn about this person and what they think about customers and how they treat them. Phillip Thow says that one good employee that takes care of your customers is more valuable to the organization than 5 employees that just give one word answers to a customer. You can see how they will treat customers by the way they are treating you. Were they on time to the interview? Did they dress appropriately? Are they composed in the job interview?
Ability to follow instruction
How is this person responding to instruction? There are some people that need managers to explain every detail and others that will get it on the first try. Phillip Thow recommends you do a two-part interview so you can test their ability to follow instructions along with your tolerance to their questions. How to use Internet Marketing
As every business owner knows, the business world is changing. The internet and other technologies rapidly change how we live our lives and all businesses are affected. Every business needs to market their products to get any sales. In today's world, as Phillip Thow tells us, every business should also be available online.
If you are looking into starting up your own small business, first design a solid business plan. Remember that this business plan needs to include marketing strategies. Begin some market research to find what it is your future customers are looking for. Phillip Thow advises you next publish a buisness website. You might do this yourself or perhaps you hire a web-developer, but make sure your business is online for the world to find.
Finally, Phillip Thow suggests you take advantage of internet marketing strategies. This is the most sure-fire way to get your business' name out there for potential customers to find. There are several different ways to advertise online. Here are a few ideas to get you going:
1. Email. Business owners spend a short amount of time composing an eye-catching and informative email, which can be sent out to your target audience, directly to potential customers. This is highly recommended by Phillip Thow.
2. Social Networks. Simply by designing a quick page on a social network or two will allow your business a great deal of online exposure. Satisfied customers can easily refer your business to their friends, and this can bring a lot of new businesses your way.
3. Become affiliated. When you affiliate yourself with other companies, you agree to link their site to yours, and they will do the same. Phillip Thow says this is beneficial because anyone perusing these sites will see your link and with a simple click you can have new customers at your door.
4. Exposure. Odds are high you have customers who are blogging. If they are satisfied doing business with you, you might ask them to write a review of their experience with your business.
Any one of these methods includes getting your business name online, which will increase exposure and your online reputation. These are the quickest, most effective ways to build your business. Most of these marketing ideas are really free advertising, which obviously benefits your business financially as well. Using technology to your advantage helps your small business become a successful one. Online Business Success!
You've already started up your very own online business. Now, how do you turn that new online business into a successful business? Phillip Thow has some suggestions that will absolutely help bring the success you are looking for!
Begin with your website. Whether your website is your only store front, or just one of your store fronts that simply reaches more customers, your website is your introduction. It is the first impression most consumers will have of your business. Therefore, your company website needs to be professional, attractive, easy to navigate and have the features necessary to bring in business. You can design your site yourself, but Phillip Thow advises you hire an experienced web-designer. They are already well versed in HTML codes and will work with you to find the perfect style for your business's website.
Another note Phillip Thow adds about your business website is to make sure that your site is always clear on your products, services and prices. This allows your customers to be well informed of what they can expect from your business. Of course that will eliminate problems and frustrations for you the owner, as well as your customers. Provide quality photos of your products or services so that customers know exactly what they will receive. Be consistent with any sales or discounts you may offer. Consider providing a newsletter with specials you may run, which customers can sign up for on your website. That will also allow quick contact with your previous customers.
Affiliating with other businesses is a good business move for both of you, says Phillip Thow. To affiliate yourself with other businesses, you agree to post a link to their website and they will do the same for you. This can increase traffic to your website two ways. First, more sites will be listed as a result of a search engine looking for your business name, or product. Second, the customers who visit the affiliated site can be easily directed to you as well.
Phillip Thow also recommends you find out what your online reputation is. Find out by looking for your business using any search engine. Check the links that come up with the result and find out what other businesses, personal blogs, or other web sites have to say about you. Remember that this is how most online shoppers will find you, and these results are what they will see before they click on your site. Article writing may be one of the easiest and most effective way of marketing your business online. Phillip Thow strongly supports this concept and explains how easy it is to begin such a marketing strategy, and why it will benefit your business.
When it comes to articles, you can easily write them yourself, however, he reminds business owners that it would be well worth your time and money to hire or contract with a writer. A writer will have the communication skills required to write many similar articles for you. Work closely with the writer so that they can convey the type of messages you wish to publish.
Have a number of articles written that promote both your business and products, and make sure to specify your business's name as a keyword in each article. Phillip Thow says you can publish an article in your local newspaper as a one time advertisement, but of course that will only reach your local market. This is why Phillip Thow advises business owners to publish as many articles as you like all over the internet. You might publish them on your own website and blog, or on business article websites, on social network sites and anywhere else you may have access to.
According to Phillip Thow, the purpose of publishing so many articles online is that search engines will find these articles that mention your business, and by frequently finding your business name, your business website will rise in the search engine results. This is referred to as your business's online visibility, says Phillip Thow, and it is a valuable asset in finding new potential customers.
Another thing to consider with your customers is the likelihood that many of them are bloggers. Blogging customers may agree to review your business, thus publishing its name on their website, and further increasing your online visibility. One of the best parts is that most of these websites are free, which means free advertising for you! When you consider the exposure one has by simply being online, this is an obvious choice for a new marketing method.
When you increase your online visibility, you increase the chances of new people discovering your business. If you have an informative website, they will also discover what you have to offer them. Phillip Thow tells us that combining these assets with great customer service and a quality product, you will find potentially thousands of customers likely to remain loyal to your business.
Consider article writing when reassessing your business and your marketing strategies. Find out for yourself why Phillip Thow recommends the idea, and start to see the results you've been missing. Such an idea would not have lasted so long and remained so strong if it was not effective. Phillip Thow has explained how it can be so cost-effective, and how it can reach so many potential customers. It is certainly worth giving article writing a try, and you may find yourself wondering why you didn't publish articles sooner!
According to Phillip Thow, every business owner should make it a top priority to have a strong online presence. Perhaps you have no idea what that means, much less know how to accomplish this? Read on for some simple tips to help you out!
Your business needs its own website. Phillip Thow recommends hiring or contracting with an experienced web-developer who can build the perfect website for your business. Include your business name and logo on the home page. Use clear photos that plainly display your goods or services. Provide brief but informative text, and be sure to proof-read it before publishing your website. You want to be sure that prices are accurate, contact information is complete and there are no typographical errors. Phillip Thow also suggest including photographs of yourself and your staff on your website. Have your web-developer add a simple checkout process, which gives you access to serving customers world wide.
After you have a website that is up and running, you need to drive potential customers to it! This is where online marketing comes in. Phillip Thow provides several ideas on attracting new customers.
· Include a registration on your website where new and existing customers can sign up for emails you can send out periodically. These might include news about upcoming promotions or may even include an exclusive coupon. According to Phillip Thow, business owners should also try sending out mass emails to a target audience. For only a few moments of your time, you could reach hundreds of new customers.
· Next try affiliating your website with other business websites. Simply link their website to your own, and they will agree to link yours. All of their online customers can now easily find you.
· Don't overlook the convenience of social media. Phillip Thow says that by simply posting a fan page which can be maintained on a regular basis will spread the news about your business. Each time a customer becomes a fan, each of their friends will see and many will find out more about your business.
· Phillip Thow strongly recommends publishing articles that promote your business. These can be published all over the internet, and many times for free. If you have them written with keywords that attract search engines, your further increase the chances of potential customers finding your business.
Each of these ideas increases your online presence. Utilize as many of these ideas as you like, or have need of. Remember that every single time your business name is posted online search engines are more and more likely to find it and direct searching customers to your business through your website. Take advantage of these ideas Phillip Thow generously provides, and of the free advertising the internet gives. Soon you will see the results of your marketing ideas, and your business will really take off.
One final note is to track each of your marketing techniques and maintain only the ones that are producing the results you need.
As a business owner, it is like you are constantly searching for new and creative ways to market your business and find new customers. Phillip Thow offers several ideas you may or may not have considered, and explains how they can all help you accomplish your business goals.
The very first thing Phillip Thow advises is that in today's technology driven world, every business, no matter how new or established, should be an online business. Even your little corner shop ought to have its own website and be available online. If you already have a website up and running, consider updating the content and perhaps go as far as recreating the entire design. If you do not yet have a website, this needs to be high on your priority list. Phillip Thow recommends using a web developer or other IT support for this task. They can make your website look clean and professional and also appropriately fill it with the text and photographs you need. Once your website is published or updated, it is time to begin your creative marketing.
1. Articles: Phillip Thow believes that publishing many informative articles online is a very effective marketing tool. He suggests business owners hire a writer to compose several articles promoting your business and goods or services. Then publish these articles online, everywhere you can think of. Link each article to your business website so that potential customers can easily find you.
2. Emails: Email is a wonderful and easy-to-use tool for both existing customers as well as potential customers. Your existing customers can sign up for regular newsletters or emails with information on your latest promotion. According to Phillip Thow, you can also send mass emails to a target audience and thus find countless new customers.
3. Affiliate: Find other businesses that are willing to affiliate with you. Each business then posts a link to the other business's website, and any customers visiting either site can then easily find the other! This is a quick and simple way to find new customers, says Phillip Thow.
4. Social Media: Post ads and have fan pages available on each or most of the social media websites. Existing customers can effortlessly become a fan and spread the word about your business on each of these types of sites. Use a facebook post or a twitter account to distribute short ads about a sale you may have running. Phillip Thow reminds us that these will be seen by literally thousands of people.
Each of these methods will have automatic results in finding new customers, as well as retaining current customers. But more than that, each of these marketing ideas also build your online visibility. This is important because as Phillip Thow explains, it is the only way for your business to pop up as a result in an online search. Being listed in an online search engine result is the surest way to find new customers as they search for your business, or your products or services.
When it comes to new marketing strategies, Phillip Thow has the ideas you are looking for. The first thing he recommends to all business owners, regardless of how long one has been in business, or how large the business may be, is to take it online. Phillip Thow recommends having a web-developer design your site to keep it looking professional. Once your website or online store-front is established, you can then market your business and drive potential customers to your site.
Just as you created a website, create fan pages on social media sites such as facebook. Create a twitter account. According to Phillip Thow, these are very popular sources of information and require only a little of your time and effort. Post something interesting regularly, without being too often, for example once a week. Both existing and potential customers will be exposed to these posts and many will happily check out your business website.
Try affiliating your business with others. Many businesses are willing to affiliate because it is such an easy way to find new customers. Phillip Thow explains that all it takes is two companies who agree to link each others websites to their own. This allows customers visiting one site to easily find the other site.
Of course not every marketing idea will be quick and easy. Some ideas take more time, such as article writing. Phillip Thow says that businesses have used article writing for decades to promote their business or product in local newspapers. Now that we have the internet and can reach a global market, why not publish many articles about your business online? You can hire a writer who can dedicate his or her time to promoting your business. Publish the articles on business articles sites, blogs and anywhere else you may have access. Phillip Thow points out that these articles increase your online presence while putting a lot of positive information out there about your business.
Email is something that many of us have been using to communicate socially for years now. Have you ever used it as a business tool? Phillip Thow believes you should do exactly that. Email is an easy way to reach your existing customers with newsletters or promotions. Customers may also send these emails on to their friends and family, doing a little advertising for you! Business owners can also send mass emails to a target audience. If these emails are interesting and brief, you may be able to quickly attract hundreds of new customers for only the time it takes to compose one email.
All of these marketing methods will provide you with different results. They will increase the exposure potential customers have to finding you and they will increase your online presence. That means that other potential customers using a search engine to find products you offer will get your business name as a result. Phillip Thow believes this is the most effective way to attract new customers, and trying these methods will increase your chances.
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