With the Internet becoming a more and more competitive arena for businesses, new channels are constantly being explored to build brand recognition. One effective strategy is the rapid rise of online video marketing, which is used to promote both products and services.

• Using video to help sell your product or service is a highly effective way of increasing traffic to your business website. With popular video hosting sites such as YouTube and Vimeo, online videos are also effectively used in viral marketing.

There are several key benefits to creating a business marketing video. Primarily, video is a powerful format when making a sales pitch. Aside from being engaging, video adds a personable approach to selling rather than reading a product’s marketing text. With video, you can tug at your customers’ heartstrings and use your charm to win over people’s trust – something not as easy to achieve in print.

Social media has now become an integral part of internet marketing. No longer limited to business branding and promotion, it is now also a well-utilized  channel  for customer service. The great thing about using social sites to reach your customers is that you don’t need to be a corporate giant to gain exposure.

Marsha Collier, author of The Ultimate Online Customer Service Guide, believes that small businesses are better equipped to gain more from social media. Given their size, it’s easier for them to focus on their customers and communicate with them.  To stay in the lead, every kind of business has to be present where the consumers are, so social platforms are a great way to be up-to-date on customer demands and market trends.

Here are some great ways on how you can maximize social media for customer service:

• Post your social links on your business website. First off, let people find you. Make sure that your business website has icon links to your official company fan pages or social profiles. Great examples are icon links on the homepages of   Michael Collins and Karen Parker.

Given the fact that people have already been on the internet for a long time and have looked at thousands of websites, they can easily tell if one is good or not. Not mentioning the fact that when it comes to choices available online, the consumer’s options are literally endless.

Your small business website is one way of tapping into your customers’ psyche and it is important to understand how good business web design affects consumer behavior.

It only takes seconds for the mind to form an opinion if your website is worth people’s browsing time so learn how to make the most of it by keeping the following essential items in check:

• Make it easy for readers. Not everyone has a fast internet connection so don’t fill every corner of your website with text and graphics. Nowadays, people browse using smart phones and tablets that don’t always support graphics-intensive websites. Balance empty space with well-chosen content and make sure that your site can be viewed properly on mobile devices.

A poorly-designed landing page can ruin your marketing efforts in an instant, which would be a pity considering you’ve managed to convince people to go that far into your business website. Having an effective internet marketing plan that succeeds in getting potential clients involves having a well-thought out landing page that is both appealing and convincing. Follow these simple tips to make sure your landing page works for you rather than against you:

1. Keep it Short and Sweet – Once your visitors are on your landing page, give them clear and simple directions. Icon links usually work best for this purpose, accompanied by a short call to action of no more than five words, such as “Show me my report”. Cut to the chase and give them what you promised them.

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Following up on last week’s post on “Reach Out to International Markets with Your Ecommerce Website,” here are 10 practical tips to help you on your way to reaping the rewards of eCommerce for your small business.

Good eCommerce web design is all about thinking what your customer’s needs are and anticipating what they will look for when they visit your site. To maximize the chances of converting visits to sales, there are several features you should have that will make the process smooth and efficient for everyone.

1. Search Field – This is the first thing visitors will look for that will make finding stuff on your site easy and convenient. Place it prominently at the top where no one can miss it.
2. Clear Product Labels – It is important that you give as much info as possible when describing your product or service. Include all the specs necessary so that interested buyers will know at a glance if it is indeed what they are looking for. Showcase a photo large enough for them to appreciate, but not too big to the point that it slows down page loading time.

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For the past decade, e-commerce has been making its mark on the web. More and more entrepreneurs are setting up business websites that not only promote their products but also allow consumers to purchase online from anywhere in the world. Nowadays, all it takes is a payment gateway and shipping address for companies of all sizes to increase their revenue and grow their business without having to spend heavily on traditional marketing and advertising.

If you are considering upgrading your small business website to accommodate eCommerce, there are a few things you’ll need to understand in order to make it as effective and customer-friendly as possible:

1. Ecommerce Platform – This will serve as the backbone of your ecommerce website. This will essentially determine your customers’ online shopping experience, from the moment they browse through your products, add items to the cart and checkout to pay. There are many variants to choose from which can be a little confusing, so it all boils down to your line of business and what your needs are. Features to look out for are easy item and category set-up, customization options, intuitive order management features and database protection.

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Whether you’re a multi-national business giant or an entrepreneur single-handedly running a small business, the benefits of an effective press release for your company are undeniable. Unlike common advertising where consumers have grown wary and desensitized, people tend to be more trusting of information from an official press release as this is regarded as more credible.

What’s more, press releases play a big role in search engine optimization, since you are at liberty to throw in keyword rich phrases that consumers are likely to search for. For a press release to be effective, it must be well thought out and properly written. The following are tips to help you draft a clear, concise and hard hitting press release that can give your SEO efforts a boost:

1. Have a Catchy Headline – Editors scan through countless press releases every day and if yours doesn’t catch their attention, chances are it will go straight to the bin. Pique their interest with a catchy headline that will entice them to read on and then make your point early in the first paragraph. If they have read beyond the first paragraph, they will most likely consider it newsworthy material.

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Blogging has evolved from just an individual’s online commentary to a corporate must-have tool that almost every business giant is taking advantage of. Small businesses are not excluded from the benefits of blogging and studies have shown that more and more entrepreneurs have joined the bandwagon and realized the importance of creating a blog.

Whether your small business is just starting out or has already carved a name for itself, one thing is for sure: having a blog on your small business website offers many benefits to your product or service and generates consumer interest resulting in added brand awareness. Here are some of the reasons why your small business should have its own blog:

• Establish Your Authority – Demonstrate your understanding of your product or service by offering insight on the latest market trends. Consumers like to know that you have a firm grasp of what is out there and how your product compares to the competition. Use this as an opportunity to showcase your strengths as a company and gain credibility and integrity through relevant, intelligent and even humorous blog posts.

Branding your business with content is just as important as creating a brand image for yourself or your company. In the same way a company brand builds trust and credibility, branding your small business website with content demonstrates to your prospects that your product matches their needs.

What sets you apart from the competition? What are your unique features? Do you provide a personal touch to your service or are you more known for being a no-nonsense hotshot that delivers quick results? The Design People offers practical tips and pointers on how interesting and effective content can do wonders for your business:

Avoid hard sell copy – It may seem like stating the obvious, but honesty and clarity are always better than sales pitches. Tell your potential customers what information they will need before ordering. Spell out what it is about your customer service that makes you special. And whenever possible, post specific testimonials or statistics about your product or service that sets you apart from the competition. Your potential customers will appreciate your transparency over generic hyperbole that anybody can lay claim to.

Before hiring someone to design your business website, there are several factors you need to take into consideration. Coming up with a beautiful website that is both functional and efficient requires good communication between you as the client and your web designer.

If you are ready to hire a designer to do your website, consider both aesthetics and functionality before signing that contract. These questions will help you determine if you are on the right track:

Qualifications and skills? – Before you hire somebody, know what it is you want from your business website. Will it be a basic website or do you want it to be a fully functional online store? These days, web developers are hired for the more complex websites that require programming and other technical features. Developers usually have more technical skills such as PHP, MySQL, CGI and Ruby on Rails. Designers generally are more on the artistic side, with graphic skills, strong HTML, CSS and Javascript knowledge. Ask to see a portfolio of their work. By knowing what they are capable of from the get go, you will be managing expectations on both ends.