Boost Your Rankings with SEO

 

Increase your search engine rankings with these SEO basics.

This article is for 'Newbie SEO' people to understand more about search engine optimization.
Boost your ranking on search engines with accurate, clear and relevant content. For the Newbie, 'SEO' Search Engine Optimization advertising is an online advertising model whereby the advertiser creates pages to be indexed by search engines. Then, Search Engine Submission is the next step to ensure your pages are indexed by the search engines.

I am confident your search engine positioning will increase with some research like a keyword assessment by targeting your most popular and least competitive keywords.

Supply (Competitiveness) - the number of sites which a search engine (e.g. Altavista, Google, etc.) displays when you search for that keyword using exact match search, that is with "quotes" surrounding the term. Rather than those web sites returned when entering the phrase only partially, that is without quotes.

Demand (Popularity) - The demand figured is the number of views in a month for that particular phrase as calculated by the Overture Suggestion Tool.

Pick Your Target Keywords

How do you think people will search for your web page? The words you imagine them typing into the search box are your target keywords.
For example, say you have a page devoted to marine engines. Anytime someone types "marine engines," you want your page to be in the top ten results. Then those are your target keywords for that page.
Each page in your web site will have different target keywords that reflect the page's content. For example, say you have another page about the history of engines. Then "engine history" might be your keywords for that page.
Your target keywords should always be at least two or more words long. Usually, too many sites will be relevant for a single word, such as "engines." This "competition" means your odds of success are lower. Don't waste your time fighting the odds. Pick phrases of two or more words, and you'll have a better shot at success.

Position Your Keywords

Make sure your target keywords appear in the crucial locations on your web pages. The page's HTML title tag is most important. Failure to put target keywords in the title tag is the main reason why perfectly relevant web pages may be poorly ranked. More about the title tag can be found on the How HTML Meta Tags Work page.
Search engines also like pages where keywords appear "high" on the page, as described more fully on the Search Engine Ranking page. To accommodate them, use your target keywords for your page headline, if possible. Have them also appear in the first paragraphs of your web page.

Have Relevant Content

Changing your page titles is not necessarily going to help your page do well for your target keywords if the page has nothing to do with the topic. Your keywords need to be reflected in the page's content.
In particular, that means you need HTML text on your page. Sometimes sites present large sections of copy via graphics. It looks pretty, but search engines can't read those graphics. That means they miss out on text that might make your site more relevant. Some of the search engines will index ALT text and comment information. But to be safe, use HTML text whenever possible. Some of your human visitors will appreciate it, also.
Be sure that your HTML text is "visible." Some designers try to spam search engines by repeating keywords in a tiny font or in the same color at the background color to make the text invisible to browsers. Search engines are catching on to these and other tricks. Expect that if the text is not visible in a browser, then it may not be indexed by a search engine.

Avoid Search Engine Stumbling Blocks

Some search engines see the web the way someone using a very old browser might. They may not read image maps. They may not read frames. You need to anticipate these problems, or a search engine may not index any or all your web pages.

Have HTML links

Often, designers create only image map links from the home page to inside pages. A search engine that can't follow these links won't be able to get "inside" the site. Unfortunately, the most descriptive, relevant pages are often inside pages rather than the home page.
Solve this problem by adding some HTML hyperlinks to the home page that lead to major inside pages or sections of your web site. This is something that will help some of your human visitors, also. Put them down at the bottom of the page. The search engine will find them and follow them.
Also consider making a site map page with text links to everything in your web site. You can submit this page, which will help the search engines locate pages within your web site.
Finally, be sure you do a good job of linking internally between your pages. If you naturally point to different pages from within your site, you increase the odds that search engines will follow links and find more of your web site.

Frames can kill

Some of the major search engines cannot follow frame links. Make sure there is an alternative method for them to enter and index your site, either through meta tags or smart design.

Build Links

Every major search engine uses link analysis as part of their ranking algorithms. This is done because its very difficult for webmasters to "fake" good links, in the way they might try to spam search engines by manipulating the words on their web pages. As a result, link analysis gives search engines a useful means of determining which pages are good for particular topics.

Just Say No To Search Engine Spamming

For one thing, spamming doesn't always work with search engines. It can also backfire. Search engines may detect your spamming attempt and penalize or ban your page from their listings.
Also, search engine spamming attempts usually center around being top ranked for extremely popular keywords. You can try and fight that battle against other sites, but then be prepared to spend a lot of time each week, if not each day, defending your ranking. That effort usually would be better spent on networking and alternative forms of publicity.
If those practical reasons aren't enough, how about some ethical ones? The content of most web pages ought to be enough for search engines to determine relevancy without webmasters having to resort to repeating keywords for no reason other than to try and "beat" other web pages. The stakes will simply keep rising, and users will also begin to hate sites that undertake these measures.
Consider search engine spamming against spam mail. No one likes spam mail, and sites that use spam mail services often face a backlash from those on the receiving end. Sites that spam search engines degrade the value of search engine listings. As the problem grows, these sites may face the same backlash that spam mail generates.

Submit Your Key Pages

Most search engines will index the other pages from your web site by following links from a page you submit to them. But sometimes they miss, so it's good to submit the top two or three pages that best summarize your web site.
Don't trust the submission process to automated programs and services. Some of them are excellent, but the major search engines are too important. There aren't that many, so submit manually, so that you can see if there are any problems reported.
Also, don't bother submitting more than the top two or three pages. It doesn't speed up the process. Submitting alternative pages is only insurance. In case the search engine has trouble reaching one of the pages, you've covered yourself by giving it another page from which to begin its crawl of your site.
Be patient. It can take up to a month to two months for your "non-submitted" pages to appear in a search engine, and some search engines may not list every page from your site.

Verify And Maintain Your Listing

Check on your pages and ensure they get listed, in the ways described on the Check URL page. Once your pages are listed in a search engine, monitor your listing every week or two to ensure that your search engine optimization strategy is working. Strange things happen. Pages disappear from catalogs. Links go screwy. Watch for trouble, and resubmit if you spot anything in error.


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How To Get More Website Traffic

 

When You Write Articles Want to get more website traffic and more prospects now? When you write articles, you will attract more attention and get more website traffic, online publicity and profits.

BUT, if you want to write articles that get read and keep your audience coming back for more, you must follow my basic rules of writing for an online audience. If you are used to writing articles for print publications, be sure to read these rules. The online consumer is different than the print consumer.

7 Article Writing Tips to Ensure Your Targeted Audience Reads What You Write & Buys What You Are Selling:

1. Use conversational copy. Talk to your readers. Use words that people know. Absolutely, do not use jargon. It is boring. You will lose your audience's attention immediately. So, use words that people are familiar with and can connect to. Write like you talk and let your personality and experience shine through. You will make a better connection with your readers.

2.Go active. Words have power. Find specific active verbs to paint your copy. This will make your article exciting and lively. Action verbs are more engaging and will move the reader along. And, by using action verbs, you will automatically reduce the number of words it will take to get your message across. For example, "John loves Mary" is stronger than "Mary is loved by John."

3. Make your copy benefit oriented. Honestly, your readers don't care how many awards you have won. They don't care how many degrees you have or how many books you have written. All they care about is how you can help them solve their problems. So include a strong benefit in your article title. Include benefits in your article. And add benefits to your "About the Author" section.

4. Connect with your readers' emotions. We all want to feel smarter, richer, happier and thinner. Use these emotions to connect with your reader. For example, "Do you feel paralyzed every time you have to go shopping? Do you hate trying on clothes? Does stepping in front of that three way mirror strike fear inside you? Here are my 7 top tips to help you lose weight now..."

5. Keep sentences and paragraphs short. When your readers see articles with long sentences, long paragraphs and no bullet points or sub-headings, they will automatically skip that article. Here's why? - Large chunks of information scare them. - It overwhelms them. - It takes too much time and effort to read that article. And that's the psychology of most readers online. So make your sentences and paragraphs short. If your sentences are longer than 20 words, cut them up into two sentences. You can also add lists and bullet points. And, use subheadings that will attract readers when they scan articles, just like I have done with this article.

6. Front-load your point. When you make readers wade through paragraph after paragraph of unrelated anecdotes before you get to your point, you've lost your audience's attention. Yes, Mark Twain pulled that stunt all the time. But, your name is not Mark Twain. You want to tease your readers with bits of information they need to know. This way they'll stick around to the end. They'll then want to click on the link in your "About the Author" section and buy your products or services.

7. Simplify. Worried you're not using the right words? Use simpler words. Worried that your sentences are not clear? Make simpler sentences. Worried that people won't see your point? Make your point simpler. Make things simpler and your writing problems will vanish. That's why every newspaper in the world is written so a sixth grader can understand. I'm not telling you to boil everything down to "see spot run" simplicity. But, if you can't make people understand what you write, it's not because the world is filled with morons. It's because your messages are not clear.


These are just some of the tips found in my Complete A to Z Article Marketing System at http://www.BroadcastYourArticles.com This easy system has helped hundreds of people just like you get articles get read from top to bottom. Follow my article writing advice and you will get more online publicity, website traffic and profits!

About the Author
Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber has helped of thousands of experts just like you boost traffic, get more leads and increase sales. Go to http://www.BroadcastYourArticles.com and let Your Article Marketing Expert take you by the hand & teach you step-by-step, how to write your way to profits!

Marketing Innovation: How to Improve Marketing ROI

By Michael Fleischner | Internet Marketing Expert, Marketing Secrets*


There are a number of basic marketing fundamentals that everyone needs to know in order to generate attention, interest, desire and action among prospects. But to be successful in today’s competitive environment, you need more than a basic understanding of a traditional AIDA model and the 4 P’s (product, place, price, promotion).
A number of years ago, I discovered a marketing methodology made popular by Michael Gerber. For those of you who have never heard of him, you can still find his books on Amazon or your local bookstore. Mr. Gerber referred to this marketing methodology as the E-myth which was comprised of: innovation, quantification, orchestration, and documentation.
This methodology is the key behind major marketing successes like McDonalds, the Four Seasons, and many other well-known brands. Let me explain his methodology and illustrate how it can be applied to your business to deliver significant ROI.

Innovation

If you do what everyone else is doing, you’ll get the same results – if you’re lucky. Most often, those who excel in any market are the innovators, those who are continually trying new things, creating new methods of doing business, or standing for something unique.
Whether you’re Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Apple computer, or Tommy Hilfiger, innovation is baked into the sale, marketing, and product development process. To illustrate, let’s take a look at your run-of-the-mill retail clothing store. When you enter the store, what’s the first thing the sales rep says to you? You guessed it, “How can I help you”?
An example of applying innovation would be to have that same sales representative open with a new greeting, something like, “Hello, is it your first time visiting our store?”. If yes, there’s a perfect opportunity to discuss what makes you unique, how to navigate the store, and so on. If no, the same holds true… “Welcome back. Were you successful in finding what you needed upon your last visit? What can I help you with today?”
Regardless of the actual questions used, the example of innovation in a sales/marketing sense gives you the ability to try something new. This ‘something’ can take a variety of different formats, but most importantly it iis something that can move you towards a greater ROI. Especially if you understand the next step which is quantification.

Quantification

With each innovation, an action is taken – a product sampled, research conducted, a new sales pitch or value proposition delivered. To be truly effective with your marketing you must measure your results.
The most successful marketing programs are always working to improve their return on investment (ROI). The key is to measure each independent element that could possibly influence your result.
Using our example of the retail establishment, you wouldn’t want to ask all of your sales reps to start using a new pitch AND change their dress code. Doing so might dilute your ability to measure the effectiveness of a new sales script. Additionally, you wouldn’t want to change other store elements like the music or store layout at the same time – doing so would make accurate measurement next to impossible.
Now that you’ve tried something new and measured its effectiveness, you’re ready for the third component, orchestration.

Orchestration

After trying something innovative, and measuring the result, you now know what works and what doesn’t. The key is to keep innovating in small ways, continually testing and evaluating the results. Once you have your successes identified, you need to roll them out in a systemic fashion.
All sales and marketing personnel should be utilizing and implementing the latest innovation in all they do. This methodology now becomes your control. Your next innovation is only effective if it produces better results than your control.
Improving your process of orchestration is also extremely important. The faster you implement your innovation across the business – in a consistent fashion, the better your results become. Walmart is a master of this. If there is an innovation in one store, it is quickly shared and implemented with all store managers across the U.S. The result is innovation on a massive scale which has a direct and positive influence on ROI.

Documentation

The top innovators do this last step extremely well. Documentation doesn’t mean creating reams of manuals that are esoteric or difficult to navigate. Rather, documentation is the development of a guide, procedure, or system that allows consistent implementation of the innovations you develop.
As new personnel come into your business, you want to make sure that the innovations and enhancements you’ve made to your sales and marketing practices are fully implemented. The best way to do this is to not expect an employee to memorize a 700 page employee instruction manual. Rather, they should become familiar with your way of doing business - which needs to be documented in a simple, easily understandable format.
You know you’re at a company that does this well when you hear things like, that’s “the Walmart way” or “This is how we do it here”. It’s those companies that create living documentation that is easily understood and implemented that excel.

Conclusion

If you’re trying to enhance your marketing program, or create one from scratch, keep this methodology in mind: innovation, quantification, orchestration, documentation. This process will ensure constant growth and improvement in your marketing results.
Don’t just take my word for it, look at most major brands or category leaders. Under the hood, you’ll find systems for innovation, ways of testing, measuring, implementing, and documenting in a seemingly effortless fashion.


* Michael Fleischner is a Internet marketing expert and the president of MarketingScoop.com. He has more than 12 years of marketing experience and has appeared on The TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and other major media. Visit MarketingScoop.com for further details, marketing secrets, or more FREE reprint articles.

Article Marketing Will Amplify Targeted Potential Customers

by SHARON DAWKINS

  

Article marketing has many advantages which might include lead generation, creating more traffic, along with establishing yourself as an expert or authority in the niche. Readers of your articles may wish to visit your website if your article is helpful. As your articles get approved it will create a new inbound link to your web site, that will improve your search engine position which is a necessary tool for doing business on the World Wide Web. Marketing with articles is a true and tested system for boosting your link popularity and utilized by top SEO companies.

It is best to write on topics that are closely related to your Internet site business niche, while making sure that the article provides great relevant content for the reader, and not just a sales page. Every article that you write will need a resource box section which will contain profits info consisting of one or two links which include your keyword anchor text and these lead to your website.

Many Internet sites have incredible products and services and purchases program, however you need traffic which is aimed at your specific niche or product. Targeted traffic will lead to more sales.

What also makes article marketing a chosen method is that it is very affordable yet highly effective. If you love writing, it will not cost you anything. Most article web directories are free to submit. Many people desire to hire professionals however to do this tedious work for them. Frequently they pay for this article and the article submission services, or they write the article and just pay for the submissions. Typically, you can get a great article written and submitted to hundreds of sites at under $25. When you consider that you could receive a large number of inbound links aimed at your website and then match it up with to ppc ads, or banner advertising, it makes sense to use this tactic.

Not merely will your article be seen on this article directory once approved, but 100s of other sites may find your article useful as well as place it on their website.

By making keyword rich and seo optimized articles, article marketing can be a very effective method to boost your Internet search engine position which often will result in much more targeted visitors to your site. To be productive in your search engine optimization strategy article marketing must be part of your comprehensive goal. Article submission services and article marketing needs to be a definite part of online strategy, even before asking for link exchanges, buying of text links or banner ads.

Effective Adwords Marketing Management

by WILLY OGHINAN

 

Google adwords marketing promotion is one of the most effective and quickest internet marketing media to connect your online services to prospective customers within a short time of launch. The program sign up is easy, enabling you to broadcast your website on sponsored search results list at your own dictates without too much effort at all.

Adwords marketing success without doubt requires some forms of technical skills that will put you on the right track and increase your returns on investment. This article will examine and discuss a crucial management technique that will not only give your website more visibility but also bring in more prospects with qualified tendencies.

Keyword Search Volume VS Commercial Intention Value

You will need to master the dynamics of keywords or key phrases to survive the harsh realities of Google adwords marketing platform. Keywords selection is the brain box behind adwords marketing operations. Get your keyword wrong, then your investment returns is ruined. Keyword selection stage is the Bermuda Triangle of adwords marketing platform.

Most Adwords marketers busied themselves so much with keywords that have high search volume at the detriment of commercial intention tendencies. Highly search keywords that have no iota of commercial value are disasters to adwords marketers in more ways than one. Firstly, it forces your bids upwards arbitrarily and secondly, it erodes you budget quicker than it can convert. The missing link is that you should always look out for the commercial intention of a keyword rather than the search volume.

There are mainly three forms of keywords: (1) “Navigational keywords” which indicate that the performed search is aimed at a specific website like “Yahoo.com”. (2) “Informational keyword” Which is aimed at searching for information like “Digital Camera” (3) “Transactional Keyword” which has the intention of real time transaction like “Nikon DX40 Camera”. Commercial intent of a keyword can be detected from the inquisitiveness of the keyword.

If you would want to revamp and re-engineer your Google adwords account management, then you will need to retool and narrow down your keywords to specific rather than more of wild card keywords that signify nothing. A great tool that you can find handy to test your keyword commercial viability can be found at “http://adlab.msn.com/Online-Commercial-Intention/Default.aspx.” . In summary, targeted keywords with probable commercial intent does not always have high search volume as compared to wild card keywords. But they are more converting, more budget friendly with huge returns on investment. Happy Google Adwords marketing.
 

An Outline For Starting A Work At Home Web Site Business

by REED TIERI


 

Starting a work at home web site business has many great advantages. Working at home does require great discipline and a solid work ethic. Many are unable to run a business while working from home because they get distracted and cannot accomplish the goals required daily. For those who can handle these obstacles and want the independence as well as rewards for being self employed then a web site business would be a great business model to be involved with.

There are many stages to starting a work at home web site business. Finding a top quality web sist hosting service for online business will help ease the burden as well as the learning curve. It is best to learn the ins and outs of building a web site and maintain a web site on your own. This will cut down the expenses of having to hire others to do the work. Designing and maintain a web site is actually much easier than one might think. With the right host, they will have all the tools to make every aspect of building a running a web site business a snap, all the way from the ground up. A good online business hosting service should have an easy to use and customizable site builder with templates, domain registration, marketing tools such as keyword research, site map integration, site blog tools, e-zine creator and depending on the business model an easy to use the shopping cart system.

A Work At Home Web Site Business Plan

Every business needs a plan and online is no different. A business plan requires basic research and brainstorming. The best place to start for a plan is areas you know about from past jobs, hobbies or education. Come up with business ideas based on what you know and love. Go further by researching the best ideas you come up with, The best online marketers consider keyword searches for any business plan they have. Business ideas with tons of different keywords and high search volume means great demand for the business idea. A great web site hosting service will have a keyword research tool, learn how to use it in order to come up with profitable web site concepts as well as profitable content for web pages.

Marketing And Promotion

A great hosting service, well researched business concept and a solid plan based on research are the beginnings for a success with starting a work at home web site business. No matter how well these factors have been accomplished a web site needs constant attention and work. Most big money makers with web sites use the search engines as the place to build and grow their business.

Search engines provide the best traffic for a web site business. The traffic is extremely targeted thanks to keywords, can grow in an ongoing basis and constantly provides new as well as return visitors. Oh, did I mention that the traffic was free as well? In order to do well with the search engines you need to create the best content for your theme around keywords. Each page needs to be optimized around the keyword, a simple technique to learn. Search engines also like web sites with link popularity, that means pages need to get links from other web sites pointing into them. In short, add new pages based on keywords daily and get links from quality and related pages pointing to your pages.

Starting a work at home web site can actually be fun. Whether looking for part time income or a full time pursuit as a webmaster it can be accomplished. Start by finding a great hosting service and then come up with business ideas that will work based on keyword demand. Watch at what others are doing, and what you can do better. Continue to produce the best and the most relevant content for your web site theme and for your visitors. Spend some time after including a new page to find a few links for the page and the free search engine traffic as well as income will start to trickle in.


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Customer Service Can Differentiate a Company in a Competitive Environment

Author: Michael Wolf


Customer service is a lot more than just giving service.  That may sound odd at first, but customer service is not just an act of doing something a customer has requested.  True service is a marketing strategy which can differentiate a company in a competitive environment.  It is a way to create quality within the company which leads to new customers and higher customer retention.
When you talk about customer service, it may be tempting to focus primarily only on what has been defined in your company manual.  As a manager, you teach your staff the procedures and then spend your time insuring they are followed.  The problem is this is not quality service which necessarily benefits the customer or the company.
You can think of it in this manner.  Your manual may dictate when a customer can return a product and how the staff is to handle the request.  But simply processing the return of the product does not necessarily tell you why the customer wants to return it, how the product could be enhanced so the customer would not want to return it, nor whether the customer was satisfied with the return process.
In a successful company, customer service is much more than a set of actions.  It is a focus on the customer and what the customer wants in the way of service.  In other words, the customer defines customer service.  This looks at customer service from the viewpoint of the customer and not from management.  Customer service desires should flow upward to the company and then downward as a management response to customer needs.


Service Brands a Company
Branding a company is a process whereby the company name, image, products, and service are differentiated in the minds of existing and potential customers.  Many people choose a business based on brand recognition because they have found reliability and quality in what the company has to offer on all levels from product offerings to customer service.
High quality customer service enhances company branding.  It is amazing how many businesses lose customers because one employee in the call centre was having a bad day and failed to give good service.  It is also amazing how often companies fail to gather critical information from customers which can be used to enhance current service levels.  The customer does not forget when treated poorly or made to feel as if needs are not important, and in fact will share their experience and feelings with friends and family.  In their minds the brand becomes associated with poor customer service even if the product is of the highest quality.
In a competitive environment, providing true customer service can be the defining strategy which differentiates the company.  True or high quality customer service is a lot more than just implementing procedures.  Customer service training teaches staff how to listen to customers, extract the customer’s real needs during contact, convert those needs into management information for decision making purposes, and implement service tactics which meet those needs.  It is an ongoing cycle that begins and ends with the customer.

Quality Customer Relationships
Businesses need an influx of new customers on a regular basis and high customer retention in order to be successful.  In the best of times it is customer service which often becomes the deciding factor when someone is trying to decide between one company and its competitors.  In difficult economic times, offering quality customer service can actually be the company feature which leads to its very survival.
Excellent customer service includes the following.
* Creates a customer sense of ownership in or commitment to the company
* Inspires confidence in the company, its products, and its ability to meet customer needs
* Identifies customer needs or requirements
* Reflects company commitment to meeting customer needs
Through business training, company staff can learn how to integrate the concepts of exceptional customer service within the business structure.  This training can lead to more satisfied customers, improved branding, and a company better able to differentiate itself in a highly competitive environment.
In other words, customer service creates customer relationships so people return again and again.



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Why we should take customer service more seriously

Author: Sue Barrett

I propose that customer service is an assertive act, a proactive role that has an incredible impact on the attraction and retention of customers.  It represents the ‘front door', the daily face of a business, ideally setting the scene for productive, healthy relationships.  I propose that customer service can often be a much harder, more gruelling role than selling; dealing with the many variables that confront a business, sorting out problems, providing advice, answering technical/distribution/supply questions, coordinating and liaising with various departments, contacting suppliers and, dealing with crises; all the while being polite, friendly, effective and efficient on a consistent daily basis.

The types of people who perform customer service best are people who are interested in people, like regular interpersonal communication, value being part of a team, like organising and sorting things out, get real enjoyment and satisfaction from helping people get what they need, and are resilient, calm and thick skinned whilst being sensitive to the feelings and needs of others.  Who do you know that is like that?

Why then is customer service often seen as a lesser role, a ‘servant's' role, a role where you are required to put up with abuse and bad behaviour, and a role where you are expected to put up with things most other people would not tolerate?  Why do many customer service people feel they have to suffer in silence?

I am in the midst of working on a Customer Service Excellence program roll out with a well respected and innovative manufacturing company in the building industry sector.  They take being ‘excellent' very seriously and as such are ensuring their customer service team are well trained in skill as well as the ethics and vision of a customer focused, quality business.  As part of our work, we discuss how to deal with rude and angry customers.  It was revealed by some of the female customer service staff, on our initial program, that some of the customers (male) were making inappropriate comments of a sexual nature over the phone to them and this was causing them distress – rightly so.  The management team (all male except for one female) who were also on the initial program were shocked at the news, and all agreed that their staff should never have to put up with this or any other type of abusive behaviour.

Asked why they hadn't spoken up previously about these incidents, the female staff stated that they were worried that if they stood up for themselves and told the customers concerned to stop, then they might lose their business.  Credit to these staff for putting the business first however, it should never have to be at the expense of their dignity or professional behaviour.  Management were adamant that this type of behaviour, abusive language or threats from customers or anyone should not be tolerated under any circumstances and if it did happen again the staff were advised to report it immediately to their manager.

We need to make sure that all our staff are safe – free from abuse, bullying and other inappropriate behaviour.  I too often see customer service being undervalued by businesses and trivialised as fluffy, or being nice and ‘the customer is always right' stuff.  It is far from that.  It's a tough job.  It saddens me that people, especially women, do not think they can say something when inappropriate and abusive behaviour surfaces.  A recent newspaper article put paid to the issue that bullying was due to low self esteem, instead it stated that research found that bullies had an over inflated view of themselves and thus set about demonstrating this in various ways including bullying.

Perhaps we should be able to give our people, especially customer service staff, training and coaching in how to address bullying and other challenging behaviour alongside the more traditional customer service skills training.  And then, back this up by a code of conduct; a charter on how we deliver customer service and what we stand for.

I defy any senior manager to sit in the chairs or stand in the shoes of their customer service staff and handle that role for a week and see how they fair.  The program on channel 10, Undercover Boss, gives us a glimpse of senior executives taking on the roles of their staff, often service staff in the front line.   They are usually shocked at how hard these roles actually are and realise that without their customer service staff they do not have a business.  Whether your staff are servicing customers via the telephone or in a restaurant or over the counter, we need to make sure that we back them, keep them safe and help them be at their best, and that includes having the skills and the right to address inappropriate and abusive behaviour without the fear of losing one's job.

Customer service is the back bone of any business, driving home our values, messages, vision and the state of our relationships with each other and our customer community.  Let's take customer service seriously.
Remember everybody lives by selling something.


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Six Keys to Creating “wow” Customer Service Experiences

Author: Robert L Moment

Customers of every kind of business imaginable these days bemoan the state of customer service. While the global economy and the Internet have given businesses the opportunity to serve more clients than ever before, the trend has also given way to impersonal, lackluster customer service. It’s unfortunate that most businesses today don’t realize that they are regularly losing valuable customers if they don’t focus on providing an exceptional customer service experience.

In most businesses, once a customer begins dealing with the customer service department, he or she is already in a negative mindset. The best customer service representatives aren’t those that simply neutralize the problem. Outstanding customer service representatives take a negative and turn it into a positive that ensures the customer is not only happy, but is convinced he or she has had an outstanding experience – the Wow Factor – that he would not have gotten with any other company.

The key ingredients of the Wow experience are:
• Seamless Service
• Trustworthy Service
• Attentiveness
• Resourcefulness
• Courtesy
• Pro-active Service

Seamless Service means providing everything the customer needs, not just what is required to meet the minimum standards. It’s about making sure that they don’t have to wait and wonder. Customers will appreciate a smooth, seamless process for addressing their needs. If there are several steps needed to take care of their concerns, keep them in the loop – update them by email or with a quick phone call so that they know you are working on the situation and progress is being made. By keeping them abreast of what is going on, you are letting them know you haven’t forgotten about them and that you understand their concerns – reassurance and communication are powerful customer service tools.

Trustworthy Service is essential to retaining customers. Promising a customer anything and delivering nothing is the surest way to not only lose a customer, but get the kind of “word of mouth” bad press that can ruin you. Under promise and over deliver – If you promise a satisfactory solution and then go the extra mile to not only satisfy the customer, but gain their appreciation and “Wow” them, you will get word of mouth that will bring new customers to you.

Attentive Service means paying attention during and after the initial contact. How many times have you contacted customer service and been subjected to an obviously scripted response from the customer service representative? Does it give you the feeling they aren’t really listening, but just trying to get to the end of their canned presentation?

Attentiveness should run through every customer service experience, from listening carefully to the customer’s concerns to following up after the exchange is over to make sure their needs have been met. Listening isn’t just about hearing – it is about understanding what is really being said. The words are just the beginning –what about the customer’s tone of voice? Her mood? Is she disappointed, angry or frustrated? Keying in to the customer’s mood and responding appropriately is essential, and it means not following a script.

Resourcefulness means finding solutions when there appear to be none. Many companies have iron-clad policies that must be followed whenever a problem arises; however, sometimes a customer won’t be satisfied by the “company line” approach. Resourceful customer service representatives know that there is always a way to move beyond the standard procedures in order to make a customer happy. Resourcefulness involves finding a solution when a solution isn’t apparent. This may mean moving up the chain of command before the customer demands to talk to your superior. Companies with excellent customer service also give their representatives some leeway so that they can come up with creative solutions on their own. When a customer senses that you are going beyond the norm to help them, they will feel valued and respected.

Courtesy is a commodity that is becoming rarer every day. It takes so little to be polite but it is becoming a lost art. Say please when you ask a customer a question, thank them for their information and take your time talking to them. Nothing makes a customer feel more devalued than being treated like a number. Use the person’s name, make requests rather than demands and know when to apologize. When something goes wrong for a customer, they want to hear that you understand their frustration and that you are genuinely sorry that they are being inconvenienced. It takes nothing to say, “I’m so sorry you aren’t satisfied and I hope we can do something to correct this.”

Pro-Active Service means not waiting for the customer to come up with a solution that you simply follow through on. A pro-active customer service representative anticipates the needs of the customer and follows through. Don’t wait for the customer to ask you what you are willing to do – anticipate the question and answer it before they can ask. If they call and say they aren’t satisfied, apologize and immediately suggest some solutions. Customers want you to take the lead – acknowledge their unhappiness, offer a solution or solutions and explain to them how you are going to follow through. Pro-Active service means taking the lead, which will reassure your customers that you know what you are doing and that you will follow through.

If you keep these six keys in mind – seamless service, trustworthiness, attentiveness, resourcefulness ,courtesy and pro-active service – you will be able to offer every customer the Wow Customer Service Experience that inspires loyalty and keeps customers coming back for more.



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7 Myths That Will Destroy Your Marketing Campaign

Autor: cosmogirl

What common myths keep authors from getting media attention?

Myth #1: A good news release is all you need to get "ink" The days of the "one size fits all" news releases are gone. Now it's all about customizing and knowing what the media target you're pitching is looking for. Making one release isn't a bad idea, but use it as a starting point, not the final message.

Myth #2: Mention your book every chance you get
The surest way to kill an interview (and your chances of getting asked back) is when you mention your book over and over. When you say things like: "as I wrote in my book," you'll cheapen your message and make it look too sales-like. Viewers hate being sold. Give them solid information and they'll buy your book because they'll want to know more. Just talk about your book naturally and if you're excited about what you wrote, readers will be excited too.

Myth #3: You must answer every question the media asks you Despite all your research and expertise, you can't expect to know everything. If you don't know an answer, don't lie or speculate. It's much better to say: "You know I don't know the answer to that question, but I'm happy to look into it and get back to you," than to make up a story that will make you (and the reporter) look bad.

Myth #4: You can use advertising dollars to influence media interviews If you're trying to get some airtime or print placement, do not ever allude to buying ad space in order to get them to commit to an interview. This is a completely unethical thing to do; conversely, if someone is trying to get you to buy an ad in order to be considered for their publication or program, run for the hills.

Myth #5: Use big, complicated words; they'll make you sound savvy It's unfortunate, but the "dumbing down of America" is a necessary trend and one you shouldn't overlook. Do not use complicated industry jargon to impress your audience (unless you're speaking to industry experts), you will only confuse them and alienate the person interviewing you.

Myth #6: Emotion is a bad thing
Marketing fact: People buy on emotion. Whether it's happy, sad, or angry. Make them feel something and you'll send them straight to your web site to buy your book. Now I'm not suggesting that you fall apart on camera, but emotion is a good thing. Look human! If it's a subject that you're passionate about, look passionate! If it's a terrible thing you went through that you're writing about, let your audience "feel" that emotion right along with you!

Myth #7: You should never even consider doing an interview without media training Don't get me wrong, media training is a great thing, but media training without the proper interview prep work can lead to a disaster. For example, don't assume because you're media trained that you can survive any interview without researching the show or publication. Even worse, don't put all your focus on your media training and then forget to update your data to support your interview.


Source: Free Articles

The Science Behind Psychological Marketing Tactics

Autor: Daiv
Abraham Maslow presented a theory that ordinates wants and desires in a comprehensive, consecutive, arrangement. According to Maslow, a person's desires develop from the lower order desires, such as feeling safe, to the higher order desires, such as a sense of belonging and feeling loved. After these desires are developed and fulfilled, a person begins to desire esteem and self-actualization. The higher order wants only begin to develop after the lower order wants, like the physiological needs for food and shelter, are satisfied.

When we understand that markets, as a whole, with common human emotional tendencies, act like individuals whom that market represents, we can examine markets and trends in the same way we would examine an individual. The most appealing aspect of Maslow's theory of needs is that it can be applied by proxy to an entire market.

It's not that complicated to trace how these requirements tend to play themselves out in a small number of technologies with obstacles such as the primary advances in communications. These requirements convey themselves in aggregate across all persons within the market. When there is an assortment of an official body that expresses the will of the people, the requirements can be assessed and reviewed on a most-needed basis. In an elected government, an individual's wants and desires can be pinpointed openly, or by proxy in a democracy by electing somebody who almost reflects their views.

Maslow's hierarchy states that the need for survival is the most fundamental need for all humans. As a result, branches of society which are entrusted with the authority to ensure this survival through physical means are allotted the lion's share of tax money. This applies to such branches of society as the military and fire defenses where the activities engaged in by members of that group ensure the continuation of basic survival.
If you go further into the Hierarchy of needs, you will notice that after the biological needs are met the next need is safety. This is when an individual's fight or flight will emerge. If you're looking at it from a marketing prospective, during the cold weather a commercial for jackets is the most appropriate. Timing is everything in the marketing aspect of this level. The next level describes relationships as brand recognition.

A person is more likely to purchase a jacket from a company that they've had superior experiences from and as long as you're doing an ad for a reputed company then that part of the job is completed for you. If not, this is where the marketing player comes into play. The job of a good marketing group is to promote sales to new clientele and make new sales from existing clients. Starting off in a fresh company, this is where the artist desires to communicate the marketing team's ideas visually in order to please this third need.

Good, efficient visuals build a sense of belonging and communication with the buyer. Belonging moves beyond our basic needs to live and beyond our need for safety. Belonging moves to the area where we choose what we love based on our feelings and our previous associations with a product or service and this is what a company's marketing machine is trying to link to.


Source: Free Articles

Successful Marketing with Maslow

Autor: Daiv
When Abraham Maslow conceived his Hierarchy of Needs in 1943, he couldn't possibly have known that it would be one of the most influential advances in the field of human behavioral study and would remain so well into the subsequent century.

theory developed by Maslow put forth that the motivation for any action made by any human being is an unfulfilled need. When we have unmet needs, we are motivated to meet them in a specific order. Once the needs on the first level are met, we move on to the needs of the next level, and so on until we reach the top tier.

Physiological requirements are primary concern to a person that keeps him alive. Next is safety needs and then comes social needs. Later in the list is the need for self esteem and last is self-actualization. A student following Maslow's theory will know how this can be adapted in the marketing world. During the attempt to make a sale, it applies not only to the product that is sold; the idea of the product, and the image, but, in the end, the result of the product is also sold. Thus, one or more requirements in the hierarchy may be fulfilled.

Obviously, a marketing campaign will be more successful the more it appeals to the lower levels of unfulfilled need in a person's life. What this means for you, the marketer, is that knowing your audience's needs is key. A product that promises to fulfill an esteem need will be virtually useless to a customer whose safety needs are not yet met.

In order to be successful in any marketing endeavor, the first step is to get a firm grasp on the psychographic motivators to which you will be appealing. Which need on the hierarchy is your product going to fulfill? How will it fulfill this need, and how can you prove to your potential customers that it will effectively fulfill their need?

A more important issue is how you can address the level of need of potential customers you are trying to reach. If a product is requested by a customer, then they are doing your work for you. It is hard, however, to tell what a total stranger wants when you are trying to approach them for the first time.

The best way to overcome this obstacle is simple, and it's one that every marketer is taught from the very beginning of their career: just talk. Talk about sports, the weather, or family life - anything other than the product you are trying to sell. Chatting with your potential customer in a friendly, non-pressured way will allow you to pick up on invaluable clues about their needs.

When you are able to understand the motivations of your potential customers, you approach the ability to meet their needs. After you figure out what motivates them then you can gear your sales pitch towards what will be effective for each customer. As you understand the needs of customers in general you can be more effective in selling to the market in general.

Many management practices today are based on Maslow's theory. His theory can also be useful when it comes to marketing. The most important thing is to be aware of how you can help the customer decide that they need your product.


Source: Free Articles

How to Break through Your Customer’s Doubts

Author: kayemarks

Expert marketers and sales people know that product resistance is often part and parcel of selling your products and services. It may be because of a particular concern on the product that’s preventing your prospective customers to buy from you. Or it may also be that they’re hesitant on how effective it can be to their situation.

Most of the time, your target audience will be able to express it verbally. But when resistance is non-verbal – meaning, your target audience’s face reflects confusion – you just need to read between the lines, and interpret the body language and expression.

While managing your target client’s hesitance to your sales speech, it would indeed be very difficult for you to do that. Nevertheless, experienced marketers would tell you that such reaction is actually a good thing. It means that even with an objection, your target clients are actually considering your product if not for a few concerns they have. These then should be properly addressed in order for you to turn then into buying customers.

Trained sales agents know this. And as a business owner you should too. Most often than not, the concerns brought up by your target audience may not be the actual issue they’re concerned with. In fact, it may just be that they’re not sure of how they should convey what they need to know from your products and services. This then makes it difficult for your target clients to agree to what you are offering. Unless you understand and overcome the issues pertaining to their objection, you as a business owner will never be able to get your target customers to agree to buy your product or avail of your service.

This is what is important when handling customer resistance to your product. Your prospects are simply unwilling to make a commitment to buy from you. This is certainly the hardest part in any selling process. When you ask your prospect to agree to a sale, yet the prospect hesitates, or worse, responds with a resounding ‘no’, you should be able to overcome that. Most successful business owners can vouch that when you are able to rise above the rejections, you’ll more likely to get customers who are not only one-time buyers, but repeat business clients as well.

What you need then is communicating with target clients in order to convince them to consider your prodcuts and services despite the issues. You can do this by requesting a commercial color printing company to produce marketing tools that would best clear up the issues in the client’s minds. It’s all about providing assistance so that your prospect can finally make a decision – which is hopefully to your advantage.

The good news though is that not every customer can resist your offer. There were many times those buyers close a sale even without you convincing them to do so. Since they are convinced that the product is good for them, you don’t even have to introduce or say your sales speech. All you got to do is to point them to the right direction and you’re on your way to being successful in your marketing campaign.


Source: Free Articles

6 Required Skills To Be A Great Marketer

Courtesy of Marketing Magazine in partnership with BSI

Sponsored By: The Blake Project's Brand Positioning Workshop
 
Let's start with a basic but key criterion. Marketers have to be comfortable spending time with and listening to consumers. A significant proportion of marketers cannot find the time or the humility to spend time in the market. They are happy briefing research agencies and reviewing the results, but miss the fundamental starting point for any great marketer: get out of your office and spend time in the places and spaces where your consumers experience the product, no matter how senior or 'important' you consider yourself.


Next, behavioural segmentation. Too many marketers think segments are people who have similar demographic characteristics. Rubbish. Segments are groups of consumers who want the same things - the fact that they might share an age range, gender or postcode is relevant only after we first use our market research to show specific clusters of shared needs. Segments built from survey data, with good behavioural names and a tight portrait to capture their identity, is a hallmark of a good marketer. The usual '18-35 male' crap indicates the opposite.


Then comes targeting. A good marketer has made the leap of faith and accepted that fewer target consumers will deliver a better overall result. Usually, that means stepping back from the segmentation and only going after 10% or 20% of the potential market. Tight target segments mean the marketing has a chance to succeed. Too many marketers lose faith at this stage and end up targeting pretty much everyone.


Which leads nicely to the next feature of a great marketer: being entirely comfortable devoting time and marketing money to excluding the wrong kinds of consumers from your brand. Most marketers, when asked, still don't know the difference between marketing and sales. Marketing is as much about stopping the wrong people buying a product as ensuring that the right ones do. Usually, the majority of potential consumers in any market will cost you money if you serve them. A good marketer knows this and uses his or her skills to ensure they are avoided.


Next: positioning. A great marketer can create perceptual maps and uses them to derive a clear, tight, three-word positioning for their brand. No wheels or triangles here, just a clear articulation of what the brand stands for. If ever there was a question that sorts the wheat from the chaff, it's: 'What is your positioning?' Too often this is met with a stream of generic crap about integrity and innovation or a ridiculously over-complex, six-slide presentation that attempts to capture the 'essence' of the brand. A good marketer answers with a confident smile and few words.


Lastly, brand tracking. Think about what you need in place to successfully conduct this. You have to have a clear positioning statement, know that ultimately brands exist in the consumer's consciousness, and commit 5%-10% of your marketing budget to research to collect this data on a continual basis.


How did you do?


http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2010/03/6-required-skills-to-be-a-great-marketer.html

What is Good Customer Service?

http://www.goodcustomerservice.org/


Having spent all of my working life providing service to the public, I discovered from a very early age that providing good customer service is the key to sales, productivity and long term customer loyalty.

I enjoy working with people and I have over time developed the skills and a number of tried and true techniques that I’ve used very successfully to enhance and improve customer service wherever I’ve worked.

I assure you the techniques I’m going to write about here, can be very easily used and adapted in any work situation.

For example it’s well known that the key features of effective customer service are –

• identifying key business activities
• recognizing what the customers’ needs are
• delivering quality service
• following-up service

However, there are two other key features that are often overlooked when discussing ‘what is good customer service’. They are valuing customers and earning customer loyalty.

In fact, when I’m asked “what is good customer service?” I generally say –

“Good customer service is to satisfy a customer’s requirements by providing helpful friendly advice and assistance by various means before, during and after a purchase or service”.

So if you want to improve and maximize customer service at your business by finding out what is good customer service and how to value customers and earn customer loyalty, then I invite you to sit back with your cup of coffee and read on.

Earning customer loyalty

If you want your business to stand out amongst your rivals and competitors there are a range of different options that can be used to earn loyalty and return business from your customers.

Offer discounts on products and services to loyal customers (some businesses of course may have in place a loyalty card that offers discount incentives).
Have a invitation only mail out especially for your loyal customers advertising heavily discounted items on for example a ‘one-day-only’ bargain day
Provide a free end of year free gift calendar for your customers and complimentary sweets for young children on special days throughout the year

Following up with customers after providing a service or sale (mainly big ticket items) through Email, phone or letter will also pay off in customer loyalty and in most cases adds a welcome personal touch.
Lastly, if a customer has a problem always try to remedy it as this will lead to customer loyalty and give you and your business a reputation for going the extra mile.

Valuing the customer

An important customer service technique often overlooked is a failure to thank customers for their business.

It is not uncommon to find many employees at the point of sale can find under pressure to deal with customers hurriedly so they can complete the sale process. In such cases always make an effort to genuinely thank your customers for their business and ask if there is anything else you can do for them.

This very simple friendly gesture shows your customer you value their business and can sometimes result in more turnover and customer loyalty.

8 Rules For Good Customer Service

Good Customer Service Made Simple
By Susan Ward, About.com Guide

Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won’t be profitable for long.

Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy – happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers.

If you’re a good salesperson, you can sell anything to anyone once. But it will be your approach to customer service that determines whether or not you’ll ever be able to sell that person anything else. The essence of good customer service is forming a relationship with customers – a relationship that that individual customer feels that he would like to pursue.

How do you go about forming such a relationship? By remembering the one true secret of good customer service and acting accordingly; “You will be judged by what you do, not what you say.”
I know this verges on the kind of statement that’s often seen on a sampler, but providing good customer service IS a simple thing. If you truly want to have good customer service, all you have to do is ensure that your business consistently does these things:

1) Answer your phone.
Get call forwarding. Or an answering service. Hire staff if you need to. But make sure that someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business. (Notice I say “someone”. People who call want to talk to a live person, not a “fake recorded robot”.)

2) Don’t make promises unless you WILL keep them.
Not plan to keep them. Will keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception. If you say, “Your new bedroom furniture will be delivered on Tuesday”, make sure it is delivered on Tuesday. Otherwise, don’t say it. The same rule applies to client appointments, deadlines, etc.. Think before you give any promise – because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one.

3) Listen to your customers.
Is there anything more exasperating than telling someone what you want or what your problem is and then discovering that that person hasn’t been paying attention and needs to have it explained again? From a customer’s point of view, I doubt it. Can the sales pitches and the product babble. Let your customer talk and show him that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem.

4) Deal with complaints.
No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have developed a reflex shrug, saying, “You can’t please all the people all the time”. Maybe not, but if you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time - and position your business to reap the benefits of good customer service.

5) Be helpful - even if there’s no immediate profit in it.
The other day I popped into a local watch shop because I had lost the small piece that clips the pieces of my watch band together. When I explained the problem, the proprietor said that he thought he might have one lying around. He found it, attached it to my watch band – and charged me nothing! Where do you think I’ll go when I need a new watch band or even a new watch? And how many people do you think I’ve told this story to?

6) Train your staff (if you have any) to be ALWAYS helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable.
Do it yourself or hire someone to train them. Talk to them about good customer service and what it is (and isn’t) regularly. Most importantly, give every member of your staff enough information and power to make those small customer-pleasing decisions, so he never has to say, “I don’t know, but so-and-so will be back at...”

7) Take the extra step.
For instance, if someone walks into your store and asks you to help them find something, don’t just say, “It’s in Aisle 3.” Lead the customer to the item. Better yet, wait and see if he has questions about it, or further needs. Whatever the extra step may be, if you want to provide good customer service, take it. They may not say so to you, but people notice when people make an extra effort and will tell other people.

8) Throw in something extra.
Whether it’s a coupon for a future discount, additional information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting. And don’t think that a gesture has to be large to be effective. The local art framer that we use attaches a package of picture hangers to every picture he frames. A small thing, but so appreciated.

If you apply these eight simple rules consistently, your business will become known for its good customer service. And the best part? The irony of good customer service is that over time it will bring in more new customers than promotions and price slashing ever did!