The Web Untangler. By Untangle the Web.

8 top tips to beat writer's block

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:56:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

As published in Flying Solo and NineMSN Money.

Everything’s in place.

The desk is organised, your pencils are sharpened, the distractions are distracted. Enter stage left, writer’s block.

Now what?

If you need to resurrect your creative mojo, here are eight weapons to add to your arsenal.

1. Step away from the keyboard
It’s unlikely creativity will strike while your fingers are poised over the keys. Step away from the computer and take yourself to a new environment, whether it’s another area of your workspace, a café or a library.

No matter how tidy and organised my desk is, it doesn’t provide me with the same creative stimulation as new surroundings. Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised!

2. Use inspiring materials
Colours unleash creativity, so arm yourself with gorgeous coloured pens and fresh, white paper or a tactile notebook.

And keep a hoard of little journals stashed around the house or office so you’ve always got one nearby when a fabulous idea appears out of nowhere. I’m addicted to Moleskine journals; they hide in all sorts of nooks, ready to be summonsed at a moment’s notice.

3. Sketch your outline first
Sketching a simple outline makes the act of writing a fill-in-the-blanks exercise - which is highly preferable to staring blankly at a blank page.

The outline doesn’t need to be sophisticated. My quick outline consists of a bunch of boxes, each representing a single theme. I put the boxes in order, then write my conclusion and introduction. Bingo, there’s my structure!

4. Don’t write in order
Although we habitually start at the beginning, don’t feel like you have to. I start writing the easiest part first, just to get the words flowing. It’s much easier to maintain momentum than it is to get it started.

5. Pretend you’re having a chat
Rather than writing with somebody reading your piece in mind, pretend someone has asked you about the topic you’re writing on. How would you answer their question?

Speak your answer out aloud. You might feel silly at first, but the answer will roll off your tongue. Guess what? You’ve just written your first few sentences, with minimum effort!

I find this is a great way to stick with plain English, because it helps to eliminate the flowery words we tend to use when we become stuck.

6. Don’t edit as you write
As tempting as it is, editing as you write interrupts your natural flow. You’ll have plenty of time to edit once your draft is in place.

7. Allow time
Don’t leave your writing to the eleventh hour – but don’t give yourself an infinite amount of time either. Writing too close to a deadline will leave you stressed and panicked, but give yourself too much time and you’re likely to procrastinate.

Use little snippets of time to jot down your ideas. This article was sketched within a 10-minute timeframe: I was early to a coffee meeting, so out came the trusty Moleskine, and away I went!

8. Stop
Sometimes no matter what you do, you remain stuck.

So stop.

Sometimes trying too hard is simply counter-productive. Remove yourself from the situation and do something completely different.

The key is to give your conscious brain a break while your unconscious brain weaves its magic. Soon your mojo will be back with a vengeance.

So what do you do to beat the dreaded writer’s block? Let’s share our tips and build our arsenals!

POP, IMAP and Exchange demystified

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

As published in Nine MSN's Money and Flying Solo.

You’ve heard the terminology. And you most likely use one. But what does POP, IMAP and Exchange really mean, and how do you know if you’re using the best match to your needs?

Quite simply:

POP allows you to download emails in your inbox folder from the server to an application (such as Outlook), generally on to one device, such as your laptop.

IMAP allows you to download emails from your inbox and subfolders on to multiple devices, such as your desktop and your phone, and will sync between each.

Exchange allows you to fully synchronise your inbox and subfolders, calendar, contacts, tasks and public folders over multiple devices, such as your desktop, netbook and phone.

So now you know the basics, here’s a little more info to help you decide which your best match is:

POP

If you only want access to your email from one device, such as your desktop, then POP is a good option.

If you choose to leave a copy of your email on the server, you can download your inbox to multiple devices, but POP does not sync between each. So the emails you clean out on your desktop are not cleaned out on your phone, potentially causing confusion – and frustration. If you do want use multiple devices, IMAP could be for you.

POP does not sync your calendar or your contacts.

POP is free.

IMAP

A more sophisticated protocol than POP, IMAP is for you if you only need to sync your inbox and subfolders between multiple devices. Think your desktop, your netbook, and your phone.

IMAP does not sync your calendar or your contacts.

IMAP is free.

Exchange

Although not strictly a protocol, Exchange is by far the most robust of the three.

Unlike POP and IMAP, you can also synchronise your calendar and contacts over multiple devices. Examples include:

The appointment you create on your desktop with phone and address details is on your phone when you’re lost on the road

The email you draft on your netbook when you wait for your client to arrive will be waiting for you patiently on your desktop back in the office

The contact details of a referral you entered into your contacts on your phone will be in your contacts on your desktop, ready to send them a postcard tomorrow

To reap the full benefits of this system, you need to use Outlook as your email client.

Microsoft Exchange is not free.

Exchange itself is served in two flavours:

Hosted Exchange
Ideal for the small to medium business, hosted Exchange means someone else is purchasing and maintaining your Exchange server – all you need to pay for is each email account. Not the server maintenance guy. Or the software upgrades. Or the backups.

Expect to pay around $30 per month for a good hosted Exchange provider.

Using Microsoft Exchange as its protocol, Google Sync provides a similar offering to Hosted Exchange using the Google Apps suite. It’s still in Beta, so there are known limitations, but this could be a good solution for Google Apps diehards. Google Sync is free.

Exchange Server
This is perfect for the big end of town, with loads of users, loads of customisation – and loads of capital. Essentially, YOU have a server in-house, with full responsibility of associated costs, such as maintenance, security and stability.

So whether you check your email once per day from the one computer, or if you’re after the freedom and mobility to run your business from anywhere, there’s an email protocol for you.

Which do you prefer?

Work integrity: The soloist's dilemma

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:54:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

As published in Flying Solo.

I’m in business for many reasons. One is to make myself happy, and another is to make others delighted.

But what if, to make others happy, I have to compromise my work integrity?

I recently created a web design concept for my client. It was a simple, yet sophisticated design with one particular image taking centre stage.

I loved it, and secretly felt it was my best design yet.

My client liked the principle. But she wanted two major changes to the design. Two changes which, in my professional opinion, would compromise the success of the design to achieve her website goals and my work integrity.

I explained my thought process, yet she was adamant I make the changes.

So I did. And I was horrified. I was even more horrified she was ecstatic with the design, promptly approving the go ahead of its development.

But should I have been?

It made me wonder, is she paying me for my professional opinion, and then making her own deciding judgment? If she’s paying me well and is in love with her website, should I even care?

Or should I point blank refuse to compromise the design, maintaining the integrity of my work but angering my client, potentially severing a prosperous relationship and loads of referrals?

Who is this actually about?

One thing I do know is I will not associate my business with this design.

Selfishly, I am disappointed that I can’t add this design to my portfolio. I’m emotionally tied to my designs, and I’m proud of what I produce. I do not want others, particularly potential clients, thinking this design is mine. I feel it would tarnish my reputation.

I know my emotions have dangerously entered the equation; I’m not sure you can prevent this in a creative and subjective industry. It’s the emotion that makes our work so rich.

I can now empathise with chefs whose diners ask for changes to their meal. Before this situation, my response was ‘The client is the paying party, so if they want tomato sauce in their lobster bisque, get cracking’.

Now, I’m not so sure.

So, tell me. What do you do if your client asks you to smother your masterpiece in tomato sauce? What value do you place on work integrity?

Business and children: friends or foes?

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:27:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

As published in Nine MSN's Money and Flying Solo.

My conundrum is this: I love chatting to my clients, exchanging snippets about our lives to strengthen our relationships. I often chat about children as it’s a fairly safe topic to discuss.

Or so I thought.

Boy Lex is one of the reasons I’m flying solo. I love the usual suspects of having flexibility with my time and being there for his major milestones.

But he is not a part of my business. He is not in the background when I’m on the phone, and he is certainly not in attendance when I’m with a client, even if the client doesn’t mind.

I choose to run my business in such a fashion because I cannot give my undivided attention to the client if I’m looking after a child. And since this is what the client is paying me for, this is how I must operate to deliver.

But I know that many soloists DO take their children along to meetings, with clients genuinely not minding. Perhaps this is the nature of being both a parent and an entrepreneur.

But what if it’s the client who is looking after a child when dealing with you? They’re the paying party, so do they wield the power to decide?

I recently ran a private training session for my client. When she told me her three year old would be in tow, I gently reminded her that we had an hour’s worth of new material to cover which required her full attention, and I would be happy to reschedule to a more convenient time. She declined.

The result? We covered barely half the material in an hour and a half, followed by a barrage of calls starting with ‘I can’t remember how…’ and ‘Did we go through…’. I was paid for an hour, yet I delivered over two.

So what’s the best way to handle this situation? Should you charge by the hour to make sure you’re paid for all your time, or call it quits after the allocated period? Can you dare to blankly (yet politely) refuse to meet in the presence of children? Or do you just accept the fact that this is going to happen?

I don’t know the answer. But I do know this is not the most productive and time-efficient way to conduct my business.

And let’s not forget the kids. If they’re too big to be held, they’re most likely bored stiff, conjuring wicked ways of gaining your attention.

So am I just being an uptight, inflexible, children-are-nuisances so-and-so? Or do I have the right idea that business and children simply do not mix, no matter how much we try?

Let’s hear it. I’ve braced myself!

Spreading the website word

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:14:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

As published in Nine MSN's Money and Flying Solo.

You’ve been handed the keys to your brand new website, and are ready to tell the world.

But how exactly are you going to do this, and will it cost the earth? Consider these daggy - yet effective - good ol' fashioned tips.

1. Just tell ‘em
Ridiculously simple, this priceless tactic not only informs your client, but is a great conversation starter. Next time you’re with a client, an easy, ‘Hey Jude, did you know our website launched last week?’ is all it takes to start the process.

2. Add the URL to your email signature
Think of the amount of emails you send every day. Whilst there’s nothing worse than email signatures that you need to scroll to read, adding a short, sharp promo telling your recipients about your new or revamped site will increase your exposure.

While we’re on the subject of email signatures, think about what else you can add to make it easier for people to contact you or engage with you further. Think links to your social media presence (like LinkedIn, Twitter and your blog) or a way to sign up to your newsletter – but again, don’t get too carried away!

3. Update your voicemail
Although not suitable to every business type, many businesses can benefit from adding their website address to their voicemail message. Not only will you inform your callers of your new website, chances are your well designed and written website will answer their question for you. Everyone’s happy.

4. Revamp your uniform
If your business has bodies in the public eye, having your website printed on your uniform need not be garish. For less than twenty bucks a packet you can buy transfer paper to iron on to your gear with impressive results. Great for funky t-shirts (think café staff and tradies) and aprons (think bookstores and homewares).

For a more serious look, modern embroidery will do the trick.

Oh, and don’t forget to brand your shop front or vehicle. A website address is much easier to remember than a phone number if your potential clients are whizzing past.

5. Update anything printed
Make a list of every single piece of material you print, be it an invoice, envelope or after-dinner mint. Update each template, then simply make sure the new template is used in the next print run. Voila!

6. Send a postcard
When was the last time you sent a postcard to your clients? Use this opportunity to regain contact and let them know about your website. Better yet, handwrite the postcards for maximum impact – if you don’t have 2000 to send, that is.

7. Talk it up in your blog and newsletter
If you have a blog or a newsletter (either online or in print), create some hype around your website launch! Provide an incentive to visit your site and the ability to refer a friend, making sure you have enough lead time to create a buzz.

What daggy yet effective methods have you used to spread the website word?

GUEST GIG: Is market segmentation relevant to small business?

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Mon, 11 May 2009 10:06:00 +0000

Market segmentation is complex, expensive and reserved for the big end of town. Or is it?

Michael Field from Michael Field Pty Ltd explores how small business owners can watch their business blossom and flourish through market segmentation.

What is market segmentation? How can I use it to grow my business?
Most large organisations use some form of market segmentation to group customers with similar attributes. The advantages can include improved revenue through the development of relevant product and service ‘bundles’ and increased efficiency of targeted communications.

What benefits can a solo consultant derive from market segmentation?
Each segmentation approach provides different insights into the customer base and identifies different opportunities:

Business Size - Employee numbers, turnover, geographic footprint, brand ranking, growth and a range of other indicators can measure business size.

Many small businesses try to service all business sizes from the micro to the multinational and often fail to serve them all satisfactorily.

Small business owners can benefit from deciding what size business they work best with and then focus on doing that well.

Revenue/Spend - Revenue/spend segmentation is used to determine how much a client is spending in total on your type of service and what percentage your business is receiving from the total spend.

You can then determine how much revenue growth is still available in the account and either develop a plan to capture more or commence a business development plan to replace revenue from mature or declining accounts.

Industry Category - Industry category is a common segmentation approach with many benefits. You can:

Match marketing and product development investment to industry trends
Forecast revenue more accurately when linked to industry trends (is overall industry revenue shrinking or growing?)

Geographic - geographic segmentation can become extremely important for small business owners and solo operators. Travel time is costly and often difficult to recover.

Other factors to consider include:

Can geographically remote customers be better served agents or distribution partners?
Are there more profitable accounts available locally, and are you best served placing your effort there instead?
Can you utilise technology more effectively to service remote customers such as the Internet, VOIP and videoconferencing?

Sales cycles - Sales cyles including product/service usage and seasonal sales cycles reveal many opportunities. You can:

Forward plan production and staff requirements
Negotiate special supply arrangements and seasonal purchase opportunities
Recognise and respond to growth/decline trends
Identify changing usage patterns

Needs-based - Needs-based segmentation is generally more appropriate for businesses servicing individual customers as it identifies the primary personal drivers and expectations of the decision-maker.

An example could be a wedding photographer who may segment her customers by identifying value-for-money or status. This approach can assist with the development and marketing of specific product packages tailored to the individual’s requirements.

So where do I start?

Determine what outcome you want from the project
Determine which segmentation approach is most appropriate for your business objectives
Identify what customer data already exists
Source additional data where necessary (annual reports, websites, trade journals, ABS etc.)
Decide if you want to conduct the segmentation work yourself or outsource it to a suitably qualified external consultant
Conduct initial analysis of internal data and complete a ‘gap-analysis’ to identify missing information
Commission market research to further explore the findings from the internal analysis and uncover additional information
Review findings and identify opportunities
Map the report findings back to your project objectives and prioritise the action steps

Conclusion
Segmentation can take many forms and requires a clear objective, access to internal data, and a capable individual to conduct the work. Additional market research is often required to test assumptions and gain an independent insight into the customer perspective.

Importantly, segmentation is not just for big business and can be readily employed by small business and solo practitioners to achieve business growth.

About Michael Field
Michael Field is an independent strategy consultant advising medium and large B2B and NFP organisations.

More information available at http://www.michaelfield.com/

Bridging the generation gap in business

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Mon, 11 May 2009 01:52:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

I wrote this piece for a Generation Y audience after attending a fascinating workshop with Mark McCrindle from McCrindle Research. Although targeted at the younger reader, it’s a short, sharp post with some snippets and statistics I thought you might find interesting. Enjoy!

FACT: everyone loves to hate Generation Y.
FACT: the future is not created by an economy, but a demography.
FACT: Gen Y is here to stay – and rule!

So how can we shake off our bad rep as demanding, fast-moving, selfish kids and get our message across? Check out these insights and tips on how to bridge the generation gap.

Why there are SO many oldies…
Since we’re not having as many babies and we’re all getting older (and living longer), soon there will be an explosion of older people. Actually, by 2020, there will be more than 3 times the amount of 65-69 year olds compared to 1978! A staggering statistic.

Sources: McCrindle Research, ABS 2008, NATSEM

So whether we like it or not, we have to learn to communicate effectively with the older generations if we’re going to run successful businesses.

Thinking with the head versus thinking with the heart
Typically, Gen Y decides with their emotions. Never mind reason; if we’ve absolutely fallen in love with something because of it’s looks or how it makes us feel, we simply buy it. Gen Y engages emotionally as:

Seekers - someone who doesn’t know too much about a product, but is blindingly faithful, and

Embracers - someone who will trumpet your horn with full product knowledge and is in lurve with your product.

The older generations will first rationalise the purchase. Does this fit my needs? Is it value for (my heard-earned) money? Is the product guaranteed? Generation X and the Baby Boomers engage cognitively as:

Hecklers – someone who doesn’t really understand the product and isn’t particularly attracted to it, and

Agree-ers – someone who understands the product is a good fit to their needs, but feels indifferent to the product.

Our aim is to convert all clients in to Embracers.

Source: McCrindle Research

Firstly, we need to satisfy the older generation’s need to rationalise. Answer their questions, even if you think they’re basic or repetitive – but don’t make them feel stupid! Slow the pace down if you’re discussing new concepts.

Once we’ve ticked this box, only then can we successfully move them to the emotional quadrants, ultimately ending up as Embracers.

By then, the older generation will be your most powerful sales force. And considering the Baby Boomers own the majority of the wealth and spend more on technology than any other generation, who wouldn’t strive to achieve this?

What NOT to say
Generation X and the Baby Boomers just don’t use our vocab. Some even blame us for the downfall of the English language! But what do they particularly dislike?

Clichés.

We all love to hate clichés! So much so, McCrindle Research set out to find the top 10 clichés Gen Y use that Generation X and the Baby Boomers hate. So when you’re chatting with the oldies, avoid using:

1. My bad
2. Random
3. So hot right now
4. Fully sick
5. So over that
6. Oh my gosh
7. Whatever
8. Totally
9. Chillout
10. Whassup

Remember...
Each generation operates differently. By being mindful of these differences, not only can we grow our businesses – we can make the richest and most abundant generation our biggest advocate!

Seven reasons why you SHOULDN'T blog

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:22:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

As published in Nine MSN's Money, Flying Solo and South Africa's Your Business magazine.

There are loads of articles telling you why you should blog. Tonnes, even.

But to objectively decide whether you should or shouldn’t do something, can you afford to ignore the shouldn’t’s?

1. You expect overnight results
Generally quicker than traditional marketing methods, blogging is still a slow and steady process, very much dependant on how much thought and effort you contribute.

Before expecting any results, work through the reasons why you’re blogging, and what it is you want to achieve. Only then can you start expecting and measuring your results. Without clarity of purpose, your blog will most likely deliver less than desirable results.

2. You’ll only blog when an idea hits you
Blogging is another marketing tool, and should be treated as such. If you only blog sporadically about whatever pops into your mind, your blog will be ineffective.

Make a plan. Brainstorm your post ideas, revise them, and then arrange them in chronological order. Then work out a posting schedule, and stick to it.

Do this every 6-8 weeks, allowing for breaking news posts. This way you won’t ever be stumped on what to blog about (increasing the quality of your posts) and your readers can spot your blogging patterns, so will be more likely to return.

Keep a little journal or file to jot down your great post ideas in the interim.

3. You’re a really bad writer
You’re full of wonderful blog post ideas, but you know you are a terrible writer. Unfortunately, no matter how practical and valuable your ideas, if you cannot write coherently, you shouldn’t blog.

Paying someone who can write to blog for you is an expensive exercise. More importantly, the essence of you simply cannot be portrayed in the same manner.

Bite the bullet and learn! Learning to write well will benefit many areas of your business, not just your blog.

4. You don’t read or comment on other people’s blogs
Reading and commenting on other people’s blogs is a great way to: attract new readers, build your brand, learn, and find inspiration.

Make sure you include this step in your blog plan. Keeping your blog goals in mind, read and comment on selected blogs that will help you achieve your goals. If your goal is to attract new clients, then comment on blogs where you know your target market hang out.

Don’t forget to include a link to your blog in your signature.

5. You’re a fence-sitter
Boring. You won’t solicit many comments - or readers, for that matter.

Readers look for decisive, powerful, posts. Whilst this does not mean each and every post must be a controversial, shock-value rant, it does mean that you take a substantiated stand. Readers don’t have to agree with you; they have to be confident you know what you’re on about.

6. You’re going to remove comments you don’t like/agree with
We cannot please everyone. There’s always going to be that someone who doesn’t like/agree with us. Unless the post is blasphemous or insulting, leave it.

Do, however, respond with your own comment. This shows that you care about your reader’s thoughts and are willing to engage. This is one of the most valuable opportunities to showcase your client service acumen.

7. You’re blogging because everyone else is blogging
Your competition is blogging, and it’s all over the media, so you think you should blog, too. Perhaps - but is this a good enough reason? How successful will your blog really be if this is the only reason you’re blogging?

Again, it comes down to your blog plan. If you honestly cannot see value in blogging or you don’t have clarity of purpose, then you shouldn’t blog.

Why else shouldn’t you blog? What elements of a blog scream ‘I don’t really care?’, turning you away?

WANTED: Mastermind Group Members

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:10:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

I've been meaning to form/join a Mastermind group for some months now. Never sure of just how to go about doing so, I've lurked around forums and networking events gleaning snippets of know-how.

Then just three weeks ago, the topic arose at a networking event. The Sydney Twitter Underground Brigade's, in fact.

It turns out I wasn't the only one in my boat.

Arranged through Twitter, our first Mastermind group meeting was two weeks ago. Over coffee, we brainstormed for several hours on the purpose of the group, meeting structure and confidentiality.

We also discussed group numbers, which brings me to the purpose of this post!

Ideally, we'd like another two members to bring the group to five. Have a mosey at our outline:

Current members:
A web developer, a marketing strategy consultant and yours truly.

New members - industry:
Preferably, we'd like our new members to be from one of the following industries:

Legal
Accounting
Retail
Business
HR/Recruitment
Marketing
Business Funding

New members - criteria:
New members should also be:

Running their own business
Interested in business growth
Committed to helping others grow their business
Able to conveniently attend three-hour monthly meetings in Sydney's CBD
Willing to commit to a minimum of six months

If this sounds like you, or you know of someone who may be interested, please drop me an email: amanda@untangletheweb.com.au

Blogging Workshop: Bane or Benefit?

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:16:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

Everyone's carrying on about blogs. Apparently it's the latest and greatest way to boost your small business.

But as a small business owner, do you really need one?

I'm running an interactive two-hour workshop in the Sydney CBD to discuss just that. Topics include:

defining blogs
why you should or shouldn't blog
how blogs can help your clients find you sooner online
deciding what to blog about
why blogs heighten your credibility
the benefits of commenting on other people's blogs

Unlike most workshops where you write copious amounts of notes, never to be seen again, you will leave this workshop with real, practical ideas that can be implemented to boost your business straight away!

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Date:
TBA

Time:
3.00pm - 5.00pm

Place:
Clearly Business
Level 19
323 Castlereagh Street
Sydney (right near Central)

Cost:
$25 (incl GST)

Registration:
Phone Clearly Business on (02) 9212 0555 or register online. Limited spaces so be quick.

What to bring:
Notepad, coloured markers and loads of questions!

IN THE PRESS: Top 111 Businesswomen on Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:55:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

I'm simply honoured to be listed in SPROUT's Top 111 Businesswomen to follow on Twitter.

The list has been published in Sarah Prout's popular eBook, Twitter Inspiration. Amongst the list is incredibly successful businesswomen such as Alexandria Brown from the US and Valerie Khoo from Australia.

Featuring in an eBook can give you invaluable international exposure. Whilst this exposure may not be in line with your target market, it heightens your credibility and gives you an edge over your competition.

Most importantly, it's free publicity, not paid advertising - so again, the information is more credible since you didn't have to pay someone to list you.

So why Twitter? Stay tuned for a full post in March 2009.

Websites VS traditional advertising - who wins?

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:03:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

Traditional advertising for small businesses is effective. Small business owners have been using this method of advertising for years, reaping the rewards.

But is there another way to gain more customers – for less money? Check out these five arguments to help you decide.

1. Websites can be updated instantly and frequently for virtually no cost.
Imagine printing 5000 copies of your weekly special to letterbox-drop in your local area. Apart from the time taken to design, print and distribute the flyers every week, the cost of printing, paper and ink is expensive.

How many hours of your time and how much money do you need to spend for this type of advertising?

Now imagine this. Using an editor similar to Microsoft Word, you can type in your weekly special to feature on your website. Once you click save, your offer is instantly displayed on your website.

Not only has this reduced your hours involved significantly, but you will reach an audience far greater than 5000. An audience who, with a click of the mouse, can recommend your business to their friends. Could they do this with traditional advertising?

So how much does this method cost? We charge $10 per month to use our CMS editor. Yep, $10. Not a bad way to attract more customers for far less time and money, hey?

2. Websites can respond to the market and competition instantly.
Tuesday is a slow day for your café. Perhaps you could place an ad in the local rag offering a free muffin with every large coffee on Tuesdays only. Running the ad once would have little or no impact, so could you afford to do this every week?

Now, if you could add this offer to your website, not only would you have no printing or advertising costs, you could change the offer as often as you liked to keep strengthening the weaker areas of your business.

3. Websites do not incur expensive printing or advertising costs.
Websites simply don’t have printing or traditional advertising costs – costs which can easily run into the thousands.

You can use online advertising (a small part of Internet marketing) where you control exactly what you want to spend. I’ll cover Internet marketing in a later post, since there’s plenty to discuss!

4. Websites are measured easily for little or no cost.
You’ve place an ad in the paper. How do you track readership? The fact is you can’t tell who has (or hasn’t) read your ad. Can you measure how many took up the offer? Yes, but with difficulty, diligence and time.

Will you know if your ad was worthwhile and should run again – or be scrapped because there was very little response?

This information (plus much, much more) can be tracked for your website using an analytics tool.

Statistics such as which is the most popular page on your website, where your website visitors live and which page most visitors are leaving your website from are invaluable to help you understand what your customer really wants. Did I mention this tool is free?

5. Websites are permanent.
An ad in your local paper is only alive for the duration of the edition. If your local paper is weekly, then your ad will only be around for one week.

Websites have a longer shelf life. Ongoing costs for websites (with the ability to update content) can be as little as $25 per month. So any offers you have on your website can run for as long as you please – you decide, not someone else.

Traditional advertising still has a place for many small businesses - but get more bang for your buck by also having a website. Imagine how many more visitors your ad will attract by listing your website address.

Instantly, your potential clients can find out much more about you than you could ever fit into your ad, simply by listing your website address.

And think of how many less telephone enquiries there’d be to answer! The questions would answer themselves on your website. Answers, of course, you could update anytime.

Websites versus traditional advertising – is there a clear winner? Or should they work hand-in-hand? You decide!

BUSINESS IN PROFILE: Planning for Babe

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

WHO:
Planning for Babe
PO Box 3313
St Pauls NSW 2031
0411 126 325

Check out their website

WHAT:
Like a wedding planner to a wedding, Planning for Babe is a baby planning service.

With so many baby products and services to choose from, it can be difficult and overwhelming for first-time parents to determine what they actually need - and more importantly, don't need - for their baby.

Planning for Babe matches the most suitable products and services to the parent's unique lifestyle, ensuring they buy the right products and services first time around.

WHY:
As a brand new concept in Australia, Planning for Babe wanted a website which could educate and entrust potential clients on what baby planning actually is.

They also wanted to offer free resources to help gain trust, and to give potential clients an incentive to return to the website. They felt that a blog would be the best method to do this, and we agreed.

The website and blog also had to be stylish and sophisticated to match their branding and market.

WRAP-UP:
Planning for Babe has heightened their credibility and engaged potential clients, predominantly through their blog.

Attracting media coverage from Channel 7 News to invitations to write for high-end magazines, their online presence has strenthened their branding and reputation.

BUSINESS IN PROFILE: Diligo

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 04:35:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

WHO:
Diligo
22 Perouse Road
The Spot, Randwick 2031
(02) 9399 8543

Check out their website

WHAT:
Diligo is a hair, beauty and massage salon in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.

Offering a complimentary purpose-built creche, this chic and friendly establishment allows mothers to indulge and relax, knowing their babe is being looked after by a qualified nanny.

Diligo's beauty lies within its services. Not just a hair salon, Diligo offers all beauty treatments and massage therapies, including spray tans and makeup.

Rather than make a multitude of appointments and travel endlessly between locations, men and women can now attend to all their hair, beauty and soul needs in the one establishment.

WHY:
Diligo wanted to promote the complimentary creche to mothers, and to show all clients how convenient and beneficial it is to have hair, beauty and massage services in the one spot.

As an incentive to visit the website, we added their monthly offer to the home page. By choosing a beauty or soul incentive, Diligo immediately brings attention to these facets of the business.

Adding the link 'Print this voucher to redeem' means Diligo can measure the effectiveness of the offer.

Diligo can update this offer and other website text themselves through our easy-to-use content management system.

WRAP-UP:
Diligo now has another tool to target their intended audience. A tool which is inexpensive, easy-to-use and can be updated instantly - unlike traditional advertising!

There's no place like home

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:36:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

As published in Flying Solo and South Africa's Your Business magazine.

Ah, the homepage. Increasingly the first impression of your business, this piece of prime real estate can make or break your cred. So what can you do to keep your visitors reading?

DO make it blatantly obvious what your website is about
Whilst this in itself sounds blatantly obvious, this is the one thing you need your website to achieve. Together, taglines, menus, headings and a concise blurb can immediately identify who you are and what you do.

DO set the theme and tone for the rest of your website
Although your homepage does not strictly have to be identical to the rest of your website, it strictly has to set the theme and tone. Consistency between pages means your visitors won’t have to re-learn the way your website works each time they browse to a new page.

The layout grid, menu names, colours, fonts and writing style should not be up for negotiation. This is particularly important for those visitors who don’t land on your homepage upon entry.

DO tie your layout with your call to action
Think of how you’d like your sections to flow together, then logically organise them on the page to lead to your call to action. Whether you’d like your visitors to sign up to your newsletter or read your blog through to buying a house online, this applies to all websites, regardless of your size.

DO make the text easy to scan
Stick with short blocks of two to three sentences. Bolden your carefully considered keywords, but don’t be too bold-happy; you’ll annoy rather than assist.

DO make it a cinch to contact you
Having a contact page with your contact details may not be enough. If your call to action requires your visitor to pick up the phone and make a booking, then make sure the call to action and the phone number is on your homepage.

Go one step further and have this available on every page. Many print a particular page from a website for future reference or to show another. Make it easy for them to contact you without having to revisit your website.

DON’T make me think
This is what your homepage (actually, your entire website) should do. Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think! chats about how we really use the web and techniques to make our websites a breeze to use. I love this book because it’s to the point, purposely short and a great laugh to boot. You should see my copy.

DON’T try to promote everything
You’ll only clutter the homepage, bugger the layout and make your visitors think. Constantly remind yourself about the role of your homepage and stick to it.

DON’T have a Flash spectacular as your homepage
Not only are you making life difficult for search engines to crawl and index the key page of your website, you are driving your visitors to click on one very popular button: skip. Don’t let your visitors start their website experience on the wrong click.

DON’T scare the wits out of your visitors with music
They won’t be impressed - or likely to visit again. Enough said.

DON’T use images that take an age to load
Images too big in data size will keep your visitors waiting… and waiting. Use images which are small in size and load quickly yet are sharp and clean to view. Unprofessional images portray unprofessional business.

What homepage elements keep you reading or drive you away in frustration? I look forward to reading your thoughts!

This article has been published online on Flying Solo and in print in South Africa's Your Business magazine.

IN THE PRESS: Profile of an Online Empress

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Gonzalez) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:38:00 +0000

Amanda Gonzalez writes.

I've received some wonderful publicity from SPROUT Publishing.

Have a squiz; I've been featured on their site as an Online Empress.

I'm chuffed. This type of publicity is great for your professional image and search engine rankings. More importantly, publicity heightens your credibility as it can't be bought, like an advertisment.

Publicity with a blend of business and personal information makes you more than just a business name or a logo.

People like to deal with people, particularly with people they know and like. By revealing a small amount of your personal side, your clients and prospectives will naturally warm towards you.

What measures have you used to obtain free publicity? Has revealing a snippet of your personal side helped your business?