Small Business Marketing: Getting Back to Basics

As we become seasoned business owners, we sometimes get lost in working in our business instead of working on our business. In doing this, we start to lose sight of why we decided to go into business for ourselves and everything we do becomes a habit. This is why, over the next several issues, we're going to get back to some of the basics of marketing.

With the economy the way it's been, I've seen a lot of business owners responding to the slow times in fear. The first place business owners cut back is in the amount of money they spend on marketing. One of the reasons for this response is because many business owners view marketing as an expense instead of an investment. I'm sure we've all heard the saying, "You've got to spend money to make money." It's true.

With that said, the first thing you need to do is view marketing in a more positive light. Instead of cutting back on your marketing dollars, you need to take this time to regroup and review your business model, see how well you serve your customers, and create a strategic plan for moving forward.

So where do you start?

It's important to take a look at what you've been doing and evaluate how well it's working. Hopefully you have a plan in place to find out from where you are generating new customers. If not, that's the first policy you should begin implementing right away.

In evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing program you need to be answering a number of questions like "What strategies have I been using to market my business and which ones have been successful?," "Is my marketing message focused on what the customer wants or on what I am selling?," and "How well am I serving my customers?"

Once you do your research, you'll be able to identify what strategies are working and those that need to be stopped. You will also be able to determine how well your marketing message works. Finally, by talking with your current customers you will be able to ascertain if there are areas of your service that need to be improved. As soon as you reach this point, you'll be able to create a marketing plan that will get you better results for the investment you are making.

In the issues to come, we'll be discussing the different aspects of a marketing plan including customer service, prospecting, sales, advertising, etc. If you want a better foundation for the planning you will be doing, I highly recommend reading the book, "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber. To purchase a copy, you may click on the link below.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do about It By Michael Gerber / Harpercollins

Selecting keyword phrases for Search Engine Optimization

One of the secrets to search engine traffic is using pre-selected keyword phrases within the content and other areas of your web site. Keyword phrases are what potential visitors would use when searching for the products and/or services you provide. You want to find the best phrases and use them in your site in a deliberate and pre-planned way. Too many keywords and your site ranking goes down. Not enough and your site goes nowhere.

If you've done any research about keywords, you may have seen or heard the term "KEI." The KEI is a search engine optimization tool used to measure how effective a keyword phrase would be for your web site. Technically speaking, it compares the number of searches for a keyword phrase (a/k/a popularity) with the number of search results (i.e. your competition). The higher the KEI, the better chance you have to get higher in search listings.

Ok, for the nuts and bolts of how this works... Before you do any searches, you want to really put some thought into your keyword phrases. One thing to remember is that you need to be looking for several keyword phrases (two or three words) that describe the content of the particular page on which you are working. For example, if you are in the business of fixing cars, a good keyword phrase would be "automotive repair shop."

Next, you want to identify the KEI for your phrases. The following formula is used to determine the KEI.

KEI=Number of Searches / Number of Results

To begin your research you can use Google's Free Keyword Tool. This tool is an excellent way to start your research. Another way is to use Wordtracker. They offer a free search, but the information you gain is limited. You may want to consider a weekly subscription for a small fee and complete all your research then. They also have a free trial subscription to their service. To check it out, go to:

Free Keyword Search Trial with Wordtracker

Great Ways to Show Customers You Appreciate Them

We're in tough times. Competition for new business is high and the economy is slow. Despite the way things are, here's one thing I know... loyal customers will stay with you regardless of the cost of doing business. But here's the catch. How do you create a loyal customer?

The first and foremost way of developing a loyal customer base is by providing superior customer service. Not the kind of customer service that gets by doing a little bit more than the competition but the kind that far exceeds their expectations. The kind of customer service that lets them know they can depend on you no matter what. The kind of service that is performed consistently each and every time you come in contact with a customer.

Beyond this level, I believe there are ways you can show your customer you appreciate them. These ways are all about "developing a relationship" and not about manipulating anyone or making them feel guilty if they don't do business with you.

1. Send a handwritten "thank you" when they give you a referral. This is a simple gesture so many business owners overlook. If you are in retail, don't think you are limited in this area. I'm talking about loyal customers here, so you should have their name and address. If not, you should create a system that seeks to find out that information and begin to develop stronger relationships with your customers.


2. Send out a card on the day of your customer's anniversary of doing business with you. This not only lets them know you appreciate them, but it reminds them of how long they have been loyal to you. If you have more personal information on your customer, like their birth date, send out a card for that occasion.


3. You can always use some simple giveaways to hand out to customers when they make a purchase. My favorite promotional product company is All-Ways Advertising . If you contact Michael Schleifer , he'll help you come up with a promotional campaign that will make an impression on your customers.


4. Listen to your customers and what they tell you about their personal lives. When the holidays come or if they refer someone to you that becomes an "A-rated" customer, send them a gift that has some meaning. It has to be something that shows you put some thought into it, just like you were purchasing a gift for a close friend or family member. Here are just a few ideas:
   

   - If you know your client loves exotic plants, you can go on-line to a florist (like Flowers Fast - they are a top 100 FTD company and can ship most things with same day delivery) or a company that sells specialty plants. Bonsai trees are always a unique type of gift. Bonsai Boy of NY has a great selection of bonsai trees at very reasonable prices.

   - One of my favorite gifts to give a customer is a steak and seafood dinner. Last year I had a prime rib and crab leg dinner for 4 sent to one of my clients just before Christmas. They received not only a great meal, but they had one evening where they didn't have to worry about what to have for supper and they could enjoy each other's company.

   - For the busy executive, you can always go to Executive Essentials for fine pens or Franklin Covey , a well-known company that offers the world's best training and planning tools to help people their effectiveness and achieve their highest priorities.

   - Does your customer like to play golf? Go to www.golfcard.com and give them a golf card that allows a discount at 3600 courses around the country.

   - Finally, there's always the gift basket filled with holiday treats like candies, muffins, cookies, wines or cheeses. You can go with a local company, like The Giving Basket in New Jersey (they can ship anywhere and have been named as one of the top gift basket companies in the country). I also like Mallory's Marvelous Muffins ( www.muffinlady.com ). I know the owners of these two companies and highly recommend them to anyone who wants to make a good impression. Some on-line companies to look into include Wisconsin Cheeseman or Winebasket.com.

Hopefully I've given you some different ways to show your customers you appreciate them. If you don't have the budget to implement any of these ideas and you can't do anything else, make sure you at least give them a call just to tell them "thank you."