Friday, 26 February 2010
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Friday, 5 February 2010
Starting an online business...a few tips from a non tecchie!
As our new online business moves into the end of its first trading quarter, I wanted to pass on a few tips, words of wisdom and experiences to my fellow start ups. Launching as a distributor in the highly competitive promotional merchandise industry sector has been a very steep learning curve!
Tip 1 - Don’t skimp on the website build!
This is not the area to do on the cheap and cheerful because, fundamentally, if the website is not built to be search engine friendly you’re wasting your time and money. So you should also choose your web builder with this in mind. Look at their portfolio and the sites they have built. Do they show signs of having any functionality that you want? How are they ranking? Do they all look the same (and so question the design capability of the company)? You’re looking for examples of good and varied designs, evidence of the inclusion of site maps and good balance between imagery and text.
Tip 2 – Consider Google in all that you do!
It’s the number 1 search engine and it’s not likely to relinquish that spot in the near future. So try and read up on how it works, about the ‘spiders’, the ‘sandbox theory’, what it likes, what it dislikes and build them into your thoughts. For example, we operate in the very competitive promotional merchandise industry. So knowing how highly fought over the keywords ‘promotional merchandise’ is we built them into our name of Code Promotional Merchandise. Only a small point but as the one of the largest retailers in the UK keeps drumming into us...every little helps!
To be honest though, get your website builder choice correct and they should be recommending and implementing this for you. When you brief them (and it only takes an hour to write out your requirements and it removes the chance for disappointment at the end) ensure you clearly state that the site needs to be built to ensure maximum seo friendliness.
Tip 3 – Get writing!
Your website is going to be searched on text, not imagery. So start writing a couple of paragraphs around the key areas of your site. These paragraphs should be your thoughts on the area, include keywords that relate to the topic and make sense! For example, we have a section on writing products that can be used for promotional means. So it highlights the type of products in there e.g. plastic pens, metal pens, recycled pencils etc.
Don’t expect the web builder to write them. They are web builders, not copywriters! And besides, it’s your business so you should know best.
Tip 4 – SEO (the dark arts!)
This is the unknown quantity at the minute for us. The website has been built to a very high ‘seo friendly’ status and we are ranking well. The question is do we commit funds into monthly SEO activity. From what we can gather this is manipulation of keywords, coding etc in order to respond to the competition and keep Google interested. The problem is you will be quoted a shed load of money with not one guarantee that it will get you onto page of Google.
It has to be your call based on your budgets, the market you are in and whether you feel you will rank naturally highly anyway. Shop around, ask for quotes...but if someone guarantees that they will get you onto page 1 make sure you get it in writing as a contract!
Tip 5 – Outbound activity
Don’t just rely of people finding you. Get yourself out there by means of eshots, article submission and news stories. The eshots do not need to be award winning design pieces...we use a an eshot manager that costs us £50 per month, allows us to build trackable eshots using images and texts, is completely compatible with data protection laws and is easy to use. Invest in a targeted email database but measure the bounces and build an acceptable bounce rate into the contract (10% or less I’d suggest).
And article writing is not as daunting as it seems...I mean, your reading this!
Tip 1 - Don’t skimp on the website build!
This is not the area to do on the cheap and cheerful because, fundamentally, if the website is not built to be search engine friendly you’re wasting your time and money. So you should also choose your web builder with this in mind. Look at their portfolio and the sites they have built. Do they show signs of having any functionality that you want? How are they ranking? Do they all look the same (and so question the design capability of the company)? You’re looking for examples of good and varied designs, evidence of the inclusion of site maps and good balance between imagery and text.
Tip 2 – Consider Google in all that you do!
It’s the number 1 search engine and it’s not likely to relinquish that spot in the near future. So try and read up on how it works, about the ‘spiders’, the ‘sandbox theory’, what it likes, what it dislikes and build them into your thoughts. For example, we operate in the very competitive promotional merchandise industry. So knowing how highly fought over the keywords ‘promotional merchandise’ is we built them into our name of Code Promotional Merchandise. Only a small point but as the one of the largest retailers in the UK keeps drumming into us...every little helps!
To be honest though, get your website builder choice correct and they should be recommending and implementing this for you. When you brief them (and it only takes an hour to write out your requirements and it removes the chance for disappointment at the end) ensure you clearly state that the site needs to be built to ensure maximum seo friendliness.
Tip 3 – Get writing!
Your website is going to be searched on text, not imagery. So start writing a couple of paragraphs around the key areas of your site. These paragraphs should be your thoughts on the area, include keywords that relate to the topic and make sense! For example, we have a section on writing products that can be used for promotional means. So it highlights the type of products in there e.g. plastic pens, metal pens, recycled pencils etc.
Don’t expect the web builder to write them. They are web builders, not copywriters! And besides, it’s your business so you should know best.
Tip 4 – SEO (the dark arts!)
This is the unknown quantity at the minute for us. The website has been built to a very high ‘seo friendly’ status and we are ranking well. The question is do we commit funds into monthly SEO activity. From what we can gather this is manipulation of keywords, coding etc in order to respond to the competition and keep Google interested. The problem is you will be quoted a shed load of money with not one guarantee that it will get you onto page of Google.
It has to be your call based on your budgets, the market you are in and whether you feel you will rank naturally highly anyway. Shop around, ask for quotes...but if someone guarantees that they will get you onto page 1 make sure you get it in writing as a contract!
Tip 5 – Outbound activity
Don’t just rely of people finding you. Get yourself out there by means of eshots, article submission and news stories. The eshots do not need to be award winning design pieces...we use a an eshot manager that costs us £50 per month, allows us to build trackable eshots using images and texts, is completely compatible with data protection laws and is easy to use. Invest in a targeted email database but measure the bounces and build an acceptable bounce rate into the contract (10% or less I’d suggest).
And article writing is not as daunting as it seems...I mean, your reading this!
Friday, 15 January 2010
Consider your audience when investing in promotional merchandise!
As we enter 2010 and begin to ride out the economic recession, this is a message to all businesses to use their budgets wisely! Promotional merchandise, promotional products, promotional items (whatever terminology fits!) is still THE most cost effective form of marketing available...but it can all be wasted if you don’t match the product with the person.
So consider these 3 audiences and ponder some of the suggestions we have....
Motorists
The humble tax disc holder has developed rapidly from the days when it used to be plain plastic backing. Not only do businesses have the opportunity for 4 colour print but it’s a premium placed visual being seen by all occupants. And now, there is also the magnetic tax disc holder for even greater opportunities. And its catching on too...one food chain has been using it as a voucher dispenser for its drive-thru customers to great effect. The ice scraper...a classic for motorists! Never likely to be thrown away, always greatly received and available in a multitude of sixes to suit all budgets. With the advent of in-car cup holders, the industry has seen an explosion for travel mugs and travel cups. Thermal cups have seen strong growth and offer a large visual area to work your message around. A strong consideration for any business with a team of drivers on the road, to be used as an employee bonus.
Estate Agents
Promotional keyrings are a massive area of growth due to expansion in materials, formats and sizes. Acrylic keyrings, shaped keyrings, floating keyrings...the list is endless! As a middleman in key holding, the estate agent is an ideal target as when they had the keys back to the new owner; it’s their marketing message that passes along the chain. And with measuring being a key part of the job, promotional tape measures make a great giveaway to this audience. From keyrings attachments to laser beam tape measure versions, all offer long-term opportunities due to their functionality.
Office Managers
Think desks, think female, think useful! Promotional memo blocks are ideal. Large branding areas, always in use and more likely you will get a request for a replacement! The range of sizes of promotional memo blocks is also a factor in their popularity. The most popular sizes are 500 sheets glued down one side.
There has also been a great deal of development in the range of promotional mobile phone holders available on the market place – plastic, metal or card. Or what about considering pen pot holders which are now also available with in-built clocks, photo frames and thermometers. And finally, you have the good old fashioned and reliable promotional calculator! Plastic, metal or embedded in wood...take your pick!
So you see my point! Always consider the end user, their working environment, their job function and you won’t go wrong.
So consider these 3 audiences and ponder some of the suggestions we have....
Motorists
The humble tax disc holder has developed rapidly from the days when it used to be plain plastic backing. Not only do businesses have the opportunity for 4 colour print but it’s a premium placed visual being seen by all occupants. And now, there is also the magnetic tax disc holder for even greater opportunities. And its catching on too...one food chain has been using it as a voucher dispenser for its drive-thru customers to great effect. The ice scraper...a classic for motorists! Never likely to be thrown away, always greatly received and available in a multitude of sixes to suit all budgets. With the advent of in-car cup holders, the industry has seen an explosion for travel mugs and travel cups. Thermal cups have seen strong growth and offer a large visual area to work your message around. A strong consideration for any business with a team of drivers on the road, to be used as an employee bonus.
Estate Agents
Promotional keyrings are a massive area of growth due to expansion in materials, formats and sizes. Acrylic keyrings, shaped keyrings, floating keyrings...the list is endless! As a middleman in key holding, the estate agent is an ideal target as when they had the keys back to the new owner; it’s their marketing message that passes along the chain. And with measuring being a key part of the job, promotional tape measures make a great giveaway to this audience. From keyrings attachments to laser beam tape measure versions, all offer long-term opportunities due to their functionality.
Office Managers
Think desks, think female, think useful! Promotional memo blocks are ideal. Large branding areas, always in use and more likely you will get a request for a replacement! The range of sizes of promotional memo blocks is also a factor in their popularity. The most popular sizes are 500 sheets glued down one side.
There has also been a great deal of development in the range of promotional mobile phone holders available on the market place – plastic, metal or card. Or what about considering pen pot holders which are now also available with in-built clocks, photo frames and thermometers. And finally, you have the good old fashioned and reliable promotional calculator! Plastic, metal or embedded in wood...take your pick!
So you see my point! Always consider the end user, their working environment, their job function and you won’t go wrong.
Monday, 7 December 2009
Why allocate budget for promotional items? Let me explain...
As a marketing manager you will ultimately be asked to justify your decision making. So when the Finance Manager questions the cost of the exhibition support, let’s get the response ready!
High Retention Levels
If you get the giveaway right, then the recipient will keep it. And if you can give away a business gift that will actually save your prospect money then you really will be on to a winner. So consider a giveaway such as promotional pens (always handy), promotional mugs (never enough in the coffee cupboard) and promotional umbrellas (never going to get thrown away).
Message Longevity
No-one can suggest that a promotional item can compare with a TV advert. But what they lack in glamour they more than make up for in longevity. TV adverts are of course the most expensive form of advertising and whilst they may create a dramatic impact the majority are soon forgotten. The beauty of the promotional item is the message is retained, far beyond any cost benefit analysis threshold. Just ask yourself when was the last time you through a promotional baseball cap away|
More Useful Than an Advert
From promotional ice scrapers and promotional torches through to branded mobile phone holders and printed folders, most promotional items are useful in one way or another. As a result of this usefulness they will be retained...along with your brand and message.
Client Loyalty
Promotional merchandise is not just nicety. It can have a massive impact on your customers’ perception of you and your company. So next time they have a choice to make between suppliers, it could just be the factor that swings that order to you rather than the competition. And all because of that element of promotional merchandise that you gave away as a freebie!
To see a comprehensive range of the opportunities available to your business through promotional merchandise, simply visit www.codepromotional.co.uk today.
High Retention Levels
If you get the giveaway right, then the recipient will keep it. And if you can give away a business gift that will actually save your prospect money then you really will be on to a winner. So consider a giveaway such as promotional pens (always handy), promotional mugs (never enough in the coffee cupboard) and promotional umbrellas (never going to get thrown away).
Message Longevity
No-one can suggest that a promotional item can compare with a TV advert. But what they lack in glamour they more than make up for in longevity. TV adverts are of course the most expensive form of advertising and whilst they may create a dramatic impact the majority are soon forgotten. The beauty of the promotional item is the message is retained, far beyond any cost benefit analysis threshold. Just ask yourself when was the last time you through a promotional baseball cap away|
More Useful Than an Advert
From promotional ice scrapers and promotional torches through to branded mobile phone holders and printed folders, most promotional items are useful in one way or another. As a result of this usefulness they will be retained...along with your brand and message.
Client Loyalty
Promotional merchandise is not just nicety. It can have a massive impact on your customers’ perception of you and your company. So next time they have a choice to make between suppliers, it could just be the factor that swings that order to you rather than the competition. And all because of that element of promotional merchandise that you gave away as a freebie!
To see a comprehensive range of the opportunities available to your business through promotional merchandise, simply visit www.codepromotional.co.uk today.
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