The Big Mistake Small Businesses Make

Most small business owners are doers and go-getters, but spend less time planning than they should. This is why most small business owners don’t have systematic schedules for marketing their products, services and brand image. These systematic schedules are called marketing plans. Yes it does sound very corporate, and you may think your business is too small to have a marketing plan, but every business needs one. Why? Because it forces you to set goals with benchmarks, timetables, and methods to attaining them. Imagine a building being built without a detailed architectural plan—a just build as you go formula. Well unfortunately most small businesses do that. They have a financial goal, but no architected plan to get to that goal.

A Magnet For Your Business
Written goals that are reviewed regularly serve as magnets for attracting things in their direction. They draw you in the directions that you outline in your plans. And the more specific your marketing plans are, the more likely you will achieve your desired goals. So if business is slow or moderate take the time to create a marketing plan for your business. By doing this, you could turn your business around within weeks or months. Determine what your three year goals are for your business (even though you are making a one year marketing plan), then work backwards to determine what your one year goal is. A simple marketing plan is better than no plan, so get started. Here are a few suggestions to get started with a simple marketing plan:

Things to consider:
• How do I want my business to enhance the lives of my customers and my community?
• What do I want my business to stand for, in the eyes of my customers?
• My reputation and stature, defines my brand. What will help enhance my brand?
• What do I increase my annual sales revenue to?
• What will be my gross profits?
• How many units will I sell?
• How many new clients will I acquire?
• What will be the means by which I attract new clients?
• How do I attract past clients to come back?
• How do I increase the average sale amount?
• How much do I spend per client to market my business?
• What should my messages be to my clients to attract them?

Yes this is a lot of thinking, and yes you hardly have the time to run the business much less spend time on this. But once you get this completed, whether it is by yourself or with the help of someone professional, you will feel a sense of confidence and see the results for your efforts pay off. Just remember, make monthly benchmarks and you will begin to see things fall into place little-by-little.


If you would like more marketing assistance, or for any other marketing ideas, please visit http://www.sandiegosmallbusinessmarketingservices.com/

7 Things Every Website Home Page Should Have

Your website home page is like your storefront. It is the face of your business that either invites you to come in or not. The difference with a website home page is that you only have 15 seconds to generate interest in your business or you may never see that visitor again. So in order to attract more visitors deeper into your website, your home page should have these key elements:


1. It should have a compelling headline that invites you to read more about how you can benefit the reader

2. It should have your company’s unique selling position (USP) within the first paragraph

3. It should have a call-to-action—an offer that prompts the viewer to either contact you, purchase something, or sign on to something

4. It should have a powerful guarantee—a promise that reduces risk for doing business with you

5. It should have graphics with people in the pictures. It makes the home page more personal

6. If possible it should have a picture of the business owner with a welcoming message

7. It should have a testimonial or two from clients you have served before

If you have these key elements on your homepage, and they are presented tastefully, you will generate trust and a willingness to do business with you.

If you would like more marketing assistance, or for any other marketing ideas, please visit http://www.sandiegosmallbusinessmarketingservices.com/

10 Elements That Are Essential For Making An Effective Ad

To give your ad the best chance of getting the results you want, there are a some important things you must do:

1. State what your unique competitive advantage is
2. Create a compelling, attention-grabbing headline
3. Offer an irresistible bargain
4. Explain the benefits of your product or service—listing benefits is more important than listing features
5. Make your ad an advertorial—people read news articles 7 times more than advertisements
6. Offer a risk-free guarantee for doing business with you
7. Create a call-to-action that will trigger a response
8. Create a sense of urgency to compel your viewer to act quickly
9. Use a testimonial from a current client
10. Use exciting graphics that correlate with your headline

In addition to these key elements, be sure to lead your prospects to your website for further details. Then track all responses to your ads. And remember to always over-deliver to your customers. If you give them more than they are expecting, they will be loyal to you.


If you would like more marketing assistance, or for any other marketing ideas, please visit http://www.sandiegosmallbusinessmarketingservices.com/

Marketing Companies vs Advertising Agencies

How do you choose between a marketing company and an advertising agency? What is the difference? Well by definition, "an advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising (and sometimes other forms of promotion) for its clients"—wikipedia. A marketing company "is used to create the customer, to keep the customer and to satisfy the customer"—wikipedia. Though both advertising agencies and marketing companies offer similar services, marketing companies tend to focus more on anticipating the needs and wants of consumers.

According to Wikipedia, "an ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services." The good thing about ad agencies these days is that they can handle overall marketing, branding strategies and sales promotions for its clients. However, make sure these agencies are suited for your specific needs as a small business. Most agencies have a niche industry or two that they work with.

Marketing companies focus on implementing effective, cost-efficient programs, to give businesses a detailed, objective understanding of their own customers and market. This then dictates where and how to advertise—if advertising is even necessary. Marketing companies are not all about statistics and numbers. Good marketing companies pay attention to your end client's needs, by helping with the way you run your company's operations, client relations and marketing. 

In conclusion, both advertising agencies and marketing companies offer a wealth of expertise for businesses. So who ever you choose to help grow your business, be sure that your customers benefit the most. Always over-deliver!


If you would like more marketing assistance, or for any other marketing ideas, please visit http://www.sandiegosmallbusinessmarketingservices.com/