When was the last time that you experienced GREAT customer service? It seems that over the last decade or so, many businesses have adopted a model of striving to provide only adequate or good customer service. Most of the time, clerks and cashiers in stores barely smile or acknowledge you when you are at the …
I love when I hear conversations about social media that contain complaints about a lack of response to marketing messages. Too often, it seems, people tend to focus on marketing and not the social part of it all. Social media is about building communities and developing relationships. Yes, there is currently a large commercial component …
So, you may be asking why a web developer is writing about Business Plans and Marketing Plans. To put it simply, I have a vested interest in my clients – current & future – clearly knowing how their business is doing, where they want it to go, and how it’s going to get there. Developing …
A business plan is one of those things that many people try to avoid when starting a business. When you try to research why you should have one or how to write one, you’ll most likely get results that make a business plan sound complicated, tedious, and unnecessary unless you’re looking for financing or investors. …
The web used to be a great land of “build it and they will come” options. However, the proliferation of websites for every business venture means that your customers have many more options than ever before. A simple search for the topic of choice will direct an interested party to hundreds of websites. If yours …
One of the most comment questions that I get from new web development clients is about what kind of information to include on their brand-new website. Specifically, they want to know what pages and information their visitors will expect to be able to find. Here’s the top 5 pages or information areas that I recommend …
“Social” has become a bit of a buzz word over recent times. Social networking. Social media. Social bookmarking. Social marketing. Social responsibility. And the latest that I’ve heard – Social shipping. Social shipping is a term I first came across on the Smashing Magazine website on the post about their upcoming book. Here’s how they …
One of the great sessions that I attended at PodCamp Boston 4 was about Podcasting, led by Guido Stein. Guido covered many great tech tips about podcasting, from Recording to Editing to Posting and Interacting with your listeners. All of Guido’s great tips are available online. One of the things that was discussed is the …
This question recently came up, so I thought I’d put a quick how-to up here for future reference. Basically, there are two ways you can do this – by individual document, or change the default file format to Word 97-2003 compatible. Save individual document as Word 2003 format Click on the Office icon button in …
Make-a-Referral-Week takes place March 9 through 13, 2009. The goal to generate 1,000 referrals to 1,000 small businesses as a testament to both the power of referrals and the power of small business in the nation’s economy. This week-long virtual event also will feature daily educational programs that show small-business owners how to put referral marketing to work for them.
One of the many topics of discussion this week at BizBuilderCT was about beginning with the end in mind. There were several newcomers to the group, both experienced entrepreneurs and new business owners. Regardless of experience level, a common theme that we all face is how to take the steps necessary to accomplish our goals. …
We all know the importance of routinely backing up our important files, right? Software systems and online services abound that make this seamless and easy for you. But what happens when your backup fails? It is important to have two backup systems. Ideally, one should be on site and one should be off. Use archiving …
I’ll begin with a confession. I play WoW – World of Warcraft, for those that don’t know. But this isn’t really about me, it’s about my dear hubby. He is an avid WoW player, and has recruited nearly his entire family into playing as well. Talk about a family affair… During a recent planning meeting …
I’m sure I’ve sparked someone’s attention with that post title and while not exactly my intent, it does fit more than anything else. I was inducted today as a member of the Southeastern Connecticut Women’s Network and had the opportunity to give my elevator speech to a room full of business women at once. What …
No, I’m not talking about texting on your phone. What I’d actually like to discuss is text vs. HTML eNewsletters. Being the web designer aficionado that I am, my tendency was to stick with HTML eNewsletters. But I’ve had a revelation of sorts recently. Every evening, I snuggle into bed and use my Blackberry to …
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