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Dust off That Old English Book and Add Some Value to Your Website

The value that the written word can contribute to a business cannot be overstated. Consider the following: How many times has an unintelligible text message gone unread? How often does the focus shift from the topic of a press release to the spelling errors in it? Providing a valuable product is not enough to retain customers and keep a business growing. After all, who will want to order a new product if they are not even sure what the description is trying to convey?

Even with an already established business, bringing a copywriter on to the staff may be one of the most important aspects of growing a business. Skilled copywriters understand the finer nuances of writing a fine piece of copy, and they know what it takes to snag a customer’s attention.

However, say a customer is satisfied for the time being and not interested in purchasing another product for the foreseeable future. Perhaps he or she already owns or utilizes the offered products and is otherwise satisfied. So how can the written word keep them engaged and coming back? Increasingly, businesses are incorporating blogs into their websites, creating an environment to which consumers will want to return.

The important thing to remember about blogs is thatthey do matter. Customers will be reading these and possibly even sharing them with their friends through social media, so make those words count. People want engaging and valuable content, and they know when they are being swindled. Make sure the quality of a blog reflects the same quality that you strive for in day-to-day business.

While a business certainly needs new customers to grow, where would a company be without a loyal group of existing customers? One way to make a business even better is to create a welcoming environment, which can be relatively easy in the online world. Professional level copy can set the tone and welcome customers in, while an ongoing blog with exciting and engaging content can keep people coming back time after time, creating a solid foundation that will allow your business to grow and thrive.

When to Give Your 2-Week Notice and When to Wait It Out

Ready to quit that 9 to 5 and set up a business at home? Not so fast! Before you act, consider the following questions:

  • Am I angry about my current job? Startups based on drive and passion, not as a backlash to an unpleasant event, are more likely to succeed.
  • Can I be flexible when necessary? Even with the most well-written business plans, there are still unexpected obstacles that nearly all entrepreneurs will need to overcome.
  • What am I willing to sacrifice? Money, fancy coffee, date nights? The answer will be different for everyone, but it is important to understand what is on the line before facing the possibility of having to give it up.
  • Am I really passionate about this? The answer to this should be a resounding YES!

Starting a business is so much more than opening up a laptop in your spare bedroom and posting a few ads on the Internet. There are business plans to be written, research to be done, licenses to be applied for and all of the behind-the-scenes hard work that must be completed before a startup can even begin to provide consumer-ready products.

While every entrepreneur had to start somewhere, the truly successful ones understand that there is a time to take action and a time to be patient. So let’s review those questions one more time. There is no need to worry if the answers were a little unexpected or discouraging. If now is not the right time, focus on researching opportunities for your future business. When the time is right, the extra time and effort spent gathering necessary information will likely play an invaluable role in your business’s success.

Better Your Business by Bettering Yourself

Do you know everything there is to know about your product and its market? Those under that impression may want to consider the following questions:

  • What are competitors doing differently that is working?
  • How are customers actually using your product?
  • What is the future application of your product(s)?
  • Will customers’ needs evolve with time?
  • What is the future market for this product?
  • If there is no future market, what product would bemost appropriate to take its place?

Founders of start-up companies often have to work long hours and wear many different hats, such as CEO, manager, accountant and social media expert. Although a substantial amount of research usually goes on during the early phases of a new business, it can taper off at a significant pace once success hits. Understandably, it can sometimes feel as though the time for research simply is not there.

Research does not have to be a daily or even weekly event. Try setting aside time once or twice a month to review the most up-to-date information on certain topics. If you do not know where to start, try revisiting some of the questions above.

The world is far from stagnant, and changing business practices and customer needs and wants can evolve at a surprising rate in an online arena. Those who are under the impression that they already know everything that is necessary to keep a business up and running could most likely benefit from following the lead of other individuals who acknowledge that there is almost always something new to be learned in order to truly thrive in a competitive, online world.

Paths to Finding a Purpose Can Be as Unique as Fingerprints

It is one thing to discuss what role a person’s purpose should play in a successful business, but it is another to actually witness a successful entrepreneur put those words into action.

The Next Web’s founder, Boriz Veldhuijzen van Zanten, was, unfortunately, mislabeled as a stupid or lazy student when he was young. In reality, he was simply suffering from dyslexia. Even after he was diagnosed, he struggled in school and felt as though he never truly belonged. With his parent’s blessing to drop out of high school, van Zanten decided to follow his passion for juggling to circus school. Instead of floundering behind the material as he had in traditional school, he excelled. His bravery to follow his passion led to a college degree cum laude and a thriving Internet business.

For another man, being an entrepreneur was his purpose. Even as a small child, Edward Wimmer understood how to make money from doing what he loved — creating new business ventures. Eventually,his love of running and of entrepreneurship met face-to-face, and he and his father co-founded RoadID. Both father and son found a much deeper purpose through the creation of this company. They discovered a passion to help save lives.

Each individual on this Earth is wonderfully unique in his or her own way, and the path to discovering a true purpose will be different for everyone. For some, a passion in life might set them on an exciting road to a successful business. Others might think that they already understand their purpose, but time spent behind the helm of a business could reveal that they were meant for something even greater.

Yes, You CAN Be Productive on Facebook

Just because social media use is widespread does not mean that most users are proficient at using it to their advantage. Of course, the vast majority of Facebook and Twitter users are not setting out to build a platform or promote a product, so this is not exactly a skill that most people pick up by sharing vacation plans or liking a picture of a friend’s baby.

What business owners should strive to do is get those same users engaging with the content of their business’s page, and not just the highly addictive Facebook games. Those who have already attempted to establish a successful business social media page know that reaching new and existing customers takes much more work than posting a few links back to the company website. Before throwing in the towel, try some of these tips to help grow your social media presence.

  • Give customers a platform to communicate by postingcontent that encourages them to reply or share information of their own. Engaging with those who actually use your product or service will provide further insight into the needs and wants of your customers.
  • Use that information to stay relevant. Tie your product, blog post, website or business’s purpose into more of the posts that your social media fans actually want to see. Remember, there is no conversation without content. Be sure to post regularly!
  • Try not to let social media take over your life. Entrepreneurs do not need hours on end to be productive but rather allotted periods of time devoted to certain tasks.

In the online world, social media is practically a way of life. In order to grow your business to its full potential, a bit of social media savvy can be precisely what you need.

Just Enough Motivation To Get Through The Day

Do you ever have a hard time finishing tasks? Do you find yourself checking Twitter, scrolling through the Facebook newsfeed or shopping online instead of completing your work in a timely manner? We live in a world of distraction and constant connectivity. A thousand voices clamor for our attention at all times, making it quite difficult to shut down the extra noise and simply focus on the task at hand.

Why is it so difficult to find the motivation to buckle down and finish work? A lack of motivation can be related to many things–exhaustion, stress, personal issues unrelated to work or a lack of self discipline. In fact, a healthy dose of self discipline can be the perfect solution for those who cannot focus. But, where does it come from? Fortunately, cultivating self discipline is an art form of sorts, and is one that can be developed and perfected with practice. If you need to develop better habits for your work day, consider some of the following practices:

  • Set a specific time every day to check email and browse social media
  • Set a timer for each task that needs to completed, challenge yourself to “beat the clock”
  • Exit out of your Internet browser and only open for work-related needs
  • Schedule a half-hour in the middle of the day to make phone calls, browse the internet and mentally regroup
  • Stop making excuses for wasting time

With a little practice, it is possible to dig deep and muster up the motivation needed to finish that project, that blog or whatever it is that requires your attention–or maybe even find just enough motivation to make it through the day.

Spotting a Mistake Set Art Papas on the Path to Success

Art Papas was only 23 years old when he realized the company for which he worked did not have any sort of real future. Not only was it suffering financially, but the software he had been hired to help engineer and develop did not actually seem to serve any real purpose.

Concerned that the potential customers who the business had lined up would come to the same conclusion, he approached his employers with his worries. Confident of his assessment of the product and of his own abilities, Papas even advocated for various strategies that would produce a more applicable end product. Not only were his concerns ignored, but he can still recall one executive deriding him for his opinion. Ignoring his better instincts, he returned to work on the project to complete the job for which he had been hired.

Unfortunately, Papas was correct. After production wrapped up, he hit the road alongside the CEO and began to showcase the product to all of the big-name customers who had been eagerly awaiting its release. The excitement that those customers had initially expressed quickly waned into disinterest. Most people did not show any kind of reaction at all when listening to the sales pitch.

Recognizing potential blunders in a service or product and further understanding how to correct them is an important aspect of running any business. After wrapping up the road trip showcase, Papas separated from this job and, instead, partnered with someone who appreciated the skills that he offered as both a software engineer and an inspired business leader. Only two short weeks later, he and his partner founded Bullhorn, which continues to thrive today.

Search Engine Optimization For A Local Business

Should a local business owner invest in search engine optimization (SEO)? SEO is important for larger businesses and companies that are not restricted to a specific geographical area, but it can also be a beneficial tool for local businesses that need to maximize exposure and increase website traffic. Local businesses will benefit from setting up a local page with major search engines, such as Bing, Yahoo and Google.

Once the proper local pages are set up, the next step is to optimize these pages so that they appear at or near the top of the results page when a local resident is searching for a specific category. Local businesses of all kinds will benefit from a close understanding of SEO and how it can impact their profitability, including restaurants, boutiques, insurance salesmen and even car dealerships. Many potential clients, even if they are local, depend on internet searches to look up location and business hours.

One of the main factors that can “make or break” SEO is updated information. Outdated or incorrect information can negatively impact search results. Negative reviews, low quality photographs or a poorly constructed website can also impact SEO, bumping a business farther down on the search results list. Many local business owners underestimate the importance of a smartly developed website and how that can actually affect how residents patronize local businesses.

Optimizing a website and improving SEO can be complex and time consuming tasks for small business owners. At Virtue Marketing, we know what it takes to run a small business. We help businesses of all sizes develop website content that improves SEO and increases site traffic. These steps are as important for a small business as they are for a major corporation. Let us help you connect with potential local customers through search engine optimization and quality website content.