fbpx

How to Build an Online Presence and Why You Need One

Your business website is finally complete. You have created a company Twitter account and targeted ads are set to go live. So, pop quiz for you: Are you now finished creating your business’s online presence?

The Answer… NOT A CHANCE.

An online presence is much more than a handful of social media accounts and an artfully designed website, and it is never finished. A business’s online presence should include any and all of its activity online, and it should be created with clear, concise goals in mind. That means unless it can help you reach your goal, there is no need to share that hilarious article on the business’s blog, even if it did make you chuckle.

Ready to start building an online presence to help further your business? Here are FOUR easy steps you can start on now.

Set Goals

What should the business’s online presence accomplish? Do you want to bring in more customers or beef up a fan page’s numbers? Without any idea of where you want an online presence to take a business, it can be impossible to get there.

Start at Home

Without a brick and mortar building, the website is a business’s virtual structure. It should be clean, readable and easy for customers to navigate. Keep in mind that clean and easy do not mean boring. Make sure the content on the blog page is engaging and helps contribute to the goals you set.

Focus on Value

Posting for posting’s sake is an enormous problem that people run into when trying to create an online presence. Out of things to say? There is no need to panic, but refrain from posting the first thing that crosses your news feed. An online presence should provide consistently valuable content that reflects back on the business and its goals. Have trouble creating new content? Bring on help to handle the task and hold brainstorming sessions to set up a topic schedule.

Be Outgoing

Hey, it is called social media for a reason! Put yourself and your business out there. Customers and fans are not the only ones with whom you should be engaging. Be sure to focus on building credible business relationships along the way.

Virtually every business has an online presence in this day and age, but the process of creating and maintaining a successful presence can be even more important for startups and other online businesses.And hey, creating an online presence and community with customers and likeminded entrepreneurs sure beats passing out flyers on the corner.

You Could be 2 Questions Away from a Purpose-Filled Life

Think that you are living your purpose but not entirely sure? Occasional doubt and worry is a normal aspect of life, but when it comes to your purpose, there should be a burning acknowledgement deep within you that sparks to life with each action. Still not convinced that you are on the right path? Try asking yourself the following question:

Am I living a life filled with passion and excitement?

This can be a tricky question, so give it a bit of thought before answering. Stress and busy schedules can masquerade as excitement, so really give all of the tasks that take up your day (yes, even the small ones) serious consideration. If the answer is “no,” ask yourself this:

Am I living up to my full potential?

If you feel as if there is no purpose in your life, the answer to this one is probably a resounding “NO.” Take a minute to reflect here. If you could improve one area of your life and guarantee that in that particular one area you would eventually be able to meet and exceed your potential, what would it be?

Driven entrepreneurs understand the value of self-reflection and know just how important this is. After all, it can be exceptionally difficult to lead and guide a business by its purpose when the owner still does not have a solid handle on his or her own.

Wish that you could live your life with the same fiery passion for every new day? Who knows, you couldbe just a few questions away from that reality.

Not Worried about Advertising? Your Bottom Line Could be Suffering

With advertisements and marketing taking up various amounts of precious space on the vast majority of websites, oversaturation has conditioned a great many number of online users to simply ignore the tiny boxes vying for their attention. Some business owners operate under the impression that ads are ads, and that one is as good as any other. However, no matter whether the advertisement is text or image based, it has to be pretty compelling to actually garner clicks that will eventually lead to customers.

So, what happens when a business spends valuable money on an ineffective ad campaign? It wastes time, money and the opportunity to bring in new customers. Think that any type of sustainable wealth building is going on at a company where this is taking place? Most likely not.

Successful startups spend a lot of time researching and strategizing new products and services before beginning development or even thinking about launching, but that same dedication often seems to disappear when it comes time to employ a bit of online marketing. Most online businesses will never grace the television screen between prime time sitcoms and the evening news, so online marketing and ad campaigns need to be focused, tight and ready to do their jobs — drive customers in and not away.

Defining outcomes of a successful online advertising campaign include an increased online presence, new customers and a brighter bottom line. These are the types of expenses of which business owners should not be afraid and can even be an investment. Sure, there is an upfront cost, but the return is usually more than worth it.

While entrepreneurs are often one-man (and woman) show extraordinaires, without a background in marketing, this is one top that may not fit. Before committing to any type of agreement with a marketing company or freelancer, be sure to shop around for the perfect fit. Mediocre marketers might be willing to sum up what they see as a good campaign, while great ones will be more than happy to discuss the business’s needs and goals to craft the most successful strategy possible.

Lisa Falzone – Conquering the Business World Before 30

Ever gone to pay a bill at a restaurant or have your clothes rung up at a boutique only to find that the traditional point of sale was noticeably absent? If an employee was swiping across an iPad screen before accepting payment, he or she was most likely using the brain child of Lisa Falzone.

Since co-founding the wildly successful POS software company, Falzone has graced lists in Business Insider, Forbes and the San Francisco Business Times naming her one of the most important entrepreneurs of her age. Revel Systems is not only in San Francisco where the company is based but isacross the nation in over 1,200 major locations. It is not just small retailers using this revolutionary technology for the iPad — several different sports stadiums recognize how powerful, useful and easy this type of technology is.

Falzone did far more than just come up with a brilliant idea. As CEO and head of daily operations at Revel Systems, she is the leader who strives for new growth and who is responsible for moving forward with an international expansion. Still not impressed? Falzone singlehandedly brought in over $13 million in capital funding, without which the company would be far below where it is today.

Still younger than 30 years old, Falzone has shown just what a “go get ‘em” attitude can accomplish. Planning and research might be necessary components of a successful startup, but when they become time sinks for procrastination, it might be time to stop thinking and start acting.

Thinking Internationally to Build Wealth

Some entrepreneurs set out to corner a market in certain regions or areas of a country, while others set their eyes on a bigger prize — the international market. In the digital age, providing valuable products and services to overseas locations is no longer the enormous hurdle that it once was.

Michael Chasen originally co-founded the education software provider Blackboard Inc. back in 1997. Ingenuity and critical planning helped Blackboard survive the recent recession when many of its competitors burst alongside the tech bubble. Part of Blackboard’s survival has been contributed to the company’s subscription model, which functions on an annual basis.

But, is there really any room left in the digital and software education front in the United States? For new and innovative products, of course there is, but for existing ones, there may be little more than wiggle room. With a solid percentage of the market in the United States squared away, Blackboard has turned its sight overseas to previously untouched markets.

Schools are using Blackboard’s software in thousands of places, like the Middle East and China. With a less-saturated market in some overseas areas, the company plans to move forward on a more international-oriented scale. Global opportunities are at the fingertips of not just a privileged few but to anyone who is able to foresee what the international market has to offer in the world of online startups.

The 3 Types of Purpose Every Business Needs

Entrepreneurs who strike out on their own usually do so to fulfill their own purposes in life. Businesses that are purpose-driven tend to be more focused, successful and long-living than businesses without any clear purpose other than turning a profit.

While a business owner’s personal purpose is without a doubt one of the most valuable keys to success, it is far from being the only purpose that a successful business needs. Here are the three types of purpose that every business should have.

Personal Purpose

This is the founder and owner’s purpose that ultimately helps guide and lead the business’s path to success. Far from being profit focused, most personal purposes can, instead, be redefined as that person’s greater purpose in life or what he or she is most meant to do.

 

Customer Purpose

Want to draw in customers who have similar values and a focus on doing well? Most consumers choose to spend their money wisely, and products that are purpose-driven tend to top their lists. Make it obvious what benefits your products provide and customers may find their own purposes fulfilled.

 

 

Employee Purpose

Virtually no one likes working at a job where they feel as though they are doing little more than bringing home a paycheck. Like most consumers, employees typically like to clock out of work with a feeling that they have made a difference. Employee purpose should be communicated as clearly and concisely as possible, and when done correctly, everyone at the business will probably aim toward the same goal.

The purpose does not have to stop there. Is the local community an active area of a business? Be sure to include a purpose for it and for any other entities that can benefit from the guidance of a truly fulfilling purpose.

How to Build a Business That Lasts

No matter the construction project, when building something to last, a strong and secure foundation is often key to longevity. The same holds true in the world of business. The foundation of a business should be strong and provide firm footing for it to grow, expand and thrive.

When stacked on a faulty or weak foundation, a business does not stand much of a fighting chance against unexpected adversities, such as a dip in the economy or an issue with product suppliers. Even minor bumps in the road can be enough to bring the whole thing tumbling down.

A strong foundation can protect businesses from these types of disasters by helping them weather through the ups and downs of the economy and the troubles that come with it.

So what does a strong business foundation actually look like?

It’s realistic. The foundation of a business should be structured on the owner’s capabilities, market information, available capital and all available resources.

It’s goal oriented. Foundations are for more than just the startup phase of a business. When laying the foundation of a business, entrepreneurs understand and anticipate future goals and what their needs might be.

It’s malleable. Life is far from fixed, and unexpected changes means that the foundation must be able to move and grow with a business, even in difficult times. Want to succeed in the world of online business for the long haul? Even though a business or startup might not have a brick and mortar location, a solid foundation remains an uncompromising necessity for entrepreneuers.

4 Tips to Stay Fit When Working at Home

Starting a business is far from an easy or laidback venture and, at the end of the day, most entrepreneurs probably feel as though they’ve thoroughly exhausted themselves. In reality, a sense of physical exhaustion after sitting in front of the computer all day can be misleading, and it is not uncommon to pack on a few extra pounds when making a transition to a home office or workplace.

Luckily, staying healthy and fit while operating a business from a home office is not as difficult as most people might think. Follow these steps to keep your health in check no matter where you are working.

Schedule breaks. Long gone are the days of a boss or manager reminding you to step away from the computer for a few minutes, and in all likelihood, there are no nearby colleagues to chat with while stretching your legs. Set an alarm three to four times a day as a reminder to stretch your legs and maybe grab another glass of water.

 

Take a walk. Make a quick loop around the street on one of your breaks. Sunshine is great for Vitamin D production, and the act of just strolling around outside can do wonders for both physical and mental health.

 

Put on real clothes. Okay, so one of the undeniable perks of working from a home office is the ability to wear pretty much what you would like. However, are you really going to be more productive if you lounge around in your pajamas all day? Getting dressed in the morning can provide a barrier between home and work time and can give a little extra boost of motivation. Plus, do you really want to sport your fuzzy slippers on your walk?

Use wearable tech devices. Doubling as watches, wearable healthcare tech devices are all the rage right now. Use one to set goals or to track the number of steps you take in each day to get a baseline for how active you really are.

 

Mental health is undoubtedly a critical aspect of successful business ownership, but entrepreneurs also need to make their own physical health and wellbeing a priority. Far from being a costly time commitment, little changes throughout the day can be all that is needed to make a true difference.