Website Content for Creative Artists, Clubs and Small Business Owners

Posted on by besinoz

You’re busy creating your wares, running your small business, or growing your club. You chat to someone who asks for your website details. But wait! You don’t have a website? That person gives you a look like you’re from the dark ages and the barrage begins:

  • how can you run a business without a website?
  • how can you compete with your competitors without a website?
  • how will people find you or see what you offer without a website?

And the annoying part is that it’s all true. No matter if you’re a creative artist, or if you’re trying to help a club grow its membership, or a sole business owner trying to do everything – you need a website.

Perhaps you are concerned that you don’t know what information to include in a website, or you don’t have the time to create and then maintain a website. Valid reasons, but don’t let that stop you.

It’s not that scary when you break it down to what a website is to achieve. For the website owner, it might be to sell products or services, to increase memberships, or to grow your clientele. Besides this, your website must serve a purpose for visitors, such as knowledge and instruction, and if the visitors are satisfied then they will consider your goods or services or membership.

Once you know a website’s purpose, it’s a matter of creating a website that fulfils the needs of the owner and the visitors.

The Website Owner – which category do you fall under?

Creative Artists are motivated to:

  • sell wares (e.g. paintings, pottery, jewellery, books, etc.)
  • sell services (e.g. freelance writer) or commission work (e.g. painting)
  • provide a mailing list for newsletters and to grow clientele.

Small Business Owners will want to:

  • sell products and/or services depending on the business
  • provide a mailing list for newsletters and to grow clientele.

Clubs might be eager to:

  • sell products or services depending on the club (e.g. merchandise, e-books, horse riding lessons, memberships, courses, etc.)
  • provide a mailing list for newsletters and memberships.

This highlights that you will need to dedicate space on your website to sell and promote your products and services. You will need to include a mailing list for visitors to join.

Visitors

Visitors are looking for:

  • Intellectual knowledge – this could be basic information for beginners or more in-depth information to add to existing knowledge.
  • Instructions on how to perform a task, how to handle a situation, how to do something like the professionals, and so on.
  • Interest in a particular field, such as the arts and wanting to know how particular artwork is created, tips on sailing, horse riding, or better care for a pet.
  • Required interest in a particular field – this is usually the result of researching a product or service prior to purchasing.

This indicates that you need to include quality content on your website that will interest visitors, get them to click through your web pages or blog and join your mailing list.

Other Important Pages

It would be wise to include these other important pages:

  • Home Page – this is your entry point, the door to your virtual shop. It’s your chance to peak your visitors’ interest.
  • Contact Page – so people can contact you. You may want to do this through a contact form as a spam preventative.
  • About Us – people want to know about you. Briefly tell them about your company’s history and why you’re different from your competitors.
  • FAQ – provide answers to frequently asked questions and save yourself and your visitors some time.
  • Testimonials – this is one of those occasions that it’s okay to brag. Tell the world about your great reviews.
  • Privacy Page – so people know how their information is used and/or stored.
  • Events Page – especially important for those creative artists and clubs.

Now you know what pages you need for your website or to improve your existing website.


Image by Henry Romero from Pixabay

 

General Tips When Writing Documents

Posted on by besinoz

There are certain guidelines that should be followed with all your documentation if you want your business and your actions to be trusted and respected.

Facts, facts, facts

Get your facts right. Don’t presume, guess or surmise. A factual article or business document should be conclusive of its information, so check the facts. Ideally, recheck your facts with multiple resources.

Give credit where credit is due

This includes in text citations, references, and quoting other people. Never steal or ‘borrow’ someone else’s phrase without giving them the credit for it. Never disguise someone else’s hard work, idea, or anything else for that matter as your own.

Don’t include everybody

How many times do you hear someone arguing a point and carelessly include that everybody has the same opinion as the person speaking. No one can know what everybody is thinking or know everyone’s individual opinions, so that makes the statement ludicrous. What are the chances of everyone having the same opinion? Even if the majority do share the same thoughts, there will be those who don’t.

Leave personal opinions out

Unless you are an expert in your field, leave out your personal views. Your opinion may be clouded by personal experience, which can sometimes be unique and not shared by others. Stick to the facts and what esteemed professionals have proved rather than your take on a subject.

No part of this may be represented in any medium without written consent from the author. Mary Broadhurst c 2014

E-Marketing through Social Media Networks

Posted on by besinoz

Facebook Marketing

Social media networks, such as Facebook and YouTube, can be used to market businesses. Actually, with over a billion people leaving comments or ‘liking’ daily it makes perfect sense to use this medium to generate more business awareness. It can become your word-of-mouth leads online. Each Facebook ‘friend’ is a potential customer. However, there are rules, as there is with anything, which you have to follow. This is not the environment for the hard sell. This is an opportunity for you to network in relaxed conversations and become part of the community while boosting your online visibility. Here, you can share videos and photos that will promote your products and services.

Be aware of who is following you on Facebook, their characteristics and why they are following you and then cater your marketing to that demographic.

Encourage users to post their photos of them using your services or products.

Roughly half of Facebook users check daily, so make sure you post regularly and you respond to post within 24 hours. When it comes to posting, make sure the content is interesting. You want your audience (otherwise known as your potential customers) looking forward to hearing from you and not looking for the opt out button/link.

As with all marketing strategies, have a clear goal with what you want to achieve and work towards that goal. Perhaps you might decide to post each morning on a daily special. Coupons are available, so your Facebook people only can receive these specials.

People like to do business with a person, not a faceless business. Facebook, along with other similar avenues, gives your business that human touch, a face and voice that others can relate to and develop a rapport. It takes time so be patient. Business has changed and the ones that adapt to that change have a far better chance of survival than those who snub new technologies and e-marketing.

Did you know that Facebook took third place in the most popular websites visited? Can your business afford not to be on it?

LinkedIn Marketing

Similar to Facebook, but for professionals, is LinkedIn. It has over 225 million members and the number is still rising. Because it’s for business people, it’s important to keep your interaction very professional. There are a number of things that you shouldn’t do on LinkedIn under any circumstance and it’s important to point out a few here.

People may send you endorsements on your skills. You may not know these people or have dealt with them. Do not accept these endorsements if you don’t have those skills. Keep your professional integrity high.

We all have interest and things we love outside of business, but it isn’t appropriate to share these things in a professional setting. So, restrain from posting photos of your much-loved pet unless this has something to do with your business.

It’s easy to fall into informal communication, but don’t rattle on in lingo not suitable for professionals. How can other professionals take you seriously if you act in anyway other than professional?

Don’t provide recommendations or endorse other people if they haven’t earned it. If you recommend freely and without thought, then it will eventually turn people off once they realise your opinion and recommendations mean nothing.

It’s never a good idea in business to be pushy or rude, and that extends to all social media networks as well.

YouTube Marketing

YouTube allows you to promote your services, products and business in a video medium. Use videos to launch a new product, provide instructions and highlight promotions. Remember that people are going to watch these videos only if they are solving a problem, providing information or for entertainment value so market to your audience.

Avoid videos that are too long, because the audience will lose interest. Each video has to contain quality and be watchable, after all this is your business and there is a level of professionalism required. You owe it to your business, your brand, and you. Be proud of your videos.

It’s a good idea to include call-to-action strategies as well. These could be leading your customer to buy your product or service, learn more about your business or products, give you feedback or ask for more information, rate your video, direct them to your website with the allurement of a discount or coupon code, and promote your business through their social media networks.

Promote all your social networks on your website and vice versa.

No part of this may be represented in any medium without written consent from the author. Mary Broadhurst c 2014

E-Marketing

Posted on by besinoz

E-marketing is an important step in promoting your business. The Internet is a popular source for people to research and when they are ready to buy, you want them to think of you. Whether you’re skilled with using a computer or not, if you have a business then you need to market that business online or you’re just throwing potential sales away.

One of the best ways to market your business and provide customer service is to offer free information. This way customers will be enticed to visit your website for self-education on a product or service. Then when they are ready to buy they will be more inclined to purchase from someone who has supplied them with the knowledge they needed to make a sound decision. Even if they decide the product or service is not right for them, they may tell their friends, who are in the market for that item. Never lie or embellish, your information must be accurate and not misleading.

There are a number of ways you can reach out to your potential customers besides offering free information on your website. Provide free assistance via email. There are many people who would rather send off an email than pick up the phone. Cater to that demand.

You could write articles known as blogs or reprint articles. Potential customers will search the Internet and read articles to gain more knowledge. If you peak their interest, then they can click on the link from that article and be directed to your website. Offer more information, give them a reason to spend some time in your online store, encourage them to join your mailing list.

If you do have a mailing list then don’t make the mistake of using it strictly as a selling campaign. It’s never wise to inundate people with emails. People have trusted you with their email address, so respect that. Otherwise you will be an annoyance and have potential customers clicking on the link to stop ongoing correspondence. You should always have a link to opt out of future emails.

Handed correctly, these types of emails are designed to remind your customers that you are there when they are ready to purchase. Offer more information, suggestions, and tips; better yet – try to get some interaction happening.

No part of this may be represented in any medium without written consent from the author. Mary Broadhurst c 2014