Small Business Trends Recommends These Companies! |  |
- Small Business Trends Recommends These Companies!
- Dropbox Rolls Out Two-Factor Authentication Login Method to Increase Security
- Poor Man’s Lead Scoring Tricks
- Words That Make a Big Difference
- The 25 Questions Your Site Must Answer
- Facebook Tackles Fake Like Issue
| Small Business Trends Recommends These Companies! Posted: 04 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT As Small Business Trends ramps up its advertising efforts, we wanted to take a moment to thank the companies that have worked with us for the month of August. Want to be on this list? Learn how. TeamWox SaaS 2.0 is an enterprise system based on the cloud. Our review of TeamWox is here. For more information, visit the TeamWox page. Wrike is a project management software application that enables task management, time tracking, scheduling, workload management, document collaboration, spreadsheets, and much more. Learn more about Wrike here. BrainHost is a web hosting company that will help you with your small business website. Hosting is just $7.95/month and the site features a free website builder, free traffic/SEO package, a free advertising/marketing package, and best of all, you can transfer your website from your current host free of charge. Learn more about BrainHost. Yext helps small businesses make it on the map, ensuring that you’re findable on the web. You can list your business everywhere for free with just a few steps. For more information, go here. Want to know what your company is valued at? PMVTool gives you a pre-money valuation to help you understand how much capital your company should invest. The tool combines valuation best practices with relevant industry comparison models and proprietary technology to deliver the most efficient, reasonable, and defendable pre-money valuation data possible. To get on the beta program, visit PMVtool.com. Want to know more for your team to succeed? Join Caliper and register for a free webinar on September 12th. During this session, you’ll learn how to ensure you have the right team, how to discover if your employees are using their talents to the fullest potential, and what to do to retain the loyalty of your top talent.
Advertising with Small Business TrendsBecome a top recommended company through the Small Business Trends advertising program. Contact us directly to be included in our upcoming opportunities: banner ads, sponsored posts, sponsored reviews, Twitter chats, event sponsorships, and more. Call for Sponsors for Upcoming Online AwardsWe’re especially looking for online event sponsors for the upcoming Small Business Influencer Awards and the Small Business Book Awards. Get seen by an extremely targeted and influential small business audience! For the Small Business Influencer Awards, we specifically are seeking a Reception Sponsor for the October 17, 2012 Influence Awards Gala in New York City, as well as printer sponsors. Other opportunities for ownership of our online components are also available to any business seeking visibility during our high profile awards promotions. If you’re interested in these and other opportunities, please visit our advertise page for more information on how to contact us. From Small Business Trends |
| Dropbox Rolls Out Two-Factor Authentication Login Method to Increase Security Posted: 04 Sep 2012 01:00 PM PDT After the recent security breach experienced by some users of cloud storage service Dropbox, the company has announced that it is beginning to introduce two-factor authentication in an effort to improve cloud security. This means that users will have one extra step in the login process, but Dropbox hopes this change will mean keeping data stored in the cloud safe from cyber attacks.
The new system is optional, and fairly similar to Google's new two-factor authentication method. Users will have the option to add their mobile devices to a whitelist and authenticate them to access their account. Then users can receive unique access codes via text or mobile app that supports the Time-Based One-Time Password system. Examples of apps that can be used for two-factor verification include Google Authenticator, which works with iPhone, Android, and Blackberry smartphones; Amazon AWS MFA for Android; and Authenticator for Windows Phone 7. Upon entering their password and the authentication code they received, Dropbox users can then obtain access to their account. Dropbox is a popular cloud storage service used by millions of individuals and business professionals. Since Dropbox users often store sensitive types of files or data in the app, such as passwords, financial data, and other business or personal information, the company vowed to improve security measures after company officials learned of the attack. For business users, this security measure might be worth the extra step so as to protect sensitive company data. Dropbox has also announced a few other security measures since the breach, including automated mechanisms to help identify suspicious activity, a new page that lets users see all active logins on their account, and more vigilant measures regarding passwords and other secure data. Users with the latest beta version of Dropbox have the option to switch on the two-factor authentication if they so choose. The new feature will become available to all users in the coming weeks. From Small Business Trends |
| Poor Man’s Lead Scoring Tricks Posted: 04 Sep 2012 11:00 AM PDT Lead scoring. It's the kind of term that sends shudders down the non-technical, non-business school types. Algorithms, graphs, and money – lots of money spent – may start to run through your head. And, in order to get peace once more you convince yourself, "I know who my leads are." False. Unless you possess some mind-reading elixir (if so, please email me about this), you can't magically know who your leads are. But, don't be discouraged! You don't have to be an MBA nerd like me to do some basic lead scoring.
Today, I'd like to cover some poor man's lead scoring tricks that I've learned along the way. These tips and tricks can apply to just about any business, and won't cost you a dime. Tracking TrafficFirst things first. In order to score leads, you have to know who they are. I recommend using Google Analytics, by far the most comprehensive and thorough analytics program that is completely free. (However, there are free versions of some other top-notch services out there.) Google Analytics can tell you everything. Who's coming to your website, their location, what pages they're landing on, how long they spend there, the paths they take through your website, etc. There's very little you can't find out from Google Analytics. If you aren't running this (or some other paid analytics program), insert the code now. Developing Your SystemWhile big business lead scoring can get super detailed, the truth is, you can come up with a lead scoring system of your own that does the trick. Figure out a points system that works for your team. Maybe all of your website visitors get five points. For each minute or set of thirty seconds they spend on the landing page, maybe they get five more points. Then, perhaps they get ten points for looking at two product pages. You get the idea. I don't know your business, so I can't come up with the scoring system for you. But, the point is to just start. Your lead scoring approach won't be perfect when you first start out, and that's okay. However, once you get the ball rolling, you'll soon begin to figure out what elements of your scoring system help you accurately consider your leads, and what parts are not working. Look for TrendsOnce you have a system going, it's time to start looking for trends. Do you have an anomalous amount of traffic from southern Illinois? If so, create PPC ads that target that region. Maybe one landing page on your site accounts for 80% of your site's traffic. If so, put in the work to make that page really shine. Perhaps there's a sharp tail-off in on-site time when customers get to your fourth product page. Maybe you need some kind of pop up offer on that page. Looking for these trends can be fun and exciting, but you have to start monitoring your traffic first. However, once you get this part down pat, you'll be ready to start scoring and nurturing your leads! What are some free or cheap lead scoring tactics you are using? Poor Businessman Photo via Shutterstock From Small Business Trends |
| Words That Make a Big Difference Posted: 04 Sep 2012 08:00 AM PDT I love words and language, I have been writing and reading since I was 10 years old. Poetry, lyrics, essays, reports, articles, presentations, a book, eBook, blogging – you get the idea. Words have always had great power to change things for the good and their meaning can impact others greatly.
Words describe our personality, spirit, soul, personal brand and what we stand for. How we present ourselves, treat others and how others describe us is crucial to happiness and success. Here are 5 descriptive words that can make a big difference not only in our lives, but in the lives of others: Amiable By definition: having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities, friendly, agreeable, willing to accept the wishes, decisions, or suggestions of another or others. This quality lends itself so well to networking, cooperation, team spirit and collaboration. It is one of the four drivers of customer personality styles. Plucky By definition: having or showing courage and determination in the face of difficulties or challenge. There are so many examples of public and private people showing “pluck”, courage and determination through challenge. Here are 10 revolutionary acts of courage by ordinary people, who stepped up in an extraordinary way. Ineffable By definition: incapable of being expressed or described in words. This is how we serve people. Random acts of kindness can and do change people’s lives and have such impact that they are indescribable in words. Imagine doing something that elicits this emotion? It happens everyday and RAK is now a worldwide trend that was documented by TrendWatching. Serendipity By definition: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident, good fortune. The more good energy and intentions we all put into the universe the more it comes back to us. The real key is that we are paying attention to all the things that are put in our path. That random conversation in line, returning that lost wallet or meeting someone at an event we weren’t going to go to all can be serendipitous. These encounters happen daily and are meant to happen. Magnanimity By definition: generous in forgiving an insult or injury, free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness. We seem to collect and harbor these emotions and they become more of a burden than anything else. The ability to let go, release and move on frees us to greater opportunities for doing, accepting and noticing good. The prolific Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best:
What words change things for you? Magic Words Photo via Shutterstock From Small Business Trends |
| The 25 Questions Your Site Must Answer Posted: 04 Sep 2012 05:00 AM PDT How long will a user stay on your site before leaving? Unless you can prove, quickly, that your site is trustworthy and relevant to their needs, we're talking seconds. Maybe.
When a customer lands on your site for the first time, they're coming to you with questions. Questions that they may not even realize they're on the hunt to answer, but they are. As consumers we're all looking for subconscious clues that the site we're on is going to meet our needs, that we'll have a good experience, and that we can trust them with our credit card information. What is a first-time visitor asking themselves when they land on your site?
And the list goes on. Is your heart racing a bit more rapidly having read through all that? I know. It's a lot. But whether you (or they) realize it, these are the questions running through a potential customer's mind when they land on your site for the first time and begin investigating. They're also the questions your site must answer — through site content, trust cues, or specific features – before someone feels confident doing business with you. So, using the questions above as a Trustworthiness Checklist. Does your own site pass? Image credit: steph79 / 123RF Stock Photo From Small Business Trends |
| Facebook Tackles Fake Like Issue Posted: 04 Sep 2012 02:30 AM PDT Business owners work hard for likes on their Facebook pages, a great form of social validation. It’s a sign that companies are building an army of followers and increasing engagement from people who actually want to interact with their brands. The trouble is that recent data indicates some of these likes may not be from potential customers or even real people, but from bots using fake accounts for nefarious ends. The degree to which these fake accounts are skewing actual social interaction is a cause for concern, especially among those using Facebook for marketing or advertising. Here’s a closer look at the issue. Cracking DownTales from the dark side. There is a shady economy operating on Facebook, one in which vendors have sold fake likes, advertisers have paid for clicks, and businesses try to make their Facebook pages appear more popular than they really are. And the social media giant is now moving to correct the issue. Wired Too little, too late. Some Facebook users aren’t impressed with the social network’s efforts, claiming company executives have willfully ignored the problem for too long, cheapening the value of marketing for brands, or are now over reacting and penalizing some innocent users unfairly. For obvious reasons, Facebook hasn’t revealed how it is going after fake accounts, but this lack of transparency leaves many questions. PC World A matter of integrity. In a post about its intentions to aggressively purge the network of questionable accounts, Facebook’s staff acknowledges that a like coming from someone with no interest in connecting to a brand benefits no one. Many business owners work hard to generate likes for their pages, but may not be getting what they expect. Facebook Security Cause and EffectSizing up the competition. Business owners should use social media like Facebook and Twitter not just for gathering customer demographics as people visit their pages, but also to learn about their competitors to find out which customers they are targeting and how. The realization that many likes may not be from real customers at all could spell trouble for both of these approaches. Small Business Trends Following the golden rule. Cendrine Marrouat shares some golden rules about social media strategy, among them the importance of listening, being human, and building relationships. Again, readers may wish to check out the concerns about fake accounts on Facebook and consider how much more difficult this makes things when planning your social media approach. Creative Ramblings Social media magic. No matter what the controversy, business owners will still want their Facebook pages to be liked, and will still work to build the best networks they can. Building that network as quickly as possible is important too, even if Facebook and other social media sites keep changing the rules of the game. Brad Smith demonstrates some shortcuts. Social Media Today Taking the road less traveled. Facebook, of course, isn’t the only social media network out there, and as digital marketing blogger Andy Williams points out, alternatives like Google+ are worth checking out, even if they still don’t have anywhere near the audience Facebook has. The fact is that Facebook has too many users to be ignored. But don’t close the door on other options. Koozai From Small Business Trends |
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