Love it or hate it?

I love a good debate!

My son passed round the following website this morning: http://www.alittlebitofsomething.co.uk/

It instantly started a healthy discussion about whether or not it was a "good" website. Like Marmite, there didn't seem to be any middle ground; the reaction was either "love it" or "hate it".

The discussion continued on Twitter, with contributions from our followers along these lines:

"I think it goes too far and is in bad taste and I wouldn't use him"

"Yep, good site and makes him stand out from the crowd."

"He will stand out from the crowd as an individual designer but his approach will alienate a lot of clients."

"Exactly! "He will stand out from the crowd as an individual designer". I expect this is his aim, so it works."

So, when is a website in bad taste and when is it effective as a marketing tool?

You will recall that French Connection was considered to be in bad taste when it ran its various campaigns based on the acronym FCUK in the 1990's. However:

"Launched by French Connection in the late ’90′s it was a hugely successful ad campaign which went on to sell millions of clothes emblazoned with the acronym. A hallmark of the ’90′s, the brash, bold and controversial campaign summarised the decade perfectly, an era which brought us Brit pop, ladettes and girl power." Fashionbite.co.uk

That said, the 2001 campaign that extended the FCUK acronym to include the words Kinky Bugger was deemed to have gone too far, and the campaign was banned.

Marketing can, and often does stretch the boundaries of good taste in order to get noticed. A successful campaign is also about increasing brand awareness, and there is no doubting that both the French Connection campaigns were hugely successful as far as brand awareness was concerned.

With the website above that launched this discussion, the designer obviously has very clear ideas about how he works and the clients he wants to attract. Yes, he will very likely alienate some prospective clients, but has he decided that he doesn't want those clients anyway? Who is his target market? This is a question I ask every client I go to see. Understanding your target market, and making sure they identify with your marketing message is of paramount importance. Depending upon what you do, you cannot be all things to all people.

The FCUK campaign of the late 1990's tapped into that decade's zeitgeist; it wasn't intended to attract in customers aged over 40. Did it alienate some sectors of the consumer world? Most definitely, but it hit home where it was meant to hit home. 

I ask every client I see to describe what makes them unique. 95% of these clients will use the words "professional", "efficient" or "providing good customer service". This is not uniqueness. These terms should be the basis on which every business is run as standard. What makes YOU unique? What makes Marmite unique? Do you love it or hate it?

This particular website has done the viral rounds, been noticed, and has got people talking.  Can you say that your marketing methods have got people really talking about you and your brand?

What a difference design makes

The owner of a Bed & Breakfast contacted us recently, as she had noticed that the enquiries for her accommodation had decreased. Looking at her existing website, it was clear that there were some fundamental problems.

The dated appearance of the website homepage did little to tempt visitors to get in touch. There was a lot of text and the images were not compelling enough. The website was not optimised to be found in relevant Google search. The owner herself stated that she was only found when a potential client typed in "Bed and Breakfast Biddenden", but as we pointed out, how many customers would be that geographically specific? It would be more likely for a potential customer to search for Bed and Breakfast Kent or South-East, or using one of the better-known towns as a point of reference (Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Rye, Tenterden for example).

We were contracted to redesign the website for the client, and the new design can be viewed prior to launch at:

http://tudorcotta.users34.interdns.co.uk/

The use of quality photography to market both the accommodation and the local area draws customers in and tempts them to look further. The textual content is more concise, and there is a clear call-to-action at the top of every page - telephone number and email address.

Of course, the proof of the pudding will be an increase in enquiries for the remainder of this year and beyond. However, there can be no doubt that the new-look website has all the essential ingredients to get the right message in front of the right people.

"The site is looking really good, excellent work. It has a really classy feel to it." Owner, Tudor Cottage Bed & Breakfast.

The website was produced using the Sesome system developed by Argent Ram Media. This feature-rich platform allows you to update the website yourself, and each site is constructed to be search engine friendly and social media-ready. The latter makes it easy for you to start widening your marketing network using Twitter and Facebook to drive potential customers to your website, maximising every opportunity to draw attention to your accommodation. Prices for a Sesome website start at just £299.00 + VAT.

Do you know where your website is?

We never cease to be amazed by the number of new clients who come to us and have no idea about some of the details connected to their website, or what they are paying for associated services.  That said, it is not the clients' fault; too many web-connected companies fail to explain these aspects in layman's terms.


In essence, there are 3 main ingredients you need to have a website visible on the internet:


1.  The website itself - all the aesthetically pleasing and attention-grabbing artwork, design and other content;


2.  A website address, or domain name, such as www.argentrammedia.com;


3.  A server that hosts the website - space where the website physically sits waiting to be found by your customers.


The website is the easy bit, as this is the one aspect that most clients actually see.


The domain name is a little bit like a PO Box address.  It is your fixed website name that directs your customers to the server space where your website sits.  It doesn't matter where that space is, as long as the web address (or PO Box Number!) points to that space.


Too often, though, the client has no idea who has control over their domain name, or the space where the website sits, and they naively pay any invoice that mentions anything to do with their website, for fear of losing everything!


You do have to pay for these 3 main ingredients, as follows:


1.  The website.  Depending upon the complexity, your website can cost a couple of hundred pounds or many thousands.  Make sure you know what you are getting and that your requirements are met by the designer and developer.  If your website does not work for you in the way that you want, all your money will be wasted!


2.  Website address, or domain name.  You can have as many as you like, all pointing to the same website, but it is not necessary.  Most small businesses in the UK are quite content with a .co.uk domain, but may also want a .com as well.  The thing to remember is that there are ongoing charges associated with every domain name you have registered.  A .co.uk website address is renewed every 2 years, and a .com every year.  If you, or your website company, do not renew, you could lose the domain name. These recurring fees are not high.  Make sure that, whoever initially buys the domain name, they do so in your name!


3.  Hosting.  Server space costs money, and there will be some sort of annual charge to allow you to have your website sitting on a server.  This annual charge can vary quite considerably, and often depends on the size of the site, and its complexity (does it have a database, for example, or is it expected to attract many 1,000s of visitors?).  Make sure you understand the charges up front, and what the ongoing financial commitment will be.


Once you have the above clear in your minds, make sure you keep a note of who manages what on your behalf.  Most website design companies can manage the whole package, and this is often the most cost-effective solution.  It is also easier to keep all aspects under the same roof.


We had one business contact us this morning because his website had been suspended:

He had no idea where to turn to get it reinstated.  The domain name was held by one company, the website was hosted elsewhere, and the poor chap had no record of any of these details - critical for any business.  Fortunately, we were able to trace the location of all the disparate components of his website and get it back online, doing what it is supposed to do.  Any good web design company will be able to keep you abreast of this information, so make sure your website doesn't get lost!

A Reminder....

I feel sure that most businesses in the UK found the last quarter pretty heavy going. With reference to the playwright Jim Cartwright, the first three months of the year was a little like walking through raw meat in high heels.

Today's GDP figures show that the UK's economy grew by 0.5% in the first quarter of 2011, avoiding the so-called double-dip recession. That, in spite of the dreadful December weather and the anticipated dread of financial cut-backs.

The Chancellor is still exercising caution, and warns that "we are not out of the woods yet".

Now seems a good time, therefore, to remind you that we have a few schemes and events aimed at helping the small business to look forward with optimism and make the most of any market activity.

Free Marketing Review

We are offering any small business a free review of their current marketing activity. All you need to do is complete a short questionnaire, and we will provide a report that gives a n objective overview of your current marketing activity and makes suggestions and recommendations for other activities that may wish to try or improve. No catch here; simply a third-party look at what you are doing and what you could improve without wasting money.

The questionnaire can be found at http://www.argentrammedia.com/questionnaire

One-to-One Start-Up Consultation

From a logistical persepctive, we can only provide this free service to Kent-based businesses.

You may have a really good idea for a new business, and be very good at what you do, but very few would-be entrepreneurs have all the experience and confidence they need to get up and running. We have been there, and we know what is expected and what needs to be done.

Whilst there are some very good sources of advice, such as Business Link, sometimes it helps for an individual to sit down and get some personal, impartial advice that takes into account all the skills and shortcomings of each individual. We know that you can't be great at everything, and we aim to guide you through some of the pitfalls.

Simply give us a call, and we will arrange a free 30 minute face-to-face chat that should give you more confidence and some additional knowledge to get you up and running.

Call Lorraine Baker on 01580 761000.

Marketing in a Difficult Economy - Seminar

On Wednesday 18th May, we are holding a seminar in the beautiful surroundings of the Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent.

The seminar runs from 09:00 - 11:00, and is aimed at any small business who wants to ensure that they are getting the best out of their marketing activities. Marketing has changed dramatically in recent months, as the emphasis is very much on in-bound activities rather than the traditional, interruptive methods such as telesales/telemarketing, email blasts and mailshots. Engagement, customer-service and customer loyalty are top of the tree, and you need to explore the many new ways of ensuring that your marketing messages get seen by the right people. Without accepting that marketing strategy is changing forever, you run the risk of having your market share pared down to critical levels.

There is a charge for the seminar of £15.00 + VAT per head, and this includes breakfast. Two speakers will present their insights into cost-effective new marketing methods that could make the difference between your company success or failure.

For booking information, please contact Lorraine on 01580 761000 or email lorraine@argenttrammedia.com

There's nowt so funny as folk

Some local businesses are funny, and I don't mean that patronisingly.

I have been doing some tele-marketing this afternoon (I know! I apologise to all those people who hate cold-callers). I have been approaching small businesses who do not have websites at all, or whose websites are an abomination (again, with apologies to those affected!).

I am surprised by the numbers of people who seem totally disinterested in the concept of a website. That said, I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised, as the fact that they care so very little about their internet presence tells me a lot already.

I appreciate that there are some businesses who have a very steady level of existing clientele, and feel no need to try to entice in new customers. But no matter how successsful you are, customers do drop off at some time or another (The Leaky Bucket - tell me if I have lost you at this stage). These customers do need to be replaced or you end up with an empty bucket.

Having a good website is such a simple thing, and need not cost the earth. Once there, it is your invitation to new customers. It shouldn't be a financial drain if designed and built properly, but will keep your leaky bucket nicely topped up. A poorly designed website shows a lack of care, and WILL deter prospective customers from contacting you, and I know that in this day and age, very few businesses can afford to be that cavalier.

Even the mighty Tesco admits that "We can do better and we are taking action.....to improve the sharpness of our communication to customers.”

Acknowledgment - Marketing Week:
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/3025629.article?cmpid=MWE01&cmptype=newsletter&email=true

Two invitations...

Would you like to step back and have a little think about some of the methods you are using to market your business?

We have a couple of schemes that might help you:

1. We are offering a free review of your marketing activities and strategy. Nothing too complex or daunting, but a few suggestions as to additional ingredients that you can throw into the marketing pot to ensure that your profile doesn't fade into obscurity. If you would like to receive this review, all you need to do is fill in a simnple questionnaire:

http://www.argentrammedia.com/questionnaire/

2. If you would like to enjoy breakfast in the beautiful surroundings of the Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent with a seminar on "Marketing in a Difficult Economy", and an opportunity to network with a few other local business people, then let us know!

We are holding a seminar on Wednesday 18th May at the Hop Farm, with breakfast included. Please contact Lorraine on 01580 761000 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com for further details.

Winds of Change?

I don't know about you, but for us this last week has seen a marked increase in client enquiries and orders.

From early December, when business was definitely affected by the weather, we arrived at a period of Small Business Gloom. I have no doubt that this was fuelled by a combination of seasonal ennui, general economic inactivity, spending cuts and another budget.

The cuts are now beginning to be felt on a very personal level, and I must admit I did think that this would have a further significant effect on small business confidence and activity. However, as has happened in the past, the thought process appears to have been one of "let's wait and and see and then make a decision."

Small Business waited for the budget to see if this was the last nail in their collective coffin, but have made the decision to come out fighting. We can all sit there fearing the worst, but for how long?

It is now up to the small business to steer itself clear of these troubled waters. I have learnt from the past that very few people are there to help you, and it is up to us to create our own opportunities and our own success.

Spring is here, financial news can hardly get any worse for the small business, so now is the time to pick ourselves up, think positively, fine-tune our sales and marketing strategy and get out there in front of our new, existing and past clients.

Free Review of your Marketing Activities and Strategy

I am sure that none us needs reminding that the economy is not helping the small and medium-sized business very much at the moment. It is at times like these that we all need to look very hard at our marketing activities and assess what works and what doesn't. We need to generate more revenue for less cost, and this can take a lot of creative thinking.

In this week's Kent Business, PR Guru Max Clifford is quoted as saying "Businesses might be very good at what they do, but they are not good at getting the message across."

We, at Argent Ram Media, would like to offer you some help.

A FREE, no-obligation review of your marketing activities and strategy.

We will look at the following areas of your business, and make recommendations based on current trends and anticipated return-on-investment:

• The effectiveness of your website;
• Social Media and the ways in which this might help open up new routes to market;
• Brand visibility and PR;
• Printed collateral;
• The ways in which you engage and communicate with your clients and customers.

The next steps:


Complete a very short questionnaire by clicking here.

We will prepare and send you a free report providing you with our suggestions and recommendations for ways to market your business without a prohibitive increase in overhead.

The rest, as they say, is up to you....!

Be Positive

I went to see an estate agent this morning to go through their requirements for a new website.

This company has been specialising in the sale of residential property for 30 years, has an untarnished reputation in the locality and is unlikely ever to have been the subject of one of the increasing number of complaints received by the Property Ombudsman.

I came in to the office this morning to be greeted by a plethora of gloomy news:

"Fall in take-home pay "worst since the '70s" http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/

"A third of Britons to retire in poverty" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Not the kind of thing one wants to read......but the press, collectively, does tend to like to wallow in the swamps of pessimism.

The agent I went to see this morning mentioned that he had not known the level of new enquiries to have been so low for as long as he can remember. This is not surprising. Whenever individuals start to feel the effects of a country-wide tightening-of-belts, then businesses really start to feel the effects.

However...what is this estate agent doing?


He is investing in a new website.

He knows he cannot afford to fall behind in his marketing efforts. A client can be a fickle beast, and when faced with incentives and discounts forced by a becalmed economy, jumping ship is too easy.

Our estate agent needs to keep his competitive edge; he needs to be seen to be instilling a degree of confidence, and keeping his vendors and applicants abreast of the prevailing market fluctuations. His years of experience and his knowledge of the local market count for a great deal when home owners and prospective buyers are facing ongoing uncertainty.

There is an old saying: "Market your way out of a Recession". Never before has this been so relevant - sitting back and hoping that you will weather the storm is not the answer. Your astute competitors are ensuring that they are tightening up the effectiveness of their marketing activities. This does not necessarily mean spending more money; it does mean thinking outside the box and being creative in your approach.

Above all, be positive and ensure that your clients and customers absorb your optimism.

Dental Practices are not Recession-proof

Contrary to popular belief, Dental Practices are not recession-proof.

With a new Budget out today, and April looming, there is no doubt that individuals are going to start to notice the tightening of the economic grip on a very personal level. This is the time when businesses, including dental practices, notice that the phone starts to ring a little less.

Instead of a 6 monthly check-up, patients will think they can stretch this out to 12 or 24 months. I know myself, as I have now delayed an optician's appointment for nigh on 18 months, as the cost of new contact lens and spectacles is something that I would rather not consider!

However, we all know that these delays are often a false economy. Lawrence Spindel, in his Dental Blog (http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/2008/09/are-dentists-recession-proof.html), identifies that a 6-month check up would identify problems before they escalate. Waiting until you get a chronic toothache, and then consequently need root canal work or an extraction, ends up costing the patient more in the end.

This is where marketing comes in.

Marketing does not need to cost the earth, but informing your patients of the pitfalls of treatment delays in straitened times will be of benefit to both the patient and your practice.

How do you do that?

• Emphasise, via your website, the importance and cost-effectiveness of regular check-ups;
• Use email to remind patients of the risks involved in delaying check-ups;
• If you have screens in your waiting room, show the effects of delaying treatment and prompt the patient to make their next appointment there and then.

Use this opportunity to strengthen the relationship that exists between you and your patients. Other dental practices will be only too keen to welcome patients whose loyalty may be wavering, or who may be tempted to defect by discounted prices and incentives.

Argent Ram Media offers specialist products and services to help dental practices strengthen patient loyalty, inform and educate patients and maximise patient spend-per-head.

• Website Design and Development for Dental Practices;
• Waiting Room screens;
• Dental Treatment Video Animations;
• Screen Content;
• Design for Print;
• Logos and Branding;
• Video Production

For further information, please call Lorraine Baker on 01580 761000 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com

What a way to waste money...

We are in the process of running marketing campaigns aimed specifically at dental practitioners, promoting website design, waiting room screens, dental animation software and video production.

During the course of research, I have been astounded by the number of dental surgeries that seems intent on wasting money on Google Adword campaigns. That is not to say that the campaign itself is a great way of getting their website in front of prospective patients, but what happens when that prospective client clicks on the link (and costs the dental practice some money!).

In the course of the past couple of days, I have seen single-page websites for dental practices that are as compelling as a blank wall. I have attempted to contact the practice using the email address on the website to find that the email address link has been mis-spelt. Websites have no clear call-to-action, nor do they give a concise overview of the services and treatments that are available.

This is a salient lesson to any business advertising using Adwords or other sponsored scheme. If your website is not at the top of its game in terms of message, design and construction, and call-to-action, then you might as well take the advertising budget and flush it down the drain.

If only we all had money to waste...

Postscript: If your website is not getting the enquiries you expect from your sponsored links, take a break and consider a contribution to:
http://www.redcross.org.uk/japantsunami

Dental Practice Digital Marketing Solutions

We, at Argent Ram Media, are delighted to announce that we have become an authorised reseller for one of the UK's largest suppliers of dental animation software.

Designed for dental practice websites, waiting room screens and surgery client-side demonstrations, these sophisticated animations provide detailed information on treatments, patient information and oral health. In addition to the main dental modules, there are separate modules for orthodontics and facial aesthetics.

We are a one-stop shop for dental practice digital marketing, and can offer a solution to meet the requirements of any practice:

• Website design and development;
• Waiting room screens;
• Surgery screens;
• Leaflet design and print;
• Screen content and software;
• Animations for existing websites and screens

Key benefits to any dental practice practice:

• An opportunity to engage with your patients;
• Inform and educate your patients;
• Market and sell treatments, services and products;
• Increase patient loyalty;
• Enhance the reputation of your practice

If you would like information on treatment animation, waiting room screens or websites for your dental practice, please contact Lorraine Baker on 01580 761000 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com

Social Networking for Estate Agents

There was an article in the Times on Friday 21st January entitled "OMG, it's perfect...I'll tweet you a link."

In this article, the effect that social media is having on the property profession is explored, and some of the findings are not new.

Susan Emmett, the article's author, talks about "research" as opposed to "search" and highlights FindaProperty as a website that features articles on the housing market as well as consumer guides.

Having been an estate agent in a former life, and advised many on the best ways to market their businesses via the internet, this idea of providing information is not a revelation. An estate agent's website is not just about featuring properties for sale and to let. The fundamental purpose is to gain the best property instructions in an area, and to be perceived as the best agent in the locality. By providing insightful information, you will be seen as being an expert, having a thorough knowledge of the specific factors affecting property prices and popularity. This, in turn, instils confidence and trust and any discerning vendor needs to have faith in you as a property professional.

Providing information on schools, shopping and leisure facilities, transport links and the like is the first step towards engaging with potential vendors and property purchasers. As a personal view, it projects the personality of your business and becomes an invaluable resource, enhancing your website and your corporate identity on many levels. Your insights are what makes you unique - a vital ingredient when it comes to standing out from the competition.

So, where does Social Networking fit into this picture?

As Susan Emmett identifies in her article, "Social networking sites allow portals to speak to "friends" directly, but also to advertise effectively and free of charge. Through Twitter, we know that Chantelle Gilbert "requested a house price evaluation on zoopla@6am, 5 estate calls by 10am!".

Emmett goes on to say: "By embracing the latest technology, property sites have permanently altered the rules of engagement between buyers and sellers, estate agents and customers."

This latest technology is the "new" way to extend marketing reach, and extending marketing reach is vital to the successful estate agent. Tepilo.com, Sarah Beeny's online property selling portal, sends out a Tweet as soon as a new property is added. When I was selling my own property, it was heartening to see that one of the first viewers came brandishing particulars printed off the Tepilo website.

Starting, and then maintaining the conversation with your potential clients is now becoming increasingly important, particularly if you want to be seen as the agent that offers something unique.

Argent Ram Media designs and develops website solutions for estate agents that help them explore the potential offered by Social Networking. For details, please call 0845 009 5396 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com

Sesome Websites for Kent and Sussex businesses

Sesome stands for Search Engine and Social Media-ready websites. Developed by Argent Ram Media in conjunction with the Digital Media Hub at the University of Kent, these feature-rich website solutions are ideal for the small business.

Why?

To answer this question, you first need to ask what every small business needs from their website, and the main ingredients are:

• Bespoke design that reflects the identity of the business;
• Clear messages that show they understand their target market;
• Easy navigation so their clients and customers can get to the information they need seamlessly;
• Facility to update the content themselves.

Above all, the website needs to meet the requirements of the marketing acronym, AIDA:

• Grab the ATTENTION of the website visitor;
• Create enough INTEREST to keep the visitor on the site;
• Generate DESIRE; make the visitor WANT to contact you for further details;
• Have a clear call to ACTION. Make it easy for your potential customers to get in touch.

Once you have the website, you need to make sure that it can be found, and a Sesome website can help with your organic search engine performance.

• Developed to latest Worldwide Web standards;
• Accessible and compliant;
• Allows you to update content yourself, keeping the text relevant and fresh.

Sesome websites are also designed to encourage businesses to adopt social media as a way of driving traffic to the site and exploring the massive diversity of new routes to market:

• Blogs;
• Twitter;
• Facebook;
• LinkedIn;
• YouTube

A growing number of Kent and East Sussex businesses are enjoying the benefits of a Sesome website:

Sesome is developed by Argent Ram Media, and a website costs from £299.00 + VAT.  If you would like further information, please call 0845 009 5396 or 01580 761000.  Email lorraine@argentrammedia.com.

Websites for Estate Agents

Estate Agents have always been a very busy vertical market for us, and we have helped many to get more productive websites that in turn work on many more levels than their previous internet incarnations.

What makes an effective estate agency website? This is not a rhetorical question; it is an invitation to share thoughts and suggestions, as it is always good to know the direction that the profession is following.

Having been an estate agent in a former life, I have a fairly good idea of what any estate agency would like to achieve:

Gaining the best instructions, at the right price and on a sole agency basis = the best possible chance you have of selling those properties.

That is the simplistic equation, and there are many other aspects to successful agency. I was always one of those firm believers that estate agency was about building relationships and not just the hard and fast sell. Perhaps I am a dinosaur!

• Understanding that every vendor thinks their property is a palace, and being diplomatic and positive when it comes to advising on the best marketing strategies;
• Being able to present your arsenal of marketing weapons so that your commission always represents excellent value for money;
• Building relationships with both vendors and applicants so that they come to trust you and your judgement;
• Remembering that a new purchaser could become a vendor in a couple of years and will undoubtedly share any horror stories with their new neighbours; give them reason to share the pleasant stories and spread the word.

So, how do the above manifest themselves in a website?

1. Always understand your target market and the way in which you want your company to be perceived. This is vitally important if you want to attract the vendors of the properties that you want to sell.
2. Think hard about what it is that makes your approach unique. Why would a vendor instruct you as opposed to one of your competitors? Most agents advertise on Rightmove, in the local papers, in their office windows. What do you do that is different?
3. What information do you need to present to prospective purchasers to get them in the door of a property? Marketing is all about creating desire, so remember that when presenting properties. Your material needs to make applicants feel that they MUST view. Don't give too much away; tempt the applicant with the relevant and factual details, but in a way that encourages them to pick up the phone.

Getting the above right will make the development of your website straightforward. The technology allows your website to respond to the demands of your clients, but the art lies in seducing those clients with the elements that make you unique.

We would welcome any feedback from anyone involved in estate agency or property letting, so do please share your views.

If you would like any information on website design and development for estate agents, please contact Argent Ram Media on 0845 009 5396 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com

Happy Optimistic New Year!

I don't know about you, but for some months I have been getting increasingly fed up with the media's negative slant on the ongoing state of the economy. Whenever I saw or heard the News yesterday, the increase in VAT was being forcibly rammed down our throats as this was the end of the world. I think we all knew that VAT was rising to 20% on 4th January, but this relentless bombardment by the press is so draining.

Today came the start of the Christmas trading results, with Next and HMV highlighting the effect that poor December weather and general austerity had on pre-Christmas sales. This is no surprise, so why did the BBC sound so down-in-the-mouth about it this morning?

2011 is not going to be easy.

That said, I have always been a great believer in the addage that we have to make our own luck. From experience, I know only too well that it is up to us as indivduals and small businesses to create our own opportunities.

So; start of a New Year, what can we do to create out own opportunities? This is my little list of "resolutions" that you can try in order to give your business that valuable competitive edge.

Digressing slightly, I remember hearing a story told by an estate agent. There were 5 estate agents on his High Street, and all of them had approximately 20% share of the market. They all did much the same in terms of advertising and marketing, but one day, one of these agents decided to make a few very subtle changes to the way they promoted themselves. These changes were so slight that they were imperceptible to the competition. However, by increasing their marketing activities, the agent gradually started to take a percentage of the competitors' business. A year later, 4 of the 5 estate agents noticed that their turnover was down on the year before, and their profits were less. The 5th estate agent's turnover was up, as were the profits, and the company's image had been boosted as the leading agent in the area.

There - a little parable for 2011! Think of a few little changes you can make to the ways in which you market your business, and see what a difference it can make. You don't need to increase your marketing spend; just think creatively!

1. Your website. Please make sure it does what you want it to do! Is it generating enough enquiries? If not, ask yourself why. This is an easy fix and one that you can't afford to ignore. Your website is one of the most cost-effective sales and marketing tools you have, so make sure it performs.

2. If you have customers visiting your premises, either to buy something or to wait to see someone, then promote yourselves to those customers while they wait. Why miss this valuable opportunity? A marketing screen can increase your sales, simply by highlighting your products and services to existing customers.

3. Engage with your customers and prospective customers. Engagement is a major key to success in these tricky times, and making people feel valued can make all the difference in terms of customer loyalty and spend-per-head. A simple email reminder to customers can prompt a positive response, and keep your name at the top of the pile.

So, three suggestions, none of which will break the bank, but all of which will help you to strengthen the relationships you have with your existing clients.

Try choosing one of the above as a New Year Resolution and get it working for your business; don't accept a "that'll do" solution. Be creative and innovative and don't follow the pack just because it feels "safe". To make our own luck, we occasionally have to stick our heads above the parapet!

Here's to a very successful and optimistic 2011.

Time for Positive Thinking

It would be the easiest thing in the world for the small business owner to believe everything they read or hear in the press, and be convinced that we are heading for some horrific double-dip recession. 

This way of thinking has got to stop.

If you look behind the stories, or take the time to discover the positive approaches being taken by organisations across the UK, in spite of the doom-laden perspective taken by the media, then you will see that we are in a position to launch this decade of the entrepreneur!

In the past fortnight, I have seen the positive results of thinking outside the box, and looking for the opportunities out there:

Vince Moran, Chief Operating Officer views the abolition of his quango, British Waterways as "great news" and he views the long-term future of the organisation, with new charitable status as "fantastic".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11541497

Staff at a hospital in Hampshire have been actively involved in looking for ways to save money within their departments, and the creative thinking has already cut overheads by not inconsiderable amounts:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-11540473

So, how can the small business make the most of the opportunities that do exist?

1. Think about where you are spending money, and if you cannot see a return on your investment, think again;

2. Don't stop marketing. It has always been said that you need to market your way out of a recession, and never a truer word has been said. This does not mean that you have to increase your marketing spend. On the contrary, as I said above, be creative. Just because you have always advertised in the Yellow Pages, ask yourself if you are really getting business as a result. Try something new: is your website really working for you? Does it collect data, or really sell your products and services? Could you generate additional income by selling products online? Are you in touch with your existing customers often enough, and are they remaining loyal to you in a financial climate where it pays to shop around?

3. Network. Go back to basic principles of providing excellent customer service. Social Media is the perfect way to do this online, without the need for you to leave your office! Listen to what potential clients and customers want from businesses like yours, react and then let them know what you do. Share your successes, talk about your business and offer help where it is requested. If you have not started to embrace Social Media and the many routes to market it offers, then you are missing out!

Little things can make all the difference.  Above all, please BE POSITIVE. Ignore the negative news. We all know that the country has no money, there are uncertainties and we will all have to be watch the pennies, but let us for once believe in our collective futures. As small business owners, we all started up with a belief in our products and services. We just need to share those beliefs, have the strength of our own convictions and get our message out there in front of our clients and customers.

Argent Ram Media provide a range of multi-media marketing solutions for small, medium and large businesses and companies. Please contact us for further information - 0845 009 5396.

http://www.argentrammedia.com/

ian@argentrammedia.com

What does a Small Business need from their website?

"Business Link has seen a dramatic rise of enquiries and support offered to individuals considering starting a business. 29%* more 'pre-start' individuals have had help from the Service in the South East in the last six months compared with the same time period last year. Over 14,800 individuals have been supported with information and advice since April 2009."

SEEDA

Typically, as individuals face the realities of redundancy brought about by a recession, many turn their thoughts towards setting up their own business.

Many of these new businesses start off in the smallest possible way - a one-man-band offering services, products or expertise in their particular field.

However small your business, there are key considerations that need to be addressed to ensure the success of the business, and these considerations need to include the way in which you market yourself to your future customers.

This article is aimed at giving the new business, no matter how small, some idea of the best ways of marketing themselves on the internet.

WHAT DOES A SMALL BUSINESS NEED FROM THEIR WEBSITE?

Any business looking to increase their customer base and market themselves effectively needs a website. This is not a luxury any more; it is a necessity. Even if you are a one-man-band, you don't need to market yourself as such. Customers have faith in businesses that appear to have credentials, a successful trading history, happy customers and a proven track record. If you look as though you set up your business yesterday with a budget of £5, there is not escaping the fact that you will be perceived as a "here-today, gone-tomorrow" business, no matter how well qualified you are as a supplier.

There is no doubting that some individuals can just about get away with presenting a business card that has clearly been generated by a slot machine, but if you are serious about your business, do you simply want to "get away" with the cheapest possible forms of advertising?

Your website could be the best investment you make, and it really need not cost the earth. However, it is essential that you think carefully about what it is that you want to achieve through your website.

1. What is your business?

2. Who is your target market?

3. What is unique about you, your products or services and therefore..

4. Why would a customer come to you as opposed to one of your competitors?

5. How do you want to be perceived?

6. What do you want your website to do for you? Generate enquiries? Sell something?

Your business plan will provide most of these answers, but if you don't have a business plan, then you really need to make sure you know the answers to the above questions so that you understand fully what it is that you are trying to achieve through your business in the first place.

Having clear objectives, you then need to think about the key ingredients necessary to make a successful website.

The following are our suggestions:

1. Aesthetics.

Please don't go for the cheapest website solution you can find. A poorly designed site can have a seriously detrimental effect on your business. This is your shop front and the first impression that a potential customer could have of you and your company. As it is, on average, 98% of all website visitors will leave your site without bothering to contact you. Don't increase your statistic to 100%! The way in which you want your business to be perceived will have an impact on the way your site should be designed. A professionally designed site will make your job so much easier.

2. Work.

Make your website do some work. At the very least, visitors should be encouraged to contact you, so you can start to collect some data for future marketing. Offer website visitors something in exchange for their email address and name. Have an area on your homepage where you can feature a special offer or a new product - something that will ignite the interest of your customers.

3. Engage.

These days, your website is not enough. Social Media has exploded in recent months, and one of the new key words in internet marketing is "engagement". You need to engage with your customers in every way possible, and social media (sites like Twitter and Facebook) now allows you to do this in ways not previously possible. A blog also allows you to communicate with your customers in a direct, personal and informative way that keeps you uppermost in their minds. You website, then, should encourage potential customers to follow you in the world of social media, so that you can spread your message and engage.

4. Find.

A professional will ensure that your website is built to comply with latest standards. Having a well constructed site is part of the process of ensuring that your website can be found in the major search engines. But that is one part. There are many facets in successful search engine promotion - key words, relevant content, back-links, using social media, accessibility....a potential mine field for the new business. In the near future, both video and audio are going to play in increasingly important role in your successful on-line marketing, so yet another consideration!

5. AIDA

Keep it simple. Stick to the principles of successful marketing and make them work on your website:

A - Attention. Make sure your website grabs the attentions of your customer within 8 seconds.

I - Interest. Focus the landing page (usually your homepage) content so that it creates real interest.

D - Desire. Make the site visitor want to contact you.

A - Action. Always make the Call to Action easy to find. If you want customers to call you, ensure your phone number is very visible. If you want them to email you, have the simplest of forms on every page.

A lot to take in, but it can be achieved.

We, at Argent Ram Media, have developed SESOME - Search Engine and Social Media-ready websites that are ideal for small and start-up businesses. With a limited budget, you need to know that you will have a website that will work for you in the most effective way possible.

Have a look at our Sesome website - http://www.sesome-websites.co.uk/ for details.

If you would like more information on Sesome Websites, please call us - 0845 009 5396. Alternatively, email Ian Rutter ian@argentrammedia.com

Argent Ram Media is a company that specialises in providing a range of marketing solutions for all businesses, from the small one-man-band up to the largest of multi-national companies.

Website Design and Development
Design for Print
Email Design and Campaign Management
Micro-Site Marketing
E-Commerce
Internet Start-Ups
Marketing Consultancy
Search Engine Marketing
PR
Digital Advertising
Digital Screen Marketing

Don't Ignore Your Website

There is so much talk about Search Engine Ranking, and being found in Google, that it is far too easy to forget about your website and what happens when it is found by potential clients in the Search Engines.

Imagine that your eye is caught by a particularly enticing product in a store window; so enticing, in fact, that you are tempted off the street and into the store.

Firstly, you enter into the perfume department, but your product is in Electrical Goods; where is that? Oh, where are the signs in this place? And a member of staff wouldn't go amiss...

You spend the first couple of minutes wandering the ground floor, finally find a member of staff and are told that Electrical Goods can be found on the Lower Ground Floor. Now, where are the escalators?

Once in the right department, you scan the displays of white goods for the product of your choice. It is not immediately evident. Ah-ha! Another member of staff. Excuse me! Now, where's he gone? Can you tell me where I can find the machine that is on display in the window, please. Oh sorry, you are with another customer...

You stand aimlessly, waiting for help.

Finally, you get to talk to someone and you ask them where you can find the said machine and how much it is.

Sorry, it is out of stock.

Good experience?

This is what happens when the vast majority of internet customers visit websites.

They search for something specific, find a website and are invariably taken to the website homepage.

They then have to look for signs to follow to get to the right "department" in order to find the specific product or service that they originally searched for. Is there any easier way to find information? No, so it looks like they will have to follow links. Is there a form or phone number they can use to make life easier? No, but there is a "Contact Us" link tucked away in the small print somewhere at the bottom of the page.

Each link takes the visitor to another page, and then another, with each page featuring lists of products that do not include the one they are after.

What happens to that potential customer if they finally find your product and either it is marked as being out of stock, or is found to be too expensive? Off they click and move on to the next website. To be honest, the majority of those potential customers probably didn't bother to move beyond the homepage if the particular product was not immediately visible.

You don't even know they have been on your site, yet they probably had money to spend or business to pass your way!

On average, a staggering 99% of your website visitors will leave without bothering to contact you.

So, what can you do to make sure that your website works for you once a customer finds it.

• If you do appear well in the Search Engines, then think about what the visitor will want to see when they click on the Search Engine link. If your Search Engine link features a specific product, make sure the landing page (ie, the page that the customer will be taken to) features that product.
  
  
• If your links all go through to the homepage, make sure you feature any promotions or special offers or new products on that homepage, in order to grab the visitor's attention.
  
  
• Don't worry if you haven't got a full e-commerce site, or if you don't actually sell products. The same principle applies to businesses offering services. What is your key service? For example, if you are an employment law firm, and all your seacrh engine marketing is geared towards attracting clients who need employment law advice, make sure your landing page immediately tells the visitor that you specialise in EMPLOYMENT LAW.
  
  
• Whatever your business, make sure there is a CALL TO ACTION on every page. Don't expect the website visitor to hunt for the elusive "member of staff"; make it easy for them to get in touch by any means.
  
  
• If you have a database of customers, past and prospective, think about running targeted email campaigns with links to specific pages of your website, so that the email takes the recipient to the right page. Even more effective is the use of a micro-site - a separate mini website that backs up the content of your email ensuring that every item of content is relevant.
  
  
• Above all, make sure your website keeps pace. It MUST change frequently to keep it fresh and relevant to your clients. Don't feature content that is "out of stock", past its sell-buy date or no longer of interest. Think about your customers would want to see when they visit your website; more importantly, what they would EXPECT to see.

If you would like a free website consultation, please contact Ian Rutter at ian@argentrammedia.com. www.argentrammedia.com