Eric Spellmann continues to be one of the highest rated speakers at our national America’s SBDC conferences. His unique view that small business websites should “do” something pushes against the standard “online pamphlet” view of most web design companies. He believes your customer’s websites should be driving qualified leads and sales on a weekly basis. Eric speaks at a number of other national and state conferences nationwide, but enjoys running one of the most successful companies in the country. He truly believes in the SBDC mission as it helped him start his own company many years ago. To contact him, visit his website at ericspellman.com.
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Effective online marketing techniques by business type.
Online marketing is a critical component of making your business successful in this day and age where 97% of internet-connected consumers go online to research services and products. But with so many ways to market yourself online, you may be suffering from analysis paralysis… so to get you started, here is the top action item I recommend depending on your type of business.
If you’re a local business and you see your customers face-to-face, either when they walk into your location, or because you go and see them at theirs, the #1 thing to do is take control over your listing in online directories. That means claiming your Local listing with all the big search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. Once you’ve claimed your listing, here are the top things you should do: (more…)
Managing Millennials: A Crash Course
If you are struggling to make the most out of your relationships with Millennial employees, here is a quick guide to turning those born between 1980 and 1992 into some of your biggest fans and assets.
Communicating: Veterans like face-to-face meetings, boomers like phone calls, Generation X prefers email, and Millennials do most of their communicating via cell phone, text messages, and social media. Millenials’ interpersonal skills and presentation skills often need work. But be open to letting them develop relationships through the channels they’re most comfortable with. Their informality can often lead to more frequent contact and faster relationship building.
Recruiting: When you set out to hire younger workers, consider your employer brand. What does your company stand for? What are your values? Young people want to work with those they like and companies they believe in. Also understand that what they learn about your company online—from LinkedIn, your website, or customer reviews on Yelp—will shape their opinions and interests. (more…)
Tapping Into the Great Untapped Online Marketing Tool: Review Websites
By BizFilings Business Owner’s Toolkit
It’s time to stop cowering in fear of negative reviews of your business that may lurk in the crevices of cyberspace. With consumers placing such emphasis on reading online reviews before making purchase decisions, entrepreneurs must address review sites head-on. They’re not going anywhere any time soon.
Monitor Review Sites that Matter
Initially, you’ll have to spend a decent amount of time perusing popular review websites (which we’ll list below in a minute). But instead of devoting time to searching these sites weekly for new updates, follow a systematic approach, such as: (more…)
Attract Gen Y Employees with a Great Office Space
They’re young, they’re talented, they’re tech-savvy, they’re green. Studies show that by creating an environmentally friendly office, you have a better chance of attracting talented members of Generation Y to your workforce.
According to a MonsterTRAK poll on green employment, 92 percent of young professionals interviewed said they would be more inclined to work for an environmentally-friendly company. The information was confirmed by a Johnson Controls large-scale research project in which more than 3,000 Gen Ys from the United States, the UK, Germany, China, and India were interviewed. Ninety-six percent said they want an “environmentally aware or friendly workplace” and 57 percent said they want their employers to perform well above regulatory compliance.
In short, the younger generations are driven digital innovators, but they want a workplace that is aligned to their core beliefs and is environmentally sensitive. Cubicles with high walls tend to cage their creativity, while flexible and team-focused designed office spaces with fewer barriers allow for the free flow of ideas and information. (more…)