Smart advertising |e-commerce

Archive for February 26th, 2010

The Secrets Of A Successful Business Card

Have you ever had a business card handed to you with only the company name and number on it and when you go to call the person youre not sure who you were talking to?nbsp; Chance are you threw the card away or made an awkward phone call trying to track down the mystery personnbsp; This article is going to help you so your business card doesnt get tossed in the trash like these poor examples.

One of the first things that should be on a business card is the name of the person handing it out.nbsp; This makes the individual seem more important and professional.nbsp; In this area you can also include the job title and if the person is the manager or owner of the company it is good to include those details on the business cards also.nbsp; In a large business it is very important to put and individuals name on the business card so the recipient will know who to contact.nbsp; The name of the individual as is usually printed in large bold lettering so it sands out.

Business cards always include the name of the business or organization.nbsp; This text is always in large print and bold as well.nbsp; It is good to include your business or organizations logo on the business card as well but nothing to flashy that will detract from the business name or that of the individual.

The physical or mailing address is typical to include on your business card.nbsp; If your business is based online or only has a mailing address you do not need to include the physical address.nbsp; Having both a physical and a mailing address on your business card can be confusing to a viewer so make sure each of them are clearly labelled if you include both on your card.

It is very important to include phone numbers or contact numbers on your business card.nbsp; Usually they are listed in order of voice fax and cell.nbsp; Remember do not include numbers that are not preferred as a method of contact or are likely to change.nbsp; Your contact numbers should include the area code or country code as well as an extension number if applicable.nbsp; You can use periods spaces or other characters to separate the numbers but be sure to be consistent in the method you choose.

If you have an email address it would be a good idea to include it on your business card as well.nbsp; Today people use email as the quickest way of contacting each other.nbsp; This is essential if your business is webbased however there seems to be a generation gap with regards to using email as a communication tool so be prepared to alter your communication method for users who still prefer a traditional phone conversation.nbsp; Including the web address is a good way for customers to view additional information about your business without taking up the time of your staff and having a website while not essential also aids in lifting the image of your business. Think of it as a userdriven sales environment where your prospective customers can control how much or how little information about your business they would like to be exposed to.

A tagline or description of your business can be a useful if your business name doesnt clearly say what the business does.nbsp; This can also give a snapshot of the culture and mood that your business portrays and will allow your potential customers to identify with your business on an emotional level and decide if your services are what they are looking for in this regard.nbsp; Your tagline should position your business and service offering clearly and with substance and panache.nbsp; Doing all these things will result in a business card that is retained and gets your more inbound leads!

About the writer:  In 2006 Dario completed studies in Industrial Design and went on to be Creative Director of a well known public relations firm before working in the Creative team of APN News and Media. He now works solely on his business empire which includes his latest venture AstroPrint.com.au offering online printingand business printing.

Four Ways To Take Full Advantage Of Free Website Promotion.

A few years back a number of experts were predicting the end of free website promotion. The thinking went since the major conglomerates were starting to utilize the internet more and more it would eventually drive up the price on just about every aspect of online business including advertising. This would put a lot of pressure on small and home based online businesses that had benefited from the early days of website promotion when costs were free or very affordable and competition was not as widespread.

The good news is free website promotion never went anywhere. It has continued to grow and evolve just like the internet. Maybe the boom years of website promotion don’t exist anymore due to the number of websites online but in some ways its better than before. Constant growth means more people online to view your information or product.

Here are a few tips to getting the most out of free website promotion:

1. The Directories
This could be the easiest way to generate free website promotion. Just create a profile of your website including a good description along with the right targeted keywords and begin submitting your site to the many online web directories. This as you may have gathered will not generate traffic to your site overnight. However over time it will lay the groundwork for more backlinks to your site which can greatly improve your website’s search engine ranking and link popularity. Start out by submitting your site to at least five directories per day.

2. The Forums
It’s almost as if forums were built for free website promotion. Just register with the forum of your choosing create a signature file also known as a resource box and start advertising. One important element to remember: To make forum advertising truly work you must become an active participant in that community. Do not just post your latest product or service. Instead make a deliberate and constant effort to provide good information opinion and discussion to the forum. Once people in the forum become more familiar with you your website promotion becomes easier.

3. Courtesy
This applies not only to the forums but anywhere else you do business online. No doubt you’ve witnessed how aggressive and insulting people can be in cyberspace. There is something about posting anonymously or at least from an “undisclosed” location that brings out the antagonism in some people. A little bit of politeness and respect can greatly assist you in establishing contacts with other webmasters. This will make them more open to exchanging links with you. They may also check out your website and promote your product or service to their readers and subscribers without requesting anything in return. That’s the power of common courtesy.

4. Video
About three years ago internet marketing pioneer and businessman Kevin McCarthy predicted that video would transform the internet. Today we are looking at the dawning of the video online revolution. What this means is free website promotion has gone to the next level. Just use a web cam or any other recording equipment to make your video and then easily upload it to the hundreds and growing of video sharing sites like of course YouTube and BlipTV. Video can place your website promotion in front of new customers who normally would not be interested in your product or service.

The internet continues to grow and change rapidly. The predicted collapse of small businesses online due to the demise of free website promotion never happened. Instead not only are the free tools that were available still around and very effective but new website promotion tools have been added. Take advantage of the directories video forums and just good old fashion common courtesy to boost your free website promotion campaigns

About the writer:  There are more free website promotion tips tools video resources and up to the minute information for you at The Internet Marketing Guide