Home Wealth Project
Extensive Research On How To Build Wealth From The Comfort Of Your Own Home.
WP-PollMaster – The must have tool for Cpa Marketers!
Sep 11th
Awesome conversions because the software actually works! High conversions, low refunds, huge market. People in the IM niche are looking for this, make a killing with the hottest Cpa affiliate software on the market! Converts great with email lists too!
WP-PollMaster – The must have tool for Cpa Marketers!
Author Highlighting Is a Google Must for Bloggers
Aug 12th
Author Highlighting Is a Google Must for Bloggers
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
Today’s post may seem like an under the hood, techie kind of tip, and it is that, but it also outlines something content producers and bloggers need to be aware of.
In an effort to place more emphasis on the original authors of content and perhaps further eliminate duplicate content, Google has begun placing great emphasis on an anchor text attribute – rel=”author”
An anchor text attribute is just more information contained in the HMTL code of a link. In this case the use of the author attribute in conjunction with content, such as a blog post, signals search spiders that this is the original author.
So a link to my about us page with attribute would look like this:
a href="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/about/" rel="author"John Jantsch
The reward for using this attribute has started showing up in search results with the image of the author placed to the right of the results in a growing number of instances. The Google author program kicked off formally a while back with a limited number of well-know bloggers and journalists and is slowly rolling out to others. (Here’s the official Google announcement)
The images Google is showing next to the selected articles are drawn from Google Plus profiles and link back to the author’s profile page. Some people have noted, incorrectly that this is a further extension of active Google+ users into the search results. The author program was actually in place prior to Google Plus and drew originally on the old Google personal profiles. In fact, some of the higher profile authors chosen have very limited Google+ activity.
Going forward a Google+ account and profile will be part of the deal for those that want to have their images included on original content, but use of the rel=”author” attribute in a very specific fashion is what will ultimately get your content chosen.
The video below, featuring Google spokesperson Matt Cutts, outlines the path Google hopes you’ll take to include the rel=author attribute.
Basically here are the steps:
- You need to have a link on every page of content that points to the author’s about me page, on the same domain, using the author attribute in the link.
- The author’s about me page should also point to their Google+ profile.
- To close the loop, the author’s Google+ profile should point to the author’s about me page.
How to get the author attribute in your links
- Go back and put a byline on all pages with articles and add the link to your about me page
- Read more about various ways to implement from Google help
- On WordPress blogs – you have plug in options, but my advice is start with this post on author highlight from Yoast
View full post on Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
5 Types of Content That Every Business Must Employ
Jul 18th
5 Types of Content That Every Business Must Employ
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
Marketing podcast with John Jantsch (Click to play or right click and “Save As” to download – Subscribe now via iTunes or subscribe via other RSS device (Google Listen)
Dawn Endico via Flickr
The creation and distribution of content has become such a significant aspect of effective marketing that it requires a high place in the strategy conversation in most every business.
Some might go as far as to suggest content marketing has become the most effective way to build a business.
The word content is confusing enough as it’s bantered around these days, but it’s also difficult for many small business owners to come up with a big picture view of the role content plays in the acquisition of clients.
Strategically, the word content must mean more than a blog post or a blank sheet of paper each day. You must begin to think of your content as a total body of work that is being built to serve your business over time.
You must understand and create content for the most important keyword phrases for your industry, the essential themes of education in your business, and your company’s core points of differentiation.
You must also think in terms of your content as a tool that moves prospects from awareness to conversion and in this effort there are at least five types of content that you must address. Each type must be considered as part of your overall content strategy.
I’ve listed each below and I also discuss them in the audio track that accompanies this post.
Content that builds trust - One of the first jobs of your content is to bridge the gap from awareness to trust building. Your SEO efforts actually marry with this type of content to make sure you are both found and found in abundance.
- How to content – specific advice or tips and tricks
- Reviews – customer reviews on sites like Yelp and Google Places
- Testimonials – endorsements from happy customers
- Articles – articles you’ve written or that mention your firm in outside publications
Content that educates – Once you create awareness and trust a prospect will be hungry to find out much more about your unique approach, your solution, your story and your organization.
- White papers – not boring, dry technical stuff, your best writing tying a bigger topic together
- Newsletter – Weekly or monthly education that nurtures their interest
- Seminars – in person or online, these allow prospects to learn as well as engage
- FAQs – some folks just need the answers to their questions and this format serves well
- Survey data – results from surveys can be very compelling as a way to let prospects know you understand them
Customer generated content – Getting your customers involved in the production of content builds loyalty and community, creates proof of results and gives you another avenue for content creation.
- Automatic referrals and reviews – create ways to move happy customers to a referral and review process
- Testimonials – automate this process by providing online audio and video tools
- Video success stories – create events that bring customers together to tell their story and network
Other people’s content – one of the primary jobs of marketers these days is to provide some insight to the stream of information that our customers face. Filtering and aggregating content produced by others is not only a great service, it’s a great differentiator.
- Custom RSS feeds – create customer or industry specific feeds to share
- Republish, Share, RT – point to and share great content that being produced
- Curate – use tools like Storify to collect and republish customer newsletters
Content that converts – this last category is one that gets overlooked in the write for writing sake view of content. Ultimately, great content has the ability to call and convert prospects to the action of buying.
- In person events – live events are the absolute best way to use content to close
- Case studies – deep studies into the success of another client act as tangible proof in the buying decision
- ROI calculators – use content to help prospects understand the specific value of making a change
- Results – provide documented proof results in simple and easy to understand forms that address the common needs of most prospects.
I’m in Alaska this week so I’ll be sharing some photos from their in my posts.
View full post on Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
5 Must Haves For That About Us Page
Jun 23rd
Whether you don’t like writing about yourself, you’re not sure what goes there or because the whole thing just makes you feel plain awkward, writing the business About Us page is a task that intimidates many small business owners. You think you know what you want to say, but then you get to that blank WordPress page and you suddenly forget how long you’ve been doing this, why you love it or, sometimes, even the company name. But your About Us page doesn’t have to be something you dread. Instead, craft a page that you’re proud of and that helps communicate exactly who you are and what you represent to your customers. It’s easy!
One lesson we’ve all learned from the social media revolution is that people like doing business with people they know. And that’s the power of crafting a good About Us page. You give your customers a look into who you are, who your company is, and you build the trust they need to move forward with your business.
Below are five best practices to keep in mind when crafting your About Us page.
Tell a story
Take a few moments and think about all the experiences you’ve had running your business. The funny ones, the proud ones, the ones that make you wince looking back at them. Pick a story that you think captures the essence of your business and what it represents and then use your About Us page to tell it to your customers. Maybe it was the day you first opened the business. Maybe it was your third anniversary when you looked around at what you had created. Avoid writing down your whole company history or regurgitating your company mantra. Instead, use your About Us page to tell a story that introduces customers to your business, displays your values and, most importantly, captures their attention and makes them want to learn more.
Share your credentials
Don’t get so caught up in telling a compelling story that you forget to list your credentials. Potential customers want to know why they should trust you with their business. Share how you got started, what your experience is, how long you’ve been doing with this, any awards you’ve won, people you’ve worked with (if possible), associations you’re involved with, industry causes you support, etc. Why should a potential customer trust you with their business?
Introduce yourself with pictures
If someone clicks on the link to your About Us page it’s a pretty clear sign they want to get to know you. Maybe it’s their first time on your site, or they just discovered your blog, or they’re thinking about making a purchase but want to make sure they can trust you first. This is your chance to let them peek behind the curtain and see what your team looks like. Get personal by including pictures of yourself, your real staff (no stock photos), the outside of your establishment, the office dog, etc. These images again build upon that story you’re trying to tell.
Let them know what they can expect from you
No, I don’t mean to list off all the services that you offer or the products that you sell. I mean to convey what kind of a business you are and what they can expect from their experience with you. What are some of your company’s core values? What sets you apart from everyone else? Don’t use this area to sell, but to humanize your company and to put a face on the experience. It may also mean linking to interior content that highlight content or views you think are important.
Tell them how to get to know you better
Provide links to other places you reside on the Web, be it a Twitter account, Facebook account, or a link to another social media forum. By providing these other outposts for people to check out it helps build trust in the company and shows that you’ll be easy to get a hold of if something goes wrong. As consumers, we like checking out how a company responds on Twitter or how they use Facebook to help us make judgments about what type of business they are.
Those are the five things I look for when evaluating a business (or personal) About page. What trust cues do you look for?
5 Must Haves For That About Us Page
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
7 Resistance Crushing Questions Every Business Must Answer
Jun 20th
7 Resistance Crushing Questions Every Business Must Answer
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
The Marketing Hourglass
You’ve created buzz and awareness about your business, you’ve gained permission to educate and you’ve even started to build trust through your content and SEO work – prospects are coming to know, like and trust you – you’ve achieved the equivalent of marketing nirvana, right?
Well, not exactly. In fact, you’re also making your case in logical terms, you’ve offered up a perfectly competitive product or solution, one that everyone should buy, only to meet with one of the most powerful forces in nature – resistance.
I’m no science wiz, but I’ve always loved the idea of resistance in physics as a metaphor for the kind of resistance many business owners encounter when trying to spark a sale. Resistance is the ability of a substance to prevent or resist the flow of electrical current.
Many times we can present a solution and price that seems like the obvious and logical choice, but can’t seem to make the sale. What we sometimes fail to factor, however, is that while a product may have a logical price of, say, $10, the buyer’s emotional price – “I don’t trust myself to implement this solution, I don’t know enough to believe this is the answer, the cost of potential disruption is too high” – has effectively raised the perceived cost beyond recognition – and that’s the resistance you must address.
You must bake resistance crushing tactics, products, services and processes into your overall mix and marketing approach.
Below are seven questions that every business owner must answer, as part of what I call The Marketing HourglassTM, in order to lower or overcome resistance for their products and services and create competitively sustainable momentum.
- What are your free or trial offerings? – Although you may have created the perfect solution there are times when people need a little taste before committing to the entire purchase. It’s essential that you find ways for people sample your products or expertise. You can do this by creating starter offerings that are free or low cost, packaging information products that make your solutions accessible, or presenting educational workshops that teach while putting your approach on display in a non-sales environment.
- What is your guarantee? – This one frightens some people, because they fear the repercussions of every customer demanding a refund. Of course, if that’s even remotely possible then you’ve got bigger problems than marketing. The fact is most businesses offer or honor an implied guarantee – if a customer feels they didn’t get what was promised we often resolve this by offering a refund. So, why not lower the implied risk of doing business with you by finding a way to offer a compelling guarantee up front. Tell the world you’re so confident in the results you can bring that you’ll assume all of the risk in the transaction.
- What is your “make it easy to switch” offering? – Even if you offer the perfect answer the customer must still factor the change in routine, disruption or down time, and chance that something will not go as planned into the decision to switch to or adopt what you’re offering. It’s essential that you consider ways to shoulder some of this burden by creating support processes and assurances that all but eliminate this potential snag. This may include doing prep work unrelated to your product or even offering to switch the client back if they don’t realized the promised benefits.
- What are your core offering enhancements? The question of buying or not buying often comes down to total value and total value is built by surrounding your core offerings with additional products, services and value enhancing features that may or may not be directly related to your product or service. For example, if you sell a product, then offering training or providing a maintenance plan as part of deal may tip the scales in your favor. If you’ve developed an expertise in some area of business that could benefit your client base, say blogging or SEO, you may find that you can add value by teaching these skills, no matter what you sell.
- What is your good, better, best appeal? Offering a variety of prepackaged price points makes it easier for some prospects to make a decision about your products and services. There is a strong psychological pull in this approach and some firms find that, although most of their sales come from one package, the existence of the other options helps to overcome resistance because people feel they get to make a choice. This can also create some distinct competitive differentiation as well.
- What is your members only offering? The offer of exclusivity or community is very appealing to most, no matter the industry. The airlines, rental car companies, credit card companies and even the local coffee shop, have based a large part of their existence on the loyalty club and membership program model. I believe any businesses can explore ways to promote their best customers into some form of exclusive membership offering. This can include things like special discounts, networking opportunities, advance product features and premium content.
- What are your strategic partner pairings? I’m a very strong advocate of assembling a team of best of class providers that can help your clients with any facet of their business or personal needs. When you become the “go to” person for your clients, you dramatically increase the value you provide in the relationship. I believe you can take this a step farther than many people do and proactively promote access to your network as a benefit of doing business with your organization. Of course, this mindset requires you to build strong and tangible relationships with your strategic partners, but if you do, and you take this proactive pairing approach you can dramatically enhance your own offerings while simultaneously creating referral relationships that will open the doors to additional opportunities.
View full post on Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
Free Online Music Promotion – A Starving Artists Must Have!
May 26th
“a Musician’s Guide to Growing Your Web Presence: Zero to Hero Without Spending a Dime” is a nearly 3 hour video series showing musicians how to forge a web presence that markets and even gives them a way to sell their music For No Cost. Priced to move.
Free Online Music Promotion – A Starving Artists Must Have!
Traffic Siphon – The $4517 A Day Loophole Must Promote *$5.25* Per Hop
May 2nd
Brand New: CB’s #1 Super Affiliate finally reveals his $4,517 a day free traffic loophole (with software). Unbelievable overall Epc of $5.25, Jaw dropping Conversions, huge Upsells and Recurring for life – This is a monster. http://TrafficSiphon.com/aff
Traffic Siphon – The $4517 A Day Loophole Must Promote *$5.25* Per Hop
65 Small Business Mobile Applications You Must Check Out
Apr 29th
The response to my article 101 Small Business Web Applications You Must Check Out was overwhelmingly positive! Thank you for all the awesome suggestions and comments.
I decided to write this second article based on all the additional recommendations I received, with the emphasis on mobile applications focused on helping small businesses. Some of these mobile applications are completely free and some of them are freemium (free for basic version, then you pay for an upgraded version). Which mobile apps do you love? What other apps are the real deal that we might have missed? Send us your comments and suggestions!
Here is the list of categories we will cover in this article:
- Sales Management
- Human Resources
- Communications
- Networking
- Web and Social Media
- Mobile Payment
- Productivity
- Information Technology
- Legal
- Presentation
- File Management
- Finance
P.S. You will meet some of these awesome mobile companies at BizTech [Mobile] on May 12, 2011!
Sales Management
Roambi: This allows users to get the latest business intelligence on their phones. Users can import data from an Excel spreadsheet to Salesforce or SAP. Cost: FREE to $99/user/year
Salesforce: Salesforce allows users to view and edit sales information, log sales and service activities, and receive new leads and customer requests. Cost: FREE
Kinito: This allows users to create, read and update sales accounts, contacts, leads, and opportunities. Cost: FREE
Human Resources
OmniFocus: Allows users to track tasks by project, place, person or date. Cost: $19.99/user/year
Daylite Touch: Allows users to combines tasks, calendars, projects, opportunities, and contacts for the team. Cost: FREE
iTimesheet: Allows users to keep track of time spent on projects, clients, and billings. Users can also back up timesheet data to an FTP server, or export to Excel format. Cost: $5.99/user/year
HoursTracker – Time Sheet: This allows users to track time spent on projects and view earnings, including different rates for different tasks. Cost: $2.99/user/year
Communication
Skype: Skype allows user to make and receive free Skype-to-Skype calls and converse via instant messaging. Cost: FREE
Google Translate: This allows user to translate words and phrases in more than 50 languages. Cost: FREE
Fuze Meeting: Allows user participate in online meetings and see real-time screen sharing while talking on the phone. Cost: FREE
Voice Broadcast: Allows users to record audio content to send to multiple users immediately or at a future time. Great for keeping colleagues and team members up to date with quick voice messages. Cost: FREE
Yammer: Yammer allows user to share ideas, get answers and stay connected with colleagues through multiple communication feeds in your company. Cost: FREE
WhatsApp: This allows users to to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. Cost: $0.99/user
HeyTell: Allows users to leave voicemail with friends and coworkers. Cost: FREE
Word Lens: Word Lens allows users to instantly translate Spanish to English using a camera phone. Cost: FREE to $9.99/user
PGI Mobile: Allows users to host and record audio conferences using mobile phone. Users can see who’s talking, lock calls, and adjust or mute audio. Cost: FREE
Networking
WorldCard Mobile: Allows users to scan business cards and export to iPhone or Outlook contacts. Cost: $5.99
Card Munch: Allows users to take a photo and submit your business card. Each business card will be transcribed, edited and reviewed by virtual workers to guarantee accuracy. Cost: FREE
Bump: Allows users to use their phone to bump another phone. If both people confirm that the match is indeed correct, contact information will be exchanged between phones. Cost: FREE
Hashable: Hashable allows users to track their business relationships; record meetings, calls and intros; and exchange business cards. Cost: FREE
Linkedin: Allows users to access their Linkedin professional network and contacts on their phones. Cost: FREE
Web and Social Media
Analytics Apps: Allows users to view and build reports based on Google Analytics data. Cost: $6.99/user
Twitter: Allows users to get instant updates from friends and industry experts and tweet from multiple accounts. Cost: FREE
Facebook: Facebook allows users to update status, browse News Feed and view friends’ Profiles from their phones. Cost: FREE
GoDaddy: Search and buy domains. Cost: FREE
Domainr: Search and buy domains. Cost: FREE
Mobile Payment
iSwipe: Allows users to process major credit cards payment on a mobile phone. Cost: FREE
Square: Allows users to collect credit card payments by plugging a reader into a phone or iPad. Cost: 2.75 percent per transaction
Cimbal: Allows users to pay using a smartphone in the store, online and person-to-person anywhere Cimbal is accepted. Cost: Free between individuals
Venmo: Allows users to pay with iPhone, Android or Blackberry. Cost: FREE
Paypal: Allows users to pay and manage Paypal account using iPhone, Android or Blackberry. Cost: FREE
Productivity
Whiteboard Capture: Allows users to filter pictures of whiteboards to remove undesirable artifacts and get a near-perfect digital image. Cost: $1.99/user
Evernote: Allows users to save ideas and notes in text, voice and photos and access from any device. Cost: $FREE to $5/user/month
Mindjet: Allows users to capture and share ideas on the go, and transfer mind maps to and from Mac or PC. Cost: $7.99/user
iShare: Allows users to connect to Microsoft SharePoint Server, giving them access to their corporate documents, tasks and meetings from anywhere. Cost: FREE
Awesome Note: Allows users to organize notes and to-do lists in folders, create custom lists and schedules, attach photos, and sync with Google Docs or Evernote. Cost: $3.99
SmartTime Pro: Allows users to manage appointments, and fit additional tasks around them. Cost: $4.99
Things: Allows users to manage to-dos, notes, due dates and projects. User can also schedule tasks and manage priorities using custom tags. Cost: $9.99
Bento: Allows users to manage personal or business data by organizing information using templates for contacts, projects, to-do items and customer information. Cost: $4.99
Convert ~ The Unit Calculator: Allows users to convert and calculate units. Cost: $2.99
Information Technology
Jump Desktop: Allows users to remotely access Mac or PC systems. Remote applications can be controlled with simple gestures to zoom, pan, click, scroll and type with ease. Cost: $19.99/user
FTP On The Go: Allows users to view, edit and download files from an FTP server. Cost: $6.99/user
Wyse PocketCloud Pro: Allows users to access their terminal, server or supported PC virtually. Users can view and manage Windows desktop remotely. Cost: $14.99/user
Network Utility Pro: Allows users to check performance and status of the corporate servers using network tools including ping and TCP/IP port scans. Cost: $0.99/user
1Password: Allows users to securely store important passwords and information. Cost: $9.99/user
Tap Forms Database: Allows users to create and edit built-in or custom database forms on the go. Cost: $6.99/user
Legal
Patent Finder: Allows users to search the entire U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database for issued patents and patent applications, and email saved PDFs of search results. Cost: $4.99/user
Right Signature: Allows users to sign contracts, proposals and NDAs from the phone. Cost: FREE
Presentation
Keynote Remote: Allows users to control your Keynote (Apple) slide presentation on your Mac from your iPod touch or iPhone. Cost: $0.99/user
Keypoint: Allows users to build, play, share and export presentations on a mobile phone. Cost: $1.99/user
File Sharing and Management
PDF Reader Pro: Allows users to create and access high-quality PDFs and other files on a mobile phone. Cost: $0.99/user
Box.net: Allows users to access files from anywhere and securely share content. Cost: FREE
Mobile Phax: Allows users to use mobile camera to capture and clean up documents, convert them to multipage PDFs, and email them to others. Cost: $4.99/user
Dropbox: Allows users to sync files between computers and upload photos from a mobile phone. Cost: FREE
FileMagnet: Allows users to transfer files from a desktop computer to mobile. Cost: FREE
Quickoffice® Mobile Office Suite: Allows user to access and edit MS Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and other files for access to remote or local files. Cost: $9.99/user
Documents To Go: Allows user to create and edit business documents; modify, create, or view Microsoft Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations; and access PDF, iWork, RTF and Google documents and graphics files. Cost: $9.99/user
Financial Management
InerTrak: Allows users to manage time spent on projects, hourly rates, and billed/unbilled time and money. Good for contract workers or anyone who works on multiple projects on a hourly basis. Cost: $4.99/user
Minibooks: Allows users to manage client records, record time against projects, generate invoices and track payments. Cost: $14.99/user
Timewerks: Allows users to keep track of billable hours and materials spent on projects, create reports and send invoices. Cost: FREE to $9.99/user
Omni Invoice: Allows users to create sales quotes and customer invoices from anywhere and email them directly to customers. Cost: $4.99
iXpenseIt: Allows users to record and track business and personal expenses, and create expense reports and summaries that include photos of receipts. Cost: $4.99/user
Mobile Receipt: Allows users to take high-quality photos of receipts; automatically adjust for character recognition; and create and email formatted PDF, RTF, or text expense reports. Cost: FREE
Currency: Allows users to get the latest exchange rate information for over 90 currencies and 100 countries. Cost: $4.99/user
Currency Exchange – Currency Converter: Allows users to convert dozens of international currencies using the latest exchange rates. Cost: $0.99/user
65 Small Business Mobile Applications You Must Check Out
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
No Ifs, ands or Buts: 10 Things Small Businesses Must Do To Succeed With Their Free Apps
Mar 14th
Many small businesses have recently learned about the world of Web apps (applications) and are beginning to incorporate apps into their marketing efforts. However, what you may not know is that building a great app takes some know-how. Thousands of small businesses have built apps on our platform – these apps have been effective in engaging customers and creating new revenue streams.
Below is the list of 10 factors that have made the difference between apps that engage customers and those that don’t:
1. Usability — Put your “customer hat” on. Build an app that your customers will actually want or find useful. It can be anything, depending on your product or service. Tripit helps people manage their travel plans with their app. The easy-to-use Facebook app lets users update status and add photos directly in the browser window without going to the site. E-Junkie makes e-commerce easy by providing a “buy now” button, shopping carts and more. Just make sure that it’s useful… that is what will keep customers coming back to your app.
2. Speed — Think fast. Customers want immediate responses. One of the main reasons that native iPhone apps are so popular is because the response is instantaneous. Make sure your app can load quickly and if not, entertain the users with images or information in the duration.
3. Ease of use — So easy a caveman could do it! Geico got that right and as Arun Gupta from WakeMate put it: “The ease of use of your website needs to be at least inversely proportional to the amount of value you are adding. If your service is providing marginal benefit, then it had better be extremely easy to use. Conversely, if you are providing something the user cannot live without, you can get away with making them jump through some hoops.” If your app is not easy to use and requires a steep learning curve, users will quickly lose interest and move on. Make sure the value of your app can be experienced with as few clicks as possible.
3. Modern and Sleek — Get with the times. If your business has the best application in the world with outdated graphics, customers will think it’s old or tired. Check out similar apps in your industry and compare. For example, notice how many iPhone apps change their icon, just a bit, when they release a new version. The updated icon gives users a feeling that they’re getting something shiny and new, even if the new version is just some minor bug fixes.
4. Surprises — Exceed expectations. The first time I received a voicemail in my Google Voice account I was happy to see that the message was also transcribed so that I could read it by email. Google over-delivered by taking a standard service beyond initial expectations. This approach creates a positive overall experience with your brand and provides customers with the sense that your business is really considering their needs.
5. Notifications — Don’t you forget about me. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an email, a Chrome extension that displays a badge or an iPhone app with push notifications — your app should reach out to customers and remind them about the cool stuff going on with your business. Quora, for example, lets users “follow” a question and pings them when somebody adds an answer. The Groupon Browser App notifies users when a new deal is available in their area. These notifications ensure that potential customers don’t miss out on great deals or your latest offerings. The key is to use the right mechanism and determine the proper frequency to make the notifications valuable, not intrusive.
7. Fun — Let me entertain you. Flickr is a great example of making photo-sharing fun and adventurous. MailChimp puts a fun spin on the boring business of email. Adding even a bit of whimsy to your app can improve the overall experience. Fun can be generated in many ways — from the “voice” of your application (the text and tone used throughout the app), to holiday cartoons, hidden items, amusing colors or anything that adds an element of surprise to the experience.
8. Great service — The customer is king. Over 10 years ago, Dell executive Jerry Gregoire proclaimed, “The customer experience is the next competitive battleground.” Most small business owners know that all too well. Pause to consider how great service impacts your own experiences with a brand. Providing outstanding customer service produces top-notch impressions, builds loyalty, encourages positive word of mouth and drives users back to your app. Zappos has made this part of their company DNA, with great success.
9. Feedback — Tell me what you think. Listen to your customers and heed their feedback. Don’t release the latest version of your app until you’ve taken the time to collect feedback. Today’s Web makes it simple to release updates. Once you have more resources, you can even use A/B testing to optimize and customize certain experiences. Some of the tools you can use to “listen” are Google Alerts, Tweet-Beep.com and TweetDeck. Consider adding a comment feature to your app that allows users to make suggestions.
10. Monetization — Don’t break the bank. You need to make a living, so if your app is costing you money, you won’t be able to keep providing great customer service. There are lots of established and emerging models for generating revenue that can work for your small business. Consider a freemium subscription model (like Flickr’s model), advertising, donations, SMS, market intelligence, affiliate marketing, selling virtual goods/currency, or any idea you think will work for your customers.
No Ifs, ands or Buts: 10 Things Small Businesses Must Do To Succeed With Their Free Apps
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
101 Small Business Web Applications You Must Check Out
Mar 10th
Check out these 101 small business web applications – software in the cloud. The selections reflect the breadth of innovative ideas and new business pursuits at play in the small business technology cloud landscape.
From sales to legal to productivity tools, we can attest that the small business technology is alive, kicking and doing extremely well in 2011.
It’s getting much easier and cheaper to operate a business than ever before. Absolutely great news for small business!
Here is the list of categories we will cover on this post:
—
P.S. You will meet some of these companies at BizTech [Small Business] on March 24.
P.P.S. Please feel free to comment if we have missed any awesome small business web applications.
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Business Development
Card Munch allows users to take a photo and submit your business card. Each business card will be transcribed, edited and reviewed by virtual workers to guarantee accuracy.
Cost: FREE
NoteLeaf allows users to schedule meetings on your Google Calendar, then gives you information about who you’re about to meet on your phone.
Cost: FREE
Shoeboxed allows users digitize all your receipt, business card and organize everything neatly electronically.
Cost: FREE to $49.95 per month
Bump allows users to use your phone to bump another phone. If both people confirm that the match is indeed correct will the contact information be sent down to the other person.
Cost: FREE
Hashable allows users to track their business relationships record meetings, calls, intros and exchange business cards.
Cost: FREE
Tungle allows users to invite people to schedule with them, without having to sign up and automatically sync with your existing calendar.
Cost: FREE to $4.99 per month
Email Marketing
Vertical Response allows users to self-service email marketing, online surveys and direct mail service which allows you to create, manage and analyze your own direct marketing campaigns.
Cost: FREE to $240 per month
Infusionsoft captures leads, create beautiful emails and automatically follow up using auto-responders.
Cost: FREE to $999 per month
Constant Contact supports email marketing, online survey and event marketing.
Cost: FREE to $240 per month
MailChimp allows users to manage your email campaigns, share them on social networks, integrate with web services you already use, manage subscribers and track your results.
Cost: FREE to $240 per month
Tiny Letter is a free email newsletter platform which allows you to create beautiful landing page and simple email newsletter.
Cost: FREE
GetResponse allows user to create media-rich email marketing campaign.
Cost: $9.95 to $65 per month
Event Management and Marketing
Eventbrite allows users to manage, promote, and sell event tickets.
Cost: 2.5% + $0.99 per ticket
MogoTix allows users to create and manage event mobile ticket.
Cost: 2.5% + $0.99 per ticket
Eventbee allows users to manage and sell event ticket.
Cost: 2.5% + $0.99 per ticket
Video Marketing
Justin.tv allows users to broadcast live video and chat with viewers.
Cost: FREE
Ustream.tv allows users to broadcast video LIVE to the world from a computer, mobile or iPhone.
Cost: FREE
LiveStream allows users to broadcast and live stream your own channel for events, chats or presentations.
Cost: FREE
Social Media Marketing
Crowdbooster allows Twitter analytics and insights. Social Media Marketing Optimization. Schedule and time your tweets. Twitter reports in Excel and PDF.
Cost: FREE
Wildfire allows users to create marketing campaigns like sweepstakes, contests and give-aways on Facebook and Twitter.
Cost: $5 to $250 per campaign
Flowtown allows users to analyze their customer social media profile using their email contacts.
Cost: Unknown
Postling allows users to manage their social media from a single place and let them post, respond and schedule.
Cost: FREE to $34 per month
Online Sales
Big Commerce allows users to sell on Facebook and Ebay, Phones and email.
Cost: Free – $299.99 per month
zferral allows users to create, track and manage online referrals.
Cost: $49 – $999 per month
Shopify allows users to create, track and manage online referrals.
Cost: $49 – $999 per month
Online Payment
Square allows users to collect credit card payment by plugging a reader into a phone or iPad.
Cost: 2.75% per transaction
Cimbal allows user to pay using your smart phone in the store, online and person-to-person anywhere Cimbal is accepted.
Cost: Free between individual
WePay allows users to collect money from a group and make splitting cost easier. It also makes sharing activity more transparent.
Cost: 3.5% per transaction
Google Checkout allows users to collect payment online using their Google login or any major credit cards.
Cost: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Paypal allows users to collect payment online using their Paypal account or any major credit cards.
Cost: 2.9% + $0.30 USD per transaction
Bill Me later allows users to pay without using a credit card and pay later.
Cost: Unknown
Venmo allows users to pay with your iPhone, Android or Blackberry.
Cost: FREE
Presentation
Slideshare allows users to upload and share your presentation for free.
Cost: FREE
Keynote Remote allows users to control your Keynote (Apple) slide presentation on your Mac from your iPod touch or iPhone.
Cost: $0.99
Prezi allows users to create web based presentation and allows you to zoom in and out to see the big picture and small details.
Cost: FREE to $59
Imageloop allows users to create, save, share slideshow online.
Cost: FREE
280 Slides allows users to create and share presentation online.
Cost: FREE
iCharts allows users to present raw survey data in a attractive visual and interactive format.
Cost: Unknown
Billing and Accounting
Bill.com allows users to save and cost of business bill pyament and invoicing.
Cost: FREE to $24.99 per month
Freshbook helps users to track time, organizer expenses and invoice customers.
Cost: FREE to $39.95 per month
Indinero provides users insight into their business health.
Cost: FREE to $99 per month
Outright allows users to get an instant snapshot of where you stand financially. It keeps track of your profit and loss, income, expenses, etc
Cost: $9.95 per month
Expensify allows users to import expenses and receipts from credit card or bank account ad submits PDF expense reports by email, and reimburses online.
Cost: $9.95 per month
Recurly helps users with recurring billing operations in a secure and cost-effective manner.
Cost: $69 per month and up
Raising Funds
Kickstarter allows users to fund raise for creative projects.
Cost: 5% on the money you raise
Profounder allows users to raise the capital that they need, and the tools to manage all of the associated book-keeping, legals and compliance fillings.
Cost: Varies
Prosper connects users who want to invest money to users to want to borrow money.
Cost: 0.50% to 4.5% on the money you raise
IndieGoGo allows users to create and fund ideas.
Cost: 4% on the money you raise
Hiring and Team Building
Elance allows users to hire, manage and pay your virtual team.
Cost: You name your own price
oDesk allows users to hire, manage, and pay remote freelancers or teams.
Cost: You name your own price
Rent A Coder allows users to get freelance programmers and find freelance jobs.
Cost: You name your own price
99Designs allows users to find freelance designers.
Cost: You name your own price
TaskRabbit allows users to get hire local people to get specific physically tasks done.
Cost: You name your own price
CrowdFlower allows user to takes large, data-heavy projects and breaks them into small tasks, then distribute to an on-demand workforce around the world.
Cost: Varies
Guru allows users to find high quality freelancers online.
Cost: You name your own referral fee
Amazon Mechanical Turk allows users to access to on-demand workforce and performance human intelligence task.
Cost: You name your own referral fee
Redbeacon allows users to get price quotes, compare professionals, and book appointments online for any office need.
Cost: FREE
File Sharing
Dropbox allows users to store and share files and folders with others across the Internet using file synchronization.
Cost: FREE to $19.99 per month
YouSendIt allows users to send, receive and track large files via email.
Cost: FREE to $14.99 per month
Box.net allows user to store documents, media and all of your content online, so you can access, manage and share them from anywhere.
Cost: FREE to $15 per month
Egnyte supports file storage, backup, sharing and collaboration everything on the cloud.
Cost: FREE to $89.99 per month
Legal
Law Pivot allows users to crowd source confidential legal advice.
Cost: Free
Right Signature allows users to sign contracts, NDAs, forms online.
Cost: Free to $249 per month
Docu Sign allows users to sign and send documents and signatures and support full audit trail.
Cost: Free to $22.99 per month
Echo Sign allows users to performance online, fax, biometric and mobile signature.
Cost: Free to $499 per month
Building Websites
Yola allows users to create a professional, ad-free website.
Cost: Free to $8.33 per month
Wix allows users to create flash based website.
Cost: Free to $15.9 per month
Weebly allows users to create free website with no technical skills required.
Cost: Free to $4.58 per month
Webvanta allows users to CMS based website with no technical skills required.
Cost: Free to $99 per month
Intuit allows users to create website based on predesigned websites.
Cost: Free to $4.95 per month
Website Testing
Usertesting.com takes video of a visitor speaking their thoughts describing the problems they encountered while using your site.
Cost: $39 per use
Gazehawk keeps track of where your users look on your website which allows you to test landing pages, registration/checkout flows, homepages, etc.
Cost: $495 and up
ReQtest helps users to do web-based testing and bug reporting on the cloud.
Cost: FREE to $30 per user
Unbounce allows users to create, publish and optimize landing pages for testing purposes.
Cost: $25 to $500 per user
Feedback Army allows users to start simple usability testing for their website.
Cost: $15
Optimizely allows users to improve their website through A/B testing.
Cost: $19 – $399
Market Research
Survey Monkey allows users to create web-based survey.
Cost: Free – $64.99 per month
Wufoo allows user to create contact forms, web surveys, and invitations so they can collect the data, registrations and online payments they need without being technical
Cost: Free – $199.99 per month
Google Forms allows users to create an online form from any spreadsheet.
Cost: Free
Ask Your Target Market allows users to write surveys and send them to their target market segment.
Cost: Free – $119 per month
Survey Gizmo allows users to online surveys.
Cost: Free – $159 per month
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Highrise allows users to to manage contacts, keep track of who said what when, schedule follow-ups, set reminders, and convert leads.
Cost: FREE to $99 per month
Sugar CRM allows users to automate sales force and customer support on the cloud.
Cost: FREE to $600 per user per year
Salesforce allows users to keeps all the contacts, messages, e-mails, files, events and tasks.
Cost: FREE
Heap allows users to broadcast and live stream your own channel for events, chats or presentations.
Cost: FREE to $9 per user
Productivity
Evernote allows users to save ideas, photos and voice note on any computer and mobile device.
Cost: FREE to $5 per month
Meeting Agenda allows users to create online agenda and minutes template that you can share with attendees.
Cost: FREE to $9.95 per month
Workflowy allows users to organize their thoughts.
Cost: FREE
Rescue Time shows users how spend time & provides tools to help them be more productive.
Cost: FREE to $9 per month
Customer Service
Zendesk allows users to do customer support online.
Cost:$9 to $49 per month
Zopim allows users to do livechat with your customers online.
Cost: FREE to $99 per month
Assistly allows users to consolidate all customer service conversations into one screen where service requests are collected, prioritized, and handled by team members.
Cost: FREE to $99 per month
Olark allows users to chat with visitors on your website from desktop, laptop or mobile device.
Cost: $15 to $149 per month
Team Management and Collaboration
Teamly allows users to manage their team by helping them focus on the top 5 priorities for the day, week and month.
Cost: FREE to $8 per month
Huddle allows users to manage projects, files and people in the cloud.
Cost: FREE to $15 per month
Yammer allows users to create their own Twitter and Facebook-like communication environment, but for internal employee only.
Cost: FREE to $5 per month
Voice Communication
Grasshopper allows users to get a toll free or local number, set up voicemail extensions and get other voice features online.
Cost: $9.95 to $199 per month
Ring Central allows users to setup 800 numbers, toll free numbers, virtual pbx, internet fax and virtual phone system.
Cost: FREE to $39.99 per month
Google Voice allows users to create one phone number so it will ring anywhere. It also transcribe the voice messages into email.
Cost: FREE
Online Education
Mindflash allows users to convert existing training materials into online courses.
Cost: FREE to $999 per month
Udemy allows users to create an online course.
Cost: FREE
Learnable allows users to create their own online courses.
Cost: FREE
101 Small Business Web Applications You Must Check Out
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