As a small business, it is recommended that your advertising budget be 5% of your gross sales. The challenge for most small businesses is using these limited resources successfully. Small businesses can realize a return on their advertising investment by following a few simple rules. Here are the keys to successfully advertise your small business. Continue reading »
Consumer reviews are a promising avenue for marketing your company because they enhance believability. Testimonials help you connect with readers and send the message that your company is safe and will provide the best service. Place customer testimonials on mailouts such as postcards or post on the business website. Many times consumers will write a review on an online blog, which can draw more customers to you than your own website. No matter the form, maximize the effectiveness of reviews with the following tips.
1. Choose specific testimonials to display, not ones that give a general praise. Specificity shows not only that you are a good company but how you are a good company.
2. Use case studies, which are simply extended testimonials, in larger marketing tools such as brochures and newsletters as this type of review requires more space. A case study includes the consumer review along with an explanation of what your company did for that customer.
3. Avoid the temptation to write fake reviews. If customers find out that you write reviews under false assumptions, they will not be quick to forgive and more than likely will use a new company. The risk of lost positive image is too great to even slip in one fake testimonial.
4. Include the name of the reviewer, a picture if possible, and information, such as city and state, email, website, occupation, or length of your relationship. Of course, get written permission from the reviewer for personal information. More specific information increases believability and also provide potential clients with a way to get in touch with the customer to ask questions.
5. Guide online reviews by searching for blogs written on your company. If you find a bad review, do not panic. Instead, make it up to the reviewer by offering a free service. Oftentimes, this customer will re-post and praise your company for its response to customers.
Consumers love to be encouraged and confirmed when purchasing services or products. Begin incorporating testimonials whenever possible. You never know when a testimonial will dispel doubt and put an unsure buyer at ease enough to make that first purchase.
I’ve been buying from Amazon.com for over 2 years now and I still can’t get enough. Sure there’s craigslist for cheaper stuff but when it comes to quality cheap stuff, Amazon’s still the way to go. Home delivery is a definite plus.
I just purchased three kinds of knives from Amazon.com (and I’m talking about them being the actual vendor, not just the site): a Santoku knife, Chef Knife and a Cleaver. As promised, all three arrived on my doorstep no later than the date they promised. Always on time and the quality is outstanding! Of course, reviews always help so take the time to go through what other users have to say about a certain product.
A word of caution though when using amazon.com. Ordering from shady vendors with 3 stars do come with consequences. I’ve tried that too and when I did order from a 3-star vendor in Amazon.com, my order came about a week late. Quality-wise, it was nothing special so I can’t say it was worth the wait. If you want to buy something from this site, make sure to check their standing and what other’s have to say about them.
Bottom line is, when you want to buy something online, do your research and comparison study first. Make sure to add Amazon.com to your list of sites to check out, its worth the look. But you have to be sharp as well since sometimes Amazon has items that are more expensive compared to other websites. Enjoy!
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