By Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

Most Internet entrepreneurs, professional web developers, and designers have one purpose in mind. Simply stated, their goal is to design a website allowing someone to share knowledge, ideas, and products with others. Whether the purpose for the website is to promote collaboration, provoke thought, or simply share information, there is a substantial risk to publishing proprietary information without proper protection. Wise webmasters know the old adage to “not be pennywise and pound foolish!”

A web site is undoubtedly the product of many hundreds or thousands of hours of work and generally a substantial financial investment. Websites contain valuable intellectual property that needs to be protected. Many times the concern is not a normal user copying and pasting material to some friends. More often, it is your competitors taking verbiage verbatim to use on a website that may eventually procure some of your own would-be clientele.

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The following is a presentation summary from a live presentation given at the Internet Merchants Association. The author is posting it as per request from conference participants.

Creating and Maintaining a Web Site that will Blow Away the Competition

As Presented at the Internet Merchant Association Conference 2010

By Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

Abstract

Whether you are planning your first e-commerce web site or redesigning an existing one, there are many important conventions and standards to consider. Keeping your site up-to-date and current is no small feat.

This article will discuss the ‘must-haves’ for every e-commerce site.  This presentation will help you to generate an Internet and Social Media Marketing plan for your site that will blow away the competition!

Introduction
Building and Maintaining Relationships with Customers
Numerous experts have made it clear that the entire purpose for being in business is to procure new customers and keep existing customers. This information relates to any Internet business; whether the company’s web presence is a full blown e-commerce style website or a more basic brochure-style website.

The profits and growth of a company are all contingent on this one variable. So, whether the business is a brick and mortar retail establishment that wishes to extend its reach into the international market; or, a one-man shop with nothing more than a shingle on the Internet, the primary focus should be procuring new customers and maintaining relationships with existing customers.

A company’s website will be the gateway to its Customer Relationship Management. So, it is imperative to understand how to communicate with your customers the way that the customers want to communicate, rather than the old style of e-commerce where a company would develop an Internet presence and expect miraculous profitability. A clear understanding of this dynamic can position a company’s online presence leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.

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2010 Board of Directors, Better Business Bureau of Southern Nevada. Photo courtesy of the Las Vegas Review Journal

From the Chairman of the Board

Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

Serving as Chairman of the Board in 2010 presents an equal share of both challenges and opportunities. I am fortunate to have this opportunity in such a strong community with a responsive and sound organization. This year, a variety of committees are working hard to strengthen the BBB’s local presence. As an organization, we are urging consumers to Start with Trust® by checking with the local BBB before doing business with a merchant or while considering new vendors. We are also asking Accredited Businesses to display their Accreditation mark proudly so consumers can shop with confidence.

In 2009, the BBB of Southern Nevada expeditiously handled 21,540 complaints about local businesses. Many of these businesses were not accredited by the BBB. With recent state budget cuts resulting in the closure of the State Department of Consumer Affairs, the BBB anticipates a much higher number in 2010.

I would encourage local business owners to give preference to BBB Accredited Businesses because these establishments agree to conduct business in an ethical manner. Accredited Businesses are much faster and amenable to resolving any disputes that may arise. As a consumer, checking with the BBB should always be the first step in conducting any business.

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By Dr. Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D. and Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

Word-of-mouth marketing is often considered one of the oldest and most powerful forms of advertising.  In fact, most business people understand that it works, they just don’t know how it works.  The rapid takeover of social networking as a way to spread the word even faster makes word-of-mouth marketing an imperative part of any business marketing plan.

Some people think word-of-mouth is something that “just happens” — like the weather — and they let it take its own course. But if you want to be successful at developing word-of-mouth for your business, you should be as organized and thoughtful about it as you are about other types of advertising and marketing.  In fact, if you take this approach, eventually, you can get almost 100% of your business exclusively through word of mouth!  The key to creating a successful word-of-mouth program as part of your daily activity, lies in developing a formal plan for systematically meeting people and cultivating relationships with them.  Here are 15 ways for you, or the sales people who work for you, to get your own word-of-mouth marketing program off the ground:

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By Dr. Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D. and Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

If you have little or no experience with referral marketing, it would be a huge mistake to jump into action without preparing yourself.  Getting people to pass you referrals is tantamount to achieving success with the referral-marketing process.  To do so, they must know exactly what you do—what product or service you provide, how and under what conditions you provide them, how well you do it, and what sets you apart from your competition.

You have to communicate this information to your sources in a clear and concise manner.  Obviously, you have to know the aforementioned yourself before you can effectively communicate it! It is important for entrepreneurs to have a clear vision for their businesses; you have to know what your motivation is, what your goals are and what you plan to accomplish with the businesses you start.  Equally important is your ability to share that vision with others effectively in a well-thought-out vision statement. This is especially true when you are cultivating relationships that you want to result in business referrals.

Before you map out where you’re going to take your business with a referral marketing campaign, pause and get a clear picture of where your business stands today.  Try to answer in simple terms, the following questions:

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By Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D. and Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

Many of my esteemed colleagues have recently indicated that their businesses are at risk of failure. Indeed, this is an endemic issue in times of recession. In turbulent economic times, the economy has an adverse effect on everyone. This recession is particularly difficult as the world is much more intricately weaved than in recessions of the past. We are in a global economy; thus, our economy has a global impact.

When the economy is slow, new business is harder to get. A bad economy; however, should not be an excuse for failure. Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that will not work.” In recessionary times, even the best laid plans need to be revisited. Indeed, a poor economic climate can successfully be used as motivation to grow your business even more! What can you do to build your business in a recessionary economy?
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By Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

The rate of technological change continues to increase exponentially. A couple years ago, I was known to say that everyone needs an e-mail address in order to conduct business with the entrepreneur of tomorrow. Yet, today, I find this statement to have some critical flaws.

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By Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D. and Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

Do you shy away at the very thought of networking at business functions? If you answered yes, you are not alone! Many business people and entrepreneurs get a bit uncomfortable when it comes down to walking up to someone and starting a conversation. Many others are concerned about getting effective results from the time they spend networking. The process doesn’t have to be traumatic, scary, or a waste of time. When done properly, it can truly make a difference in the amount of business your company generates. With the right approach, you can use it to build a wealth of resources and contacts that will help to make your business very successful.

Use the following Ten Commandments to help you network your way through your next business networking event:

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For decades, business owners have seen the many benefits of following up with clients by sending a quick thank you card or note after a meeting. Professional sales representatives are also known for listing important dates such as birthdays or anniversaries.  Today’s technology has taken this personal touch away from many business deals. However, one company has managed to use technology in an effort to help people literally reach out and touch their network of contacts.
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Networking must be a priority for your business. It should be mentioned, in detail, in your business marketing plan. It probably has a line item on your financial statements. It should; no, it must if you believe in the power of networking enough to be sitting in a BNI meeting.

As such, networking requires a strategy. Many people choose the beginning of the year as the time to develop and implement new goals and new strategies.
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The Internet offers potential business owners a versatile canvas  to implement any business plan imaginable. Its possibilities are now being explored by people from diverse places, cultures, professions, tastes and skills. The Internet provides a new, surreal galaxy where any entity is free to carve out a niche for itself. The possibilities are truly unlimited. Anyone may create a website as the ultimate instrument for effective communication of his or her opinions, skills, products, interests, ideologies, beliefs, theories and almost anything you wish.
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Educational Coordinator Topic

People do not make buying decisions based on the features of a particular product or service. Buying decisions are made when the customer sees that your product or service will fulfill a particular need. If you want to educate your sales team then it is imperative to tell them what sets you apart from your competition. Let them know how you meet or exceed this need! Discuss the benefits of the product or service rather than its features!
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Most companies overlook the benefits of using a newsletter as a potential marketing tool. In fact, newsletters are a quite underrated. Churning out newsletters, without as much as putting a thought on how they can be utilized, is a sad waste of such a powerful instrument. Newsletters are a great way to inform and update new and existing clients respectively, on what your company has been up to.

There is so much you can do with newsletters: inform clients about—latest happenings in the firm; new product launches or upgrades on the existing ones; new company policies and regulations; news, events and achievements; and a whole lot of other information that your customers may find interesting!

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Someone from the administration department of your firm writes decent emails; so you have decided to hand over the responsibility of writing the content of your web site to her. Now, isn’t that a smart move? Well, we don’t think so! The ability to write decent emails is no guarantee that someone can do professional writing, like that for a web site. While you may be a good writer yourself, a professional writer has the skills and the experience to churn out appropriate content that will eventually help you better sell your products and services.

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The Internet has become the largest marketplace in the world; and Internet marketing is one of the most widely used ways to sell products and services. However, most Internet marketers solely resort to online methods, whereas offline techniques prove to be equally effective yet a less expensive means.

Internet-based businesses often overlook offline advertising. Combining offline and online advertising together in your marketing campaign will result in a better, well-rounded approach to promoting. It also gives the opportunity to attract potential prospects and customers you might not otherwise get.

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The corporate world has awakened to the importance of printed and Internet marketing tools in brand building, promotion and profitable sales. To this end, most businesses strive to get myriad marketing materials such as logos, brochures, business cards and websites etc ready, much before the business is set to roll. Winning over clients has become virtually impossible without these marketing tools and therefore experienced brand building organizations are being hired by businesses despite budget constraints.

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