Your employees are an important asset to the company, and in order for your business to continue thriving, you want to utilize your employees to the maximum. However, there are certain things you need to do in order to make this happen. So here are some tips to get the most out of your employees.
Keep Them Happy
Your staff happiness levels should always be bursting at the seams, and that is the secret to keeping your work productivity levels high. If you’re not trying your utmost to make your employees happy, then you’re going to see a dip in your company’s success. See each and every employee as a valued member of staff, whether they’re maintaining the building in the operations department or striking deals for the company with new clients. Their worth is how hard they work at their job, and if you’re not valuing this for everyone, then you’re going to have some unhappy staff members. And the last thing that you want that will be taking up your precious time is recruitment. So aim to keep your staff turnover low by doing your best to keep everyone happy in their work environment and when it comes down to their role too.
Good Communication Is Key
Having good communication is important within the workplace, and so it’s good to ensure you’re talking to your staff and checking they’re ok. Not only that but you need to check that communication between departments is effective and if it isn’t, then you need to work out why. It could be a case of people being on the wrong page, and then you’ve got two or three people doing the same tasks and not realizing until it’s too late. A good task management platform might be needed or regular meetings between departments to catch up on where they’re at in their day to day runnings. The more communication that is happening between departments and colleagues, the better everyone will be in their efficiency to get work done.
Give Them Regular Training
Regular training is not only beneficial for you as a company, but it also gives your staff some variety during their time within your company. Yes, any employee would enjoy a day off from the usual grind of work in order to learn about things that would benefit their job and career. So try to consider some job training courses and other workshops that your staff and your company can benefit from. Ask your staff for recommendations on what they’d like to explore and do within the work company’s budget. You may have some great suggestions that you hadn’t really given much thought to.
Create A Conflict-Free Atmosphere
A peaceful and happy atmosphere is one that should be something you strive for when it comes to the workplace. Granted, sometimes work tensions can run high, but it’s important how you manage these that will make the difference. Colleagues may not always get on, but it’s worth putting in incentives to help them get along in a professional capacity. You could do this by getting them to collaborate together more and to do work events where your staff can socialize outside of the work confines. When there’s conflict in the workplace, it’s important to quash this as soon as possible. Don’t ignore it and let it continue to affect the two or three involved. That’s only going to spread and make it a more uncomfortable environment for everyone. Pull them aside and sort out the issues at hand, make the changes needed where necessary and find a resolution that works for everyone.
Offer Flexibility And Company Perks
And finally, when you’re a good boss, it’s because you’re putting the welfare and happiness of your staff first and above all else. When your company is doing well, it’s only nice to spread that wealth around to other staff members. Offer as many company perks as you can and look to improve and increase them when possible. You might also want to be able to offer a bit more flexibility if possible, to those who have families or would like the option to work from home on certain days in the week or over the course of the month and year.
When you start focusing on your employees, you will certainly find a distinct improvement in their work productivity and the attitude they have towards their jobs. Use these tips to make these changes where possible and to try to get the most out of your staff.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/man-and-woman-smiling-inside-building-1367269.jpg8001200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-02-05 11:00:182020-02-05 02:26:47How To Get The Most Out Of Your Employees
If you have to ask if your business should be investing in SEO, then you haven’t been paying attention. SEO is just one of many digital marketing strategies that you should have implemented into everything you do. Not every company will have the know-how or the time to fully integrate an SEO strategy, which is why working with an SEO agency is one of the most important things you can do for your business.
Ideally, you should choose a marketing agency that is well versed in your sector. Like digital marketing only for dental offices or an agency that specializes in the beauty industry. Their insight is unparalleled.
So if you are looking to increase your conversions, reach more customers, and boost your brand awareness, then SEO is the way to go. And, here are just a few reasons why.
Driving Traffic
Good SEO will help you gain high-quality traffic to your website. While traditional marketing can be fairly slow, digital marketing is lightning fast with incredible targeting tools. You can, of course, use things like billboards and newspaper articles to gain attention SEO delivers the content to them in the form of search results.
When people search online, they are looking for something specific already, which means your website is shown to people who already need your services or are ready to buy your product. People are looking for you and what you do. And, as they are already interested, they are more likely to click your call-to-action.
Non-Stop
You work hard, but your SEO works harder. There is no off button, it doesn’t take breaks, SEO will be your 24/7 golden ticket. 60,000+ searches a second is what Google alone processes. The right SEO agency will help you capitalize on your slice of the search traffic pie.
You can reach commuters who are using their mobile, or CEO’s who are kicking back after work – your information is delivered to their device no matter the time.
Lead Gen
A huge benefit of having the right SEO strategy will be having continuous lead generation and increased sales. You’ll notice this improvement in your day-to-day running of the business.
This increase happens due to the strategy implemented by your SEO services provider, they will improve your search ranking, and put you in competition with market leaders. Once you are appearing on the front page of searches, due to the use of high-ticket keywords, you’ll see a higher amount of clicks and visits from the people who want your services or goods.
If you are someone who still underestimates the value of ranking on the first pages, then you might like to know that according to it has been reported that the first position search appearance receives 31% of the search traffic (taking only organic search into the equation).
Local Marketing
According to HubSpot, 34% of ‘near me’ searches will result in in-store visits. Which means that SEO isn’t just about your global reach. It can be incredibly powerful when it comes to your local area. So if you have a brick and mortar store, you can still see a marked increase in both sales and brand awareness by doubling down on your local SEO efforts.
Put plainly, if you leave local SEO out of your strategy, you are taking yourself out of the running for keen shoppers who are ready to buy.
Digital Marketing Strategy Strength
SEO will strengthen your overall digital marketing strategy, which should already include content marketing, social media marketing, and video marketing. All of these components will give you a bigger online presence, which will increase your competitiveness in the online marketplace.
Always consider that a strong digital marketing strategy is the key to a bigger ROI.
And that bigger ROI can then be reinvested into your company, and drive you forward in other areas, or increase your SEO efforts.
Decreasing Costs
This one might seem like an impossible dream, but when you have an SEO expert on board, you are going to see a decreased spend on your advertising costs. Why? Well, because with a well thought out SEO strategy, you are going to be ranking higher for those high-value keywords.
This means you can take a portion of your advertising budget and reinvest it somewhere else. When you have an SEO expert, they will be able to trim the fat on what you are currently spending, and streamline your strategies so that you are ranking where it really matters.
Investing in SEO is more cost-effective than traditional advertising and marketing, so it is no wonder that businesses will (and should) reduce spending in those areas and invest more in the right SEO strategy.
Brand Awareness
Shoppers can’t be aware of what they aren’t seeing. So when looking at how you can increase your brand awareness, SEO makes the most sense. Consumers will move through a buying funnel when they are looking for a specific item. What you should be looking to do is appear in those searches repeatedly, and over time they will begin to recognize your brand. Once that recognition is in full effect, they will switch from random searches to direct – and when this happens, they are more likely to make a purchase.
PPC Boost
It is highly likely you are already investing in PCC, or have at least toyed with the idea of multiple times. SEO is the key to great PPC. PPC is, of course, a paid strategy, and SEO is non-paid (the cost will be in the company you hire to manage this for you), they work together incredibly.
Which both SEO and PPC, you are going to be reinforcing your search appearance, you will be showing up in both paid and organic searches. This provides more opportunities for consumers to visit your website. Again this helps with brand recognition.
And, we all know that data matters. You can apply your SEO data to the PPC campaigns that you are running. Say you have a web page that leads on conversions; when incorporated into your PPC campaign, it will likely rise in value.
The bottom line is that when you work with the right SEO consultant, you are going to see an increase in both traffic and conversions. And the speed in which online shopping and research grow years-on-years means you need a robust strategy in place to capitalize on the potential traffic.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/stephen-dawson-qwtCeJ5cLYs-unsplash.jpg8641200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-02-05 09:00:542020-02-05 02:10:44Why SEO Is The Driving Force For Your Business
What makes a product successful? Well, the bottom line is that products that sell lots of units are bound to be successful. But how do you ensure that this happens in your business? If you want to grow your company, then you need to keep increasing sales and reeling in new customers. All of this relates back to the products themselves.
If you’re in the middle of starting a company – or releasing a new product – then you’re in luck. Today, you will see the secrets to successful products. Below, there are a few key points that must be paid attention to:
Attention To Detail
The best products have received exceptional attention to detail. This means that you take extra care to ensure that all of the tiniest aspects of the product are perfect. If you’re making clothes, then you use attention to detail to make sure that even the clothing labels are up to scratch and gorgeous. If you’re making a car, then you ensure that the small trims on the inside are all made to the highest standards. You’ll find that by doing this, all the little things start to add up. A product that’s had no attention to detail put into it will ultimately fail as people start to recognize the flaws.
Unique Selling Points
What makes your product better than similar ones out there? How can you guarantee that people will pick you over a more established business? It all boils down to your unique selling point. With a USP, you provide customers with a specific reason (or two) to pick your products. The way you do this is by researching your rivals. Look at the existing products in the same category as yours, then think about what’s missing. Develop your product to tackle this missing thing and give customers something new. If no-one else offers what you do, then you’re bound to find a lot of customers calling.
Exceptional Marketing
Yep, the secret to successful products is excellent marketing campaigns. Think about some of the businesses out there that release new products all the time. Companies like Samsung and Apple will make new smartphones every year. Most of the time, there’s hardly any difference between the new models and the old ones. So, why do they sell so successfully? It all comes down to how the products are marketed before and during release. They create hype around the products, releasing teasers here and there. Then, they do a big reveal, detailing all the main points.
By the time the products are released, everyone’s keen to have them because they feel like they absolutely need this new phone over their old one. Sometimes, a killer marketing campaign can take an average product to a phenomenal one.
Those of you that are developing products should pay close attention to these three things. Think of them as a mini checklist. Tick each one off, and you’ve got yourself a successful product. Now, go ahead and make lots of sales!
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/black-illustration-on-white-printer-paper-716661222.jpg6751200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-02-05 08:00:002020-02-05 01:59:16Revealed: The Secrets To Successful Products
Becoming an entrepreneur can be the dream scenario for those wanting to escape the sometimes monotonous and uninspiring 9-5 working life. However, once you have bitten the bullet and launched your new business venture, it can become all too easy to sit back and let your business simply plod along, rather than seek new ways to enable its growth. However, if you want your business to succeed, then you need to ensure that you develop both short term and long-term strategies to generate new business and expand your customer base.
From improving your customer service by embracing the latest technologies, to implementing a digital marketing campaign, to learning how to network effectively, keep reading to find out how you can grow your new business in four simple steps.
1. Listen to your customers
If you want to keep your existing customers loyal to you, as well as attract new ones, then you need to make sure that you actively listen to their needs. An excellent way to find out what they want from your business is to consistently ask for feedback on your products or services. Although it can be hard to hear criticism, especially when it comes to your own business, it is essential to know where you are going wrong so that you are able to put it right. A simple email asking, “How can we do better next time?” is all it takes to gain invaluable insight into your customers’ requirements.
2. Improve your customer service
As a small business owner, it is incredibly important that you provide your customers with the best possible level of customer service, as just one poor experience can result in you losing a loyal customer, and also encourages negative word of mouth. If you are struggling to respond to your customers’ inquiries as quickly as you would like to, but cannot afford to take on any more employees, you may want to consider investing in a chatbot that can deal with an infinite number of customers simultaneously.
3. Don’t forget the bigger picture
It can become all too easy to get preoccupied with the day to day running of your business and fail to invest adequate time and funds into your long-term goals and strategies. For example, it has never been more critical for small businesses to improve their SEO rankings as this is the simplest way to attract more customers to your site, which in turn will increase your conversion rates. If you are not overly confident in your SEO abilities, a digital marketing agency can help you to generate leads that will result in conversions and ROI.
Try and make sure that you sit down with your employees and/or investors at least once a month to discuss your long-term visions and goals for the business while making solid plans and action points.
4. Extend your networks
Not everybody loves to network, but unfortunately, it is a necessary process if you want your business to grow. Are you familiar with the saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know”? Well, never has a truer phrase been said when it comes to expanding your small business. You need to attend as many relevant networking events as possible, as well as ensure that you network effectively.
How do you do this? It is not rocket science. The key is to make sure that you give and take. For example, if you see someone who you think can offer you advice, don’t approach them and simply bombard them with questions. You also need to listen to what they have to say and try and find a way in which you can be of use to them too.
Networking can be a great way to connect with customers, investors and even potential employees, so make sure you are open and responsive when you attend events, as you never know when you may need a helping hand from someone in the industry.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/arrows-1969944_1280.png9031280StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-02-05 07:00:512020-02-05 01:47:11Four Top Tips for Growing a New Business
Employee turnover rate refers to the number or percentage of employees who leave an organization and have to be replaced by new workers. Employee turnover is a common issue affecting both big and small firms. The problem with employee turnover is that it costs a lot of money and time to replace an employee.
According to a report by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the average cost of replacing a single employee can be as high as $4,425. The cost of replacing an employee may include the onboarding and training expenses, severance benefits, and fees for processing technical details and documents. The figure also includes any time lost during the recruitment and onboarding process. So, how can you reduce or prevent employee turnover and avoid losing valuable time and resources?
Hire the Right People
The very first step towards avoiding a high turnover rate is hiring the right people to begin with. Create thorough hiring, recruitment, and onboarding process that sieves through the job applicants to find the most suitable candidates to work in your company.
Although skills and qualifications are important, selecting the right staff goes beyond examining academic and professional achievements. Scrutinize candidates on soft skills that would come in handy for the job position. Also, ask about the candidates’ career paths and goals to see if they align with what your company has to offer. These are excellent criteria to measure whether a candidate will be happy and satisfied with their position in the business.
Create A Flexible Work Environment
The 9-to-5 workplace regimen seems like an outdated and traditional workplace arrangement nowadays. Many employees are now looking for more flexible workplaces where they can balance their work and personal life more easily and conveniently. In fact, most employees value workplace flexibility more than other job descriptions.
Flexibility defines things like working hours, collaborations, workload, deadlines, and rules about absenteeism and reporting to work. With modern IT solutions, you can have employees working from home, on a contract or freelancing basis, or even during odd hours. In such a case, however, you have to implement work from home policy guidelines to ensure accountability. Remember, the goal is to create a relaxed atmosphere without compromising productivity.
Offer Competitive Salaries and Benefits
One of the main reasons why people go to work is to earn money. Offering competitive salaries and benefits can help your business attract exceptional talent and retain employees. Money is a great incentive that you can use to lure employees into dedicating their time and effort to meeting the company’s goals.
You don’ even have to raise your salaries and benefits by thousands of dollars. Just take a look at what other employers in the same industry are paying their staff and raise your offering by a noticeable margin – and that should be enough to discourage competitors from poaching your employees.
Praise and Reward Exceptional Employees
Besides compensations, benefits, and salaries, you should also look into recognizing and rewarding exceptional work and employees. Recognizing your workers’ efforts and rewarding their hard work accordingly makes them feel valuable and important to the company. This gradually develops into building trust and long-lasting relationships between the employees and the employer. Plus, a fair reward and recognition system helps motivate morale and determination among the workers, which leads to higher employee satisfaction and productivity.
Many employers fail to see the importance of their employees, probably because they think they’re dispensable. However, your employees are most certainly one of the essential assets that your business has. Employees are the lifeblood of any organization that needs human input or labor, which is why they must be valued and appreciated. And although employees can be replaced, it’s a costly process, and a high turnover rate can hurt your operational costs and productivity significantly. So, work on ways of retaining your employees to avoid expensive surprises along the way.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/husna-miskandar-FC4z3l4sUYc-unsplash-scaled.jpg17072560StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-02-04 18:00:132020-02-04 20:03:11How to Reduce Employee Turnover Rate
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How To Get The Most Out Of Your Employees
/in Talent Management/by StrategyDrivenKeep Them Happy
Your staff happiness levels should always be bursting at the seams, and that is the secret to keeping your work productivity levels high. If you’re not trying your utmost to make your employees happy, then you’re going to see a dip in your company’s success. See each and every employee as a valued member of staff, whether they’re maintaining the building in the operations department or striking deals for the company with new clients. Their worth is how hard they work at their job, and if you’re not valuing this for everyone, then you’re going to have some unhappy staff members. And the last thing that you want that will be taking up your precious time is recruitment. So aim to keep your staff turnover low by doing your best to keep everyone happy in their work environment and when it comes down to their role too.
Good Communication Is Key
Having good communication is important within the workplace, and so it’s good to ensure you’re talking to your staff and checking they’re ok. Not only that but you need to check that communication between departments is effective and if it isn’t, then you need to work out why. It could be a case of people being on the wrong page, and then you’ve got two or three people doing the same tasks and not realizing until it’s too late. A good task management platform might be needed or regular meetings between departments to catch up on where they’re at in their day to day runnings. The more communication that is happening between departments and colleagues, the better everyone will be in their efficiency to get work done.
Give Them Regular Training
Regular training is not only beneficial for you as a company, but it also gives your staff some variety during their time within your company. Yes, any employee would enjoy a day off from the usual grind of work in order to learn about things that would benefit their job and career. So try to consider some job training courses and other workshops that your staff and your company can benefit from. Ask your staff for recommendations on what they’d like to explore and do within the work company’s budget. You may have some great suggestions that you hadn’t really given much thought to.
Create A Conflict-Free Atmosphere
A peaceful and happy atmosphere is one that should be something you strive for when it comes to the workplace. Granted, sometimes work tensions can run high, but it’s important how you manage these that will make the difference. Colleagues may not always get on, but it’s worth putting in incentives to help them get along in a professional capacity. You could do this by getting them to collaborate together more and to do work events where your staff can socialize outside of the work confines. When there’s conflict in the workplace, it’s important to quash this as soon as possible. Don’t ignore it and let it continue to affect the two or three involved. That’s only going to spread and make it a more uncomfortable environment for everyone. Pull them aside and sort out the issues at hand, make the changes needed where necessary and find a resolution that works for everyone.
Offer Flexibility And Company Perks
And finally, when you’re a good boss, it’s because you’re putting the welfare and happiness of your staff first and above all else. When your company is doing well, it’s only nice to spread that wealth around to other staff members. Offer as many company perks as you can and look to improve and increase them when possible. You might also want to be able to offer a bit more flexibility if possible, to those who have families or would like the option to work from home on certain days in the week or over the course of the month and year.
When you start focusing on your employees, you will certainly find a distinct improvement in their work productivity and the attitude they have towards their jobs. Use these tips to make these changes where possible and to try to get the most out of your staff.
Why SEO Is The Driving Force For Your Business
/in Online Marketing and Website Development/by StrategyDrivenIdeally, you should choose a marketing agency that is well versed in your sector. Like digital marketing only for dental offices or an agency that specializes in the beauty industry. Their insight is unparalleled.
So if you are looking to increase your conversions, reach more customers, and boost your brand awareness, then SEO is the way to go. And, here are just a few reasons why.
Driving Traffic
Good SEO will help you gain high-quality traffic to your website. While traditional marketing can be fairly slow, digital marketing is lightning fast with incredible targeting tools. You can, of course, use things like billboards and newspaper articles to gain attention SEO delivers the content to them in the form of search results.
When people search online, they are looking for something specific already, which means your website is shown to people who already need your services or are ready to buy your product. People are looking for you and what you do. And, as they are already interested, they are more likely to click your call-to-action.
Non-Stop
You work hard, but your SEO works harder. There is no off button, it doesn’t take breaks, SEO will be your 24/7 golden ticket. 60,000+ searches a second is what Google alone processes. The right SEO agency will help you capitalize on your slice of the search traffic pie.
You can reach commuters who are using their mobile, or CEO’s who are kicking back after work – your information is delivered to their device no matter the time.
Lead Gen
A huge benefit of having the right SEO strategy will be having continuous lead generation and increased sales. You’ll notice this improvement in your day-to-day running of the business.
This increase happens due to the strategy implemented by your SEO services provider, they will improve your search ranking, and put you in competition with market leaders. Once you are appearing on the front page of searches, due to the use of high-ticket keywords, you’ll see a higher amount of clicks and visits from the people who want your services or goods.
If you are someone who still underestimates the value of ranking on the first pages, then you might like to know that according to it has been reported that the first position search appearance receives 31% of the search traffic (taking only organic search into the equation).
Local Marketing
According to HubSpot, 34% of ‘near me’ searches will result in in-store visits. Which means that SEO isn’t just about your global reach. It can be incredibly powerful when it comes to your local area. So if you have a brick and mortar store, you can still see a marked increase in both sales and brand awareness by doubling down on your local SEO efforts.
Put plainly, if you leave local SEO out of your strategy, you are taking yourself out of the running for keen shoppers who are ready to buy.
Digital Marketing Strategy Strength
SEO will strengthen your overall digital marketing strategy, which should already include content marketing, social media marketing, and video marketing. All of these components will give you a bigger online presence, which will increase your competitiveness in the online marketplace.
Always consider that a strong digital marketing strategy is the key to a bigger ROI.
And that bigger ROI can then be reinvested into your company, and drive you forward in other areas, or increase your SEO efforts.
Decreasing Costs
This one might seem like an impossible dream, but when you have an SEO expert on board, you are going to see a decreased spend on your advertising costs. Why? Well, because with a well thought out SEO strategy, you are going to be ranking higher for those high-value keywords.
This means you can take a portion of your advertising budget and reinvest it somewhere else. When you have an SEO expert, they will be able to trim the fat on what you are currently spending, and streamline your strategies so that you are ranking where it really matters.
Investing in SEO is more cost-effective than traditional advertising and marketing, so it is no wonder that businesses will (and should) reduce spending in those areas and invest more in the right SEO strategy.
Brand Awareness
Shoppers can’t be aware of what they aren’t seeing. So when looking at how you can increase your brand awareness, SEO makes the most sense. Consumers will move through a buying funnel when they are looking for a specific item. What you should be looking to do is appear in those searches repeatedly, and over time they will begin to recognize your brand. Once that recognition is in full effect, they will switch from random searches to direct – and when this happens, they are more likely to make a purchase.
PPC Boost
It is highly likely you are already investing in PCC, or have at least toyed with the idea of multiple times. SEO is the key to great PPC. PPC is, of course, a paid strategy, and SEO is non-paid (the cost will be in the company you hire to manage this for you), they work together incredibly.
Which both SEO and PPC, you are going to be reinforcing your search appearance, you will be showing up in both paid and organic searches. This provides more opportunities for consumers to visit your website. Again this helps with brand recognition.
And, we all know that data matters. You can apply your SEO data to the PPC campaigns that you are running. Say you have a web page that leads on conversions; when incorporated into your PPC campaign, it will likely rise in value.
The bottom line is that when you work with the right SEO consultant, you are going to see an increase in both traffic and conversions. And the speed in which online shopping and research grow years-on-years means you need a robust strategy in place to capitalize on the potential traffic.
Revealed: The Secrets To Successful Products
/in Entrepreneurship/by StrategyDrivenIf you’re in the middle of starting a company – or releasing a new product – then you’re in luck. Today, you will see the secrets to successful products. Below, there are a few key points that must be paid attention to:
Attention To Detail
The best products have received exceptional attention to detail. This means that you take extra care to ensure that all of the tiniest aspects of the product are perfect. If you’re making clothes, then you use attention to detail to make sure that even the clothing labels are up to scratch and gorgeous. If you’re making a car, then you ensure that the small trims on the inside are all made to the highest standards. You’ll find that by doing this, all the little things start to add up. A product that’s had no attention to detail put into it will ultimately fail as people start to recognize the flaws.
Unique Selling Points
What makes your product better than similar ones out there? How can you guarantee that people will pick you over a more established business? It all boils down to your unique selling point. With a USP, you provide customers with a specific reason (or two) to pick your products. The way you do this is by researching your rivals. Look at the existing products in the same category as yours, then think about what’s missing. Develop your product to tackle this missing thing and give customers something new. If no-one else offers what you do, then you’re bound to find a lot of customers calling.
Exceptional Marketing
Yep, the secret to successful products is excellent marketing campaigns. Think about some of the businesses out there that release new products all the time. Companies like Samsung and Apple will make new smartphones every year. Most of the time, there’s hardly any difference between the new models and the old ones. So, why do they sell so successfully? It all comes down to how the products are marketed before and during release. They create hype around the products, releasing teasers here and there. Then, they do a big reveal, detailing all the main points.
By the time the products are released, everyone’s keen to have them because they feel like they absolutely need this new phone over their old one. Sometimes, a killer marketing campaign can take an average product to a phenomenal one.
Those of you that are developing products should pay close attention to these three things. Think of them as a mini checklist. Tick each one off, and you’ve got yourself a successful product. Now, go ahead and make lots of sales!
Four Top Tips for Growing a New Business
/in Managing Your Business/by StrategyDrivenFrom improving your customer service by embracing the latest technologies, to implementing a digital marketing campaign, to learning how to network effectively, keep reading to find out how you can grow your new business in four simple steps.
1. Listen to your customers
If you want to keep your existing customers loyal to you, as well as attract new ones, then you need to make sure that you actively listen to their needs. An excellent way to find out what they want from your business is to consistently ask for feedback on your products or services. Although it can be hard to hear criticism, especially when it comes to your own business, it is essential to know where you are going wrong so that you are able to put it right. A simple email asking, “How can we do better next time?” is all it takes to gain invaluable insight into your customers’ requirements.
2. Improve your customer service
As a small business owner, it is incredibly important that you provide your customers with the best possible level of customer service, as just one poor experience can result in you losing a loyal customer, and also encourages negative word of mouth. If you are struggling to respond to your customers’ inquiries as quickly as you would like to, but cannot afford to take on any more employees, you may want to consider investing in a chatbot that can deal with an infinite number of customers simultaneously.
3. Don’t forget the bigger picture
It can become all too easy to get preoccupied with the day to day running of your business and fail to invest adequate time and funds into your long-term goals and strategies. For example, it has never been more critical for small businesses to improve their SEO rankings as this is the simplest way to attract more customers to your site, which in turn will increase your conversion rates. If you are not overly confident in your SEO abilities, a digital marketing agency can help you to generate leads that will result in conversions and ROI.
Try and make sure that you sit down with your employees and/or investors at least once a month to discuss your long-term visions and goals for the business while making solid plans and action points.
4. Extend your networks
Not everybody loves to network, but unfortunately, it is a necessary process if you want your business to grow. Are you familiar with the saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know”? Well, never has a truer phrase been said when it comes to expanding your small business. You need to attend as many relevant networking events as possible, as well as ensure that you network effectively.
How do you do this? It is not rocket science. The key is to make sure that you give and take. For example, if you see someone who you think can offer you advice, don’t approach them and simply bombard them with questions. You also need to listen to what they have to say and try and find a way in which you can be of use to them too.
Networking can be a great way to connect with customers, investors and even potential employees, so make sure you are open and responsive when you attend events, as you never know when you may need a helping hand from someone in the industry.
How to Reduce Employee Turnover Rate
/in Managing Your People, Talent Management/by StrategyDrivenAccording to a report by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the average cost of replacing a single employee can be as high as $4,425. The cost of replacing an employee may include the onboarding and training expenses, severance benefits, and fees for processing technical details and documents. The figure also includes any time lost during the recruitment and onboarding process. So, how can you reduce or prevent employee turnover and avoid losing valuable time and resources?
Hire the Right People
The very first step towards avoiding a high turnover rate is hiring the right people to begin with. Create thorough hiring, recruitment, and onboarding process that sieves through the job applicants to find the most suitable candidates to work in your company.
Although skills and qualifications are important, selecting the right staff goes beyond examining academic and professional achievements. Scrutinize candidates on soft skills that would come in handy for the job position. Also, ask about the candidates’ career paths and goals to see if they align with what your company has to offer. These are excellent criteria to measure whether a candidate will be happy and satisfied with their position in the business.
Create A Flexible Work Environment
The 9-to-5 workplace regimen seems like an outdated and traditional workplace arrangement nowadays. Many employees are now looking for more flexible workplaces where they can balance their work and personal life more easily and conveniently. In fact, most employees value workplace flexibility more than other job descriptions.
Flexibility defines things like working hours, collaborations, workload, deadlines, and rules about absenteeism and reporting to work. With modern IT solutions, you can have employees working from home, on a contract or freelancing basis, or even during odd hours. In such a case, however, you have to implement work from home policy guidelines to ensure accountability. Remember, the goal is to create a relaxed atmosphere without compromising productivity.
Offer Competitive Salaries and Benefits
One of the main reasons why people go to work is to earn money. Offering competitive salaries and benefits can help your business attract exceptional talent and retain employees. Money is a great incentive that you can use to lure employees into dedicating their time and effort to meeting the company’s goals.
You don’ even have to raise your salaries and benefits by thousands of dollars. Just take a look at what other employers in the same industry are paying their staff and raise your offering by a noticeable margin – and that should be enough to discourage competitors from poaching your employees.
Praise and Reward Exceptional Employees
Besides compensations, benefits, and salaries, you should also look into recognizing and rewarding exceptional work and employees. Recognizing your workers’ efforts and rewarding their hard work accordingly makes them feel valuable and important to the company. This gradually develops into building trust and long-lasting relationships between the employees and the employer. Plus, a fair reward and recognition system helps motivate morale and determination among the workers, which leads to higher employee satisfaction and productivity.
Many employers fail to see the importance of their employees, probably because they think they’re dispensable. However, your employees are most certainly one of the essential assets that your business has. Employees are the lifeblood of any organization that needs human input or labor, which is why they must be valued and appreciated. And although employees can be replaced, it’s a costly process, and a high turnover rate can hurt your operational costs and productivity significantly. So, work on ways of retaining your employees to avoid expensive surprises along the way.