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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article

Amazon Affiliate Marketing Business Review To Help Your Business Thrive

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Starting a business is not an easy feat. When you’re still new in the business arena, you have to carefully think about what to offer to your customers and promote them in marketing mediums which are convenient for them. This will demand a lot of decision-making and resources from you. You also have to think about what your competitors are doing in order to level out the playing field. You have to constantly look at their strategies, determine which works and doesn’t, and apply it on your own business. If you want your business to thrive, you should also consider using other mediums to help you achieve that goal. There are different tools which can help your business in different ways – and Amazon Local Associates Program is just one.

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship ArticleAmazon Local Associates Program 101: What Is It?

Amazon can be considered as one of the leaders when it comes to online selling. For years, Amazon has offered different products which can satisfy an individual’s needs and wants. It also has unique services such as Amazon Tickets, Amazon Prime, and Amazon Music Unlimited. Collectively, all of these things became the reason why Amazon has grown throughout the years. And if you’re still a neophyte or would want to improve your business, Amazon’s Local Associate Program might be the solution you need. This is a program which allows business owners to sell Amazon products through their own website. Once the customer clicks the link from the website, the business earns a commission. This means that the more customers using the link, the more income for the business.

Amazon Local Associates Program 101: How Can It Help Businesses Thrive?

Regardless of the type of business you have right now, chances are, there are already competitors who have offered the same set of products and services. Most often than not, your competitors already operated in the industry for years before you even started your business. Diving into business with this status quo will make it hard for you to create a name or brand in the eyes of your potential customers. Good thing, because Amazon Local Associates Program can help you through the following:

1. Your business can earn more: Money is one of the most critical resources in any kind of business. No matter who your target audience is or what kind of products you’re offering, you need money so the business can operate every day. And if you’re starting a business, you might not have the abundance of this resource yet. Amazon Local Associates Program will let you earn more by promoting their products. As a business, you have to post Amazon’s product on your website or blog and earn 10% of the purchase once a customer buys from you. This might not seem like a lot, but if you put time and effort in promoting products, you’ll surely earn more over time. You can use Entrepreneur Journal Review as your resource to know how you can promote products better online.

2. You’ll engage with customers: When you’ll promote products from Amazon, you have to use the internet in order to drive in customers and profit. After all, everyone is on the internet, right? You can write blogs, improve your website and even take advantage of your social media accounts. This can become an excellent avenue to engage with your customers. You can give your recommendations about a product and earn at the same time. And if customers don’t end up buying from you, their feedback can go a long way for your business to improve. You’ll have an idea on what business’ processes actually work and doesn’t in the eyes of the customers.

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article3. You can offer variety to your customers: No single customer would remain loyal to a business if the latter offers the same set of products every single time – customers need variety, too. And with Amazon’s products on the website, you’ll never have a problem with variety. You can get almost any product that your customers need because of Amazon’s wide selection. You can promote products which are similar to your business niche, making it easy for you to reach your target audience.

4. You’re assisted by Amazon: Once your business starts operating, there are many things on your plate. You have to think about the packaging and delivery of the products, customer service and returns. If your business receives a lot of order in a day, the workload can be overwhelming which can result to compromised service. When you sign up for the Amazon Local Associates Program, you’ll be assisted by Amazon. This means that they will be working on your business’ behalf behind the scenes. They will take care of the delivery, customer service, and returns, among others. All you have to do is haul in customers for sales.

5. You can gradually create a brand: Your brand is what makes you stand out from the competition. If you have one, it’ll be easy for customers to distinguish your business from others. Creating a brand might be a tedious process, but it can be done using Amazon Local Associates Program. Since you can select which products to promote, you can pick one which is based on your expertise. You can easily write content or review the product since it’s something that’s up your alley. This can gradually increase the value of your brand because customers will trust the products you’ve recommended. It won’t be long before customers will associate you as a trustworthy business and choose you from the competition.

6. You can learn a lot: The maxim that states “experience is the best teacher” is true when it comes to businesses. Whatever you experience – whether good or bad – can become your learning curve for improvement. If you’re still in the first months of your business operations, Amazon Local Associates Program can help you gain experience which you can use in your business. You can learn how to entice customers, properly communicate with them and determine what they really want from a business. Sure, you might learn these from books or other businessmen, but nothing still compares to first-hand experiences.

7. You can keep your customers even when you’re not carrying a product: Customers are the bread and butter of every business. Without them, your business will be non-existent. However, if your business is service-based, not producing your own product can become the reason for them to turn away. For example, if your business is focused on teaching children, not producing books might influence your customers to choose your competitors over you. Of course, customers would always want convenience and complete offerings. If your business doesn’t have any products, you can use those which are from Amazon’s catalogue. This is one benefit you can give from Amazon’s Local Associate Program which can help you keep customers.

Beginnings Are Tough

The beginnings are always the hardest part of the process. This is where you’ll have to figure out how to do things the right way. And when it comes to businesses, beginnings are usually very risky. If you use approaches or strategies which doesn’t guarantee positive results, you’ll end up wasting time, money and resources – things which are crucial in every business. If you want to jumpstart your business or you want it to thrive long-term, make use of Amazon Local Associates Program. It’ll require work from you, but since you’re doing almost everything with Amazon, things can become easier. Amazon can surely help your business thrive and succeed.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Contributor, Kristen PearsonKristen Pearson is a journalist and business owner who enjoys writing on the side. She’s written for website such as Journal Review and enjoys getting into detail about different aspects of business. In her spare time, she enjoys jogging.

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Quote

Leadership Inspirations – What People Believe

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Quote“People don’t believe what you tell them. They rarely believe what you show them. They often believe what their friends tell them. They always believe what they tell themselves.”

Seth Godin
American Author, Entrepreneur, and Business Executive

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article

How do You Drive Website Conversions?

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship ArticleHaving plenty of fresh visitors to your website is all well and good, but if you’re not converting those site visits into sales then you’re not actually accomplishing what you need. Having low conversion rates is one of the key signs that there is something wrong with your website service, and sometimes it takes just one factor to convince a potential customer to abandon your site in favor of one that is easier to use. If your conversion rates are lackluster, then it’s time that you gave some thought to the proven strategies that will encourage more sales and reduce your rate of site abandonment.

Calls to Action

Asking your site visitors to do something specific is known as a call to action (CTA). What you’re asking them to do will depend on your current marketing strategy, but usually it entails things like signing up for a newsletter, registering for a special offer, or voting in a poll. These are critical, because the longer that a customer stays on your site, the more chance you have of making a sale. It really is that simple. You want to provide something in return for their time, so make sure that your CTA results in unique content or offers that can’t be accessed without the action being taken. Your landing pages will be critical here, and need to be the right blend of simple to understand and a gateway to other pages on your site.

Use Testimonials

When up to 64% of consumers read online reviews before committing to a purchase, your testimonials are clearly important. Businesses that fail to make use of positive reviews are missing out on a vital marketing tool. Testimonials are effective because of a few factors. They add credibility to your brand, and by doing so, they also promote the right level of trust that may be the deciding factor when a site visitor is hesitant about finishing the sales process. In 2018, reviews have started to change in terms of consumer trends, and video testimonials are becoming much more prolific. These are particularly useful if your business is relatively new, and by making use of professionals to review your product, you are giving your testimony content an incredibly fresh and exciting new format for customers to enjoy.

Quality Content

From product descriptions to blog posts and white papers, content is one of the most important tools when it comes to boosting your conversion rates. This is largely because the best content will have the effect of boosting your SEO rankings, making it far easier for consumers with a specific need to find you. If you struggle with content or SEO marketing, then make use of www.blackbeltcommerce.com, who can design a content and marketing strategy that will see your SEO rankings rise and your conversions see a vast improvement. Mix up the type of content that you post, and assess your analytics to check which types work best for you.

Your conversion rates are a good indication of the health of your business, so it’s vital that you keep working at them to keep them as high as possible. If you follow the above advice, you will stand a much better chance of encouraging customers to commit to that all-important final click.

StrategyDriven Big Picture of Business Article

The Big Picture of Business – How Business Advice Turns Into Company Strategy

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StrategyDriven Big Picture of Business ArticleWithin every corporate and organizational structure, there is a stair-step ladder. One enters the ladder at some level and is considered valuable for the category of services for which they have expertise. This ladder holds true for managers and employees within the organization, as well as outside consultants brought in.

Each rung on the ladder is important. At whatever level one enters the ladder, he-she is trained, measured for performance and fits into the organization’s overall Big Picture. One rarely advances more than one rung on the ladder during the course of service to the organization in question.

  1. Resource: equipment, tools, materials, schedules.
  2. Skills and Tasks: duties, activities, tasks, behaviors, attitudes, contracting, project fulfillment.
  3. Role and Job: assignments, responsibilities, functions, relationships, follow-through, accountability.
  4. Systems and Processes: structure, hiring, control, work design, supervision, decisions
  5. Strategy: planning, tactics, organizational development.
  6. Culture and Mission: values, customs, beliefs, goals, objectives, benchmarking.
  7. Philosophy: purpose, vision, quality of life, ethics, long-term growth.

7 Levels of Authority Figure

  1. Self Appointed. Flash in the Pan. What they were doing five years ago has no relationship to what they’re now marketing. They reap temporary rewards from momentary trends. They’re here today, weren’t an authority figure yesterday and likely won’t be tomorrow. Yet, today, they’re demanding your complete trust, respect and allegiance.
  2. Temporary Caretakers of an Office. Public officials. Appointed agency heads in a government bureaucracy. Respect is shown to the temporary trust they hold.
  3. Those Who We Think Control Our Destiny… for the Time Being. Caretakers of corporate bureaucracies, departmental supervisors, short-term clients, referral sources for business development and those who dangle carrots under people’s noses.
  4. Those Who Remain Through the Peter Principle. Supervisors and public servants who made fiefdoms by outlasting up-and-comers. Longevity is due to keeping their heads down and noses clean, rather than excelling via special talents-achievements. Still living on past laurels.
  5. Those Who Really Empower People. These are a rare breed… the backbone of well-run organizations. Some do what they do very well in poorly-run organizations. They may not be department heads, but they set exemplary standards and inspire others toward positive accomplishments. Category 2, 3 and 4 authority figures either resent them and try to claim credit for what they do… or are smart enough to place them in effective, visible roles. Some advance into management and encounter similar situations there too.
  6. Have Truly Earned Their Position-Respect. Also a rare breed. Those who excelled at every assignment given and each stage of their career. Never were too busy to set good examples, share ideas with others and help build the teams on which they played.
  7. Never Stop Paying Dues, Learning, Sharing Knowledge. The rarest breed of all. Distance runners who created knowledge, rather than conveyed that of other people. Though they could coast on past laurels, for them, the best is yet to come.

7 Levels of Advice Given

  1. Answers to Questions. There are 7 levels of answers which may be given, depending upon how extensive one wants: Easy and Obvious Ones, Knee-Jerk Reactions, Politically Correct, What People Want to Hear, Factual and Complete Explanations, Answers That Get Them Thinking Further and Deep Wisdom.
  2. Observations on Situations. These take the forms of “When this happened to me, I did X,” or “If this occurred with me, I would Y.” It’s often good to see things through someone else’s perspective.
  3. Subjective Viewpoint. Friends want what is best for you. This level of advice is usually pro-active and is influenced by the advisor’s experiences with comparable situations.
  4. Informed Opinion. Experts have core-business backgrounds upon which to draw. Advisors bring facts, analysis and methodologies of applying their solutions to your case. Niche consultants provide quality viewpoints… as it relates to their talents and skills. Carefully consider the sources.
  5. Researched Options. Investments in research (formal, informal, attitudinal, demographic, sociological) will avert unnecessary band aid surgery expenses later. Research leads to planning, which is the best way to accomplish tasks and benchmark success.
  6. Discussion of Outcomes-Consequences. Most actions and decisions in an organization affect many others. At this level, advisors recommend that sufficient planning be conducted… please take their advice. The more strategic and Big Picture in scope, then planning reaps long-term rewards.
  7. Inspiring Directions. This gets into Visioning. Planning and going to new heights are stimulating. The mannerisms and substance by which any organization achieves its Vision requires sophisticated advice, deep insights and creative ideas.

7 Levels-Tiers of Qualifying Consultants

  1. Wanna-be consultants. Vendors selling services. Subcontractors. Out-of-work people who hang out “consulting” shingles in between jobs. Freelancers and moonlighters, whose consultancy may or may not relate to their day jobs. (26%)
  2. Entry-level consultants. Those who were downsized, out-placed, retired or changed careers, launching a consulting practice. Prior experience in company environment. (19.5%)
  3. Grinders. Those who do the bulk of project work. Conduct programs designed by others. 1-10 years’ consulting experience. (35.49%)
  4. Minders. Mid-level consultants. Those with specific niche or industry expertise, starting to build a track record. 10-20 years’ consulting experience. (13.5%)
  5. Finders. Firms which package and market services. Most claim they have all expertise in-house. The more sophisticated ones are skilled at building and utilizing collaborations of outside experts and joint ventures. (3.5%)
  6. Senior level. Veteran consultants (20 years+) who were trained for and have a track record in consulting. That’s what they have done for most of their careers. (2%)
  7. Beyond the strata of consultant. Senior advisor, routinely producing original knowledge. Strategic overview, vision expeditor. Creativity-insight not available elsewhere.

About the Author

Hank MoorePower Stars to Light the Business Flame, by Hank Moore, encompasses a full-scope business perspective, invaluable for the corporate and small business markets. It is a compendium book, containing quotes and extrapolations into business culture, arranged in 76 business categories.

Hank’s latest book functions as a ‘PDR of business,’ a view of Big Picture strategies, methodologies and recommendations. This is a creative way of re-treading old knowledge to enable executives to master change rather than feel as they’re victims of it.

Power Stars to Light the Business Flame is now out in all three e-book formats: iTunes, Kindle, and Nook.

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article

How A Business Can Benefit From an Online Presence

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales ArticleThe internet allows companies of all sizes in all industries to reach new customers, connect with new suppliers, and increase recognition. So, even some more niche businesses could benefit greatly from online advertising.

It’s time for conventional companies to look beyond traditional marketing tactics, such as newspaper ads and flyers, and start focusing on online marketing campaigns. Here are three businesses that can benefit from moving online.

1. Recycling Company

Many businesses wanting to flourish and grow must start adopting modern technologies and marketing tactics. For example, there are new technologies on the market that are simplifying tasks, which can increase onsite productivity. This can apply to the recycling trade.

An online presence can, however, be beneficial to any business, as it allows them to reach a larger audience. It can also personalize a business, which can prove you provide a valuable service to the community. Professional blogs and web content can also add value to your produce, which will make people more likely to turn to your shipping business. Also, use the internet to improve your operations by researching into the most appropriate equipment, regardless of the goods you are recycling. For example, you could take your pick from reputable suppliers online, as you could buy high-quality, affordable cardboard baling wire from Baling Wire Direct.

2. Real Estate Agents

No longer are people looking through a real estate’s windows to find their dream property. Nowadays, house hunters or property sellers want to find or promote a listing online. This allows prospective buyers to easily browse through multiple properties, so they can make an informed decision and choose their new home at their own pace. If you want to compete with more forward-thinking real estate agents, you must develop a website and social media profiles, or you’ll be forced to watch potential customers turn to your competitors.

3. Retail

The rise of e-commerce has posed a serious threat to bricks and mortar stores. Unfortunately, even the most established stores are not safe without an online presence, as more and more people are choosing to shop online. If you’re a retailer without an online store, you may lose out on sales and can witness a drop in loyal custom, as consumers will choose to shop with a more flexible, helpful, and forward-thinking brand.

To survive in the modern marketplace, you could offer an e-commerce website with a fully-optimized checkout, and informative customer service and contact information. It will allow customers to shop at any time of the day, rather than being limited to opening hours at a physical store. So, an online presence could help you to generate money 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

Conclusion

There is absolutely no reason why traditional businesses should avoid moving online. By launching a website, creating social media profiles, developing content marketing strategies, and utilizing pay per click advertising (PPC), you can connect with people not only within your local community, but across the globe. It could help you to become a leader in your industry and generate a great return on your investment.