Web Design, Social Media Marketing

Moree Marketing & Website Services

Blog

Does your Small Business need a Website?

By

Yes your small business needs a website.

Website’s are no longer a luxury for small business, they are an absolute necessity.

Most small business owners have concluded that a website is a requirement (probably the same curve that led small businesses to all acquire a telephone a century ago), nearly one-third of small businesses are still without a website.  Some of the reasons; they don’t have the money, The skills or the time to build a business website.

Many state they don’t require a business website because they don’t sell a product or they use social media instead.  However if your business has just a few services or products, a simple website is all you need.  Your business website will work as your online business card.  Visitors will come, look at your products and services, find out a bit about who you are and take action. I can help you with a small business website.

Let’s look at some reasons why your small business should have it’s own website.

Why have a website?

A professional website meets customer expectations:

Have you as a customer gone online seeking to find a company that has products and services you want to use?  Is online where you first search before you make a purchase? Here are some results do research online before they make a purchase.

What do you think when you search and don’t find that business website?  What messages are you thinking?  That the business is not interested in finding new cusomters or that the business no longer exists?

A website doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive or timely to maintain.  Your business website needs to communicate who you are and what you do, just a few simple pages.  What is important is that it is accurate and up-to-date.  According to this article top pet peeves people are peeved when it comes to using local business websites.

Your business website acts as the hub for your marketing and allows you to connect with people from social media, email marketing, search engines or other promotions.

“Your website is the single most important communication channel to potential customers, even if your business does not transact online.” – Ruslan Kogan, Startup Smart

You can control information and branding:

Today people are quick to leave a review and comments, you need an opportunity to have the final say about what information about your company is being presented to the public, not relying on Google or Facebook reviews. Having a business website creates an online presence so you don’t have to depend on others speaking for you whether good or bad.  You can make it look exactly the way you want, with your own logo, colors, and fonts.

You can find existing and potential customers:

Not only are existing and potential customers able to see your website, but they can also interact with you, make a purchase, book a servic and much more.  By using email, contact forms, skype,  chat apps, you can talk with customers worldwide, and get feedback about your new products and services.  People can come to your website from all different places, using search engines or Google Maps.

A website is more affordable than traditional advertising:

It is true, many businesses only rely on Yellow Pages to get the word out.  This can be quite costly over time and gets lost in the ever-shrinking and expensive directory. Websites costs are decreasing and has a wider reach.  Your business is yours, you own it, so you can update up and communicate with as many words and pictures as you want without the extra costs.  Have you every searched on Yellow Pages and tried calling that business to find out that they no longer exist or have changed address and as they don’t have a website you then take your business elsewhere are you can’t connect with them.

A website is easier to keep up to date:

Years ago if you had a website, evertime you wanted to make a change it would cost you a lot of $ and time as you would have had to used a developer.  I remember my first one I had built and it took so much time and $ and that was what prompted me to learn how to build websites.

Today it is so different.  With wordpress you log into your website and you can edit text, add images, change details and I am always here to help.

A business website levels the playing field:

What does this mean?  Regardless of budget and the project at hand there is very little difference between your business website and that of a Fortune 500 Company.  It doesn’t matter if your business has 2 employees or a team of 500, if you are meeting the needs of your customers, then a clean and professional looking website completly levels the playing field.

Does my business need a website if I’m on social media?

If you are a business owner and have a social media profile well done.  That is a great start.  Having a social media profile though is not enough for your business.  I’m sure you are aware that social media is owned by others and that it is constantly changing.

I totally believe in making using of social media platforms, however you need to be aware that there are rules and regulations about what you can post, say, when and what time of images you wish to use.  They can at any point of time go out of business and you will lose all your content and work.  They also change the rules so what works one day may not another day.  Don’t get me wrong they are a great platform to share content from your website to, but I wouldn’t only rely on social media for your business.

You will never own your content on a social media platform, but you do own your website.  The platform that holds your images and words is the long term winner as they increase their own platforms and moneterize it.  When you have your own website, you are in control and are rowing your own boat.

Your website is yours, trends come and go, social media platforms can change and people’s preferences change, so whilst someone uses Twitter today and Snap Chat tomorrow they will always find your website in the same place.

Conclusion: every business needs a website

I can build your business website so you have an online presence simply and affordable.  Based on the WordPress content management system, your website is fully scalable and capable of growing with your business.

What’s included?

Business Website Package

  • Your website address (www.mybusiness.com.au)
  • Your new business email address (me@mybusiness.com.au)
  • A contact management / email marketing system setup and integrated
  • 12 months website hosting
  • SSL certificate
  • Landing page with call to action and email collection

 

 

Drought!

By

Up until 3 years ago I lived in the city and had no idea of how drought effects not just farmers but everyone.  I now live in a rural town Moree in New South Wales and we are blessed as we still have water but many other towns don;t.

Other than pray for the rain and be as much as a support as I can, I don’t really know what else I can do.

One service that I offer is to build a website and whilst this may not be needed by farmers I know that small country towns are made up of small businesses and most don’t have one.

So I’m offering a discount to small country businesses that are struggling to do a simple website of 5 pages for 50% of.  So for $500

With 88% of Aussies actively searching online, having a website is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.

What we offer is a custom designed layout that tells your story and enables you to connect with customers.  Include is a contact us form, 5 pages, free 12 month hosting and social network integrations.

Happy to chat and talk you through options or leave a message.  Julia

[contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]

Social Media

By

What Social Media Platform Should My Business on?

How long is a piece of string?  Yep that is correct knowing which social media platforms to choose can leave you scratching your head and not going a thing.

You have to ask yourself?

  • What is the end result I want to achieve?
  • How much time do I have to commit to this?
  • Where are my customers hanging out?
  • What sort of content do I want to share?  eg images, words, video

Social Media can Assist your business by?

  • Allowing you to engage with existing and find new customers
  • You allow people to check you out and read reviews, shop online before contacting you
  • You can share new products and ideas
  • You get the opportunity to answer questions and get instant feedback
  • Allows you to build links to your website
  • It can improve brand awareness

Social Media Platforms

Here a few to consider and there are many out there

Instagram –  More people are now making use of instagram.  However if you don’t take pictures of have good images to share then this isn’t the platform for you.  Instagram is great for many reasons and one is putting the face to the brand.
Twitter – You can share snippets of information and images to engage with your customer.  You need to insure that what you Tweet is worthy of stopping to read as it’s hard to get seen.
Facebook – Is a great platform to connect with family, friends as well as existing and potential customers.  You can create a business page and keep your profile seperate.

Everything is about connecting and building realtionships on any platform, so don’t think it’s a quick fix as it isn’t, like anything you get out of it what you put back into it.  Social networking is all about being social.

If you have any questions or need a hand setting up your social media platforms, please drop us a line we are happy to help.

Find me on FACEBOOK

 

What is Cloud Storage?

By

What is Cloud Storage?

I know it seem a weird name but it does make sense.

I can’t help but thinking of an image of something thinking and the box above his head representing a cloud. With so much content being created, much will be lost if it is not stored somewhere.

Years ago I worked for an accounting firm and they stored their data on huge big discs that you had to store in a locked room. All other content was stored in filing cabinets.

Today we have so many different devices from laptops to ipads, to iphones and each device has valuable content.  What do you do with yours?  For ages I have been meaning to look into cloud storage but was all a bit confusing so did nothing.

Cloud Storage

After yet another prompt from my iphone that my data was not stored I made a decision to get this sorted and I have done.  I did some searching online, read up on who offers what etc and came up with a winner at least for me.

Cloud storage refers to online space that you use to store your data, photos, music, and videos for access from any of your devices.

Most cloud storage services let you upload all types of files: videos, pictures, documents, music, or anything else. However, some are limited to accepting only certain kinds of files, such as only images or music. Cloud storage services are usually fairly clear about what’s allowed and what isn’t.

What Cloud Storage Did I Choose?

IDRIVE – you can get a deal by signing up for it here

 

Sales Letters

By

Do you struggle putting together your sales letters?

Sales proposals: Love them or hate them, they’re an integral part of any successful deal. While some salespeople might view these documents as unnecessary—or even as a waste of time—they’re actually one of the most powerful instruments in a salesperson’s arsenal of deal-closing tools.
In fact, proposals can make all the difference between losing a sale and closing one. And when done properly, a proposal will not only help close the sale, but it will also make that sale larger than it otherwise would have been. Here are five tips to writing proposals that will do just that:

1. Focus on the prospect’s objectives.
Most salespeople write proposals that focus entirely on the deliverables they can offer to the prospect. These documents often concentrate on listing off the basic features and benefits of the product or service in question. But what about the prospect’s needs?
Instead of focusing on what you have to offer your prospect, your proposals should focus on the key problems your prospect wants to solve. In particular, the beginning portions of your proposals should address the challenges your prospect wants to overcome. This will effectively turn your proposals into working documents that outline specific client objectives—a powerful tool.

2. Deliverables are not the key.
As I said in the previous tip, most salespeople write proposals that are focused entirely on what they can provide to prospects. This strategy misses the mark on where the value of the sale truly is: Prospects don’t pay for deliverables; they pay for outcomes and results.
Use your proposal as a platform to articulate what outcomes and results the prospect will achieve as a result of the deal at hand. You can describe deliverables later on in the proposal, but don’t go into too much detail. Focus more on objectives.

3. Keep it short.
The majority of proposals are way too long! We’re talking multiple pages. It should come as no surprise that prospects are likely to thumb through these lengthy documents—and miss the important information. The solution to this problem is simple: Keep your proposal between one to two pages long.
By doing so, you’ll create a document that prospects are much more likely to read all the way through. Your shortened proposals should be concise and relevant. Only mention areas that are important to the prospect, and don’t throw in your biography or a list of impressive things your company has done. Focus on what’s relevant to closing the sale.

4. Give three options.
Most proposals only offer one option or solution. This is a huge missed opportunity. Instead of providing just one option for the prospect to decide upon, provide multiple options for the prospect to choose from. This will accomplish two things. First, you’ll be able to offer higher level—read: more expensive—options in your proposals. This can frequently lead to prospects choosing higher level deals than you had originally expected.
Second, you’ll create a sense of optionality for the prospect, which will actually dissuade them from looking for alternative options from other salespeople. By providing prospects with multiple options, you’re acting as your own competition. Prospects always want to feel like they’re choosing from a set of options, and since you’re already providing them with that, they’ll be less likely to feel like they have to go shop around.

5. Make it a contract.
Simply adding an area to the bottom of your proposals to allow prospects to sign it as a contractual agreement is a game-changer. This very simple technique will increase the likelihood that a prospect will do business with you. If your sale is particularly complicated, you can always create a more complex contract down the road. But ideally, your proposal will become the deal’s contractual document.
By implementing these five strategies, you’ll close more deals and make larger sales than you have in the past.

Social Media

By

NEW: Instagram has now 1 billion users. That is the answer to the question, what will be the next big thing.

Do you use Social Media in your Business?

One of the easiest ways to use social media is Facebook.  By having a Facebook Page you can link from your page to your website. 

It is surprising how many people search on Facebook when looking for an update phone number or business hours.  Whilst you may have a white page listing which is great but is it up to date and correct?

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve search for a certain plumber, electrician or business to find that although they have a white page listing, the details are no longer correct.  Same when searching on Facebook, the business may have a page but it has no content.

Get this correct though and you are setting your business up for ever oppotunity to be found on Social Media and on the internet.

Do you need a hand with your social media?  North West Marketing offer a starter content digital marketing package from $497 a month.  This will help you the local business get a competitive advantage and North West Marketing will look after content on your website and share this on your Facebook Business Page and Google My Business page.

North West Marketing can tailor made your package, this is just an example of what we can do.

We will create your Facebook Business Page for just $247 and we will create your Google My Business Page for just $247 (prices exclude GST)

Social network

Monthly Active Users
Facebook 2,230,000,000
YouTube 1,900,000,000
Instagram 1,000,000,000
Qzone 563,000,000
Weibo 376,000,000
Twitter 336,000,000
Reddit 330,000,000
Pinterest 200,000,000
Ask.fm 160,000,000
Tumblr 115,000,000
Flickr 112,000,000
Google+ 111,000,000
LinkedIn 106,000,000
VK 97,000,000
Odnoklassniki 71,000,000
Meetup 35,300,000