Jess Cooper, Author at Smallbiztechnology.com https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/archive/author/jess-cooper/ Small Business Technology Fri, 14 Oct 2022 13:59:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.4 https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cropped-smallbiz-technology-1-32x32.png Jess Cooper, Author at Smallbiztechnology.com https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/archive/author/jess-cooper/ 32 32 47051669 How to Boost the Online Presence of Your Real Estate Business https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2022/10/how-to-boost-the-online-presence-of-your-real-estate-business.html/ Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:56:35 +0000 https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/?p=62781 Having an online presence is of key importance for every business. It is an aspect that will help your real estate business and success grow. There is more to building an online presence than posting content on social media. To succeed in today’s highly digital and tech-driven world, you need to be out there, besides […]

The post How to Boost the Online Presence of Your Real Estate Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

]]>
Having an online presence is of key importance for every business. It is an aspect that will help your real estate business and success grow. There is more to building an online presence than posting content on social media. To succeed in today’s highly digital and tech-driven world, you need to be out there, besides offering quality products and services. If you are not present online nowadays, it’s like you don’t even exist. The online presence helps you expand your business, first locally, then regionally and globally. You can hardly achieve that without being present online. We live in a highly competitive world, and we should use all means at our disposal to reach success.

The steps to boosting the online presence of your real estate business consist of a few crucial ones. These are investing in a professional website and optimizing it for SEO. Additionally, starting a blog and posting insightful content is what makes people come back to your website. Moreover, what also helps a great deal is investing in paid marketing such as Google AdWords and being active across social media channels.

Invest in a professional website

Your website is the first thing your prospective clients see – so, make it worthwhile. You should invest in a professional website, as it is an investment into a first impression. And we all know how important first impressions are. A website that will keep the clients on it is characterized by a modern, sleek design. The listings of properties should have professional, high-resolution images with detailed descriptions. What you can also include is high-end tech and virtual tours of properties. In that way, people can go through the property virtually and sneak a peak. The website should also be user-friendly and easy to navigate. This is the first key step in building an online presence for your real estate business.

Optimize your website for SEO

After you have created a professional and appealing website, it’s time to optimize it for search engines. If your website is not optimized for search engines, people won’t be able to find you, based on the service they’re looking for and the ones you’re offering. So, we could say that this step is equally important as the first one. It is a natural extension of the first step. What you do with SEO is basically help Google rank you in the top results when people are searching for a specific thing you’re offering n your website. An SEO specialist can help you optimize your website for SEO. Remember that it takes time for SEO to start being effective.

For example, a practical example would include a real estate business, located in Sydney. Let’s assume that your business focuses on Inner West Sydney. You would optimize your website in such a way that people searching for real estate in Strathfield, find you among the first few results on Google. And you can achieve that by optimizing your website properly.

Start a blog

Starting a blog on your website is yet another of the powerful tools you can use to boost your online presence. Real estate is such a field that offers plenty of space for blogging on different topics. People don’t know much about real estate practices, so starting a blog would be a great way to share some insightful and useful content. People like reading professional blog posts about the topics that interest them explained in simple language. You can find out which topics are hot currently and write about those. In that way, you’ll have an opportunity to attract new potential clients to your website. Make sure that you update your blog frequently, at least once a week.

Consider paid marketing such as Google AdWords

Digital marketing consists of a few segments – one of the paid ones is Google AdWords. This can be a great marketing strategy as you are charged for your ad only when someone clicks on your ad. It is also called pay-per-click marketing. This kind of marketing is based on keywords, so these ads will only pop up for those people conducting related searches. So, it is highly targeted. For a successful Google AdWords campaign, it is best to hire a PPC expert.

Be active across social media channels

When it comes to social media, there are plenty of them. However, that doesn’t mean that we should be active on every single one of them. You should find out which social media channels are relevant for real estate and focus on making a few great business pages that will be effective for your business. You should respond to comments, share content, and interact with people generally.

Building an online presence for any business takes time – so, be smart about every step and don’t rush it for better long-term results.

The post How to Boost the Online Presence of Your Real Estate Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

]]>
62781
How to Target the Right Audience for Your Baby Clothes Website https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2022/09/how-to-target-the-right-audience-for-your-baby-clothes-website.html/ Mon, 26 Sep 2022 16:22:22 +0000 https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/?p=62692 Having quality baby clothes and a great, user-friendly website is not enough to start generating revenue. First of all, there needs to be a need for the items you’re selling. Then, you need to employ the right strategies to reach your target audience. So, you need to both have potential buyers and know how to […]

The post How to Target the Right Audience for Your Baby Clothes Website appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

]]>
Having quality baby clothes and a great, user-friendly website is not enough to start generating revenue. First of all, there needs to be a need for the items you’re selling. Then, you need to employ the right strategies to reach your target audience. So, you need to both have potential buyers and know how to appeal to them. If you have a baby clothes website and you are not satisfied with your current strategy to reach new customers, keep reading to learn about how to target the right audience with these simple steps.

First of all, you need to have the right audience in mind. Who is your target audience, what is their age range, and what jobs do they do – these are just some questions you should be asking yourself. Then, the next step is about choosing suitable platforms and social media where you will reach those people. Meanwhile, you should start compiling your keyword list. They will help you in creating ad copy. Additionally, it would be great to set up your budget for advertising. 

  • Start with choosing the right audience

Even though choosing the right target audience might seem like an easy thing to do, it is in fact not so easy. It goes further than just noting that the right target audience is parents. You need to dig a bit deeper. Consider what type of parents are you targeting: new parents, moms, dads, and single parents. This is important for every type of parent to look for different types of baby clothes. 

For instance, consider this. New parents would probably focus on safety, while parents with at least one more child will want items that make their life easier. A good strategy to start with is to make a list of products and note down a list of features for each one. You should have your one unique selling point feature. Then, consider who would need that type of product, and voila – you have your target audience for that particular product.

  • Choose suitable platforms and social media

The next step refers to choosing suitable platforms and social media channels. Not all platforms and social media channels are suitable for all types of products, that’s why you should be careful and considerate when choosing them. It’s not the point to create profiles across all social media channels. You should start small, with one or two most significant ones at a time. For instance, Facebook and Instagram offer you the possibility to highly customize your audience according to several factors such as their location, age, occupation, interests, and others.

On the other hand, Pinterest is great for creating different looks that can appeal to your audience. So, for example, if you’re selling baby knitwear, you could create cute looks and post them on Pinterest, which parents (most often moms) can save to their collections and perhaps decide to purchase the items they saw.

  • Come up with a plausible keywords list

Keywords are the way to help people find you more easily. They are essential for advertising. Keywords refer to the most popular words and phrases people type in Google when searching for a particular product. How do you start? For each product that you sell, you should create a list of generic keywords.

When you have that finished, you should go to Google and run a search for those keywords. You can use different strategies here to check which keywords work best for you. You can use Google Keyword Planner, Moz, Ahrefs, and a simple Google search and “people always ask” and “searches related” sections. When looking for keywords to use in your copy and website, focus on search volume, cost per click, and difficulty for each keyword.

  • Create ad copy

After you have finished all the previously mentioned steps, it’s time you moved to create ad copy. The right ad copy will attract the target audience you desire. How you phrase your ad copy highly affects whether potential customers will purchase the product. As you’re selling baby clothes, your ad copy should always focus on what would prompt a parent to buy that particular product. There are several great strategies for writing ad copy that will get you revenue. First of all, you should answer parents’ questions and concerns. Then, you should add your unique selling proposition. And of course, high-quality images of the product with a genuine description. 

  • Set up a budget for advertising

It’s also key to set up a budget for advertising. Your budget shouldn’t be too little or too much. Every business is different so there isn’t a right amount that will work for every business. When determining your budget, there are several factors you should be mindful of. Consider how competitive your business is. The more competitive, the more ad money you need to invest. Moreover, you should also consider your conversation rate goals. Also, consider whether you want to rank first on Google, where you’re targeting your ads, and whether you’re outsourcing them. 

Coming up with the right target audience for a baby clothes website is not an easy thing to do, there are several important aspects to consider. You should go step by step in order to create a plausible marketing strategy that will bring you more revenue.

The post How to Target the Right Audience for Your Baby Clothes Website appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

]]>
62692
How to Advertise Your Fashion Business in the Right Way https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2022/08/how-to-advertise-your-fashion-business-in-the-right-way.html/ Thu, 11 Aug 2022 15:21:41 +0000 https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/?p=62572 When it comes to fashion businesses, the competition is fierce nowadays. To stand out from the crowd, you should employ the right advertising strategies. That is, of course along with offering quality products and services. Marketing is the key to getting more revenue – it’s always been so. The only difference is the emergence of […]

The post How to Advertise Your Fashion Business in the Right Way appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

]]>
When it comes to fashion businesses, the competition is fierce nowadays. To stand out from the crowd, you should employ the right advertising strategies. That is, of course along with offering quality products and services. Marketing is the key to getting more revenue – it’s always been so. The only difference is the emergence of digital marketing. There are several plausible things you can do to increase your revenue. The first and most important thing is to advertise in the right way. Keep reading to learn more about how you can advertise your fashion business to increase revenue.

Create a website

First things first, start a website if you don’t already have it. If you don’t have a website nowadays, it’s like you don’t exist at all. Then, adapt it for smartphones as many people use their phones for browsing and making purchases. Moreover, you should also be mindful of how you present your merchandise. You should collaborate with prominent influencers, to boost your online presence as well as sales. And finally, another crucial thing you can do is start a blog – more on its importance later.  

As we already mentioned, having a website for your fashion business is the first and utmost important step in advertising. It is the base. The pandemic outbreak has brought upon us a specific situation. Namely, physical stores have been closing, while the revenue in the fashion business has been increasing. That means that many people have moved their business online, which puts the focus on websites.

Your website should be appealing in a few aspects. It should look nice, modern, and suitable for the niche. It should also be highly responsive and user-friendly. Customers should be able to navigate it easily and find the necessary information quickly. Remember to include all the important pieces of information.

Adapt it for smartphones

When you have finished setting up your website, you should also make sure it is suitable for smartphones. Nowadays, people around the world use their phones for almost the same things as their computers. The only difference is the fact that we always have our phone on our hands and we can use it for shopping, ordering things, paying bills, and so on. We use them while waiting for the train, bus, or subway to finish these little things.

So, one of the great ways to get more customers is to offer them either a smartphone-friendly website or a smartphone app. In this way, you can make sure that your customers can always access your website and order things, wherever they are and regardless of whether they’re using a phone or a computer.

Present your merchandise in the right way

After you finish with the technicalities, you should work on presenting your merchandise in the right way. Start with getting quality fashion wholesale from reliable vendors. It is essential to have quality things to present to your customers. When it comes to the fashion industry and presenting merchandise, it is an industry that is highly visual.

So, you can do several things. First of all, you should get quality photos. You should present your fashion items genuinely, as realistically as possible. Make sure to use flattering lighting and take photos from various angles. Also, you can even make a catwalk video – it would mean a lot to potential customers. It is a great way to boost online sales.

Collaborate with influencers

Besides having a website that is suitable for phones, you should also work on your social media presence. That means being active across various social media channels, such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, among others.

Many of these campaigns involve working with an influencer. So, it is something you should consider as it has been proven highly successful. You should find prominent influencers and collaborate with them. There are different influencers based on the number of people that are following them, so that affects their pricing.

Start a blog

People sometimes overlook the importance of having a blog. Blogs are an essential part of every business as they keep the customers engaged. Writing blog posts for a fashion business is creative and fun as it could be about anything related to fashion. You could write about the newest fashion trends, style guides, how to take care of specific types of clothes and so on. These could be things people come back for.

Also, it’s a good way to build internal and external links, which boost your SEO. In turn, a great SEO strategy can bring your website to top search results. And that would mean, higher revenue for you.

Final thoughts

Being in the fashion industry and having such a business is creative, insightful, and amusing if approached in the right way. Hopefully, these practical tips and tricks can help you in boosting your online presence and advertise your fashion business.

The post How to Advertise Your Fashion Business in the Right Way appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

]]>
62572
How to Start Your Own Preschool Business https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2022/07/how-to-start-your-own-preschool-business.html/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 14:39:59 +0000 https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/?p=62466 If you love kids as well as their young, aspiring minds, you should use that to your advantage. Starting your own preschool business might just be right for you in that case, especially if you’re out of a job or if you’d like to change it. It gives you freedom and the possibility to organize […]

The post How to Start Your Own Preschool Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

]]>
If you love kids as well as their young, aspiring minds, you should use that to your advantage. Starting your own preschool business might just be right for you in that case, especially if you’re out of a job or if you’d like to change it. It gives you freedom and the possibility to organize your business however you like.

However, starting almost any business, preschool one as well requires you to do certain things beforehand. You should approach this business idea carefully and with plenty of consideration and thought to do the right job.

You should start with a plausible business plan as it is the base you need. Then, you should research your competitors and find an ideal location. As there are plenty of curricula available, you should consider which one(s) to implement.

It would be great if you got preschool software to help you run your business more smoothly. Moreover, you should also obtain the necessary licenses and permits. And finally, you should focus on equipping your preschool. Keep reading to learn more. 

Start with a Plausible Business Plan

A business plan is a base for every business. It is essentially an outline of your business, containing all the important information about your business. It also includes information on short as well as long-term goals, marketing strategies to be implemented as well as some future estimations.

Another key aspect of a business plan are costs involved in starting a preschool business as well as ongoing, monthly costs and all other investments needed. Writing the business plan forces you to think and plan ahead. Doing a good job in planning your business can help you avoid making mistakes.

Research your Competitors

When you have finished creating the business plan, it’s time to move to do extensive research on your competitors. Sometimes competitor research is also a part of the business plan. Nevertheless, you should find out about your competitors. Who they are, where they are located, whether they are full, what curriculum they use, what perks they offer, and so on.

Read online reviews and deduce what people want in a preschool. Check if there is some aspect nobody has covered yet and try to fill the market need for it. You should give people what they want.

Find an Ideal Location

When it comes to the right location for your child care center, there are a few options, depending on your business preferences. You can start your preschool in a part of your home, or you can rent an existing preschool facility. Additionally, you can also start your preschool from scratch, in a completely new facility. Anyway, you do need a great location.

Check your city’s zoning laws and other regulations, to check whether your intended location is compliant. The main differences between home-based and other location preschool businesses are fewer expenses and lower overhead costs, more flexible hours, and generally more convenience for you. However, they can also be a bit limiting. 

Consider Which Curriculum to Implement

As for the curricula, there are a few popular ones worldwide. You should go over each one carefully, to see what they are about. The curriculum you opt for should reflect your preschool’s aim, mission, and vision. What’s more, you don’t have to opt for only one curriculum, you can mix different aspects of various curricula.

You should focus on providing the children with a learning environment that will positively affect their academic and social development. Moreover, you should take into consideration current child development research, whether it’s practical to implement, whether it supplies support and training and whether it’s appealing to children. 

Some of the most popular curricula are the Montessori program, the Waldorf approach, and the HighScope approach. The Montessori program provides a hands-on learning environment, where educators pay attention to every child individually. It is a similar case with the HighScope approach. On the other hand, the Waldorf approach is more group-oriented, in comparison to the previously mentioned programs. Perhaps the best way to go is to create a unique framework to work by.

Get a Preschool Software

Nowadays, we have access to plenty of useful software we can use in all kinds of businesses. And you should definitely take advantage of new technology. It makes doing business easier, faster, and more optimal. By reducing the time for doing mundane tasks, you can focus on performing some other, more essential tasks. There are some preschool apps that can streamline administrative tasks.

Apps also allow you to manage your business more easily and stay in touch with parents. You can also use it to record daily events and activities and deliver real-time updates to parents. Moreover, there are also preschool apps that parents can use at home with their children.

Obtain Necessary Licenses and Permits

Child care businesses require certain licenses and permits to be obtained. They depend on each town, city, and country. So, you should get yourself familiarized with the things you need in order to run a business that involves taking care of kids. Most often, this process involves filling out some licensing applications, paying certain fees, working with a licensing agency, and going through a background check, among other things.

Equip your Preschool

When you have completed all the previously mentioned steps, you can focus on equipping your preschool. That means getting furniture suitable for a preschool, decorating walls with paint, and all kinds of educational posters. Kids should have the appropriate sleeping area as well as the area for eating. The bathroom should also be well-equipped and adapted. There should be plenty of toys, both educational ones, and free-play ones.

All in all, you should focus on making it appealing, functional, practical, and safe. Don’t forget to get insurance for your business and cover general liability insurance, property insurance, professional liability insurance, and workers’ compensation insurance.

Starting your own business can be overwhelming and exhausting at times. Nevertheless, with thorough research and good organization, you can decrease the stress and enjoy the process more.

The post How to Start Your Own Preschool Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

]]>
62466
Starting a Company: Tools for Advertising and Communication https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2022/06/starting-a-company.html/ Thu, 09 Jun 2022 14:49:48 +0000 https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/?p=62316 Starting a company is hard. This is especially true when there is a lot at stake and you feel overwhelmed with all the new information and things you need to learn in order to succeed. If you are a small business you are, in addition, limited with the tight budget and perhaps, with not so […]

The post Starting a Company: Tools for Advertising and Communication appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

]]>
Starting a company is hard. This is especially true when there is a lot at stake and you feel overwhelmed with all the new information and things you need to learn in order to succeed. If you are a small business you are, in addition, limited with the tight budget and perhaps, with not so many clients. So how do you make that one step forward that gets you closer to your business goals?

If you stick with us, we are about to show you some useful advertising tips that you can start implementing right away. And guess what: the ones we will cover here today are free, and if not completely free, then budget-friendly. 

Let’s start with the tools you can use to advertise your business.

Cost-free Tools

In a nutshell, the common denominator for the majority of cost-free tools is content. You’ve probably heard the expression: “ Content is the king”. Good content is an absolute necessity. Why? Well, it helps you stand out among your competitors and it emphasizes your value proposition even more. Also, it makes you more visible.

Engage on Social Media

Speaking of free advertising, what better than social media. The major mistake people make is that they don’t engage with their audience or with other potential partners or influencers. Speak up, share your opinion on relevant matters and draw attention when starting a company. 

Promote your blogs, follow other influential people, take part in online conferences, and create polls. Regularly posting quality content, content that your audience will benefit from, is one of the best advertising strategies you can do. And it’s free. In reality, you can hardly make a mistake here. The only mistake you can make is being dormant and just lingering on social media without providing value for your business.

Email Campaigns

Although some people may complain that there are too many emails nowadays, the fact remains that most business communications come from emails themselves. With the help of email automation tools (many of them, like AWeber offer automation in their free plans), you can really keep your clients engaged by creating welcome emails, thank you emails, email newsletters. You just schedule them according to your business priorities and they pretty much do the work for you. They are a great time saver.

Blogging

The power of words, be it spoken or written is undeniable. It’s the strongest “weapon” because it hits directly into the heart. What better way to advertise starting a company than to write blogs? Use your expertise and make a blog easy to read. Make it entertaining while shedding some light on the hottest topics from your industry. 

Blogs are a great way to show your knowledge, engage with your audience and also do some networking. You can present your business, show what sets you apart from your competitors and where your value lies. There are educational platforms for entrepreneurs that post blogs and other educational material. These platforms could be a great place to share your wisdom and attract new customers or build powerful business relationships. 

Word-of-Mouth Advertising

It goes without saying that we live in a digital age, but word-of-mouth advertising should definitely not be underestimated. Why? The answer is very simple: people buy from companies they trust. You know yourself that trust is one of the most difficult things to build because it takes lots of time and patience. 

However, with word-of-mouth advertising that process goes much faster. Your loyal customers will spread the word to their friends, families, and colleagues. Those people would be more inclined to buy from you because someone they trust recommended you. You don’t need to go through hoops to earn their trust. 

You already got yourself a nice foundation on which you can continue to build your business relations. And although it isn’t directly linked to advertising, don’t forget to reward your loyal customers. Show them how much you appreciate them.

Partnership and Branding

When you are a small business, partnering with other respectable brands can make you more visible and attract more leads. At the same time, don’t forget about your own brand. Your brand is your ambassador. Thus, it needs to be in line with your business mission and value proposition. The key is consistency so that people can start connecting the brand with you. Consistency in this case equals trust and a sense of security. 

Moreover, it makes your business more memorable. In order to achieve consistency, make sure to use the same “voice,” the same visual branding across all social media channels. Emphasize your (key) value proposition so that the next time somebody sees your logo, for example, they immediately recognize it and know what to expect.

Internal Communication

All the advertising tools that we presented in the lines above are there to help you grow your business and connect more with your target audience. However, you should bear in mind that all these tools can’t compensate for the lack of internal communication in your company/team. It is essential that you nurture this type of communication in order to really create a high-quality working environment. 

This environment will further impact the work processes, and ultimately, the way you deliver your product. To think that the relations within the company/team don’t affect the relations with your customers would be a huge mistake. 

The statistics clearly show how important this aspect is and how often we neglect it. If you are unsure where to start from, check these internal communication examples from companies like Amazon, Netflix, Starbucks, etc. You can also check the statistics while you are at it. It will give you a great(er) insight into the importance of internal communication.

Try implementing some of these advertising tips for small businesses. They can set you apart from the competition without blowing your budget or your time.

The post Starting a Company: Tools for Advertising and Communication appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

]]>
62316