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5 Myths About Your Business Credit Cards Credit Score
You may be surprised by what you don’t know about your business credit cards credit score. There are so many things misunderstood about business credit in general. What it is, how you get it, and even what it means are all areas of confusion for many business owners. It’s no wonder. With terms being thrown around such as personal credit, business credit, credit report, business credit report, fundability and more, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that true understanding is just out of grasp of many. Let’s clear it up by debunking the 5 most common business about business credit.
Do You Really Understand Your Business Credit Cards Credit Score?
There are many myths surrounding business credit. These range from how you actually establish business credit to how much your business credit cards credit score actually matters.
Myth #1: Just Because It’s a Business Card, Doesn’t Mean It Affects Your Business Credit Score
One of the most prevalent myths about business credit cards credit score is the idea that if you have a credit card that is designated as a “business” card, it is helping you build business credit. In reality, this may or may not be true.
It’s actually more about the information on the card application than the card itself. If you apply for the card with your personal information, it is going to report to your personal credit. Even if you use your business name, or a DBA, but your personal contact information and Social Security Number, this will still be true.
Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit, even in a recession.
That leads us to our next myth.
Myth #2: Business Credit is Built the Same Way as Personal Credit
You have to intentionally separate your business from yourself as the owner before you can build business credit. Just using credit cards with your business name on them will not do it. This is, of course, contrary to how personal credit builds.
How do you separate your business from yourself?
Separate Contact Information
Your business needs its own phone number, address, and email address. You don’t need to get a separate phone line or even a separate location. You can still run your business from your home or on your computer.
In fact, you can get a business phone number that will work over the internet instead of phone lines. It’s called VoIP, or voice over IP. The phone number will forward to any phone you want it to so you can simply use your personal cell phone or landline if you want. When someone calls your business number, it will ring straight to you.
You can use a virtual office for a business address. It’s a business that offers a physical address for a fee. Sometimes they even offer mail service and live receptionist services. Some offer meeting spaces for those times you may need to meet a client or customer in person.
Get an EIN
You need an EIN. This is a number for your business that works in a way similar to how your SSN works for you personally. You can get one for free from the IRS.
Get Incorporated
Incorporating your business as an LLC, S-corp, or corporation is essential. It lends credence to your business as one that is legitimate. It also offers some protection from liability.
The best thing to do is talk to your attorney or a tax professional about which option to choose. Just do it fast, because some lenders consider your time in business to start at the time of incorporation.
Open a Business Bank Account
This is also something that needs to be done ASAP. The main reason is, if a lender does not consider incorporation to be the starting date of the business, then they will consider the date the business bank account was opened. A separate account for business transactions will help you keep track of business finances. It will also help you keep them separate from personal finances for tax purposes.
There’s more than that too. There are several types of funding you cannot get without a business bank account. Often, lenders and credit card companies want to see one with a minimum average balance. Also, you cannot get a merchant account without a business account at a bank. That means, you cannot take credit card payments.
Myth #3: If Your Credit Score is Good, Nothing Else Matters
While your credit score is definitely important, it isn’t the only thing that lenders look at. In fact, it is only one piece of the picture. Lenders look at the total fundability of a business. Here are some things that they may consider in addition to credit score.
Continuity of Business Information
Lenders are looking for a great credit score. Unfortunately, it’s not all that hard to fake one and commit fraud in an effort to get a loan. For this reason, lenders tend to throw out any application that throws up any red flags for fraud, including those that have high credit scores associated with them.
One of the most common of these is inconsistency in business information. Something as small as using an ampersand on your business license and the word “and” on incorporation papers or even insurance documents, can cause you to be denied. Be certain also any address changes are changed everywhere. Phone numbers can cause the same problem if they change. All business information has to be consistent across the board.
Financial Statements
Both your personal and business tax returns need to be in order. Not only that, but you need to be paying your taxes, both business and personal.
Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit, even in a recession.
Business Financials
It is best to have an accounting professional prepare regular financial statements for your business. Having an accountant’s name on financial statements lends credence to the legitimacy of your business. If you cannot afford this monthly or quarterly, at least have professional statements prepared annually. Then, they are at the ready whenever you need to apply for a loan.
Personal Financials
Often tax returns for the previous three years will be all you need. Get a tax professional to prepare them. Other information lenders may ask for include check stubs and bank statements, among other things.
Bureaus
There are several other agencies that hold information related to your personal finances that you need to know about. For example, FICO. Your personal FICO score needs to be as strong as possible. Almost all traditional lenders will look at personal credit in addition to business credit.
In addition to FICO reporting personal credit, there is also ChexSystems. In the simplest terms, this keeps up with bad check activity and makes a difference when it comes to your bank score. If you have too many bad checks, you will not be able to open a bank account.
Even things you may not ever think about in terms of lending approval come into play here. Have you ever been convicted of a crime? Do you have a bankruptcy or short sell on your record? How about liens or UCC filings? All of this can and will play into your ability to get a loan.
Application Process
First, consider the timing of the application. Is your business currently fundable? If not, do some work to increase fundability. Next, are your business name, business address, and ownership status all verifiable. Lenders will check into it. Lastly, make sure you choose the right lending product for your business and your needs. Do you need a traditional loan or a line of credit? Would a working capital loan or expansion loan work best for your needs? Choosing the right product to apply for can make all the difference.
Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit, even in a recession.
Myth #4: If You Have Good Personal Credit, Business Credit Is Pointless
While you may be able to fund a business on personal credit alone, it isn’t a good idea. There are a few reasons for this. The most obvious is, if your business goes belly up, you are personally liable for the debt.
That means you could lose your house or your car. There’s still more however. If you use your personal credit to fund your business, you are likely going to hover near your credit limits. That will increase your debt-to-credit ratio substantially. In turn, your personal credit score will take a serious hit. That will impede your ability to buy things like a home or car.
If you have business credit, you will be able to fund your business without any of that debt being reflected on your personal credit report.
Myth #5: Paying On-Time is All that Matters
When it comes to your business credit cards credit score, paying consistently on-time is definitely key. However, it isn’t the only thing that is important. For example, if you do not have your business set up as mentioned above, there will be no business credit file to report payments to. Also, most business credit cards will not extend credit on the merits of your business alone without you first having a business credit score. This makes it difficult to build a business credit cards credit score without having a business credit score in the first place. It’s a vicious cycle.
There are certain vendors, called starter vendors, that can help with that. They will extend invoices with net terms, and then they will report the payments on those invoices to the business credit reporting agencies. Once enough accounts are reporting on-time payments, you have the start of a strong business credit score.
Also, you need a D-U-N-S number. This is the number that Dun & Bradstreet uses to enter your business into their system. Since D&B is the largest and most commonly used business credit reporting agency, if you aren’t in their system, you may as well not have business credit.
Business Credit is Often Misunderstood
There are many myths about business credit. It is hard to wade through all of the misinformation and get to the truth. Hopefully, this will help you better understand your business credit cards credit score.
The post 5 Myths About Your Business Credit Cards Credit Score appeared first on Credit Suite.
Best Work Order Software
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Work order software has streamlined the way businesses across all industries that manage facilities and maintenance departments. It’s used by organizations in manufacturing, healthcare, property management, education, and more.
This technology is far more efficient than paper work orders.
With work order software, all tasks can be managed electronically within a single tool. New work requests can come internally or from a customer, like a building tenant who needs a repair.
Companies can also use work order software to schedule preventative maintenance regularly. The use cases and advantages are seemingly endless.
Any business with a maintenance department will benefit from work order software. But which solution is the best? Let’s dive in to find out.
The Top 5 Options For Work Order Software
How to Choose the Best Work Order Software For You
Certain factors must be evaluated when you’re looking for and comparing work order software side-by-side. Below is the methodology I used to narrow down to the five on this list. You can use this as a work order software buying guide and weigh the following factors according to your personal needs.
Industry and Use Cases
As previously mentioned, work order software is trusted across a wide range of industries with maintenance and facilities teams. But some solutions are better suited for specific industries.
For example, property managers and real estate companies likely won’t use the same work order software as a single-site manufacturing facility. Some solutions are better for field service operations, while others are designed for on-site internal maintenance.
Do you want customers, tenants, students, faculty, or staff to submit work order requests? Or will requests only be coming from internal management? Are you looking for preventative maintenance with scheduled tasks? Or will all work orders be manually added into the system?
These are the types of questions you should be asking to narrow down the search.
Mobile Access
Mobile apps are a crucial tool for work order management, especially for field service, remote, and multi-site teams.
This is the best way to benefit from real-time job updates. Your staff can update the status of a task on-site directly from an app, instead of being forced to find a computer or wait until they get back to base. Apps also reduce the need for phone communication from a dispatch center. Workers can receive new work order assignments directly on their mobile device that includes everything they need to get the job done.
Overall, mobile access improves efficiencies and even drives autonomous work for your staff.
This isn’t necessarily a must-have for maintenance teams working at a small single-site location. But it definitely makes things easier at scale.
Records Management
In general, electronic work order requests eliminate the possibility of physical work orders being lost or misplaced. But you’ll still have options for managing electronic requests with different work order solutions.
Each platform will have a unique order creation system. The best systems allow you to create custom digital forms that include all information required to start a work order.
How will work orders be approved and assigned? Some platforms manage these steps manually, while others leverage automation.
Determining the priority for a new request is crucial as well. For example, something like a water leak in a building is obviously more time-sensitive than replacing a light bulb. Make sure you choose a system that allows you to set parameters or manually control the priority of new requests.
Cost Tracking
Depending on your business type, cost tracking is another useful feature offered by work order software. Some work order software has built-in cost tracking tools.
As each task and step in a work order is documented, you can calculate the total cost associated with a job. Then you can make the necessary adjustments to improve your efficiencies and keep costs as low as possible.
Not every work order solution is ideal for cost tracking. In some cases, the extra steps required to calculate these costs will end up doing more harm than good. If your staff is spending extra time trying to update every single aspect of a task, it could end up killing their productivity.
Asset Management
Combining your work order software with an asset management solution can really improve efficiencies at scale. But not every work order software is built for asset management, and not every organization needs this feature.
Asset management is crucial for larger maintenance teams that need to check their inventory against pending work orders. It’s also useful for preventative maintenance. Fleet-based maintenance teams can use asset management tools to check for parts and inventory while on the road.
But a small, single-site maintenance crew can probably survive without asset management features.
The Different Types of Work Order Software
Work order software comes in all different shapes and sizes. But generally speaking, these tools can be put into four main categories.
CMMS Software
CMMS stands for “computerized maintenance management system.” These tools are ideal for large businesses seeking a solution for managing their entire maintenance department.
Most CMMS software is optimized for preventative maintenance. They usually come with additional tools for asset management and even features for managing your staff.
FSM Software
Field service management (FSM) systems are built for organizations with employees out in the field. Examples include electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and utility teams.
FSM software makes it easy to assign new work orders to remote technicians. These tools typically come with other value-add features like vehicle tracking, asset tracking, and GPS check-ins.
Mobile access is arguably the most crucial feature to look for in FSM software. This will be the best way to communicate with your field service workers and facilitate a two-way sharing of information. A dispatcher can share a file with a remote technician, and that same technician can upload relevant pictures from the job. All of this information will be available in real-time.
ERP Software
Lots of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software comes with work order management solutions. Larger organizations with complex needs may want to consider adding a work order module to a larger ERP solution.
But getting ERP software if you only need a work order management solution is not necessary.
Standalone Work Order Tools
Standalone work order solutions are usually very simple. These tools are better for smaller crews who don’t have complex needs.
Standalone solutions still offer electronic order creation, tracking, completion, automation, and task management. But they don’t come with extra distractions, bells, or whistles.
Small businesses operating at a single site are viable candidates for a standalone work order solution. These tools will still improve efficiencies even without advanced features like asset management.
#1 – ServiceMax — The Best For Work Order Scheduling and Dispatching
ServiceMax is a field service management solution with built-in work order features. It’s trusted by global leaders like Sony, GE, and Tyco.
The average ServiceMax customer improves technician productivity by 23% and increases service revenues by 25% after making the switch. If you need a better way to manage the work order process for your field service operation, look no further than ServiceMax.
The unique standout of ServiceMax is its work order scheduling and dispatch board. Dispatchers will benefit from intelligent recommendations to ensure the right technician is assigned the right job at the ideal time. ServiceMax automatically considers the schedules of each mobile worker to maximize productivity.
Aside from the modern and unique scheduling environment provided by ServiceMax, other top highlights of this software include:
- Field service mobile app
- Remote customer signature capabilities
- Track costs associated with labor, parts, products, and more
- Pre-built workflows
- Supports work orders, service contracts, accounts, installed products, and more
- Reports with in-depth work order insights
- 90+ self-service dashboards
- Benchmarks and KPIs
- Tools to empower customers
ServiceMax is trusted by organizations in a variety of industries. Examples include equipment dealers, medical device manufacturing, telecommunications, construction, energy, mining, high-tech manufacturing, industrial equipment manufacturing, and more.
Get a free demo and speak to a ServiceMax specialist to get started.
#2 – UpKeep — The Best For Tracking Time and Costs
UpKeep is an all-in-one CMMS solution. It’s a modern and robust way for organizations to streamline work orders and manage preventative maintenance.
More than 200,000 maintenance professionals across a variety of industries rely on UpKeep for work order management.
For such a feature-rich tool, UpKeep is surprisingly easy to use. Even for advanced use cases like cost tracking, the software maintains its simplicity. You can track time, parts, and any additional costs associated with each unique work order.
UpKeep provides trend analysis and reports to help organizations lower costs associated with maintenance spending.
Other key features and benefits include:
- Easy to assign and prioritize new work orders
- Reduce equipment downtime
- Increase equipment lifespan
- Automatically send mobile notifications to technicians for new work orders
- Attach instructions and PDF manuals to work orders
- Work order completion based on location and priority level
Global leaders like McDonald’s, Marriott, and Yamaha all rely on UpKeep. From facility management to property management, preventative maintenance, and more, the software can accommodate a wide range of use cases.
The basic version of UpKeep’s work order software is free to use. Paid plans start at $35 per month per user.
#3 – MaintainX — Most Versatile Work Order Use Cases
MaintainX is an industry leader in the maintenance and operations space. The software is designed to increase productivity and asset lifecycle while simultaneously reducing maintenance costs, inspection times, and training costs.
From daily operations to preventative maintenance, quality control, and operating checklists, MaintainX has it all.
MaintainX is undoubtedly the most versatile work order solution on the market today. The software is used across industries like hospitality, property management, country clubs, fleet management, education, restaurant, retail, manufacturing, industrial, facilities, and more.
It is trusted for a wide range of use cases, including asset management, inspections, preventative maintenance, inventory management, and compliance.
Here’s a quick look at some of the noteworthy features and highlights of MaintainX’s work order software:
- Works on desktop, web, iOS (including iPads), and Android
- Unlimited work orders
- Unlimited assets
- Unlimited locations
- Unlimited photos and messages
- Simple form templates
- Real-time work order metrics
- Recurring and reactive work orders
MaintainX can be as simple or advanced as you need it to be. There’s a free version for small teams, and paid plans start at just $8.33 per user per month.
#4 – FMX — Best Work Order Software For Property Managers
FMX is another facilities and maintenance management solution with a wide range of potential use cases. But its work order software for property management is definitely the platform’s unique standout.
This is a complete CMMS solution built for property managers.
The software has everything you need to manage single and multi-site properties at scale. Tenants can submit requests, and third-party vendors can respond to work orders. Your entire team can stay informed and in the loop on the status of each work order.
Some of the features and benefits of FMX for property management include:
- Customizable work order forms
- Custom workflows
- In-depth reporting and dashboards
- Attach photos and files to work orders
- Simple search and filtering
- Work order notifications
- Maintenance calendar
- Time and cost tracking tools
- Communication with tenants and vendors
All of FMX’s tools and features can be accessed from an intuitive mobile app. So, technicians can view work orders and update their status on-site in real-time.
Contact the FMX sales team for a quote. You can try it for free before committing to a contract.
#5 – Limble CMMS — Best Mobile App For Managing Work Orders
Limble CMMS is a modern way for maintenance teams to add simplicity, organization, and automation to their work order processes.
The software is trusted by global leaders like Nike, DHL, Holiday Inn, and more.
Most of the best work order tools on the market today come with some version of mobile access. But the mobile app from Limble CMMS is second to none. Regardless of the industry or use case, this app is designed to increase productivity and make work order management more efficient.
Work orders can be logged and updated in less than 60 seconds from the mobile app. Technicians have the ability to start new orders while in the field directly from the app as well.
Top features, benefits, and noteworthy highlights of Limble CMMS include:
- Instant communication and alerts via push notification
- Asset management for up to 100,000 assets
- Real-time reporting and KPIs
- Real-time asset data with sensor connectivity
- Ability to attach invoices, pictures, files, or parts to work orders
- Cost and time tracking
- Custom maintenance dashboards
Limble CMMS starts at $40 per user per month. Even the entry-level plan comes with work order management features, and you can try it for free for 30 days.
Summary
Work order software is the way modern maintenance and facilities teams manage and complete tasks. It’s significantly more efficient than relying on paper or carbon copy work orders.
Which work order software is the best? It depends on your needs.
From property management to field service work and more, the recommendations reviewed here have something for everyone. Use this guide as a resource to find the best work order software for your business.
The post Best Work Order Software appeared first on Neil Patel.
How to Boost ROI with Optimized Buy Now Buttons
E-commerce has become a cutthroat industry.
With everyone and their brother-in-law setting up e-commerce businesses and the competition is super stiff.
That’s why you must do everything in your power to position yourself for more sales.
One way to do that is to optimize your Buy Now buttons.
What is a Buy Now Button, and Why is Optimization Important?
Cart abandonment costs businesses $4.6 trillion globally. Research shows that two of the top reasons shoppers abandon carts are:
- 28% say it’s because of being forced to create an account
- 21% say it’s due to a long (or complicated) checkout process
Optimized buy now buttons can help streamline this process for users by kicking off a simpler checkout process. In its simplest form, a Buy Now button is a link or actual CTA button that, once clicked on, takes shoppers directly to a:
- Product page: this works best if you’re promoting a new product and want prospects to see some social proof before buying.
- Cart: Looking to increase your average order value (AOV)? Then link your Buy Now button to the shopping cart and encourage buyers to meet the deal or shipping threshold you’ve set.
- Checkout page: This works best for products you’re promoting with urgency/scarcity, like a flash sale.
The advantages of Buy Now buttons are that they reduce cart abandonment rates and increase sales.
Here’s a typical example from the e-commerce giant, Amazon:
4 Ways to The Buy Now Button for E-Commerce Can Help Increase Your Revenue
Let me show you four simple, yet powerful reasons why Buy Now buttons can make a huge difference in your bottom line:
Generate Demand
Demand generation is an important aspect of increasing online sales. A well-optimized Buy Now button is a great way to generate demand across multiple online platforms.
Speed Up the Checkout Process
Buy Now buttons bypass most steps and protocols shoppers have to go through to make a purchase, thereby helping customers make purchases faster.
Skip Account Creation
Not everyone who buys from your store wants to create an account. A Buy Now button makes it easy for shoppers to purchase products on your store as guests from any platform they see your product on.
Improve User Experience (UX)
With a Buy Now button, you can sell to your customers from any website or platform (like social media) that supports the Buy Now button function. This drastically improves your UX, as customers can make a purchase on the same site in seconds.
Buy Now buttons make life easier for both you and your customers.
Where Can You Use Buy Now Buttons?
One of the biggest advantages of Buy Now buttons for e-commerce is that they help maximize the ROI of omnichannel marketing.
With so many platforms and channels, it can be quite tricky for e-commerce businesses to drive sales. When trying to lead prospects down your sales funnel, the main cause of friction is the number of touchpoints needed to take them from a piece of content to your shopping cart.
Which is where Buy Now buttons can save the day.
By placing buttons on platforms your target audience frequents, you can encourage them to buy right from that very platform. Wondering where you can use a Buy Now button for e-commerce success? Here are some of the most effective locations:
Use Buy Now Buttons on Blog Posts
Studies show that 87% of people research a product online before making a decision to buy. One way they research is by reading blog posts. These can be blog-styled product reviews or other pieces of content that feature or mention said product.
For e-commerce stores, bridging the divide between the content experience and the purchasing experience can be a struggle. Few have managed to design an experience that results in interested shoppers actually checking out. (If you do need help with this, feel free to reach out on my digital marketing consulting page.)
Buy Now buttons eliminate the long transition from content to checkout.
By clicking on the button right there in the content, readers are taken straight to the product page where they can make their purchase.
Boost Your Email Marketing ROI with Buy Now Buttons
Email marketing is important for generating sales for your business. It gives an average ROI of $44 for every dollar spent.
That’s why you must incorporate a Buy Now button in your email campaigns. It bolsters an already solid marketing strategy.
Here’s a good example from Etsy. It alerts the user that an item they’ve already added to their shopping cart is now on sale, giving them a great incentive to complete the sales process:
This helps provide a great UX by streamlining the email to checkout experience.
Win the Affiliate Marketing War with Buy Now Buttons
Affiliate marketing is all the rage right now because setting up an affiliate site is super easy.
Doing it effectively, however, is another thing altogether.
That’s why you need to leverage the power of the Buy Now button and add it to your affiliate links. The visual appeal of a Buy Now button is more compelling than a normal link and is bound to drive your conversions up.
Fire Up Your Retargeting with Buy Now Buttons
Statistics say the average conversion rate on websites is about 2%. That means 98% of the people that visit your website never take action.
This is where retargeting comes to play.
Using cookies, you can “follow” them around the web showcasing your products – particularly the one they expressed interest in.
Enter the Buy Now button.
A well-designed retargeting campaign with an equally well-optimized Buy Now button is a potent solution to winning back bounced visitors and turning them into paying customers.
How to Optimize Your E-commerce Buy Now Button for Explosive Conversions: 3 Easy Tips
To understand how best to optimize your Buy Now button, you must first understand the psychology behind it. Here’s a brief explanation of how to ensure your button will convert like gangbusters:
Purple Cows Drive Sales
First coined by Seth Godin, a purple cow is hard to miss.
That’s exactly what your Buy Now button needs to be. To achieve this, your Buy Now button must be designed to look like a totally different element from the rest of your site. Two ways to do this are making your Buy Now button big and using a contrasting color.
For your Buy Now button to be a purple cow, it must look like it doesn’t belong.
This design strategy will help you achieve two things:
- Visual impact: By being different, your Buy Now button will immediately attract attention.
- Rouse curiosity: Human beings are curious by nature. Anything different rouses curiosity and compels users to investigate more.
.These two steps will ensure users take a closer look at your offer — and hopefully increase your sales.
Use Color Psychology to Trigger an Emotional Response
Research has proven what many people have denied for a long time: people’s purchase decisions are based more on emotion than logic.
One of the best ways to trigger emotional responses is by employing color psychology.
Color is a great way to make people feel what you want them to feel, and more importantly, take the action you want them to take. So which colors work best with Buy Now buttons?
Here are a few examples:
Red
Red invokes excitement and urgency. These are emotions that encourage shoppers to take action quickly. The feeling of excitement also helps buyers get excited about their purchase, thereby encouraging them to click your Buy Now button.
Orange
This color inspires feelings of confidence, warmth, activity, and friendliness. It’s best suited for Buy Now buttons selling outdoor products and other products associated with excitement, vitality, and fun.
Green
Green is often associated with tranquility, nature, power, and health. Selling supplements and other health products or farming accessories? A green Buy Now button could help you drive sales by helping you form an emotional connection with your target audience.
Blue
Associated with tranquility, water, reliability, and peace, the color blue works best for brands that want to evoke feelings of security, reliability, and stability, just like the logos of Ford, Samsung, and PayPal.
Placement Can Help You Bank More
The placement of Buy Now buttons for e-commerce can be tricky. That’s particularly true on platforms you have no control over.
However, on your web pages, find a place users can’t miss and place your Buy Now button there. A few places to consider include:
- Immediately below your product’s featured image
- Above the fold, if it’s on a website, landing page, or email.
The key with placement is to ensure your Buy Now button occupies a prominent position.
Tracking and Analytics For E-Commerce Buy Now Buttons
Tracking the performance of your Buy Now buttons is not straightforward. That’s because you’ll have to track it across multiple domains and channels.
One of the best solutions to tracking your Buy Now button across multiple domains is to use Google Analytics’ cross-domain tracking function. It must be installed correctly, as a single error in your cross-domain configuration could result in no or flawed data.
However, once configured properly, you’ll be able to get valuable data to optimize your campaigns on the different platforms you’re marketing your product(s) on. From impressions to conversions, every little piece of data is gold.
Testing Your Buy Now Buttons
Buy Now buttons often look pretty simple, but there are a lot of factors involved in designing and deploying an effective one.
One of those factors is testing the effectiveness of your Buy Now button.
No matter how much time and resources you invest in creating a perfect Buy Now button, there are some factors you need to test for before implementing your button, including:
- Payment settings
- Browser compatibility
- Device compatibility
- Size
- Placement
- Color
- Copy
In addition to these factors, make sure your links work and send buyers to the right page.
Conclusion
Looking to drive more sales to your e-commerce store?
Then don’t overlook one of the most important elements on all your assets – the Buy Now button. When optimized and deployed well, this simple element can work wonders on your bottom line.
What Buy Now button best practices have helped you sell more?
The post How to Boost ROI with Optimized Buy Now Buttons appeared first on Neil Patel.
Beverley sticking with Clippers for 3 years, $40M.
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Free-agent guard Patrick Beverley has actually accepted a three-year, $40 million offer to remain with the LA Clippers, his representative, Kevin Bradbury, informed ESPN.
The post Beverley sticking with Clippers for 3 years, $40M. appeared first on Buy It At A Bargain – Deals And Reviews.
Get Fantastic Building Business Credit Cards
The Best Building Business Credit Cards
We looked at a ton of building business credit cards and did the research for you. Check out our top picks.
Per the SBA, company credit card limits are a whopping 10 – 100 times that of personal cards!
This demonstrates you can get a lot more cash with business credit. And it also means you can have personal credit cards at retail stores. So, you would now have an added card at the same stores for your business.
And you will not need collateral, cash flow, or financial data to get small business credit.
Building Business Credit Cards: The Benefits
Perks can differ. So, make sure to pick the perk you prefer from this variety of options.
Building Business Credit Cards – Make Your Credit Surge!
Discover it® Student Cash Back
Be sure to check out the Discover it® Student Cash Back card. It has no yearly fee. The card also offers a six-month introductory period of 0% APR on purchases. And there is an APR of 14.99 – 23.99% variable on all purchases after that period.
One distinct feature is that it offers an incentive for scholars to maintain good grades with a $20 statement credit. If students earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher each school year, the card will award the $20 statement credit every year for up to five years.
Details
Use this credit card to build personal credit. While this is a personal credit card versus a company card, for new credit users, their FICO scores will be vital. And this card offers an excellent way to raise FICO while also getting rewards.
You can get 5% cash back at different places each quarter such as grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants or Amazon.com up to the quarterly maximum. After that, this card offers unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases.
In the first year, all cash back rewards are matched 100%.
Downsides include a cash advance fee of either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater. And even though they waive the first late payment fee, a fee of up to $37 applies on all other late payments. There is also a returned payment fee of up to $37.
Get it here: https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/cash-back/it-card.html
Secure Business Credit Cards for Average Credit: An Excellent Accompaniment to Building Business Credit Cards
Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
For fair credit, we like the Capital One Spark Classic for Business. It has no annual fee. There are cash-back rewards. The card gets an unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases. There is an annual fee of $0.
With this card, you will get benefits including an auto rental collision damage waiver, and purchase security. And you also get extended warranty coverage. And you get travel and emergency assistance services.
But BEAR IN MIND: the ongoing APR is 24.74% variable APR. And the penalty APR is even higher, 31.15%. Also, there is no sign-up bonus.
Get it here: https://www.capitalone.com/small-business/credit-cards/spark-classic/
Reliable Low APR/Balance Transfers Business Credit Cards: A Smart Consideration to Complement Building Business Credit Cards
Discover it® Cash Back
Have a look at the Discover it® Cash Back card. There is a 10.99% introductory APR for six months from date of first transfer. So, this is for transfers under this offer which post to your account by January 10, 2019.
After the introductory APR expires, your APR will be 14.99% to 23.99%. So, this is based on your creditworthiness. Your APR will vary with the market, which is based upon the Prime Rate.
Details
You can earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter. So, these are establishments like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com, or wholesale clubs. But this is up to the quarterly maximum each time you activate. Plus, automatically earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
You will earn an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you have earned at the end of your first year, automatically.
Get it here: https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/cash-back/it-card.html
Company Credit Cards with 0% APR – Pay Zero!
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® Credit Card
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card has no yearly fee and comes with a 0% introductory APR on purchases for the initial nine months. After that, the card has a 13.24 – 23.24% variable APR.
Earn 3 points/dollar spent when you book travel through the Bank of America Travel Center and 1.5 points/dollar on all other purchases. You can get unlimited points and points will never expire.
Details
There is a 25,000-point sign-up bonus when you spend $1,000 in the initial 60 days of starting the account. Cardholders get travel accident insurance, and lost luggage reimbursement.
They also get trip cancellation coverage, trip delay reimbursement and other advantages.
There is no introductory rate for balance transfers. Also, bonus categories are limited.
Get it here: https://www.bankofamerica.com/smallbusiness/credit-cards/products/travel-rewards-business-credit-card/
JetBlue Plus Card
Have a look at the JetBlue Plus Card for yet another offer of a 0% introductory APR
Earn six points/dollar on JetBlue purchases, two points/dollar at dining establishments and grocery stores. And get one point/dollar on all other purchases.
Details
Spend $1,000 in the first 90 days and pay the annual fee and earn 40,000 bonus points. New cardholders receive a 12-month, 0% initial APR on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening.
Thereafter, the variable APR on purchases and balance transfers is 17.99%, 21.99% or 26.99%, based on creditworthiness. Benefits include a free first checked bag and 50% savings on in-flight purchases.
There is a $99 annual fee for this card.
Get it here: https://cards.barclaycardus.com/cards/jetblue-card/
Establish business credit fast with our research-backed guide to 12 building business credit cards and lines.
Uber Visa Card
Check out the Uber Visa Card. Uber is the very first ride-sharing service to offer a credit card, in a partnership with Visa and Barclays.
The card offers 4% back per dollar spent at restaurants, takeout and bars, including UberEATS. Also, get 3% back on hotel, airfare and vacation home rentals. And get 2% back on online purchases.
So, this includes retailers and subscription services such as Uber and Netflix. And get 1% back on all other purchases. Each percent/point has a value of 1 cent. Redeem points for cash back, gift cards or Uber credits directly in the app.
By spending a minimum of $500 in the first 90 days, users can earn a $100 sign-up bonus. Cardholders spending at least $5,000 per year are eligible to receive a $50 credit toward online subscription services.
Details
If you pay your cellphone bill with this card, you are insured up to $600 for cellphone damage or theft.
Cardholders are eligible for exclusive access to specific events and offers. Uber anticipates most of these offers will be available in major cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and DC. There is no foreign transaction fee.
But there is no introductory rate. The APR is a variable 16.99%, 22.74% or 25.74%, based on your creditworthiness. Cardholders with less than stellar credit will be on the higher end of the range.
Also, there are restrictions on Uber credits. To redeem points as credits in the Uber app, accrue at least 500 points, or $5. Cardholders can convert a maximum of 50,000 points, or $500, per day.
Get it here: https://www.uber.com/c/uber-credit-card/
Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi
Not taking Uber? Then you’ll want to fill your gas tank someway. Why not do so with the Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi?
This card earns cash back with every purchase. Earn 4% cash back on the first $7,000 spent on eligible gas purchases annually (1% after that). Earn 3% cash back at restaurants and on eligible travel purchases. Also, get 2% cash back at Costco and Costco.com. And earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Note: the $0 yearly fee is only for Costco members. And an active Costco membership is required. Cardholders will get access to damage and theft purchase protection, extended warranty coverage and travel accident insurance.
Also, there is no sign-up bonus available with this card.
Get it here: https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/credit-card-details/citi.action?ID=Citi-costco-anywhere-visa-business-credit-card
Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card
Have a look at the Ink Business Cash ℠ Credit Card. Businesses can get cash back with every purchase. Spend $3,000 in the first three months from account opening. And you’ll get a $500 bonus cash back.
There is a $0 annual fee with a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers. After that, the APR is a 15.24 – 21.24% variable.
The credit card features travel and purchase coverage benefits. So, this includes an auto rental collision damage waiver and extended warranty protection.
Details
Earn bonus cash back on business categories. So, these include office supply stores, telecommunications, gas stations and restaurants.
Note: this card has a balance transfer fee. Pay 5% of the amount transferred or $5, whichever is more. Also, there is a foreign transaction fee of 3%.
Get it here: https://creditcards.chase.com/small-business-credit-cards/ink-cash
United MileagePlus Explorer Business Card
Get a good look at the United MileagePlus Explorer Business Card.
Earn 2 miles/dollar with United and at restaurants, filling stations and office supply stores. All other purchases get 1 mile/dollar. Earn a 50,000-mile sign-up bonus after spending $3,000 in the first three months from account opening.
Benefits include priority boarding, a free first checked bag for you and a companion on the same reservation.
Details
Also, get two United Club passes annually. And get hotel and resort perks including upgrades. On top of that, get early check-in and late checkout. And get an auto rental collision damage waiver.
Plus, get baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Finally, get trip delay reimbursement, purchase protection, price protection and concierge service.
After the first year, the card has an annual fee of $95. APR of 17.99% – 24.99%, based on creditworthiness.
Get it here: https://creditcards.chase.com/small-business-credit-cards/united-mileageplus-explorer-business
Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express
Another alternative is the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express.
This card is for those who stay at Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott hotels often. Earn six points per dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels.
And earn four points per dollar at American restaurants, US filling stations, and on American purchases for shipping.
Also, get four points to the dollar on wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service providers. For all other eligible purchases, get two points per dollar.
Details
Earn 75,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in the initial three months of account opening. Benefits include free in-room premium internet access, Sheraton Club lounge access, and purchase protection.
Plus, you get car rental loss and damage insurance. And you get baggage insurance. There is also a global assistance hotline. And there is a roadside assistance hotline. And get travel accident insurance and extended warranty coverage.
The biggest issue is the annual fee. There is a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then it’s $95 thereafter. Plus, there is no 0% introductory APR. Instead, there is a 17.74 – 26.74% variable APR
Get it here: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/business/business-credit-cards/spg-amex-starwood-credit-card
Ironclad Secured Credit Cards: An Alternative to Building Business Credit Cards
Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card
Have a look at the Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card. It charges a $25 annual fee per card (up to 10 employee cards). It also requires a minimum security deposit of $500 (up to $25,000) and it is designed to help cardholders build or rebuild their credit.
Select this credit card if you wish to get 1.5% per dollar in purchases with no limits or get one point for every dollar in purchases. You also get 1,000 bonus points for every month your company makes $1,000 in purchases on the card.
Details
Also, you get free FICO scores every month. There are no foreign transaction fees. It is possible to upgrade to unsecured credit. Your account is regularly reviewed. And you may become eligible for an upgrade to an unsecured card with responsible use over time. Approval is not guaranteed and depends on factors including how you manage this and your other accounts.
APR is the current prime rate plus 11.90%. There is no introductory APR period and no sign-up bonus. This is not a credit card for balance transfers.
Get it here: https://www.wellsfargo.com/biz/business-credit/credit-cards/secured-card/
Terrific Cards for Cash Back: Another Way to Work with Your Building Business Credit Cards
SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card from American Express
Check out the SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card from American Express. There is a $0 yearly fee. And there is a 0% APR on purchases. So, this is for the first 15 months an account is open.
But when the introductory period ends, the APR for purchases is 14.24 to 21.24%. So, this is variable and based on creditworthiness.
Details
This card has several benefits. These include purchase protection, car rental loss and damage insurance. And they also include a baggage insurance plan, extended warranty coverage and a global assist hotline.
Also, earn 5% cash back at US office supply stores and on wireless telephone services. So, these must be bought from United States providers. But this pertains to the initial $50,000 of yearly spending. Then, you earn 1% cash back.
You also get 3% cash back on spending category of your choice. So, this is from eight distinct categories. They include airfare, gas, advertising and computer purchases. But it applies to the first $50,000 of annual spending. Then, you get 1% cash back.
Cash-back bonuses are automatically credited to the customer’s billing statement.
Note: you cannot use this card for balance transfers. There is a foreign transaction fee of 2.7%. The card charges up to $38 in late fees. And the returned check fee is also $38. The penalty APR is 29.99%.
And, it applies if you have two or more late payments within 12 months. It can also apply if you fail to make the minimum payment on time or have a returned payment.
Get it here: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/credit-cards/simply-cash-plus-business-credit-card/44279
Capital One® Quicksilver® Card
Check out the Capital One® Quicksilver® Card. It offers flat-rate rewards of 1.5% on all purchases. There are no limits to the amount of cash back rewards that cardholders can earn. Also, the card has a $0 yearly fee.
New cardholders have a 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months after opening the account. Then afterwards they have a 14.74 – 24.74% (variable) APR after that.
A cash bonus of $150 is on offer for those who make at the very least $500 in purchases in 3 months of account opening.
Details
Also, cash back rewards do not expire for the life of the account. And there is no limit to how much you can earn.
This card also offers travel accident insurance. And you get an auto rental collision damage waiver. There are no foreign transaction fees. And there is extended warranty coverage.
Downsides are the flat reward rate, not allowing for any more than that. And the higher APR after the first 15 months.
Get it here: https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/quicksilver/
Establish business credit fast with our research-backed guide to 12 building business credit cards and lines.
Unbeatable Cards for Jackpot Rewards: When You Graduate from Building Business Credit Cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for travel points.
You can earn two points to the dollar spent on travel and dining at restaurants. And you can get one point per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be traded in for cash back, gift cards, or travel.
The card’s benefits include trip cancellation insurance, travel and emergency assistance services. They also include an auto rental collision damage waiver, purchase protection and extended warranty protection.
When you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening, you will earn 50,000 bonus points. These points are worth $625 if you redeem them for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Details
You can get an unlimited two points per dollar for travel and dining at restaurants. And after that earn one point per dollar for all other purchases. Points will transfer equally to 13 leading frequent travel programs with partners. So, these include British Airways, Southwest Airlines, United, and Marriott.
There is no 0% introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers. The card’s standard APR is 17.74 – 24.74% variable. Also, the card has an annual fee of $0 introductory for the first year. And then it skyrockets to $95.
Get it here: https://creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/chase-sapphire-preferred
Ink Business Preferred ℠ Credit Card
Get a look at the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card from Chase. Cardholders earn 3 points for every dollar spent on travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone and qualifying advertising with the card. So, this is up to $150,000 each year. And all other purchases earn an unlimited one point per dollar spent.
This is a Visa credit card.
Cardholders get benefits like purchase protection, trip cancellation or interruption insurance. They also get cellphone protection. And they get extended warranty coverage. And they get an auto rental collision damage waiver.
Details
Get 80,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in the initial 3 months from account opening. There is an annual fee of $95. You can add employee cards at no additional cost.
This card only offers 3 points per dollar to a limit of $150,000 a year. So, this is for travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone and qualifying advertising. All other purchases get an unlimited flat rate of one point per dollar. And there is no introductory APR
Get it here: https://creditcards.chase.com/small-business-credit-cards/ink-business-preferred
Establish business credit fast with our research-backed guide to 12 building business credit cards and lines.
Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card
Have a look at the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card, which earns hotel rewards points. Get up to 12 points per dollar of eligible purchases at participating Hilton hotels or resorts.
Automatically get Hilton Honors Gold status. And this includes room upgrades when available, a 5th night free when you book a rewards stay of 5 nights or more.
And get free internet access and late checkout. It also includes a 25% bonus on base points earned with Hilton Honors.
This card has a variable purchase APR of 17.74 – 26.74%. There is an annual fee of $95.
Details
Cardholders can get a 125,000-point welcome offer after making $2,000 in eligible purchases in 3 months from account opening. Earn a free weekend night award after making $15,000 in eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year.
Benefits include purchase protection. And there is extended warranty coverage. They also include car rental loss and damage insurance and travel accident insurance.
If you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases with the card within a calendar year, you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year. This status includes all the benefits of Gold status.
It also includes a 50% bonus on base points earned with Hilton Honors and exclusive floor lounge access at select properties. But that is extremely high spending required for elite status. Only you can decide if that’s worth it.
Get it here: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card/hilton-honors-ascend/
The Perfect Building Business Credit Cards for You
Your outright best company credit cards hinge on your credit history and scores.
Only you can choose which features you want and need. So, be sure to do your homework. What is outstanding for you could be disastrous for someone else.
And, as always, make certain to develop credit in the recommended order for the best, quickest benefits.
The post Get Fantastic Building Business Credit Cards appeared first on Credit Suite.
Overtime – Episode #473: Michael Moore, PJ O'Rourke, Thom Hartmann, Catherine Rampell, Steve Hilton
Bill and his guests – Michael Moore, P.J. O’Rourke, Thom Hartmann, Steve Hilton, and Catherine Rampell answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 09/21/18)
The post Overtime – Episode #473: Michael Moore, PJ O'Rourke, Thom Hartmann, Catherine Rampell, Steve Hilton appeared first on Buy It At A Bargain – Deals And Reviews.
The Art and Science of Social Storytelling –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week
The Hottest and Most Brilliant Business Tips for YOU – Start Social Storytelling and More
Our research ninjas at Credit Suite smuggled out ten amazing business tips for you! Be fierce and score in business with the best tips around the web. You can use them today and see fast results. You can take that to the bank – these are foolproof! Wow your customers and prospects with social storytelling, and more.
Stop making stupid decisions and start powering up your business. Demolish your business nightmares and start celebrating as your business fulfills its promise.
And these brilliant business tips are all here for free! So settle in and scoop up these tantalizing goodies before your competition does!
#10. Don’t Forget the Videos!
Our first jaw-dropping tip is all about adding videos to your marketing strategy. The Self-Employed says video is compelling and persuasive and boy do we ever agree!
One of our favorite points in this article is all about retention of information. It seems we remember about 95% of what we view. And about 10% of what we read. Sorry, books.
This means it makes a ton of sense to add video to your bag of tricks. Video is a particularly persuasive marketing tool on mobile.
This article also has a ton of excellent tips for how to best optimize your video. After all, YouTube is the second-largest search engine, second only to Google. It makes sense to do everything in your power to make your video content discoverable.
We recommend reading the entire article. Yes, it’s that good.
#9. Set Up Your Field Sales Team for Success
The next awesome tip is about aligning the planets for your field sales team so they’ll be more successful. Open View Partners notes face to face requests are some 34 times more effective than emails. So send your sales team into the field. But don’t send them without preparation.
Their two great tips were to arm your sales people with data. And give them good mobile tools. Don’t make them squint at too-tiny screens.
Pro tip – this works in a lot of other areas. The asking in person bit, that is. So if you ever have to argue a mistake on a bill, go to the place where the bill came from, if you can. Be nice, of course. Don’t look like some loon who they’re only too eager to call the cops on.
Be there, and be reasonable. You will be hard to say no to.
If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Learn the art and science of social storytelling.
#8. Get More Social Media Sales
Our following life-changing tip concerns selling on social media. LinkedIn points out it’s a great source for B2B social media leads – to the tune of 80%!
As we have seen elsewhere, one terrific strategy is to showcase your expertise. In all seriousness, who wants to read about someone who’s fumbling along? Of course, they can have compelling stories. But anyone without expertise needs a ‘happy ending’ of gaining expertise. Without that, they don’t belong in the B2B marketing space, now, do they?
But we also liked the idea to help the overwhelmed decision makers among us. When there are 111 choices out there, so many of us are tempted to close our eyes and point. Guiding such people is another form of value. In truth, it’s a lot like the strategy to showcase expertise.
Helping people. Whooda thunk?
#7. Give Your Email Marketing a Boost
For our next sensational tip, we looked at best practices for email marketing. Sumo lays it all out for us. Our fave tip was to clean house! For so many email marketers, their lists have black hole-style addresses. These are people who never respond. But the email may or may not bounce. If you have an email address you only use for one thing, then you know what we mean.
Let’s say you have 1,000 bad email addresses, and you send two messages per week. Then in month, you’re sending 8,000 emails to the void. Pay a penny per email? Then you’re wasting a good $1,000 per year on the dead weight.
And there’s another thing, which the article didn’t get into. There are any number of email service providers which will ding your company if you get too many bounces. After all, bounces clog up their servers and make everything go slower.
So clean house and send re-engagement emails to stale subscribers on a regular basis. Maybe once a quarter? No response? Then sayonara; it’s been nice knowing you.
#6. Improve Your Emails
This tip is so cool, and it works! Science of People has us covered. Speaking of emailing, this article hit home in all sorts of unexpected ways.
Two tips which stood out to us were to not bury the lede (yes, that’s the spelling: you could look it up), and to not ramble on and on. Oh boy, do we love those!
But the one tip which we suspect will save both working relationships and social ones was #6. Add the address last.
This is vital. Trust us.
And check out their bonus. Someone should sew it on a sampler and hang it on a wall!
#5. Specialize in Social Storytelling
Grab this mind-blowing tip while it’s hot!
It’s time to wow your customers and prospects with social storytelling. Sales Hacker says it’s a way to buck the automation trend. That is, we still don’t have AI which can write a story and keep it compelling.
So, that reminds your intrepid blog post writer of a tale. See, social storytelling is everywhere! In fact it’s here most Fridays.
Social Storytelling and the Author
Now, I can’t honestly recall if I have mentioned this before. But I am an author. You know, published and everything. But of course life wasn’t always this way.
Good writing comes with training. And some of my best education came in, of all places, high school.
My 12th grade English teacher was big on creative writing. So she gave us the formula, which I will now pass onto you.
Characters. Conflict. Crisis. Change.
That is, your story must have all four. The setting, by the way, is a form of character. And conflict can also be seen as purpose or the desired end result.
Think of your favorite stories. In The Wizard of Oz, the characters are obvious, including the title character. The conflict (desired end result) is to get Dorothy back home to Kansas. The crisis is when the team has to battle the Wicked Witch of the West. And the change is Dorothy gets to go home. While at the same time, her companions realize they had the power within them all along.
Bringing it All Back to Social Storytelling
So there’s a point to this little side junket. It’s like the tips in the article. We are talking about super-short social storytelling. As in, 20 to 30 seconds. How do you make a compelling character? Give him or her a struggle. What’s an interesting conflict or desired outcome or purpose? Something like what your customers and prospects want. What about the crisis? Where are things coming to head. When does it become do or die? And what’s the change? Where’s the happy ending?
For example – in your social storytelling, you might have a customer who’s tried everything but not been able to succeed. They want to, of course. And then things turn dire. They may realize they’re not getting any younger. Or a new baby or a house or the like means financial needs are more pressing. They need to succeed yesterday. The change, as you may have guessed, is how your product or service gets them there.
Human beings are storytellers. Social storytelling probably goes back to when we lived in caves and were first developing language. Homer told the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey to his fellow Greeks, many of whom could neither read nor write.
Social storytelling is in our DNA. And it is powerful.
If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Learn the art and science of social storytelling.
#4. Social Storytelling and Social Proof in Email Marketing
Check out this spectacular tip. It’s all about using social proof in your email marketing campaigns. Sleek Note says there are lots of compelling ways to use social proof in email marketing.
We loved their examples of showing authority. You can earn it, with great reviews from your customers. Or you can borrow it, through an association with another company or organization. You can polish it up with celebrity endorsements. And you can make it newsworthy with media endorsements.
But what if you have none of these? Then it’s time to build your brand and encourage reviews, to start. Why not show a short (yes, short, as in no more than three questions) survey upon checkout? Give away a small token of your appreciation for filling it out. Maybe a 10% discount on their next shopping trip?
Then you’ll start to get some social proof.
#3. Get Down on One Knee
It’s not your imagination: this winning tip can increase engagement on Facebook. BuzzSumo gives us the lowdown. They have four daily tasks to help you increase engagement.
We were so happy that these are all data-type tasks! One was to figure out when’s the best time to post on FB. Companies and their customers differ; this is not ‘one size fits all’. Your prospects might check FB at lunch. Or the morning or the evening could be their time to socialize online.
The weekend might be the right time. You’ll never know unless you keep tabs.
And you’ll also never know which content does best unless you measure. That’s their second task. What content works? What falls flat?
Do more of the former, and less of the latter.
We also loved the third task, to schedule your FB posts for the week. This is with a tool like Hootsuite or Buffer. After all, if your customers are on Facebook at 3 AM on a Tuesday, you have every right to want to sleep then!
Their fourth task was more measuring. Check your content and see if it works. For the second task, you’re looking at individual content. Here, you’re looking at the bigger picture. If quizzes do better than slideshows, then guess what you should post more often?
#2. Grow Network, Grow!
Our second to last unbeatable tip can give you a new perspective on how to grow your network. Entrepreneur notes we don’t start networking by sending strangers random calls. We don’t press our business cards into the hands of everyone on the bus.
At least, your intrepid blog writer hasn’t done that. In a while.
(Note: that was a joke)
So start with the people you know. Classmates. Friends. Neighbors. Colleagues, both current and past. Family. They know you! And they know you’re dependable, smart, etc.
And then the second tip makes even more sense – help others before you get them to help you. Yes, you’re creating an expectation of a quid pro quo. You’re also, you know, doing the right thing.
For the third tip, we encourage you to read this article in its entirety!
#1. Stand Out in an Overcrowded Voice-Assisted World
We saved the best for last. For our favorite remarkable tip, we focused on standing out as a brand while your customers and prospects shop with voice assistants. You know, Siri and Alexa and the like. The Harvard Business Review says there are a few strategies which should work.
Consider that this hasn’t quite happened yet. So the HBR could change their minds later. But there was one tip which made a lot of sense to us. And it can work, in some ways, even for other types of marketing and sales.
It’s to bundle the stuff you sell. Or, at least, to suggest the similar stuff. So if you sell, say, dog treats, there’s a good chance your customers will also take an interest in dog toys. They called this affinities. Then they took this from beyond the realm of Amazon’s recommendation engine.
That is, they suggest putting together different types of customers. And cater to their particular affinities. Your young mom groceries customers might be more interested in convenience. But your hipsters who want to cook something new.
Yet again, there’s a suggestion to treat customers like individuals. You know, like people.
What a concept.
So which one of our brilliant business tips was your favorite? And which one will you be implementing now?
If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Learn the art and science of social storytelling.
The post The Art and Science of Social Storytelling –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week appeared first on Credit Suite.