Whether you are experienced with managing traditional brick and mortar companies or if you are entirely new to the online and tech start up industry it is important to look into finding professional guidance to help getting any business model off of the ground. Building an online business with a mentor by your side is a way to move forward with plans you have in place with confidence and excitement.Determine Your NeedsBefore seeking out an expert online mentor it is imperative to consider the needs you have with running your business and what you most require help with during day-to-day management tasks. Understanding the type of assistance you require is a way to scope out mentors who have experience in similar industries and specialize in the areas you need help focusing on more professionally while running your business.Create a Business Plan and OutlineCreate a business plan and outline to review in-depth the overall methods of reaching consumers, the demographics and how you plan to offer your content, products or services to those who are genuinely interested in following your brand and company. Having a business plan ready when seeking out a business mentor that is right for you is a way to ensure you are selecting the right professional to come on board to provide additional guidance throughout your journey.Having a business plan thoroughly complete can help to expedite the process once you begin comparing online mentors who specialize in businesses and assisting entrepreneurs, ultimately allowing you to save time when implementing new strategies.Things to Look for in an Online Business MentorWhen you have made the decision to hire an online mentor that specializes in business it is important to review various things to look for in an online business mentor that is right for you and the future growth of your company.Review the experience any online mentors have that is relevant to the type of industry or market you are currently working in. Finding a business mentor with more experience in your market and industry gives you the competitive edge when developing strategies and continuously building the audience and demographic you are targeting.It is also important to review past experience, education and credentials of the business mentors you are working with online. Reviewing portfolios and past positions gives you more options when you have multiple choices while searching for a business mentor who specializes in building, managing and growing online businesses.Talking to an online mentor who specializes in business is also recommended when you want to work with someone who meshes well with your own personal attitude and approach to managing your business. Although mentors are likely to provide advice and help with decisions it is ideal to work with a professional who shares similar goals and visions for your company to work well with one another.Check Official Websites, Portfolios and Professional Communities Once you have found an online mentor you believe in who understands and want to help your business it is also highly advisable to search for more information about the professional prior to making a decision. Check official websites, portfolios and even professional communities to verify the experience and credibility the mentor claims to have before making a decision.Asking for referrals from those who have worked with the mentor in business online is another way to feel confident and reassured when moving forward in creating new plans, strategies and marketing campaigns for your online company or eCommerce store.Working with the right expert online mentor is a method of gaining insight into how to properly manage and grow your business while also learning about various aspects of handling all decisions for your company in the future. Understanding the benefits of working with an online business mentor is ideal when you are determined to outperform competitors and become a true leader of your own destiny.
Boost Sales With Social Commerce Tools
The most common buzz words among the marketers these days are social marketing, online social interaction and social networking. But what this prefix ‘social’ actually stands for any business is a big question mark. All these actually come under the broad category of social commerce which is a strategy to connect customers to each other through internet, online and then such connections are leveraged commercially. This strategy is based on some Social Commercial Tools to actually derive the results.Therefore, in a way social commerce strategically facilitates customer interaction and their participation to achieve quantitative business results where a smart marketing program works on the process of pursuing customers to make purchases through its optimized operations. The social commerce marketer need to craft messages & provide social platforms such as blogs, social networking pages or forums to spread the brand name, its online services and products among the people. Then public participation should be encouraged through reviews & ratings, contests, promotions, user-created contents like video & photo uploads and all other things that contribute to social interaction.Then these conversations should be analyzed to gather public opinion about spot trends and the public’s actual demand. These needs are then met by delivering services, promotions and products as per demand. Regular analysis and measuring markets are two major tools that identify the ROI of these programs. But more than purchases there are other factors like loyalty; satisfaction; traffic; conversion; competitive differentiation and order value that contribute to real metrics to drive a business and achieve long term sales growth.The marketers are already running some or the other social programs like Social Media Commerce or Social Facebook Commerce Platforms as they consider Facebook to be a good source of traffic. They also put contents on the website through company blogs and reviews & ratings. The Social Commerce Tools integrate activities of social marketing along with bigger marketing programs like in-store, online, direct marketing and mobile to combine all these and arrive at the common goal of sales growth.In a nutshell, these Social Commerce Tools that are critical should be followed by the marketers to achieve results. Initially the user content should be gathered by encouraging people to share their views about the services & products. The traffic views carry importance as they are the key factors for boosting sales. Then these feedbacks are implemented through Social Facebook Commerce Platforms or Facebook Social Commerce Applications.Then this customer feedback is leveraged in various marketing strategies. All the positive feedbacks from customers about the brand, its products or its services are used and positive commentary is integrated in the display advertisements or paid search sites or on store signage or in catalogues or in emails and any other medium through which customer interaction is possible. These are some of the strategies covered under Social Commerce Tools through which core competence of a marketing program can be achieved for any business by applying the best practices, real case studies and a positive & progressive business approach.
10 Simple Steps to Online Business Success
So your online business sucks and you’re feeling like a failure… Bet you thought running an online business was easy didn’t you. I bet you said to yourself:”I have this fantastic idea to start an online business and sell what I love and am passionate about and thousands of people are going to come running to buy my products now that I’ve got a website.”That’s it, you’re done and there’s no looking back now! You’ve got your online business and you’re going to make tons of money now aren’t you?! Or, are you?The reality of the situation is, many people start a business online everyday, yet almost all of them fail to execute a few simple steps that would inevitably lead them to success. Nearly all of us at one point in our entrepreneurial career has thought that we had a great idea that everyone wants or needs and they were just as excited about it as you are. The fact of the matter is you are an expert within your particular niche and that is what you are passionate about. But how are you going to share that passion, let alone your products and services with your target audience? Here are a few simple steps you can follow to ensure you succeed with your internet business.Step 1 – Know Your Target AudienceThe idea of knowing your audience goes deeper than identifying who they are, where they hang out and what they want however. Take the time to get to know your target audience. Ask them questions and learn what it is they seek from you. Online surveys are a great way to hear directly from your target audience. Use the free service from SurveyMonkey to create an online survey and ask your target audience as well as your email list subscribers to answer the questions. Their free plan allows you to create 10 question surveys and is very useful.Step 2 – Plan Your BusinessThis is a topic I cover in greater detail in my free 15 day training course. No online business can succeed without a plan. You must create a plan of action to implement for your online business before you can ever hope to succeed. This applies whether your a brick and mortar real world business or strictly operating online, having a plan of action greatly increases your chances of success!Step 3 – Follow the LeaderIdentify who the industry leaders are within your target market or niche and follow them closely. Learn from them to identify what led to their success. Take from them what works best for you and apply the lessons you’ve learned to create a more specific and personalized method to success for your online business.Step 4 – Devise a Marketing StrategyThis is an area where many online business owners fail. If you want your online business to succeed, you need to learn how to market your business. Having a well thought out marketing plan is a major key to your online business success.Step 5 – Pay Attention to OpportunityOpportunity exists everywhere, you just need to learn how to identify it. This is done through practice, practice, practice. The best way to learn how to identify opportunity is to learn how to be a better conversationalist. Opportunities present themselves in the most unlikely of situations usually. Learning to simply have conversations with others almost always leads to some form of opportunity presenting itself to you. Learn this art and your online business will go far!Step 6 – Create Actionable GoalsGoal setting is a key requirement for you to succeed at anything you do. Set actionable goals you need to achieve in order to attain success within your online business. Each goal is a small step toward the success you seek. Make sure to include dates for when you intend to achieve your goals. Including dates gives you something more to shoot for. Also, be specific about what you intend to achieve. For example, to have a goal of “make more money” is not an actionable goal. Instead, apply an amount and date to make the goal more realistic and achievable such as “I intend to make $10,000 a month by December 31st, 2010″.Step 7 – Work Your Business EverydayThis one is a little tricky. When I say to “work your business everyday” I mean within reason. You need to find a balance, especially if you are just starting out. You must work your online business everyday, even if it is for only 30 minutes a day. Each small step you take toward your goals is a part of a larger effort to achieve success.Step 8 – Don’t be a Pencil PusherMan if I had a penny for every time I’ve seen this one! Don’t get stuck in the preparation phase of your online business. To many times I’ve seen aspiring online business owners continue to prepare or organize their online business. You’ll never be 100% prepared so quit straightening your pencils and organizing your desk. You know what your action items are, so take action and just do the things that are going to make you money!Step 9 – Create Content that MattersMake sure to provide your target audience with quality content that meets their expectations and provides value. Your target audience is looking for value and will follow you fiercely if you provide it. Answer their questions and provide for their needs and you’ll find they will help you succeed.Step 10 – Build a Relationship ListNo, no, I don’t mean you create an online dating service… You should be actively building an email subscriber list and communicating with them on a regular basis. Doing so allows you to build a relationship with your subscribers which leads to customer loyalty as well as repeat buyers. An email list is by far the single most important requirement necessary for any online business to succeed.Well I’ve certainly given you a lot to think about, so stop sucking and get’er done!!!To Your Success!
Sean Smith