I always get asked this question: “As a sole trader or solo business owner, how do I make the transition to SME?”. Some of the time, or most of the time, every small business owner, especially the solo business owner is always looking for an opportunity to grow bigger. As they grow bigger, they can’t help but become an SME; what we popularly call Small and Midsize Enterprise. Sometimes, we may think that this is an easy thing to do. Other times, we just don’t know how to do this.

In today’s blog, I’m going to share with you three tips to enable you to make this transition from being a solo business owner to SME easier; allowing you to avoid costly mistakes.

TIP 1

Make the most of your low hanging fruits. What are your low hanging fruits, I hear you ask? These are the business deals that are already available to you. Your existing customers, the connections that they will be referring to you any opportunities that are close enough around you.

These low hanging fruits do not require you to use too much resources in order to acquire them as customers. Remember – you are a solo business owner, which means that you do not have too much resources and money to spend.

TIP 2

Give and receive referrals. Giving and receiving referrals is the most effective way that you can scale your business in its early stages when you are still a solo business owner. It means that you are always looking for an opportunity to serve your customers better. You are showing that you care, but also, you don’t miss out on opportunities to ask for referrals. Ask for testimonials and whether they know someone who could benefit from your services.

I have seen many businesses who have grown quite substantially just by consistently serving their customers well, giving referrals to them, and also asking for referral business.

TIP 3

Grow with your existing clients. With this tip, you need a bit of strategy to it. As your business grows, you want to also look at the product and service roadmap. Always look for opportunities to assess the needs of your customers. Explore how you can refine the existing products/services or develop ones to meet the needs of your customers.

Your pricing strategy needs to grow with your clients too. Consider a price increase with new and better product/service introductions, while giving your loyal customers a great reason to upgrade to higher package products/services.

BONUS TIP

I couldn’t finish this juicy blog without a bonus tip! You may wake up one morning after using your own and the above tips and realize that you are no longer a solo business owner!

You know the business is doing well, but you have to make the next leap.

You have to scale.

You would recognize that it’s now time to scale. Now what?

NEXT STEPS

I have come across a number of businesses, who would normally hesitate to scale, because it is a big, big task, they don’t know exactly what to do and they have always operated as a solo business owner.

Delegating and scaling the business is a big and exciting task so my bonus tip for you is make the leap of faith!

Learn, understand, and put in place the systems, the procedures and a great winning team.

Explore the sales conversation angles that will help win bigger deals with larger and corporate firms.

You might be looking at international and market expansion beyond your local or existing customer base.

Ensure that you are in that position to transition from small business owner to SME!

CONGRATULATIONS! You are now ready to scale from solo business owner to SME

Sometimes with all the will in the world, may still need additional support to make this transition easier and avoid some of those costly mistakes.

“84% of business leaders and entrepreneurs say that mentors and advisors help them avoid costly mistakes” – (HBR 2019).

When it comes to this time, do not hesitate to bring someone on board to help you scale the right way. Remember, it will help you avoid costly mistakes.

About the Author

Maggie Sarfo is a passionate author, speaker, advisor and mentor for inspirational people looking to explore new ways of being, leading and growing their business exponentially. She is CEO of Meres Consult Ltd and leads a business women’s network in the City of London for business growth and leadership development. Book Your Complimentary Growth Strategy Review.

The post From Solo Business Owner to SME appeared first on The Networking Magazine.

Business Plans

So… how many times do you walk into your kitchen and decide: “Today I’m going to try out some new recipes! I’ll roast a chicken and make a pot of Curry. For dessert I’ll bake a cake and pancakes… and, you know what, I think I’ll make an Apple pie while I’m at it!”

My guess is that you wouldn’t try so many different recipes all at once… right? Can you imagine all the ingredients that you would need? Can you imagine the mess it will create? And not just that! All those dishes need to turn out edible…

Now you can’t imagine creating all those dishes in your kitchen, all at once, (unless you’re a master chef) but have you thought that you might be doing this with your business…? Have you been trying to incorporate too many “recipes” (aka, business plans) into your business…all at the same time?

Choosing the right recipe

Are you feeling defeated from trying to do it all and discouraged that you’re not getting the right results? The reason for this is, you’re spreading yourself too thin – trying to do everything! It’s time to stop trying to figure out “What else do I need to do to attract more clients?” Instead, it’s time to find that one “recipe” that works with you! A recipe that you can do over and over again that yields the best results – every time!

Ingredients

Let me introduce you to my secret business recipe, that I teach my clients (and use for my business): Your Client Attraction Program. My recipe consists of four main ingredients or business strategies: the visibility, attraction, relationship and transformation strategies.

The Visibility Pyramid

This strategy works like a pyramid: at the base of your visibility pyramid is your website, the middle section includes your social media presence and features, and at the apex are your awards.

The foundation of your visibility strategy is your website. Luckily for you, it’s easy and affordable to create your own website these days. If you don’t have the time but you have the funds – outsource this work. Be courageous and get your website out there! Your website will be your business’ home base; this is where all your traffic from your social media accounts will be directed to.

Now that your site is public, it’s time to show up and become more visible! Social media is the perfect tool for this! But with so many platforms to choose from… How do you know which one is right for you?  Firstly, decide which one you’re most comfortable with or the one that suits your business best.

Next, determine how you will communicate through this platform to your audience of potential clients. Will you write posts or share blog articles? Will you create videos or podcasts? Or share images? You can use almost all of these ways on one platform – but start off with what you enjoy doing and what aligns with your business’ needs. At a later stage, you can work on using other ingredients to add to your client attraction recipe. For now, focus your time and energy using one or two platforms.

Once you have started gaining traction and attracting more clients, you can work on the next step of your visibility strategy… Getting featured! This is where you can showcase your expertise on other businesses and people’s platforms. By being featured in blogs, online/print magazines or podcasts, you will increase your exposure to a wider audience and future clients.  So, start networking and connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs.

Finally, the apex of your visibility pyramid is receiving recognition for your expertise! Apply for awards and be acknowledged as an expert in your field. This is a sure way to attract more clients! Your future clients will trust you because of your acknowledged skills.

Remember, your visibility strategy is all about being aligned with yourself and the needs of your business.

The Attraction Factor

The second strategy is attracting your clients! “How do I do this?” you may ask. The answer is simple. Your content is the attraction factor!

When your content is related to the needs of your ideal client, you’re guaranteed to attract their attention! Start doing this on a continuous basis and your ideal clients will want to connect with you.

To do this you will need the 3 faithful C’s: Clarity, Commitment and Consistency.

Firstly, it’s important to have clarity about your content. Your ideal client’s needs are at the heart of your content. You need to communicate their needs clearly and effectively in order to truly connect with your audience.

Creating valuable content that your audience identifies with, will ensure their engagement. But creating valuable content consistently… now that will convert your audience into paying clients! And this is where your commitment comes into play!

Before you post your content, you need make a commitment to your business and your clients: “I will commit to creating my attraction factor and posting consistently!” Without commitment, nothing gets done and everything falls apart! Are you committed? Yes? Great!

Now, that you’re committed – you may ask yourself “How often do I post?” It could be as often as once or twice a week or even daily – that is entirely up to you and how much time you have to create enough content for your commitment. You could start out with once or twice a week, and then gradually build up to daily posts – if that is your goal.

What’s vital is, once you decide how often you’re going to post, that you remember to stick to your commitment. I know consistency is not easy to maintain, but with amazing social media managing apps there is no excuse.

All you need to do is book an appointment with yourself and create your content for the month, then schedule the posts through the social media managing app. It’s that easy! Then at the end of the day, you don’t have stress because you’ve forgotten or didn’t have time to post. It’s all done for you!

The Authentic Relationship

Your valuable content and consistency will start building trust between you and your audience, as you begin to develop a relationship with them. This brings us to the third ingredient, your relationship strategy.

Your content and presence online, is not just about attracting your ideal clients but connecting with them personally. Your visibility gives your audience the opportunity to get to know who you are too. And relationships are all about getting to know each other and building trust.

A great way for you to do this is through your email list. Emails are like handwritten letters; they are a touch more personal than just posting on social media. An email provides a more intimate interaction between you and your audience.  

Emailing is just one way of interacting with your audience. There are plenty of other ways to connect with your audience on a personal level, as long as you are being your authentic self. Authenticity is essential when it comes to building relationships.

Listening is the other vital key to building a trusting relationship. I always say, “We get taught to talk but not to listen!” So, remember, when your building relationships with people it’s always about listening to your audience of potential and existing clients.

What are your clients saying to you? What is it that your ideal client needs help with? The answer to these questions is the service or product you can provide to them to solve their problems. Which brings me to the core of your relationship strategy – being able to sell your service or product.

Building a relationship with your audience provides you with the safe space to sell your service or product authentically. And authentic communication leads to authentic selling; through something as easy as a conversation. Get this right and you’ll be able to sell your service or product over and over and over again! You’ll never feel uncomfortable or weird about selling again. This is where transformation begins for you and your clients!

The Client Transformation

The final ingredient in your client attraction recipe… the icing on the cake, the cherry on top of a sundae or the fresh whipped cream in your cappuccino – is your transformation strategy. This is the package of the service or product that you’re offering. The solution that takes your clients from where they are now to where they want to be!

But in order for your client’s transformation to take place, your package needs to be perfectly enticing! You need to clearly show them why they need to work with you or buy your product, and what they will miss out on!

Having a clearly defined package that solves your client’s problem – is an offer they can’t resist! Which leads to a “buying decision” – that moment a member of your audience transforms into your client!

The beauty of client transformations is they produce fantastic recurring clients, and lead to amazing referrals, through their generous testimonials. Which, in turn, increases your visibility and generates more client transformations.

A harmonious recipe

All in all, your four strategies form a perfect circle; working together in harmony to attract clients and grow your business.

As you know the more you use a recipe the better you get at it. To the point where you put it in the drawer and don’t need to look at it anymore because you remember what ingredients to use and how to prepare the dish.

It is exactly the same with your business. Develop your client attraction recipe to align with you and your business’ needs. Find a platform that works for your business in your visibility strategy. Create your valuable content for your attraction factor strategy. Build lasting relationships with your audience for your relationship strategy, which will boost your transformation strategy and transform your audience into paying clients!

You will see that this secret recipe will yield the same results every single time. Then use it over and over again, and you will attract more clients!

About Henriette

Henriette Danel is a Strategic Business Coach working with professional Female Entrepreneurs in the service-based industry, to help them Attract High-Paying Clients Continuously.

She’s also the host of The Entrepreneurial Success Podcast and a Public Speaker.

Her speciality lies in her unique ability to take anything complicated, dissect it and put it back together in such a way that’s easy to understand and implement. Because of this, her clients gain clarity and receive amazing results in the shortest amount of time.

Henriette believes that running a business should be fun, encouraging and led with integrity. This requires your commitment and clarity. And once you’re focused, signing up clients more continuous comes naturally and organically.

Website: https://henriettedanel.com

Instagram: @henriettedanel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henriette-danel-66282319

The post Do you want to attract more clients continuously? appeared first on The Networking Magazine.

Franchising can be a great way to grow and develop a business, but it isn’t an easy option or a get rich quick scheme. Done well it takes investment, time, and planning.

Pam Gordon is an experienced Franchise Consultant and part of The Franchising Centre a team of franchising experts who provide a one stop shop for advice and support for all things franchising and for businesses at any stage of their franchise journey.

A business starting to explore whether they should franchise needs to consider many things, but these are the top 5:

Reason to franchise…why do you want to do it?

Does this business need a local presence to deliver its product or service if it doesn’t then franchise probably won’t be the right option and the investment could go into developing an online presence to drive business. But franchising can work for businesses from dog walking to care through to pizza if you need a local person, office, or store.

Trading History

A franchise is a ‘business in box’, that a franchisee buys into and is trained and supported to replicate in another location. So, the original business needs to be a proven model to be able to package into a ‘business in a box’.

So ideally a good track record of trading so having gone through the start-up phase, so ideally at least two-year trading history in the ‘concept’ they want to franchise to have enough history and development of processes to build into a franchise model.

Profitability

As with the trading history, the business has to be profitable other wise why would anyone copy a business that isn’t succeeding and isn’t making money. The level of profit is all relative to the investment and ‘type’ of business.

So, a lifestyle business that is low investment might give a small profit but it’s a good enough return for someone working from home, part-time around their family commitments. But if you are looking at fixed-site investment, so store fit-out then the business needs to give back much higher profit level returns to pay back the investment but also give greater returns for the upfront risk taken.

The franchisor’s original business has to have sufficient profit margins to be sustainable as a franchise as most franchisors will charge an upfront fee to join but also then on-going fees such as a management service fee or royalty either as a fixed monthly cost or a percentage of turnover.

This is where the ‘franchisor’ makes their return. The more they help a franchisee to grow their business the more return they also benefit from – so this is the core of the franchise model.

A business model, therefore, has to be able to sustain these fees being taken and also allow for the franchisee to make enough money. So incredibly low margin businesses may not fit a franchise model.

Trainability

How easy is it to train someone to run the business? Franchising operates often by taking someone with no experience in your sector/industry and training and supporting them to run a copycat business. So, it can’t be too hard or too long to train someone to run it.

There are franchises that focus on people from particular backgrounds so electricians through to optometrist (Specsavers) so you can only operate the franchise with a qualification in place already.

But the majority of others are looking for skills sets that can be transferred into their sector – so people management, sales, team building for example and the franchisor ‘teaches’ them about the specific industry.

So, in looking at your own business to the franchise – how long does it take to induct someone and get them up to speed to be able to operate their own version of your business. In most franchises, it can be a few days and others over a few months, but longer than about 6 months before they can start to earn money and begin to pay back their investment it starts to be come harder to run or plan as a franchise model.

The only other exception is the franchisee might have management skills but have ‘employees’ who have the sector experience, so care businesses often operate like this with a franchisee and a Care Manager.

Culture

This can be an intangible one, but often it’s about the reasons why someone wants to franchise their business. As a franchisor you become a training and support business, so you have to be prepared to want to do that.

As a franchisor in time, you move away from the day to day running of your original business and the time spent with you and your team is training and supporting your franchisees as well as forward thinking and future planning. You have to keep your brand, systems, and processes ahead of the competition as its not just your business, but everyone of your franchisees that operates under your brand and ‘business in a box’.

So, starting to franchise with that attitude and way of thinking will make for a great franchise network – franchising works when both parties franchisee and franchisor understand the expectations but work together so everyone benefits.

For a free consultation about whether your business might work as a franchise do get in touch.

Pam Gordon
Franchise Consultant
The Franchising Centre
text me: +44 7900 368439
email: [email protected]
web: www.thefranchisingcentre.com

The post 5 Tips for franchising a business appeared first on The Networking Magazine.

Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me From Day One

So you started a business? Congratulations! You are on your way to taking back charge over your time and life and designing life your way. Entrepreneurship is exhilarating, but there are many traps you must watch out for. Today I will identify the top ones:

1/ Whom You Invest In

In the beginning, you should hire ONE experienced and vetted business coach (not a mindset/energy/manifestation/ empowerment/guru/social media expert type coach) who:

• has 10+ years of business experience,
• built a legitimate and successful business outside of coaching (this is very important),
• is knowledgeable in business setup, including legal and financial issues, marketing, and sales and
• does not force you to use one method or software but tailors a strategy to your unique business needs, personality, and work style

Here are some tips for hiring the right coach. Beware of hiring the wrong coaches. Don’t be fooled by reviews that are often written by affiliates, paid reviews, or clever marketing, which anyone can pay for to impress others. It is a big investment since coaches aren’t cheap, but nothing will sink you faster than investing your hard-earned savings into the wrong person.

Similarly to coaches, there will be a ton of service providers offering you their services from a whole array of prices. When I started my own business, I interviewed, among other people, marketing agencies, web developers, ad specialists, copywriters, SEO experts, email experts, social media managers, and many, many more! My 3 words: Don’t Do It. Wait until you have fleshed out your brand target audience, your service offerings, and your general messaging with your coach BEFORE spending a single dollar on any other services. Trust me, after working with hundreds of business owners, we rarely have enough brand clarity in the first six months and/or without a coach. Then anything you did may be wasted. Plus, managing others is a time investment you don’t need in the beginning.

Please don’t try to DIY your business! You may be hesitant to invest in a coach, but a good one will save you so much money, and time, I promise. And later, there will be plenty of time to hire more amazing people to help you grow.

2/ What You Invest In

Starting a business means having a million different things in your head and a sense of urgency to get them all now. Also, unless you live a hermit life, you are being marketed to with clever ads and envious promises every time you go online. But wait! You don’t need as much or what you may think (or be told).

Please do not buy any courses unless it is part of your plan with your business coach. There are too many bogus courses out there overpromising and under-delivering. Yes, good (and even amazing) courses do exist, so once your coach and you decide it would a worthy investment, here are some of the criteria to find the best course.

When you launch a business, you do not need a cool logo, a brand book, a fancy website, a sophisticated project management tool, or to run ads right away. IT IS TOO EARLY. Build your audience first and use all the free and low-cost tools you can until you hit 6-figures. Once it starts working, you will have the clarity to be ready to upgrade and use your own money from your business, not your savings, loans, etc.

In the beginning, please do not overspend on equipment or software! Your coach can help you with a list of affordable and reliable gear and also tell you which you can wait on until later.

What you do need right away, among other things, are:

• A registered business in your state with a business name (check first via research that other businesses don’t exist with too-similar names)
• A business bank account to get paid
• An accounting software to track business expenses
• An online payment processor (pro-tip: check with your accountable but usually all fees are tax-deductible)
• Register your business name website domain (.com, .co, .club, plus any countries if you run a non-U.S. company). I advise registering a domain name for your own name and later, maybe a different one for your business name (speak with your coach first to avoid purchasing the wrong name)
• A website host (use my affiliate link if you want to try out Siteground)
• A business phone number (I use a VoIP provider) and business mailing address (ask your local post office)
• Register one or two business emails for your domain (youname@, info@, sales@, etc.)
• An email provider and your first sign up landing page (use my affiliate link if you want to try out Convertkit)
• Set up your business name on all social media platforms with your website URL and business information (address, phone, and email)
• File a trademark for your business name if it is one you fear others may try to use
• A good, fast computer with a service plan and insurance, good anti-virus software and firewall, password manager and 2-step verification, and high-speed Internet with an Ethernet cable
• Other basic equipment investments: a good phone with a high-quality camera lens, a DSLR camera and tripod, a webcam, a microphone, a headset, and basic video, photo, audio, and graphics editing software NOTE: Deduct all of your investments as business expenses
• An Audible subscription — you will need this because readers are leaders

This list is not exhaustive. Please work with your business coach to complete it and make sure you are properly ready to do business.

3/ Time Management

This is a huge problem for new entrepreneurs who aren’t used to setting self-imposed deadlines, knowing what and how to prioritize and avoid distractions. How you schedule your daily routines has a huge impact on the success of your business. I run workshops and work 1:1 with clients to help new entrepreneurs plan out their day, week, month and set their business goals. Here are a few general time management tips all new entrepreneurs can use. I’ve also written several articles about some common time management and productivity killers I frequently see new business owners face:

1/ PROCRASTINATION

2/ MEETING MANAGEMENT

3/ EMAIL MANAGEMENT

4/ DISTRACTIONS

5/ PHONE MANAGEMENT

6/ SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME

7/ MOTIVATION

8/ PRODUCTIVITY

4/ Money Management

Do not, I repeat, do not take out a loan. I know it may be tempting, but businesses die every day. First, you must research, test, and validate your business idea. Then you will make enough money with your first clients to grow organically in the beginning and only later to re-invest money from your revenue back into the business. That is the smartest way. There are a few exceptions: you need an investment to be able to build a product prototype, or you are opening a physical business like a store or a restaurant that requires expensive equipment. Regardless, make sure you have done extensive market research and are sure this is a good idea, plus you have a plan in case anything goes wrong, like LLC protection and business insurance.

Do not outsource your core business. The best businesses are built by people who have that core skill or partner with a trusted person who does in clearly defined roles and shared financial risk. If you want to be the owner but neither you nor your business partners know how to do the actual work, there is a problem. Of course, once you have clients, you can hire people to perform sub-skills under the umbrella of the business but make sure you are an expert in the main service.

When you start a business, you must anticipate 6–24 months before you start generating enough revenue to cover your costs. Therefore, you must prepare a budget for how you will live during that time and live low. Cut as many costs as possible. Downsize, sell, and minimize as much as you can. Maybe you have a day job and start your business as a side hustle. Or you live with your parents and have no costs. Whatever you decide, make sure you plan well for the initial dry spell. But, in the long term, it is a good business practice to follow billionaire Warren Buffet who says:

“Don’t save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.” If you want to become wealthy, you must allocate some of your current earnings towards the future. By saving first, you eliminate the problem of not having enough money to save, at the end of the month.”

Read books on money management specifically for entrepreneurs. Note: the following list contains affiliate links, which means Amazon will pay me a small commission if you order them at no cost to you:

Profit First

Predictable Revenue

The e-Myth Revisited

Lean Startup

I myself fell into a high maintenance lifestyle, and it was a true wake-up call for me to lose my home and move back in with my family for a spell. My current philosophy is to live below my means and re-invest in my business and savings.

5/ A Well-Researched, Tried-and-Tested, Irresistible Offer

Branding is everything for a business, yet many new business owners fail to invest time and effort into creating an irresistible offer for a very targeted niche. In my years of business, that really is the recipe for success. I won’t lie that it is easy. It takes time, research, and adjustments to hit the sweet spot. But once you do, you’ll know it by your revenue.

The common mistake is to launch a course in a hurry without first working with hundreds of clients to understand their needs and the problems they actually struggle with, not the ones YOU struggled with or you THINK others struggle from.

Launching a course from day one is a huge mistake. This is the reason sadly many courses are mediocre. It is not because you aren’t an expert. It is because you havn’t first tested if your methods work for several different types of people. That’s what a course is, as opposed to coaching, which tailors solutions to the needs of each client. Some coaches are teaching students that launching a course is a way to make money quickly but I feel it is also the way to invest a lot of time and money into producing something way too early and untested and to ruin your reputation.

Instead, I advise clients to spend as much time as possible working with their clients and audience until they really notice a pattern and see similar problems over and over again enough that they know they have found the right material to make a course from. But wait! Then, it is imperial to develop solutions that you test on real people before launching. Try it out on a small beta group and gather feedback to improve. I like my first launches to be live so I can see first-hand what the reactions are and address questions. After you have run a course a few times live, then you are ready for an evergreen model.

6/ Lack of a Vision, Clear Goals, or Solid Business Strategy

Some people follow the wrong dreams, not their own, but a version of what they think will impress others. To succeed in business, you must have absolute clarity about your big picture goals and a clear vision of what you want your future to look like on a deeper level. That isn’t enough. One must set a business strategy like a boss. Unless you have launched a successful business of the same type before, you will need help. You must love your dream with everything you’ve got because there is a long, hard road ahead before you succeed where your North Star will guide you.

“You’re going to go through a time where you’re not going to make any money. It’s not going to be a week, it’s not going to be a month, it’s not going to be one year. It’s going to be years. And during that time, if you don’t love what you do, it’s going to be very hard to stick it out. That is something that people don’t understand when they hear, “Follow your passion.” They hear rainbows, unicorns, bullshit. But the truth of it is that it’s important, because if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you’re going to be that much more likely to quit when shit’s hard.”
― Gary Vaynerchuk, Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence — and How You Can, Too

But goals are not enough to run a successful business.The heart of a business is the business plan. Surprisingly, many people skip this crucial step and try to go straight into making money. It is no surprise then when they fail. Every business must develop a full business plan, keeping in-mind that it doesn’t have to happen overnight. Different components may be eleborated on and changed, especially as a business brings on experts to help with the main areas of Sales, Marketing, Operaitons, and Finances.

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” — Benjamin Frankin

7/ Mindset Issues

The things that transformed my life and made me succeed as an entrepreneur were:

• Inner Coaching
• Self-Love
• Mental Toughness and Resilience and https://kmollion.medium.com/how-losing-my-car-was-the-best-thing-that-happened-to-me-bdfe4cc8d296 and https://medium.com/the-sassy-chronicles/becoming-savage-1e9a3bc7e875
• Not Caring What Others Think/ Self-Confidence
• Giving up Perfection: https://medium.com/curious/the-blessings-of-imperfection-bf56c857d42d and https://medium.com/illumination/freedom-from-perfectionism-five-ways-i-cured-my-own-case-830743897b37
• Workaholic Behaviors that Lead to Burnout
• Conquering Waning Motivation
• Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Conclusion

There is indeed a lot that can go wrong, but if you have the right focus and support, you can survive and thrive. There really is nothing more rewarding than running your own business if you are actually cut out to be an entrepreneur.

About the Author

Krista Mollion is a seasoned Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur, a career and business coach, a content creator, a Linkedin micro-influencer, and the founder of From Follower to Leader, a blueprint program to teach students how to gain influence using her methods to grow over 60k followers and made over 7-figures in Sales on Linkedin.

Krista built one of the leading experiential marketing agencies in San Francisco specializing in 3d and virtual reality and worked with leading brands like Apple, HR, Samsung, Google, and Lennar Urban to launch new cutting-edge products before selling her shares to begin consulting businesses in content marketing strategy, Linkedin, and small business strategy.

You can find out more about her programs here. Subscribe to her mailing list and podcast, Take Back Mondays, for inspiring advice for entrepreneurs and positive work culture, or, if you prefer video, subscribe to her YouTube channel or Linkedin, where she blogs daily.

The post Seven Traps New Entrepreneurs Fall Into appeared first on The Networking Magazine.

As you close the door behind you, you find yourself in a fog-filled room. You can hear muffled voices but you can’t make out who the people are, hidden in the misty gloom.

You stretch out your arms and make contact with a clammy wall, allowing you to edge your way along.

As you shuffle forward, you can start to hear the voices better. They are speaking a strange language.

If only you knew what they were trying to tell you!

If only you knew who these people were!

Know your audience and focus on your message

Sometimes trying to market our products and services can be a bit like aiming at random strangers in a foggy room.

That’s because we’re not sure about who we need to be talking to, or what we should be saying to them.

However, if you’re looking to grow your business, there are two things you need to be crystal clear on:

• Who your ideal customer is (your client persona or avatar)
• What exactly you need to say to them (your marketing messaging)

Here’s why:

Six reasons why you need to identify – and understand – your ideal customer

1. You will be clear on who the prospects are that you really want to attract.
2. You will gain real insight into what makes him or her tick; what keeps them awake at night; what they want, fear or dream about.
3. You will know how your product or service is going to solve the problems they’re facing. (It might even help you come up with ideas for new products or services….)
4. As a result of 2 and 3, you will know what to say to them.
5. You will be able to picture exactly who you are talking to when you write your marketing materials.
6. And, once you know who precisely you are targeting, it will be much easier to find more people just like them.

Four reasons why nailing your marketing messaging is important

1. It will clarify how you should talk about yourself to your target audience AND how you communicate the value/benefits you provide.
2. It will help you express why a customer should buy from you.
3. It will give your prospects an exact understanding of who you are and the products/services you offer.
4. It will show you what sets you apart from your competitors.

Because it’s only after you have done all this marketing ‘homework’ that you can really start to clear the fog, connect with your prospects, and begin to talk to them on a one-to-one basis.

Carole Seawert is a marketing copywriter who can help steer your marketing focus. Find out how to book a 1-to-1 marketing messaging session with her. Sign up to her monthly newsletter, Marketing Matters.

The post Two marketing fundamentals you need to put in place appeared first on The Networking Magazine.

Everything! Their troubles, their dreams, their favourite foods. The more you can find out about them, the better you can serve them. It is a way to finding your niche – that unique place in your targeted customers’ hearts, and, let’s be honest about it, wallets. Find out all, or at least as much as you can.

Searching high and low

If you have the budget, hire a marketing agency to conduct research and give you an insight into market and customer trends. But there are things you can analyse and look at before cooperating with a research agency. Indeed, there are a few things I would recommend you keep an eye on from the very beginning of your enterprise. There are some things about a target audience even a startup should know.

In one of my recent articles, I talk about time, team and money. Neglect them at your peril. However, when managed well, they can propel a business to greatness. Money, precisely cash flow, is the one that can cause dramatic problems for a company and its owners. When it comes to what should entrepreneurs know about potential customers, I am going to start with money as well. By which I mean their lifetime value.

Start with what you know: your existing customer base

If you already have sales, turn to your existing customers. They have bought from you, so I am assuming they have has a positive customer experience, which makes them more willing to share information, should you need to approach them directly.

Analyse the contact points, your spend and the outcome of your promotional actions during those transactions. Was that a good investment? Then look a little wider: did those transactions begin a relationship with a client? How much is that worth to your business? This indicates how much you are willing to spend on your next campaign and what it takes to turn a group of potential customers into loyal ones.

How much are you willing to spend?

Looking beyond individual transactions encourages a broader perspective – unless a single deal is all you aim for. If not, consider the whole cycle. This indicates appropriate price points for your services and how much you can invest in client acquisition.

Whether you’re working with a digital marketing agency, conquering social media yourself or choosing to embark on a different type of a promotion, how much you can spend to get a lead and then a client is a rudimentary benchmark. You can get closer to it by assessing the customer lifetime value.

ROI or the point of no return

Otherwise, how can you check that you are getting any return on your investment? It also shines a light on the whole of the customer experience you are offering, highlighting the most loyal customers. And they should become your target audience.

Then you can really laser focus your marketing, increasing your visibility in places and moments your audience hangs out and is prepared to look for your product or service. Don’t waste your money on those who can’t be bothered with your offer. Use your time to offer better customer service to those that appreciate it and are letting you know with their wallets. Test and measure your spend so that you are ready to make an informed decision should a trend change.

Rely on numbers: stats over emotions

We are living at a time when, promotion – seemingly – has never been easier. With new social channels, updated algorithms, a plethora of to do it yourself options, we are spoilt for choice. Our heads are being turned at every corner with a new colourful fix that promises to work for our industry with a minimum effort on our part.

The temptation to jump at the latest is ubiquitous. By all means, be aware of the new trends and tools. Many of them are useful and can reinforce your strategy – as long as you remember to check them against that strategy. Always remember your potential customers: are they using that channel? Is this where they spend their time?

If not, however attractive it may sound, it will not do you good. The way of knowing for sure is trying and testing. You need to look at the numbers without emotion. ‘Everybody doing it’ is not a good enough reason to spend more money if you do not get the expected return. Respect your own needs and requirements and avoid marketing fads.

If you know why, you can offer an answer

Getting to know your potential customers is an essential building block of a successful business. Without understanding their buying habits, where they buy, why and how, you have little chance to meet their expectations and make them ambassadors of your brand.

If you are in the pre-sales stage, investigate your network. Google your competitors to see what your prospects think of them. Create a profile of an ideal one and challenge your assumptions as you generate sales of your own. Whether you’re a small business or a seasoned entrepreneur, always verify your data to offer a better service and grow your business in a more focused, purposeful way.

About the author

Falguni Desai is a Business Coach and part of ActionCOACH https://actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/falguni-desai/about/, a global business coaching company. She has a legal background having previously worked as a corporate lawyer for more than 15 years.

Falguni delivers a coaching programme that is designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. She uses a structured framework to help business owners grow their business by putting in the right systems and people in place so they can work ON the business rather than just IN the business. The aim is to create a commercial profitable enterprise that can ultimately work without the owner, who can then expand, take a passive income or sell the business.

The coaching provides clarity and helps the owner to achieve their goals. The accountability and discipline help get results quicker. Falguni’s role as a coach is not to tell the owner how to run their business but to help improve what is already in place. She influences, supports and works in partnership with the owner, who is the expert of their business.

There is excellent business advice available in the market. However, there is a disconnect between this advice and the implementation of it. The coaching Falguni provides is fully focussed on implementation. We all know what we need to do, but we don’t do it, often because of time constraints. This programme is designed to make a “good” business become a “great” business.

As a Business Coach and advisor, Falguni helps business owners achieve the results they desire using proven tools, methodologies and systems, which have been tested and perfected over more than two decades. She will hold owners accountable for their results and just like a sports coach, push them to perform at optimal levels.

If you want to book your complimentary session or if you want further information please contact Falguni Desai https://actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/falguni-desai/#contact.

The post What should entrepreneurs know about potential customers? appeared first on The Networking Magazine.

In order to understand why branding is important for small business owners (as well as the large corporates), we first need to understand exactly what branding is.

So, what is branding?

Branding is the process of connecting good strategy with good creativity.

There are two distinctive, separate areas of branding, Brand Strategy and Brand Design.

Brand Strategy

Brand Strategy looks at the reasons why the brand exists and what it stands for; its mission, vision, purpose and values. It also looks at how the brand should communicate and behave and consequently be perceived; personality and tone of voice. During this stage of the process, a business should first look at key areas such as competitors, target audience and USP to determine where they are positioned within the market.

I would recommend finding a brand consultant to help you with this stage of the branding process as it can be complicated and difficult to do alone. You could also download our free guide on ‘What’s involved in Rebranding an SME‘, as this has worksheets for your Brand Strategy that you could work through. If you have a team, then set up a couple of brand workshops to work through the process in a fun and engaging manner.

Your Brand Strategy defines what you stand for, a promise you make, and the personality you convey. It defines clear objectives to help guide the subjective design choices for your brand identity.

Brand Design

Brand Design or Brand Identity is the look and feel of your brand. The visual impact your brand makes on the world. It’s graphic design essentially, but it takes the brand strategy as an objective measure to guide the visual elements of the brand.

A strong and distinguishable brand image consists of;

• Responsive Logo
• Colour Palette
• Typography
• Pattern / graphic device
• Iconography
• Imagery / illustrations

You could either go to an agency who could help you with the complete branding process or commission two separate people or companies to focus on each area. One thing is certain though, the Brand Strategy must come first and is fundamental if you want your business to start with the solid foundations to attract the right market and grow.

Brand Guidelines

Once you have looked at both the core areas of branding, you should be provided with Brand Guidelines document – also commonly referred to as Style Guide or Brand Book. This is essentially a set of rules that explain how your brand looks and behaves. It will help with your Marketing Strategy and help keep your brand consistent across all marketing channels. This will help your online presence and social media platforms look seamless and consistent, helping to solidify your brands look.

Why is branding important for small businesses?

So now you’ve understood exactly what branding is, surely you get why a brand is important? In fact, it’s fundamental for small businesses right from the outset. A strategic and strong brand helps your company gain recognition and brand loyalty from its ideal customers.

If a company explores its brand strategy correctly it’ll create an emotional connection with its audience, which is ultimately what it’s all about. To keep things simple, I’ve come up with four main reasons how branding will help your small business.

1. Branding provides clarity and vision

The Brand Strategy process provides a business with a clearer perspective of where the business should be positioned within the market. It helps small business owners take ownership of the brand and communicate it to others. Combine this with marketing tactics and you will have a solid marketing message to relay to your audience.

2. Branding provides instant recognition

Keeping your brand consistent allows it to be more immediately recognisable within your industry and with your target audience. You have eight seconds to make an impression, make sure your brand is instantly recognisable.

3. Branding increases perceived business value

When a brand’s identity is cohesive, it increases the brand’s perceived value. Consistency allows your brand to appear more professional and reliable. It ultimately communicates that your brand takes pride in the details. By implementing brand guidelines, you make it easier to maintain the quality and integrity of your brand’s image.

4. Branding generates new customers

A good brand will have no trouble drumming up referral business, just like businesses known for great customer service. Strong branding generally means there is a positive impression of the company amongst consumers, and they are likely to do business with you because of the familiarity and assumed dependability of using a name they can trust. Once a brand has been well-established, word of mouth will be the company’s best and most effective advertising technique.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR of ‘Why is branding important for small businesses?’

Hi, I’m Angela Zeballos, I’m the Creative Director and founder of az.design – a ‘virtual design agency’ concept established in 2013. This means I work with a multi- talented team of associates, to bring a full-service offer to my clients specifically tailored to their project brief.

At az.design we want to make branding easier for growing companies – ensuring your brand is up-to-date, consistent and critically, appeals to your target audience. We aim to produce creativity that is at the forefront of design and technology, reflecting the latest trends and social media activity.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

The post Why is branding important for small businesses? appeared first on The Networking Magazine.

What are your goals?

All good web content has a goal.

• Do you want to attract more leads?
• Encourage people to download your eBook?
• Persuade readers to come to your workshop?

Once you know your goal, all the content you produce should be written to help you achieve it.

Think about your target audience.

Writing content for a website is easier when you write with your target audience in mind.

So, before you start writing, think:

• Who am I writing this for?
• What’s their problem?
• What’s stopping them get what they want?
• How can I help them solve their problem?
• How are they feeling when they read my content?
• What would they see as important information?
• How do they want to feel?
• What words would they use to search for my products or service?
• What tone of voice do they want me to use?

Focus.

When you know a lot about a subject it’s easy to write thousands of words on it. But it’s a better idea to spread that knowledge over several pieces of content. Each should have one topic, one key idea or one argument or line of thought. That way, you’re making it easier for your target audience to find the information they need.

It’s all about the headline.

Make sure your headline is relevant and interesting to your target market. Does it answer a question they would ask? Does it sound useful? And does it make them want to read on? If not, that’s as far as they will get.

Your headline and first paragraph should show what the rest of the article is going to be about. It can sometimes be easier to write the headline and first paragraph once you’ve written the rest of your content.

Is your content easy to read?

If not, split up your content into headings and subheadings. Use bullet points where relevant, as well as short sentences, infographics and more. Do everything you can to make it easy for your reader to scan your content. When you write for the web, think bite-sized morsels.

Write with purpose.

The aim of each sentence is to get your target audience to read the next sentence. This is true both if you’re trying to provide information and encourage your audience to do your call to action.

To get off to the best start, always use the headline to grab attention.

Is the goal of your content, blog post or landing page to get someone to download, read or sign up for something?

If so, use the body copy to give them enough information to make them want to do the call to action.

For longer copy make sure you have the call to action throughout. Here’s how:

• Have bullet points of key benefits at the top of the page for people who make decisions quickly. Then a call to action
• Include more information underneath for people who need more evidence that you can help them. Then a call to action
• Then a testimonial or case study for social proof. And a call to action. You get the idea.

Be original.

It’s important your content is written in your tone of voice. Your content should sound like you talking, so be true to yourself and your brand when you write. Put your spin on things.

Give your opinions. Don’t just regurgitate thoughts you’ve read elsewhere.

Be believable.

Research is your friend here. Include relevant statistics, data and quotes from trusted industry bodies or organisations to back up your points. You want to establish yourself as being an expert – this will help.

When is an audience not an audience?

You know you’re writing content for thousands of readers, but each one needs to think you’re writing just for them. Never write “some of you…”.

You should also write in the first person and use the active voice. Writing in an active voice make for a faster-moving and more engaging read. It’s snappier, easier to read, and more interesting. Do you agree?

Ask questions.

One way of encouraging people to read the next sentence is by asking questions which
make them think.

After all, “Are you dreaming of Mediterranean cruises?” is more immediate and emotional
than “Here’s some information about your pension”.

Questions often come in threes and that’s powerful as it has rhythm, flair and drama.

Keep it simple.

According to research, 83% more people will finish reading your content if its readability is
targeted to the average 10-year-old rather than the average 16-year-old.

That’s why you should use simple language to help your target market quickly and easily
understand your point.

Writing your website and content is not about vanity. It’s not about showing off your vocabulary or turn of phrase. It is about getting your target market to scan through your copy, learn and do the call to action. If there’s a choice between sounding clever and communicating clearly, choose clear communication every time.

Banish buzzwords.

You’re aiming to communicate clearly with your target market, so make sure you are not hiding what you want to say behind meaningless waffle. Use words you would use in normal conversation with your friends, partner or children.

It’s not all about you.

Remember to speak directly to your customer by using YOU far more often than I or WE. For example, “Are you struggling to get into your jeans?” rather than “I’m a personal trainer”.

When you’re writing about your product or service, make sure that you are writing about the benefits to your target market of using the product or service, rather than just telling them about yourself.

“We love creating our 20-minute personal training videos” becomes “Our 20-minute training videos mean you can get fit and lose the flab even when you’ve got a packed diary”.

Write quickly, edit s l o w l y.

If you’re nervous about creating content for a website, just get started. Time yourself for 10 minutes and just get something down. Then go for a quick walk around the room, do another 10 – and so on.

Save previous versions so you can go back to them, and always check your copy several times before uploading it; after a sleep or walk is a good plan. You’ll need fresh eyes to spot errors, and a working brain to make sure your strategy is right. Maybe get someone else to look it over too if you can?

A quick note about SEO.

It’s worth investing in using an SEO agency so your content is professionally optimised for search. Your SEO agency can help you with all elements of your content optimisation. They can also make sure that your copywriter (if you have one) or you know exactly what to write about to make sure as many people as possible read your content. Go with an agency who can show you case studies and have been recommended by someone you trust.

Share away.

Once you’ve finished writing and editing your content, don’t be shy. Be brave and remember to share it on your social media channels. Now you have some writing tips on how to create great content for your website, why not start thinking about your content goals and target audience and set that timer for your first 10 minutes!

Fiona Mocatta is a freelance copywriter and content writer. She’s been running her business since 2003. For more information on Fiona, what she does and who she does it for, check out www.mocatta.org.

The post How to write great content for your website appeared first on The Networking Magazine.

So, If you don’t have a lead magnet or you don’t have a good one, this article will inspire you to take action and create a powerful lead magnet and this can be life changing for your business.

Here are 6 ideas for creating an effective lead magnet to attract your ideal clients.

People often get stuck with the idea of what they should give away for free. Often my clients ask me:

“how do I come with the idea for a lead magnet?”

Before I share the different type of lead magnet first you need to be clear on who your ideal client is and what problems they have. Next, ask yourself

“What are the 3 problems my ideal client have”.

Then pick one of them and then build a shortlist of things they should do to solve this problem.

This will be the content for your lead magnet.

What Is a Lead Magnet?

A lead magnet is a free offer/content given away to your ideal clients in exchange for their email address.

Lead magnet it’s all about attracting your ideal clients by giving them something of value, getting them to ‘opt-in’ to receive more information from you.

Once they have given you their email address and permission to begin a professional relationship, you can then market to them time and time again, it builds your credibility, builds trust.

We need to remember that visitors rarely purchase your services the first time they visit your site, mainly because they don’t know who you are or your potential value to them.

Most people today are so inundated with emails, newsletters and offer advertisements that the
lead magnet must be a genuinely great value to get people to add one more email to their inbox.

So what’s the best type of lead magnet or a free gift?

Like so many questions in business, the answer is … it depends.

Whichever lead magnet you decide to do make sure you Create an eye-catching title and compelling bullet points telling why visitors would want your gift.

Here are 6 types of a lead magnet (or free gift) and how to decide which one is right for you:

1. ASSESSMENT OR QUIZ

People love to self-categorise. An assessment can help a potential client get in touch with their problem or pain (e.g. Are you suffering from adrenalin fatigue?

Take this assessment to find out) Use this kind of lead magnet, freebie is immensely popular right now and it’s a natural introduction to the offer of free consultation to discuss their results.

If your sales come from freebee consultation and helping people understand their challenges and is part of your sales process, this is a great lead magnet for you.

2. CHECKLIST/ cheat sheet OR BLUEPRINT

Anything that saves people time is useful.

A checklist or cheat sheet is one of the lead magnets to enable your potential clients to take action quickly and complete the first step on the journey to buying your paid service/product.

And if they experience quick results with your free offer, they’re more likely to buy your paid service/product.

An example of this kind of lead magnet is The Mover’s Checklist: 15 tips to have a great moving experience.

It lets your clients know how much there is for them to do, so they more eagerly seek your help. This type of lead magnet is great for a “done for you” or “done with your business”.

3. SPECIAL REPORT/GUIDE

Reports and guides are among the most common types of Lead Magnets. The special report (sometimes called white paper) gives your client valuable information while explaining why they need the service that you provide.

Great formats for a special report title include “The 3 big mistakes that (target market) make that (cause problem)”. Or Top 5 secrets for (getting an outcome) …

If educating your audience is an important part of getting new clients, this lead magnet can work very well for your business.

4. FREE CONSULTATION/SESSION/Free Training

If you don’t want to spend time creating written products or videos, you can offer a free no-obligation consultation.

This is a great way to connect with potential clients on a 1:1 basis, and all it requires is a scheduling service such as Calendly, a video call Zoom.

You should be clear about what you promise to deliver during your consultation. Offering free session/ consultation as a consultant, Coach or Therapist can have mixed results.

Here are some tips:

A well-done free session does not solve the prospective client problem, instead, it helps to analyse the challenges. Then the prospect can make a good decision about whether to move forward with your service. There is huge value in just identifying challenges/problems. Don’t call it a free session because then it has no value, Instead, give it a name and benefits.

Example:

I‘m happy to offer you a “Health optimisation session” where we’ll look at the 4things that may be
negatively impacting your health and the no 1 thing you need to do to move forward”

I ‘m happy to offer you “a Business Booster session “where we’ll look at the 3 things that might be
missing in your business or thing that may hold your business back and the no 1 thing you need
to do to move forward.

When you offer a “diagnostic” session/consultation like this, it helps educate your prospective
client on why they need you.

Free training. Videos, workbooks, a combination of these tools or free training delivered through
emails make for a great lead magnet. Think about problems that require multiple steps for your
clients to solve. These can make ideal step-by-step training products for your lead magnet.

5. AUDIO OR VIDEO (SERIES)

When you want to give a prospective client experience of you, using audio, video or a series of audios and videos can be valuable. One example is the yoga postures video. or meditation audio,

Often one (tip be sure you keep the length relatively short- less than 10 min is a good idea) While series used to be more popular, generally the shorter a lead magnet can be, the better.

So, don’t feel like you have to give a series or long audio or video. Often one well done 10 min audio
or video will be a great gift, if you do offer a series, keep each video short and consumable.

6. CHEAT SHEET/TEMPLATES

Cheat sheets and handouts work well. They have a different “feel” to them than reports or guides.
They are generally short (one page or so) and help clients solve a specific problem. You can deliver these as checklists, worksheets, or blueprints.

Because they are short, design counts, so you might want to hire a professional graphic designer
to make your cheat sheet look stunning.

Templates. Free templates are extremely popular and generate lots of leads. Service providers such as designers often use free templates as lead magnets as they are a great way to demonstrate the quality of their products.

Make sure your template supports what you are selling and doesn’t replace it. For example, if you offer social media consulting services, a free Facebook ad template or graphic generator for a Facebook profile page might be a good lead magnet.

Let’s summarise what Makes a Good Lead Magnet?

There are 6 things that your lead magnet should do if you want it to be irresistible:

• Solves a real problem – give them something they really want.
• Promises one quick win – your lead magnet should promise (and deliver) at least one quick win for your ideal client.
• Specific –The more specific you are about the benefit of your lead magnet, the better it will convert leads. Do not create a lead magnet about something general.
• Quick to digest – PDF checklists tend to convert well because they are so quick and easy to digest. lengthy reports may make your prospects feel overwhelmed. That’s why I wouldn’t recommend, for example, a mini-course delivered over 14 days or a 200-page eBook as a Lead magnet.
• High value – your lead magnet should have both high perceived value and high actual value.
• Instantly accessible – your lead magnet will work best if it is something that can be delivered right away. People love instant gratification.

MUST –DOS FOR ALL OF THE LEAD MAGNETS

Regardless of which lead magnet idea you use, make sure that you also do those steps:

1. Create an eye-catching title and compelling bullet points telling why visitors would want your gift
2. If possible, use client experiences, or your experiences, in the lead magnet, so the reader will know how people have worked with you
3. Put a CTA (Call to Action) in the lead magnet, telling the prospective client how to take the next step with you. This might be an invitation to email you, or call you or a calendar link to schedule a time to chat (unless you’re using lead magnet no 4
4. Put your lead magnet out there!

All of these free Led magnets can be offered in the following ways:

• On a page on your website
• During the networking event
• When you speak to groups
• On a standalone landing page

WHAT TO DO NEXT?

If you are serious about making more money in your business and attracting a steady flow of your
ideal client, getting the right support is essential. You can sign up for a Business Acceleration call
and find out what might be missing in your business or what may be holding you back from
achieving your business goals.
Click to apply for a FREE 30min Biz Acceleration call – with Margret.

ABOUT MARGARET GUILLEN:

Margaret Gillen is a Client Attraction Expert | Business Coach.
I coach women who are building a thriving business around their expertise. I specialise in areas: women charging what they worth, how to package their expertise and their service that increase their income, make their business easier, and give them more freedom.

The post 6 Ideas for a Lead magnet to attract your ideal clients appeared first on The Networking Magazine.

It is undeniable that the growth of social media is stratospheric; in 2019 there were more new
social media profiles than babies born globally. So where does that leave the website?
Some people choose to promote their business only through social media, but I would like to
argue the point as to why you also need a good, up-to-date, website that works together with
your social media.

How do websites and social media differ?

You don’t own your social media!

The main difference between social media profiles and a website is that you don’t own your
social media profiles. Someone else owns them and controls them, a bit like the homeowner
versus the tenant.
Unless you are on a web creation platform like Wix or Squarespace, where you rent a site, you
probably own your website.

You have ultimate control

Over the past year we have seen Facebook taking down people’s pages and Instagram
accounts being hacked and held to ransom. These things don’t happen often, but when they do
it can be very disruptive. If you fully own your website you have full control.

Your website is your space

No one can comment, be rude or negative in your space.

What is the purpose of a website in a world of social media?

Your website is your shop window inviting prospective clients to come in. Ultimately the aim is
to get your visitor to get in touch or buy right there and then.

Authority and legitimacy

A well-crafted site adds authority and legitimacy to your brand, today’s equivalent of a glossy
brochure.

Searches on Google may bring up your profile on LinkedIn and Facebook but your rankings will
be higher if you have a website which will enhance your presence and authority.

Base camp

Your website is your base camp for all other profiles you have. It also where you are able to
hone your full marketing message, tell your story, and showcase all your products or services in
one place.

Social media gives you the opportunity to share your knowledge, products and offering.
However, the posts are fleeting. Getting longevity and traction over a longer period from a
single post is quite hard. Showing your knowledge by blogging on your website is a great way

to raise you up in search results. Getting an SEO (search engine optimisation) audit on the
keywords needed in your sector to be seen is a great investment too.

Words have longevity on the internet, once you have taken the time to create good content it
will be there for as long as it adds value to your brand. Partner this with the right social media
for your engagement, this linking one to the other will benefit hugely your business.

Referral reference point

For those of us who invest our time in networking we know the importance of making it easy
and accessible for our colleagues to refer us. Much of my new business comes from referrals
and recommendations, many people who get in touch have already done their homework on
me sometimes reading all the testimonials on my site!

It is quite hard to refer someone to a business without a website – I know, because I’ve tried!
People want, and expect, to see a site to get a flavour of the business and approach.

The importance of keeping your site as current as your social media

Social media can represent you in the now, showing exactly what you are doing or offering on
the day. This has been a great tool over the last year when people have had to evolve their
services and products to suit our lockdown lives. Websites do need attention too to keep them
up-to-date and current.

In the week I wrote this article I had three phone calls from prospective clients saying they are
too embarrassed to give out their website address because it is so out of date and not
reflecting their brand right now. Often websites get tired or stale while people work hard to
keep their social media en-pointe. These should, without doubt, be working in tandem.

Match / reflect your social media

Your site should match and reflect your social media, giving a consistent message. Your social
media is fleeting so make sure people can link back to your site where they can return to it
time and time again.

Evaluate and revise

Read through your site and check it is working for you:

• Are your prices and products up-to-date?
• Are links to other sites still active?
• Do you have good ‘Calls to Action’?
• Are your telephone numbers all clickable from mobile devices?

Look at what other people in your sector are doing. This should be an on-going check to see how other people are updating their presence.

Get the right help or the relevant training

A barrier to updating a website is usually getting the right help or finding the relevant training. These services are available – not only from someone like me but throughout the industry. If you have a website built, ensure you understand by whom or how your site is going to be updated.

I’m in full support of all social media engagement but believe there is a strong argument for a
good website, when you put them to work together it is a winning formula.

Helen Bantock
Kite Web Design
Web Design & Build | Content Management | Training
www.kitewebdesign.co.uk

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