Banners have for many years been used as medium of adverting in business and today, they continue to create brand name awareness and market products and services. But, why have banners remained a preferred method of advertising for all businesses? Creating your brand name awareness is quite demanding as it entails bringing out every aspect of your business ranging from the business culture, your products and services, to your communication system.
When advertising your products and services or creating brand name awareness, you can use banners as an effective way of developing your brand identity. Vinyl banners are limitless and can be used in a broad spectrum of events. They are used in decorations, as well as advertising. They are used in celebrations such as birthdays, graduations, weddings, and political rallies, to reach the audience. They are also used by event sponsors to advertise activities such as sports, expos, or parades to the audiences.
For the business to business (B2B) advertisement needs, these vinyl banners have gained popularity and this is because of the following reasons;
They are recyclable: The promotional materials can be reused over and over again. This is why they are used for advertising products and services in a more cost effective way. You only need to buy and design one sign instead of several signs throughout the year.
Easy transportation: They can be moved from one place to another. You can place them on one street for a period of time and subsequently move them to other locations within a city to be able to reach many audiences.
Ability to attract audiences- The designs of the vinyl banners easily grab the attention of the people and coupled with their ability to strategically place them is vantage points; you can instantly reach the audiences. These promotional materials have instant directional sign effect. You can place them in building entrances; hang them along the highways and on top of buildings.
Branding ability: The promotional materials have the ability to enhance your brand through their exceptional design. You can design 3 dimensional effects banners with sharp colors and incorporate your business logo. People can easily remember the logo design and seek to associate with it in future.
In addition, these banners are durable and not easily damaged. They can withstand extreme weather such as strong blowing wind and rain water. They are also resistant to direct sunshine meaning they don’t fade away and thus are ideal for outdoor advertising. The materials present a professional design because of the shiny finish and durability, which prevents the edges of banner material from wearing out. This in turn brings back credibility and trustworthy to your business.
Is it the premium rates or cost of insurance coverage that attracts and convinces you to buy that car insurance policy? Whether a yes or no, one thing is remarkably clear, that the dimension under which to determine the appropriateness of an auto insurance company goes beyond that. In the perspective of the policy buyers, a good insurance company is that which meets their need and expectations.
But what do insurance buyers really want from an auto insurance company. Is it simply cheap premiums? As much as the cost of the insurance may be a main factor, today auto insurance clients are looking for sustainable coverage. The policy must be affordable but affordability does not necessarily mean cheap.
Information at hand regarding the insurance company is another aspect that insured will search for. This is provided through advisory services that may be offered. Of the characteristics of good car insurance firm, they include;
1. Reliability
The auto insurance should be there when the clients need it. They should be available and accommodative in times of a business uncertainty such as during compensation claims. As the company is interested with the client when they are remitting their premiums, they should also extend this hand when the clients are faced with difficulties, such as an accident.
Otherwise, that is what auto insurance business is all about. Auto insurance companies that observe this aspect acquire reputation. They build their brand within the market niche.
2. Reputable and recognized
Car insurance clients will want to be associated with companies that have proved to be competent and have survived the sweets and sours of a business operation. Building a company brand is not easy. It requires innovations and sound business systems set up.
Reputable insurance companies must have been in business for a relatively long time. It is impossible to evaluate and establish the reputation of a business in a short period. For an auto insurance to obtain credits from the clients, it has to be in operation for a long time proving an ideal and commendable car insurance coverage.
3. Affordable coverage
This is one of the most checked factors of the auto insurance companies. A car insurance company must develop a coverage that does to extort the clients of their monetary resource. The premium rates are the main subject of determining the cost of a car insurance policy.
Nevertheless, there may be other hidden factors that may significantly affect the affordability of an insurance coverage. The future rate adjustments, which are caused by aspects such as accidents, damage of a vehicle and subsequent compensations, should be well analyzed.
The initial premiums imposed before an accident or damage occurs may be very enticing and attractive, however, the adjustors’ mechanism may be a hidden trap that can drive insurance buyers into financial debts. A client should enquire on the adjustments applicable whenever compensations. Other factors that may lead to rates adjustments include a noted poor driving behavior.
4. Diversity of coverage
The kinds of coverage offered determine the suitability of a company. If a car, insurance firm is limited to one or two coverage this implies that it is incapable of providing a broad spectrum of services to its clients. Such an insurance firm may either be a young company getting in to the market or it has failed to expand its wings over time. This may not be the suitable a company to go for.
5. Flexible terms of agreement
One of the issues that insurance clients should never forget to get conclusive information about is the terms of agreement in place. No matter how an insurance company may be cheap, it can turn to be very expensive hence complicating the whole aspect of insurance policy sustainability. The insurance companies should play a forefront role in ensuring that their clients are fully conversant with the applicable terms of agreements.
6. Supportive advisory services
This is a pro-active initiative that insurance companies should apply. It helps in keeping clients in business. If not applied well, it can result to clients being unable to maintain their coverage. Advisory services may include a guideline on how to keep their premiums low. It also assists in alerting the clients on any future perceived uncertainties that may lie ahead of the clients such as recession of economy, which may drive the clients out of business.
7. Easy claim process
You may not understand the true colors of your insurance company until that time you are involved in accident and you want compensation. Some companies may not have good claim process and this is why many complaints are reported. You need to re-examine the claim procedure and how effective it is for the motorists seeking for compensation.
When you roll down your business startup plan, this is when you discover the reality from the blue-print plans and wishes you want to fulfill and the realism in meeting to these obligations. Many businesses fail to succeed or take too long to gain market strength simply because the process of implementing the business strategies becomes more challenging. There are simple nitty gritty aspects, which are often overlooked but they can determine the success and failure of your business.
If you are setting up a mobile application business, you need to understand that you cannot do everything by yourself. You need to get support in your business whether from professionals or business partners.
Many people think that they can do it all alone in setting up a business only to fail in their mission soon after they begin the startup process. One of the areas that need to be emphasized is your IT resource input. It is important that if you do not know much in programming and designing, you give this task to an expert.
The ability of your business to peak exponentially will depend on the product that you launch in the market. The software system development, web design, and other IT applications may only be better done by IT experts. Defining your limitations will ensure that you don’t take chances when you are setting up your business.
Secondly, set your finances to ensure that you can take up the startup process. Grounding your business set up process due to lack of sufficient money can be very detrimental. Considering that you want to take advantage of being the first to launch your unique product in the market, it is certain that you do not want to waste time.
Fourthly, before you start the process, ensure that you have researched widely on your market. You need to ensure that you define your clientele base. It is important to test your product to ensure it’s what the buyers want. This will enhance the growth of your business.
Fifth, you have to broaden your selling gimmicks. You need to establish different ways to sell your product. For the mobile application business, you need to bring out the features that mobile users really want to use. There are business-oriented applications such as advertising, money transfers, instant messaging, mobile search and browsing.
For entertainment, music and video downloading features are important as this will capture this particular market. Sixthly, when you initiate a business startup process, you need to hire the right employees and empower them. These workers should have the passion to deliver to your expectations. You need to accommodate and appreciate their ideas and input in your business.
Nurturing a team of performing employees will take your business to great heights.
Seven, you need to utilize the power of internet in marketing your business. Internet is not only a cheap way of developing leads in your business but also an effective marketing tool that is necessary for your business growth.
Develop a website that is search engine friendly and explore all SEO marketing options available. Use content and visual channels such as blog sites, directory submissions, social media sites, and authority sites to further strengthen your online presence. As your business startup process peaks, take control of the growth.
Last but not least, measure your business startup performance. This is the only way you can how you are progressing in your business. There are many ways you can measure your business performance. You can establish how your customer base is growing. You can also evaluate your sales growth.
Create an interaction with the client so that you can get their comments. Social media platforms such as Facebook offer an ideal interaction where you get feedback on how your product is performing. Indeed, if you utilize social media channels, you can reduce the cost advertising and product research significantly allowing your business grow financially.
In defining what is computer network security, it is imperative to mention that it is the application of security techniques to reduce network vulnerabilities. These security techniques help in protecting the usability, integrity, reliability and safety of computer networks and data. A network security protects your computers from threats such as viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware and adware. It also prevents zero-day attacks, hacking attacks and denial of service-DoS attacks.
Moreover, these computer security systems also protect identity theft such as stealing of your names, addresses, phone numbers and your personal information. Network security systems include anti spyware, anti-virus, firewalls, intrusion prevention systems-IPS and virtual private networks-VPNs.
Loss of company information is one of the aspects, which place the survival of many businesses at stake and with breach of internet network security; businesses can lose data which cost them a penny. It is therefore essential for businesses to protect their data and information through computer network system protection.
Company data is not only threatened by physical intruders but also by internet and cyber war uncertainties. According to Forrester Research Incl., businesses in the world are losing close to about $221 billion in a year through data loss with the American businesses parting with about $54 billion due to loss of their company data.
At the same time, according to the ABI Research, businesses in the world are spending more than $6 billion a year in network and data-security technology and this figure is expected to rise to $ 10 billion by the year 2016. What this means is that businesses need to invest in data protection. The threat in cyber warfare is so real that every week there are news reports of companies and organizations from small businesses to the defense departments claiming to have lost their data.
The potential damage that is caused by such data loss goes far more than just lost or damaged data. For instance, information that is stolen amounts to lost intellectuality as well as jobs from the businesses since new product information can be stolen and shortly copies of that new product are found in other markets at very off the cuff prices.
One of the ways in which businesses can protect their computer network is through setting up a network breach prevention program. There is a need for businesses to define their computer and internet network security peripherals and put in place the best protection practices possible. There is a need to seek for internet services providers to establish, which IP addresses a business uses and also obtain proper permissions.
The IP addresses also need to be monitored so that the business can know when unused IP addresses suddenly come to use. All external network access points need to be managed through encrypted virtual private networks- VPNs and use of firewall. Two- factor authentication solutions help in providing secure remote access of networks. These authentications strictly control the access into your business network with authentication devices, passwords and account log in details.
The use of static passwords does not provide adequate security for your computer network. Gaining an unauthorized access to networks can be both simple and complex. In a simple way, ill-intended people can steal passwords to gain access to your network. On the other hand, they can use complex ways such as launching a Trojan or even a phishing attack.
The use of traditional static passwords is outdated and archaic and cannot effectively deter those using complex phishing and hacking techniques to penetrate internet network security systems and harvest confidential data. Statistics show that a shocking 43% of businesses who lose electronic data never reopen and that about 29% will close their businesses within two years, according to Researchers McGladrey and Pullen.
This shows the magnitude of the impacts of data loss in companies. Businesses can also protect their computer network through segmentation, which insulates the business from the risks. They can use firewalls to control the inbound and outbound traffic to their networks.
There should be internal network segmentation between different offices to help prevent breach of computer and internet network security. Businesses also need to use very strong encryption for their networks such as SSL. Last but not least, businesses should have a backup for their data through remote data backups. This can help in data recovery and retrieval when disasters strike and data is lost or damaged.
Despite the fact that trade show displays marketing strategy has a high cost of lead generation and qualification, when it is carried out appropriately, it has showed outstanding resilience in promotional activities. It has proved to be a great opportunity for meeting face-to-face with business partners and clients, something that lacks in internet promotional activities. In order to make your trade show a success, there are things that need to be observed by the trade show promotional team, which help in engaging, qualifying and disengaging the prospects.
The main goal for a trade show is to meet and qualify as many leads as possible, which can later be converted into sales. What this means is that the promotional team should focus on capturing as many leads as they can. The engagement time needs to be minimal and something close to 5 minutes may be regarded as an appropriate time that needs to be allocated for each engagement.
By waiting to convert leads after a trade fair helps in maximizing the number of booth visitors who are able to be qualified. It also helps to slowly nurture the lead prospects that have longer sales cycle time. The quality of leads that is generated from trade show displays continues to be one of the strongest and ranks among the most qualified.
When using trade show signage, you need not fill your booth with words. This is because, a trade fair booth is more of a billboard rather than a datasheet meaning that the booth should provide a selling environment. You should not wait for the visitors in your booth to stop by and start reading your signage as it is the role of the sales team to approach the visitors and to put across the message and product features.
A more aggressive face-to-face engagement is required to help qualify the leads. Moreover, the trade show signage should not be put below the table height as it may not be noticed or easily seen by visitors. The literature graphics as well as the booth appearance should match the look and message of your company website.
In addition, when on the trade show floor, the promotional team should not focus heavily on giving out the literature to unqualified leads since most of the literature that is collected from the shows never make its way to homes or offices. The trade show displays team can focus on obtaining emails and contacts of the prospects and promise that the literature will be send to them and therefore, they do not have to carry it.
One of the reasons why it is recommended not to close a sale with the qualified leads right on the trade show floor is that in general, trade shows convert only about 1-5% of the total number of visitors of a trade show booth. Attempting to close the sales during the show time can limit the team from qualifying a large number of visitors.
There is also need to use marketing automation strategies to help in nurturing the prospects to become sales. There are software programs, which can be used to generate tailored emails for those customers interested in your products and services but they are not able to make a buying decision right away at the trade show displays.
Using the software programs ensures that sales persons are readily involved when a lead is nurtured to a ready-to-buy status. This helps reduce the time which is wasted chasing after leads that are in the early stages of the sales cycle thus improving efficiency in lead qualification and conversion.
For the Small Micro Enterprises- SMEs, there is still a challenge in internet marketing and with the ever shifting demands in online marketing; there is a need to keep molding your small business marketing strategies. Small businesses are dragging to optimize on Internet marketing despite the huge opportunities being offered. There are existing, and emerging trends in small business marketing on the Internet, which could help SMEs optimize on the huge potentials of clientele base found on the Internet.
These are;
- Keep content centric – although new Internet marketing techniques will keep to edge their way in, content will remain the king in online small business marketing. Apparently, have changed the way content influences website ranking. There are many things used by Google algorithm to rank sites for example, the user experience created by your site, to what extend your site is being shared on social networks, and how much time audience readers are spending on your site, and so forth.
- Rethink social media marketing- if you thought that Facebook and Twitter are too informal for your business, and then you are definitely missing it out. If a customer got a good deal from your business, it will probably be discusses on Twitter. You also need to join the discussions and pull the crowd, respond to the discussions and create more strong points to strengthen your brand. And the Google+ is something you need to target for small business marketing.
- Switch to Google local search search/google maps- perhaps this was created for the small business marketing. This tool will help your business get noticed. What you need to do is list your business correctly using Google places. Google will favor businesses that have completed their profile with video and photos.
- Google AdWords for SMEs- the small business marketing experts can utilize the pay-per-click AdWords. With Google local search, the trends on Google AdWords applications are shifting and small businesses can now take advantage of this tool. If you create an AdWords campaign specifically targeted to your local area, your ads will appear only when people in your geographic area use Google. This improves AdWords campaigns results. This is especially true with statistics showing that 61% of local searches in the US results to purchases.
- Online reviews for social signals- there is a shift in customer buying behavior, and statistics show that about 63% of social media users are using reviews on consumer rating to get information on products and services.
- Accountability through social media- Google is relying on reviews that are offered on social media as a way of ranking websites. And SMEs need to take social media seriously in their small business marketing activities.
- Shift to cloud computing- this is an essential tool that SMEs need to utilize. Cloud computing uses networks of remote servers hosted on the Internet. You can store and manage data on cloud rather than using conventional shared local servers. You only need an Internet connection to access cloud options. It offers data scalability, reduces costs and has more accessibility.
- Utilize apps- people are now turning to use of smartphones to access the internet. The QuickBooks Mobile on iPhone and Android will help create invoices and access customer data.
All said and done, you need to track your website performance with the free web tracking tools. Whether a blog site or a website for your small business marketing, you need to know how many people are getting to the site and what they are doing on the site. These free tools are such as CrazyEgg, Google Analytics, SiteMeter, StatCounter, and GoStats.
A clothes dryer consists mainly of a heat source, lint trap, and a vent. This may sound like a simple machine, but there are different moving parts within this appliance that could break and cause trouble. It is important to fix any problems with help of a reputable appliance repair technician. Faulty dryers can trigger fires that could damage your valuable clothe drying equipment and risk your home being burned.
If your dryer is not handled carefully, chances are that it will keep on breaking down and soon you may be compelled to dispose it off and buy another one. Since you do not want to incur untimely costs, you need to ensure you always consult a qualified technician. The timers, sensors, temperature controls, air exhausts, and vents can cause your dry to malfunction.
A dryer that is shutting off before clothes are dried properly means there are some serious issues that need to be resolved. Similarly, if the machine is getting too hot or it is not heating up as required, you need to have it checked immediately. Other problems that need to be checked by an expert are such as burning rubber smell, damages on clothes, dryer that is not starting, small clothing items vanishing from the dryer tumbler, or air flapper not working properly.
If there is anything that seems to be wrong with your dryer, you should not neglect it. The earlier you seek the help of a technician, the better because you are able to solve the situation before it gets out of hand. If you do not fix the issues straightaway, you may risk your dryer breaking down completely.
An appliance repair technician can help in fixing dryers or other home appliances like stoves, ovens, fridges, and icemakers. Proper care and maintenance of your appliances will prolong their life expectancy and prevent premature breakdowns and damages on your precious equipments.
A malfunctioning refrigerator can cause inconveniences in storage of perishable products. You can imagine how life would be without a working fridge. You need to contact a qualified appliance repair technician to restore any damages in your refrigerator. A fridge has many parts such as the cooling and humidity control zones, ice makers, automatic defrost and beverage dispensers.
These components need to be handled carefully in order to maintain efficiency in the appliance.
A faulty refrigerator can risk the safety of your family, and you need to act fast to rectify the problem. Modern fridges require a technician who possesses advanced knowledge in dealing with the complex schematic and different inventory parts of these home appliances.
When faulty fridges are repaired in time, it helps enhance their efficiency. An inefficient fridge can use more energy meaning that you incur increased utility bills. The lifespan of the appliance is determined by how well you maintain it. If your fridge has no power and you have checked to make sure the electrical plug is plugged in correctly and the control knobs are on and no fuses are blown, then you need a helping hand from a trusted technician.
If the appliance is not cooling as it used to, it may be experiencing some technical problems. Different refrigerator problems need the right expertise in repairing fridges including the presence of moisture on the outside of the fridge, freezing on the inside walls, leaving puddles on floors, strange noise coming from the rear side of the appliance, and musty odor from the fridge.
When the coils are damaged or crooked, they also need to be restored. Not only does the technician repair fridges but also works on other appliances like tumbler dryers, ovens, icemakers, stoves and freezers. With help of a primed appliance repair technician, you can maintain your appliances in good working conditions.
The structural, technological, strategic and human facets of a business become complex as the organizations expand in size. There are certain advantages small businesses have over large businesses including capital, risk implications and management complexities. There is a direct correlation between the managerial inputs and the size of the business. The larger the organization the more demanding it becomes for the management to initiate its managerial function.
As small businesses advance to transform into large corporations, the managers and investors are confronted with more challenges to put the company into performance. It's therefore evident that running small business entities is quite simplistic and easy than operating big businesses. This does not mean that investors should not strive to have their business expand.
In reality, when businesses grow, it provides more opportunities for the investors to earn good returns. There is also a test of ability to apply the human skills of intellectual, intuitive, cognitive thinking and conceptualization in business management. The investors are able to enjoy the economies of scale in a larger proportion compared to their counterparts with the small businesses. Otherwise, who doesn't want to have a large piece of the economies of scale in the business platform? Some of the advantages that small businesses have over large companies are;
Less capital requirement
There is obviously little capital required to set up of small businesses as compared to large corporate. This implies that more prospective business investors can manage to establish small businesses. It must be agreed that the financial aspect is one of the setbacks to setting up of businesses. Large business entities require enormous amount of starting capital and many people who would like to put up businesses are tumbled around constrains of financial abilities.
Although with the visions, aspirations and plans to have big businesses, they end up starting small entities and build up their visions from that platform. The small businesses profile provides a building block for the larger entities. With good managerial initiative the small business owners are able to transform the small entities into large corporate. It's just a matter of time and focus and soon an investor begins enjoying large economies of scale.
Easy management portfolio
Due to the fact that the structural, technological, and human aspects of small business are inexpensive, there is easy management of these resources. The manpower is controllable, the financial resource is manageable, the technological innovations are sizable and the strategic approaches are simplified. Basically there is less input in the management aspect of small businesses. It thus requires a basic understanding of business operations to run a small business which would be difficult in the case of large corporate.
Less cost implications on risks and uncertainties
The small businesses are preferred by many because of the conceptual framework in cost analysis in case of eventualities. Indeed, there are fewer costs that are attached to risks and uncertainties in small businesses. Any way, businesses are but just about taking risks, and when the events of uncertainties occur, there is a cost implication.
The amount in which a small business suffers is much less than in the case of large businesses and this provides another advantage small business have over large companies. For instance, when a natural disaster such as an earthquake strikes in an area, the big businesses suffer more losses than the small businesses. Nevertheless, investors should not shy off from running big business where appropriate, as the opportunities are great in terms of monetary achievements.
Whereas there are many reasons why companies should seek for online document filling and signing services and perhaps efficiency of the service is one of the main reasons. Businesses owners want to close more deals in the shortest time possible. When documents such as clients’ orders and payment processing documents are signed fast, this means improved services. With the esignature service, the time taken to sign documents is minimized.
The conventional way of signing process may take hours and with this online service, it takes minutes to get documents signed. This means that more deals are closed within a short time. Another reason why this electronic signature service should be adopted by companies is the broad spectrum of application features. In order to make the process to be modeled out articulately, the service entails use of software features that have the ability to produce wet-looking signature that looks like just a ‘paper and pen’ signature.
There are different ways by which a signer can sign documents for instance; there is a type-to-sign application mode. In this case, the software is composed of specially designed fonts, which produce signatures that look as though they are handwritten. Another way in which signatures are made through esignature is by a touch screen pad application feature.
A signer can sign a document using a finger and this produce a handwritten signature. Another way in which documents are signed is through fax-to-sign mode. In this case, documents are downloaded and printed out in a faxable signature page that contains a unique barcode. The sign is made with a pen and faxed to a special fax number. Moreover, companies need to use the esignature process because it is secure.
To protect the clients’ documents and information, the data on transit is protected by SSL data encryption provided by VeriSign. This creates confidence within the users. By using this state-of-the-art electronic signing technology, a company is able to improve on it service delivery. More business deals are closed and thus there are increased sales. This leads to increased returns on investments (ROI).
With the ability to carry through multiple signing by different parties, this means that a document can be signed by the required signers. This can be done through the shared email addresses or otherwise. With the sequential signing process in esignature, in a custom workflow where multiple signers are designated to sign in a specific document such as clients’ order or creditors payment petty cash voucher, this can be executed easily.
Documents are immediately generated into new versions when signed. When using the electronic signature service, documents are uploaded in common file formats such as PDF, DOC and DOCX. They can also be uploaded in online document formats such as the Google docs and FreshBooks.
One of the most impressive features of this digital signature service is the blackberry mobile signing application. With use of iPhone mobile signing, the signers can sign documents on the go with application of the acclaimed esignature iPhone functionality. This creates a high user experience, which enables the parties to sign documents while on the move. With a touch-screen conversion into a signature pad, this esignature application feature enables signers to embed their signatures perfectly.
In a nutshell, if you are seeking for innovative ways to transform your company’s document filling and signing process, then the electronic signature service could be the most apposite application to use. This will save you time and money. With the online signing service, it is paperless meaning that you also go green since there is no need to use paper, buy ink and pen for signing. This is an environmentally safe procedure that companies should incorporate in their systems operations.
The process of filling and signing of documents has been made more effective, reliable, cost-effective and fast with the application of esignature services. Companies are seeking for those technological innovations, which enhance service delivery and perhaps online document signing offers an ideal option. With the online document signing process, the documents are uploaded in PDF or word file formats and send to the recipients’ email.
Upon signing, the documents are sent back to the sender. The process can take hours if not minutes and this reduces the time taken in signing document from hours to minutes. Moreover, since there are different ways in which esignatures can digitally be embedded on the documents, this means that the signers can apply the most suitable mode.
For example, there is the use of handwritten signatures where the documents are signed by use of finger on their laptop or iPhone screens. This produces a wet-looking signature that looks like a ‘pen and paper’ signature. This is as impressing as the typical way of signing documents. Similarly, there are specially designed fonts, which are used to produce typed signatures.
A signer can as well apply these fonts, which resemble handwriting. In addition, with this electronic signature service, the signer can sign by using the touch pads on their iPhones and iPads. This means that they can sign the documents while on the go thus enhancing service delivery in organization. With a secure system of online document signing such as the use of SSL data encryption features from VeriSign, this ensures that clients’ documents and data are protected from intruders.
There are other features, which are incorporated in the signing process such as ‘sign by fax’ whereby the signers sign documents by printing out faxable signature pages that contain unique barcodes. The document is signed with pen and faxed to a special fax number provided by the esignature service provider. The signed documents are then forwarded to the sender. The process is confidential and secure and all clients’ data is protected. This creates confidence with users.
Consumer buying behavior is a complex aspect that needs to be analyzed in-depth by e-store owners in order to convert leads into sales and one way this can be achieved is through live mobile support. The point of decision is certainly one of the most important stages in the consumer buying life cycle.
Retail businesses failure to close their sales partly because the aspect of point-of-decision is not addressed conclusively when business owners and marketers engage with consumers. An augmented retail experience is lacking among many e-retail stores that can help influence the buying behavior of the consumer.
If a customer has not visited or completed the shopping cart this doesn’t mean that he or she does not want to buy the goods or services. There is a “connection” between the seller and the buyer that is missing. This is what needs to be derived and augmented in order to turn that prospective buyer into a real customer by completing a sale.
As smartphones sales proliferate, customers are using these mobile phones to research product information, potential purchases, prices of goods, as well as ratings and products reviews.
Surveys show that smartphones are currently influencing 5.1% of sales generated annually by retail stores. This translates to close to $159 billion of sales forecasts in the year 2012. According to a research by Deloitte Consulting, it is expected that the smartphones growth retail sales to 19%, representing $689 billion by 2016.
The most challenging aspect for retail store owners is that many do not know how to leverage live mobile support in the overall customer engagement. The consumer needs to be more engaged at the point of decision in the buying life cycle. The way in which smartphones users will be able to make buying decisions will largely depend on the kind of information they get about products and services they are willing to buy.
Retail store owners are examining the consumer cross-channel shopping behavior in a simple way yet this is a complex phenomenon. Consumers’ behavior has changed significantly and in order to be able to make these customers buy your products and services, you need to have the right tools for mobile apps and software products.
The overall decision making process of the buyer differs mainly on the consumer, shopping trip and also the point where the consumer is in his or her shopping journey. Despite these differences on the buying decision, the bottom-line is that the more information e-retail store owners provide to the consumers, the more influential they will be in converting leads to sales.
Consumers are now tech-savvy meaning that they want knowledge and more credible information before they can close a sale. If a retail store integrates the Near Field Communication- NFC supported mobile phone attributes into their retail apps, this can greatly help at the crucial point of decision of the consumer.
This is a key element, which helps feed the consumer with access to relevant products information in real time meaning that customers get ready hand information about products they want to buy. The apps have to be customized to create high profile brand image. With the apps, consumers are able to view product ratings and reviews, which are a major determinant factor in influencing their buying decision.
Because software compatibility is a major challenge, the live mobile support apps you integrate in your e-retail store show also be compatible with most of the smartphones. With branded and easily customizable apps templates, the consumer can easily navigate and view as well as read the information they want about products whether it is product details, what other say about the experience they have had after using the products or the simplicity in payment process.
Businesses are also afraid of installing too many apps in their systems and this means that with software application that does not require downloads and installations, this relieves the e-store owners the stress of economizing their limited systems network storage capacity. By simply touching the live mobile support apps tag, products information is readily displayed and this drives the consumer buying quest to closing his or sale.
Considering the importance of social signals in today’s internet marketing, the e-stores can greatly benefit from Twitter “Tweets”, Facebook “Likes” and LinkedIn “Inshare” information that is shared from friends and relatives through augmented shopping experience software. This further complements the consumers’ shopping experience giving them the confidence to buy the products.
In essence, businesses need to apply cross-device digital and retail marketing strategies in order to be able to exhaustively generate leads and then convert the leads into sales. The smartphone apps that offer localized information, products details and price comparison and transparency coupled with easy shopping cart attributes will be able to convert more leads into sales.
Email marketing campaigns are essential tools that can help turn around the sales and returns on investment- ROI of a business. Businesses leverage various marketing strategies in order to optimize their sales process. Email campaigns are praised of offering the ability to pre-sell to a targeted traffic or market. When traffic visits your website, there prospects that make a buying decision and there are those who do not make a decision though they may be willing to buy. Use of email marketing campaign helps businesses to reach their prospective leads and convert them to sales.
One of the immediate benefits of bulky email campaigns is that they provide a cost effective way of reaching out and enticing customers to buy products and services. This gives your business a competitive advantage as it enables you scale down the cost of email marketing, which can drain off your resources including time and money.
Through email marketing campaign, businesses are able to increase the prospects conversion rate. This means that a business administer increased conversion of the traffic that visits its website. When a business embarks on lead generation and nurturing process, it has to engage with every lead based on its stage of development. There are those leads that show an immediate need to buy products and services. Those leads may visit and abandon the shopping cart. These are the leads, which have some information and know something about your business.
At this stage, they may not be interested with the background information of the company but rather a content that can make them close a sale. Information such as promotional offers may be essential. If you send personalized messages based on the stage of lead generation in which your prospects are in, this can help in turning them to buyers.
Another benefit of email marketing campaign is that it saves the time utilized in marketing. Sending messages to thousands of prospects may be time consuming and could occupy most of your time thus resulting to inefficiency. However, with software applications that have been designed to handle bulky customized email campaigns, these help in saving the time you dedicate to your marketing campaigns.
In addition, email marketing campaign is a supplement for those marketing strategies that may not be able to optimize the conversion rate of the traffic. Whereas some campaigns will deliver a good traffic, closing a sale may be a problem. However, when a sale is not closed, this does not means that traffic does not want to buy. It may only be that the prospect need to be a little more convinced to buy.
This is why email campaign is used to influence the prospects and lure them to make buying decision. Closing a sale becomes the most challenging part in the selling process. Email campaigns can be used as buyer engagement tools, which help reach, understand and influence the buying behaviour of prospects.
When you are initiating email marketing campaign, it is essential that you observe certain things like customized message, optimizing landing page and building a prospect profile score in order to make it successful. Many businesses engage in costly email campaigns that only plunge them deeper into financial constraints because the strategies applied do not yield any tangible results.
The application of sales contests is one of the most rewarding for the sales manager and his team and this is because these contests produce positive results in achieving sales targets. The sales team is the driving force for the business revenues since it engages in developing new product sales opportunities and influencing the consumers and turning them into buyers. A sales job is certainly one of the most challenging. This is because a company is under pressure from the company owner to meet to particular sales targets.
On the other hand, the sales manager and sales executives have to work behind the clock to ensure that every tactic is a “selling” strategy. A sales contest will make your team to;
• Gain recognition for exceptional performance
• Build team spirit
• Set the right performance standards
• Make the sales job more fun and interesting
• Feel like winners
• Provide a baseline for sales performance improvement and training
The contests have been viewed as motivational factors, which make the sales team more vibrant thus being able to go past their limits.
However, managing sales contests is never easy as it requires constant interaction, assessment, monitoring, and morale creation for the team to be able to achieve projected sales goals. With the managers in the office and the salesmen and sales ladies on the field or on the internet doing the job, for the sales manager, it is a difficult moment to put up the team to its optimal performance.
Close interaction, appreciation, commenting, pin pointing essential things and also checking on the performance of the sales team leaders is the most challenging thing. A sales manager can easily lose control of his sales contest team if there is no that interaction. In order to be able to organize your sales contests smoothly and successfully, you can use an innovatively and intuitively designed software system.
The system helps you build a high impact within the shortest time possible. With this system, you can rally behind your sales team to ensure that it realizes more sales opportunities; it’s able to launch new products, and close more sales deals.
The sales figures can exponentially grow with the use of the software system. The software allows for application of an incentive behavior where the sales manager makes use of different attributes of the program to create the best rewarding program.
For instance, leads, opportunities, events, tasks and chatter features are applied. This means that you can develop different reward schemes for the contest team such as the sales person who has acquired the most business leads, a sales person who has obtained a breakthrough in creating new opportunities for products and services.
Sales contests rewards can also be organized through particular events or certain completed tasks. Through the analysis of the performance of the sales persons, a chatter reward is one of the easiest, effective, and most interactive ways to keep your team in high spirit. You can reward almost immediately when a certain peculiar achievement or success is achieved by a sales employee.
You can decide to reward that sales person through the chatter with very encouraging message and approximate reward to keep him or her motivated and determined. The system also streamlines the prizing and awarding and the sales manager can add prices that he or she feels can best motivate the team. Through the system, the eligible entries are automatically entered into the contests.
The administrators of the contest including the sales manager are able to view the leaderboard and updates of the team members that have gained entry into the contests. The interaction with the sales team through the system enables each member to view their performance. They are able to set targets based on their achievements. The sales manager has one-on-one contact through emails and chat platforms to try and motivate each individual member.
Social media is now becoming part and parcel of the mainstream business aspects. Like other businesses, insurance companies need a social media strategy to help reach and engage the consumer. Insurance company is highly regulation field and despite these charges, it also needs to understand that its survival lies on how well it engages the consumer. Social strategy cannot be ignored by businesses including insurance companies no matter how it is perceived and therefore, there is need for social media management.
In the insurance industry, there are been a notion that social media is crippling insurance business by exposing too much of the negatives than the positives. Whereas this may be true, it is certain that social media has far much better things to offer than bad in terms of marketing and branding insurance products, and services.
There is need for insurance firms to apply social media management strategies to enhance their presence in social media networks and influence their existing, prospective and potential clients. Insurance companies can benefit in various ways if they create their social presence on the internet.
They understand their weaknesses through the posts and discussions which are raised by customers through social media networks such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn. These companies are able to know where they are failing to offer what consumers want. However, insurance firms they argue that the comments may just be too negative and spread so fast. On the other hand, failing to react to these comments is a retrogressive business approach. This is the reason why social media management needs to be applied by insurance companies.
Through social media, insurance firms are able to develop their product and services. Consumers contribute in providing key information, which help formulate better insurance products that meet to the expectations of the insurance buyers. Social media can reduce the overall cost of formulating new products. If these companies apply social media management strategies they can win the clients confidence.
Insurance firms are able to manage their reputation through social media participation. Engaging the consumer in social discussion forums shows how committed insurance companies are to their clients. When clients’ comments are responded effectively, this nurtures a bond that can go a long way in spreading good word about the insurer.
Through the social media, insurance firms enhance their sales growth. Peer recommendations have become very effective in advertising. Insurance coverage buyers are now seeking for information about insurance policies such as quotes, premium rates, and claims issues through social sites. This influences their buying behaviour and therefore, insurance firms should focus on social media management.
In summary, social media is offering an unprecedented representation of business internet marketing campaigns and it cannot be ignored and insurers need to embrace social media management as a core marketing aspect. Consumers are now controlling the social media. Insurance companies cannot afford sidelining social media participation in their marketing strategy.
Satellite inmarsat services help in connecting smart grid technologies applications as well as Satellite SCADA supported networks that provide ever-present IP connectivity in utility services in an entire territory. One of the renowned global mobile commercial satellite communication network set up by Inmarsat is the award-winning Inmarsat-4 (1-4) satellites. Offering Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), Inmarsat-4 concurrently delivers both voice and broadband data and has a gained a strong base in sectors such as oil and gas, international aid agencies, and broadcast media.
Moreover, Inmarsat introduced BGAN M2M and this is a two-way IP services for data transmission only. The BGAN M2M is ideal for low, high frequency transmissions, which are required in normal automated data reporting right from Smart Grid and Satellite SCADA application. Some of the benefits of satellite Inmarsat services are;
Smart Grids Metering
The advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) of the Smart Grids helps consumer manage their energy consumption by providing utilities based on visible demand. The meters are connected to aggregation points, which collect data from consumers in a given geographical area and transmit back to the data center of the utility in a fixed link or cellular network.
However, since cellular networks experience restricted bandwidth and are faced with congestion, coupled with their vulnerability to natural disasters, then it means that bgan inmarsat offers a better option. It is accessible in areas where cellular and fixed line coverage is not available. Therefore the BGAN is a cost effective and high quality option for backhaul usage data experienced in advanced concentrators or aggregation points and this allows utilities to reach entire networks and offer energy solutions to the entire customer base.
Automated distribution
The deployment of BGAN or BGAN M2M network connectivity infrastructure alongside power distribution lines offers a primary or secondary link to the utility’s data center. This provides monitoring and control of switches, reclosers and other devices on the distribution network, recording any voltage fluctuations, outrages and also consumer energy demand. This kind of data helps in making real-time decisions on smart grid energy based on ready hand information.
Connectivity in substations
Inmarsat offers Satellite SCADA or equivalent applications at electricity substations and these could be standalone or combined with VSAT. Such connections help reach out to the locations where it is difficult or costly to apply fixed-line and cellular communication. BGAN connectivity guarantees data streaming all the time since it can work in both low-volume/high-frequency data traffic situations or in high-volume/low frequency data streaming situations. And in addition, there is a backup communication in every substation.
Disaster recovery application
In times of disasters, the Satellite Inmarsat communication terminals are deployed quickly to offer alternative communications and this helps in diagnosing problem issues pretty fast and thus offer solutions immediately. This reliability aspect of the Inmarsat connectivity substantiates the reason why it has widely been used by organizations such as the American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide immediate and dependable communication for coordinating disaster relief.
Smart Grid Communications
As energy utilities seek for electricity grids that offer greater scalability and control over energy consumption; it is certain Smart Grid communication will play a big role in managing energy costs. The Smart Grid is dynamic and interactive infrastructure that offers real-time solutions in energy consumption and cost control. The Smart Grid communication helps enhance operational efficiency and extends the accessibility of network across the utility’s entire service territory.
In essence, Inmarsat BGAN and the data only BGAN M2M, which supports Satellite SCADA applications, are critical energy utility network solutions and offer real-time data, which helps in management of energy consumption as well as improves operational efficiency through workforce mobility enhancement.
Businesses create a lot data and for them to use the data meaningfully, they need to use business intelligence applications software to analyse the raw data and translate it into a reliable information. In business processes, companies continuously create data, which may be stored in files, spreadsheets or other forms of databases. This data is a valuable tool for the company in making key decisions and improving the functional role of different departments of the business.
What is business intelligence?
In definition, business intelligence-BI is an umbrella term, meaning that it is a term that carries many terminologies such as data mining, data analytics, data querying and data reporting with use of business intelligence software. It is therefore a process of software applications that is used to analyze an organization’s raw data and provide meaningful information, which can be relied upon in making key business process decisions.
Small businesses are still not embracing the potentials, which are presented by business intelligence tool in their processes because they are reluctant in investing in this essential technology. These small businesses can leverage analytics capabilities and be able to transform their decision-making processes and steer their business to growth. About 40% of the mid-market businesses are interested in predictive analytics software, according to Tachaisle survey. The following are the top applications of business intelligence.
Data visualization
One of the areas of business intelligence applications is in data visualization. This is the process of presenting data in visual graphics, which makes it easier to understand and comprehend. The main goal of data visualization is to enable different people in the business to understand the textual and number information more clearly through visual presentations. Businesses can use graphics to display their sales trends in different periods. Graphical data presentations are essential in making comparisons in business performance.
In addition, data visualization should also be able to stimulate the viewers’ engagement and entice them to capture the details in whole. For instance, a drill down of the sales data entails navigating through the details such as accessing individual product sales in a particular region, and individual sales representative performance details for a particular period of time.
Reporting
Another area of BI application is in reporting. Small businesses can make use of financial reporting and forecasting software tools to understand their financial performances. Furthermore, small businesses like other entities do not operate in “vacuums” meaning that they are in a real business environment where data sharing is essential. One of the aspects in which data is required to be shared is in the field of research. Research is very important as it helps businesses know where they are now and where they are heading.
Knowledge management
BI is also used in knowledge management by business intelligence analyst. Small businesses need to participate actively in knowledge management in order to achieve their set goals. There are knowledge management software systems, which are used in learning management as well as regulatory compliance. Take for example a case where customers walk into your store and don’t buy anything. This doesn’t mean that since there are no sales and customer information that is entered into the databases, the business should not know more about the behaviour of those customers.
Businesses can use the CI systems to carry out surveys and use that data to make inferences as to why the customers are behaving in such a manner. It is also imperative to understand that not all business intelligence tools are applicable to every other small business and therefore, a thorough research and advice should be sort to establish the best viable BI for each small enterprise business entity.
Exploitation
Last but not least, business intelligence is used to measure performance. Like the large corporate, the small businesses need to know where they are today in terms of performance by comparing their previous data, current data and future expectations. This is where business intelligence systems come in handy.
Businesses can have very huge data stored in their systems but if this data is not analyzed to produce key beneficial information, which can be used to make decisions and change business processes for the better, then it remains useless data taking up storage resources for the company. Small businesses need to realize that such data produced by business intelligence software can be used as a tool for reorganizing their business processes.
Many companies have invested in business intelligence (BI) systems but most of these are typical BI installations, which entail a mix of various customized and packaged intelligence systems with applications that access data from multiple stores. What this means is that the businesses have not consolidated their BI systems into one large system application, which handles different data inputs. For instance, an accounting system offer finance-oriented data output while marketing and sales system offers information on business marketing.
Using integrated BI systems reduces the number of employees obliged to perform business processes thus saving the businesses the cost of hiring additional workforce. In addition, the turnaround time of creating business reports is reduced significantly. Businesses need reports done in time so that decision-making processes are not stalled. The stagnation of the decision-making process negatively affects business growth and continuity.
In ensuring efficiencies in business processes, the BI tools and systems create benchmarks, which allow companies to easily identify areas of weaknesses and strengths and thus make swift actions to address any shortcomings. The process of mining data from the business data archives can help in uncovering forgotten, hidden or lost data, which can help a business avert past mistakes and learn from the past strategies. With the integrated business intelligence system, these business reports are available on-demand. This makes it easier to drill down and across the details of the report as well as sort and filter the details for easy tabulation.
Moreover, there is increased interactivity within the integrated BI systems as information is easily shared across departments. For instance, data stored in the accounting enterprise resource planning-ERP system and the customer relations management-CRM system is shared through data consolidation, which in turn produces better results in decision making.
As businesses continue to register increased data creation and storage, they are also finding it necessary to use that data in making decisions more quickly. In order to ensure that the huge data created by the systems is turned into meaningful information, integrated BI systems can be used to tabulate and manipulate the data. The unstructured best-of-the breed business intelligence tools are posing a challenge to business executives as the data they get from independent systems is not coordinated into one output platform where it can easily be tabulated.
However, by adopting a standardized BI strategy with help of business intelligence analytics, this helps in integration of the business intelligence for informed decision making. Whereas BI tools are not “decision makers” by themselves, if they are applied consistently and in well structured forms, they can evolve to be tools of enhancing decision making.
In addition, dashboard reports offer current metrics of the performance of the business showing the health and wellbeing of the company in real times. Key performance indicators-KPIs are offered in graphical formats through data visualization so that the users can easily tabulate the data reports. Whether, it is data from the accounting package, payroll systems or the CRM, all this can easily be accessed with the integrated BI systems tools.
Whereas the benefits of integrated BI systems may not be exhaustively covered, it is imperative to mention that companies have benefited from integrated and standardized BI systems because they are cost effective to implement.
In conclusion, as companies embrace business intelligence, it is important that they identify a BI partner who is able to offer integrated BI systems, which can help businesses save in their intelligence investment. Whereas it is difficult to place tangible value on the benefits of BI, businesses can capture the aspect of BI cost and returns on investments (ROI) for their BI investments. This can help in determining the cost of purchasing and applying the systems in data warehousing, information delivery, and data collection, and the associated infrastructure such as software and support resources, needless to mention the expertise required in enterprise business intelligence systems applications.
Businesses are increasingly focusing on how to optimize their supply chain operations such as transportation and delivery logistics and one way they can achieve this goal is to use transportation management systems. They are compelled to adapt to changing supply chain business environments including choosing a transportation management system that promotes efficiencies. There are many challenges facing large and medium transport organizations and they range from escalating costs due to increased fuel prices to proliferation of many ineffective and incompatible transport management systems- TMS tools in the market.
In order for logistic organizations and departments to improve their efficiencies, reduce costs and overheads as well as grow profits, while at the same time meeting customer satisfaction, they need to integrate the best TMS tools. When choosing a transportation management system, there are numerous factors, which should critically be considered;
1. The TMS technology solutions
Before you embark on any transport management system in your company, you need to analyze what benefits it offers. It is essential that you have a chronology and prioritization of the challenges your company is facing. Logistics organizations and departments want to achieve efficiencies in transport, reduce costs of transportation, optimize on distance and mileage coverage, initiate proper route planning and scheduling, avoid delays in delivery and promote customer satisfaction.
You need to evaluate how the management systems application is able to solve key problematic aspects in your transportation services. In cost management, when choosing a transportation management system, it is important to ensure that it addresses the aspect of load distribution and cost allocation in movement of goods.
The reason is that cost management in logistic companies is a major drawback. These companies are facing difficulties in cost allocation and dispatch scheduling. With fuel price margins not expected to go down, businesses need to streamline their costs of operations in supply chain to ensure high efficiencies in fuel consumption.
2. Upgrading needs of the system
It is important to point out that software application systems are dynamic and changing. This means that you may obtain a transportation management system today and after a few months or years, it is rendered obsolete. When choosing a transportation management system, you should examine the possibilities of upgrading its features to keep pace with new developments.
There are enterprise and network-based TMS solutions. The enterprise based models are highly customizable and require internal infrastructure and this means that if there are upgrades to be done, you have to meet cost of the upgrading the infrastructure too.
3. Data collection, evaluation and reporting
One of the main aims of using transport management systems is to be able to gather essential data that can be used in making decisions. When you are choosing a transportation management system, you need to ensure that it provides key metric data that can easily be interpreted for wise decision making. If the system is able to provide real time information, it means that companies can change their strategies to align with the prevailing transportation challenges and needs.
4. Compatibility/integration of existing management systems
One key aspect logistic companies should evaluate when choosing a transportation management system is its compatibility with the existing enterprise resource planning -ERP. If your TMS easily integrates with other software applications such as warehouse, accounting, purchase and HR resource management system, this means that information is easily shared among all the departments in a company.
With a TMS that fits in the Enterprise Resource Planning Tools, it means that logistic managers can share important information in real time with financial managers, purchasing managers and Human resource managers. This helps in the decision making process. If you are acquiring the best-of-breed TMS tool, you need to ensure that it can be incorporated in the already existing system.
5. User experience and navigation of the software interface
Whether you are using a third party logistics (3PL) tool or an in-house transport management tool, it is important to ensure that it can be accessed easily. The navigation and user interface should be self-guiding and easily maneuvered by users. If you have a complex system, this means that it takes a lot of time for the workers to derive the data they want.
If a staff is drilling down a report to find crucial data, it should easily be found within a click of a few buttons. This is essential because, at times employees accessing the data will need to provide instant feedback to questions raised by vendors and customers about their shipments or transportation orders. This will ensure that customer satisfaction is achieved. What this means is that if the system cannot easily be accessed with straightforward leading interfaces, then it can be complex for it to achieve its intended goal.
6. Sustainability of the TMS
The sustainability of a TMS tool can be analyzed in different perspectives whether in inbound transport, outbound goods movement or fleet management operations. If you are choosing a transportation management system, it should amicably address the aspect of sustainable growth in its application. The system should be able to reduce carbon footprints and environmental degradation, which have a cost implication on the company. It should also be able to provide in-depth analysis through key performance indicators (KPIs) of the aspects such as engine inefficiencies and amount of emission of carbon monoxide.
The system should have a trace back capability in monitoring green logistic infrastructure. It should be able to capture and report shipment information and history. There is need to get prove of the TMS’ reliability and scalability not to acquire a tool that will not be able to perform a few years down the line. This is a mission-critical application that should support current infrastructure and any future expansion and growth of the company.
7. Financial feasibility
Although you may acquire a TMS tool for your business at relatively low cost, if you are not careful, this could be trap that can easily lead your business into financial pitfalls. When you are choosing a transportation management system, you need to leverage current and future cost implications, which range from training of employees to execute the system, upgrading to new versions as well as offering network security measures to avert risks of hacking and theft of essential company information. Most in-house TMS tools can attract additional costs in the future.
This is one main reason why companies are outsourcing for the transportation management system so that they are able to concentrate on the application part. The infrastructure and maintenance tasks are left with the systems vendor, and the logistics companies can concentrate on key aspects of data analysis and implementation of key strategies.
According to a 2012 Supply Chain Software User Survey conducted by Logistics Management (LM), a supply chain news and resource information analyst, it shows that 37% of companies are using TMS. This is an increase from 32% in 2011. The report cites that the use of TMS is slowly-and-steadily gaining a positive growth path. However, companies are facing challenges on how to go about in choosing a transportation management system that fits to their business goals and objectives. In essence, despite the slow adoption of the TMS by logistic companies and departments, this transportation systems management tool has a proven track record of enabling companies adopt efficient and cost effective freight movement only if the right software tool is obtained.
A corporate video is one of the modes of communication, which a business can use to further its growth, profitability and customer satisfaction and this is why corporate video companies are essential in your business success. As businesses strive to increase their profit margins, videos can be used as tools of boosting sales. Different video media production can be developed for a company and each of these corporate video creations can be used in enhancing business performance and sales growth.
They can be used as training and instruction videos, safety videos, financial results videos, promotional and advertising videos as well as product launch videos. Businesses can also develop business event filming as well as live and on-demand webcasting with help of corporate video film companies.
Below are top 10 ways in which businesses can use the services of corporate video production companies to further their business sales.
1. Train your employees with aid of training video production
Whereas you can train your employees with other media such audio training materials, use of videos production is one of the most effective ways. Workers grasp, understand and comprehend the concept and subject of discussion more easily, fast and clearly when presented in graphic motion form.
Corporate training videos can impart great knowledge and skills in sales lead generation and customer relations. They can be used to train production workers on how to produce quality goods. These types of corporate video trainings help in tapping new customers, enhancing customer satisfaction, improving sales and attaining good returns on investment (ROI).
2. Elaborate your brand with e-Commerce videos
You can develop corporate video production for your e-Commerce application, which can help communicate your brand to the consumers more clearly. Whereas photos present 2 dimensional features, on the other hand, video productions can show 360-degree of a product. This offers a better visualization of the product. These videos can be used online or they can be used in exhibition stands to reach out to consumers and communicate the brand. This helps in influencing the buying behavioral of the consumers.
3. Use compelling video ads on your website
With statistics showing that 60% of all traffic on the internet emanates from online videos, this means that marketing video ads developed by professional a videographer are essential tools for a business to boost its sales. When these videos are embedded on websites, they help usher in the audiences and they also help in converting the leads into sales. You can use corporate video ads done by an expert corporate video company to enhance the conversion rate of your website landing page. This means increased sales and improved profitability.
4. Create convincing customer Testimonial videos to reach audiences
The buying behavior of consumers can easily be influenced by viewing testimonials of what kind experience other consumers have had with your products and services. When you present these corporate video production screenshots in exhibitions, conferences and trade shows, you are linked to hook the audiences and they can be carried away by what other customers say about your business.
This can easily contribute to making a buying decision and it is a good way in which you can increase your business sales. You can use the videos on webinars and other on-demand shows to showcase your business, its culture, products and services.
5. Present your new product launch with cutting edge videos
When you have a new product to introduce in the market, there are different ways in which you can do this. Corporate video production is one of the most exciting ways to present the new product whether in exhibitions or trade shows. In your business reception area, you can create an interactive point where customers waiting to be attended can have a view of your products and services.
The newly launched product can be presented in such a setting where many customers pass before they reach your business offices. This can help the consumers know more of any products your business has released in the market. Visual presentation grabs the eyes of the audiences quickly and strongly.
6. Film your special events to reflect your brand
Whether it is employees’ end of year party, a new product launch, or workshop video production and presentation, you can film that event and use it as a tool of increasing sales growth. When employees see such special events where the company has excelled previously, they are able to put more efforts in their production and sales obligations.
7. Educate your consumers with use of videos
When you are designing your corporate video production, you need to know your audience. This will help you prepare a video that will communicate the message across properly. Depending on the type of audience, you can change the tone of the video content while retaining the overall theme.
A video production that presents a launch of a product for young people may not have the same tone as a video that is produced for the adult audience. This will ensure that the message about the product is understood clearly by the consumers. These consumers are more likely to buy your products when they understand its formulation features, ingredients or its characteristics through visual aid.
8. Make use of quality videographers
The video you use is a brand image of your business. It speaks something about your business. In order to stand out of your competitors, you need to create video productions that are of the highest quality. Using a high quality video production company can earn you good reputation from the audiences.
It also improves your image to the consumers. The consumers would like to be associated with a brand that shines above the rest. Your corporate video leaves a lasting impression for your business and must professionally be done whether it is a video ad, a training video, a new product launch film or a company overview/descriptive video.
9. Develop an outstanding corporate overview video
Overviews are descriptively the launching point of many companies and this is perhaps the first video that a company develops. You can develop a short video that gives an overview of your business in just 2-5 minutes and give what the audiences want to hear about your business.
The video production may entail a brief history of your company, introduction of the executive and senior management team, its location, facilities and the key products and services. This corporate video helps portray the image of your company to the consumers and it can help create confidence and increase clientele base.
10. Reach your audiences with Video News Release (VNR)
Video news releases are like press releases. They are ideally 90 seconds or so videos that your company distributes in television channels so that they can be aired in news programs. These video press releases need to be created thoughtfully so that viewers can feel them as original news stories. This not only helps strengthen your brand name but also helps in increasing consumer confidence and sales growth.
These corporate video news releases can be produced by featuring professional actors who perform as news correspondents. The professional actors may also feature as experts who are interviewed by news anchors bringing a feeling of real and true experience.
In a nutshell, corporate video production is not an easy undertaking that can be done by neophytes. It requires a high degree of expertise in creative video services to enable a videographer develop a video masterpiece that has interesting storyboard, engaging quality images and sound effects as well as convincing video tone and content.
