Are You Running A Smart Company or A Dumb One?

Dear Biz Whiz and friend,

I keep my eyes on the road, my hands upon the wheel when it comes to marketing education-especially if I know it's from a reliable source. I don't have to tell you there's a lot of 'self-proclaimed' gurus posing these days as copywriters, marketing experts and consultants.

Beware cuz you'll pay dearly taking advice from these scoundrels. Trust me what I say this because I've learned from the school of hard knocks-and it hurts where it counts

... in the pocketbook!

Anywho. My number one job is to help grow your business. Like a sales professional who works off a commission, I get paid on the results that I bring you. With that said, I'll do my absolute best to bring you credible, field tested information that you can use to increase your bottom-line.

So, let's get crackin'.

Your number one job should be to become a smart company and NOT a dumb one. And the first step is to get sound advice on how to become a smart company.

So let me share a little story I read years ago that shines some light on this subject.

Years ago, a small little company grew to become a big company within a three-year period. Things were chugging right along quite nicely with more than 120,000 paying customers.

Sales and profits when through the roof and the company became one of the largest in his industry.

Then the owner decided that he wanted to cash out and sell his well-oiled profit machine and enjoy his retirement.

With the help of his smart "go-to" marketing guy he's able to attract prospective buyers who ended up paying top dollar.

As it turns out, the three buyers of this sweet little profit machine were indeed Rhodes Scholars with fancy pants degrees from Oxford University... lots and lots of brain power...

Or So You'd Think

Despite all the formal education the new owners amassed, they proved within a few days of signing the paperwork to be complete idiots.

Their first order of business was to form an Executive Committee made up of the new owners, replete with a hand-picked CEO, CFO and a General Manager-none of whom knew anything about marketing.

It gets better. The crackerjack marketing team soon were put under the bureaucracy of the new "Executive Committee."

All the key marketing people were buried attending endless day-long meetings, red tape, and having to constantly ask for permission to run critical marketing campaigns.

As you can see, this twist quickly turned a smart company into a...

Dumb Company!

The new company's key marketing team warned them that if marketing was put on the back burner, the company would be bankrupted in six months flat.

Turns out that marketing team was wrong... the CEO filed for bankruptcy 90 days later.

The Moral of the story...

Smart Companies put marketing first!

Smart companies understand that sales and marketing drive the company to success and greatness. Smart companies also understand that every employee clearly understands that his/her job exists for one reason: to help marketing to sell more!

Smart companies understand the supreme importance of the marketing department and in fact put it first. In fact, the biz owner/CEO are the marketing department's chief advocate, they are implemental in goal setting, monitoring costs, make sure that sales and marketing have the funds it needs to attract customers and boost sales.

Dumb companies make sure marketers are frozen and are not able to get crucial marketing campaigns out and running because of corporate dictates their every move. They see marketing as a necessary evil.

Dumb companies make sure marketing is kept under thumbs of bean counters, bureaucrats and other self-important blow-hard fools, who seem to forget where the money comes from.

I could go on, but I believe you get the point here.

So, are you ready to become a smart company and see your revenue increase? If so, I have a plan for you. Contact me and we'll craft a personalized growth plan for your business

Read more »

Hiring the Right Web Design Company: A Simple Guide

Why the Need for Good Website Design?

For small business owners, website design matters hugely. Choosing a good designer means more than just getting a pretty web page. It is a vital aspect of the business and thus a crucial strategic decision. It is well known that the quality of the website can boost awareness and present the business as proficient and reliable. A good website design can help bring in more business and a bad would do the opposite, meaning drive away potential clientele. Some businesses are based on their web presence and hence the need to make a great impact on visitors to help with growth. Choosing the right service provider is key to getting the absolute best websites in order to make a great impression. But first, let's see what makes up the web design company and its team.

Know the team!

An able group of professionals helps manage and deliver various parts of projects for clientele and as per their needs. A typical team would comprise of the following members.

Graphics/ Web Designer
These professionals are basically responsible for designs of a web page and all its aesthetics namely, layout, graphics, colors and where the text would be located. They are also responsible for how pages are crosslinked and navigated in.
Programmer/ Web Developer
The ones that are responsible for coding on the site. They help build and execute advanced web services apps that help with back-end services for visitors like tech support and after-sales help desks.
Business Development
Although unrelated to the web but vital for business promotion, marketing professional looks after client relations and visitations. Just like in every business, they bring in more clientele.
Accountant/ Finance Expert
Obviously, to manage all the accounts of the business along with banking and assigned to taxation-related duties. Again, not has anything to do with the actual development but handles internal needs of the web design company.
Understanding your Needs!

Before dashing to the door to hiring an expert, its good to understand what you need and what you want exactly. As per trends, and a realistic budget, of course, here's what a typical website should have: -

Homepage
Services / Products
About us
News & Alerts
Contact us
Blog
A small business owner would have these six basic sections to make a website that would help them make an impactful presence. But, there are other sections with specialized services that cost and it's totally up to a business and what it requires. Manufacturers, for example, use these back-end services by to coordinate with vendors, clients and distributorships so have advanced websites that carry powerful encryption. Some businesses do have websites who need to upgrade them as they may not be mobile-friendly and old. Revamping them with a blog section and a few more products would give it a facelift. Why pay a web design company more if you already have a basic structure? For effective transmission of your requirement, browse the web to present a sample of what you want.

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Today We Write Stories That You Can Take To The Bank

When was the last time you heard a good story? You know a story that left you filled with wonder, joy and a big ol' smile on your face?

You were instantly pulled in, glued to the moment, and completely entertained.

It's always a pleasure to be around folks who know how to tell a good story.

Storytelling has been around for centuries. Back in the early days of Christianity, Jesus told stories called parables to share advice, inspiration and helped spread "the word of God."

My grandfather always told stories of his adventures during his younger days. One of my favorite teachers in elementary school always told great stories that made learning much more fun.

Stories Make Your Marketing Sing

Did you know, good story telling has a place at the marketing table as well? Yep. And it's no surprise that great marketing and great story telling go hand in hand.

Boost your marketing by sharing stories about your product, company or any related item to the marketplace.

Great writers (and street wise sales people) are always great storytellers. And if you want to up your game as a successful marketer, then learn how to tell a good story.

Here's why stories matter

First, stories boost your credibility. Think about it: before you can tell a good story, you need to know your stuff. You are instantly more believable when your expertise is highlighted in a story.

Trust. Credibility and trust go hand in hand. And when we hear a good story, we naturally make a connection to our own situations. This also cuts the timeframe for building rapport. And you already know about doing business with people that we like and trust.

Bust through sales resistance. We hate being sold to. But we like to listen (or read) a good story.

It's beyond the scope of this article to show you how to write a good story. But know that it's worth the skull sweat to learn how to write (or tell) a good story.

Google is your friend. Just search "how to write a good story." Then, follow up on a few of the suggestions.

You can also check out a few good books on the subject. Examples are "How To Write A Damn Good Novel" by Jim Frey and "Man & His Myths" by Carl Jung.

Unless you live in a cave, you know at least a one or two good storytellers. The next time you're around them, pay attention to how they structure their stories. Listen how they begin their tale. Listen to how they deliver the punchline.

Keep a diary on your daily happenings. At the end of the day, write down the good, bad, ugly things going on in your life.

According to master copywriter and storyteller John Carlton, "In fact, it's the "set up" part of telling a story that trips most people up. Consider the classic "two ducks walk into a bar" joke storyline. Is it important that it's a bar and not a library? Sometimes. But it's almost NEVER relevant what kind of bar it is, what town it's in, who else is in the bar, what time of day it is, what the weather is, etc.

Two ducks walk into a bar. That's enough. Move on to the next act - the interaction with the bartender. Act Three is the punchline."

And another great resource it to check Carlton's blog to learn more. Invaluable stuff there!

The idea is to learn the basics and move to the action... where you begin writing your own stories. Try this out on your next marketing piece and test the results. It may take a few times to get it all nailed down but I'm certain you see good results.

Read more »

Google AdWords Account Audit

It is simply the most powerful paid advertising platform for search online. With over 91% of the search engine market share, Google is without a doubt, the indisputable champion of all time.

As a result, it's only normal that every company on earth wants a piece of the action on the first page of Google either by using AdWords PPC paid advertising or organic search marketing. Let's face it, if your website is not showing up on the first page of Google for any given keyword query in your industry, you can forget about acquiring new clients on this platform.

Using the AdWords platform

As we all know, with power comes complexity and learning curves before one can show noteworthy accomplishment. AdWords can make you or break you depending on your skills at managing your campaigns. Let's face it, companies don't want to lose money in the process of buying paid advertising to acquire more leads. The main purpose of any business is to grow and make a profit.

At the end of the day, the only important metrics that matters to company owners are the conversion rates and ROI (return on investment). Sure there are lots of important metrics to track and monitor for any savvy marketer. Furthermore, these metrics are bundled in a measurable value called "KPI " or key performance indicator. This value was designed to monitor a business overall marketing objectives (the success or failure of a campaign). Some of those KPIs to monitor are called: CPC (cost-per-click), CTR (click-through-rate), CPA (cost-per-acquisition), CPC (cost-per-conversion), CLV (customer-life-value), just to name a few.

The AdWords platform has countless amounts of settings that you could compare to the cockpit dashboard of an airplane. Yes, indeed, very confusing for someone without any paid advertising experience.

Just to give you a brief idea of the different settings requiring your attention when first creating an AdWords campaign, part of the list settings are as follows: campaigns to ad groups creation, ad copies, budget settings and max. CPC settings. From setting up keyword match types like "broad match, modified broad match, phrase match, exact match to setting up negative broad match, negative phrase match, negative exact match. Setting up conversion tracking and Google Tag Manager tags and triggers, demography, locations and ad placement settings, scheduling, setting up ad extensions, call extensions, display network ad settings, understanding QS (quality score) and the list goes on and on.

It's quite understandable that most companies don't have the internal expertise to fine tune and manage AdWords campaign. Most importantly, their CPA (cost-per-acquisition) is much higher due to the fact that their campaigns are not fully optimized. As a result, their QS (quality score) (measure from 1 to 10 based on ad relevancy, keywords in ad copy, URL, landing page, etc.) per keywords are very low therefore bringing their CPC (cost-per-click) much higher. Furthermore, the ad impressions (amount of times your ads are shown) will be low due to poor campaign optimization.

Time for a Google AdWords Account Audit

It's always advisable to ask for a Google AdWords account audit by a third party certified professional. Most importantly, that professional will help you understand why your campaigns are not performing to your liking.

An AdWords account audit is the process of evaluating the overall effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and make your account run smoothly in order to increase your ROI. Only a Google AdWords certified professional will be able to assist you and find the missing link. During evaluation, many hidden issues will be discovered. Each item will be analyzed and logged separately.

A complete structure analysis of your account will be conducted to point out the weak elements. An AdWords audit will also help you discover where ad spent is wasted and most importantly how it can be improved, even more, new ideas will also be suggested.

You see, there is a lot more to Google AdWords than simply creating an ad and throwing a bunch of keywords in a single ad group and adding the website URL.

The most important aspect of any AdWords campaign is conversion tracking. Over 95% of businesses don't have that right. In order to fine tune and improve ROI, you first need to understand what is going on. If you can't track your conversion properly, how can you analyze your data and correct the poor results that are burning your paid advertising budget?

Furthermore, a high percentage of companies are missing important elements online. They just don't have a proper end to end sales funnel with automation to capture fresh daily leads and turn them into buyers. Having a website is just a small fraction of the online marketing equation and that is the main reason why so much companies are losing money trying to advertise online. Most importantly, they don't have a proper CRM (customer relationship management) platform to capture and nurture their leads through email marketing automation. So they simply send expensive paid traffic directly to their websites and hope for the best, a spray and pray technique that won't bring much results.

Read more »

How to Create Attractive Signage For Your Retail Store

 Why are my retail store signs not as effective as I expect them to be? Many retail store owners want a satisfactory answer to this question. Commercial signs fail to generate the expected results when they lack personality and purpose. If you are wondering why your indoor or outdoor store signs are not attractive and effective, follow these simple tips to fix this problem:

Create simple and clear message

Signs must be placed at front and center when your objective is to promote products. Your customers should be able to understand your message. Good retail signage tells customers everything they need to know in order to make a purchase decision. First of all, make your signs attractive enough that they grab customers' attention and make them read your message. Take an example of a great marketing email. It's the subject line that makes people ignore or open the email. Similarly, your signs must have the power to make your audience sign up.

Use easy-to-read font type and size

Small details do matter when it comes to designing advertising signage. Every element of your commercial signs needs to be spot on. Clear font characters will make it easy for your readers to quickly browse through your message. If your customers can't read your message quickly, they will simply move on. Try out fonts that are easy to read.

Personalized approach works

People like to read marketing material when it talks directly to them. They buy when they visualize themselves using your products. To make this happen, use the words 'you' and 'your' in your content. It will strengthen your signage in terms of clarity and personalization.

Be as precise and catchy as possible

Modern consumers have incredibly short attention span which means you have just a few seconds to convey your message. It is not a right approach to fill a retail store sign with plenty of text. Try to deliver your message in a short, interesting, and clear line. Remove all the unnecessary words and keep your message short and meaningful.

Don't hesitate to experiment

It is probably difficult to design a perfect retail store sign the first time. Feel free to experiment and figure what works best for you. Ask your friends or customers to provide feedback on what they think about your new sign. Improve your signs based on that feedback.

Consult a reputable signage company to get converting indoor signs for your retail shop.

A Sign Promotion is one of the leading and trustworthy signage companies which provides a variety of signs for businesses in Edmonton and across Canada.

Read more »

How to Create Attractive Signage For Your Retail Store

Why are my retail store signs not as effective as I expect them to be? Many retail store owners want a satisfactory answer to this question. Commercial signs fail to generate the expected results when they lack personality and purpose. If you are wondering why your indoor or outdoor store signs are not attractive and effective, follow these simple tips to fix this problem:

Create simple and clear message

Signs must be placed at front and center when your objective is to promote products. Your customers should be able to understand your message. Good retail signage tells customers everything they need to know in order to make a purchase decision. First of all, make your signs attractive enough that they grab customers' attention and make them read your message. Take an example of a great marketing email. It's the subject line that makes people ignore or open the email. Similarly, your signs must have the power to make your audience sign up.

Use easy-to-read font type and size

Small details do matter when it comes to designing advertising signage. Every element of your commercial signs needs to be spot on. Clear font characters will make it easy for your readers to quickly browse through your message. If your customers can't read your message quickly, they will simply move on. Try out fonts that are easy to read.

Personalized approach works

People like to read marketing material when it talks directly to them. They buy when they visualize themselves using your products. To make this happen, use the words 'you' and 'your' in your content. It will strengthen your signage in terms of clarity and personalization.

Be as precise and catchy as possible

Modern consumers have incredibly short attention span which means you have just a few seconds to convey your message. It is not a right approach to fill a retail store sign with plenty of text. Try to deliver your message in a short, interesting, and clear line. Remove all the unnecessary words and keep your message short and meaningful.

Don't hesitate to experiment

It is probably difficult to design a perfect retail store sign the first time. Feel free to experiment and figure what works best for you. Ask your friends or customers to provide feedback on what they think about your new sign. Improve your signs based on that feedback.

Consult a reputable signage company to get converting indoor signs for your retail shop.

A Sign Promotion is one of the leading and trustworthy signage companies which provides a variety of signs for businesses in Edmonton and across Canada.

Read more »

How to Create Attractive Signage For Your Retail Store

Why are my retail store signs not as effective as I expect them to be? Many retail store owners want a satisfactory answer to this question. Commercial signs fail to generate the expected results when they lack personality and purpose. If you are wondering why your indoor or outdoor store signs are not attractive and effective, follow these simple tips to fix this problem:

Create simple and clear message

Signs must be placed at front and center when your objective is to promote products. Your customers should be able to understand your message. Good retail signage tells customers everything they need to know in order to make a purchase decision. First of all, make your signs attractive enough that they grab customers' attention and make them read your message. Take an example of a great marketing email. It's the subject line that makes people ignore or open the email. Similarly, your signs must have the power to make your audience sign up.

Use easy-to-read font type and size

Small details do matter when it comes to designing advertising signage. Every element of your commercial signs needs to be spot on. Clear font characters will make it easy for your readers to quickly browse through your message. If your customers can't read your message quickly, they will simply move on. Try out fonts that are easy to read.

Personalized approach works

People like to read marketing material when it talks directly to them. They buy when they visualize themselves using your products. To make this happen, use the words 'you' and 'your' in your content. It will strengthen your signage in terms of clarity and personalization.

Be as precise and catchy as possible

Modern consumers have incredibly short attention span which means you have just a few seconds to convey your message. It is not a right approach to fill a retail store sign with plenty of text. Try to deliver your message in a short, interesting, and clear line. Remove all the unnecessary words and keep your message short and meaningful.

Don't hesitate to experiment

It is probably difficult to design a perfect retail store sign the first time. Feel free to experiment and figure what works best for you. Ask your friends or customers to provide feedback on what they think about your new sign. Improve your signs based on that feedback.

Consult a reputable signage company to get converting indoor signs for your retail shop.

A Sign Promotion is one of the leading and trustworthy signage companies which provides a variety of signs for businesses in Edmonton and across Canada.

Read more »

Little-Known Marketing Secret That Allows You To Write Advertising Homeruns

You remember Sherlock Holmes don't you? Holmes was the fictional consulting detective invented by Scottish physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes, as you know, is famous for cracking open difficult cases and solving them with almost magical abilities.

So, grab your inspector's hat and let's play Sherlock Holmes for just a moment. We're going to do a little spying today and see if the "Sherlock" in you can turn up a few profit clues lurking all around.

This is the shortest course to the profit-land in this crazy fun business. The direct marketing or "mail order" business as we affectingly call it have a "secret" way of "spying" on the competition. It's called "seeding."

Very simply, seeding is where you get on other businesses mailing list

... for the sole purpose of snooping and finding out what's going on in your selected marketplace.

This does several things for you.

First, you'll start receiving offers from the company you inquired about plus competing companies. And these offers can be golden to you by seeing exactly who's mailing what.

You'll see firsthand what their winners are, how the copy reads, what offers are hot and ideas will start to catch fire.

And if you go the extra yard and actually buy something, you'll experience firsthand how you were treated, what upsells they offer, and how they run the customer service side of the business.

Simply put, this is one of the best direct marketing educations you can get. And best of all... it won't cost you a fortune.

Basically, you get a master's level marketing education for the mere cost of a postage stamp and the time it takes to "sign up."

Pretty damn cool, right? As my late marketing mentor Melvin Powers once told me, "There are no secrets in the mail order business."

You'll be tuned in to 'real world-real time' marketing methods and strategies. This is one of the best ways to stay up-to-date with powerful trends and effective marketing that's cutting edge.

Seeding gives you another huge benefit...

... A swipe file right at your fingertips.

What's that, you say? Swipe file? YES! Swipe File!

What's a swipe file? Hey, I'm glad you asked.

A swipe file is a collection of marketing pieces that have a proven history of positive results. These ads are bringing in bucket loads of profits, leads, store visits or whatever action the ad is asking from the customer.

But how do you know if these ads are profitable or not? It's not really that hard to figure this out... and you don't have to guess.

If you see a marketing promotion (advertisement, sales letter, squeeze page, etc.) that runs over and over or is mailed over and over, then you'll know for sure it's a winner.

Most marketers, especially direct response type businesses loath wasting money. Again, if you see an ad repeated over and over again, you can rest assured that it's making money for the advertiser.

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Advertising Signage Trends to Watch Out for in 2018

Emerging advertising tools and channels are continuously changing the way we communicate or promote products or services. Signs, whether safety or commercial, are now being designed with the glittering digital display that presents content in a very engaging and attractive form. With the features of LED screens, companies now have the power to maneuver content in so many interactive ways to enhance their visibility. Understanding emerging signage trends will definitely enable you to create a good looking set of signs for your business. Following are some signage trends that will help you understand how to improve the presence of your business in a competitive environment.

Electric display

Despite new technologies, traditional signs are still playing an effective role in promoting small and large businesses. However, in the future, digital screens will gain more popularity and acceptance. It is because moving content with digital features is more powerful and engaging than a static sign. Modern consumers now have the freedom to get information regarding their desired products and services by simply browsing through LED boards.

Interactive content

Modern advertising techniques are bringing interactivity to offline advertising. The trend to display content in an interactive way will continue to gain more acceptance. Highly sophisticated display signs are bringing the idea of Internet of Things (IoT) into life. In coming years, tech-savvy businesses would be able to use signs that will show content according to viewers needs and preferences. The idea of IoT has clearly been put into practice by modern signage technology. Digital touchscreens and projectors are likely to be used widely in the future.

Social media integration

Social media has become a key advertising strategy for all kind of businesses. Whether you are a small plumbing contractor or a large brand, it has become inevitable to integrate social media into your advertising efforts. It will become more important than ever to use social interactions in the signage to improve engagement.

Content will continue to dominate

Content is of paramount significance for marketers and businesses. It's the content that drives people to take actions. No matter what kind of signs you are using to promote your business, you need to focus on creating valuable content that has the power to make people buy. Even if you are using simple banners, decals, wraps, or vehicle graphics to advertise something, your content should be up to the mark. Make a good use of signage to promote your brand and do not forget to follow new trends.

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Does Your Business Have Mojo

What makes one business better than another? Better at making money. Better at marketing. Better at setting up great systems.

Yes, all the great business skills that people put into practice definitely play a role.

But it's more than that. Every business that puts those skills into practice doesn't necessarily do as well as the founders had hoped, in a sustainable way.

What's missing in those businesses that don't achieve their promise is mojo.

Mojo is about impact. About using your leadership to bring together all the elements of your business to make a positive difference in the lives of the people it comes into contact with.

How do you get mojo? By actively appreciating that your business has the potential to become a difference maker in people's lives. Let's break that down:

See and choose the impact you can have. From the many possibilities of impact, of difference-making, choose the difference you want to make. What change would you like to see in the world that you and your business could influence?
Connect to where you are. Being an active part of your community with your business makes for great mojo. People recognize the connection, and adopt your business as their own. And your business is affected by where you are: it's the terror of your business, like the climate, soil, and weather of grape growers: that special mix of people, location, and surroundings. Even if your business has clients around the world, that is a community too.
Serve your customers willingly and well. When you appreciate that your business can make a difference in people's lives, you feel motivated to amp up your customer service to an unprecedented level. You're making a difference, after all! It's more than just delivering a product or service.
Embrace your team. All the people that come together to make a difference with your business are important. Team members and suppliers too. With that level of appreciation in mind, your relationships with these VIPs can shift to care and recognition. They become loyal to the business and the impact it is having.
Keep it manageable. Not everyone has to have an empire. Keeping your business the size you want, where you know everyone and can talk to them and hear about their lives, is a worthy goal too. Perhaps more worthy than building just for the sake of size. With size, you can waste what you've built through hierarchy. If you lose your impact along the way, then what is the point anyway?
Business isn't just about the mechanics, the spreadsheets, the tangibles. Great business is an art. Mojo lets you be an artist, in your own unique way.
Mojo creates intimacy, a deep connection between your business and the people it touches. The relationships with team, clients, suppliers, and the community is one of the great rewards of your business and one of the crucial generators of mojo that your business radiates.

The mojo effect ripples out. Fulfilled and satisfied team and clients become people who can make a positive difference in other people's lives too. It's all part of your mojo!

Ursula Jorch is a speaker, business coach and consultant who helps entrepreneurs grow a successful business that makes a difference in the world. A 21-year successful entrepreneur herself, Ursula helps you define the difference you want to make in the world and develop strategy and marketing so you have ever-expanding impact.

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How To Know When You Need A New Advertising Agency

Even though many of us don't own or run our own businesses, we know that times can be pretty rough in the business world. In order to stand out and compete, businesses will take on the services of an advertising agency so that while the business focuses on having a solid product or service to offer, the advertising agency can focus on making the business a consumer juggernaut.

In practice, this sounds great. In fact, the argument can be made that this is the way to go for businesses looking to stay ahead of the game versus their competition. Far more often than you'd think, businesses will try to take on advertising internally, figuring that no one knows their business better than they do. The problem with this is that at some point, you're too close and drawing conclusions on advertising strategy is being done based on emotion rather than analysis & assessment. In the same way you can't really tickle yourself, it's hard to handle your own advertising.

But, sometimes the job isn't getting the job done. What was once an exciting partnership isn't quite as productive, and you wonder what the future holds. Moreover, you hope you see the signs of decline before it starts affecting your bottom line.

How can you tell it's time for a new advertising agency? Well, that be harder than you think. Here are a few tell-tale signs it's time to part ways:

You Encounter Nothing But "Yes" Men - A business owner may find the idea of uniform agreement pretty nice simply because it makes you feel as though you've got all of the answers. The problem is that an advertising agency needs to be able to challenge their client to think differently.

You Lose Track of the Numbers - How advertising dollars are spent weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly helps a business know where they stand financially, where they need to re-group, and how best to move forward. Transparency is key, but if an advertising agency isn't keeping communication about these numbers open, the business who hired them is flying blind.

Your Advertising Agency is Missing in Action - When things are new & exciting, the advertising agency you hired for your business is maintaining regularly scheduled communication, providing a breakdown of all that is happening with your account. Over time, though, the communication becomes less frequent, and the business starts feeling left out and less important. Tension can fester, making subsequent meetings with the agency feel forced and uncomfortable. Both sides may dread appointments. It's time for a change.

The one thing businesses need to keep in mind when working with an advertising agency is that in order for plans and strategies to play out, it takes time. Each side plays their part in achieving goals & milestones along the way. However, keep in mind that an advertising agency works for your business, and if they aren't cutting it anymore, you have to find an agency that will.

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Check When Choosing A Roller Banner Stand Supplier

Roller banner stands can be described as self standing stands that are retractable. They usually have a printed graphic panel which holds the message that needs to be passed across. This panel is usually inserted in aluminum base that comes with a spring, hence the roll up nature of the stands. They are most popular because they are low in cost and they are also very easy to transport and use. You can actually set them up in seconds and roll them away just as quickly when you are done.

The roller banner stands make perfect display items, especially in trade shows and exhibitions. If you are a company looking to launch a product in the market, then you will also find them very suitable. They are the most common advertising tools used, but they are also used to make reception areas brighter and more welcoming. Whatever your needs, you will find a roller banner stand that works for your needs as long as you choose a supplier you can fully rely on. A few checks will help ensure you enjoy the best in the end.

Product quality

The very first thing you should check when choosing a supplier for your roller banner stands is quality. When looking at quality the stand mechanism is of utmost importance. Ensure that you can trust the supplier for a stable one that will not fall at the slightest provocation. Only the very best materials should be used on every part of the roller banner stand.

Most suppliers make the roller banner stands and will also do the printing work. For this reason, ensure also that they can handle anything you wish on the graphic panel including colors and images. The full color panel will be more attractive and a good supplier will know exactly how to bring out the best with your roller banner stand. Considering that the banners are retractable, does the supplier offer you a carry case too? A good quality carry case will give you a very easy time moving, transporting and storing the banner.

Variety

Buyers are not the same when it comes to financial capabilities and your supplier should be able to handle this by offering different options to cater to the different needs. Apart from premium ones, they should also offer budget banners ones are cheaper. The same should apply to the sizes. As a buyer, you should work with a supplier who can offer you any size including mini roller banner stands depending on your needs.

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Compare Google Advertising Rates

Google advertising is based on keywords. When you enter a text- or image-based ad into the Google AdWords system, you also enter keywords associated with your product or service. When someone searches for those keywords on Google, your ad appears to the right of the search results. Ads may also appear on websites that have integrated the Google AdSense program, which pairs ads with related website content. Some keywords are worth more than others. You can compare Google advertising rates by search volume, competition and price of keywords related to your business.

Google Keyword Tool
Go to the Google Keyword Tool page. The link is available in Resources. You do not need to sign into a Google AdWords account, but you may do so, if you have one. It will not make a difference.

Enter a keyword into the box on the left in the "Find Keywords" section. The keyword you enter should be relevant to a specific product or service you want to promote. In other words, use one of the keywords your target customers would type into Google when they are looking for a product or service like yours.

Select the box next to "Only show ideas closely related to my search terms." Click the "Search" button and allow Google to deliver the search results. This displays a spreadsheet of keywords related to the one you entered, along with Google search data about those keywords.

Click the "Columns" drop-down menu above the search results, and make sure "Estimated Avg. CPC" is selected. This displays the estimated average cost-per-click for each keyword listed, letting you compare the Google advertising rates for the displayed keywords.

Click the top of any column to sort the related keywords by competition, global monthly searches and local monthly searches, to get further insight.

Repeat 1 through 5 with different keywords -- and keep doing so -- until you have a general idea about the size of your market, competition and going rates for your related keywords.

Google Traffic Estimator
Go to the Google Traffic Estimator page. Again, you do not need to sign into a Google AdWords account, but you may do so if you have one.

Enter a keyword into the box on the left in the "Get Traffic Estimates" section. Again, the keyword you enter should be generically relevant to a specific product or service you want to promote.

Hit "Enter" to drop the cursor to a new line. Type another keyword related to your business. Repeat with as many keywords as you wish, then click the "Estimate" button. This displays a comparison chart for all of the keywords you entered.

Click the "Columns" drop-down menu and select every available option. Click the "Estimated Avg. CPC" column header, to organize the keywords by cost-per-click. Click "Estimated Daily Cost" to organize the keywords by total daily cost.

Organize and compare your related keywords by global or local monthly search frequency, estimated ad position on Google search pages, estimated daily click-through for ads containing those keywords, the amount of competition you face when bidding on ad placements, and local search trends.

Repeat 1 through 5 as often as you think of new keywords. Over time, you will develop a sense of which keywords most closely relate to your business, pull in the most traffic and command the most sensible Google advertising investment.

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How to Honor Internet Sales

The Internet is a vast resource of store coupons. Companies commonly advertise deals on their websites that aren't available in the stores, yet companies don't always honor the deals you find online. In some cases, the company has the legal right to refuse to honor an Internet ad.

Penalties
It's in a company's best interests to ensure that the ads it posts online are all accurate. The Federal Trade Commission considers a reasonable consumer's response to an ad when determining whether or not the ad is deceptive. If the FTC determines that a company's online ad misleads customers about the facts of a sale, it may impose fines of thousands or millions of dollars. The ad may be misleading either in the information it includes or does not include.

Errors
Typos are a fact of text media, even when it comes to online sales ads. If a company sincerely runs an ad that includes an error, it is not obligated to honor the ad, says Rob McKenna, the Washington state Attorney General. The FTC may not consider the ad deceptive if a reasonable consumer would realize that it included a typo. For example, since apartments usually rent for a minimum of several hundred dollars per month, an online ad that advertises apartments for $75 per month should likely say "$750 per month."

Stock
Before a company launches an online ad campaign, it should be aware of the potential reach of its ads. Since the company can estimate how many people will see its online ads, it should have enough of its sale items in stock to satisfy the customers who respond to the ad. If a company knowingly invites more customers to a sale than it can accommodate, the FTC may consider its online ads deceptive--unless the ad contains a disclaimer, such as "while supplies last." Look for such disclaimers in all sales ads you see online before trying to take advantage of the offer.

Habit
Unscrupulous companies may try to take advantage of the FTC's "reasonable consumer" standard for determining whether an online sales ad is deceptive. For example, a company might post an online ad with a false sale price and claim that the price was a typo, or willfully neglect to stock enough items for a sale. Posting a sales ad in these cases would lure customers into the company's store without providing the promised sale, which may lead some customers to buy more expensive items than the ones advertised. A state attorney general might be able to prosecute a company that regularly encounters such situations, according to McKenna.

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Disadvantages of Job Boards

While job boards can serve as a convenient way for employment candidates to view and apply for jobs and for employers to post open positions and electronically receive applications and résumés, disadvantages exist. Anything from problems submitting information to outdated job postings can cause issues when using job boards.

Broad Range of Submissions
Employers who utilize job boards as a way to find qualified applicants may be flooded with applications and résumés from people who don't have the experience, credentials or background for the position offered. Sometimes people submit résumés to job ads just to see if they will receive a response, according to Robert L. Mathis and John Harold Jackson, authors of "Human Resource Management." Software exists that will allow an employer to filter applications and résumés based on certain search features, such as keywords, but some qualified candidates could get lost in the filtering process. If filtering software is not used, an employer may be left to the time-consuming task of sorting through an endless amount of applications or résumés.

Difficulty Reaching Certain Candidates
Depending on the type of jobs employers have to offer, it may be difficult to utilize job boards as a way to reach certain socio-economic groups who may not have Internet access at home. This can reduce the diversity of the applicant pool and not allow the employer to achieve the goals of finding applicants who are well-suited for the job offered.

Information Sharing and Privacy
When you submit your personal information on a website, you can't be sure that it won't be harvested for some other purpose than you intend, such as for emailing lists or identity theft. There's always a chance that something untoward could happen when you submit information electronically. If you utilize a job board, find out if they share your email or address information with other companies up front so you can avoid their services.

Expense
While prospective job candidates can often use job boards free of charge, most job boards will probably charge employers some type of posting fee to display the ad in order to generate revenue. Also, job postings can prove expensive. If you choose to post an ad on a national job board site, the amount you pay could be significantly more than if you utilize a local job board site.

Technology Issues
As with any type of technology, employers or job candidates can experience problems when utilizing a job board. You may not be able to submit information or a job posting could be out of date, causing you to chase a false employment lead.

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Estimate Google Adword Costs

Google Adwords is Google's solution to online advertising. Advertisers can select certain key phrases to target, and when users search these phrases their ads will be displayed as long as they are one of the top-paying companies. In order to remain competitive, you need to have an idea of how much your target phrase costs per click. Estimating these costs is very easy using Google's keyword tool.

Visit the free Google Adwords Keyword Tool (see Resources).

Click on the "Traffic Estimator" link on the top-left of the page.

Type your desired keyword or phrase into the box that reads "Word or phrase."

Complete the image captcha and press the "Estimate" button to return the data for your desired keywords.

Locate the "Estimated Avg. CPC" column and your estimated Adwords cost-per-click is displayed next to your targeted phrase. In addition, you can see the average number of monthly searches and the expected number of clicks you will receive.

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