04/27/2010 - QUICKBITES - Help Customers Get Into Your Business

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010 A WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER COMPILED BY SAM GEIST

MARKETPLACE LESSONS

What doesn't need repeating is that in today's marketplace a website is essential to doing business. It's frequently the customer's first look at the face of the company.

What does need repeating is that in today's marketplace this website must be simple--easy to navigate--a positive first encounter with the business.

It happened to me again this morning. I don't remember the number of times I've logged onto a company's site only to be utterly frustrated--unable to find quickly what I need--unable to get the information I need--ultimately (unwilling and) unable to deal with the business.

I end up looking elsewhere (not a difficult task on today's Internet) and I (and other consumers) reward the company whose electronic front door is clear and unencumbered--with my business.

LESSON LEARNED:
"Not only does simplicity invite, it motivates and enables engagement."
-Sam Geist

THE STATS

A survey, asking CFOs "what companies are willing to do to retain employees when the economy improves" found:

54% are willing to increase investment in professional development
46% are willing to promote top performers
42% are willing to raise salaries
28% are willing to reinstate or increase bonuses
25% are willing to enhance benefits.

--Staffing Service Accountemps/The Globe and Mail

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Recent research indicates that businesses with blogs generate more online leads than businesses without blogs.

Businesses with blogs generate 67% more online leads.
A business with a blog will generate a median of 15 online leads. (Businesses without blogs generate a median of 9 online leads).
Business blogs begin generating significantly more leads when they have a median of 24 or more articles posted.

enough content to make impact
other sites likely to link to such a blog that offers steady stream of content
more likely to be committed to updated their blog frequently.

Business blogs with up to 11 articles posted generate a median of three leads.
Business blogs with 24-51 posted articles generate a median of 13 leads, a 30% lead growth.

--HubSpot/The State of Inbound Lead Generation

To read the complete report from which these stats were taken see first SITE SEEING link below.

THE QUOTES

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
-Marcel Proust (1871-1922),
French novelist

"It's about re-earning trust. You want to retain your good people, because they are the ones that can always get a job anywhere."
-Tom Short, President
Rare Interactive Marketing Group

For related information see
THE STATS below.

Click here for a preview of
"Doing More With
What You've Got"

A New Program on
Managing in
Challenging Times

We'd love to hear from you.
Please email your
comments or suggestions to samgeist@geistgroup.com

SITE SEEING

Read this up-to-date report about maximizing lead generation from maintaining a business blog.
http://www.samgeist.com/inbound_marketing_best_practices.pdf

An interesting interview about the history of a sense of beauty and therefore beauty products.
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6263.html?wknews=041910

Connect with Sam Geist

Reproduction for publication is encouraged with the following attribution:
From "QuickBites," by Sam Geist. (800) 567-1861 http://www.samgeist.com

Sam Geist lectures, facilitates workshops and conducts training seminars on sales & marketing, the changing marketplace, leadership, differentiation, customer service and staff motivation. His three books, "Why Should Someone Do Business With You... Rather Than Someone Else?" "Would You Work for You?" and "Execute... or Be Executed" are available in bookstores everywhere, published by Addington & Wentworth Inc.