Process is defined as steps required to manufacture your products or the means to provide your services.
A clean and efficient process is the key to applying any technology solution successfully. The wrong, or inefficient process, will lead you to spend $100k on an unnecessary system.
The efficient process will save you money when implementing technology and should increase your profits. It is vitally important for your business that you examine all your processes BEFORE implementing any technology solution.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Adwords Primer (Part II)
In order to really get a clear picture of your campaign effectiveness, you should have Google Analytics tags coded on your landing page. These tags will allow you to see where your visitors are coming from and which keywords they used. You can even link your Adwords campaign with your Analytics account and see actual conversion rate.
The goal of any online campaign is to achieve the highest possible conversion rate. Google makes it very simple to determine the conversion rate, but they don't guarantee ad results. The best performing ads, according to Google, are the ones that are extremely relevant to the search term and that have a compelling message on the landing page.
Your landing page, or the page that shows up if viewers click on your Adwords ad, should be clean and compelling. The landing page should drive a specific action like filling out a form or testing your product/service.
The key to a successful Adwords campaign is trial and error. You will need to test various keywords at various times of the day/week. You will also need to test variations of the ad copy to optimize clickthru and conversion rate. It all takes patience and a little bit of money and time.
The goal of any online campaign is to achieve the highest possible conversion rate. Google makes it very simple to determine the conversion rate, but they don't guarantee ad results. The best performing ads, according to Google, are the ones that are extremely relevant to the search term and that have a compelling message on the landing page.
Your landing page, or the page that shows up if viewers click on your Adwords ad, should be clean and compelling. The landing page should drive a specific action like filling out a form or testing your product/service.
The key to a successful Adwords campaign is trial and error. You will need to test various keywords at various times of the day/week. You will also need to test variations of the ad copy to optimize clickthru and conversion rate. It all takes patience and a little bit of money and time.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
4 Key Points When Considering New Technologies
A technology solution should meet at least one of the following four criteria:
1. reduce operating expenses
2. automate existing (efficient) processes to enable growth
3. provide an effective means to communicate
4. enable your business to improve its products and/or services
Before the first dime is spent, insure that your examine these criteria.
If your internal processes are efficient, then applying a technology solution will automate your operation. This in the only true path to a proper return on investment (ROI).
On the flipside, if your process is inefficient, then applying technology will be costly and likely work against itself. Technology for the sake of technology is not going to solve anything.
In fact, without the proper process and strategy, you will likely create problems and reduce your margins by applying the wrong technology solution. A technology "solution" should always solve something.
1. reduce operating expenses
2. automate existing (efficient) processes to enable growth
3. provide an effective means to communicate
4. enable your business to improve its products and/or services
Before the first dime is spent, insure that your examine these criteria.
If your internal processes are efficient, then applying a technology solution will automate your operation. This in the only true path to a proper return on investment (ROI).
On the flipside, if your process is inefficient, then applying technology will be costly and likely work against itself. Technology for the sake of technology is not going to solve anything.
In fact, without the proper process and strategy, you will likely create problems and reduce your margins by applying the wrong technology solution. A technology "solution" should always solve something.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Adwords Primer (Part I)
Google Adwords can be an efficient strategy to drive more potential clients to your website. Notice, we say "can be" since advertising on Google's search engine can be expensive and not very efficient if managed incorrectly. This article will serve as a primer to get started with a simple, yet effective Adwords campaign.
If you are unfamiliar with Adwords - this is Google's main advertising engine. You can see it in action by going to google.com and entering popular search terms. The search results will have up to three sponsored listings at the top, along with several sponsored listings in the right margin. These "sponsored listings" are what advertisers (or you) will bid on via Adwords.
The first thing you will need is a Google Adwords account. Google has consolidated many of their services so that you can use the same logon for all of the them. Once you have created or linked your login, you are ready to create your first campaign.
Creating the campaign should only take about 10 minutes to complete. You will start by clicking on +Create New Campaign and follow the prompts.
When writing the actual ad copy, think from the readers point of view. Make the ad simple, yet enticing. You'll want to create curiosity, but make sure the message is VERY relevant to your product/service. Take a look at some ads that show in the top 5 slots for various keywords.
If you are unfamiliar with Adwords - this is Google's main advertising engine. You can see it in action by going to google.com and entering popular search terms. The search results will have up to three sponsored listings at the top, along with several sponsored listings in the right margin. These "sponsored listings" are what advertisers (or you) will bid on via Adwords.
The first thing you will need is a Google Adwords account. Google has consolidated many of their services so that you can use the same logon for all of the them. Once you have created or linked your login, you are ready to create your first campaign.
Creating the campaign should only take about 10 minutes to complete. You will start by clicking on +Create New Campaign and follow the prompts.
When writing the actual ad copy, think from the readers point of view. Make the ad simple, yet enticing. You'll want to create curiosity, but make sure the message is VERY relevant to your product/service. Take a look at some ads that show in the top 5 slots for various keywords.
Friday, October 24, 2008
3 Tips For Speeding Up Your Computer
Even though we've been working with Microsoft products for over 20 years, sometimes very strange things happen on our perfectly configured computers.
Here are three things we look for immediately to speed up a system:
1) Remove all unnecessary programs that are running the systray (the systray is all the little icons in the bottom right next to the clock). You can turn them off permanently by going into msconfig.exe and unchecking the programs that shouldn't be there. Just be careful with what you are unchecking.
2) Uninstall programs that you will never use again. Go to Startup>Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs (only on Windows XP).
3) Finally, AFTER unwanted programs are removed, clean out your Windows registry by using a registry cleaner. We recommend RegCure.
As always, make sure your virus scanning software is up to date and run full scans once per week. We recommend AVG - the free version works just fine.
Here are three things we look for immediately to speed up a system:
1) Remove all unnecessary programs that are running the systray (the systray is all the little icons in the bottom right next to the clock). You can turn them off permanently by going into msconfig.exe and unchecking the programs that shouldn't be there. Just be careful with what you are unchecking.
2) Uninstall programs that you will never use again. Go to Startup>Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs (only on Windows XP).
3) Finally, AFTER unwanted programs are removed, clean out your Windows registry by using a registry cleaner. We recommend RegCure.
As always, make sure your virus scanning software is up to date and run full scans once per week. We recommend AVG - the free version works just fine.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
4 steps to creating real-time online proposals
Here's a simple method for creating online proposals. By using Google's 'publish' feature in Google Docs, you can quickly create a unique webpage that is your proposal. No HTML required. Best of all, the webpage is dynamic. When you make a changes to the proposal, your customer can view the changes immediately.
No more emailing documents around and wasting precious time during the sale close!
Here are the steps:
1) Login to your gmail account and click "Documents" in the upper-left.
2) Once inside Google Docs, click on New > Spreadsheet.(Alternatively, you can upload an existing Excel spreadsheet if you have one.)
3) Format your new spreadsheet to resemble a proposal, complete with a signature line. (You can also choose a Template from the "New" button.)
4) Now, click "Share" in the upper right and then choose "Publish as Web Page." Also check the box "Automatically re-publish when changes are made"
That's it. Copy and paste the hyperlink that appears and drop it into an email to your client. If you have to make updates to the document, just tell your client to click on the link in the original email and they will see the updates.
They will see an option to print the document.
TIP: Put your fax number right on the document with instructions to sign and fax. Done deal.
No more emailing documents around and wasting precious time during the sale close!
Here are the steps:
1) Login to your gmail account and click "Documents" in the upper-left.
2) Once inside Google Docs, click on New > Spreadsheet.(Alternatively, you can upload an existing Excel spreadsheet if you have one.)
3) Format your new spreadsheet to resemble a proposal, complete with a signature line. (You can also choose a Template from the "New" button.)
4) Now, click "Share" in the upper right and then choose "Publish as Web Page." Also check the box "Automatically re-publish when changes are made"
That's it. Copy and paste the hyperlink that appears and drop it into an email to your client. If you have to make updates to the document, just tell your client to click on the link in the original email and they will see the updates.
They will see an option to print the document.
TIP: Put your fax number right on the document with instructions to sign and fax. Done deal.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
10 Reasons To Love Gmail
1) All contacts and email content is immediately searchable.
2) The 'Star' feature gives you a quick and easy to-do list.
3) It's free and ubiquitous.
4) The 'archive' feature lets you maintain a clutter-free inbox.
5) You can send/receive emails from multiple addresses. (i.e. jsmith@gmail.com or jsmith@acme.com)
6) Virus scanning on incoming messages (again, free).
7) Access from just about any cell phone.
8) Gmail can host your corporate email system (again, for free).
9) Perfect functioning spam-filter.
10) Did I mention it was free and ubiquitous.
2) The 'Star' feature gives you a quick and easy to-do list.
3) It's free and ubiquitous.
4) The 'archive' feature lets you maintain a clutter-free inbox.
5) You can send/receive emails from multiple addresses. (i.e. jsmith@gmail.com or jsmith@acme.com)
6) Virus scanning on incoming messages (again, free).
7) Access from just about any cell phone.
8) Gmail can host your corporate email system (again, for free).
9) Perfect functioning spam-filter.
10) Did I mention it was free and ubiquitous.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)