Grow your business with Jack Black

Extraordinary men and women are positive

“Extraordinary men and women are positive and they don’t do negativity. Negativity causes people to talk themselves out of opportunity.”

“The quality of your thinking directly impacts your ability to succeed”

These are some of the quotes from Jack Black. Jack has been around the block and current research in neuroscience, motivation, EQ, IQ, habit forming, leadership and management, confirm everything that Jack has been speaking about since the early 90’s.

Grow your business

If you are planning to grow your business, it starts with your mind and your mental resilience. We decided to bring him back to Ireland as an exclusive opportunity to spend a day with Jack. The benefits from the one-day event would include the following

  • Unshakable positive mental attitude
  • Increased personal energy and ‘stick with it” commitment and perseverance
  • Improved creativity and better problem solving
  • Compelling goals driving better behaviours
  • Positively influence and motivate others
  • More effective results through new tools and skills for meetings, presentations and negotiations
  • Improved leadership
  • Enhanced work life balance
  • Applied emotional intelligence

Half a million and more

For 25 years the his toolkits has been taught to over half a million people worldwide including top entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, world champion sports people and endless workplace and leadership teams across all sectors of business and commerce.

Masterclass

Jack is coming to Dublin to do a masterclass on the 12th of June. You can book your early bird ticket here

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Four Questions to Ask When it Comes to Conversion Rate Optimization

Conversion scientists are all the rage in the digital marketing world and as a client it is often easy to get lost in the myriad of questions that flood into the head when you encounter the term CRO. Even for experts within the domain, conversion remains largely a game of test and run. For more often than naught, the conversion scientist is a marketer who makes sweeping assumptions about the markets based on whatever data they have and then change a few variables. Whether the tweaking gets him the best results is all dependent on his skill.

conversion-optimization

In order to get a better understanding of conversion rate optimization, here are the four questions you should be asking to yourself.

1. How do you define CRO?

This comes right at the top for two particular kinds of people; the clients who are investing in digital marketing and for the newcomer who has just started the road of becoming a digital marketer. In any case, the question itself has multiple different answers depending upon the school of thought you are from.

The most common answer I can think of is by Chris Goward of Wider funnel who spoke of CRO as test practices and tweaking in the variables to find a viable practice. The practice here referred to a particular strategy employed by digital marketers to get more numbers on sales and traffic.

This answer may sound vague to you and that is precisely why this question needs to be asked. For the client who is getting the marketing done, it is often simply about delegating the task without knowing enough about it. That’s a wrong approach right off the bat; get to know what your service provider will be executing as a strategy. Not only does this streamline the process but helps you prioritize your own strategy as well.

2. What Ideas to look at for Testing

If we do go by the convention established for CRO that it is indeed a testing mechanism for ideas and variables to increase traffic or sales then the next logical question has to be this. The problem is that in digital marketing, the variables to play around with are far too many and they vary from industry to industry, niche to niche as you drill down the campaigns. The most common answers you find will talk about:

  • Lowering the bounce rate (getting people to stay)
  • Increasing the number of clicks on the cart or product check
  • Increasing the clicks on certain “read more”

The actual division happens when you find differing trends for different pages within the same website, which can be easily deduced through heat maps.

3. Always go with Data or Innovate

multivirate-testing

Surprisingly, this is one question that often tricks the best of the best in the game. Again regressively, the previous question can bring you to the point where people are getting stuck but it cannot always tell you how to overcome the obstacle. This is where certain feedback tools like survey optimizers can help you in your CRO. But even with these you cannot always expect total accuracy for removing the said obstacles. Take an example of the fact that a regular customer you see at your store is now shopping elsewhere. One day you ask them “hey why do you not come to buy from me anymore?”

In most cases, the average customer will not directly reply that they do not like your service or the product but will go around the question. The digital marketing stream works similarly, you have to rely intuitively to figure out what it is that you should be correcting in your campaign. Often however, the question matters more because you need to know if the niche outlined has produced accurate enough answers.

4. When to stop testing and re-designing

This is the dreaded question for most clients because if you get the latter as the answer then not only does your marketing halt but you also have to invest in design and development. Time and money!

Does that mean this question is any less important? No! Because often the meter points out that there is nothing more to be gotten out of the website and the page you have been working on. Often the marketing stream works by channel segmentation: it divides the website page by page and form by form then tests bounce rates and clicks on each segment before arriving at a conclusion on the efficacy of the testing. That’s one thought output that Oli Gardener from Unbounce puts out.

Again, if you go for the redesign it will depend upon the factors that will be unique to your website in many ways. Your segmentation, your output and your traffic numbers will vary across different timelines and audiences so as a client it is very important to know when the testing has hit its maxim.

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Enhance Your Business Productivity With Supply Chain Management

Implementing a supply chain within your company can set the stage for a higher level of productivity. However, it takes much more than simply setting the chain in motion. To ensure quality performance and ultimate levels of production, proper management is essential. Here are a few ways to enhance your business productivity with constructive supply chain management.

Standardize Procedures

If nothing else, you need to take the time to standardize procedures. Consistency is key and if your process varies with each order, not only will your customers be confused as to what to expect, but other factions of the supply chain will be, as well. Take into account variables that will inevitably be part of the process and minimize their effects wherever possible on the overall system.

Communication

What works for one arm of your supply chain may wreak havoc for another. Take care not to set one against the other. Keep lines of communication open to see which processes can best benefit everyone involved to keep the line running smoothly. Create a collaborative effort so everyone understands methods and problems faced. Be clear in your communication of expectations for productivity and performance goals. Allow open dialogue to encourage problem solving as a unit and not as separate divisions.

Hierarchy of Importance

While some issues clearly need to be resolved for one branch of your supply chain, they may be mere inconveniences in another and placed on the back burner. Take the time to create a hierarchy of importance so everyone is on the same page when it comes to taking care of problems and understands why certain issues are taking precedence over others. Take note of issues that impair the chain as a whole and can impair efficiency and productivity. Outline the purpose and desired outcomes of your supply chain then make sure attention is spent working in areas that best accomplish those goals. Do not dismiss the elements that are considered highly significant to shareholders and factor those in accordingly.

Workforce Focus

Each section of the chain will have specific strengths and places where they can provide the highest amount of productivity. Grasp a full understanding of the core skills of your workforce to ensure each person is working within the branch where they can best perform and produce. Create an alignment with each link of the supply chain so employees can be moved into areas where their set of skills can be best utilized. Be concise in your descriptions of each sector as well as the expectations and goals so there is no confusion as to the element of focus that will be given with any particular job.

Incentives

You can have the most skilled employees available but even the highest performers can often benefit from incentive plans. However, the first step in creating a worthwhile plan is to outline your goals for cost reductions, productivity and quality as well as customer service and then build a performance based plan to achieve these goals. Offer employees a baseline of strong training to ensure confidence and investment into their roles within the chain.

Improving the management of your supply chain can result in higher performance, happier customers and a better bottom line. Create the culture you want for your company by ensuring your supply chain works in a positive and streamlined manner.

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4 Key Business Startup Pitfalls

Nobody ever said that starting up a new company should be easy but there are common business startup pitfalls that can easily scupper a fledgling operation and leave ambitious new businesses facing uncertain futures.

Here are four such pitfalls to look out for and avoid if you’re in charge of a start-up operation in any sector:

1. Borrowing too much

Securing finance can often be the difference between being able to incorporate a new business and seeing your enterprise ideas stalled at the planning stage. But there are real pitfalls to look out for in this context even when a new company is able to attract and secure the funding they need. In particularly, business bosses should be wary when they are able to borrow large sums of money and lofty assumptions are being made at an early stage about future revenue and earnings prospects. To put it simply, a new business ought only to borrow what money it needs to develop and not whatever amounts it can borrow later down the line.

2. Lacking preparation

With so much information, content and detail available on every conceivable enterprise issue online these days, there is really no excuse for not doing your homework before launching a new venture. Knowing who your target customers are, who your competitors will be and how the key trends in your markets are developing should be high on the list of priority areas to study up on and no stone should be left unturned.

However, even doing all the research in the world is no guarantee of success when it comes to establishing a start-up but failing to prepare as fully as possible is very likely to limit your company’s chances of achieving sustainability. The reality is that a lack of preparation is among the most common causes of start-up failure and of seeing a promising business finding its way into financial difficulty.

3. Starting too soon

Ambition, enthusiasm and a certain confidence in your abilities and your ideas will always be valuable when it comes to starting up a business but a degree of caution can also be a key ingredient in success. Balancing optimism with prudent restraint is vital and never more so than when it comes to the question of precisely when to get started and when to launch your new business in earnest. In some cases, unfortunately, starting your start-up too soon can be a disaster. Consider a soft launch in your spare time to get the wheels in motion, rather than giving up your old job and jumping in at the deep end.

4. Expanding too fast or too slow

Starting up a new business often requires a good deal of personal effort on the part of a few key individuals but not knowing when to accept help and support is a common fault that can bring down a new company. The problem is that sustainable growth can be a difficult trick to pull off and taking on too many or too few staff members can each have equally damaging effects on the finances and, ultimately, viability of new companies.

Keith Tully from Real Business Rescue is a leading corporate insolvency specialist. He has over 25 years’ experience in advising company directors in times of financial uncertainty.

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Promote Your Business Online: 5 Methods

Your presence on social platforms is absolutely necessary if you want your business to be successful. Besides, I don’t see a reason why not to use them – they are a lot cheaper and a lot more efficient than old marketing methods, which you still shouldn’t neglect, just focus your attention and funds onto modern methods, which have proven to be quite effective. Being new to the world of social platforms may be confusing, especially if you haven’t used them for developing your business until now. Each of them is valuable in its own way, and there’s a right way to use them properly. In order to save your time and money, I came up with this list, which will enable you to concentrate on the right things only. Whithout further ado, here are 5 methods on 5 different social platforms to promote your business online.

Tumblr

If the right way to represent your business is by using photography, Tumblr is the right way to go. They have managed to form an excellent database using hashtags, so anyone who’s interested into what you have to offer will be able to approach it naturally, without any forcing or brainwashing. This social platform is shaped in the form of a blog and it’s enhanced with the endless scroll, which makes it so easy to use, in order to look up everything you need. Besides, it requires minimal effort when it comes to maintenance, so you don’t really have to be online 27/7.

Pinterest

If what you want to spread around internet are links, the most efficient social platform would be Pinterest. It’s not boring or monotone like you’d imagine, because links are represented by some form of visual content like gifs, photos or infographics. Creating a board on Pinterest enables you to pin anything you want and create a type of database of carefully chosen links. Thanks to it, you can cozily place the content you’d like to share, pinned along with a suitable group of other links, and once again, allow your target group to approach you naturally.

Facebook

Both of the previous two platforms enable you to allow your target group to find you, but Facebook has a completely opposite approach. Thanks to that personal info every Facebook user enters while making their profile, Facebook became the perfect advertising platform – you can easily find specific target groups and offer them your services. However, in order to create the ultimate ad that’s suitable to your needs, I’d advise to do some additional research about your options, so you don’t waste any time or money on something that won’t work for you.

YouTube

Most people forget about YouTube when thinking about modern ways of advertising, which is a mistake. It’s not necessary to work with music, because there are all kinds of tutorials and informative channels you can make so your business can develop. The fact is that your potential customers don’t really find every website reliable, and by having your own channel, you’re able to show them you’re a real live person, which will make you trustworthy. Before you start, you should definitely look up what makes a channel good, and how to create one that will be popular.

Twitter

The most efficient way to share precise information or short news is definitely by using Twitter. All tweets are limited to one hundred and forty characters, which limits spamming options, but it doesn’t completely exclude them. However, you’re able to regulate your followers quickly, so that won’t be a problem. An important thing to know about Twitter is the fact that you need to interact – you can’t expect people to retweet or favor your tweets if you don’t do the same. Unlike previous social platforms, Twitter requires from you to be constantly active, but if any exaggeration is noticed, you’ll be banned or your account will get deactivated. But, if you do decide to use Twitter properly – slowly and with care – you’ll find it very useful in time.

One last piece of advice – when you’re making these accounts, pay attention to fill in every single info box, so your potential customers can access any type info about you without having to Google you. I hope you do try out at least some of these platforms, and I’d really like you to let me know how it goes!

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The Importance of Social Media to Your Business

The importance of social media to your business has become apparent over the last few years and it can be seen as a viable channel to do some good old fashioned selling. It is not a secret that 5 years ago businesses were not involved heavily in social media or saw the requirement for it in relation to their marketing activities. TV advertising was still rife and print sales were at an all-time high. There was no reason to even consider the alternative of social media.

Then came the establishment of social media giant Facebook in 2004 and the world turned on its head. Internet users were readily accessing information about people and companies. The physical “Directory” was losing and social media, content and advertising were climbing. It was not long until businesses began to question their traditional marketing methods and many considered a dual approach made up of both online and offline.

Today, this could not be more accurate. Businesses are very aware of their impact online and the ease at which they can engage, inform and influence their potential customers through the internet. This is especially true as businesses can choose to simply utilise a social media account as a free way to advertise or alternatively pay to advertise and reach out to people. Followers, “friends” and readers can now get a feel for who a company is and what they stand for as opposed to what they do and what they are selling. People no longer merely buy into the product, they buy into the brand and one of the easiest ways to discover a brand is to research it online and establish where the presence is and what it consists of.

If you’re not speaking, how do you expect to be heard?

Social media provides the medium through which brand awareness is fluidly established as long as specific content is apparent and accurate. People have a natural urge to be informed and involved in what is current and in their specific interests. As a business, it is important to communicate what is happening in your sector in real time. Information has never moved so quickly and things have never been so easily forgotten. Would you prefer your business to keep up with the rush to the best of its ability or for it to be setting the pace and maintain it? Keeping your readers informed is important to the role of speaking online. You don’t want your readers having to go elsewhere for information you already possess.

Three things: engage, engage, engage

It is one thing to shout from the roof tops about your company and its products/services, however, it is an entirely different thing altogether to be shouting this information whilst engaging your readership. Engaging automatically humanises a company. You are no longer this seemingly corporate giant on a mountain, you are the gentle goat who has journeyed the wilderness to inform and people are paying attention. People appreciate a brand that is not afraid to talk to its customers for fear it will shatter the illusion of a higher power. There is a lot that can be said for a general morning greeting or sign off and businesses are becoming very aware of this.

Meanwhile, there is still hesitation to communicate on ground level. Businesses feel more comfortable shouting their boasts from afar as opposed to up close and personal. Readerships can be an intimidating notion. With one swift, immediate, striking comment a reader can blow a hole in a company’s statement and, whether it is accurate or not, the company has been exposed to doubt and suspicion. Understanding that this is an occurrence that comes with the package of having an online presence, companies must stride confidently in the belief of their word and their loyal customer base.

80/20 Rule

No, this ratio is not a reference to how you should approach diet and exercise. This rules applies to the level at which you entertain versus the amount you advertise yourselves and what you do. Kevan Lee from Buffer speaks about a range of different ratios in relation to social media, “and one thing they all have in common is an emphasis on sharing others’ content more than your own.” To attract people to your social channels, there has to be a selling point aside from the things you are actually selling. Sell your personality and topics you know your readers will appreciate because it is still highly relevant to your business and because it is also highly entertaining and/or informing in relation to what is current.

If you’re not online you’re off target

Online presence in essence is essential to you and your business in order for it to be truly relevant in the greater spectrum of things. Whilst social media seems like such a simplistic aspect to the extent that it could be ignored, that assumption would be a huge mistake. The benefits of social media cannot be measured at every instance as the metric for informing an audience is difficult to established, however, one cannot underestimate the effects of engaging your readership. Social media is important, simply because ignoring this tool can put your business at a competitive disadvantage whilst missing out on the opportunity to reach out to your customer base and far beyond.

Inform, influence, engage.

Rachel Kenny is Marketing Executive at E-MIT Solutions, an Irish IT solutions company specialising in IT Consultancy, Cloud Computing, IT Security & IT infrastructure solutions.

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On Page Optimization: Guidelines for 2015

For some of you this will be a nice reminder, and for others this quick guide will let you know the most common best practices that are still effective for on page optimization in 2015.

Search engine optimization is a form of business that constantly evolves. New technologies, tweaks to how search engines interpret data and the modification of how certain established factors are weighted make it so.

To start 2015 correctly with your own website, it’s imperative that your on-page SEO marketing optimization is both complete and up-to-date with regards to the factors the search engines consider essential.

This guide aims to look at the essential on-page factors that website owners tend to miss in a way that even beginners can understand and employ.

1. Your Website URLs

The URLs of your website’s pages reflect how easily people and computers can interpret what your pages are about.

If you’re going to purchase a new domain or create a subdomain of your website, then consider making it as keyword-centric as possible. This can including your brand or a main keyword for your subdomain (such as “guides.yourwebsite.com”).

As far as your individual pages’ URLs go, it’s important to ensure that they describe the content contained on your page. This means you want a descriptive URL such as “http://www.yourwebsite.com/category/keyword.html”.

It’s also important to remove extraneous data that may not be helpful to your visitors. Consider removing the date of posts, for example, if you use something like WordPress to manage your website. Dates are primarily helpful for blog content, but not static web material.

If you have a string of dynamic code for a ecommerce site, make static landing pages optimized for your KW’s and let the dynamic URL’s work for user generated search queries.

2. Your Title Tags

Title tags are relatively simple. They should include your page’s main keyword first with your website’s  main keyword, such as your brand or an encompassing keyword like ‘plumbing’, second.

It’s important to remember to keep your page titles to 69 characters or less. This is a situation where search engines truncate longer titles or simply replace them with more “appropriate” titles in search results, which may negatively impact your website’s presence in search engine results.

A bad example is this cool infographic about Ray-Bans (which is a great example of content marketing) but you will notice if you use a tool like Moz’s chrome add-on that the title tag, along with all other posts on the blog are simply the blog’s title.

No custom title tags for any posts?

This is such an easy fix, and I am always surprised to see even big companies neglect optimizing their title tags. This has been “best practice” for years.

3. Your Meta Description and Meta Tags

the meta content of your pages is also important. Ensuring that each field is complete will help your website perform better.

Of all the meta content on any given page, the meta description falls just after your page title in importance to your SEO. Ensure that your meta description is 156 characters or less and that it relates highly to the rest of your content on your page, as this will allow it to perform better in search engines like Google.

As far as other meta content goes, you should add things like keywords and content type to your pages. You just need to be aware that very few search engines heavily weigh these things, and some search engines, which includes Google, tend to ignore them outright.

Now some of you may be saying “Didn’t Google announce forever ago that Meta tags don’t factor into SEO rankings?” Yes they did. It is true that Google doesn’t factor in meta tags directly, however, when you are listed in a google search the meta tag is what people read before they decide which search result to click. If your meta tag is bad, and people don’t click through to your site when your listed, Google will take that as a sign that your page is not relevant to the specific query that triggered your listing in the first place.

In other words, the meta tag gets people to click your site, if nobody clicks your site, you lose rankings. So meta descriptions are still very important to SEO.

4. Keyword Density

Keyword density is a tricky subject, as there is no set limit for how many times a keyword should appear within your text to be considered relevant. The only thing that is for certain is that mentioning a keyword too many times may make your page perform poorly in search engines.

To both guard against this and improve your keyword-related performance, instead opt to use synonyms and other closely related keywords when possible. This will make your pages’ contents perform better both in the eyes of search engines and your visitors.

It’s also not a bad idea to see what the density for your top 5 competitors ranking is and try to use that as a standard. It’s pretty easy, just pop in the top 5 search results for your keyword into a tool like text analyser and if you find the top 5 results are all around 40%, it’s safe to say you can optimize to 40% and not worry about being penalized.

5. Content Length

Just like with keyword density, there is no set content length that will perform better in the eyes of search engines. The only thing that is for certain is that longer content that has a clear purpose behind it tends to perform far better than short-winded content.

As a general rule of thumb, aim for your pages to have a minimum of 300 to 350 words. You should include other pieces of media and interactive content to keep your visitors on your pages for as long as possible.

It’s worth noting that longer content can be interwoven with shorter pieces. This supports a healthy interlinked URL scheme, which appeals both search engines and your most curious of visitors.

6. Image Alt Tags

Although image recognition is improving, there’s only so much that search engines like Google can accurately interpret. Alt tags allow search engines to quickly understand what your images on your pages are about, which is why it’s important to use them whenever possible.

When doing so, be sure to add in the keywords that describe your content. This will help both your page in SERPs and your images in image search engines.

7. Ad-Less Content

While ad revenue is always nice, it can significantly detract from your most valuable pages. Try to keep above-the-fold content that you want your visitors to read clear of ads and other potentially annoying or distracting content.

If you must put ads on your place, the best place to do so is either through contextual links or near the end of your content. This will reduce negative SEO factors like bounce rate while keeping your pages lovable in the eyes of your visitors.

Other Factors to Consider

What has been covered so far is just a start. There’s still countless other tweaks to your SEO that you can perform, but following the above steps will ensure that your website has a strong start in 2015 with search engines.

If you are wondering where “on page” optimization sits into whats known as ‘SEO Priorities” It sits as the #2 priority according to this article. Either way, on-page is relatively simple, and has been around for a long time yet many webmasters still neglect to optimize and miss out on easy wins that do add up over time. Stop worrying about links, and get your site in order first.

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QRVO: Print Partners Opportunities

QRVO is an innovative Information Gateway suitable for numerous advertising/branding and promotional applications. Based on the original QR code, developed by Denso Wave, the high capacity code now offers greater flexibility, a consumer friendly voice over and is linked to Analytics. The Alpha Numeric code is provided in a print ready format, with selected customer, text, graphics, and video, content.

Users simply scan the code with a Smart Phone or Mobile device, no URLs, no password, no user details. Content is a near immediate download. Most Smart Phones now have inbuilt scan options

QRVO clients determine the content. The level of scan activity can be monitored by Analytics. The code remains intact and the content can be changed remotely. The client determines the content, evaluates the campaign and can alter the content to match demand.

QRVO Print Partner network in Ireland

We are seeking to establish a QRVO Print Partner network in Ireland. This offers an integrated upsell opportunity to the print sector. The QRVO code is a major additional promotional/marketing/advertising tool for the existing customer base. The once humble business card will continue to display primary contact details, and can offer a video presentation on a new service or product. Some customers may opt to provide a special offer, voucher.

The bespoke QRVO is provided in a print ready format. The customer determines the content and deployment. The code can be deployed on business cards, conventional publication, brochures, Labels, till receipts, headed paper, outgoing mails, signage and packaging. Most importantly the customer can determine the effectiveness through Analytics.

In a marketplace where customer engagement is critical QRVO is simple, customer friendly, innovative and that vital engagement can be evaluated.

If you feel this outline is of interest and merits further discussion, please email info@info@qrvo.ie to contact our sales team

Based on the original code developed by Denso wave, QRVO is re-engineered in Castlebar County Mayo www.qrvo.ie

“This document contains information that is confidential to QRVO and all Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights in this document and all information contained in it shall vest in QRVO”

Witten by John Moran | QRVO Business Development info@qrvo.ie 087 25 27 407. As part of ‘Use SBC as a channel initiative, QRVO has a special 10% discount on Standard QRVO orders to SBC members and readers.

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9 Advantages of Being a Female Entrepreneur

Before I am labeled a “feminist” by anyone else, let me proudly state that I am absolutely that! Being a feminist today means that I have a strong sense of self, am comfortable in my own skin, and realize that I can do anything I set my mind to doing. In fact, I have made it a personal mission to understand exactly what feminism brings to entrepreneurship, and why women can be so successful. They really do have qualities that differentiate them from their male counterparts, and these qualities are especially helpful today. I have narrowed my list down to 9 advantages of being a female entrepreneur, though I could probably come up with more!

Listening

I think women are just better listeners. Male entrepreneurs tend to be fixated on how they have all of a customer’s answers when they may not in fact know what the customer’s needs are. Women seem more willing to ask questions, listen to responses, and then advise a customer, based upon those responses.

Tolerance for Pain and Rejection

It’s interesting to watch the responses of men and women when a customer rejects what they are selling. Women tend to reflect on the rejection and ask, “Why?” This may bring new insight into how it should be done differently. Men tend to blame the customer rather than engage in self-reflection.

Collaboration

While men tend to “go it alone” (perhaps this is a throwback to some visceral need to be completely self-sufficient), women are willing to collaborate with others, sometimes even their competitors, so that all can achieve success.

Social Networking/Personalization

I realized this from my own personal Facebook account. As I looked at my own home page, reading posts and comments, and then as I accessed others’ timelines, I began to notice that far more women than men post comments and responses to comments. I think this speaks volumes about where our “heads” are. Women seem to want more social interaction, and that desire bodes well for business culture today. Remember, building a business is as much about building relationships as it is other things.

Company Culture

We are really “over” the traditional office structure and procedures. Running a business today requires leadership, to be sure, and men tend to have great leadership skills. However, the cultural aspects of contemporary business operations have changed markedly, and women seem to have adapted to these far easier. Businesses run by women more often offer flex-time, job-sharing, working from home and both maternity and paternity leave, as just a few examples.

Tenacity

Whether it is because she has felt “left out” of the “good old boys’ club,” or whether she has simply learned not to ever give up, women in business do not take “no” for an answer and will attack an issue from several angles until it is resolved. Men tend to be more linear in their thinking and more willing to scrap an idea that “bombs” the first time out.

Multi-Tasking

Perhaps it is because many women run a household and have the bulk of the responsibility for the children, while they still pursue their careers, they just seem to be better at “juggling” many tasks at the same time. In today’s lean business models, this is an absolute must!

Patience

Again, this may be a factor of running a household and raising children, but females do tend to have more patience. With that patience comes less impulsivity and perhaps more considered business decisions.

Intuition

This is such a trite term, I hesitate to use it. But it really is a factor in how women conduct business. They tend to get first impressions quite quickly and “go with their gut.” A good friend of mine own a lodge and restaurant. She states that she knows within a few minutes whether a job applicant is a “fit,” just by the way they walk into her office and sit down! And she maintains a great and loyal staff.

Today’s business culture requires a paradigm shift from old business models, and women seem particularly well-suited to thrive in this new environment.

About the author: having a Master’s degree in Journalism and love for traveling, Julie Ellis is financed by her freelance writing to investigate and explore exotic places of the world. Being a Chief Editor at Premier Essay she, as well, features articles for journals and magazines around the world.

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Email Marketing Tips: Boost Your Efforts

Most businesses take a laid back approach to marketing, and they’re surprised when they get lukewarm results. That’s stupid. If you want a good response rate from email, you have to crush it with your message. Read on for some meann email marketing tips.

Stop Using Popups

Why, oh why, do businesses still use popups on their website? It’s truly baffling. According to the usability experts at Norman Nielsen Group, people hate popups. They hate them. Hate them! 95 percent of people strongly associate popups with a negative view of the company or an overzealous marketing department (that makes it an almost universal truth), and 69 percent of users install or use pop-up blockers to avoid them.

Among the chief complaints are that popups obscure what they’re looking it, forces the page to load slowly, tries to trick you into clicking on it, and some of them don’t have a “close” button.

Still marketers rationalize them because they “get great conversions.” But, when you look at engagement and conversion to sales, or activity on the list, you see a huge drop off. Yeah, more people might sign up to your email list. But, many of those people won’t buy your stuff. Stop using popups.

Use Social Data To Segment Lists

Segment your list. When you do this, you create more meaningful connections on your mailing list because you’re better able to target the message to a particular group of people. For example, if some prospects are interested in “product A” on your site, and some are interested in “product B,” having your list segmented into “A” and “B” lets you send targeted messages to both groups, thereby pleasing everyone.

Send Real Content

If you’re using this mortgage software, there’s no reason why you should need to send people a pitchfest via email. Let the lead management software handle the sales aspects of the campaign. When sending emails, send out real content – editorial stuff – not sales pitches.

Ask Questions

Ask users questions via email, and ask them to respond. It’s natural for people to respond when you ask them to. If you don’t ask, people won’t. All you need is a simple like like, “What are your biggest challenges concerning ________? Hit reply right now and tell me what you think.”

You will get a flood of responses.

Be More Personal

Being more personal doesn’t always mean using the personalization features found in every autoresponder program. But, more and more, businesses are turning away from generic sales  emails. According to Hubspot, the CTR of an email is higher when the recipient’s name is in the subject line.

But, don’t overdo it. Experian found that “you/your” are better perceived than “I” and “we.” Finally, try to write your emails as though you were speaking with a friend.

Use Social Sharing Right In The Email

When you put social sharing buttons right in the body of your email, your message will get shared more than if you don’t. Social sharing buttons have a 158 percent higher click-through rate than emails without.

Send At The Right Time

According to HubSpot, weekends are the best time to send emails. Specifically, Saturday at 6AM. Use it.

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