5 Easy Ways To Increase Sales In 5 Minutes

Only have five minutes to spare then use your time wisely and incorporate these 5 quick and easy changes and see your sales and readership numbers increase:

1. Use up to a maximum of 17 words in your main headline to increase readership
2. Use a Drop Cap Letter in your main headline to increase readership
3. Insert order buttons adjacent to your customer testimonial boxes to increase conversions
4. Put a customer testimonial below your P.S. to increase conversions
5. Change your price to end with a "7" to increase conversions

Making these minor changes or taking these five tips into account when writing a new article, web page, sales page, email or a sales letter could see up to a massive 40% improvement in readership or conversions.

'On Demand' Printing Benefits Small Businesses

Digital printing or ‘on demand’ printing, as it is sometimes known is a fairly recent edition to a very old established industry. The arrival of digital printing has revolutionised the print industry and significantly changed the way small businesses are now able promote themselves.

Digital printing has reduced the costs of small run print jobs and significantly reduced the turnaround times. This enables a small business to send their customers highly targeted, highly effective marketing messages.

Short run, full colour litho printing was an expensive option for small businesses. A large proportion of the cost was down to the time consuming and costly process of setting up a traditional 'lithographic' printing press. These set-up costs meant that it simply wasn't cost effective to print a few copies of a document or brochure, so small businesses had to think long and hard about what they would print as many hundreds or even thousands of copies would need to be printed.

The set-up process for litho printing would also mean that delivery schedules would be much longer, perhaps a couple of weeks. You also needed storage space for all your printed documents, as you had so many extras printed over and above your initial requirement, you also ran the risk of them being out of date before you used them.

So to summarize the benefits of digital printing to your small business:

• Ordering your print 'on demand' means that you only order the quantity you want
• Turnaround times for digital printing are faster than traditional printing
• Your literature, information and prices will be more up to date and accurate
• Your offers can be changed more often perhaps seasonally, instead of repeating the same offer several times a year
• You can have specific targeted versions of your literature for each group of customers instead of ‘one size fits all’
• You will get a better response rate the more accurately you target your literature and offers and you can even add scarcity value
• You can test your marketing messages by trialling different versions and then printing larger quantities of the most successful version
• You will be more environmentally friendly as you will have less old out of date literature to throw away

Digital printing has significant benefits to small business owners enabling them to get the most out of their resources and time, both very valuable commodities in the current climate. Being able to specifically target your marketing messages and change and adapt them to the constantly changing environment means you will be in the right place, at the right time with the right message for your prospects and customers.

5 Keys to Mobile Marketing

In these recession led, budget conscious times, mobile marketing may provide a more cost effective solution for your business. The addition of mobile marketing to your marketing mix for 2010 could see you boosting your sales, your prospects database and your customer list.

Before starting you campaign, you should consider the following 5 key elements:

1. Accurately target your recipients – chose your recipients with care, ensure that the audience is applicable to the offer you are making
2. Unique incentive – make a really good offer, whether it’s a discount, a free item or entry in to a prize draw
3. Re-usable option – don’t just send one message to a prospect, build your list for the future with an ‘opt-in’ for future offers option
4. Call to action – make the call to action as easy as possible, make sure they can easily redeem it by a code or click to call option
5. Testing and tracking – track the number of receipts and redemptions of your offer. This enables you to see if it was successful and if you need to make any changes before repeating it or rolling it out to a larger audience. Remember always test, track and refine everything you do and then repeat what works and scrap what doesn’t.

So, put your mobile marketing campaign to work and start promoting your business.

7 Small Business Networking Mistakes

Networking, the hot topic of the moment is vitally important to small businesses. As a small business or a new business just starting out, networking and making the right connections can make all the difference now and in the future.

So when you get involved in networking, don’t be afraid, it is not as daunting as it may seem, here are 5 mistakes you should avoid.

1. Not being prepared, take lots of business cards or leaflets
2. Not rehearsing your sound bite, you need to be confident and make it flow
3. Do not attend a networking event and sell to those you meet
4. Do not just collect details for the sake of getting your numbers up, spend your time wisely and talk to people where their is mutual benefit for both parties
5. Do not pretend to be something you are not, be honest and genuine and people will reciprocate
6. Do not forget the network of people you already have, do not become solely focussed on building a new network, expand the one you have
7. Do not be selfish, remember its not all about you, people will help you if you offer them help, but not if you just take, take, take.

Now you are armed with your business cards, strapline and sound bite, so go off and network like crazy!

Recession Busting Tips Summary

So just in case you missed any of the 10 recession busting tips published in December and January, a quick reminder summary of the 10 tips:

1. Count Every Penny

2. Show Me The Money

3. Check & Double Check

4. Negotiating

5. Financial Status

6. Your Staff

7. Be Visible

8. Promote

9. Remember Your Regulars

10. Stay Focussed

So did you find these useful, have you gone through some or all of the tips yet?

I would love to hear what you think or what you have acted on; it would be great to expand these 10 tips in the future with your new tips. I look forward to reading your comments and stories.....

Recession Busting Tips No10 - Stay Focussed

Staying focussed and not panicking are vitally important, you now have a list of things you can do to help yourself and your business enjoy a better year ahead.

Work through the list gradually, some things you may already have done or perhaps have been meaning to do, so this is a timely reminder. You may already be following a similar process, well great, whatever position you are in; you are helping yourself to a better 2010.

Wishing you much success, happiness and health for 2010.

Recession Busting Tips No9 - Remember Your Regulars

Your existing customers are very, very important, they are the reason you are still in business, so whatever you do to get new ones, do not loose sight of your existing customers and their value to your business.

Do not take them for granted, or assume they will always be there. Everyone is in the same situation and feeling the recession to a greater or lesser degree, so make them feel special and valued. It does not have to be something big or a grand gesture, just the fact you have remembered them in some small way will be enough to reassure them that they are important and valued by you.

Do not let another supplier step in and take one or more of your regular customers away, make them feel valued, provide good products and services, keep your promises and live up to your USP.