Forkids Business Guidelines

Let’s look at some tips related to marketing that will make our online store, a successful business:

1. Digital Certificates

Hispanic consumers still have a certain confidence to shop online, not only care about their transactions, but also for the use you can give your personal data.

As a way to build trust is by using a digital certificate that ensures that customer information will not be intercepted by third parties and is kept confidential. An example of these certificates is SSL certificates offered by VeriSign.

2. Clear company description

Similarly, to avoid suspicion that might arise in visitors to the store, we must make a clear description of our company, which include information such as address and phone.

It is unlikely that someone decides to buy from an online store that does not have clear information on it.

3. Privacy Policy

Another way to build customer confidence in the management of your data, you have a privacy policy, which should be easily located by the visitor, and which clearly specify how it will handled the information you provide in the event buy.

4. Return Policy

Another way to build trust is by offering the guarantee of returning the product if it arrives at its destination in poor condition, is defective, or has customer dissatisfaction.

5. Different payment

In our shop, we must offer as many payment methods, as there may be visitors interested in a product, but if not find a way to seek payment, they could decline in their purchasing decision.

Besides offering the possibility of paying by credit card (for which we can use payment gateways such as PayPal), we offer other payment alternatives, such as bank deposit, bank transfer, send money through any international agency such as Western Union, etc.

6. Customer Service

We must always provide good customer service, i.e., we must always respond quickly and politely all warranty claims that we can do.

And to this, previously we must provide that the client can easily communicate with us, either through some form, mail, phone, chat, etc…

7. Fill orders

Each time the customer makes a purchase, must comply exactly with the offering, on the agreed conditions, and respecting deadlines.

Failure to do this, the client does not just stop buying, but it is very likely that we get a very bad image as a business on the Internet.

8. A good presentation of the product

A good presentation of the product should include an attractive image (bear in mind that this is the only way that the customer has contact with the product), and a good description that highlights the main features or benefits of the product.

9. Full product information

We must also clearly specify all data related to the sale of the product, such as price (including tax and shipping costs), and the delivery terms (forms and deadlines).

10. Short Forms

The purchase forms long and complex that the client can complete their purchase decision to decline, so that the forms of purchase must be short, where only ask for data which are needed.

11. Promotion and advertising

By having our online store, we are able to count millions of potential customers, but if nobody knows our business, it is unlikely that someone will buy it.

As always that we must pay attention to the promotion and advertising, whether ads on other websites, using email marketing, looking for a good positioning in search engines.

12. Chance subscription

We must not squander the opportunity to allow our visitors and customers can subscribe to our store.

So then we can send you our newsletter with articles related to our products, news of new products, new promotions, etc.., Maintaining contacts with them, and loyalty.

13. Constant updating

As in a physical store, in a virtual store also need to constantly upgrade the products, either by improving existing or new drawing, but it is also advisable to always update our store design.

This will give us the image of an active company, which is constantly renewed, where other customers are buying, and where someone is always pending her.

14. Follow up

As in any business, in a virtual store is also important to monitor whether customers (so we know the way they interact on our site), products (so we know what are the best-selling, the do not have good reception), decisions about the design (so we know what changes have better results) to our advertising campaigns (so we know its effectiveness, etc.).

15. Versions in other languages

If our product can be sold in countries speaking different from ours, we must not miss the opportunity of being able to penetrate these markets, and otherwise ensure that a version of our shop in the language of those markets.

But once made the translation, we must not forget to update it every time we make a change in our store.

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Let’s face it, if you’re in business, you’re in marketing. What was true 50 years ago remains true today: nothing happens until something gets sold. And selling begins with effective marketing, but most marketing plans fail for two simple reasons:

1. They fail to capture the customers’ attention. As strange as it may seem, the big task is not simply getting your message out to customers. In fact, that doesn’t count for much. You can see the evidence for it everyday and everywhere.

Look at your mail, read newspaper or email ads. Most of what passes for getting the message out totally misses the mark. We’re flooded with messages – and most of them go right by us. Why? Because they focus too much attention on the advertiser – not the customer.

What purports to be a message is no message at all. It may tell your story but if it fails to capture the customers’ attention, it’s a waste of money.

2. Perhaps the most pervasive marketing problem of all is a lack of consistency. Everyone starts out with a bang. It’s going to be a great ad campaign or product promotion. Time, effort and money go into the projects. And where are they six months or a year later? More often than not, they’re either all but forgotten or already a memory. The success of marketing is not so much in award-winning ads and brochures as it is in keeping the program going.

Business owners have an enormous challenge when it comes to marketing. They almost never have the time to put together and implement a comprehensive marketing program – and, most importantly, to sustain the program consistently over a long period of time. Here are some tips to help you create a lasting marketing effort:

1. A little planning can go a long way. Your calendar is a potent marketing tool. Start with your deadline and work backwards writing down each step required to complete the marketing endeavor.

2. Get others involved. Very often marketing initiatives require coordinating with printers, designers and even your staff. Getting everyone on board ahead of time will save you a tremendous amount of aggravation.

3. Avoid the temptation to waiver from the plan. Results from your effort may take months to manifest so don’t give up too soon. Remember, consistency is an important factor contributing to a successful marketing effort.

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Marketing companies exist to help you research and identify markets, research and understand competitors, build a plan for reaching consumers, building a strong value offer for customers, create brands, identify branding assets, design web sites and product packaging, establish and manage distribution channels, utilize marketing information systems, and design and manage advertising campaigns.

There was a time where a traditional marketing agency would handle every facet of a company’s marketing communications activities. From planning to implementation, they would be the middleman to make it all happen with outside vendors and publishers.

Today, most marketing companies specialize in these specific roles. While the complexity of marketing communications today requires technical and creative expertise, these often small agencies can?t quite put together an integrated marketing campaign. Marketing success today comes from establishing new markets, increasing sales, and maintaining customer loyalty.

The big shift from traditional marketing systems to the increasing use of Internet marketing is making business very difficult for small to medium-sized manufacturers who want to cut costs and handle their own distribution and promotion. There are providers of various channel services out there but there’s too many for a small company to manage. It?s understandable to try to do it yourself, however major players in the marketing industry, particularly large manufacturers that have opened their own stores along with major retailers favoring their own brands, are pushing small players aside. Major players have the distribution systems and sales information systems to make their marketing campaigns work smoothly and effectively. That efficacy simply drowns out smaller players trying to get retailer’s attention. They know what’s working and what isn’t right away and can respond quickly.

Marketing fulfillment is the process of delivering marketing materials through marketing distribution channels, along with providing sales training, and communicating with channel members to ensure the complete marketing campaign is carried out on time. Without this integration of marketing and promotional materials, and the coordinated timing of their delivery to retail and wholesale locations, the retail advertising campaign won’t achieve the results desired.

Retail marketing in particular is very competitive and each player or member in the marketing channel expects the best benefit they can extract from manufacturers and distributors. If a manufacturer or distributor can’t deliver the right payment or assistance, their products won’t be promoted by retailers as well. Without this paid empowerment of the marketing channel, the manufacturer’s goods may be ignored. Their marketing materials may be left in boxes and sales people will fail to deliver the appropriate information about their products to consumers. Communications is critical and must come from the manufacturer or value added distributor. Communications not supported throughout each stage of the channel will inevitably fail.

So in the realm of fulfillment marketing, it is the marketing company that can deliver all on all aspects of their advertising promotions from premiums and incentives right through to post sales support, will meet with success. It isn’t just a matter of greasing the channel with big money payments. Money can disappear fast without any benefit delivered. Channel members, particularly distributors and retailers must listen and fulfill their promotional agreements. They can’t always be left to do this on their own and there’s a need for clear leadership in this area.

Marketing channels today are shorter than they used to be, but they’re more complex. Even with online and electronic payment systems, marketing materials have to be created and distributed through larger distances and overcome stronger distribution barriers. Retail store networks for instance, may encompass many countries and each country will have its own physical distribution issues, language issues, and customs. Promotional products and incentives will need to be developed for specific geographical areas, different branding strategies will be needed, and even product packaging requirements will be different.

A Position of Strength
If you?re a marketing manager of a small to medium manufacturer and you?re currently distributing your products and promotional products through the same channels and you?re expecting your distributors to do your marketing for you, you probably know how ineffective it is. Things won?t get better. There’s no way to control such distant channel members and gain their continued cooperation. Competitors will be sure to analyze your distribution strategy and systems and find a way to crowd you out. By taking up your channel member’s time and energy, they can draw them away from doing a good job of promoting your products and brands.

The solution is to hire a promotional marketing company that has complete systems in place for designing your promotional campaigns and managing distribution and communications. These companies have strengths, capabilities and networks of distribution partners that can open up markets to your products. If new markets are not what you’re looking for, they can help better integrate your marketing efforts. That might be in the form of integrating and synthesizing traditional and new electronic promotions, or it may in the coordinated and timed distribution of your marketing materials from strategically placed warehouses. Their expertise in advertising promotions and after sales support can take your marketing to a new level of capability.

Expanding to new markets may scare you. One of the biggest impediments to growth in markets is marketing distribution. Effective marketers have this down pat and that integrated effort can eliminate regional brands trying to get a hold in new markets. They can shift resources at just the right time to make your promotions ineffective. If you?re coming from a weak distribution position, they can easily take advantage of it.

What you’ll need is a powerful ally to help you integrate your promotional marketing campaigns.

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Here’s a little exercise that will help you find your unique selling proposition.

1. First, you need to size up your competition. Who are they? What are they selling?

2. Now, let’s move on to your business. What are the features and the benefits of your product or service? List every last one you can think of. Remember, you are looking for benefits, not just features. A benefit is something your customers would find appealing about a feature of your product or service.

Let’s say you are selling a computer hard-drive with a 1 gigabyte storage capacity. That’s nice, and some people will understand what that’s all about. Others will not have a clue. So spell out exactly what that means to them. For example, “Our hard-drive has 1gigabyte of storage capacity, which means you can be as productive as you want with virtually no fear of filling it up. In addition, your computer will run at a lightening fast speed.”

I’m sure you can do even better. The point is, you need to translate the features of your product or service into benefits. Now this may seem obvious to you, but the best advertising spells everything out for its prospects.

So make sure to spell out exactly what your clients will get if they use your product or service. Will they make more money, take a step forward with their career, or lose weight?

What is the ultimate end goal a prospect interested in your product or service would probably like to achieve? Make sure you spell out how your product or service will help them achieve that. If there is more than one end goal, list each of them out. Different benefits will appeal to different prospects. And of course, you want to appeal to as many of your prospects as possible (however, you ultimately pick one or two for the USP – the rest of will be expanded on in your sales copy).

If you are having trouble coming up with benefits, try writing out all the features of your product or service. Then, next to each feature, write out why it is important. What does that feature mean to your prospect? These are your product’s benefits.

3. Next, let’s determine what unique qualities your product or service possesses. Circle all the benefits from the table above that separate your product or service from your competition. One thing you should realize is even if your product is virtually the same as your competition; you can still come up with a USP. Simply offer a guarantee, better service, better value, or faster delivery. Dig deep to find something that makes you stand apart.

Or create that special something right now!

4. Somewhere within the list of your benefits and features is the beginning of your USP. Write out 5 complete USP possibilities below. Eventually, select one of them (remember, you may always test it and change it later if it isn’t working).

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The idea behind viral marketing is that you include your ad with a free hand or that people use. Below are the 10 viral marketing strategies for greater impact:

1. Allows people to play your stuff on their web sites, newsletters, magazines or books online. Include your resource box and the option to play at the end of each article.
2. Allows people to use any of your products for free as a free bonus for products or services they sell. Include your ad in all your products for free.
3. Allows people to use your online discussion board for your own web site. Some people do not have one. Just include your banner ad at the top of the board.
4. Allows people who register for a free web site on your server. Since we’re giving away the space, ask them to include your banner ad at the top of the site.
5. It allows people to add your link to your website directory for free. Just ask them to put a link back to your web site, promoting your directory.
6. Allows people to provide your free online service for your web site visitors or subscribers to an online magazine. These could be free e-mail, e-mail consulting, search engine queries, etc..
7. Allows people who give away your software is free. Only include your business advertisement inside the software program.
8. Allows people who give away your graphics web design, models, templates, etc. are free. Just include your ad on them or ask them to people who make a direct link to your web site.
9. Allows people to place advertisements on your free book online, and in return, they gave the book to their web visitors or subscribers of online journals.
10. Allows people who give away your book for free on-line visitors. Then, their visitors will also give. This simply will spread your advertising across the Internet.

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Social media and mobile marketing are next big sectors for interactive advertising.

1. Interactive marketing will near $ 55 billion and represent 21 percent of all marketing dollars spent in 2014 as advertisers shift money away from traditional half to search marketing, display advertising, e-mail marketing, social media and mobile promotions, according to a recent study.
2. Given this, traditional ad agencies must include interactive marketing for mere survival. “We’ve hint-en before that agencies that can not transition from pushing messages out to nurturing customer connections are not long for this world. Agency readers, heed our warning. Services firms that lack data management, analytics, listening, social media execution , and strategy expertise will dry up, “the report warns
3. Search marketing continues to do well, in both adoption, today 80 percent of marketers use it, and money spent. “Search marketing accounts for 59 percent of the overall interactive walk. We project spend on paid listings, which includes paid inclusion, and search engine optimization (SEO) to grow at a CAGR of 15 percent, to $ 31 billion by 2014,” according to the report.
4. E-mail marketing continues to grow, with an 11 percent CAGR over the next five years, due to the “green” market campaigns to being in vogue and increased integration with social media sites.

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