What Is A Brand And Why Is It Important

Brands have been with us for a long time, even before Mr Kellogg came up with his cornflakes. A brand says something about a company and their values as well as their product. Brands are important because they are a means of identification, a good brand is what makes a particular product stand out from the crowd and inspire customer loyalty. How do we develop a brand, and how do people distinguish one brand from another?


Brand Recognition

Most companies and some sole traders hire someone to help them develop a brand. In the first instance a brand is recognisable by its logo, letter head and name. While logo etc is an important part of brand development, they only make sense when they are allied to the real values of a company.

Logos only become memorable and recognisable when a client associates that logo with value, good customer service and consistency. How people feel about your brand when they see it in the shops or in an advertisement is a very important part of brand recognition. Customers view a brand's consistency as its promise of value and in delivering what the client needs.

The look and taste or feel of your brand, not only says something about you and your company, it also says something about the people who use it - why else would advertisements for certain products present the user as famous, stylish or knowledgeable?


Building a Brand

Building a brand takes time, money and hard work. You want your brand to have a good position within its particular field, and the way you do that is to appeal to a certain type of customer. A good brand has to have something that makes it stand out from the crowd.

Take a look at a few company websites; see what they say about themselves and whether that connects with their brand. You need to market your brand and people use strategies like giving free printed mugs and printed carrier bags that carry their logo.

A brand has to be something memorable if you want it to stick in the minds of your clients and keep them coming back. Many people say that it is little things that make them aficionados of a particular brand, swift and pleasant customer service gives you return customers and helps in building your brand.

Over time people come to expect certain things from a brand. You only have to look at how some of Coca Cola's fairly recent innovations have actually deflected from their brand. Customers got something they were not expecting and didn't feel comfortable with. People are loyal to a brand because they associate it with particular things and feel comfortable with it.


Why is Your Brand Important?

Done properly and marketed consistently, your brand says something about you and your company that the clients like. Your brand is important because it affects your sales and position in the market. People associate your brand with either good or bad customer service and with a particular taste, smell or feel. People like what they like, and that includes brand consistency, they like to know what they are getting.


About The Author: Wayne Barker writes for UK Print Price, experts in promotional printed items and promotional gifts.

Did you like this article? Please let Wayne and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
Brand Awareness: The Real Purpose Of SEO


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

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Until my next post on Friday on top content marketing strategies for small business, enjoy the rest of the week!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

How Your Business Can Cope With Bad Online Reviews

It's 2013 everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the festive holidays and have made your New Year's resolutions. :)

Now that we are in 2013, I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year. Hope 2013 brings you good health, joy, happiness and prosperity. All the very best for the year ahead.

The first post of this year is by our regular guest author, Wayne Barker explaining how your business can cope with negative online reviews. I hope you find the post helpful and as always, don't forget to leave us your valued comments.


How Your Business Can Cope With Bad Online Reviews

In this technological age of social networking, not only is a public bad review seen by the business it's directed at, but it can also be seen by anyone and everyone with access to the internet. Worryingly, studies show that 4 out of 5 consumers changed their minds about a purchase after reading a negative review about it online.

No longer can a company ignore a bad review and hope for the best, here in this article are some practical and pre-emptive steps to take when dealing with a less than complimentary review.


1. Plan your response

Don't respond to a review unless you can fix the problems that are being raised, it's a fact that you just cannot please everyone so don't waste any time trying to. If you do have the power to improve the issue, offer an apology and a promise for an improved consuming experience for the aggravated customer as well as an assurance for all future customers that the issue will not arise again. Be sure to avoid personal feelings when responding to a review, you are coming from the point of view of a business!


2. Get to know local review websites

There are thousands upon thousands of review websites on the internet, and if you understand how these review websites work, you can really use them to your advantage. Different sites allow you to interact with reviews in different ways. Some sites will let you respond to reviews, some will let you delete bad reviews and others may even let you edit reviews. Spend some time researching popular review websites and get a good understanding how they work. Check them regularly for customers feedback and even check to see if you can be notified by email when you are mentioned in a review.


3. Learn to work bad reviews in your favour

Bad reviews are going to happen whether you like it or not but if you can manipulate your words and create constructive criticism, you can do yourself a lot of favours. It's vital to acknowledge that your customer is upset so don't brush that aside when responding to a bad review, but try and get the customer to see the story from your point of view as a professional. Not only will apology placate the customer making the complaint, but it will assure other potential customers that you listen to their feedback and work with it.


4. Don't ignore a bad review

Do not assume that a bad review won't be seen and that you can forget about it easily; the popularity of social networking means that negative publicity can spread like wildfire. The best way to control a bad review like this is to nip it in the bud before it gets heated; placate the upset customer with some calming words and hopefully calm down any hype that was building. Not only will you save yourself any misery but you might even gain some business from those whom respect your work ethic.


This post was written by Wayne Barker for Hallmark Consumer - experts in e-fulfilment.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
Why A Bad Business Reputation Is Harder To Ditch Than Ever Before
What Is Online PR And How Can It Help Your Business?
Are You Speaking The Right Language With Your Customers


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

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See you back here on Friday with a new post!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

What Does Panda Mean For Affiliate Marketing?

Google's updates are a topic of conversation on every affiliate forum, and the recent Panda update is no exception. Affiliate sites are more vulnerable to Panda's effects, and some have lost up to 95% of their organic Google traffic in just a month's time.

Here, you'll learn more about the Panda update, and what you as an affiliate marketer can do to counteract its effects.


Just What is Panda?

Panda is a search algorithm update meant to further distinguish quality sites from lower-quality ones. Its goal is to provide the search engine's users with useful and relevant results. If an affiliate doesn't add anything to their site other than the information provided by the product's supplier, they will see adverse effects on their ranking when Panda's criteria are applied.

You can tell if a ranking drop is Panda-related through its timing. If a drop in organic traffic coincides with a Panda update, then it's likely related and you'll need to find out which pages and keywords are impacted. It's also a good idea to read Google's guidelines to ensure your affiliate sites aren't doing anything that may mean a penalty.


Website Ranking Criteria and Response

Many affiliate sites are run single-handedly, or by smaller teams that don't have a way to continually supply quality, unique content. There aren't any shortcuts in this area; if you see your web traffic drop, you need to do something! Now's not the time for a "one size fits all" approach, but there are some things that affiliate sites have in common, as well as some things you need to avoid:

• Duplicate content: If content is lifted directly from other sites, red flags will go up and little value will be added to your site visitors' experience. If your site uses content from another source, it should be edited, rewritten (Copyscape is a good way to check for plagiarism) and made relevant to your niche. It's not only fair, it's good business practice.
  
  
• Thin content: If an affiliate site doesn't produce content that's "valuable" by Google's standards and its sole purpose is to make money, it's called a thin affiliate. The guidelines used to review sites are very explicit here; those guidelines aren't directly related to Panda, but many of its specifications apply to the algorithm. If your affiliate sites contains "thin" content, it should be augmented and rewritten so that it adds value for site users.
  
  
• Higher bounce rates/page views: When a site is visited and the user then clicks the "back" button to return to the results page, that tells Google that the site isn't what the user was looking for. To avoid bounces, build affiliate pages that compel the user to stay around.
  
  
• Being blocked by users: If your site shows up in Google's search results and a good number of users choose to block it, your ranking will be negatively impacted. Conversely, if users bookmark your site or use the +1 button, Google is told that your site has something to offer. To avoid being blocked, make sure you're offering fresh, helpful and relevant content.
  
  
• High ad content: Affiliate sites with a higher than normal ad:content ratio have a higher likelihood of a negative impact from Panda. If you need ads on your site, keep them to a reasonable size and put them "below the fold".
  
  
• Using templates: Gone are the days when you could lay out a template and use paid search campaigns to gain traffic. If your affiliate site uses a template, be sure to regularly add new, targeted content.

While the recent Panda update can hurt some affiliate marketers, it can offer an enormous opportunity to those which have added value and a purpose beyond profit. Your challenge as a marketer is to seize the opportunity you've been given. Think of your target audience and the kind of content they want to see, and your site will stand out from the rest.


About The Author: Wayne Barker writes for Twist Forum, an affiliate forum that will help you grow your business.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Wayne and myself know by leaving us your valued comments below.

Related articles:
SEO Tips After Google Panda Update


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post on Wednesday, have a fabulous week!

Marketing Your E-Commerce Business

Here is this week's third and final article on e-commerce: Starting an e-commerce business is easier than ever. Once you've found a good idea for your business, you can get up and running over the course of a weekend. Many popular web hosts now offer one-click installers for popular online store applications, so all you need is the hosting, a domain, and a payment processor. The tricky bit is attracting customers.

Now that it's so easy to start a store, you have to work a lot harder to stand out from the competition. You can't count on the idea of "If you build it, they will come." A solid marketing strategy is essential.


Online Marketing vs. Traditional Marketing

When you start a bricks and mortar store, marketing is still important, but you can start small and still have a chance at surviving. If you're lucky enough to have a store on a busy high street, you can expect to get some passing trade. If your store is a little more out of the way, you can print up some leaflets and deliver them yourself to keep costs down.

Marketing an online store is different. There are a huge number of marketing options, and you'll need to think carefully to decide which ones are best for your business.

If you're selling a virtual product, then you don't need to worry about where your consumer is based. All you need to do is find ways to reach people that are interested in your niche. Adwords, banner advertisements on niche websites, and affiliate programs are a good way to do this.

If you're selling a physical product, then you have shipping costs to worry about. You may want to limit the places that orders can come from so that you can keep shipping costs down. One good way to do this is by running geographically targeted marketing campaigns. For example, you might decide to run a competition aimed only at people from your country. You can gather their email address and phone number, and ask them to opt-in for future marketing. This gives you the freedom to use a business SMS service or some mailing list software to send marketing messages to entrants at a later date.

Bulk SMS marketing and email marketing don't cost a lot of money, and they can convert pretty well. The trick to getting those methods to convert is to make each message valuable. Don't just send "check out our store!" messages. Instead, use your email list to send tutorials and topical news coverage and mention your products in passing. When you send business SMS messages, make sure they're interesting and enticing - for example, send a message to tell people about a big sale, or say "Thanks for being a member of this list for three months, here's a 25% off coupon code".

It can take a few messages for people to respond. Send messages with a steady tempo (once every couple of weeks, for example), and don't spam. Build up a relationship with the members of your list, and eventually they will become regular customers.


About The Author: Wayne Barker writes for Collstream who are experts in bulk SMS marketing and voice broadcasting.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Wayne and myself know by leaving us your valued comments below.

Related articles:
A Guide To Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Business
Incorporating SEO Within The Design Of An E-Commerce Website


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post on Monday, have a fabulous weekend!

A Guide To Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Business

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. This week and because I haven't covered this topic before on the blog, I will be publishing three articles on e-commerce.

Today's article by our guest author, Wayne Barker will provide vital information on setting up your very own e-commerce business. On Wednesday, there will be an article explaining the benefits of incorporating SEO within the design of an e-commerce website and finally on Friday, there will be a second article by our guest author, Wayne Barker which will provide information on marketing your e-commerce business.

I hope you enjoy reading these three articles and as with all my blog posts, don't forget to share and leave me and our guest authors your valued comments within the comments section. Remember, your feedback is very important which not only shows that you found these posts helpful, but also helps to determine future blog posts on Derek's Home and Business Blog.

Thank you and without further ado, here's the first of the three articles on e-commerce...


A Guide To Setting Up Your Own Ecommerce Business

Setting up an e-commerce business is easier than it's ever been, well, at least on the surface. These days, you don't need to be a tech expert to get an online store front working. However, attracting people to that store, getting them to hand over some money, and then having internet fulfilment services in place to make sure they get their product is a little more complicated. If you want to make sure that your store is a success, then make sure you know the answer to these questions:


1. Is Your Idea Actually Good?

If you're setting up a store, it's because you want to sell something. Before you go through the process of building a site, accepting payments, and sorting out efulfilment, do some market research. Are you sure your product is good? Would people want to buy it? If you're planning on dropshipping, selling handmade goods, or selling ebooks, you might want to use an existing store (eBay, Etsy, or Amazon respectively), instead of investing in tech yourself. Yes, existing store fronts charge fees, but in return for those fees your product will be put in front of far more people than you could ever hope to attract to your own website.


2. Who Are You Selling To?

If you're sure you want your own store, the next thing to figure out is who you want to sell to. This will affect the domain name you buy, and the payment options you take. If you're aiming at a specific country, then a local top level domain (such as .co.uk for the UK, or .de for Germany) is a good idea. If you're aiming internationally, you'll want a .com.

For payment options, most people would instantly think of Paypal and Google Checkout, but that doesn't mean they're the only options out there. If you're aiming your product at young people, you might want to accept UKash or other currencies that are designed for people who are too young to have a credit card.


3. How Will You Ship Your Product?

The issue of internet fulfilment services can make or break a company. If your website takes off and you get a lot of orders, will you be able to fill them in a timely fashion? Storing your product in your spare room and boxing up orders every evening before bed will work while your company is young, but it's not something that you can sustain in the long term.

Outsourcing your internet fulfilment is a good way to protect your business from the teething troubles that are all too common as a company starts to attract more attention. Outsourcing can be a scary proposition at first - especially if your business is a labour of love, but it is a good thing for your business. Specialist packing, shipping, and even customer service companies can usually provide better service than you can in house, and for less money too. This means that you, and your customers, gain from it.


About The Author: Wayne Barker writes for Hallmark who are internet fulfilment services experts.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Wayne and myself know by leaving us your valued comments below.


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
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Until the next article on Wednesday, have a fabulous week!