Here’s a tool that can add to your business’s bottom line and makes preorders a no-brainer. OrderAhead is a mobile app that allows consumers to place and pay for orders from their phones or computers and then pick them up at a designated time. For your customers, it saves time and makes shopping more convenient. For your business, it eliminates some of the hassle of preordering. The orders are placed and paid for through OrderAhead (which takes a 7.9 percent commission on each order). Customer orders are then faxed to your business and you receive your check from the company weekly. You still get the chance to interact face to face with your customers when they pick up their order.
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Posts Tagged ‘apps’
Web.com Small Business Toolkit: OrderAhead (Customer Service App)
February 25th, 2013 :: Maria Valdez HaubrichBeyond Social Media: 6 Digital Trends to Keep Your Eye On
August 6th, 2012 :: Monika Jansen
While social media is often cited as the most important element to add to your marketing strategy, it is only one piece of the marketing pie, a marketing pie whose main ingredients are engagement and personal interaction. Here are 6 other digital trends I have observed that all small business owners need to keep their eyes on – plus tips on how to take advantage of them.
1. Videos, Games and Apps
Blog posts, ebooks and how-to guides are incredibly important to your content strategy, but branded videos, games and apps do far more to pull in your audience.
Tip: Start with a 60-second, personable “explainer” video on your home page, and work your way up to a game or app as your budget allows.
2. Mobile Sharing
Location-based services are becoming more focused on actions, such as a “like” or sharing a link, than on check-ins.
Tip: Tweak your offers to include links to your social media accounts and website, where users can receive exclusive offers – and be pulled into your community.
3. Content Everywhere
With the use of tablets, smartphones and e-readers proliferating, so too is the consumption of video, podcasts, social media, games, ebooks, etc.
Tip: Diversify your content creation to include short videos and podcasts you create on your computer using the built-in camera – and stay active on social media (you knew I was going to mention that eventually!).
4. Mobile Optimization
Tablets and smartphones are increasingly the preferred way to access the Internet and consume all types of content.
Tip: Develop a mobile site and offer the most popular content – optimized for mobile – on that site.
5. Advertising 2.0
I’m not talking about advertising online, but rather advertising masquerading as fun and engaging online and offline activities, such as viral videos, events and sponsorships.
Tip: Sponsorships aren’t just for Fortune 500 companies. Find a local event to get involved with, and build your customer base by interacting with people in person at the event.
6. Mobile Sales
Mobile devices aren’t just being used for email and Internet access – they are also being used for online purchases.
Tip: Use geolocation to offer real-time deals, and make sure your ecommerce site is optimized for mobile.
What other trends have you tried out as part of your online or offline marketing strategy? Share your experience below!
Image courtesy of claireburdett.com
Google+RunRev: App Creator for Non-Techies: Small Business Resource
May 4th, 2012 :: Maria Valdez HaubrichIf you’ve ever wished there was an app for your specific business need, your wait is over. RunRev has created an easy way for the no-way-am-I-a-developer people to quickly make their own mobile app. The Small Business App Academy teaches small business owners to create a mobile app in 30 days, or whatever you need, with no stress and no degree in computer science needed. The Academy just kicked off May 1, 2012, and the courses are free. Simply sign up and get instructional videos delivered directly to your inbox daily on such topics as database and cloud access, working with rich media, deployment devices and creating user interfaces.
Google+5 Ways to Use Facebook Timelines for Your Brand
April 12th, 2012 :: Monika Jansen
Just when you thought you’d mastered your Facebook marketing strategy, Facebook rolls out one of its biggest changes to date. Now that brands are switching over to Facebook’s new Timelines layout, marketers are scrambling to learn how to leverage Facebook’s newest face. After a bit of research, I found five ways to use Facebook Timelines to promote your brand.
1. Apps for Timeline
Now apps are helping businesses become more visible to the community. When Facebook users add an app, it will appear at the top of their page. All interactions with that app are published to their Timeline. Businesses can create their own apps for their brands to leverage this opportunity for customer interaction and increased visibility.
2. Facebook Actions
Businesses will be happy to see that Facebook is giving users more options for how they interact with brands. Now your Facebook community can go beyond the Like by expressing that they “love,” “want,” or “own” a product. This feature will also help you identify current customers vs. potential ones, based on the expression.
3. The Cover Photo
One of the most noticeable changes in Facebook’s new appearance is the prominent cover photo across the top of pages and profiles. This 840 x 310 pixel, banner-like photo amounts to a lot of free advertising space to promote new products, promotions, events, and anything else creative marketers can think of.
4. More Prominent Posted Photos
Besides the cover photo, photos in general are gaining prominence on Timeline. The new layout allows photos to take up more space than they did on walls, which makes them stand out more on your page. You can take advantage of this feature by sharing photos with your posts to attract more attention to them and to make them more engaging for users.
5. Storytelling
Perhaps the best new feature of Timeline is that it’s set up to tell a story. Since effective communicators tell stories about their brands, products and businesses, this feature fits perfectly into a marketing strategy. Think about your company’s story, and how each of your posts fits into that larger story.
As with any changes in the marketing landscape, those businesses that adapt quickly and learn new ways of leveraging changes into opportunities will come out ahead. Start adapting your Facebook marketing strategy to the new Timeline layout, and let us know about any other ideas you’ve found for using Timeline to its fullest potential.
Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae
Google+6 Surefire Ways to Improve Online Marketing via Your Website
December 6th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen
Websites, white papers and blogs – there are plenty of sources out there for improving your online marketing strategy. They range from simple (set up a website) to complex (put together a fully integrated social media marketing program that uses Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Foursquare to promote your business).
Let’s keep it basic, though, and focus on 6 things you can do to improve your website:
1. Create clear and concise website content.
This is something I write about a lot. Be clear about the value you offer customers with straightforward, clean Web copy that focuses on benefits, not features, and avoids fluffy descriptions. Simply list what you do and how you successfully solve your customers’ problems.
To ensure it really is clear, ask friends and family who are not in your industry to read it. If everyone quickly grasps what your company does, great job! If not, try again or ask them for suggestions on improving the copy.
2. Add video.
One of the best ways to engage your prospective customers is by including a video that introduces your product or service in a quick and easy-to-understand format. You can make one yourself (just do a quick search for Web video templates) or outsource it to a graphic designer. Just make sure your video does not auto-play when a visitor first lands on your website.
3. Stay focused.
Keep your website content tightly focused on the benefits of your products or services. Do not expound at length on your background or why you started your company, or continually repeat yourself, a common mistake. Save all thought leadership for your blog, social media sites or your website’s resource center.
4. Go mobile.
If you have an app that can be used on mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, let customers know on your home page – and link to the app on the App Store, Android Marketplace, Blackberry App World or the Windows Marketplace to make it easy for them to find and download it. Mobility is a major selling point for everyone who is busy, so this is a great way to grab their attention.
5. Tout free trials or demos.
If you offer free trials or demos of your product or service, don’t bury it in your website. Make that a visible, primary call to action on your home and contact us pages. I love it when companies turn those calls to action into big buttons so you can’t miss them.
6. Make signing up easy.
Help your buyers get started with your products or services right away by allowing them to sign up easily on your “home” and “contact us” pages, or by walking them through the steps they need to take to get going.
Do some – or all – of these things, and more of your website visitors will call or email you – and turn into potential customers.
Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae
Google+10 Super Useful iPhone Apps You Need, Part 2
October 5th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen
Social Media Examiner published a great blog post recently on social media marketing apps that I just pulled out and went through, pulling the most useful ones for small business owners out. I already wrote up the first 10 I liked the best; here are the second 10.
NetNewswire: This RSS reader for iPhone syncs with Google Reader so you can access all the blogs you love to read while out and about.
Peak Meetings: Capture and organize your thinking to make meetings more efficient when ideas hit you rather than waiting until you are in front of a computer or have a piece of paper handy.
PhotoRocket: You can share multiple photos with friends by creating PhotoRocket Galleries, which are customizable spaces that let post photos via Facebook, Twitter or your email contact list.
PitchEngine: Want to get press? This is social platform will help you get the word out about your company, products and services.
QuickVoice Recorder: The name of this app says it all. It is a full-featured iPhone/iPad voice recorder, so you can record your ideas, voice memos, voice email, dictation, lists, meetings, classes or entire lectures.
SocialMedia: #socialmedia.com hosts a weekly Twitter event every Tuesday focused on – any guesses? – social media.
Spout: This app lets you stream news, messages, tweets and comments from your Facebook, Twitter or Google Reader (RSS) feeds.
Vignature: Access PDF docs, like expense reports, consent forms, sales contracts and approvals, from email or Dropbox, open them in this app, sign them and return them to sender.
Wired PR Works: This PR and social media marketing app lets you access tips, ideas and strategies to grow your business.
Xmarks: You can view bookmarks and open tabs from Firefox, IE, Chrome, or Safari right on your iPhone or iPod Touch from this app, making Web browsing super easy while on the go.
Image by Flickr user Yutaka Tsutano (Creative Commons)
10 Super Useful iPhone Apps You Need, Part 1
October 3rd, 2011 :: Monika Jansen
Social Media Examiner published a great blog post recently on social media marketing apps that I tucked away for future use. While I don’t really think they are social media marketing apps, they are definitely good ones to know about. So, since there are some super useful apps on the list, here are the first 10 I liked the best. Look out for Part 2 soon.
Analytics App: This is a Google Analytics app that lets you view 55 reports via your iPhone. Caveat: There have not been enough reviews to rate the app; however, it’s only $6.99, so it’s worth a try.
Chomp helps you finds apps you want, so you can search based on what apps actually do. Super useful, as an app’s name usually tells you very little about it. Just search by keywords to start finding apps by category.
DocsToGo: Want to work on the go? DocsToGo lets you view, edit and create Word and Excel files and view PowerPoints and PDFs.
Dragon Dictation: This is a really, REALLY useful app, as it lets you speak your text, email messages, and Facebook and Twitter updates right into your phone.
Dropbox: If you don’t know about them yet, time to check them out. This free service lets you bring all your photos, docs and videos anywhere.
Flipboard: This app is basically a magazine for the stuff you care about. It lets you flip through the news, photos, videos and updates your friends are sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Flickr and Instagram.
Homebase: If you are time-crunched, you can blast your announcements to all the social media platforms you use, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Flickr and Foursquare.
Instapaper: If you travel a lot by plane and don’t want to pony up for an Internet connection, use Instapaper to save Web pages for later offline reading.
LastPass Tab Browser: How many passwords do you have? A zillion, right? Store your passwords here and access them on any device anywhere.
LiveProfile: This is another really cool app that will make your life a lot easier. It is a free, cross-platform messenger for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android smartphones that lets you send messages, photos, videos, post status updates and customize your profile.
Image by Flickr user Yutaka Tsutano (Creative Commons)
