Reginald Chan

Category: Business

  • How to choose the best digital marketing solution for your multi-location business?

    How to choose the best digital marketing solution for your multi-location business?

    The world has replaced in store shopping with online shopping. Online shopping saves time and energy, you no longer have to visit several shops searching for a specific item that you want. You have it all at your fingertips, on your smartphone or computer, and most sites offer price drop alerts so you will not miss anything. According to Google, nearly 75% of all online purchases are triggered by digital marketing efforts. But it’s not that easy.. customers are researching your business before making any purchases, they google every detail to be sure your business is trustworthy and make sure that you have locations nearby to turn to if they have questions or need to return an item. But what if you are running a big multi-location business? How do you need to manage your multi-location marketing strategy?

    When we talk about digital marketing we are referring to the overall online strategy that you are investing in to influence your target audiences. It’s a collective term that consists of strategies like search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC), social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, influencer marketing, etc. Digital marketing has become a powerful strategy for all businesses. But how will you adjust that strategy in the cases of single-location and multi-location businesses?

    What is the difference between a multi-location business and a single location business?

    At first glance, it may seem that the only difference is that one has more storefronts than the other. But, there is more to it than that. While running a multi-location business you need to consider several points. 

    • Are you selling the same product in all your stores?
    • Do you offer one type of product at only one or a few locations?
    • Will you have individual websites across different locations or only one?

    Answering these and many more questions will help you to plan a strategy and sell your product better at each location.

    Here are the steps of planning a digital marketing campaign

    1. Define your target buyer persona
    2. Identify your key digital marketing goals 
    3. Choose what KPIs to use to measure your progress
    4. Define your budgets
    5. Analyze your competitors
    6. Research focus topics and determine keywords
    7. Decide on content assets, timeline, and marketing team
    8. Create assets
    9. Go live

    Launching an online marketing strategy for a multi-location business requires detail-oriented and data-driven professionals. For multi-location businesses using automation software and tools to save your time is a must, and will help your business grow faster. Specifically with a poor PPC strategy you have the potential to waste lots of money on advertising that isn’t generating leads locally, so it’s very recommended to use a PPC advertising management software.

    How to Localize Your Multi-Location Business’s Marketing Strategy

    1. Personalize your shop for each location

    You will need to create indexable pages for each of the branches of your brand. On these pages you will use location-specific content, reviews from the locals, photo or video content in that location (you can show your location or your staff), local keywords. Implementing SEO best practices will increase the visibility on the search engine results page according to the most important customer keyword searches for your business. Add the local address, phone number, and email address for each business location. All these factors will let your buyer feel closer to your brand, and you will gain their trust. 

    1. Adapt your marketing actions for each business locally

    First of all, you will need to define the national strategy. When the skeleton of your marketing campaign is well defined, you can start adapting it focusing on individual business locations. For example with Google Ads you have limits choosing target areas, in some places, the influence marketing will have depends on where your target populations of people are located for each business. In certain areas, people may be more attached to different types of marketing, like email or content marketing. Ask yourself these questions:

    • Who is your local consumer?
    • What problems do they need to be solved?
    • What is our local store’s solution to this problem?
    • Are there regional traditions, events, or landmarks you can use to personalize your local targeting?

    Remember that personalization is the key to success.

    1. Create Google My Business pages for each of your locations

    Your goal is to gain your customers` trust by making their local business’s contact information easy to find on Google. This is an easy digital marketing solution to implement if you don’t already have a page for each business location. You will lose many customers if they search and find a different location that is not in their area.

    1. PPC ads for each location

    When you have a multi-location business, this means you have a much wider range of customers and buyer personas that you must sell to. It’s very important to create PPC ads targeting each location and monitor performance closely to make sure you are not missing valuable customers in each area. Use the geo-targeting feature in your ad, so your consumers would see the location closest to them. 

    1. Collect Data

    You may run awesome marketing campaigns and high-quality ads, but you will never discover the insights you will need to succeed in your future campaign optimizations if you don’t measure your digital marketing results. A/B test different strategies in different areas to understand which campaign attributes bring you more profit.

  • The Most Important Steps You Need To Take To Keep Your Business Site Running Smoothly

    The Most Important Steps You Need To Take To Keep Your Business Site Running Smoothly

    If you are an entrepreneur, it would be safe for us to assume that you have a website to market your business online. After all, a website is an essential tool today for business growth as it defines your corporate identity in the digital world and lets users learn about your brand and how to reach you. That improves your prospects of capturing more leads and driving sales and revenue. 

    With that said, putting up a website and keeping it operational are two separate things. Just because your website exists and shows up in search results does not mean that your job is over. That is just the beginning. You must focus on maintaining your site regularly to ensure that it remains secured and visitors do not experience any annoying glitches or sluggish performance. An unresponsive or outdated website can be disastrous to your business as it is a surefire way of losing customers. 

    Here is a list of some vital routine maintenance checks that you need to perform to ensure that your business website works flawlessly without any troubles.

    Keep It Updated

    An essential website maintenance habit you must develop is to keep it up to date by installing new updates now and then. Whether you use WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or any other Content Management System (CMS), you must update it constantly to keep your online storefront functioning perfectly and protect it against any security threats. Avoiding regular software updates leaves your site vulnerable to cyber attacks, which can be disastrous for your business. 

    Besides, keep your plugins updated too. Outdated plugins can make your website buggy, affecting the usability of the site and leading to a frustrating user experience. Long story short, always keep your website, plugins, and themes updated to the latest versions to mitigate security risks and provide an optimal user experience. 

    Create Backups

    An easily overlooked aspect of a smoothly functioning business website is creating backs up every month. It is an essential element of website maintenance and should be high on your list of priorities. Regularly backing up your site would ensure that you do not lose out on anything if your site breaks down due to any updates or system failures. 

    Backups are also crucial from a safety and security perspective. They will store your content and other sensitive data safely and securely in the event your website gets hacked. As mentioned by a WordPress website maintenance company, it will enable you to restore your website using the offsite backups and rebuild it from where you left instead of scrambling to fix it from scratch. That would help avoid any downtime that could cause the loss of valuable potential customers.

    Test It In Different Browsers

    It is essential to check your website’s performance across multiple browsers to ensure a smooth online customer journey regardless of which browser they are surfing. We recommend that you test your website on the most popular ones- Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, and Internet Explorer. 

    Check the compatibility on each by observing if the layout and display fit perfectly, how long it takes to load pages, or any other features that may behave differently on a particular browser. You may utilize various online tools like Browsershots that allow you to test your website’s compatibility with different browsers.

    Fix Broken Links

    Broken links are links that lead the user to pages that do not exist. Finding and fixing broken links should be part of your business website’s regular maintenance. Broken links and 404 error web pages not only ruin the user’s experience and cause them to stop browsing any further but also damage your site’s credibility and professional outlook resulting in lower search engine rankings. 

    That makes it imperative that you monitor your web pages regularly to check for any dead links. Google Webmaster Tools is a valuable resource to detect and remove invalid URLs and detect other technical errors on your website. They help keep your website running at optimal performance, so if you have not registered your website there yet, do so immediately.

    It is easy to set up a website and forget about maintaining it until something unfortunate happens. Neglecting your site’s maintenance may impact its functionality and leave it vulnerable to cyber attacks, which can be detrimental to your business. 

    The good news is that you do not have to be a technical wizard to keep your website up and running. Performing some simple routine maintenance checks will ensure that your website runs smoothly and renders a delightful user experience.

  • 4 Top Tips for Contract Negotiations

    4 Top Tips for Contract Negotiations

    Contracts are a necessity for businesses everywhere. In fact, you likely have several contracts on file right now. Some might be up for renewal and you may be searching for ways to improve your contract negotiations. However, if you’re running a new business, you might find the concept of multiple contracts daunting and need some advice about how to approach contract negotiations — especially when all you want to do is focus on your core competencies. 

    Despite any reluctance, you know that contracts and contract negotiations provide opportunities to expand your business. Moreover, your work with IT FinTech suppliers, attorneys, cloud service providers and various other parties dictates that you learn as much about contracts and negotiations as possible to ensure you make the best deal to benefit your banking industry business. 

    If you’re in need of some ideas and inspiration before your next contract agreement or renewal, here are four top tips for contract negotiations today. 

    1. Work with Your Team to Create a Draft 

    Create a contract negotiation team — perhaps it’s comprised of IT staffers, managers, legal counsel and company executives — to create a draft detailing your wants and needs from a potential new vendor. Indeed, it’s much easier and more effective to sit down with potential new business partners after already asserting what you desire from them clearly and concisely and then offering this party the opportunity to counteroffer or withdraw. 

    Before that moment, it’s important first to author a rough draft to let your own team members work through the details, determining what is most vital to your organization, such as a budget, services provided, and short-term and long-term value to your banking business. Ensure you have all come to a united and unifying decision before heading into official contract negotiations with any potential vendor. 

    2. Set Metrics, Timelines, Constraints and Penalties within the Contract 

    Of course, you don’t want to lock yourself into a contract that falls short of expectations. If your vendor fails to perform the agreed-upon services as stated in your contract, you don’t want to have to go through the motions for another year, two years, or longer, depending on the length of your contract. To that end, experts recommend defining constraints and benchmarks into your contract; after all, you want your vendor to remain reliable throughout the contract to ensure value for your organization. Thus, make sure to negotiate fair and equitable penalties into your contract if your vendors do not meet agreed-upon key performance indicators.

    3. Determine Whether You Need Third-Party Accountants for Ongoing Financial Considerations

    Whether you need to perform periodic financial or system-related audits to ensure the accountability and security of your systems and data, you might need to engage an accounting firm or require your service organization to do so to perform regular system and organization controls audits.

    4. Choose Your Top Negotiator for Your Core IT Deal

    You might hire someone specifically for the role of negotiator-in-chief for your next core IT deal, or you might identify that person on your team and appoint them to the position. In any case, you want someone who fights for your banking business’s interests with the right balance of cordial tone and fierce concern for your organization. Your negotiation professional won’t accept outdated technology and one-sided deals that too many organizations regularly find themselves doing. 

    Prepare to Get the Best Contracts for Your Business Every Time 

    With the right negotiation strategy, you can help your professionals get the best deals for your banking business every time. By laying out everything you want, creating ironclad expectations and penalties for unmet expectations, ensuring system and financial accountability, and choosing the best negotiator to bring home the best deal, you’ll enjoy stronger and more satisfying contract negotiations in the short and long term.

  • Important Things You Need To Understand About Animation Production

    Important Things You Need To Understand About Animation Production

    Since time immemorial, people used to design various images on paper to convey different messages. The desire to give the still images some life led to the development of animation that was later incorporated into the structures. If you are a storyteller, animation can be a good place to showcase your talent. Read on to learn important things that you need to understand about animation. 

    What is Animation?

    You have probably heard about animation, but you may not know what it is. Animation is all about creating an illusion of objects moving in pictures. The animators use multiple images that appear to move in a fast sequence. Animation is created by setting different frames of pictures to present some form of movement of the images to the viewers. The animation was mainly used in the cartoon industry, and it is now used in different sectors to portray several messages through moving images to the viewers. New technology is taking animation to greater heights, and it has since become a lucrative industry.    

    Significance of Animation

    Animation is vital since it allows us to tell stories and communicate our emotions to children and adults. With animation, people in different parts of the globe can share ideas easily to create meaning from various things that cannot be possible with live-action films. In this digital era, anyone can use different forms of technology, like tablets and computers to draw and show their ideas in a fun way. With an Animation Budget Template, you can playfully communicate something serious. Drawing figures can be fun, and the outcome is less intimidating to the viewers, and they can easily share your insights in a heartwarming way. 

    Types of Animation

    There are different types of animation that are designed to suit various purposes. The following are the popular types of animation that you can consider if you want to communicate various ideas using motion images.  

    1. Traditional Animation

    As the name suggests, this is the oldest form of animation where people used to draw images on paper using pencil and other colored markers. The pictures are drawn in a series that depicts motion in the images. However, this method was time-consuming, and it was also costly. 

    1. 2 D Animation

    New technology in the form of 2D animation changed the animation sector since you can do it on a computer or other related technological devices like tablets. The technique of animation remains the same as the traditional method where each frame is given movement through the design of multiple images. The only difference is that computer technology is fast and effective, and it has significantly reduced the cost involved in animation production. 

    1. 3D Animation

    3D animation involves three-dimensional computer-generated images. The images are created in the same frame, but they are now more controllable and manageable due to digital technology that is fast and accurate. This type of animation is commonly used during the current period. 

    1. Motion Graphics

    This is different from other forms of animation, and it does not depend on character or the depiction of a story. Instead, it makes texts, elements, icons, or full images to become moveable. This type of animation is mainly used for business and promotional purposes.  

    Skills Required to be an Animator

    There are different skills that you require to become a professional animator. If you are in the field of animation and designing, you should possess creative thinking skills to avoid making your work look outdated and monotonous. You should think creatively and have the best skills that help you innovate to make things different from the mainstream animations. You also need to pay attention to detail and make your animation in-depth. 

    It is essential to know how to use different software and tools to become a professional animator. Traditional animation has since been overtaken by new technology, so you must know the software and other tools that are used during the current digital era. More importantly, you must have good communication skills to get all the requirements and needs of the clients. 

    Animation involves the use of multiple images that appear to be moving in a sequence, and these are used to portray different messages and perceptions to the viewers. Animation is commonly used in the creation of television cartoon shows, but it has since spread to other sectors. In other words, the animation is a simple and fun way of communicating different messages to the target viewers. There are many things that you should know about motion graphics to create meaningful productions for the benefit of your audience.  

  • Want to Start a Foreign Citizen Business in the US? Here’s What You Should Know

    Want to Start a Foreign Citizen Business in the US? Here’s What You Should Know

    Doing business in any country is not an easy thing. You will face many challenges, which will require you to work harder to achieve the business goals. When starting a business, you will want it easy to operate, easy to manage, profitable, and without much friction. With harsh economic times globally, most entrepreneurs are looking for suitable places to start businesses. One of the cool places to start a venture is in the United States. Can a foreigner start a business in the US? This article will highlight everything you should know concerning starting a business in the US. Let’s dive straight in.

    Can a foreign citizen establish a business in the US?

    A foreigner can start a venture in the United States of America. There are many small businesses and multinationals in the US belonging to foreign citizens. However, the process is not that straightforward. You only need to follow a proper procedure and have your business running. As stated at Foreign USA, you have to get actionable advice to register and carry on your startup in this developing country. You have to know about the application cost, the minimum wage to your employers, registration process, among other details. One exception you need to understand is that you cannot form entities such as S-Corp without having a US resident shareholder. 

    Why do foreigners need to start a business in the US?

    You might be wondering what will make a foreigner think of starting a business in the US and not their native country. There are many reasons, some related to cost, making individuals want to run their businesses in the US. Some of these reasons include.

    • Fees

    If you live in places that charge fewer fees to run a business, this might not be your reason. However, many countries charge high fees to run a business, making the whole process expensive. You have to pay government fees, notary fees, legal fees, annual renewal fees, and other costs, making you earn less or zero profits from your business. The US has affordable rates when it comes to the registration and running of a company.

    • Banking

    While the US is not that perfect, more banks offer friendly services to business people. They have low-cost accounts backed by a stable currency. Also, there are more digital banking products, which will enable your business to run smoothly and efficiently. 

    • Taxes

    Taxes are the cause of headaches for many individuals who want to run a business. Many developing countries charge exorbitant taxes to business people, making their businesses not realize profits. Even though the US has taxes, it offers deductions and other tax benefits, making it easy for a business to thrive. However, before starting a business, it is essential to go through the tax guide to understand what you are signing for. 

    • Ease of operating

    In some countries, starting a business will take a lot of time, cost, and paperwork. Also, most paperwork might be in a foreign language, which might not be easy to interpret. In the US, the whole application is straightforward and fast. You will take less time registering your business. 

    • Payment Processing

    The US is a developed country. Building a product and developing it is not that complicated. Here, you will find cheaper and efficient payment processing methods which will make your business run efficiently. 

    • Reputation

    Your business will be reputable if it operates from the United States than any other country. You will enjoy more services and more accreditation, which will make your business easily known worldwide. 

    LLC Vs. Corporation: Which business is best for a foreigner? 

    There are different ways you can register your business in the US. Some of these ways include the C-Corp, S-Corp, Limited Liability Companies, Partnerships, and Sole Proprietorship. Most businesses run by foreigners are the LLC and the C-Corp. Why these businesses? It’s because they have fewer restrictions on the number of foreigners to run the business. Sole proprietorships and partnerships aren’t that common because they have some restrictions on foreigners. 

    If you are a small business person, you can pick the LLC. It is the perfect choice for any entrepreneur who wants to establish their business in the United States. However, you can choose other options depending on the business you want to run.

    Which state is the best to register an online business?

    While you can run your online business from any state in the US, there are those states which offer more benefits to online businesses. Some of these states include Wyoming and Delaware states. Why these states? It’s because they are cheap to operate a business, and they have no income or sales tax to online businesses. A state like Wyoming offers less paperwork with greater privacy. 

    Process of starting a business in the US as a foreigner

    The whole process of starting a business in the United States can seem overwhelming, but it isn’t. The entire process can take approximately a month. You only need to follow the right processes, and you will have your business running. Which are these processes? Check on the steps below.

    • Step 1: Register your LLC. You need to work with a registered agent to complete the process fast.
    • Step 2: Get a physical Business Address for your business
    • Step 3: Apply for an EIN (Employer Identification Number). You need to do this at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and help you file the Social Security or tax file number for your business.  
    • Step 4: Get a Bank account for your business. 
    • Step 5: Get a payment processor.
    • Step 6: Have a bookkeeping system.
    • Step 7: Run your business.

    When you follow the above advice and steps promptly, you will start and run your business efficiently in the US. You only need to study the rules and get advice on running your business as a foreigner. It will be best to contact experts or individuals who already have established businesses for more information. Also, you have to consider getting the right products to earn you considerable profits.

  • Innovative Ways You Can Assist New Hires Adjust To Their Work As Soon As Possible

    Innovative Ways You Can Assist New Hires Adjust To Their Work As Soon As Possible

    Everyone starts their journey as a new employee at some point in time. It’s a time full of anxiety and uncertainty for the new recruit since they’re walking into an unknown environment. If you can help reduce their stress then the employee will adapt quickly to the new environment which will help them become a productive member of the company much faster. The quicker you can make an employee used to the work environment and culture of the company, the better.

    Below are some of the key points you should keep in mind when onboarding a new employee to help them become a part of the company faster and will ultimately retain them by creating a positive first impression.

    1. Make them feel at Home

    Whether it’s an offline onboarding in your office or an online onboarding process, you must ensure that the employee feels comfortable around their peers. This will help them establish their network inside the office and form professional relationships faster. Many companies provide a welcome gift, a set of instructions, and a welcome buddy to expedite this process.

    Making the new recruits comfortable will also make sure that they ask work related questions. Asking questions is extremely important since it will clear up their doubts regarding their work. The number one problem employers face with new employees is retention, if you follow these steps then it shouldn’t be a problem.

    2. Get the Paperwork Sorted

    Before you can start assigning your new employee their tasks, you should make sure that their documents are in order. This is beneficial for both your company and your employee. Your company will benefit greatly since managing paperwork is usually a cumbersome task for HR. You can always take the help of an easy employee onboarding software solution to make things easier and more convenient. If you complete the formalities in the beginning, you will not be facing any issues with incomplete paperwork in the future.

    This is also greatly beneficial for your employee since it will give them a sense of being officially inducted into your organization. The employee will be more productive after they consider themselves to be formally inducted.

    3. Assign a Mentor

    Oftentimes, the induction and the training provided to a new employee isn’t enough to make them ready for a real-life scenario. The problem with theoretical training is that it provides 0 practical experience in how to deal with problems that are bound to emerge during one’s work. The only way to teach your employee how to deal with these daily hiccups is by pairing them with someone who has experience in the organization.

    Only a person who has personally faced the problems can guide someone the right way. A mentor helps the new employee understand how the company works and what are the workarounds to the problems faced while completing their work. A new employee will get comfortable with their mentor very fast and this will help them develop their first bond with another employee in the company.

    4. Establish a Roadmap

    A roadmap that spans several weeks or even months will help your employee understand how their responsibilities and work are going to evolve over a period of time. You will also be able to hand over the critical functions one by one after your employees have proved that they are up to the mark.

    Initially, you would like to start slow and allow more room for the learning process and growth of your new employee. Once they are firmly established, you will be able to integrate them better into your organization by assigning more complex tasks. The roadmap will keep your employee’s morale high since they’ll know what to do in order to reach the next step on the growth ladder.

    5. Get the Managers Involved too

    The new recruit will be forming the backbone of your company and in order to establish a level of trust, you need to rope in the senior managers to interact with them. This will ensure that your new employees don’t feel left out and they might even get inspired by the top-level leadership. The involvement of managers will also show that your company cares about its employees and it will help inculcate a sense of belonging in the new employees.

    The managers symbolize the work culture of your company and interaction with them ensures that your employees understand the ethos of your company. A manager can get involved in little ways like organizing an interactive session to take feedback and address any issues. The communication line that develops during these interactions will go a long way in ensuring employee satisfaction which is important to retain your new recruits.

    6. Create a Fun and Positive Environment

    You don’t have to keep poking your new employees to do more work and achieve more targets right off the bat. If you create pressure from day one then it’s highly unlikely that the employee will associate their office with a place where they want to be. If you create a negative and tense atmosphere it will be just like hitting yourself with an ax.

    You want to ensure that the employee has a good time when they’re at the office. This will ensure that their productivity is high throughout the day and even during the rough patches which are inevitable. A positive environment is not only beneficial for new employees but for the veterans of your company as well. This is mainly because everyone wants to give their best at work and it’ll only be possible if you provide the right environment to do so.

    These are a few tips that will help your new recruits adapt better to the new environment they are in. You were also once a newbie at some point in time and empathizing with their situation is the best way forward. If you ensure that your employees get comfortable soon, then you’ll be rewarded with high retention rates and more productivity in the end. So focus on the adjusting phase and the results will automatically follow soon after.