Archive for business
Are You Twitter Savvy? 3 Non-Negotiables for Twitter Marketing that Get Results
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Twitter stormed onto the Internet scene in 2006, and has experienced exponential growth since. With over 200 million registered users and 460,000 sign ups on a daily basis, it is the social network that everyone is talking about, but its potential for marketing is still shrouded in mystery for many. Just how can a business capitalize on Twitter and be assured of great results? For a business to succeed on Twitter, there are three non-negotiables: Listen, Monitor, and Connect:
- LISTEN to the ongoing stream with Tweetdeck.
Tweetdeck is a free download that allows you to monitor the flow of Twitter traffic continuously - and in any configuration you desire. This means you will get to actually listen in on the thoughts and conversations taking place across your marketing demographic. Take it from Ernest Hemingway, who said, “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” Too many times, businesses approach Twitter thinking only about what they can announce, link to, or advertise. By taking the time to actually hear what potential customers are talking about, you can learn about their needs and how your business may be able to meet them. You can interact with a select group of Twitter users and engage when appropriate, which will help you have a better chance for conversion when you do so.
- MONITOR the conversation for keyword relevance.
Twitter’s demographics are often misjudged. Many people assume that Twitter is used primarily by teens. The truth is that the median age of Twitter users is 31, older than the median for both MySpace and Facebook. Your potential customers are currently using Twitter, and many more are joining every day. Use Tweetdeck to create a column of keywords for your target market. For instance, if your product or service would be of interest to a new or expanding business, you can create a Tweetdeck column to follow the keywords “new location”.
- CONNECT with potential customers.
Rather than simply dumping links all over Twitterdom, a practice that yields few results and may even bring about negative reactions to your brand, make a genuine attempt to connect with potential customers or clients. Think about this: What specifically does your business have to offer that would be a benefit to them? You can point a potential customer to your site to look at a specific product, a helpful article, or an image that creates an immediate and memorable connection with your business. Be willing to go the extra mile. You might jot a physical note and send it to the business, wishing them well at their new location. Do not forget to include your Twitter address, inviting them to follow you as well. Part of real connection with your market means sometimes just being a part of the conversation by commenting (when appropriate) WITHOUT posting a link or promotion. This helps all users feel more at ease and helps them see your posts as genuine, not as an invasive sales pitch.
Don’t underestimate Twitter’s growing influence and scope. You are sure to reap the benefits of Twitter marketing by following the Listen, Monitor, and Connect strategy outlined here.
7 Extra Service Ideas for Web Hosts
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There comes a time with every web host, when they feel they have outgrown their current services they provide, and they want to do more than just web hosting. When a web host diversifies into other things, they often branch out internally or with the help of a third party into other services. If you are a web host out there looking for a way to branch out, I have a few suggestions that you might want to look into.
Domain Name Registration – This one is the most obvious additional service a web host can provide. Who doesn’t want to give customers the ability to register a domain and buy the hosting in one place? By doing so, you keep you customers from looking elsewhere for one of the most important add-ons you could branch out into.
Backup Hosting – Many web hosts move into backup hosting too. You could provide off site personal backup as a secondary service, or you could offer a subscription based service for the customer’s web site backup and the process of restoring that backup.
SEO or Marketing Services – When it comes to selling search engine optimization or any sort of marking packages, make sure you have the support team to back you up. This sort of service has a bad reputation, because many people see it as selling snake oil. It is a tricky one to show real results from, so if you do move into the SEO and marketing business, just make sure you provide your customers with the goods.
Gift Cards – Providing gift cards can be an excellent way to make yourself look more compassionate about the customer’s needs. It might not make loads of money, but providing a way to give your services as a present is never a bad thing. It could help out beginning web hosting gurus, and help young webmasters in getting their first works on the Web.
Affiliate Programs – Why sell your web hosting plans yourself when you can get somebody else to do it for you? By giving people a “finder’s fee” when they bring you a new customer, you give your community a reward, just for sharing their opinion. Now it might be hard to lure affiliate professionals, when some companies pay 95% of their profit to affiliates, but start out low and work your way up.
Web Site Design – Like domain name registration, offering a web site design service or an internally built WYSIWYG editor is another nice extra service to add. It is one of those web hosting necessities that everybody needs, and not everybody has the time to do themselves.
Other Flavors of Web Hosting – When it comes to adding extra services, do not just look at things outside web hosting. You could offer more web hosting plans. For example, if you only provide shared web hosting right now, you could move into VPS or dedicated web hosting services. You could even make shared hosting plans that are a little cheaper (with less extras) or a shared hosting plan that is a little more expensive (with more extras).
There are many ways a web hosting company can diversify. The important thing to remember is to keep your quality of the service as high as possible for each new service you provide. I have seen web hosts launch a new product, then forget about it the next month, too many times. Make sure you give yourself ample time to build up each new service you decide to provide.
Get the Podcast! Listen to this article and more on Web Hosting Show, podcast #204!
Facebook Fan Page Come join the fun on the Web Hosting Show Facebook Fan Page!© Mitch Keeler 2010 | Check out my firefox help site and my tech blog too!
Web Hosting Power-up Ideas – Podcast 204
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Are you a webmaster looking for power-up ideas to turn your mediocre web site into a powerhouse of the Web? Are you a web host looking for ideas on how you can diversify your web hosting services, to make a little more money on related services you can provide? Today’s podcast is all about web hosting power-ups. Little ideas that you can bring into your web hosting companies or your web sites to take them to the next level.
Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 204!
Running Time: 9 minutes | File Size: 4.00 MB
If I had to pick one, I would say “diversify” would be the word of the week for this edition of the Web Hosting Show. Here is a summary of this week’s show.
7 Extra Service Ideas for Web Hosts
There comes a time with every web host, when they feel they have outgrown their current services they provide, and they want to do more than just web hosting. When a web host diversifies into other things, they often branch out internally or with the help of a third party into other services. If you are a web host out there looking for a way to branch out, I have a few suggestions that you might want to look into.
4 Ways to Branch Out Your Web Site
With any web site or online business, it is important to change things up a ‘bit every so often. You don’t want to be seen as becoming stale, or yesterday’s news, so bringing new web site concepts or ideas could be the perfect diversification tool you need to keep people interested in what you do and what you have to offer. There is not a web site out there today that could not be helped by adding one of these four web site service ideas.
Now it is your turn. Do you have any extra tips or something to say about diversifying a web hosting business or any personal web site out there on the Web? Leave you comments or feel free to pass your thoughts to me at mitch@mitchkeeler.com.
Facebook Fan Page Come join the fun on the Web Hosting Show Facebook Fan Page!© Mitch Keeler 2010 | Check out my firefox help site and my tech blog too!
Lunar News – Jan/Feb 2010
Posted by: | CommentsHot off the presses, read all about it! Time to once again hear about all the most recent news from Lunarpages that is fit to print. Here is this month’s digest of web hosting news, information and more.
Get Free Ad Credits from Google AdWords and Facebook
Ready to kick start your online marketing efforts? Lunarpages is here to help, giving you the true advantage. We have extended both the Google AdWords and Facebook Ads advertising credits.
You can get up to $100 of free Google AdWords credit and up to $50 in Facebook Ads credit, just for hosting at Lunarpages.
- Click Here to Read More About the Google AdWords Deal
- Click Here to Read More about the Facebook Ads Deal
UPDATE: Basic, Windows, Quicksite and Business hosting plan members have been increased from a $35 credit to a $50 credit!
Lunarpages Community Update
The Lunarpages community web sites are alive and well. Did you know you can join us on Twitter, Facebook, or our own online forums? Don’t miss out!
Here are some of the most recent community statistics:
- The Lunarforums has 42,204 registered users
- The Lunarpages Twitter Account has 1,731 followers
- The Lunarpages Facebook Group has 792 members
- The Web Hosting Wiki Now Hosts Over 353 guides, tips and tutorials
Need more information? Be sure to check out the Lunarpages Community web page for more details on how you can follow Lunarpages from all over the Web.
Business and Quicksite Hosting Plan Discounts
Both the Lunarpages Business Plan and the Quicksite Hosting Plan continue to be discounted, to help you save some money.
With the holidays coming up quick, who doesn’t like that? For a limited time, we have lowered the Business hosting plan price to just $18.95 per month. That is a saving of $72 if you sign up for a new Business hosting plan today, for 24 months. The Quicksite hosting plan discount comes to $9.95 per month, if you sign up for 12 months. That is a price drop of $60!
- Learn More About the Business Hosting Plan (and get the discount!)
- Learn More About the Quicksite Hosting Plan (and get the discount!)
Lunarpages Extended VPS Hosting Plans
The three new Xen-based Virtual Private Server hosting plans continue to be a web hosting success. Powered by Xen Virtualization, the Linux Starter, Linux Pro, and Windows Pro Xen VPS hosting plans are the best VPS hosting plans out there today.
New Online Marketing Advertising Plans
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How can you make a bigger and better impact on the Web? Using the right online marketing techniques, any web site or business on the Internet can become a real success. Let me introduce you to the Lunarpages Online Marketing Services, developed in partnership with the digital advertising agency LocalDirective.
Available in three tiers, depending on your needs and budget, the new marketing services from Lunarpages can help you with everything from search engine marketing, to search engine optimization, to social media marketing and PR marketing, to email marketing. Our goal is to drive qualified visitors to your web site, so you can convert these visitors into purchasers, helping you to harness what may be the most cost effective form of advertising available today.
Here are the three tiers you have to choose from:
Introductory Online Marketing Package = Only $149
Get started with the development of your online presence with this introductory package, which provides:
- Facebook & MySpace Coupons Redemption
- Search Engine Optimization
- A customized Search Engine Ranking Report
- Custom Meta Data (title, description & keywords)
- A customized Keyword Density report
- Search Engine Marketing Guide
- Business Directory Listings
Basic Online Marketing Package = Only $389
Ratchet your online presence up to a higher level with our basic package, which provides:
- Google, Yahoo or Bing: $50 Pay-Per-Click Campaign
- Facebook & MySpace Coupons Redemption
- Search Engine Marketing Guide
- Business Directory Listings
- Search Engine Optimization Website Effectiveness
- Custom Meta Data (title, description & keywords)
- A customized Keyword Density report
- Search Engine Optimization – Link-Building Articles
- Search Engine Optimization – Ranking & Competitor Comparison
- Search Engine Analytics
Custom Online Marketing Package = Try Out Our Online Marketing Calculator!
Just answer a few simple questions and our online marketing calculator will recommend the best marketing program for your needs.
Ultimately, the most effective search engine marketing program will be an ongoing program that is custom to your business, developed just for your target audience, and that takes your unique circumstances and competitors into consideration.
For many businesses, your online presence will definitely determine your future. Use our custom calculator to determine the best option for you, depending on seven different marketing variables. Then give us a call and we will be happy to discuss a custom program developed uniquely for you to meet your business objectives.
Make 2010 Your Year Of Accelerated Business Growth!
So, the question you might have now is where is the value in this for you? Why should you invest your money in online advertising?
The major reason is that once you have a great web destination, you need to bring visitors to the site and then you need to convert these shoppers into buyers. Online marketing has been proven to have one of the highest Return-On-Investments of any advertising, so you can be assured that your investment will work hard for you to help take your business to the next level of growth.
Not only will online marketing increase your credibility, our advertising/marketing packages will help existing customers find you, attract new prospective customers, and get you more leads. If you are ready to construct a stronger online foundation and presence, check out our new marketing services today to see what Lunarpages and our strategic partner, LocalDirective, can deliver for you!
How to Give Faster Web Hosting Support
Posted by: admin | Comments Comments OffA web hosting company can not keep a customer base happy with sloppy support habits. Think of your reply back to a web hosting customer as a sandwich. You start out with the slice of bread introducing yourself, you have the goodies inside which represent your reply and you have the second piece of bread to finish things off. If you learn how to build your sandwich reply, then you can handle support situations in a much faster way than the web host down the block is doing it, making your web hosting company just a little ‘bit better.
Introduce Yourself
First impressions are important, so you never want to jump right into the reply without letting people know who you are. In the first part of your reply, you need to state who you are, what company you are working for and thank the customer for doing business with you.
Here is a perfect example:
In those two sentences, I was able to greet the customer, tell them who I am, what company I am working for and generally start the customer/client conversation on a happier foot. Also note that I used the client’s name too. This is very important. If you know the customer’s name, make sure you use it to start the message. This makes for a much more customized reply to the client. They feel like they are talking to a real person, and not just reading some pre-defined message you send out for these types of situations.
Meat and Potatoes of Support
Next, you will want to give the proverbial meat and potatoes of the reply. You want to make sure you give the impression that you understand the problem, clarify the issue (if needed) and then give suggestions for fixes they can do or thing you need for them to do.
Now this is highly flexible depending on the situation at hand. Just make sure you read and re-read your reply before you send it back to the customer. Make sure this makes sense to not only you, but to somebody who might be less knowledgeable on the topic than you are.
Wrapping Up Communications
At the end of a reply to a customer, you want to hit some of the basics you touched upon in the introduction. You want to thank the customer for doing business with your company, and you want to leave the proverbial door open, just in case they have any other problems.
Here is another example:
See what I did there? I called the client by his name again, thanked him for his time and told him if he needed anything else, then to please let us know and we’d be happy to help out.
The golden rule comes into play in any customer/support team contact. You do not just want to get them the answer. The golden rule says, “treat others as you would like to be treated”. You must put yourself in that person’s shoes and think, what kind of reply would you like to see if the shoe was on the other foot?
Facebook Fan Page Come join the fun on the Web Hosting Show Facebook Fan Page!© Mitch Keeler 2010 | Check out my firefox help site and my tech blog too!