So how do you identify a bargain keyword? Check out our smart keyword shopping tips in this week’s article.

Or request for your Free Search Engine Marketing Quote on alternative keywords by calling 1300 132 838. Who knows, you could walk away with a bargain keyword that your competitors overlooked!

Enjoy,

Editor, Successbox

So how do you identify a bargain keyword? Check out our smart keyword shopping tips below:

Go with geography – Target geographical region, suburb and street name and even landmarks or name of significant buildings that are close to your business. 

Product or service varieties - Target not only specific product or service names, but the varieties within your inventory. For example, if you sell pets, look beyond the obvious like “dogs” and “cats” but the specific breeds such as “Labrador” or “Poodle” too.

Keywords that describe value – Target suitable adjectives like “cheap”, “affordable”, “fast”, “popular” for online customers looking for bargains

Unique features – Target unique features like “Australian made”, “Melbourne Designed” or even “Italian” or “Japan” if the make and origin of your products is a unique selling point.

Seasonal - Target seasons, like spring or summer if your products go through those cycles.

To help you identify potential bargain keywords relevant to your business, Request a Search Marketing Consultation. Or call 1300 132 838. Who knows, you could find a bargain keyword that your competitors overlooked!

Useful links

• Search Engine Optimisation
• Pay-Per-Click
• Link submission
• Email marketing

If that’s not enough, then we dare you to woo more customers with search engine marketing and a new website. Call 1300 132 838 for a Free Quote.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Editor, Successbox

Befriend your Exes – who says you can’t communicate with customers that have dumped you in the past? Winning back abandoned customers should be a strategy that you continually revisit, especially in times when business is slow. If you can’t be civil or even platonic with them, at least find out the reasons you got dumped via a customer survey, before you part ways for good.

Ditch the one night stands – Think of your customers as relationships, and not just one-off transactional flings. Try relationship building strategies such as sending a personalised birthday card, special edition email newsletter or SMS to them on their birthday with a special offer. It shows them you understand that customers need to be spoiled and pampered. It’s true that times are tough, but who likes to be in a relationship with someone that doesn’t show affection? 

Don’t be too clingy – Give your customers some space by managing the frequency that you market to them. If you must contact them, try using alternative marketing channels. For example, if you’ve always done direct mail, try online advertising, such as banner ads or paid search on Google for a change. The change of media will come as a breath of fresh air to them and will help prevent your relationship from getting stale.

Woo more customers with a new website and search engine marketing

Talk to a Melbourne IT eBusiness Consultant on 1300 132 838 for a FREE Quote today.

Useful links

• Search Engine Optimisation
• Pay-Per-Click
• Link submission
• Email marketing

To avoid exposing domain names relevant to your business to the eyes of your competitors, read our article on the 7 tips to help shield your brand come rain or shine.

For more help with domain names, call 1300 793 248 for our eBusiness Consultants to review your online brand strategy and receive a FREE Online Brand Protection Report.

Regards,

Editor, Successbox

To avoid exposing domain names relevant to your business to the eyes of your competitors, you should think about alternative domains with our tips below: 

Use of prefixes and suffixes – It could be as simple as securing alternative domains by adding prefixes and suffixes into your brand or business name. Common prefixes include: the, e, my, i, online, net, web, internet, hot, cool, our, links, web, net, find, business, company, shop, store, search, guide. Common suffixes include: world, links, online, site, web, net, business, company, shop, store, search, directory, guide.

Use of hyphens – Although most people prefer to register a domain with no hyphens in them, you may also want to consider those with hyphens especially if your business name consists of more than one syllable.

Go with singular and plural versions – There’s always value in considering both the singular and plural versions of your domain, so you don’t miss out on any potential traffic that’s done a typo while trying to get to your domain.

Geographic – Zoom in on the suburb or street of your business location if it has particular significance. Such as Lygon Street in Carlton close to Melbourne CBD, which is a popular Italian precinct and if your business has an equally Italian flavour.

Personal name – Apart from the brand recognition of your business, YOU and your attributes like your reputation and integrity are also factors which people consider before deciding whether or not to do business with you. Therefore you should register your own personal name because it’s as much a brand as your business.

Product or service name – Apart from considering the exact name of your products and services, you can use their unique selling point as alternative domain names. For example, if you sell high quality mattresses, something suitable would be “verycomfortablebeds”.

Overseas spaces - If you trade overseas, then it’s essential to include domain spaces in overseas countries into your online brand protection strategy. That may be a completely different ball game but some or most of the above tips still apply even in overseas domain spaces.

Need help with domain names?

Call 1300 793 248 for our eBusiness Consultants to review your online brand strategy and receive a FREE Online Brand Protection Report.

Mateship at work – It’s essential to see your business contacts, suppliers and clients as mates, if you haven’t done so. Read more

Helping the battler – Aussies are known for lending a hand to the battler. Australian governmental institutions like Austrade and Small Business Victoria are always armed with free tips and advice. Read the full article

And at Melbourne IT, our consultants at the eBusiness Centre will not only lend you their hand but also their wealth of expertise with eBooks and reports to help you chart your online course in 2009.

So call 1300 793 248 to discuss your online strategies with us. Or check out our Australia Day 2 for 1 .AU domain offers here!

Regards,

Editor, Successbox

Mateship at work – It’s essential to see your business contacts, suppliers and clients as mates, if you haven’t done so. Line up face to face appointments with them to discuss how your contracts can be adjusted to respond to the current circumstances and to make them more mutually beneficial. In these times, it pays for mates to stick together.

Suppressing the tall poppy syndrome – Instead of complaining how it’s unfair that big companies are better placed to weather the tough times than small businesses, think how you can actually benefit from their strengths. This is an ideal time to give them more of your business as their stability and security make them better business partners than others. The main idea is to strengthen your ties with those that can help keep you afloat, not drag you down.

Taking the mickey out of others – Check out what your competitors are doing wrongly, not just to take the mickey and laugh at their misfortune, but to learn from their mistakes. They may have devised a good strategy to tackle the tough times but have failed to execute it suitably. Show them you can do it better and improve upon what they tried to achieve. Laugher is only the best medicine when it’s administered in a smart way.

A fair go – In tough times, most people usually talk about giving job seekers a fair go, but it can also apply to giving ideas a fair go. Think of all the weird and wacky ideas that you’ve previously dismissed. If you’ve yet to give an unprecedented discount to your customers, participate in a trade show, take on paid search services on search engines or engage in social networking, this could be the time. Who knows, tough times may require equally creative ideas to deliver results.

Helping the battler – Aussies are known for lending a hand to the battler. Australian governmental institutions like Austrade and Small Business Victoria are always armed with free tips and advice.

And at Melbourne IT, our consultants at the eBusiness Centre will not only lend you their hand but also their wealth of expertise with eBooks and reports to help you chart your online course in 2009.

So call 1300 793 248 to discuss your online strategies with an eBusiness consultant.

Useful links

• Search Engine Optimisation
• Pay-Per-Click
• Link submission
• Email marketing

• Request for our eBook “15 tips to improve your  business on the Internet” that revisits some basics of building your business online
• Read our article about the 7 basic steps to help you grow and expand your business

Our eBusiness Centre is still business as usual during the festive season. So for expert advice, call 1300 769 784.

The team at Successbox would like to thank you for your support and wishes you the best for 2009.

Regards

Editor, Successbox

Research Your Environment
Before considering a growth strategy you have to research your external environment such as the current market condition, your competition etc. You should evaluate any competitive forces in relation to your position in the marketplace and identify exactly where your competitive advantage lies. Above all, you need to understand your business’ capabilities and weaknesses.

Learn from SWOT Analysis
With information and statistics acquired from research, you are in a better position to choose a growth strategy that best fits your strengths and complements emerging opportunities, while maintaining a safe strategy against threats to your business.

Self Growth or Take-Over
There are many smart options but only a few will truly suit your circumstances, so do choose wisely. Your first option is to expand through either growing your existing business or taking over other businesses.

Apart from increasing your own resources, taking ownership of competition will help you to quickly increase market share, recruit skilled personnel and reduce competition.

Better Control of Supply & Distribution
Your next set of options is to take over or buy into your suppliers or distributors. Suppliers will guarantee supply and Distributors will guarantee distribution, both helping you gain greater control over your resources.

Very small businesses will most probably consider these options for increasing their capacity.  Larger businesses will most likely look into franchising or licensing their products and services.

To Penetrate or Develop, Conquer or Divide
You now have a decision to make. What exactly will you grow? Your decision will be influenced by the following scenarios:

• Greater penetration of existing markets with existing products
• Develop new products for existing markets
• Penetrate new markets with existing products
• Develop new products for new markets.

(Small Business Development Corporation, 1990, cited in Open Training Services 1994, p. 51)

Knowing where you sit in the Product Life Cycle
Once you discover where your product lies in the product life cycle, that will also help you identify which growth strategy will better fit your products.

Your choices include:
• Investment driven growth
Big investment requires expansion to gain the most from resources

• Market driven growth
Demand is growing by itself

• Growth by consolidation
Reflect on how the market works while using creativity to maintain competitive advantage

• Crisis driven growth
Market decline forcing you to venture into new markets. Innovation and creativity are never more important than in a declining market

Develop Understanding, Understanding Development

Acquire the knowledge to successfully implement your chosen growth strategy. There are numerous online communities that cater to small businesses. And there are courses and events that help bring like-minded small business owners together. Only by taking a step back and looking at what others are doing right or wrong with their business, may one person be more enlightened towards better developing and understanding the growth of their own business.

Need help for your website?

Request for our eBook “15 Tips to improve your business on the Internet”. Or talk to a Melbourne IT eBusiness Consultant on 1300 132 838.

Useful links

• Search Engine Optimisation
• Pay-Per-Click
• Link submission
• Email marketing