Business

The term design may sound like a trivial factor in establishing and running a business, but it has a significant impact on the success of a company. It’s not only about how an establishment appears to customers and stakeholders. Bad design decisions can have adverse consequences for a business.

The word design covers many aspects, including building, office, product packaging, logo, and website design. This post focuses on the design used in creating the online presence of a business, particularly the website and corporate identity. The discussions below present essential details every business must know. As one expert from a top design agency in Oxford says, creating a sound design is more than just making a business look great. It should support business success, which means setting a distinctively appealing look that attracts potential customers and encourages sales.

Creating a good impression

Imagine if McDonald’s chose a black and grey colour scheme for its logo and buildings. Would potential customers be enticed to dine or buy at the company’s stores? What if Coca-Cola used straight white powdery lines to spell out the brand name (as a play on coca*** lines and addictiveness) in one of its online marketing campaigns? Imagine the backlash it would get.

Design can make or break a business. In order to create a good impression, it’s essential to choose something that appeals to the target market without stirring controversy. It’s great to be adventurous with the concept and to infuse meaning, but it’s advisable to ascertain that the resulting design is not divisive. A neutral decent-looking design is better than something that can be considered witty but potentially contentious.

Enabling distinctiveness

Excellent design makes it easy to identify and remember a brand. It does not have to be ornate. Too much sophistication or complexity can be a disadvantage. What’s important is to create a look that is not forgettable or comparable to what other businesses have. Designers should strive to develop something that instinctively makes customers associate it with the brand or business name. A design can look impressive, but if it ends up being linked to a different product or branding, it does not serve its purpose.

Stimulating purchases

Moreover, a carefully thought out design may encourage purchases and increase sales. Take the case of online stores. If they are created with dull colours and a generic layout, it won’t be surprising if they do not attract buyers. Customers online have learned to be discriminating because of the multitude of choices they have. Why would they stick with an unattractive store with an unintuitive interface if they could quickly find something better? Numerous businesses online compete for customers, so they need to come up with a look that catches attention and convinces customers to buy.

Design has substantial effects on businesses, especially when it comes to building an online presence. It only makes sense to give it meticulous attention and a thoroughly-researched and well-thought-out concept. To sum up, good design is something that leaves a good impression, makes a business easily identifiable, and encourages customer patronage.

Several club management software options are available today, offering club owners more choices. Some applications only offer a basic set of features, whereas other platforms offer enhanced features and functions that some clubs may require.

Choosing the appropriate management software for your fitness club can be confounding, especially if you are not familiar with how the program works. Productivity software often has several features, some of which you do not need and will never use. It is vital to choose one that fits your business operations just right but is scalable so that you can upgrade when your business grows more prominent.

Start by establishing what you and your clients require. If you are new to the business, here are some of the first things you should consider.

1. Tracking your income and expenses

Better income management equates to a successful business. The software you choose should have this function. An integrated billing feature will help reduce your operating costs and let your staff focus more on your clients. Since you will be accepting credit card/debit card payments, subscribing to a Credit Card Auto Updater Service (CCAUS) will be of great help. The service automatically updates information on replaced or expired credits cards. Your staff does not have to call members to ask for their new credit card information so that they can process billing statements faster.

2. Establishing contact with members

As a service provider, you should be in constant contact with your clients. They expect you to provide quality service, which you can do with automated marketing, billing and scheduling. You can program the system to send members appointment reminders by email or text and provide members with updates on club developments, such as introducing new members or new services. You can send targeted messages to entice members to try other services your club offers.

3. Integration with your website

You can perform most transactions today through a website. Select management software like Coacha, which you can easily integrate with your website, enhancing your marketing opportunities. The software provides a platform for members to register, book appointments, pay membership dues or sign up for a free trial offer.

4. Remote access

Check if the software allows you to access the system’s interface outside of the office. This is a valuable feature, which can allow owners and staff members to check on the business any time, wherever they are.

5. Self-service

Ensure that the club management software offers flexibility to you and your club members. Most people today are used to using online banking and shopping. Your members will greatly appreciate if you provide them with a digital portal, so they can manage their account, schedule appointments and book services on their own, without having to come to the club. They will find it very convenient and give your staff more time to attend to members who are at the club.

Most club management software today has so many features. Choose the one that can help you manage your business operations, attract new clients and retain existing ones.

At first, you have to do your best to convince investors to spend money on you. You prepare what to say, check if the room is conducive to the presentation, and prepare the slides. You even invest in a video wall mount to ensure that the equipment will work well while you present. You understand that their investment could take you to success. If you do well during the presentation, they will most likely decide in your favour.

At this point, it’s your call if you move forward with the transaction or if you pass. Once you accept the partnership, you’re giving that investor authority to make decisions for the business. Therefore, you need to be careful before accepting any offer. It’s your turn to study the investor and see if you can work well together. These are the qualities you want in an investor.

Respectful 

Some investors feel like they already own you and your business the moment they decide to invest. You don’t want to work with these people. They won’t respect your decisions and will force you to do things their way. They will even blame you if you decide to take the path you want and it fails. It will be a disaster for the company if someone tries to take over what you worked so hard to start.

Honest 

Even if you don’t want to work with a dictator, you also don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t care at all. You still want someone who will be honest with you and tell you if you’re doing the right thing for your business. Otherwise, you might believe that you’re still on the right path, and you suddenly fail. Investors are also experts in business, so they know what to do to help you.

Focused

Some investors have multiple investments. Expanding their portfolio allows them to have several shots at success. Even if one business fails, they will still have chances for success elsewhere. The only problem is that they might lose focus on you if they have a lot on their plate. You need someone who will give you the attention you deserve and will be with you on the entire journey.

Optimistic

You want to work with someone who has a positive view of the direction of the business. There are times when things don’t go as planned, and you start to lose hope. You need someone who will keep pushing you to success. Even when you can’t implement your plans, the investor will tell you that it’s possible, and there’s still a path to success.

Some investors are tough because their investment is at stake, but don’t do anything to help. You don’t want someone to be absent the entire time and blame you once you fail.

After seeing the potential investors, it’s time for you make up your mind. You can accept the offer and call it a day or keep searching until you find an investor you think is a perfect fit for your business.

Working on a construction project is no simple feat. There are key stages you need to prepare for in order to minimise safety risks and ensure timely completion of your requests. Take a closer look at these basic stages to understand what you need to do. Regardless of the scale of your project, you will most likely observe the five key stages below.

Creating a construction plan

This stage involves conceptualizing your plans. Think about what you hope to achieve with your project. How many floors do you want for the building? Do you already have a location for your project? More importantly, what standards or regulations do you need to follow. As the project owner, you must identify all the key things you need to work on. Be as detailed as possible when you create your plan.

Finding the right people to help you

You will most definitely need to hire a few people to help you complete your project such as structural engineers, interior designers and electrical engineers. These folks will help you execute your plans. They will also come in handy for performing tasks that require experience and finesse such as checking the overall structure of the building and connecting the required utilities.

Looking for equipment rentals or acquiring required tools

Another key step in launching a successful construction project is looking for equipment rental companies or suppliers. You may need a few tools such as a hydraulic power pack and heavy equipment to perform various construction-related tasks. You must decide whether to buy or rent tools and equipment to complete a certain aspect of your project. If it’s a one-time gig, it’s highly recommended to lease the equipment. However, if you will most likely work on another project, then you should consider purchasing the essential equipment.

Working on the plans

After procuring the equipment, contacting suppliers, hiring a contractor and completing the construction plan, it will be easier to start working on the project. Be sure to brief everyone involved in the project about the time frame, budget and even your expectations. This way, everything will be in order. Continuous monitoring of the project will allow you to complete your project with fewer complications. This will also help you determine possible points for improvement.

Finalising the project

Once your team completes the project, there are a few things you need to attend to. Some of these tasks include having the building checked for structural issues and handing it over to the owner. See to it that you provide all the necessary documentation.

Examine the materials used and installed in the building a few times to know which ones need your immediate attention. At this point, your team also needs to review contracts and warranty certifications.

A construction project entails a lot of work. You may also need to face and resolve all kinds of issues that may arise during the project. Regular communication among your team members and solid planning will help you ensure smooth and timely completion of your project.

Have you battled with getting visitors to your website to do what you want? Perhaps you are wanting them to sign up for your newsletter or, alternatively, get a demo of your product however they never get to that page? It may be the right time to have another look at your call-to-action.

What is a call-to-action?

The term ‘call-to-action’ (CTA) is a statement which is designed to elicit an immediate response from the individual who is reading or, alternatively, hearing it. The CTA is used in business – as part of a digital marketing strategy – in order to get your target audience to respond to it by taking a certain action.

Before you put pen to paper and write down your call to action, decide what the goal is that you’re trying to reach:

• Do you want to boost subscriptions?
• Increase sales?
• Move readers along to another content piece?

Once you have an idea of the action that you want performed, think about how best you can achieve this goal.

The best call-to-action phrases are short and use powerful verbs. In addition, they speak directly to the user. Rather than weaker call-to-action words – such as click here – an efficient call-to-action phrase will use more particular words that speak directly to the outcome that you want. Great calls-to-action include:

• Discover your best life
• Join our community
• Book your next adventure.

Where should a call-to-action be?

The question “where should I place my CTA on my website?” is one that digital marketing experts attempt to tackle often. And it’s probably as it’s so frustrating. Currently, no one has decided on one clear solution such as, for example, “top-right corner of every web page” in order to solve the conundrum of where CTAs should belong for optimal engagement.

Before A/B testing and heat-mapping tools, web designers and digital marketers though that the best solutions was to put all the important information above the fold and then the secondary information below the fold.

According to expert, where the CTA is placed should be influenced by the density of a page:

• For a shorter page that has less information, it may make sense to put the CTA above the fold.
• For a longer page that conveys that is more complex, the CTA may do better below the fold.

In a study, researchers compared the difference in conversion rates between:

• A shorter home page design that had a distracting navigation bar, no value proposition in the content, and a call-to-action form in the top-right of the page, and
• A longer home page design with content that delivered a stronger, clearer and more detailed value proposition.

The researchers also removed the distracting navigation and placed the call-to-action at the bottom of the page.

What was found that the simpler and longer layout of the page had a 220% higher conversion rate than that of the original control page. The basic assumption here is that because the web designers provided all the useful information which visitors required in a clean and simple manner; they didn’t mind waiting until the end of the page to engage with the CTA.

Your CTA is the opportunity to motivate your digital audience to take real steps in terms of becoming a customer or client. The CTA can be the deciding factor between a lead and a conversion. Many argue that the CTA is the most valuable part of your site or ad campaign. Skipping the CTA is a dangerous mistake that won’t bode well for your company.

If you utilise your CTA in order to create a sense of urgency – or to gently steer your users towards the checkout line – the important thing is that you use a strong CTA. Next time you’re creating site content or ad copy, let your call to action shine. The results will follow.

 

Some customers don’t care much about product labels. They already know which specific items to buy the moment they enter the department store or grocery store. However, not everyone shops that way. Others prefer to look at the details of the product labels before they decide which one to buy. These are the reasons why you need to give importance to product labels.

Health concerns 

There are certain ingredients in food and other products that the government allows since they’re generally safe. Others are okay when used only up to a certain percentage for every serving or container. However, for some people, these ingredients or contents could cause an adverse impact on their health. They could get allergic reactions. Others might have specific illnesses that prevent them from consuming or using certain products. Therefore, you need to be clear about product contents on the label to ensure the safety of your customers.

Use of chemicals

Some customers might not have health issues, but they care a lot about the environment. They want to ensure that whatever they buy won’t negatively impact the environment. The use of certain chemicals could harm the environment. Other products use ingredients or contents coming from endangered species or protected organisms. They don’t want to be a part of the problem and avoiding certain brands is their way of doing it.

Quality of the products 

You won’t know if the product is of top quality unless you use it. However, for some products, it’s easy to determine quality based on the content. For instance, if you’re selling a variety of food, but the main ingredients are only a small percentage of the entire serving, it means that the item isn’t worth buying. For instance, when you’re selling potato chips and the label says that potato is only 10% of the entire serving, people will stay away from them. They’re not consuming their money’s worth in that case.

Product origin 

The label also states where the product came from. Some brands might be popular as a product of a specific country, but the item sold is manufactured elsewhere. It doesn’t automatically mean the product is of poor quality. It might just affect how consumers see the product. It’s their right to know where the items were made.

Provide the necessary information and more

Depending on the nature of the product sold, you have to disclose specific information on the label as required by the government; otherwise, you could be in violation of the law. You’ll get penalized for such a violation. Worse, it could even lead to the closure of your business. If you don’t want it to happen, you need to stick to the rules. You can even go beyond and provide further information not required, for transparency reasons. As long as there’s enough space on the label, it’s okay.

After designing the label, you can find quality printers and labelling machines if you want top quality for the product labels.

 

 

Every business has a focal point for its marketing. In the majority of cases, that focal point is either the company’s greatest achievement to date, or the one thing that the company does better than any of its rivals. The purpose of all business marketing is to attract new customers, and to tell them – in as short and snappy a way as possible – that their company is the right one to choose for whatever product or service it is that they provide. Using information about the business might feel like the most logical and appropriate way to do it, but it isn’t. You might actually be better served by putting some bunny ears on and taking a cute picture; and no, we aren’t joking.

There are a few things we need to explain in order to back that statement up. The first of them is that right now, the target market for most businesses is Millennials. Boomers are now too old to be considered as a current or future client base, Generation X is completely set in their ways when it comes to buying habits, and Millennials are now of an age where they’re making large purchases, like cars and houses. The issue is that Millennials really hate advertising. They’ve grown up in an extremely commercial world, and they can see an advert coming a mile away. They ignore it. Your marketing material might feature the most outstanding content in the world, but they won’t even read it.

What Millennials do like, however, is cute animals. They spend more on pets than any generation in history. Spending on birthday cakes for pets and pajamas for pets has accelerated dramatically in recent years, and it’s motivated by the Millennial love of all things adorable. This is, after all, the generation that expanded the internet and then filled it with pictures of cats. It’s also the generation that can’t seem to take a selfie without applying a filter to it to make themselves appear to have cute red cheeks, bunny rabbit noses, or other visual elements that seem to have been drawn from a Disney movie. On the topic of Disney, childhood Millennial couples are going on Disney holidays far more than their parents ever did. This is the great contradiction that sits at the heart of Millennials when it comes to business. They’re too cynical for advertising, but still seem to be children at heart when it comes to their spending habits.

There may be no greater example of what we’re talking about than the one that can be found on parts of the internet reserved for online slots sites or their sister sites. The most popular mobile slots games in new UK casinos right now – and possibly the whole world – is called ‘Fluffy Favourites.’ It’s a slots game like any other you’ve ever seen, but it stars a cast of cuddly, fluffy toys who have come to life. Millennials are playing mobile slots in significant numbers – which is an adult activity – but they’re particularly drawn to a mobile slots game which features characters that belong in a child’s bedroom. Eyecon, the company who made the game, were smart enough to understand the appeal of using such characters in marketing. Your business – unless it would be completely inappropriate to do so – should be looking at the same strategy.

If the success of the cute approach was confined purely to the world of mobile slots, we wouldn’t make such a deal of it. It’s not, though. If you remember the famous Budweiser advert from the Superbowl back in 2015, you’ll recall that it starred a horse and a dog. What do a horse and a dog have to do with beer? Absolutely nothing. They didn’t have to. They were cute, and the cuteness resonated with the audience. People remembered the advert, and then they went out and bought more Budweiser. If you’re a resident of the UK, you’re probably sick of the sight of a cute family of meerkats who advertise a price comparison website. Again, the meerkats have nothing to do with the service that’s being sold. They’re there for the express purpose of making the service seem cute and quirky to Millennial customers, and the strategy works. The ‘Compare the Market’ website that they advertise is the outright leader within its sector.

If yours is a business which demands to be taken seriously, going for the cute approach can be counter-intuitive. There might not seem like an immediately obvious ‘cute’ angle to your business. The simple truth, though, is that there doesn’t need to be one. As we’ve seen from the examples we discussed above, there needn’t be any connection at all between what your business does, and what you use to advertise it. There’s no reason why you couldn’t adopt a cartoon hippo as your company mascot. Perhaps a friendly-looking shark would do the trick, or a hamster? As ridiculous as it sounds, so long as it looks adorable, we know from Millennial consumer behavior that they’re likely to look twice at it, and that’s all you need to get their attention. Forget the wording, and focus on the visual. If the visual is right, you’ll reach new customers.

Whether this approach will still work ten years from now is another matter entirely. Generation Z is still young, but early research that’s been conducted on them suggests that they’ll be even harder to reach than their Millennial counterparts. They’re far more likely to have ad-blocking software installed on their phones, they’re almost certain to skip advertising content on videos, and in some instances, they’ll avoid a product completely if they can see that it contains advertising in any form. Unless a new strategy proves capable of reaching them, it might be that everyone who works in marketing has to give up and find a new career a decade from now. In the meantime, let’s all take the cute approach to marketing, and make hay while the sun is still shining!

 

When consumers arrive at a company’s website, businesses have one goal: to get them to convert.

Whether that means buying a product, scheduling a service, or even just contacting the company for more information, increasing conversions is something all businesses aim to do. And fortunately, there are a few simple ways to boost conversions that simply involve changing up the web design details on a company’s page.

Use the rule of thirds

In any and all aspects of design, there is something called the “rule of thirds”. This design principle can help companies determine which information should be put where on a web page. Basically, the page should be divided into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, giving nine equal “squares” of space to work with.

The rule of thirds says that objects placed at the four middle intersections of the squares are the main areas of focus. So whatever is put in this space is what consumers’ eyes will focus on the most. With that in mind, objects like a call to action button should be placed near this section to catch consumers’ attention. SEO services like linkgraph.io can help you with this.

Utilize negative space

Many companies make the mistake of trying to cram as much information as possible on each of their web pages. And while it’s certainly important to provide consumers with the right information, too much content can be overwhelming and make for an overall poor design.

This is why companies need to have a good mix of positive space (the space that has stuff in it) and the negative space (which is the empty space). There should be plenty of negative space between paragraphs, around pictures, and above and below headings.

Without negative space, consumers will have a difficult time reading the site and aren’t likely to convert. And businesses should ensure that the content they worked so hard to help build doesn’t get lost in a busy page design.

Use original photos

Images are an important part of web design: they help bring meaning to the content and can help attract attention. But when companies choose to use stock photos instead of using original photos, usually because they’re free or very cheap, they greatly increase the risk of losing conversions and credibility.

Companies should always work with a professional photographer to create images chosen for their website. In doing this, the photos will look like they actually belong and will flow nicely with the overall design of the page. Furthermore, a real, original photo is easy to spot and will make a company seem more credible than if they use a cheesy, cheap-looking stock photo.

Have easy navigation

One of the biggest mistakes that businesses can make when designing their website is making their site navigation too complex. When consumers visit a website, they should be guided through the site in order to land them on the page that will allow them to buy something or schedule a service.

But if the site is too complex to navigate, whether it’s because of a complicated navigation bar or a too-small call to action button, companies aren’t going to see as many conversions. Allowing consumers to navigate a site with minimal clicks will make it easy for them to convert at the end of their visit on the site.

Consumers can tell the difference between companies that put effort into their web design and companies that don’t. You should always keep your pages clean and simple, allowing consumers to get the information they need and guide them into an easy conversion.

 

 

There’s no denying that contractors are vital to the economy. After all, not only can the services that they provide improve offices and homes, but also keep them from falling apart. And it is for these reasons that the demand for these businesses is almost always high, and why many entrepreneurs choose to enter this industry in the first place.

But while a contractor business can be a potentially lucrative venture to pursue, it also comes with its fair share of challenges too. So before you get too far ahead of yourself and commit a substantial amount of financial resources to the endeavor, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Take advantage of industry associations

There’s a good reason why many contracting businesses join industry associations: not only does it help create exposure and boost the network of their companies, but they can also be an invaluable source of knowledge too. And by doing the same, you will be able to gain insight into the various facets of the industry, from product recommendations to the necessary skill sets that your business will require to generate more sales and profit.

Make sure you have a financial cushion

It’s not uncommon for many contractors to struggle with cash-flow issues from delayed payments. As such, it’s a general rule of thumb for any business in this industry to always have a financial cushion to support operations if and when the need arises. In this way, you’re less likely to encounter problems in securing the necessary equipment, tools, and materials that the work entails, and as a result, maintain a consistently high level of productivity in the process.

Use digital marketing strategies

For small contracting businesses working with limited resources, the costs of traditional advertising methods can be too much to shoulder. As such, it makes sense to opt for cost-effective alternatives like digital marketing instead. In this way, you won’t have to spend more than what you need too. And with services provided by the likes of Local SEO West Palm Beach, you can enhance your marketing strategy further and improve your chances of getting the desired return on your investment as a result.

Keep a close eye on your finances

One of the primary reasons why running a contracting company can be a massive undertaking is because of the high costs involved with the business. As such, it’s crucial to keep a close eye on your finances to ensure that you are generating the desired profit margins. Number crunching may not necessarily be the most exciting aspect of running a business, but time invested in reviewing your financial records regularly and looking for inexpensive alternatives and better deals for the equipment and supplies needed can pay dividends.

Despite its highly lucrative nature, running a contractor business is a task that is easier said than done. But by following the tips listed above, not only will you minimize the likelihood of running into potential problems but also increase your chances of growth and success within the industry.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.

For a small business, customer loyalty can make the difference between that business thriving and that business failing. In order to create customer loyalty, small business owners have to have excellent customer service. One of the best ways to have excellent customer services is making sure all your customers’ needs are met. 

A call center is the perfect way to make sure your customers are being heard and having their problems solved, but is call center outsourcing the smartest thing for your small business? Here’s what you need to know about call center outsourcing for small businesses.

What is the best way to outsource your call center?

Cloud call center software is easy, efficient, and cost-effective for small business. Cloud call center software exists virtually and remotely. Your call center agents do not need to be in the same location, which means you will never need to provide a physical office space for your agents. 

This also saves your business from having to install costly hardware in order to create a call center. Call centers are an effective way for your customers and clients to reach someone when they have a question, and cloud call centers are the best way for you to implement a call center. 

What is the biggest benefit of cloud call center software?

By far, the biggest benefit of cloud call center software is the web-based omnichannel platform. This platform allows your customers to interact with agents through a variety of different channels. They can, of course, still make a traditional phone call, but your clients will also have the option to text, email, video chat, or send a message. 

In addition, conversations between customers and agents can transition between platforms, meaning your customer can ask a question through text, then transition to phone call, and then back to text, if they so choose. This makes it even easier for your customers to get the help they need in whatever manner they desire.

Around 12 percent of American adults experience social anxiety at some point in their lives. If your customers are experiencing anxiety, they may not want to make a traditional phone call. For these clients, the ability to message or text their questions and concerns might make all the difference. Offering an omnichannel platform is a great way to build customer loyalty and help your clients feel like their concerns are always being addressed. 

How much does this software cost?

Of course, when you’re running a business, you need to know what you can afford to spend on every aspect of your organization. You might have delayed starting a call center because you aren’t sure if you can afford it. Thankfully, you can. With this cloud call center software, you’re able to configure the software based on your needs. This means you are only ever paying for what will directly benefit you and your business, and after your one-time start-up fee, you’ll be able to choose what best suits you. The professionals will also help you analyze your needs and decide what will be the best plan for your business’s needs. 

Since customer service can make such a huge difference, the costs of the software are greatly offset by the gains in customer loyalty. Your clients will be thrilled that they are able to reach your business at any time and in any mode of communication. 

Starting your cloud call center is extremely easy, and you’ll be amazed by the benefits the software will bring to your company. Utilizing this form of customer service will help ensure all your clients’ needs are met in a timely and satisfactory manner. Also, you’ll be able to analyze how well your agents are helping your customers, meaning your call center will always be improving and growing. Now is the time to start your cloud call center and begin making more money.