January, 2011 // Posts published in January, 2011
Startup tip #17 – Create trust by guaranteeing your product
Giving a guarantee is an effective way to build trust for your customer. Guarantees are an assurance to the customer that they won’t be worse off by using your product or service. Essentially you are protecting them from any perceived (or real) downsides. The trick to an effective guarantee is working out what are the ...
Startup tip #16 – Why you need to start a blog
It seems like everyone is blogging these days, but if you have something to say, a blog can be a good way to demonstrate your expertise. Blogs are great for establishing credibility because they are not perceived as “marketing’ and therefore customers are more receptive to what they are reading. Blogs are a great way ...
Startup tip #15: Use testimonials from satisfied customers.
Your potential customer is looking for proof that you can do what you say and that they will benefit if they spend money with you. Testimonials tell them that you have been able to come up with the good for others. However, all the cheesy sales sites do this so make sure your testimonials look ...
Startup tip #14: 7 ideas to create an effective ‘About’ page on your website
Create an ‘About’ page on your website. On my site, it’s one of the most viewed pages. It’s one of the first places visitors will look to get a sense of who you are and what you do. You can be transparent and engage your customers. It can also help direct readers to other pages ...
Startup tip #13: Recreate your past successes
Reflect: How can you create success in your business using strategies you already know? All of us have had success in some area. Think about something you have done really well in the past which you enjoyed. It doesn’t have to be business related. What were the factors that made you successful in this situation? ...
Startup tip #12: Don’t get a website built in Flash
If you are having a website built for you – don’t get it done in Flash. While Flash looks great, search engines can’t read the content written in it. That means your site won’t show up in search results. Try WordPress for a cost-effective, search engine friendly alternative. Get a startup tip daily on Facebook.
Startup tip #11: Create and innovate in the car
Use your time in the car as a creative brainstorming session for your business. A voice recorder would be handy to capture your ideas. For more on creativity in business have a look at Mark Suster’s post here: Get a startup tip daily on Facebook.
Startup tip #10 – Don’t be afraid to act like a little company
The advantages are: People are often sceptical of corporate companies and are pleasantly surprised by a personal approach You can match your approach to your current target market (who are likely to be early adopters in the startup phase.) You can be yourself – human and honest. For more info, read Jason Cohen’s account of ...
Startup tip #9: Find a great name for your business
Names should be say something about your business, whether descriptive or emotive, be easy to remember and spell, not too long and have a domain name available. Actually names don’t have to be great. A good name will do. The choice of name has never been a make or break of business success! Jason Cohen ...
Startup tip #8: Today, find one unproductive habit to change and one useful habit to begin.
Assess whether your current actions are getting you to where you want to go. What small change can you make that would have a positive impact on your life? “If you want to see your past, look at your current situation. If you want to see your future, look at your current actions.” – unknown
Startup tip #7: Make creating Customer Value your primary focus
What can you do today to create more value for your customer? There are probably some small, inexpensive changes you can make that will make a big difference (as well as more expensive ones). Make a list and pick something to action. Act as if someone is paying you $1,000/hour for every hour you spend ...
Startup tip #6 – Launch a scaled-back version
The lean startup movement talks about starting with a minimum viable product: the product with just the necessary features to get money and feedback from early adopters. Although typically applied to tech businesses, it can work for other businesses too. What is the simplest product you can get out there to test customer demand? The ...
Startup tip #5 – Check out your competitors
Have a look at what your competitors are doing. If you don’t think you have any – you are wrong. You just don’t know your market well enough yet. Even if you think you know who they are, have another look. See what they are doing and how they have changed their business model. What ...
Startup tip #4 Create some momentum in your marketing
Make a list of all the different ways you could market your product or service. Successful marketing is about throwing lots of stuff on the wall and seeing what sticks. Work out how you can test each idea and implement one today. Start with the cheapest and easiest and build momentum from there. Here’s some ...
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