Alberta Business Marketing

Welcome to the age of the Internet.  I think it is pretty safe to claim this now.  Just look around you and there is no doubt that our online world is just as important as the face-to-face relationships we have.  For some, online is more important.

Cloud Computing For Business

One of the biggest shifts has been in business.  Business is now starting to embrace “the cloud” and the power of online applications.  Need proof, next time you fly, how many printed boarding passes do you notice?  How many people are using the smart phone to store their boarding pass?  More and more everyday.  Big business and small business are leveraging the power of the Internet to run their day-to-day business applications.

Even Microsoft has started to take notice. Well, they have been for a long time, at least 4 years since the first time I heard “Software + Services”.  Businesses across North America are flocking to Microsoft’s Online Solutions.  Many of them are turning to the Microsoft BPOS solution or solutions delivered by Microsoft Partners each day.  The online solutions market is heating up and taking off at an extremely fast pace.

The reality of the market today is that many small businesses are turning to Microsoft BPOS now versus having a server sitting in the back room doing nothing but email.  The next versions of the Microsoft Small Business Server will have a version that is cloud-equipped.  My understanding is that it will do nothing but authenticate your users and store files.  Sounds like a Foundation Server.

Join us for a free webinar

Ulistic is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday to help you get answers to hosting your business applications on the Internet.

Join us on Tuesday, July 20th at Noon Eastern/9 AM Pacific for a no charge 60 minute webinar that is geared to help you get some answers on what online service you should turn to.  Is it Google?  How about Microsoft Office Web Apps? Do you need a CRM?  What sort of backup strategy should I have?

Lots of questions and our goal on Tuesday is to help you get some answers.  Real world answers and the facts about the best online solution for your business.  For the past 6 months, I have been doing my own research, testing out many different online platforms.  We have also installed many different solutions ranging from Google Apps, Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite and Hosted Exchange through one of our partners.  I have had my frustrations to say the least.

I will have these real life stories plus intelligence on what some Calgary business owners have been quoted recently and what you should expect to pay the service you choose.  The truth is this, everyone has an opinion, everyone has a favourite and everyone’s needs and tolerance for techy stuff is different.  What works for some, doesn’t work for others.

It is your decision, I can only share with you what I know.

Register for Is Your Business Ready For The Internet webinar on Tuesday.

Tags: Business IT, Business/Finance, Calgary, Cloud applications, cloud computing, Computing, day-to-day business applications, Everything as a service, Google Inc., Human Interest, Internet culture, microsoft, Microsoft Corporation, microsoft office, Microsoft Partners, North America, Office Web Apps, online applications, online platforms, online solution, Online Solutions, Online Suite, online world, smart phone, smartphone, Software plus services, Technology/Internet, web 2.0, Web applications, Web Apps, Web conferencing, Windows Server, Windows Small Business Server
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You’ve put a lot of time and attention creating a web presence that meets or exceeds your ideal guests needs. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to close the sale.

What do you really really really really want your prospect to do next?

Calls to action should produce an opportunity to exchange information with your ideal guest, bringing them one step closer to committing to your travel experience.

Great Calls to Action
Link your preferred actions to your prospect needs:

Download a travel guide or event planner guide: If you know your prospect well, you’ll also know the kind of information that would make their visit to your region most enjoyable. Prepare a document like: “Top 10 Things to see and do when visiting Charlotte” to help build confidence in your brand for someone already choosing to travel to your region.

Download a poster/pdf: Give your potential guests a poster. I really like giving prospects information in a printable form. This makes it super easy to share their find (your business!) with friends, family or associates who may be traveling with them. Prospects may also print it, put it on their wall refrigerator, and put it in the hands of others.

Use a discount coupon or code: I’m not big on discounts, but time sensitive offers, or value-added travel packages that are only available here and now can generate leads with people who need a final push to make a purchasing decision.

Watch a short video (one that isn’t available anywhere else): You have successfully created the desire, now let people consume more information in the most popular form of online media – video. Spend time and money creating custom response videos that are truly compelling and ensure they match what your ideal guest is looking for.

Like our Facebook Page: I’ve not been to happy with Mark Zuckerberg over the past few months, but he got my thumbs up when Facebook changed it’s call to action on its social pages from “Become a fan” to “Like” us. I like to call this type of offer “a small yes”. Facebook’s like button is a quick and easy way for folks to suggest you to others. Encouraging your potential guest to share this content on Facebook, Twitter and other social media is a great way to encourage someone interested in your offer to spread the word. Like this post so far?

Opt-in to our e-mail list: Email, yes we are all getting tired of email newsletters that focus on selling, but a well crafted enewsletter with an authentic voice can bring a smile to fans and followers. Don’t just simply say, “Subscribe to our e-mail.” Be sure to offer ongoing value to your email subscriber list. Don’t just deliver your messages, deliver values and benefits that match the desire of your ideal guest for something they crave. Want to see a great e-newsletter in action? Check out http://WhiteSquall.com and subscribe to Tim’s e-newsletter. It never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Get a Quote: Pricing of tourism experiences should be clearly indicated on your Website whenever possible.  Sometimes, circumstances require variable pricing.  Make it easy using a web email form to let your prospect share details their request.

Check Availability: Even without an live automated inventory management system “Check Availability” is my favourite call to action for the tourism industry.  Using a simple email request or web form can yield plenty of inquiries from folks perusing your site. . . especially when they don’t have to hand over their credit card information or complete a complex form with too much detailed personal information.  Sure all that prospect information might be good for you, but think of the needs of your guest.  A valid email address is all the information you need to provide the information your prospect needs in order to make a decision.

Call now: After all, getting a prospective buyer on the phone is probably the thing that closes most sales. Ask for that phone call. Make it easy to connect by offering skype connections or text messaging too! Instead of “fill out this form,” how about, “call us now to get answers from an actual person!” And by all means, Track the origin of phone calls with a simple message pad clearly labeling why folks initiated contact with you.

Buy now: Online purchasing should be easy. If a prospect is visiting your site and wants to give you their money after business hours, why make them wait? Simple tools for online payment including Paypal and Tiny Pay allow embeddable payment options that take just minutes to install and cost very little to manage.

YOUR TURN:

What’s your favorite call to action?

Tags: call-to-action, calls to action
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How your tourism biz engages with your ideal guests online matters.  But what you do offline is really important to the online success of your business.

Here are 8 tips to help you improve the way you build your online presence – offline.

1. Get a business card that points people to the places you are engaged.
2. Ask your guests to review your business.
3. Give away free wifi Internet access.
4. Give your guests YOUR cameras and ask them to take photos. Tell guests where the photos will be posted.
5. Publicize your online presence with signage on your property.
6. At great photo spots on your property post Facebook and Flickr logos to encourage instant uploads from your property.
7. Post QR tags on signage with direct links to online media that makes your visitor experience better.
8. On check in, ask your guests their preferred way to stay connected.  Then use the channels they want you to.

This is just a starter list to get you thinking about how your tourism business can prosper online with effective offline strategies.  Spend a few minutes considering what you are doing away from the computer to encourage your guests to connect online.  Then watch your follower and fan numbers grow.

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Being a small business owner and working in our vibrant Calgary market is truly exciting.  I can’t think of any other market that I would want to own a business in.  My friends at SOHO came through Calgary on June 2nd for their annual trade show and conference.  The Small Office, Home Office event is one of the must attends for Calgary and area small business.  Ulistic had the pleasure of sponsoring this year’s event, sharing our story as an exhibitor and also being the closing speaker.

It was great to be the closing speaker. jokingly we said that Ulistic was the headliner for the 2010 SOHO event.   I spoke on “The New CRM – Managing Your Reputation Online Is CRUCIAL“.  It was a talk on what small business can do to monitor their reputation online.  Reputation Management is very important for business especially when it is so easy for business to fall victim to a malicious person or an upset customer who turns to the web to voice their frustration or seek their attention they crave.  For a great example, see what happened to a friend of mine recently on LinkedIn.

There are a number of key reputation management tips that small business in Calgary must do in aiding to help keep on top of their reputation online.  During my presentation I really only scratched the surface simply because online reputation management can be such a deep subject.  Only so much a guy can cover in 40 minutes!   Here are a few immediate things your small business can do to watch what is being said about your business and many of them are FREE!

1. Check Yelp.com or Yelp.ca daily. Yelp is a service that allows reviews to be posted online about your business.  It is very easy for a customer to offer their praise about your business on Yelp.  I would check Yelp daily and engage when required.
2. Take ownership of your business on the Google Local Business Directory.  Google’s business directory is an online directory of businesses across the world.  Check to ensure you own your listing and when you do take ownership ensure you fill it out completely.
3. Setup alerts on Google Alerts and Social Oomph and monitor your company name, trademarks, brand names, key employees, competitors and anything else you wish to monitor.

It is too late if a prospect informs you about some negative talk online about your business.

Now is the time you take ownership on your online presence.

One of the folks in my session sent me this email…

Aside from gold medalist Carla Macleod you were the best public speaker of the bunch!

About SOHO

SOHO is an organization that empowers small business owners from all across Canada.   Moe and his crew come to Calgary annually to share their message to small business owners.  They are truly unique in what they do.  I can’t really think of any other organizations who have national coverage and also approach our vibrant community with integrity and service.  Kudos Moe…great job.  To learn more about SOHO visit their website at http://www.soho.ca.

Tags: Business, Business/Finance, Calgary, canada, closing speaker, Home Office, Immediate Records, LinkedIn Ltd, online presence, Online reputation management, reputation, reputation management, Small Office, Small office/home office, Soho, World Wide Web
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Is your business at risk of being broadcasted as some who pays their bills late?  More and more immature businesses are turning to social media to air their grievances with those who they serve.  Right or wrong it is happening and what is the risk to your business if would happen to you?

I was speaking with a client of mine on Thursday about a rough spot he is in with a cloud-based data provider.  For a number of years he contracted a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management solution from a vendor who supplied this service.  All was great while my client and his service provider got along and bills were paid and services were provided.

But, one day the relationship soured and continued on a downhill slope until the day, yes the day, Solicitors may get involved.  And everyone hates when we need to do this, because you know the old saying…the Lawyers are the only ones that win.  Differences started to appear in how the contract was interpreted and my client terminated his agreement with his data provider.  He gave them several months notice and ended the relationship at the end of the calendar year, as per the agreement.  All he wanted was his own business data back from the database, however the Internet application provider wasn’t prepared to hand over this critical business information.  Thus, the firestorm began to spread, and the hosting company turned to blogs and social media to tell the world how bad of a guy my client is and how he was treating poorly.

Are we all at risk of having our soured relationships exposed on Social Media?

What type of person turns to a blog to voice his or her concern about something as sensitive as Accounts Receivable?

In discussions with many of peers on this topic every one of us came up with the same conclusion.  The person who posted the negative items is the one who risks alienation in the business world, not my client.  Would you do business with someone who has a track record of broadcasting your affairs with them on a blog or via Facebook?  I believe this guy just shot himself in the foot.

Would love to hear what you think…just add a comment.

Tags: Business, Business Success, Business/Finance, corporate reputation management, economics, Facebook Inc, Goods, Internet application, online business, Peer-to-peer, service, Technology/Internet
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