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Is SEO categorised as part of IT or Marketing?
Do you think SEO should be categorised as part of IT or Marketing? SEO experts, do you call yourself an IT or marketing professional?
Animal Emergency Service, The Animal Emergency Service is a specialised veterinary pra at Animal Emergency Service
Yes, I think SEO should be a part of marketing not a part of IT. But it's not necessary an SEO Expert can be a marketing professional.
John Eustace, Principal / Communications and Media Strategist at Bells and Whistles Marketing Pty Ltd
Marketing (nothing to do with IT)
How many of you are using video as part of your marketing strategy?
I am really curious to know the answer to this one. How many business owners out there are using video as part of their overall marketing strategy If you are not using it, what is the main reason for holding back?
Peter Jones, Founder at LinkSmart
Hi, I have been helping a client recently with video who is just starting out. We were able to cost save by going to fiverr.com and had a lady from Queensland do a really good intro video for the website $45.00 with extras. Then we just did home video showing that the owner of the business as an 'expert' in his products, uploaded to YouTube. Total cost just some time editing the videos. Worked really well for us and our clients. We even used Qr codes to play the videos attached to the products. Good luck Peter
Bridget Holland, Director at Learnings for Success
I've just started with a few clients.
Things that held me / us back:
1. perception that video is complicated, time-consuming and expensive.
2. lack of knowledge about how to do it.
3. lack of bandwidth.
I went to an absolutely brilliant seminar just before Christmas which looked at video in all its aspects (Stuart Gordon, are you out there?!?) and came away all inspired with:
1. list of options as to where we could use video effectively (start with client testimonials)
2. reinforcement of the knowledge that content is more important than the technology (eg if you interview a client on an iPhone it really doesn't matter that it looks like a home video, it simply makes it more 'real'- unless you are a video provider, of course!)
3. confidence that we could upload to YouTube then embed in our sites without having random YouTube who knows what showing up after OUR video played.
Starting gently but really think this is a great way to go!
What is the best way to advertise spare offices for rent?
What is the best way and where to advertise a couple of spare offices we have available for rent on our floor? We have a whole floor of a building in Chatswood and it's too big for us. So we have a couple of offices that we can rent out. I'm not sure how to advertise the spare offices as they are internal offices, the local real estate won't help. Any suggestions?
Peter O'Donnell, Presenter, Coach, educator at Thriving Tribe
Peter Jones, Founder at LinkSmart
HI,
Hope you get a tenant from above but I agree that Gumtree is a good option. Peter
Have you worked with a mentor?
If you have worked with a mentor, great! But I want details. Was working with a mentor a successful experience for you? Did you seek them out for general or specific questions? Did you enjoy working with them? Why or Why not?
Gill Walker, Owner Director, Principal CRM Business Consultant at Opsis
I have worked with several mentors with varying degrees of success.
For people looking for a mentor, I would advise to be clear on your goals from the engagement. Then be prepared to end the engagement if it is not delivering, and be very wary of mentors who want you to commit to a long term agreement before they have proved themselves.
My worst experience was a mentor who went bad - although it started well. He was obviously struggling financially, and came to see me as a cash cow.
HUNTER LEONARD, FOUNDER AND CEO at BLUE FROG MARKETING PTY LTD
Yes, I've worked with a mentor on a couple of occasions. Once many years ago I asked a colleague to be my presentation mentor and he would attend my seminars and presentations and then give me feedback at the end of each one. This was a fantastic experience as he was able to pinpoint some key positives and negatives about my style and delivery and I improved as a result.
More recently, I asked one of my clients to put on a different hat and mentor me on preparation of investment documents for a new business I'm working on. This was also a great experience, and one of his comments led to a focussing of our business idea to the point where I'm now far more passionate about the idea because I found a really nice social enterprise angle to the business that I hadn't expected and wouldn't have found if he had mentioned that one thing.
In summary, definitely recommend having a mentor, particularly if there is a very defined outcome you're looking for.
Wendy Huang, Full Time Blogger and YouTuber at A Custom Blog in 4 Minutes
Hi Kevin,
It really depends on what kind of role you are trying to fill. I've interviewed staff for more data entry type roles and the best way to handle them, and these are tips I have gotten from friends that run their whole business on offshore assistants is to allocate a budget and a very specific task for them to do that is reflective of what you are hiring for. And this has to be SPECIFIC, as in allocate a due date, a process to handle questions about the task, a way to submit the task and also allocate a time bracket in which to complete the task. If you are not specific the following can occur:
- They may do a great job, but spend many hours on it costing you more money in the long run, if this is not disclosed from the outset you could be walking into a troublesome relationship
- They may take too long and not meet the scheduled date.
- They may ask too many questions and not be proactive in finding solutions which ends up costing you more time managing.
- They may not submit the task in the right way.
All the above issues need to be prevented and clearly stated so you can concentrate on finding candidates with the right skill set and not try and fish out ones that can follow basic instructions and processes.
Hire 10-15 contracts at one time, and then evaluate the top candidates based on task performance. You may want to give an alternative task to complete before then hiring a team.
It's also great to have some backups to contact in case your original hire goes astray. If it's your first time hiring I highly suggest you use an agency, this will ensure that if your staff is sick or away or leaves you won't need to spend time retraining or finding someone to fill in - you may pay more per hour but these are the little things that I think are worth paying for.
Make sure you are clear with the Agency regarding what they look after and what they don't. At minimum they should cover training, sick leave management and replacements.
I haven't had any experience remotely hiring higher level management type staff so I can't comment on that :) Perhaps someone else here may give that questions a shot?
Deborah Vella, Owner at Support Legal
If you're uncertain, it is important to have your accountant look over the numbers. Given fluctuations in the economy and revenue for small business, it would be wise to include a buffer to ride out any difficult trading periods.
Keep in mind also that it is illegal to knowingly trade while insolvent.
Do you think there are benefits with working with a business coach?
Why have you resisted working with one in the past?
Jeremy Carter, CEO | Leadership Trainer | Management Consultant | Business at Rapport Leadership Australia
If a business coach can't quantify the benefits for you then they are obviously not the coach for you. A coach is a catalyst to help you achieve your goals faster and with less resistance, to challenge your beliefs and patterns of thinking and help you make decisions and move forward with confidence in your business.
This being said, getting results comes down to your willingness to keep your commitments, implement the agreed upon strategies and put the effort in. Coaching is not a magic pill, however it is essential for any business or sporting professional who wants to perform at the top of their game.
Also, be willing to challenge them back if you feel strongly about something (but be professional). Additionally, let them know that if it doesn't work out you will try their suggestion. However, this should be the exception to the rule (as a coach will not want to work with you long term if you constantly ignore their advice).
John Eustace, Principal / Communications and Media Strategist at Bells and Whistles Marketing Pty Ltd
The very fact that you asked this question Ben makes it's answer glaringly obvious!
Find a good one with great credentials (and a little grey hair), make certain you keep away from any franchised perorations that push a coaching formula.
How much do advertising agencies charge for an online ad campaign?
What's the price range or cost for an online advertising campaign covering popular channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, etc.
Pramod Maloo, Founder at Kreative Machinez
Hello Dear,KIndly contact us. We are the top digital marketing agency, we can help you... https://www.kreativemachinez.com/contact-us/
Would you rather lose a client or lose a staff member?
Or in other words, keep a client and lose a staff member or keep the staff member and lose a client?
Melanie Gray, Managing Owner at MyCL (My Computer Lab)
Much prefer to loose a client!
I only keep employees if they are awesome.
Jef Lippiatt, Owner at Startup Chucktown
Gary,
I would somewhat echo what Huy wrote. I would most likely want to keep all of my staff, unless someone was causing problems for the overall team or not meeting expectations. If you've done your due diligence when hiring, it'd probably be hard to let someone go.
However, from a client perspective I would examine a few more items. If the client is always difficult to work with, it would be an easy decision to stop working with them. I think the main concern before losing a client would be to consider, how much of your business will be impacted by not having their business? If cutting a client loose (even a difficult one) would impact your business to the point of closing your business you need to do some hard looking. Build up some additional clientele before cutting the client off. I would take that approach to ensure that if I lose a client, my staff would still have jobs.
What are the trends for retail in 2017? (edited)
How do you see things progressing offline and online in the retail space this year?
Jef Lippiatt, Owner at Startup Chucktown
I think one of the most obvious trends that will continue to get bigger in 2015 is mobile commerce. I specifically mean shoppers buying things on mobile devices (smart phones, tablets, etc.).
I also see a need for the majority of retailers to create a better shopping experience across devices. Having a "mobile specific" version if your store isn't going to cut it. Usually a mobile specific site omits some functionality or some products or perhaps both. Neither is a good idea for keep customers engaged.
Retailers should consider using Responsive or Adaptive website frameworks such as Zurb Foundation or Twitter Bootstrap. You can create one experience that adapts to each device while not eliminating functionality. This should be at the top of the list for enhancements that will delight customers.
I would also say that looking back and going forward, stores with a specific target or niche seem to perform better than a store trying to please everyone. Don't let the numbers fool you, a larger customer base doesn't mean more money if they don't fit your product or market. Look for ways to grow within your existing demographic.
Longer term I think the following things should be kept on the radar for the end of 2015/2016:
- sales through social media
- online fitting rooms with augmented reality
- clothing custom made for individuals from 3D body scans