Social Networking as a Business Tool

I like to shop at 7am over a cup of coffee…

Do so in my kitchen in my pajamas (which I would wear to business meetings if I thought I would still get business)…

Find great deals and coupons…

There are some sites I have been shopping at for a while. They have the cheapest deals on the items they carry (usually an online boutique that is very specialized) and a great selection. I have a comfort level with them and go back often. I can even sometimes find a coupon making their rock-bottom prices even better.

So why is it that I have to pull my hair out when I try to shop there. A recent experience was at one of these boutique online retailers. I am not going to give them the satisfaction of mentioning their name since all press is good press.

They recently overhauled their site. I’m sure it’s easier for them to track purchase, offer promotions, capture leads. But really. Do I have to suffer for the business to have a better experience? Can’t we have it both ways?

Not only was it hard for me to find where to actually purchase products. It was also hard for me to purchase them. I had to be sold on using the site first which insulted me as a returning customer.

I finally figured out how to buy from them and started *shopping*! =) I filled my cart, got excited when I found a coupon and then went to check out. Happy that I had also qualified for free shipping. It was a rocky start but in the end – well the middle – of my transaction, I was a happy, satisfied customer.

How quickly these things change back to frustration and annoyance.

I was asked to complete a new customer login since I had only ever shopped as a guest (my preferred way of shopping but now no longer an option). I even had to agree to their terms and conditions. I thought it was funny that a coffee company had terms and conditions but they were pretty boiler-plate.

So I agreed and hit “create my account”. All of a sudden, I was sent back to the home page and my cart was empty. Are you kidding? I had over $75 worth of coffee in my cart and now I am going to have to start over with my purchase from scratch. I back-arrowed to the cart screen and tried again…cart empty. I back-arrowed again figuring maybe I could just copy product codes from the list – no codes.

So now I am sitting here, almost out of coffee and not sure I want to buy it from the cheapest, best selection coffee company on the interent.

And the thing is, this is not unusual. Companies spend good money creating e-commerce that is clunky and user-unfriendly. And they are paying a LOT for these sub-par solutions. I guarantee they are not trying to create a bad user experience.

I was on newegg also earlier today. I hit “add to cart” and then “continue shopping” and was taken back to a featured product list instead of back to the list I was shopping from.

30% of consumers are using local content-driven web sites as the main way they learn about new products and services. Imagine how many customers you would have just by having an average online shopping experience for your customers. How about a GOOD shopping experience….

You would surpass most small to large companies vying for the consumer’s dollar and your bottom line would reward you handsomely for it.

What kind of experiences have you had shopping online? Help me make a “to do” list of how companies can improve their online shopping experience.

My list…

• Comparison Shopping
• Wish List
• Back to search after adding to the cart
• Clear and detailed photos of products
• Detailed descriptions with the consumer in mind and not just from the point of the manufacturer
• Coupons! and free shipping offers
• Good selection
• Clear and easy access to products and services

What other ways can we improve the shopping experience?

He has started to gear his advertising and marketing toward a more female audience and his web site is no exception. I am confident that we will be able to meet these goals and am happy to report that our new social networking strategic consultations will fit well in that strategy as well.

It turns out business owners whose businesses target a female demographic benefit greatly from the integrative social media widgets available through our web and internet marketing solution. According to comScore, women worldwide spend 30% more time on social networking sites than their male counterparts.

So not only will we work to assist our newest client with his web design to appeal to a more feminine audience, he will be able to take advantage of our social networking promotional avenues with ease.

Trista, Sr. Relationship Manager and Trainer for AllThatInternet.net will be providing systemized training for Unfranchise business owners on the MA WebCenters curriculum.

Curriculum covers many topics including 3 simple sales approaches, familiarization with tools, materials and solution as well as newly released Social Networking and SEO functionality for the MA WebCenters complete internet solution.

Class is $35 and usually runs from 9am to 5pm. Planned trainings include October in the Hudson Valley, November in the Capital Region of Pennsylvania and Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia.

Business owners are encouraged to check the NMTSS for detailed training information regarding date, location and times.

Our dedicated team of Social Media Marketing specialsts can guide the business owner through the social marketing process to help the thrive on the most popular social media sites. The result – a shifting tide bringing more customers to the business’ door step.

We have integrated Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, GoogleTalk, Yelp, Youtube, Groupon and LinkedIn and we have only just begun.

Our goal is to help our customers increase retention and broaden their customer base.

We will be updating you on the many enhancements coming. If you are a current AllThatInternet.net customer, you can contact our Social Media Marketing Specialists today and learn how to start utilizing these exciting enhancements right away.

This week was my week to be the spotlight member and in addition to speaking about my business in a short one minute commercial about a great referral for my business this week, I was able to speak for 10 minutes on any topic I chose.

I decided to tie the two together and covered 10 Minute Presentations as my educational moment and then demonstrated what I covered during the 10 minute.

I made sure I started with a jazzy beginning to get interest, I did something memorable and that would have impact on the audience. I also wanted to highlight something specific – in this case the benefits of working with me and my web solution for the typical local business owner. I ended by talking about the best referrals for me – The Three Ps.

To stand out and be memorable, I decided to interview a client. I asked Beverly White of Measured to Fit if she would be willing to help me by being the interviewee. I was so excited that she agreed! I was even more excited when she showed up! (performance jitters lead to paranoia I think!)

My starter to get everyone’s attention was to have our President, Karinna Kelly, introduce me as the guest host of BNI Today – a networking show. I even held up the “APPLAUSE” sign like a real TV show would do. And then I interviewed Beverly as though I was a talk show host and she was my guest. It was fun and I think I am ready to contact the networks! LOL

Beverly was kind and sincere and her words were highly impactful because they were coming from a client which is so much more powerful than if I had said them myself.

I am so grateful to Beverly for being willing to “play” and provide something so valuable to my business. She and her partner, Gail Williams, are a joy to know and I consider myself really lucky to have them as clients and friends.

Watch the video to hear Beverly’s answer to the following questions:

1. Had you looked at other web site options before settling on MA WebCenters?

2. Why did you choose to work with AllThatInternet.net and MA Web Centers?

3. How effective has it been at helping your business grow?

4. What do you like best about the MA WebCenters web site solution?

5. You recently upgraded to our newest software, free of charge as part of your service. How easy is it to make changes to your site since the upgrade?

6. What features and benefits do you like best about the new upgraded software?

7. What are some other benefits of working with me, beyond the work we have done on your web site?

8. Is there anything else you would like to add about working with AllThatInternet’s MA WebCenters web site solution or working with me?

• Tell your story. This is a great way for businesses to get their blog started. Who are you? Who’s on your team? Why did you choose the industry you’re in? When did you decide to become an entrepreneur? This topic can be separated into a series of entries, too.
• Put the audience in your shoes. Tell readers what a day or a week in your business is like. Take us on a tour of your world.
• Get out into your community. Being active in various community events (like local fundraisers) creates a win/win scenario for everybody involved – it’s a way for businesses to promote themselves while contributing to a worthwhile cause. Use your blog to share that experience with readers. Take pictures; describe the event and tell readers what compelled you to become involved with that particular cause.
• Compare your business to the big fish. Small- and medium-sized companies everywhere almost certainly face larger national competitors. If you operate one of these smaller businesses, what gives you a competitive advantage over the corporate giants? Maybe it’s your understanding of the local culture. Perhaps you partner with other local companies. Regardless of your industry, you can always make a solid case for your business against the others with just a little brainstorming.
• Use your resources! Check your site statistics to see what your most popular products or pages are, and create a blog post from that information. Or consult your Facebook and Twitter pages to find inspiration from your online community. You can also use trade publications as an inspiration to discuss new and innovative ways you are doing business, streamlining, system-izing and innovating.
  
• Ask the readers! This is another way to leverage multiple features in your Web solution. Send questions or requests for content ideas via e-newsletter, Twitter feed, Facebook or with a simple post on the home page! Customers will love feeling included and will appreciate knowing that their online voice is heard!
• Blogging is simple and takes very little time if you come at it with a logical and organized approach. The best way to start is within your current work style. If you like to plan things out well in advance, take some time to do plan and strategize a time line and topic flow. If you are the type of business owner that likes to be inspired, then keep your eyes and ears open for things that interest you and will interest your customers and followers and write about that.

Blogging is an important piece of your online strategy because it lets your customers and future customers get to know you better and gives your site fresh new content regularly, which helps you with search engine results.


What types of topics do you like to read about most in the blogs you follow?


What are your favorite topics to write about when you are writing your blog?


What other ways do you get inspired for new entries?

The topic they will cover is eradication of childhood obesity through education and the Junior League’s involvement in this focus locally and internationally through a program called Kids in the Kitchen.

“The idea that children are getting illnesses that used to only be reserved for adults is scary,” Trista said. She is passionate about this topic and recently began working with the TLS Shape Up and TLS Kids programs to continue the reeducation process beyond the efforts of the Junior League of Poughkeepsie.

Trista and Carolynn will be the featured speakers on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at the Cristo’s Restaurant in Poughkeepsie. This is the regular meeting location for the Arlington Rotary.