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How To Use Your Website To Improve Your Business

April 28, 2015September 5, 2023 Nancy Boisvert Newsletter branding, client retention, communicating with clients, communications, designing a website for marketing, drip marketing, marketing, newsletters, prospecting for clients, public relations, small business marketing, web design, website

Yes, your website can improve your business.

Most business people understand that having a website is an essential part of their business. The internet has become the “go-to” place for prospects to search for information to help them decide who they will do business with and you should be using your website to improve your business.

In the earlier days of the internet, a website was seen as a digital brochure, providing certain facts and information about products and services of a company. While a website still should contain these vital elements, visitors expect much more than the basics.

In order to turn your website from a static, non-engaging site to an important and dependable driver for your business, let’s look at how to improve your website and other online communications by making it effortless for your clients to introduce your business to their friends, family and business associates.

Make the Rule of 52 work for you:

Most likely, you have heard of the Rule of 52, which suggests that every person has an inner circle of 52 friends and family members, give or take. To use this to your advantage, create an effective online strategy that provides an effective conduit between your business and those connections of your clients. The resulting lead generation can be substantial. For example, if you have 50 clients, using the rule of 52, you have the opportunity to touch 2600 people.

So how do you reach out to these prospects? Well, a good website can provide the foundation for a relationship through developing a virtual connection with these people on their own terms. The key is to develop this relationship by making your website a vital resource.

How do you do that? Read on…

How to sell by teaching:

How is your website viewed by your clients? Is it merely an online brochure with limited opportunities for engagement, or is it seen as an enlightening source of quality information?
Your website will trigger an emotional response from your visitors, and you will quickly be dismissed if the emotion that is triggered is a “so what’. Additionally, if all your prospects and clients are getting from your site is ‘sell-sell-sell’, they are likely to leave and not return.

On the other hand, providing information and education on your site will heighten engagement as you quickly become a trusted resource, immediately improving your referability.

Assimilation is your friend:

Make sure that you are positioning your website as an information hub. By opting to inform people rather than trying to sell them, you will be providing your clients a ‘safe’ way to refer your business.
Be sure that you develop a habitual approach to providing this information. Consider things such as industry commentary, insights, and updates, newsletters, etc., and feed this information into your site on a regular and consistent basis to develop a following. Integrate these efforts with your social media channels to increase awareness and readership. It might seem like a lot of work but the payoff can be huge – and there are templates and automated processes to make it easier to integrate into your business.

Content is still king:

There is no substitute for content. The businesses that are benefitting the most from their online efforts are those who provide content on a consistent and frequent basis. Adding content sporadically simply doesn’t provide compounding results. By providing regular updates that are predictable, concise, and actionable come to be expected by your clients and prospects. Be sure to ask your readers to share your content to continue to build your following.

Remember that this strategy is one of building, not of selling. By differentiating your business from those who are looking for the ‘one-off’, you will build a solid foundation that will ease the transition from prospect to client.

The art of subliminal marketing:

One of the most powerful tools you can use to build interest in your business is an on-going newsletter. Use this tool judiciously; sending information too often can alienate your prospects and clients, and communicating too seldom can make you fade into the distance.

In some cases, a ‘tip of the week’ has proven effective. Weekly or twice weekly blog posting has proven to be an effective way of maintaining regular communication with your clients and prospects, and can also provide opportunities for dripping.

To be effective be sure to follow the following 3 important components:

1. Be sure to provide content on a consistent basis, and archive all posts on your website
2. Ask your clients and prospects to forward your posts and newsletters to their inner circle
3. Be sure to have an opt-in feature that allows visitors to your site to subscribe

Social media:

Social media can be a double edged sword. Remember that what you post on your social media sites reflects on you and your business. Avoid personal discourse to avoid judgement by potential clients. Don’t risk damaging your brand by posting something that you might regret later.
Use social media to drive traffic back to your website. Announce blog updates, new tips, etc., always pointing them back to your site.

All this will take time, but your efforts will compound. By creating a familiarity, you will gain trust, and your investment into your online presence is an investment in how you are perceived. By employing an integrated and consistent approach, you can ensure that clients and prospects place more trust you more than others who are vying for their business.

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

It’s Déjà vu all over again!

April 23, 2015September 5, 2023 Nancy Boisvert Newsletter business, economic downturn, economic slump, low oil prices, marketing, marketing during an economic downturn, oil and gas marketing, oil price drop, oil slump

So says Yogi Berra!

Yogi Berra, a former American baseball player and member of Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame, is well known for his many malapropisms. Even those of us who are too young to have heard them when they first left his lips are familiar with many of these memorable phrases.

And this one is certainly applicable to the cycles of boom and bust in the oil industry.

People are kind of funny; we seem to have a very limited memory of some less-than-pleasant events in our lives, which is probably a good thing. When times are good and things are moving forward, we all get caught up in the momentum and roll with it, never knowing how long it will last but enjoying the ride.

But just like every industry, there comes a time when things cool down. Basic economic theory teaches us that economies can’t exist in an environment of uncontrolled and unending growth. Every economy and every industry will go through a cycle of contraction and control.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives those involved in the industry a chance to catch their breath, regroup and plan for the future.

Those who fear the contraction the most tend to be those who are the least prepared. These are the folks who have overextended themselves and have lost equity, and thus, value, in their business.

Others, who have grown in a more measured fashion are better prepared to weather the storm and come out of it in a position to benefit from the deals that will inevitably appear.

So how do you make sure that you are a survivor? And how do you position yourself to take advantage of the surfacing opportunities?

The following 5 tips will help guide you in the right direction.

1. Take stock of what you have. This includes people, materials, equipment, etc. Are you utilizing all of your assets to their full extent?

2. Continue networking with others in your field. Perhaps there are some items that are bogging you down in your business that you can trade or sell to others who generally need the same items as you do.

3. Do NOT stop marketing. Many businesses fall into the unfortunate trap of pulling back on their marketing efforts when things get tough. Marketing is seen to be an ‘optional’ spending area. But if you stop marketing, you disappear from view and have to pick up from ground zero when the economy improves. Rather than stopping marketing, make more judicious choices, ensuring that you are getting the most out of your reduced marketing budget. This is likely a good time to look at hiring the expertise of a marketing professional who can point you in the right direction.

4. Look for opportunities to create allegiances with others who provide complementary services. Word of mouth is, and always will be, a huge factor in obtaining business, since there is already a built-in element of trust. Strong allegiances can help ensure that you are getting business that would likely otherwise go to someone else.

5. Stop listening to every analyst and economist offering their two-cents worth on what’s happening. Or at least, take it with a grain of salt. Just a couple of months ago, scores of economists were forecasting a price per barrel free-fall to less than $30 per barrel; in some cases, even as low as $20 per barrel. Well, that didn’t happen, did it? And although we would all like a higher price than we are currently dealing with, relatively stability in the range of $50 is better than what they forecast.

We also all know that it is just a matter of time until this correction has run its course, the political obstacles are behind us, and the industry once again is sailing along. While we are waiting for this to happen, hold your head high, evaluate where you have been and where you want to be when the dust settles, and make sure you are marketing your business so you will be in a position to capitalize on the opportunities when they arise!

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

This article was published in the April 2015 issue of the Oilfield Pulse Newsletter.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

Our New Website Is Now Live!

April 22, 2015September 5, 2023 Nancy Boisvert Newsletter branding, business, communicating with clients, communications, designing a website for marketing, marketing, small business marketing, website, website marketing

“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans”.

You may be familiar with that quote from John Lennon, and many times it has proven to be true.

We had great plans for the launch of our new (and improved) website. We had a schedule to follow and an intent to do a build up to the announcement.

Alas, you can never be sure things will go exactly according to plan when you are dealing with technology!

But, a week later than planned, we are pleased to announce that our new site is live, a bit obvious, since you are reading this post on the new site. Perhaps a bit anti-climatic, but we’re happy with the result. And we hope you will be too.

Our new style allows us to give you even more information that was on the original site, but with less pages to navigate. We like the look of the new site: more white space, better text and graphic, more interactive, etc. And we are hoping you will agree.

So take the site for a test drive. And please be sure to let us know what you think.

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

Yes, Oil and Gas Companies Need To Market Themselves Too!

March 20, 2015September 5, 2023 Nancy Boisvert Newsletter client retention, communicating with clients, communications, marketing, marketing during an economic downturn, oil price drop, oil slump, prospecting for clients, public relations, small business marketing

It takes a certain type of person to be involved in the oil and gas industry.

One must be prepared to take the good and the bad, the booms and the busts.

It’s an exciting industry, and opportunities are as diverse as the people involved.

Like most of you reading this, I have been around the industry for many years. I have seen the booms and the busts. And also, like all of us, have lived with the economic consequences of both.

Back in the late 1970’s, when I was first exposed as an adult to the industry, business was done in the restaurants and bars of Calgary. Wineing and dining was taken to a whole new level, and when times were good, you could practically see the money flying around the rooms. Read more

The “I Hate to be on Camera” Guide to Video Marketing

March 10, 2015September 5, 2023 Nancy Boisvert Newsletter branding, business videos, communicating with clients, corporate video presentations, marketing, online video marketing, product videos, youtube marketing

Hate being on camera?

There is no denying the simple fact that video marketing has become one of the most popular ways to tell your story, and is an important tool to use even if you hate to be on camera.

The old saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is now truer than ever, and to miss out on the opportunity to employ this method of communicating with your clients and prospects could become a real barrier to your company’s potential growth.

Based on research from comScore published earlier this year, mobile usage surpassed desktop usage in 2014 and is on the rise. It now accounts for approximately 60% of web surfing.

Along with this increased mobile usage come shorter attention spans. And the best way to capture and retain the interest of prospects and clients is with an interesting and concise video that will keep them engaged and interested in your message.

But, what if you’re camera-shy?

Well, there are a couple of ways around that.

The first is to utilize the power of slide presentation software such as PowerPoint, as well as using screen capture software such as Camtasia. This allows you to create presentations on your computer, narrate them, and upload them to YouTube or other video sites.

The other thing you can do is get over yourself.

Now, I’m not trying to be rude here. I say this because I believe that you have to practice what you preach.

I, like most of you I suspect, absolutely hate being in front of a camera. It doesn’t matter if it is a still shot or a video camera, I have been successfully dodging being captured since the days of film.

But I have recognized that in order to market yourself and your business online, you have to engage and entertain prospects and clients in ways that build that most important element – trust!

Through the creation of videos, you get to “meet” your prospects. Hopefully, if your videos are providing them with something interesting, entertaining, and/or useful, they will eventually become your clients.

Take small steps towards making your videos, if that’ll help you become more comfortable. I started by posting narrated slideshow videos. And although that is a very effective and useful way of communicating your message, I decided to take the leap and create a series capturing myself on video speaking to the topic.

Was I out of my comfort zone? Absolutely!

Was I self-conscious? You bet!

Did I struggle with remembering my notes and where to look? Yep!

But I persisted! I did several takes of each session, chose the best of the lot, and had them produced. And with each topic, I became a bit more comfortable.

Am I now a movie pro? Not by a long shot.

But I did get over myself in order to bring some important advice and information to you – and help you get over it if you also hate to be on camera.

So get ready, because this Thursday, March 12th, the introductory video for my series, “The Top Ten Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make” will make its appearance.
Each video in the series will speak to one of the top 10 – in countdown fashion.

Be sure to tune in. And, please, look past the self-conscious delivery and pay attention to the message in each of the videos. You won’t regret it. And you just might become motivated to start creating your own webcasts!

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

How to Effectively Communicate With Your Current Customers

March 5, 2015September 5, 2023 Nancy Boisvert Newsletter business, client retention, communicating with clients, communications, how to communicate with clients, marketing, prospecting for clients

Communicating effectively!

Effective communication is the cornerstone of ANY relationship, whether personal or professional. That means effective communication with your customers is paramount if you want to be successful. Loyal customers come from building a real relationship with them, not just providing them with one-offs. How do you create that relationship? By providing them with something of value, which will prove to be profitable for you in the long run.

The way to accomplish this is pretty straightforward.

First of all you need to know the value each of your clients. This may sound a bit harsh, but to be successful, you must determine which of your clients provides you with the best return on your investment in order to prioritize your marketing and communications programs with all your clients.

Your customers will generally your customers will fall into one of three categories; high value, medium value, or low value.

Your high value customers are most likely your repeat clients, and will generate the most revenue for you. These are the customers you want to keep in regular contact with, and provide them with some extra value from time to time, in order to keep them as lifetime customers. Medium value customers are often those clients who are currently a very profitable customer who, with proper care and communication, could very likely become a high value client.

The low value customers are those customers who offer very little in the way of profitability to your company. You can lower your costs of doing business with them by automating much of your communication with them as possible. At some point, these low value clients are likely to either become more profitable or take their business elsewhere.

So, of course the first thing you have to do it to properly categorize your clients. Whether you are capturing contact information manually via foot traffic into your brick and mortar business, or are capturing information electronically through a lead capture system on your website, you still need to do regular maintenance to ensure all the info is current and up to date. It is especially important to make sure that all names are spelled correctly; if you can’t take the time to get your clients’ names right, the impression you will leave with them is that they are unimportant, and therefore, what value could you possibly provide to them?

The other thing you need to do is ‘know your customer’. Understand their wants and needs. Identify and remove their ‘pain points’. This will also enhance your communication with your clients, further strengthening your relationship with them.

Finally, always give your customers a method to provide you with feedback. Remember that communication is a two way street. Your clients’ needs may change over time, and if you are not in tune with that, you will end up losing them. Great customer service and feedback from your clients go hand in hand, and if you don’t provide your customers with both, you can be certain your business will suffer.

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

5 Marketing Tips to Get You Through The Slump

February 19, 2015September 5, 2023 Nancy Boisvert Newsletter client retention, marketing, marketing during an economic downturn, oil price drop, oil slump, public relations

What? Me worry?

Ok, I know the economic climate has changed out there. I know that oil prices have dropped, companies are cutting back on their operating budgets, and people have been laid off. Marketing during the economic slump can be difficult.

But I refuse to take the “Chicken Little” approach.

Anyone who has been in the patch for more than a few years – in fact anyone who has grown up or lived in Alberta – knows that there are swings in oil and gas prices. Sometimes, big swings!

And anyone in business knows that there are economic cycles to every industry from time to time.

So what I am suggesting is that this, too, shall pass.

Instead of focusing on the lower price of oil, look instead at the opportunities that this cycle can provide.

Does this mean that I am blind to what is happening out there? Of course not. Just like you, my business has been touched by this downturn – just as it has been in previous downturns. Yet, we survive. And in some cases, we thrive.

One of the first things that businesses seem to cut when revenues are tight is their marketing. Yes, you’ve heard it before, but it is the truth; when times are tough, you must keep marketing your products and services. You may have to adjust, you may have to adapt, but you must keep marketing.

Here are some tips to help you weather this current price slump and position you to do even better once prices recover:

1. Work on your client relationships. How strong are your relationships with your current clients? We all know that people prefer to do business with others who they like, know and trust. Are you that person to your clients? Have you developed a strong rapport with them? If so, you are already ahead of the game. If not, it’s time to take a look at how you build relationships now and for the future.

2. Become more visible. Don’t hide in your office waiting for prices to rebound. Your clients and prospects just might forget about you. Be sure to keep in touch with them and attend networking events. Stay visible!

3. Communicate in ways that allow you to capture business in the easiest way. Consider more email marketing to your existing clients and prospects. Be sure that your content is well written, and you may wish to present a compelling offer to those most loyal to your business.

4. Get noticed for free. Marketing does not have to cost money, although you do have to commit to spending some time. Do you use social media? Find out which online forums, message boards and blogs are relevant to your business and consider joining the discussions. You can also consider using social media methods such as video blogs, and social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Use these online methods to encourage conversation about you and your business, and showcase your products.

5. Finally, don’t believe everything you hear. Back to my original comment; don’t focus on the negative media attention. Lots of analysts have predicted terrible things, not just during this downturn, but over the course of many economic cycles, and few ever turn out as bad as predicted. How you look at things will play a huge role in how you weather this storm. True, it can be difficult to stay positive, but it is essential to stay focused on your goals.
One thing you can be sure of, the economy will continue to have its cycles. While business may be more challenging right now, stay focused, work smarter, and above all – keep marketing!

This article was published in the February 2015 issue of the Oilfield Pulse Newsletter.

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

Do You Know Your Customers?

August 11, 2014September 5, 2023 Nancy Boisvert Newsletter branding, client retention, marketing

How well do you know your customers?

Last month, we posted an article about how important it is to know your competitors in business.

Just as important is that is to know your customer. In fact, it is a critical ingredient in the running of a successful business.

Simply put, if you don’t know your customer, how will you know what they need? How will you satisfy their requirements and increase their lifetime value to your business? Well, of course if you don’t know your client, you are merely going through the motions and hoping that you are doing the right things to please them. And that just isn’t good enough!

So what does it take to really get to know your customers?

First of all, you should identify your ideal client. What do they look like? Are you looking to provide products and services to a specific group of professionals? What services or products best fit with them? How much are you aiming to obtain in your average sale?

Then, understand what motivates them. It doesn’t matter if your business operates online or offline, or if you sell products or services. The principles are the same. Identify what your target market needs and wants, and then set out to show them how to obtain it. That is what creates satisfies, loyal customers and will generate referrals for your business.

Keep in mind that your customers are human; yes, behind that business is a manager or partner who is a human. Their requirements will always be changing and evolving. It is your responsibility to keep up with their needs and wishes if you are going to keep them happy. It’s not really that hard. Business relationships are just that – relationships. If you do your research, communicate regularly with your client, and really get to the core of what their goals and ambitions are, you will have a devoted and reliable client for many years to come.

Make sure that you are continually doing your research to ensure that the development and implementation of every marketing strategy you provide is current. Monitor all programs and projects to monopolize of strategies that work and eliminate those that don’t. Know your customers’ likes and dislikes, problems and complaints, wants and needs, regardless of whether you are providing a product or service. Anticipate their needs.

Commit time to learning every day to stay on top of changing trends and become a leader in your industry. After all, wasn’t that your goal when you first started your business?

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you are ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

Yes, your website can improve your business.

So says Yogi Berra!

“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans”.

It takes a certain type of person to be involved in the oil and gas industry.

Hate being on camera?

Communicating effectively!

What? Me worry?

The workplace is evolving.

So Just Who Are These Independent Workers?

How well do you know your customers?

So what does it take to really get to know your customers?

You need to know your competition.

So how do you go about developing a strategy to position yourself and give your business a leg up on your competitors?