#Startup Go- Say it with a Website

Q- When does an individual reach the extreme edge of creativity, of independence and unimaginable responsibility while also singularly focussed on the unseen future?

A- When he or she forgoes the security of a predictable tomorrow and invests their time and energies into conceiving and running a Startup.

It’s a jungle out there- lots of people, lots of ideas. The current world is bent on entrepreneurship and honours the spirit of adventure. The boom of new companies and undertakings as seen in the last decade exceeds the modest numbers as set through the fifty years before that. What has been the spark that ignited this change?

•  Prominence on Ideas rather than resources to setup a business.
•  The Open World Wide Web and its free business friendly resources.
•  Angel Investing, Crowd Sourcing and such ideas to raise investment.
•  Society’s evolving attitude towards the spirit of Entrepreneurship.

Ok, so the business of setting up a new business is completed. What next?

You need a way to promote yourself, a space wherein your business can connect with its target audience, build up some interest about your ‘big’ idea, look for funding and help you analyse your audience in terms of impactful markets and demographics.

What your business needs is an attractive, opinion forming and reliable Corporate Website.

A good website doesn’t necessarily have to be complicated or taxing in terms of the money and resources put into it. Your corporate website is like a company brochure that is accessible 24×7, 365 days of the years, and can be viewed from anywhere across the world. If you are still working out a strategy towards marketing your big idea- while indulged in the Research & Development phase, a simple corporate website will help you understand your target audience better while simultaneously introducing your concepts to them.

Are you concerned about the Costs and the input of Time?

Good websites aren’t complicated manifestation of complex digital technology that can only be afforded by big corporates. A good website speaks your heart in simple yet powerful words and provides real value- an emotional connection with its target audience. The time you dedicate to it isn’t measured in terms of minutes spent, but impressions made.

And thus, if you are a Startup, looking for that powerful little website, you must feel super welcome at Toboc Biz. Our team understands the startup spirit and helps you transpire your expectations, dreams and energies into a neatly presented website. It’s magic when your expectations meet our expertise.

5 Quick Tips-Create Websites that Work

5 Quick Tips-Create Websites that Work

Getting a website for your Company is an essentiality in this age of the Internet and Digital Marketing. A website serves as a powerful medium to propagate your marketing message, an open brochure that is available 24×7 and can be accessed from anywhere on Planet Earth. However, getting a ‘good’ website is an urban myth unless these considerations are taken care of,

Tip 1- If possible; opt for a Content Management System (CMS)

CMS or HTML editors are great help- allowing you to modify content and images on your website easily and without the assistance of a certified Developer. CMS is important for businesses that have a lot of fresh details to report, saving greatly on the gross maintenance costs of the website.

Tip 2- Things to Avoid: Flash, Frames, Dark Colours, Popups   

Including these things make your website confusing, not responsive to search bots from Google, Bing, Yahoo etc, and generally unpleasant as far as the User Experience is concerned. The central idea of creating a website is to make it equally appealing to ordinary website visitors as well as the specialist search bots from the various search engines.

Tip 3- Launch the Complete Website, or Abort!

Broken Links, improper backend coding, confusing navigation scheme, Signs that say that pages are ‘Under Construction’, slow loading time are major roadblocks that prevent your website visitors (aka potential customers) from actually committing to your product or service. These nags show your lack of preparedness or worse, lack of responsibility.

Tip 4- Include Lots of frequently updated Content

The latest online adage goes, ‘Content is King’. Your website will attract all the right attention (from visitors as well as search engines) if it includes fresh, relevant content that is frequently updated. The idea is to establish yourself as a ‘subject matter expert’ that is reflected in terms of your content inputs, with the frequent updates showing your level of activity, seriousness and commitment.

Tip 5- Be Original

Being ‘Inspired’ is good; inspiration that leads to plagiarized content is a crime. In terms of the overall design, content and theme, be as original as possible. There are many tools available online that easily detect plagiarized or copied content and can lead the owner of the said content to you. The result could be a legal problem and the possibility of being blacklisted by major search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo. This effectively kills any business prospects from your website and will have to be pulled down immediately.

There you have it- five simple tips that help you create powerful websites. However, this is just a minor list and a whole lot more ideas can be implemented or checked to derive the maximum mileage out of your Company website. Hiring a good Digital Marketing Company will help you develop the best product in terms of your investment. Also, the next crucial step, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that allows your website to be picked up by search engines for specific keywords, is a task best performed by professionals. Like they say, ‘With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility’- you have the Power, use it responsibly.

 

 

 

Bring in the Wow- Now!

Ever wondered what differentiates the ‘Perfect’ from just ‘good’? Why something is picked up, invested in, shown interest and encouragement, recommended to others, preserved for the future and talked about with gravity, while something similar (almost) is left to run in the shadows of the aforementioned winner?

The difference, dear reader, is the ‘Wow’ factor.

What is ‘Wow’? – The dictionary defines ‘wow’ as an utterance that one puts forth when astonished or in a deep state of admiration. You don’t ‘wow’ something that’s normal, mundane or expected. The ‘wow’ experience separates itself from the rest by its refreshing presentation and its ability to surprise and inspire.

I’am a fan of Michael Schumacher of 2010, when he was winning F1 titles left, right and center. In 2010, a chance meeting with my idol would have elicited a thunderous ‘Wow’, but the Schumacher of 2013, a shadow of his former awesome self will not inspire a response so strong. Moral- the ‘wow’ factor rapidly diminishes, and needs constant upkeep to maintain its ability to inspire time and time again.

In business, your company website stands as the façade that greets your prospective customers online. Imagine, your prospective customers arrive at your website after Google has suggested you as the most viable contender for the keywords supplied by them (thanks SEO). Your corporate website is designed to provide maximum information about your company while also being attractive to the eye, not very hard on the logical senses, easy to navigate and populated by powerful concepts and ideas that are brought to life by rich colours, images and powerful content. We can assure you, provided these strict parameters are met, 80% of your website visitors will go ‘Wow’.

And once the ‘Wow’ has been accomplished, your marketing message will have a much more receptive audience. Big brands routinely use this technique to maintain the aura surrounding their products and services, while a smaller brand, earnest in its approach, can still utilise the ‘wow’ factor to compete against its bigger competitors. The trick is to understand what it takes to completely impress your target audience, to put in place a disciplined system to achieve this target and finally, just go ahead and do it!

And if your efforts get you a ‘Wow’, use that as bedrock to build in more ‘wows’. Remember, something remains a novelty only for a short duration- the idea of attracting somebody with something fresh is a constantly decaying concept as the more people that utter the cherished ‘wow’, the less fresh the concept remains. Thus, reinvent. Once you have perfected a powerful mode of expression, little tweaks will further bring in more encouraging results. Here’s wishing you all the best ‘wowing’.

Run your Business out of a Website

Pre- 2009 (Remember the Floppy disk?)

Define a business. A business is something that produces a product, renders a service and is essentially operated from an office (ignore the size) and involves a marketing division that communicates with the general public through means like Newspaper and mass media ads, Hoarding, fliers and a barrage of cold calls. Did I miss anything else, fundamentally this is it right?

Post- 2009 (Evolution of the Internet- Google and Facebook)

Define a business. A business is about ideas, products or services that are marketed from a facility that includes the corporate website as the front end representative. In the era of Facebook, Twitter and Google, Digital Marketing is the strongest means of promotion. Most fortune 500 companies of today comprise of a handful of employees, an idea that is angel or crowd funded, and utilizes creativity as the means of connecting with the target audience (replacing the stubborn sales pitches of before).

Evolution is a good thing. Evolution is designed to level the playing field while weeding out the potential winners from the ‘also rans’. Running a business today is all about that BIG IDEA. If you do have an idea, the next stage of organizing it can be done from your Home or if you are more traditionally minded, from your garage (la, Google and Apple). The point is that organizing an office infrastructure is optional. A good website, one that pulls all the bells and whistles, is sufficiently capable of running your promotions, marketing campaigns, queries for funding and invites for partnerships at a marginal investment as compared to setting up an actual office- with its cubicles, White boards, conference halls and water dispensers.

 

So, the next time you have that earth shattering, mind blowing, fully practical, ‘will convert into a truckload of money’ kinda idea, ignore the impulse (or the discouraging thoughts) of starting big and follow the simple 5 pointer effort-

1. Build a good website that speaks of your idea sincerely from its HTML heart.
2. Invite for funding- and relax, Angel funders of today are interested in the feasibility of your idea rather than the furnishing of your office.
3. Your best online friends are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google- Use the unlimited power of Digital Marketing to promote your business.
4. Keep talking about your business with gripping content. Let this content reach far and wide through the medium of the Internet.
5. Sit back and never get complacent.

And that’s it. This marks the start of an exciting journey. If your idea is indeed something spectacular or your efforts the stuff of legends, herein is your chance to be counted amongst the best minds of our times.

Blog it to Bring Home the Advantage

If ever Content was King- It is now. The fortunes of your business, how it is perceived and accepted by its prospective audience is fully defined by the depth and intensity of the content that you target them with. Good, catchy content gets you interest- Intense, monotonous write-ups are rarely subscribed to. There are a number of reasons why powerful content works for your business, read about how you can invest in content and reap back a loyal following-

There is an actual demand. Really!

An average customer dedicates upto 5hrs of online research before zeroing in on a possible offline purchase. That’s a lot of reading- not lots of content- just thoughtful content.

A Punchline a Day- Keeps costly Advertising away

Remember the last time you were really impressed with a Marketing jingle? That feeling remained with you for a while didn’t it? Creative content can be very limited but still make a big impact.

Creating Content is Easy…Anyone can do it

Creating great content that really hits its mark is a professional job. Hire a good Digital Marketing Company for this. However, the audience generally loves the freshness that comes from amateur writing. No harm giving it a try.

In today’s world, the easiest way you can create awareness about your business while not entrusting the task to a professional Digital Marketing Company is through Blogs, Social Media and Blogs that ride on Social Media. Indulge in talking your heart, explaining the nuance of your business that can be easily understood and create a real sense of pride and belonging through the use of free flowing words. Remember, you aren’t Einstein explaining your theories to a Nuclear Scientist- you are the owner of a Small business who needs to create a simple footprint that is easily distinguishable as your own. Words, cleverly used words, can help you do that.

I did talk about taking professional help (aka a Digital Marketing Company), if you think content creation to be a job for the professionals. Search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo give great prominence to fresh, non-plagiarised content that shows your company as a subject expert on the discussed topic. A good Digital Marketing Company will cover all the bases, keeping all things under consideration to drive home real results that can be measured and analysed. The followership that can be attracted is good returns for your investment.

But do write. Blogs are easy to setup (thanks to free platforms like Blogger, WordPress etc) and open out to a World of interested readers and subscribers. What you write can make an impact- and will make an impact. The bottomline is that if you market Quality Products or Services, and talk about it in a simple, adhering format, the expected interest from your target audience is bound to catch up. It’s as simple as that.

Bait your Audience – How Humour can be your best Hook.

Human Psychology 101- An average individual responds better to funny messages than gravely intellectual content. Being a regular clown isn’t the idea- the suggestion is that you concoct marketing messages that are laced with the right dosage of humour. Your target audience will respond better to suggestions that will make them laugh.

PS- Don’t be moved by the above suggestion, actual content is way more powerful than pie-charts. Except maybe, through a long meeting that extends into your lunch break.

Humour on Facebook and Twitter- Here is a test, just evaluate all the people you follow on Twitter. Also quantify all the pages that you like on Facebook. Apart from strictly personal reasons like Health, Family and Employment, most of these people and concepts appealed to you because they were Funny. They tickled you enough (through their content or presentation) that you decided to subscribe. Apply this same concept to your target audience base- identify, nurture and convert them into valid customers through relevant content that is funny and captivating.

Humour on Twitter

Select a Digital Marketing Company that laughs a lot- This is no joke. A Digital Marketing Company that pays attention to humour as part of its powerful presentation package is on the right track. People turn to a concept, a message to be inspired. A humorous approach ensures that even if the potential customers aren’t looking for your services or products, they will still remember your witty message. And maybe suggest your brand to someone who might have a requirement for your services or products. A good Digital Marketing Company laughs a lot, to stay relevant and followed.

Finally, a culture of humour is always appreciated. Do laugh, crack jokes…it’s good for business.

Creativity is the Best Answer – And it’s FREE.

The present world is commercially driven – what speaks loud is heard, with quality being a second priority. You might assume that your Digital Marketing Company has all the creative answers to your express questions – that your message will be heard loud and clear by your target audience, while also considered highly for your Quality. Have you ever faced this equation? A situation wherein you outsource all your creative requirements to a bunch of experts and wash your hands off the responsibility? I say, don’t.

Of course, the average Digital Marketing Company will be far better at ideating concepts, at painting a thoughtful picture about your services and products that will be willingly lapped up by your target audience. They might also be more adept at clearly organizing your promotional campaigns and creating real value for your brand. However, nothing can negate the fact that nobody understands your business better than you. The finer details of your workings, the in-depth knowledge of your domain and the understanding of your customer base- the best research cannot acquaint a Digital Marketing Company with 100% of these details. This is your advantage – and with a little self-prompting, you can make this knowledge work for you.

Creativity at its Best

Creativity is a twofold concept. The bulk of it is knowledge, and a minor part of it is neat arrangement that makes it immediately appealing to your target audience. Co-ordinate with your Digital Marketing Company with regards to the knowledge aspect, input finer details that might have been omitted or deliberately ignored by them, participate in the Quality Analysis of the ongoing project from a non-judgmental point of view. These steps ensure that you are as much part of the Digital Marketing Company’s ideation process as the in-house Designer, Visualizer or Content Writer. The ongoing involvement also means that you are more likely to be satisfied with the final product than running the presentation for changes at a later day. In business, time saved is money made, right?

Creativity is the Best Answer

I agree that ideation isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, intimate domain knowledge is a whole lot of power, a more refined way of approaching a problem and an assurance that a more complete product will be in the works. So, indulge in practical creativity- it’s free and it makes money.