Blog Policy

Adjudication is a Reality

 It seems appropriate, now that there are more than a few posts and comments on our site and we have some real-lifeexperience to go on, to comment on the feedback we have received so far and why many comments do not get posted. We are trying very hard to approve comments regardless of content. The only restrictions we have been placing on comments to date are focused around honesty and willingness to share information. To date, we have been in the practice of rejecting comments that are blatantly nonsensical, have a non-functional email or list a site for the sale of fake items (usually stated as such in the title).

Ideally, in the blogging world, it would be nice to just approve all comments for publication as they come in. Having a Word Press based website, one of the benefits is that we get to pass on all comments that come in before they get posted. As business owners we have standards, both for our readers and ourselves. One of the benefits of business ownership is that you get to decide who you will associate with.

As stated, it would be great to be able to just approve all comments as they arrive. That’s the “blue sky” intention. In reality we have clouds and a few of those have arrived. In reality, we need to worry about our branding and what our potential readers may be exposed to when they come onto the site. All we ask in return is that you observe a few courtesies.

Given that, we have received a few comments that were simply a string of nonsense words having no discernible meaning or any other demonstrable connection to the entry in question. The intent of the response appeared to be blatant self-promotion, offering no other value or insight. We didn’t feel it was fair to post these.

We have received a considerable number of comments from readers who have included an email address that does not pass our simple return email test. In this case, as in all comments received, the email given is copied and pasted into an email with the subject heading, test, and if our ISP returns it as undeliverable the comment is not posted. The bad news is we have lost some good comments and better questions to this policy. The good news is that the trashed comments can be restored if the person in question so desires. All it will cost is an email that works. The bonus is that the comment gets acknowledged and the question will be answered. Promote your business if you wish, just offer some value in return.

It is company policy that people who have a legitimate question or comment will not be subjected to a long string of sales letters or other email harassment. That’s a trust issue and the only way to find out the truth behind that statement is to provide that working email.

We have received a number of comments with links attached to advertise a website. These have been posted on occasion when the comment was particularly useful or there was a good question and the site offered seemed to offer a straight forward value. For those where the seeming intent leaned toward self-promotion we tried to draw the line at those sites that promoted cheap knock-offs of name brand goods and mentioned that fact on their Home page. For us that was a branding issue, ours. We simply did not want to be associated with such sites. We may have been guilty of some misjudgments early on, but c’est la vie.

Well, there it is. There are no other rules, as the saying goes. Tell us what you think. Follow these simple guidelines to become part of the discussion.

Why a Smaller Company May Be Your Best Bet to Do or Redo That Business Website II

To be successful at internet marketing, one must keep up with the current state of the business; learn how to write, in other words. Innovation is everything in this business and people are constantly innovating. The biggest innovation is that marketers must get into blogs.  Marketers are numerous and constantly looking for new ways to serve their clients, new ways to engage people through to a sale. That is only one way that innovation happens. The other side of the coin and perhaps the one that gives marketers the most trouble is what people do with technology. Sure QR codes were invented by somebody and marketers were sure to come up with lots of applications but who knew that many people would use smart phones as a cheap replacement for computers and tablets to access the internet? Maybe just a few who developed the concept.

Many things people do change the marketplace forever and have to be adapted to by marketers. It takes some time for some to clue in. Generally, there is no shortage of people in marketing circles who identify and teach about new trends in marketing but there are many who don’t respond for a variety of reasons. This is a bad thing for those who don’t respond quickly but a boon to early adopters. People who are constantly on the lookout for those little tweaks people and their habits cause and are ready to move when the market does as a rule. It’s a little like The Law of Attraction says, when you are looking for something it is amazing how often it comes along. Be ready to change your mind on short notice.

Specialized help

 Every company has things they are good at, even best at. Few large companies are best at the basics because of who they serve most often. Even some smaller companies will have a focus that does not match your own. Some will be most suitable to people with a background in applications, software and rudimentary programming and the companies they select will have a similar focus in what they offer. If you don’t have a similar background you may get left high and dry. You may be offered solutions that are overkill for where you happen to be skill-wise.

Other, smaller marketing firms may be centered more on the introductory level with skill sets that are better suited to the man on the street. Here you can find the technology you need to get started; help with establishing a professionally functional website; help with the writing you need to do to create copy for your site and to produce words that will populate your blog and other parts of your site. With smaller firms you will be more likely to find the help you want and need rather than being hammered into the shape required to fit an off-the-shelf program. Think of the definition of help: What you need and want to assist you in doing a task, not what someone decides to offer.

Time

 Getting started in the area of computer based marketing is possibly a time consuming and technically challenging activity that may or may not be a good use of your time. There is no shortage of people with the necessary skills. Make no mistake, all the skills you will need to do this well are ones you need to master if you are serious about your business, just not today. Find a firm where you will get the time to identify the help you need and get it in the time and the way that works for you. This will usually involve spending the time needed in relationship with someone who will guide you through the learning process while seeing to it that you are up and running with what you need online.

If this is something you want to explore, leave a comment and contact information as requested. The talk and the answers to questions are free.

More Information Please Visit This Site www.merrimacmarketing.net

Price and Value

If it isn’t true…Don’t go there!

Price is rarely the only determinant when making a buying decision. Value often carries the day in the final analysis. That is why things have to be sold rather than just offered for sale. Like any other comparative situation it pays to compare apples to apples when making a buying decision. It often pays to work with a salesperson to sort this out but be careful to keep that sales person on the narrow path of your best interest when they tout their product and position it relative to the market. If you’re that salesperson don’t go there.

A prospect’s best interest is defined by the best price for the most benefits available. They need to make sure that what they are getting for their money is what they need and want. That’s value. What they need and want is not necessarily what they will be offered by most of your competition. Be different, be out front with prices.

There are a lot of factors to consider when weighing a final decision on a purchase. They aren’t as numerous or as complicated as you might think

Your pricing page and materials should be designed to help a prospective customer make the decision that’s best for them. Not everyone will be a good fit for your product or service. Trust that you don’t really want to talk to everybody. Many people who aren’t a good fit will eliminate themselves if they have good information. This will save you the time you would have lost trying to close people who weren’t well qualified prospects in the first place. You can also expect an improvement in your customer data base which will show up as improvements in customer service numbers. This will result from not having those people in your customer data base who were convinced against their better judgment to become a customer. If it’s something they never really wanted to do, they will tend not to be a happy customer. You don’t need the aggravation or that future Negative Nellie running amok in public.

Provide them, all who come, with the simplest explanation of your pricing, and then think about the related questions they would have at this juncture. Don’t sell, explain. There is a difference. What you give people shouldn’t look like an invoice. Just the facts, ma’am, was Jack Webb’s great line from the old TV show, Dragnet. It’s difficult to resist falling into sales mode when explaining your prices. If you can’t fulfill your product or service online and there are valid reasons why you need to “talk”, point out the value, before giving a final price, just say so and explain why, clearly. Be direct. Be honest. Be thorough. You have a great chance to present your best answer, and there always is one.

Avoid the tendency to present the rosy version of your pricing. Present what is real, what people will likely encounter. Real people buy your product(s) or service(s). Your pricing should reflect the real world people live in. People can find out from others today almost anything that you might potentially tell them. Make sure what you tell people contributes to their perception of you as an expert in your field. That’s hard to do that if you have reservations. Be all in for your prospects. Anything less will be detectable by your prospect and even though you may close the sale your future customer relations will be damaged. Not a good place to be.

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