Simple Steps to Increase Online Sales

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development |Increase Online Sales|Simple Steps to Increase Online SalesIf you are a business owner with a business that is predominantly based-online, then no doubt, one of your main aims and goals is to increase the online sales. Whether you are a small business or a large business that is going to be the aim of the game. You might be a retail business that has recently moved online, and have a brick and mortar store, or perhaps you are a solely ecommerce business. But with companies like Amazon taking a huge share of the market, you need to think about using your site in the right way, to help you to get the sales that you need. It can be a bit of a struggle, but done in the right way, and with a little know-how, you can use the internet to help you to boost your sales. Here are some things that you need to consider.

Be Honest in Your Sales Content

This is something that might seem really obvious, but it is quite staggering just how many people with online businesses are essentially writing out checks that they can’t cash, because their products don’t step up to the mark. Honesty is so important to your business and the reputation of your business, as it will help consumers to gain trust in your brand. So check what claims you are making, and make sure that they are backed up. If not, it is best not to mention them at all. So the bottom line is to make sure that you are honest and transparent with your sales content and copy, right through from product descriptions on your website to email newsletters.

Get More Ad Clicks with Ad Extensions

If you want to sell more things online, then having something like and ed extension is really a no-brainer. This kind of feature will allow you to make an ad bigger, with more places for people to click on, meaning that there is more chance of website visits. The good news is that this kind of thing doesn’t cost any extra, but the increase in click-through rates can be amazing.

Search Engine Optimization

If you want to get more people to your site, then you need to make sure that you are doing all you can to SEO your website. This could be done through keywords and ads, as mentioned, as well as using a blog and create links back online, using other blogs too. If you’re not too sure what you are doing with this, then you could always look for an SEO marketing agency to do the job for you. After all, if your business is all online, then you need to be doing all you can to people to visit.

A Bulletproof Money-Back Guarantee

There are many people that will be wary of using a website, let alone buy from it, if they don’t know your brand name; to them there is a lot of risk involved. So you need to let them know that there is no risk involved, and in most cases, the perceived risk is a financial one. So let them know what you offer for refunds or a money-back guarantee.

Current Marketing Strategies that will Help Improve Customer Service

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Customer Service|Current Marketing Strategies that will Help Improve Customer ServiceTypically, most owners of large businesses will have a marketing department and a customer service team, each with its own lists of responsibilities. But in order to truly make a big business and enterprise succeed, these two entities should mesh their services, at least some of the time.

For examples on how business owners can elevate their corporate customer service with the help of some top-notch marketing services, please consider the following examples:

Follow Up with Customers

In order to provide outstanding customer service, it’s vital business owners learn more about their customers’ experiences with their company, including what brought them to the business in the first place, what went well and what could be improved upon.

For example, the marketing team could send follow-up emails that ask whether the buyer has or is enjoying the product or service and then thank them for their response. Large companies can also contact customers by email to offer them a special “thank you” for shopping with us coupon or discount code on a future purchase.

Offer a Modern Customer Service Platform

To help ensure each and every customer has a great experience while placing an order or contacting a large enterprise for any reason, owners should consider adding an innovative cloud contact center and IVR system to their customer service platform.

For instance, if a marketing plan includes a goal to offer customer support 24/7, an IVR system is a great option. And for business owners who feel automated agents are impersonal and confusing to customers, this is definitely not the case with an IVR system, which are designed to provide a highly-personalized customer experience to help customers get the answers they need through features like in-queue self-service.

This modern IVR solution can even predict a caller’s intent based on recent transactions, meaning if a customer is calling back to follow up on a previous question, the IVR system can determine this and cut right to the chase.

Boost the CSR Team’s Training and Seek Feedback

Even if a business owner thinks their customer service team is performing well overall, there are still areas in which these employees can improve. Experts say enterprises should hold regular training and refresher courses that will help customer service teams improve their skills.

Topics to cover include empathy and patience, as well as general updates in the company’s products and services. This way, if a confused customer calls in and has questions about a potential new product, the customer service rep will remain friendly and patient, and will be able to accurately discuss recently launched products, services and prices.

To make this type of training less dry for your team, business owners can role play with them by taking turns to play the part of the challenging customer. To ensure this ongoing training is “sticking” and everyone is on board with the company’s policy, business owners should then follow up with customers and asking them to rate their customer service rep through a rating system sent out via email or a series of quick questions over the phone.

Marketing and CSR Departments Combined are a Powerful Force

Rather than view their marketing and customer service teams as disparate teams, owners of large companies should look for ways to combine their powers — at least some of the time.

By offering ongoing training, following up with customers and giving them access to a user-friendly and modern customer service platform, businesses should see a tangible boost in customer retention and satisfaction numbers.

What to Do When Your Walk in Cooler Isn’t Cooling

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Walk in Cooler|What to Do When Your Walk in Cooler Isn't CoolingYour business has finally invested in a walk in cooler, and you want to make sure you do everything possible to keep it in great shape. The last thing you want is to have to throw out all of your food, losing hundreds of dollars or more, because the cooler wasn’t working properly.

This post is here to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Read on to learn the top signs of a problem with your commercial cooler, how you may be able to fix it on your own, and the benefits of letting an expert fix things.

Know the Signs of a Walk In Cooler Problem

First, let’s make sure you know how to spot a likely problem with your walk in cooler refrigeration unit.
Start by checking the door. Does it often get stuck or have trouble completely closing? Can you feel cool air leaking out? If so, you’re losing money and putting your customers’ health in jeopardy by potentially feeding them spoiled food.

Other indications of an issue include excess frost build-up, puddles all over the floor, a leaking ceiling/water stains on walls, and strange smells.

There’s also likely an issue if your walk in cooler starts making clanging and banging noises instead of the standard humming.

Quick Walk In Cooler Troubleshooting Tips

Looking for minor walk in cooler repair tactics you can handle on your own?
First, make sure you establish a system for checking that the doors are properly closed before leaving and that at the end of each day, you look for the above signs.

Melt off any ice buildup on your evaporator, and ensure that the drain line isn’t blocked. It may also be time to clean out the grills, coils, and other panels.

Seal up any obviously loose gaskets on the door. Sometimes, it’s as simple as ensuring that the power wasn’t accidentally turned off. It’s important to learn more about how each part of the unit functions, so you can easily spot an issue.

When in Doubt, Call the Pros

The truth is that most walk in cooler problems aren’t things you can handle yourself.
You may need to call in an electrician, a mechanic, or even a walk in cooler specialist to replace the parts and correctly identify the issue.

Never put off the issue, as doing so could potentially open your restaurant up to a lawsuit. Plus, it’s much more expensive to replace the entire freezer than to have it repaired.

Don’t Put off a Walk In Cooler Problem

We hope this post has helped you to learn how to identify potential issues with your walk in cooler, and that you’ve learned why getting expert help quickly is usually the best option.

Need to know how to boost restaurant profits so you can pay for that much-needed repair? Want to know which restaurant equipment is worth investing in, and which you can get away with renting?

No matter how you want to grow your restaurant business, check out our list of service partners that will help you to connect with the top consultants to make it happen.

How Can a Colour Theme Affect Overall Mood In The Workplace

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Colour in the Workplace|How Can a Colour Theme Affect Overall Mood In The WorkplaceCreating the perfect office space is completely subjective when it comes to office reception furniture or other design elements, however, colour is something that can greatly influence productivity and the level of creativity that is experienced throughout the day. In this article, we will be looking into how colour can affect the mood in the workplace and create a pleasant atmosphere for everyone to work in.

Blue For Calming

Blue is a calming colour that is perfect for the workspace as it is known as the productive colour. It not only helps to increase productivity, but it helps to promote clam and maintain happiness in the workplace. This is particularly important if you have a workforce that spends long hours in the office as this allows them to stay calm in difficult situations. Whether this is an accent wall in the office or a pop of colour with the chairs, this can all contribute to keeping your office as a warm and welcoming environment.

Yellow Can Stimulate Creativity

If you are looking to create the perfect space for a creative team, adding a pop of yellow can help you to achieve exactly that as it is known to inspire creativity and keep the brain active. This is perfect for a creative space as you are likely to see positive results. This can also be added as an accent colour alongside white walls or another neutral colour to make the office welcoming to visitors as well as practical for your team.

Black Indicates Knowledge

Black is commonly a colour that indicates authority and therefore it is often used in law firms or even London offices. Whether this is a leather sofa in the reception or black furniture, you can encourage professionalism throughout the office whilst creating a welcoming space for your team as well as other members of the team. In addition to this, it can also be used for accent walls or even decals as this will help to make the office welcoming to visitors as well as any potential clients with a professional-looking office space.

Green Prevent Fatigue

Green is a colour that is beneficial in the workplace as it is kind to the eyes. Not only does it look great with other neutral colours, but it does not cause the eyes to become tired, allowing you to create a welcoming space for those that are working long hours a day. Whether this is green furniture, green paint in the lunchroom or even a green tint to a carpet, this can all help to create a workspace that is great for the mood of your employees throughout the day.

Brown Promotes Professionalism

Though brown is an understated colour, it can also be used in moderation to promote professionalism and create a warm and welcoming environment for everyone that steps foot in your office. This can be used in the office for the carpet, as it perfectly complements other natural colours such as green, yellow and red which can all help to increase productivity and help to increase the mood of everyone in the office.

Whether you are looking to move office in the near future, or you have moved recently and are just beginning the interior design process, each of the above points is ideal to help you boost the morale of the office and increase productivity throughout the day. Where will you begin?

Be an Employee Influencer

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StrategyDriven Management and Leadership Article |Influencer|Be an Employee InfluencerI have read that 85 percent of us are unlikely to make big changes in our lives without some kind of outside influence. That means that only 15 percent of people unilaterally decide to make changes and then follow through and do it on their own. Translation: Most of us need someone we trust to influence us either by their words or their actions. Effective leadership is really about influence.

Influence, at its core, is the reward of investing in your employees and helping someone transform. The result of that influence is a gift that your people will give you when you pursue them well and care enough to engage with them to make needed changes. And caring enough is the secret sauce to making all of this work.

The truth is, the positive effect of influence can be seen in all our relationships, not just at work. Think of your personal relationships with your friends or family members. For example, I, as a parent, desperately want to influence my children in a positive way. But if I haven’t invested in them well enough as a dad, they won’t look to me as a role model or request my advice, and they will not be open to my influence. The same is true for your employees.

Recognize Opportunities to Influence

Being an employee influencer is one of the most rewarding aspects of leadership. If you have invested well enough in your employees, they will seek your influence. You have to learn to look for this, become aware of when they’re seeking it, and not miss the opportunity when it presents itself. That can be easy to do if you’re not paying close attention.

For example, through the course of a typical work day while I’m reviewing projects and tasks with my team, an employee may ask questions about how they would like me to have them manage a project or accomplish a task. When this happens, it would be easy for me as a leader to misunderstand the individual’s intentions and think they’re trying to abdicate responsibility or get me to solve their problems for them. In actuality, they are requesting my influence without asking for it directly. When this happen to you, take it as a sign that you have invested well in that employee. On the other hand, you may have an employee who never seeks your advice. This may be a sign that you haven’t invested in them enough. Pay attention to both and calibrate your time and attention accordingly for each.

Here’s another example: A member of my senior leadership team is being considered for a promotion to the executive leadership team. We—the executive leaders and I—have invested greatly in this person personally and professionally. We enjoy spending time with her, and we want to see her succeed. We’ve been persistent in letting her know, “We’re for you.”

Recently, I invited her to an executive meeting. She was asked a question and sort of stumbled over the answer. This stumble felt like failure to her. She felt like this one moment might impede her rise to executive leadership in our organization.

Later that day, she came to my office.

“I feel like I really blew it at the meeting,” she said. “Everyone else had such terrific responses to your questions, but I didn’t know what to say.” I asked her why she felt that way, and she told me that she hadn’t properly prepared for the meeting. Then she asked, “What do I need to do to be able to better answer questions in these meetings?” What I heard was “How do I improve?” That’s what every leader wants to hear from their people. It was gratifying and encouraging. It also confirmed what we all were thinking about her ability to move to bigger responsibilities within our organization.

She wasn’t asking me, “How do I fix it?” It was so much more than that. She was asking for my influence. She was saying, in so many words, “I’m seeking your counsel and advice. What do I need to do next in order to live out my version of success?”

I gave her my thoughts on the issue and she responded by saying that she was going to follow up. My guess is she’ll be better prepared for our next meeting and the questions that might arise there.

And this is how you’ll know your influence is working. It’s what happens after you do or say it. Influence is only successful when another person responds to your words or deeds and does something about the issue, whatever it may be.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Chris MeroffChris Meroff has spent more than 25 years supporting leaders in education at both the campus and district levels. Through his work in 17 states and across thousands of school districts, he’s seen firsthand the frustration administrators feel when their efforts don’t produce the alignment they desire. He’s made a career of testing new leadership ideas to see what works—and what doesn’t—in service-oriented leadership. His business, Alignment Leadership Consulting, exists to teach leaders how they can boldly pursue a workplace culture that prioritizes employee fulfillment. You can learn more at www.AlignLeadThrive.com.