Your website is your opportunity to communicate directly with customers, clients, suppliers and partners. The visual appearance of the site and the content that it contains are the most direct way that you can speak to anyone interested in working with your company. It is also the foundation for your marketing and your brand presence online.
If your website doesn’t show off your business in a positive light, it is not only going to make it challenging for you to gain new customers, it can also leave your team feeling underappreciated.
Focusing on a more personal element to your website is the right way to move forward, and moving away from that more impersonal ‘corporate’ style site can do wonders for your business. But how exactly do you implement this practically? Here we take a look at some of the best strategies that your company can use to humanize your website.
Avoid stock photos at all costs
One of the major issues causing company websites to look cold and corporate is the overuse of stock images. Stock photos might look more professional than those you can take on your camera phone and they can lend credence to a small business that is just starting out. But, having these images lingering on sites can leave it feeling corporate, less personal and unrealistic.
It’s a much better idea to take your own images. This is clearly a good option for companies producing products, but it can also be effective for service-based businesses too.
There are still many businesses that are put off providing their own product or incidental photography because of the perceived high cost of camera equipment. Yet this isn’t the right way to think about it. Of course there are some initial outlays to investing in high quality in-house images, but they have so many advantages compared to stock photos it is really worth doing.
It should be pointed out that equipment costs don’t have to be as expensive as they used to be. It is now possible to spread out payments from more costly equipment by using services which utilize so-called ‘buy now, pay later’ companies, such as Klarna and Affirm. For businesses keen to follow the sustainability route, another option is trading in used equipment to get money off a new purchase – many camera specialists offer this.
Speak like a human
It is still extremely common for small businesses to have websites that use a very corporate writing style. Being formal and professional can be appropriate in some settings, but it is no longer the case that all companies need to present themselves in this manner, especially if it does not necessarily suit the target market and industry.
Of course, it won’t suit every business to be extremely conversational and loaded up with jargon and many professional writers prefer to think in terms of ‘business casual’ as the standard preferred style. However, again this will depend on the specifics of the business and what works with your audience.
Focus on community
One of the most fundamental ways to humanize your website is to install a sense of community with your customers. The benefits of building a community amongst your customers are well established.
“As a part of your community, members feel more emotionally connected to your brand,” says Rachel Burns, writing for Podia “and when people feel connected, they’re more likely to recommend your brand and products to others.”
Companies are still regularly using social media platforms for their community building, but actually it can be beneficial to do a lot of that work yourself to optimize the business success of a site. This can be done by making use of user-generated content.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-tranmautritam-326501-1.jpg8001200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2022-04-06 09:00:532022-04-05 22:52:36Humanizing Your Website: Why The Personal Touch Is Best For Business
The way that your business premises is presented can have a huge impact on the way it is received by your audience, as an unkempt, untidy and poorly planned storefront can encourage your customers to doubt the value or quality of the products and services that you provide. Unattractive business premises may damage your reputation by giving out the wrong impression and cause you to actually lose out on customers, so there’s truly no time like the present to start improving your aesthetics today! So, if you’re interested in finding out more about how you can spruce up your business premises, then read on to discover some of the simplest steps that you can follow now to make a noticeable difference in no time at all!
Revamp Your Signage
One of the easiest ways to spruce up your business premises is by revamping your signage. Your signs are a way of your audience identifying your business, so they need to be bold, eye-catching and easy to read. There’s no point in using dark text on a dark background, as this is going to be hard to identify and your customers may not even recognize your business as a result. Always maintain a white or light colored background with large dark text, as this way your signs will be visible from far away! Use the opportunity to inject a little creativity and individuality in your signage, as you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd! Just don’t go overboard with graphics and patterns, as this can end up forcing your business into looking tacky and somewhat unprofessional. Hang your signs in clear view of any roadways, sidewalks or similar high traffic areas to ensure they benefit from the largest amount of exposure possible!
Address The Need For Curb Appeal
If you can’t draw new customers in, then you will need to rely upon repeat clients to keep your business alive. This will be more than tricky, as every business requires a certain percentage of new customers each week in order to benefit from sufficient income to cover costs and generate a profit. So, if your business premises lacks the curb appeal needed to draw in every person that walks past, then you’re likely headed for choppy waters. Curb appeal encompasses everything from your walls and external structure to your parking lot and the driveway or sidewalk that leads up to your business, so you need to get outside and take a long hard look at your premises to understand whether any improvements can be made. Hiring a paving contractor or professional painter to spruce up your business premises can be such an affordable yet effective way to revitalize the aesthetic and upgrade your curb appeal.
Sprucing up your business premises has never been so simple when you can take the time to utilize some of the brilliant tips and tricks that have been carefully detailed above! So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and transform your store today!
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-daria-shevtsova-776938-1.jpg8001200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2022-04-06 08:00:142022-04-05 22:40:07Simple Ways To Spruce Up Your Business Premises
It is estimated that healthcare spending accounted for about 19.7% of America’s GDP in 2020. The healthcare industry in America is massive, with numerous opportunities for profit. However, it is also rife with a lot of competition, so all businesses in this sector must devise clever strategies to attract a constant flow of patients. Fortunately, you can do a lot to effectively expand your patient list. If you wish to learn more about growing your healthcare business, consider the points below.
1. Leverage advanced medical technology
There is no denying that technology has transformed the entire medical field. Therefore, you can use various advanced medical technologies in your healthcare business, whether you run a pharmacy, dental clinic, general hospital, or senior care facility. These state-of-the-art technologies will help you improve patient diagnosis and treatment, making you more competitive in the industry. For instance, consider using telehealth programs to make healthcare more accessible and convenient for patients. You are likely to get more new patients if you offer telehealth services since many people prioritize convenience these days.
Similarly, consider setting up a negative pressure room in your hospital so you can isolate and treat more patients. The question “What is a negative pressure room?” is undoubtedly top of your mind right now. A negative pressure room, also called an isolation room, is an area within a hospital with interior air pressure lower than outside. These rooms are designed to prevent airborne pathogens inside from escaping into the hospital and are instrumental in isolating and treating patients with airborne infectious diseases like COVID-19 and tuberculosis. Given that only up to 4% of all hospital rooms in America are equipped for negative pressure rooms, creating one in your hospital is surely a great investment to attract more patients and grow your profits.
2. Be active on social media
Social media has become one of the most effective ways to promote your healthcare business to a broad audience. Therefore, it is essential to be present on leading social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This way, you can run social media marketing campaigns that can help you advertise to the right people. Also, social media is fast becoming one of the primary contact points between healthcare businesses and their clients. Therefore, regularly post quality and beneficial content on your pages to keep your followers informed.
3. Encourage online reviews
The modern consumer almost always checks online reviews before selecting anything, from a healthcare company to a good movie worth watching. Consumers take these reviews pretty seriously, with BrightLocal research indicating that about four in five individuals trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Consequently, always ask your patrons for online reviews so you don’t miss opportunities to receive and advertise positive feedback that can help you get more clients. You can get these reviews by sending out automated surveys to all patrons after their visit. However, remember that you need to provide excellent products and services in the first place to enjoy positive reviews. Therefore, make your healthcare business customer-centric to receive genuine reviews that will easily help it grow.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-mart-production-7088524.jpg8001200StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2022-04-06 07:00:232022-04-05 22:30:46How To Grow Your Healthcare Business
Talking about money is something that many of us find difficult, especially when it is causing us stress. However, financial troubles can cause feelings of anxiety, which can have a lasting impact on workplace productivity. So, as an employer, how might you support the financial wellbeing of the workers in your care? Let’s take a look.
1. Take the time to understand what your employees go through
There are a variety of reasons why people might become stressed, anxious, or worried when considering their finances, so take the time to truly understand what financial stressors are plaguing your employees. This way, you can effectively target the areas in which will boost financial wellbeing.
2. Start a conversation
Supporting financial wellbeing is not a one way conversation – in addition to asking your employees what their troubles are, you need to make sure you are listening and adapting to the ideas they are providing.
It is important to start a conversation in the workplace, fostering a culture that encourages open communication, no judgement, and confidential advice.
This data came at a time when many of us were in the midst of financial troubles, unpredictability, and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
If over 9 in 10 UK adults do not access financial advice even during the most uncertain times, it is clear that many of us will be unlikely to reach out to a professional when times are tough. Thus, it can be fruitful for businesses to offer financial resources for their employees, allowing them to educate themselves and gain access to crucial information, even when they might not feel comfortable approaching a professional.
4. Offer practical support
In addition to providing employees with educational resources, it can also be a good idea to back this up with practical resources, too. These offerings will provide practical support to those that need it, giving them everything they need to improve their financial security.
Practical support resources you might consider include workshops, training days, an onsite financial advice team, group income protection, life insurance, death in service benefits, and much more. Support such as income protection and life insurance will give employees the peace of mind that their essential bills can still be paid in the event they lose their income or their life.
5. Encourage an ongoing culture of communication and support
Finances are a continuous part of life – even if employees get a pay rise, this might not make worries of paying off the mortgage go away instantly. Thus, it is important to think of this as an ongoing process towards financial wellbeing, as opposed to a quick and instantaneous fix.
Perhaps you can schedule regular training sessions, or send monthly updates about the resources and benefits that employees have available to them?
Overall, with these ideas and resources in mind, businesses will have the means and opportunity to build, support, and grow financial wellbeing in the workplace.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/receptionists-g7567b3893_1280.jpg8541280StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2022-04-05 12:00:062022-04-05 02:50:195 ways to support the financial wellbeing of your employees
Do you have ambitious plans for your business but find yourself bogged down by routine tasks? If so, you will know how frustrating it is when your daily workload stands in the way of your business goals. Developing strategies for future growth so that you can scale your business successfully is vital to keep it moving forward. But when all your time is taken up on the basics of running your business, it can feel you are missing out on opportunities.
Seeing your competitors scaling their ventures while you watch from the sidelines is not something any entrepreneur wants to experience. So, taking decisive action and implementing changes that will help reclaim your time and focus on your business’s strategic direction is really beneficial. Outsourcing some of your daily tasks is an excellent way to free up your time, here are just some of the business tasks you can outsource:
IT Support
Nowadays, every business is dependent on its computer systems to keep it up and running. So, if the system fails for any reason, you need to know that you have a team on hand, and ready to help at the times you need it most is invaluable. Outsourcing your IT support is beneficial in many ways and plays a vital part in keeping your business running efficiently. When you outsource your IT support, you will benefit from help provided by a team with up-to-date knowledge and the skills required to resolve all of your IT issues quickly. This expert help allows your team to work efficiently with minimal system downtime, which is excellent news for your business and its reputation.
Bookkeeping
Keeping your accounts up-to-date and staying on top of your bookkeeping are essential tasks, but they can also be incredibly time-consuming. Add payroll into the mix, and you have a task that is more than a full-time job. Trying to perform bookkeeping tasks accurately can be highly stressful, as making a mistake can have serious consequences, so maintaining accurate accounts is essential. For this reason, many companies choose outsourced bookkeeping provided by a company that they trust. Outsourcing your business’s bookkeeping can help you to gain the peace of mind that your bookkeeping is taken care of and that you no longer need to spend your time trying to tackle complex accounting tasks.
Marketing
The marketing of your business encompasses a wide range of tasks, and paying attention to each of these is vital to getting your business noticed by your target market. But, when you are short on time, it can be hard to make your marketing efforts as effective as they could be. Many business owners find themselves taking an inconsistent approach to their marketing as they do not have the time or knowledge to focus on a solid marketing strategy. If this is an issue that you struggle with, discussing your needs with an external marketing agency could provide you with the perfect solution and help your business achieve the success that it deserves.
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Humanizing Your Website: Why The Personal Touch Is Best For Business
/in Online Marketing and Website Development/by StrategyDrivenIf your website doesn’t show off your business in a positive light, it is not only going to make it challenging for you to gain new customers, it can also leave your team feeling underappreciated.
Focusing on a more personal element to your website is the right way to move forward, and moving away from that more impersonal ‘corporate’ style site can do wonders for your business. But how exactly do you implement this practically? Here we take a look at some of the best strategies that your company can use to humanize your website.
Avoid stock photos at all costs
One of the major issues causing company websites to look cold and corporate is the overuse of stock images. Stock photos might look more professional than those you can take on your camera phone and they can lend credence to a small business that is just starting out. But, having these images lingering on sites can leave it feeling corporate, less personal and unrealistic.
It’s a much better idea to take your own images. This is clearly a good option for companies producing products, but it can also be effective for service-based businesses too.
There are still many businesses that are put off providing their own product or incidental photography because of the perceived high cost of camera equipment. Yet this isn’t the right way to think about it. Of course there are some initial outlays to investing in high quality in-house images, but they have so many advantages compared to stock photos it is really worth doing.
It should be pointed out that equipment costs don’t have to be as expensive as they used to be. It is now possible to spread out payments from more costly equipment by using services which utilize so-called ‘buy now, pay later’ companies, such as Klarna and Affirm. For businesses keen to follow the sustainability route, another option is trading in used equipment to get money off a new purchase – many camera specialists offer this.
Speak like a human
It is still extremely common for small businesses to have websites that use a very corporate writing style. Being formal and professional can be appropriate in some settings, but it is no longer the case that all companies need to present themselves in this manner, especially if it does not necessarily suit the target market and industry.
Of course, it won’t suit every business to be extremely conversational and loaded up with jargon and many professional writers prefer to think in terms of ‘business casual’ as the standard preferred style. However, again this will depend on the specifics of the business and what works with your audience.
Focus on community
One of the most fundamental ways to humanize your website is to install a sense of community with your customers. The benefits of building a community amongst your customers are well established.
“As a part of your community, members feel more emotionally connected to your brand,” says Rachel Burns, writing for Podia “and when people feel connected, they’re more likely to recommend your brand and products to others.”
Companies are still regularly using social media platforms for their community building, but actually it can be beneficial to do a lot of that work yourself to optimize the business success of a site. This can be done by making use of user-generated content.
Simple Ways To Spruce Up Your Business Premises
/in Managing Your Business/by StrategyDrivenRevamp Your Signage
One of the easiest ways to spruce up your business premises is by revamping your signage. Your signs are a way of your audience identifying your business, so they need to be bold, eye-catching and easy to read. There’s no point in using dark text on a dark background, as this is going to be hard to identify and your customers may not even recognize your business as a result. Always maintain a white or light colored background with large dark text, as this way your signs will be visible from far away! Use the opportunity to inject a little creativity and individuality in your signage, as you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd! Just don’t go overboard with graphics and patterns, as this can end up forcing your business into looking tacky and somewhat unprofessional. Hang your signs in clear view of any roadways, sidewalks or similar high traffic areas to ensure they benefit from the largest amount of exposure possible!
Address The Need For Curb Appeal
If you can’t draw new customers in, then you will need to rely upon repeat clients to keep your business alive. This will be more than tricky, as every business requires a certain percentage of new customers each week in order to benefit from sufficient income to cover costs and generate a profit. So, if your business premises lacks the curb appeal needed to draw in every person that walks past, then you’re likely headed for choppy waters. Curb appeal encompasses everything from your walls and external structure to your parking lot and the driveway or sidewalk that leads up to your business, so you need to get outside and take a long hard look at your premises to understand whether any improvements can be made. Hiring a paving contractor or professional painter to spruce up your business premises can be such an affordable yet effective way to revitalize the aesthetic and upgrade your curb appeal.
Sprucing up your business premises has never been so simple when you can take the time to utilize some of the brilliant tips and tricks that have been carefully detailed above! So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and transform your store today!
How To Grow Your Healthcare Business
/in Online Marketing and Website Development/by StrategyDriven1. Leverage advanced medical technology
There is no denying that technology has transformed the entire medical field. Therefore, you can use various advanced medical technologies in your healthcare business, whether you run a pharmacy, dental clinic, general hospital, or senior care facility. These state-of-the-art technologies will help you improve patient diagnosis and treatment, making you more competitive in the industry. For instance, consider using telehealth programs to make healthcare more accessible and convenient for patients. You are likely to get more new patients if you offer telehealth services since many people prioritize convenience these days.
Similarly, consider setting up a negative pressure room in your hospital so you can isolate and treat more patients. The question “What is a negative pressure room?” is undoubtedly top of your mind right now. A negative pressure room, also called an isolation room, is an area within a hospital with interior air pressure lower than outside. These rooms are designed to prevent airborne pathogens inside from escaping into the hospital and are instrumental in isolating and treating patients with airborne infectious diseases like COVID-19 and tuberculosis. Given that only up to 4% of all hospital rooms in America are equipped for negative pressure rooms, creating one in your hospital is surely a great investment to attract more patients and grow your profits.
2. Be active on social media
Social media has become one of the most effective ways to promote your healthcare business to a broad audience. Therefore, it is essential to be present on leading social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This way, you can run social media marketing campaigns that can help you advertise to the right people. Also, social media is fast becoming one of the primary contact points between healthcare businesses and their clients. Therefore, regularly post quality and beneficial content on your pages to keep your followers informed.
3. Encourage online reviews
The modern consumer almost always checks online reviews before selecting anything, from a healthcare company to a good movie worth watching. Consumers take these reviews pretty seriously, with BrightLocal research indicating that about four in five individuals trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Consequently, always ask your patrons for online reviews so you don’t miss opportunities to receive and advertise positive feedback that can help you get more clients. You can get these reviews by sending out automated surveys to all patrons after their visit. However, remember that you need to provide excellent products and services in the first place to enjoy positive reviews. Therefore, make your healthcare business customer-centric to receive genuine reviews that will easily help it grow.
5 ways to support the financial wellbeing of your employees
/in Talent Management/by StrategyDriven1. Take the time to understand what your employees go through
One study by the Money and Pensions Service, an organisation sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions, found that 36% of adults in the UK, or 19 million people, feel worried when thinking about their finances.
There are a variety of reasons why people might become stressed, anxious, or worried when considering their finances, so take the time to truly understand what financial stressors are plaguing your employees. This way, you can effectively target the areas in which will boost financial wellbeing.
2. Start a conversation
Supporting financial wellbeing is not a one way conversation – in addition to asking your employees what their troubles are, you need to make sure you are listening and adapting to the ideas they are providing.
It is important to start a conversation in the workplace, fostering a culture that encourages open communication, no judgement, and confidential advice.
3. Offer financial education resources
According to a 2020 study by the Financial Conduct Authority, 96.7% of adults over 18 in the UK did not access specialist financial advice in the preceding 12 months.
This data came at a time when many of us were in the midst of financial troubles, unpredictability, and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
If over 9 in 10 UK adults do not access financial advice even during the most uncertain times, it is clear that many of us will be unlikely to reach out to a professional when times are tough. Thus, it can be fruitful for businesses to offer financial resources for their employees, allowing them to educate themselves and gain access to crucial information, even when they might not feel comfortable approaching a professional.
4. Offer practical support
In addition to providing employees with educational resources, it can also be a good idea to back this up with practical resources, too. These offerings will provide practical support to those that need it, giving them everything they need to improve their financial security.
Practical support resources you might consider include workshops, training days, an onsite financial advice team, group income protection, life insurance, death in service benefits, and much more. Support such as income protection and life insurance will give employees the peace of mind that their essential bills can still be paid in the event they lose their income or their life.
5. Encourage an ongoing culture of communication and support
Finances are a continuous part of life – even if employees get a pay rise, this might not make worries of paying off the mortgage go away instantly. Thus, it is important to think of this as an ongoing process towards financial wellbeing, as opposed to a quick and instantaneous fix.
Perhaps you can schedule regular training sessions, or send monthly updates about the resources and benefits that employees have available to them?
Overall, with these ideas and resources in mind, businesses will have the means and opportunity to build, support, and grow financial wellbeing in the workplace.
Outsource These Tasks for Business Success
/in Managing Your Business/by StrategyDrivenSeeing your competitors scaling their ventures while you watch from the sidelines is not something any entrepreneur wants to experience. So, taking decisive action and implementing changes that will help reclaim your time and focus on your business’s strategic direction is really beneficial. Outsourcing some of your daily tasks is an excellent way to free up your time, here are just some of the business tasks you can outsource:
IT Support
Nowadays, every business is dependent on its computer systems to keep it up and running. So, if the system fails for any reason, you need to know that you have a team on hand, and ready to help at the times you need it most is invaluable. Outsourcing your IT support is beneficial in many ways and plays a vital part in keeping your business running efficiently. When you outsource your IT support, you will benefit from help provided by a team with up-to-date knowledge and the skills required to resolve all of your IT issues quickly. This expert help allows your team to work efficiently with minimal system downtime, which is excellent news for your business and its reputation.
Bookkeeping
Keeping your accounts up-to-date and staying on top of your bookkeeping are essential tasks, but they can also be incredibly time-consuming. Add payroll into the mix, and you have a task that is more than a full-time job. Trying to perform bookkeeping tasks accurately can be highly stressful, as making a mistake can have serious consequences, so maintaining accurate accounts is essential. For this reason, many companies choose outsourced bookkeeping provided by a company that they trust. Outsourcing your business’s bookkeeping can help you to gain the peace of mind that your bookkeeping is taken care of and that you no longer need to spend your time trying to tackle complex accounting tasks.
Marketing
The marketing of your business encompasses a wide range of tasks, and paying attention to each of these is vital to getting your business noticed by your target market. But, when you are short on time, it can be hard to make your marketing efforts as effective as they could be. Many business owners find themselves taking an inconsistent approach to their marketing as they do not have the time or knowledge to focus on a solid marketing strategy. If this is an issue that you struggle with, discussing your needs with an external marketing agency could provide you with the perfect solution and help your business achieve the success that it deserves.