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How To Offset Cost Increases Without Driving Customers Away

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |Costs|How To Offset Cost Increases Without Driving Customers AwayThe cost of doing business is increasing. It’s mainly due to the pandemic, stretching supply chains and bringing manufacturing and sourcing closer to home. But, it’s also because governments are clamping down harder on cheap foreign labor and polluting but cheap materials. The green agenda that governments are touting is going to impact the cost of making products and that in turn will affect your price. Rather than driving customers away from your brand, you could do any of the following to offset the rise in the cost of doing business.

Work with local brands

One of the reasons why so many companies have chosen to take their manufacturing abroad is because in the West, it is seen as expensive to work with such brands. However, you may not have a choice anymore as customers are more aware of the business world. They do not want to buy products that have been made by sweatshops, made using techniques that harm the local environment etc. So, now is the time to begin sourcing your raw materials, manufacturing needs and storage demands at home. Work with local businesses and negotiate favorable terms that will benefit both parties. Long-term contracts will be more mutual and less in favor of one party or the other and thus lower costs for a more predictable length of time.

Productivity gains

Perhaps the biggest cost of doing business is your employees. Paying the salaries of employees is by far the largest expenditure any business faces. To offset some of your additional costs regarding increases in pay, promotions and bonuses, increasing productivity could make your employees more affordable. To improve long-term productivity, invest in the internet of things, so all platforms, products and services are connected to each other. Digital productivity is also improving, as just in the US alone productivity rose by 10.6%. All the while employees are working from home. Making your software remote-work-friendly is, therefore, a must.

Targeted increases

Rather than offset the price completely, you could choose to optimize your profit by targeted increases in products. For your most popular products, you should increase the price right now, before the additional increase in costs hits what you need to create that product. For example, if you have a popular dining table made out of glass and metal, increase the price and fix it in place for the foreseeable future. This gives your customers time to adjust to the price rather than suddenly piling it on as other brands inevitably increase their prices too. Supply chains are being stretched and changes to them are increasing costs across the board. A targeted increase of your products that are expensive and are popular, prevents it from looking as if you are taking advantage of the market squeeze.

The cost of doing business is increasing because of the pandemic’s impact on supply chains. The shift in a more ethically aware customer culture is also a powerful new force to be reckoned with. Do these things to offset your costs without driving customers away.

Building A Customer-Facing App That People Love

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Customer-Facing App|Building A Customer-Facing App That People LoveThere are so many business models that can benefit from creating an app for their customers, and so many ways in which those benefits might be seen. If you are keen to try and create the perfect customer-facing app, there are a lot of things that you might want to bear in mind along the way. In this post, we are going to take you through a few of the essential things that can help to create a customer-facing app that people are going to really love. As long as you follow these tips, that should be a lot easier.

Focus On An Idea

It is generally best to have as specific an idea as possible, a real niche, which you can then focus on as fully as possible. Doing that is going to mean that you are much more likely to deliver exactly what you need to deliver. If your app becomes too full of different ideas, it can start to have this flabby kind of look and feel to it – so that is something that you are going to want to be aware of from the start. Hone in as tightly as possible, and people will get more out of it.

Use Intelligent Design

An app is much more likely to work well if it is built up properly from the very start. That means that it is built with some kind of intelligent design, which is something that you can easily make sure of as long as you are using the appropriate app development software. Using something like FileMaker could be a good way to go, but to really make sure you are using it right you might want to look into getting some Claris FileMaker Consulting too. That way, you can make sure the app’s essential design is really strong.

Ask For Feedback

You should aim to ask for feedback from your app’s users on a regular basis. They will be essentially testing it a great deal, so speaking with them is something that is going to really help you to work out what you might need to change or improve. You can seek this feedback on the app itself, on the Play Store and App Store, and online through your website, or any other means you think might work well. However you do it, make sure that you really act on it.

Keep It Small & Simple

The size of the app is hugely important – too big and people are unlikely to want it to take up the space on their phone, too small and it might seem that it is not really doing anything. Find a good balance by including just the right number of elements, and by having it coded properly so there is no extraneous code. At the same time, you should focus on trying to keep the app as simple as you can, as in doing this you are going to find that people tend to get a lot more usage out of it.

5 Ways To Turn Your Social Channels Into Extremely Attractive Pages

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Social Media Channels|5 Ways To Turn Your Social Channels Into Extremely Attractive PagesWhether you’re looking to start a business or create a small project on the side, you’re probably going to need to make yourself present on social media. If you want to grab attention in 2021, you’ll have to do it using the internet. The world has changed and is now a lot different from how it was around fifteen years ago. People are glued to their screens and get a lot of information from the likes of online encyclopedias, websites, and social platforms.

If you’ve not been used to this kind of thing as you’re quite the old school type, then it can make the stress of running a business even more difficult as you have an entirely new aspect to learn about. The good thing is that social media and the subsequent platforms are pretty simple to use. They take a few minutes to get used to, but then you’ll be set afterward. If you need help with your social media accounts regarding their attractiveness and popularity, here are a few points to heed:

Do Something Different From The Rest

If you behave exactly the same as everyone else, you’re going to look like just another pretender in a cookie-cutter market. It’s very easy to do this because you fall into the trap of wanting to look as professional as the rest. It takes guts as well as creativity to stand out, however. Think of new ideas regarding how you’re going to address users and what everything is going to look like.

Use Visual And Interactive Ideas

People will see you as a more attractive prospect if you allow them to engage in what they’re reading. If it’s just a case of reading something and then moving onto something else, then they’re not exactly going to remember you all that well. If they have to do particular things in order to get some satisfaction, they won’t forget their actions. Clicking links, playing games, entering competitions, and these kinds of ideas all work well.

Work With Professional Marketing Services

You might think you have everything handled regarding your ability to create a successful page, but there will still be more areas that you’re lacking in. This is where social media services for businesses will come in handy. They explore areas that you didn’t even think of before. Their experience will help you to expand your reach as well as turn your page into something even sexier than it might already be.

Ensure Your Grammar, Spelling, And Overall Presentation Are High-Quality

Users will NOT take you seriously if you cannot communicate properly. That’s just how this world works. If you cannot use proper spelling and grammar as a business or side hustle, then how are you going to be expected to help customers/clients out with more difficult and convoluted problems?

Be Consistent

If you’re not taking this kind of project seriously, then why should anyone else? You should always strive to be more consistent in the things you do, and these kinds of projects are the same. If people see regular updates, then they’ll know you’re a serious outfit.

Digital Marketing Tips for Wineries

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Marketing Tips for Wineries|Digital Marketing Tips for WineriesA few years ago, wineries relied on traditional adverts for success. However, digital marketing has taken over traditional marketing channels, and any business that wishes to remain competitive must adopt internet marketing. Internet marketing is a more effective way of reaching customers, and the growing number of digital and social media platforms have made it possible for wine suppliers to connect with consumers directly. The following digital marketing guidelines will lead you to the right customers, increase your sales, and expand your business.

1. Design a great website

A website acts as your digital storefront and all other online marketing strategies should lead people to your website. Prospective customers will judge your business according to its webs’ performance, and it is important that you invest in a well-designed, functional and user-friendly website. The website should be compatible with mobile phones and be optimized for speed. It should also provide detailed information on your products.

2. Content marketing

Effective content marketing can help to improve search engine rankings, attract new leads and increase sales. However, content marketing for wine suppliers will only work if you know how and what kind of content to create. Blog posts and articles are the starting point for your content marketing strategy. Creating relevant topics and SEO-optimized content will increase traffic to your site. Ensure your content provides answers that prospects may be looking for on the internet. Conduct thorough keyword research to help you come up with relevant topics to create. In addition, be sure to create an email list to retain your audience and get returning visitors.

3. Optimize the use of social media platforms

At a time when every other business is utilizing social media marketing, your wine supply should not be left behind. If you don’t have active social media pages for your wine supply, you are likely already lagging behind your competitors. All you need to do is find a suitable network for your wine brand. Know where you are likely to meet your consumers and win them by posting relevant content concerning your brand. Here are some tips that can help you succeed in social media marketing:

  • Have a strategy for each platform
  • Be consistent with your content
  • Stay updated on what’s trending
  • Invest in a team to create and share your content
  • Engage with influencers

4. Make an email list

Email marketing is another effective way of reaching your wine consumers directly. Have a list of people’s emails where you can be sharing your brand’s information. Apart from boosting your sales, email marketing enhances your brand awareness. You will also be able to reach your customers on time and stay connected with them. In addition, sending an email is cheap because you can reach several customers at once.

Endnote

The entire world of business is going digital, including the consumers of your wine products. With dozens of online platforms available, you stand big chances of expanding your winery business. All you need to do is develop a smart digital marketing plan and explore better online tricks to keep your revenue flowing.

Making Your Employees Feel Important

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Employees|Making Your Employees Feel ImportantThere are few things in life that will make someone better than knowing that they are important. Most people like the idea of being important to those around them, and this can be especially crucial when it comes to the world of work. Of course, each and every one of your employees provides an invaluable service to your company, but this isn’t something that a lot of employers express. To help you out with this, this article will be exploring some of the best ways to show your employees that you wouldn’t be able to do what you do without them.

The Impact Of Their Work

It can be hard for an employee to see the impact of their work, especially when they aren’t doing a job that involves working with money. This is something you can solve by simply showing them the results of their work, with regular meetings to discuss the state of the business and the work that is driving it forwards. Of course, you may have to keep some things secret, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t give your team members a glimpse at the success of their work.

Praise & Rewards

Many employers fail to take the time to talk to their team members. You need to make sure that you are praising the people who work for you, letting them know that you are grateful that they are working hard. Some bosses will also include rewards along with this. This effort will always help to incentivize harder work, pushing your employees to do even more to help your business to succeed. Of course, though, you need to make sure that this feels sincere.

A Good Working Environment

Many people in the modern world have to work in environments that don’t inspire a sense of importance. While you may not be able to give everyone their own office, you should make sure that their workspace is comfortable, personal, and filled with things that they like. Alongside this, you should also make sure that their work outside your business will also make them feel important. Options like a limousine company can help you with this.

Promotions & Progression

No one likes the idea of doing a job that will never have the potential to change or improve. Promotions are common in the modern world, but you also need to make sure that your employees can progress and improve their current roles. Personal development plans are great for this, though you should also consider the idea of advancing their training to ensure that they are always moving forwards.

Feeling important at work is crucial to your employee’s happiness. Many people lack this in their jobs, and this can make working feel very unsatisfying. Of course, though, you can’t do this at the expense of honesty and discipline, making it extremely vital that you balance this out and ensure that your team is always working to improve itself.