RESOURCE CENTRE

Your EnterQuest Bulletin - 6 October 2004

In this week's issue:

• promote your business or die
• choosing the right domain name
  
• more about macros

Weekly stir

Promote your business or die

This may sound like a harsh opening to our newsletter this week, but the fact is that most small businesses fail, and very often this happens soon after start up. One of the main reasons for this is because they simply don't sell enough.

And they don't sell enough because they either don't spend enough time promoting their products or services, or because their marketing and promotion is just crap.

Great product, great location, hardly any competition, busloads of potential customers, but downright rotten marketing. With the inevitable end result - defeat.

Cold words, but when you slice through everything, it's as simple as that, and something that every small business owner should wake up to.

The single most important priority for your business is generating sales, and making sure you're doing everything you can, as often as possible, and as effectively as you can do it.

So what is it that goes wrong, or put another way, what is it that successful small firms are doing to get their sales and marketing activity right?

The answer, in many cases, lies in their marketing message. Which is the part that the majority of new, and not so new, enterprise owners find the most difficult to crack. You know exactly who you want to sell to, you know exactly what it is that makes your product or service so beneficial to your target audience, and you've decided just how you're going to reach them via press ads, sales letters, website copy and so on.

But you just can't get your marketing message to deliver the results. Sound familiar?

Those entrepreneurs that are getting it right are generally doing so by following a simple, tried and tested, step-by-step formula that works for all forms of sales messages and copy in any business sector.

It's the AIDA formula - Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

Your sales and promotional copy needs to incorporate each of these four components in your message, otherwise you run the risk of your marketing efforts being a flop.

So here goes with some practical pointers to help you use the AIDA formula in your marketing message.

• Attention - this is straightforward. Your objective is to grab your customer or prospect's attention. It's all about writing a headline or teaser copy that will stop people in their tracks. Be honest, does your headline do this? Or do you actually have a headline at all?
  
  
• Interest - if your headline or teaser copy has done its job your next objective is to write an opening paragraph that will put your product or service on your prospect's wavelength. You should be talking to them about their problem or specific need that you've created your business or service to specifically address, and begin to whet their appetite about what they can expect from you.
  
  
• Desire - now you need to get seriously down to business in your message, and move your prospect's interest from the problem or need they have towards the benefit and solution your product or service can offer them. You should be slapping them in the face with the reasons why they should be thinking of or choosing to purchase your solution. And give them proof with testimonials and lists of satisfied customers if possible.
  
  
• Action - this is missed out in sales messages too many times. Finish your message off with a simple, easy to understand offer and call to action. In other words, make it as clear as possible what you want them to do next, whether this is to place an order, request a free sample or free trial, or book an appointment, and so on.

This is something you will get better at by trial and error, by testing and learning from what works and what doesn't. But follow this formula, and you should start to see a difference in your results.

Good prospecting.

Have you ever heard the phrase 'Location, location, location' when someone asks a thriving retail business owner the secret of their success?

Well, it's the same with your website. You can have the most user-friendly, content-rich, regularly-updated site on the planet, but if it's hidden away because nobody can find your name, you may discover that you've wasted a lot of time and money.

Here are a few tips for making sure that your domain name hits the mark.

• Use a .com suffix. Today there are several top-level domain suffixes such as .org, .net, .info, .biz and .co.uk. The .com was the first suffix to become popular and today, because of its popularity, it's the first domain that people will use to find your business. It's better to have a less than desirable name with a .com suffix than to have a great name that is a .biz or .info.
  
  
• Shorter isn't necessarily better. A domain name can be up to 67 characters long, so you don't have to cut your business name short in order to make it fit. In any event, studies have shown that web surfers are more likely to remember www.joesplumbingcompany.com than www.jpc.com.
  
  
• Don't use hyphens in your domain name. Research has shown that hyphens (sometimes used to separate words, eg www.capable-construction.co.uk) confuse customers because they don't expect them.
  
  
• Make sure you use a keyword in your domain name. If you want to stand any chance of getting found by search engines, you need to think carefully about keywording both your site and your domain name with specific words related to your business sector. Find out more about what keywords are, how they work, and which ones you should be using at http://www.wordtracker.com. Google has also produced some helpful advice on choosing keywords.

More advice on choosing the perfect domain name is online at http://www.thesitewizard.com/archive/domainname.shtml, and you can get guidance from Nominet, which handles all .co.uk domain names.

• You can use macros in Excel as well as Word. For example, you could record a macro that will calculate VAT on a figure and display the amount in pounds and pence in the adjacent cell. Have a look through the long list of macros and Excel tips here.
  
  
• Macros can also be a source of computer viruses. To make sure Word or Excel warns you about viruses when you open a document, click on Tools, then Macro, and finally on Security. You will be offered a choice between high security, medium and low. By clicking on medium security documents with macros will not be opened unless you specifically give permission or unless they contain security certificates. Reviews of different packages to combat macro viruses are online here.
  
  
• For a slightly more advanced look at macros than the links we gave last week, try the tutorials found here.
  
  
• And if you're still scratching your head and asking, "Now just what the hell's a macro?" you might like to check out this Idiot's Guide to installing them.
  

Vulnerable websites are bait for phishers

According to a new report by UK computer consultancy firm Next Generation Security (NGS), nine out of ten financial websites have got enough vulnerabilities and loopholes to leave them wide open to attack from phishing scams. Phishing involves you being sent an e-mail from a fake 'bank' which directs you to click on a link to its website. There you'll be asked to enter your user name and password. If you do, you're handing over access to your finances on a plate to the people behind the scam.

The team at NGS have produced a downloadable guide, which we think offers very practical guidance on what phishing scams are and how to avoid becoming a victim.
http://www.nextgenss.com/papers/NISR-WP-Phishing.pdf

Each week we provide you with summaries of some popular or emerging business ideas in the UK.

Here is this week's idea:

• Image Consultant

Just one word

Regularly improving your vocabulary is not just about learning a new word and its meaning. It will improve your general knowledge and make you feel and act smarter in all sorts of personal and business situations.

Do you know what a 'parasite shop' is?

a) a website selling mailing lists and adware to spammers
b) a shop which survives only thanks to a neighbouring shop's success
c) a concession stand in a department store
d) a poorly performing branch of a thriving chain

Did you know?

WorldPay suffers major disruption

Small businesses using WorldPay's payment administration system to support their online retail operations are being warned to expect payment processing problems this week, after an attack disrupted the system over the weekend. Payments are still being processed securely, but at a lower rate and much more slowly than usual due to the high volume of requests for help.

WorldPay is also warning that its website may be down at intervals as it struggles to rectify the problems. If you can access it, more information is online at:
http://www.worldpay.com/admin

In the meantime, the customer service advice line is open round the clock:
0870 742 7002

Husband and wife teams feel the taxman's icy grip

Back in June, we told you about the plight of a family business called Arctic Systems, which was hit by a demand for £42,000 in tax because of the way the dividends were shared between the husband-and-wife directors. Because Mrs Jones was paying less tax due to lower tax bands and higher personal tax-free allowance, but still receiving an equal share of the business's dividend payments, the Inland Revenue thought they should cough up the £42 grand. The couple took the taxman to court, but last week it was announced that they lost the landmark case.

The professionals reckon that this will mean around 200,000 similar family businesses will be paying more tax. You can get an overview of some of the main implications of the case at:
http://www.pcg.org.uk/LatestNews/10121.html

Waste not, want not

According to Government-funded green business adviser Envirowise, only 39% of small businesses are making any effort to reduce their waste, despite 94% of business owners believing that waste reduction is important. If you're one of the 39% with no idea where to begin, a good starting point is this practical, interactive guide, which Envirowise have made available online.

Get greener by clicking on:
http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/envirowisev3.nsf/key/WMHome

Last week, we told you all about the Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004 that came into force on 1 October and change the way you must handle disputes, grievances and dismissal situations in your workplace. Now the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) has published step-by-step advice, in the form of a series of flowcharts, to help you navigate the maze of new statutory procedures.

To view the document, go to:
http://www.acas.org.uk/publications/pdf/acas_disciplinary_folder.pdf

Christmas comes early

If you're a retailer offering an online shopping service, you should check out this new guide from Royal Mail. It aims to help you get prepared for the Christmas rush by providing practical advice on managing stock, organising your catalogues and keeping your website up to date.

Get your free copy of the Christmas Readiness Retail Guide at:
ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/public/ctf/rm/Retail%20Readiness%20Guide.pdf