PSPINC Official Company Blog

What is a Customer Journey?

May

3

If you’ve ever worked in sales or marketing, you've probably used or at least heard of a customer journey. While it sounds self-explanatory, fully building a customer journey out will help to create a stronger strategy moving forward. And from a business perspective, continually improving the customer’s experience will lead to not only an increase in sales but also in loyal customers. A customer journey outlines the steps a customer takes when encountering a company, including where they could potentially drop off.

A customer journey typically has five stages: awareness, consideration, acquisition, purchase, and loyalty. The awareness stage consists of how a customer hears about you. This can be through non-digital mediums like word-of-mouth or newspapers. But nowadays they probably found your company somewhere online like through a Google search or on social media. Then, there’s the consideration stage, where customers decide if they want to learn more about your company, your product, and/or your service. If they’re interested, they’ll move forward to the acquisition stage, where they’ll actively explore your company’s content and see how your competition compares.

The Acquisition Stage

a man sitting at a small cafe table with a laptop, notebooks, and phone on the table while the man's holding a to-go coffee cup in one hand and the other hand on his hand

The acquisition stage is arguably the most important step of the journey. At this point, your customer knows who you are, what you’re selling, and how you stack up against your competitors. But whether they purchase or not depends on multiple factors. From the company’s perspective, you want to make sure your brand and what you’re selling is as presentable as possible, the customer’s experience is smooth and simple, and your prices are at the same level as your competitors.

If your products and/or services are too expensive, the customer will just buy them elsewhere. If you’re not the cheapest option, you need to at least tell your customers why. For example, if your product is better because of the material or usability, make sure your customers know that. Because while price is an important factor, many will be willing to pay extra if they think it’s worth it.

Getting Customers to the Purchasing Stage

a woman holding multiple shopping bags while wearing sunglasses and looking at her phone

Once they decide they want to purchase, they enter the purchase stage, hence the name. This could be physically paying for it in a physical store or going through the payment portal on your site. After that is the post-purchase stage. In a brick-and-mortar store, this includes everything the customer encounters after paying. For example, they could see poster ads hung around the store. For digital consumers, this could be a “Your order is placed” page with their order number and details or a follow-up email encouraging customers to follow them on socials and shop from them again.

If your customer is frustrated or overwhelmed at any point in the process, they’ll probably end the journey there. As a business, that’s the last thing you want. You want your customer to go through the entire journey. Actually, what you really want is for customers to come back repeatedly. Beyond that, you want loyal customers to start recommending your products to convert even more people into customers. Or more loyal customers, preferably.

How Loyal Customers Play a Role

a woman holding a bag with a small flower bouquet inside as she leaves a store

For people who are actively loyal to your company to the point of recommending your products, they are what’s called brand evangelists. Regarding the customer journey, repeat customers no longer start from the beginning. Instead, they skip forward to the acquisition stage or straight to purchasing your product.

From a business perspective, it’s important to know how customers interact with your brand. The best way to figure that out is by creating a customer journey. With it, you can identify the steps potential customers make both before and after they purchase from you. Or more importantly, where you need to improve to prevent people from leaving before they get to the purchase stage. After all, you can’t fix a problem if you don’t where to start.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#acquisition #advertising #awareness #branding #business #businesstips #consideration #customerjourney #customers #customerservice #digitalmarketing #google #loyalty #marketing #marketingdigital #purchase #smallbusiness #socialmedia #tech #web

Mobile App vs. Mobile-Optimized: Which One is Better for Your Business

Apr

12

With more than half (about 54.4%) of website traffic worldwide coming from mobile devices in 2021, making sure your site works on a mobile device is crucial. It not only has to function well but look aesthetically pleasing too. But with all the focus on mobile devices, businesses have started investing in developing an app. It guarantees that it’ll work well on a phone, as long as enough testing goes into the process. And the hope is that it’ll look good with so many people spending a lot of time and work creating it. So, which one’s better: a site that looks good on a mobile device or an app?

A Mobile App

a hand holding a mobile phone with apps displayed on the homescreen

A mobile app is a type of application software designed to run on a mobile device, which can also include tablets. But building one out takes a lot of time, effort, and money. If you’re building an app in-house, it takes some of the cost because it means you won’t have to hire a development partner, but the development process will still be costly. Not to mention the fact that it will consist of a much longer process compared to optimizing a site for mobile.

The app development process involves building out the concept behind the app, creating a layout for how it’ll function, designing it for a good user experience, testing it to determine where users may find friction in the process, and scanning for necessary bug fixes. Only then can the app go live. Even after that, it’ll still need to be monitored and updated consistently.

Despite the long and costly process, an app does have its advantages:

• Improves brand recognition
• Re-engages existing customers on a deeper level
• Keeps your business at the top of customers’ minds through mobile push notifications
• Presents a new opportunity for sales

Optimizing a Site for Mobile

a woman sitting cross-legged on a small thin mattress on the floor while looking at something on her phone

A site that works on a mobile device is vital for any business to make it today. Technically, every URL should work on a mobile device when users open it in a mobile browser. The difference between it working and optimizing it is making sure there isn’t any friction in the customer’s experience. For example, if you’ve ever opened a website just to see a cut-off image or been forced to zoom in or out to click on something, you probably didn’t stay on the site for long. After all, it looks outdated and unprofessional, which lowers the business’s credibility and deters you from going further.

To effectively optimize a site for mobile, your website not only needs to function, but it also needs to look nice too. But even when users access your business’ site on a desktop, the design should be clean without too many distractions. Thankfully, themes and templates offered by website builders already have this all figured out for you. Including WordPress, which comes as an easy install with all of PSPINC's web hosting options, Dreamersi, YourHost Neo, and Parcom. For users building their site from scratch, using a single or double column layout, effectively utilizing white space, and reducing the number of items in the navigation bar are things you should keep in mind when designing your site. Overall, businesses should be utilizing responsive design, which will adjust design element placements to fit in the available space when browser size changes.

Which One is Better for your Business?

two women sitting on a couch, showing each other what's on their phones

While it may seem obvious to choose a mobile-optimized site over a mobile app (based on the sheer time, effort, and money involved in the development process), there are times when using a mobile app is preferable. If your business has a product or service that causing some friction in their overall purchase experience, an app could fix those problems.

As an example, PSPINC is currently developing an app for DENREI, an invite-only social platform that uses email to interact with your online community. For now, users have to set up the email client using either Mozilla Thunderbird or Apple Mail. While it isn’t too hard of a task, it adds an extra step to the process that could potentially prevent users from moving forward. Given that it’s arguably the most important step in the process, PSPINC decided an app would be the best solution.

If you’re a business wondering if an app is the right choice for you, here are some questions to consider:

• Who is the target market? If your company’s audience skews a little younger, making your site mobile-friendly is the least you should be doing.
• What does the customer’s experience look like? Is there a step preventing them from converting them into paying or loyal customers? Is it something that can be solved with a mobile app?
• How likely is it your customer will download our app? If you’re going to put in the work needed to build a mobile app, you want to make sure people will download it.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#app #brand #branding #business #denrei #digitalmarketing #marketing #marketingdigital #mobile #mobileapp #mobiledevice #pspinc #pushnotifications #smallbusiness #webdesign #webdeveloper #webdevelopment #webhosting #websitedesign #wordpress

Rising Social Media Marketing Trends

Mar

15

It’s not a controversial statement to say that social media is an important medium to include in your digital marketing plan today. Over the last few years, customers have relied on the internet even more than ever, and that includes upping their social media usage. In fact, users spend an average of two hours and 27 minutes on social media a day according to a January 2022 report from DataReportal. But what brands do with social media can make a real difference in how potential customers interact with you. Looking forward to the rest of what 2022 has to offer, here are five rising social media marketing trends that you should consider adding to your marketing plan:

Focusing on Brand Intent

two people's hands, each holding an ice cream cone

An important consideration that many potential customers have before buying a product is what your brand stands for. This is especially true if you’re trying to target a younger demographic, such as Gen Z. Customers, especially those of a younger generation, stay up to date on current social as well as political issues. Taking a stand and speaking as a company where you stand on a certain issue takes real courage. But making them actionable will pay off tenfold in the end. That is if you do it right.

For example, Molly Moon, a local ice cream store here in Seattle, leads their brand with the promise that their ingredients are all sourced locally and everything they use in their shops is 100% compostable. While their ice cream quality as well as their rotating seasonal flavors are already a great draw, their commitment towards sustainability is what customers really love about them. If you look at their social media pages, it won’t take long before you find a post that boasts their sustainable practices. And that’s because they know that it’s what brings customers back time and time again.

Personalization

a woman typing on a laptop that's open to facebook

Another way to better market your company on social media is by personalizing your content. There’s a reason why Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist is so popular. But you can even personalize your content on social media as well, and many do. With social media, you can retarget people who have clicked on your previous ads or even searched for something similar. They do this by showing the ad to them again to encourage them to get them through the next step of the purchase journey.

For example, Expedia, a global travel company, retargeted people who clicked on one of their ads discounting hotel and plane ticket prices by showing them another ad with more specific wording. Like if they saw that a user recently looked up hotel rooms in Whistler, they’d include Whistler somehow in their retargeted ad to that user.

Using Influencers and Content Creators

a woman starting to record herself with her phone propped up while she's sitting and holding a small slice of pizza

Influencers aren’t a particularly new thing. Advertisers used to use celebrities to market products, going back to the late 1800s. Today, influencers now extend to digital content creators, ranging from Instagram models to YouTubers. So, it only makes sense for brands to enlist the help of one in their marketing efforts. And the best way to do that is through social media, where these content creators arguably have the largest reach.

An example of this involves Audible and a slew of content creators which includes Grace Helbig, Tyler Oakley, and many many more. On YouTube, all they do is add a clip of them informing viewers that they’re sponsored by Audible and that they can get Audible at a discounted price using their unique code. While there are plenty of other content creators also sponsored by Audible, Helbig, and Oakley do the same for their prospective podcasts. So, Audible not only has a large repertoire of influencers, but they ensure the relationship between brand and creator stays solid. That way, they can continue working with them even if it’s on different platforms.

Content Interaction

three people standing around outside all looking at their phones and laughing

Content interaction, while it sounds like it could be complicated, is actually much simpler than it seems. All it really means is that the end goal here is to have users interact with your social media posts. For a marketer, that traditionally meant increasing likes, comments, shares, and overall engagement rates. However, there are other ways to get a user to interact with you on social media now.

For example, polls have become increasingly popular on social media. Twitter and LinkedIn make it pretty easy to do as it’s included as an option when drafting a new post. Instagram (and consequently, Facebook) is a little trickier. Because it’s an image-first platform, the only way to poll your audience is through Instagram stories. Facebook used to have the option of creating a poll but it’s since gone away. But if you link your Instagram to your Facebook page, it’ll appear on both stories. But even then, you can only offer two choices.

Content Collaboration

a man taking a selfie with his phone while wearing a black nike shirt

Lastly, is collaborating on content with others, whether it’s your audience, influencers, or other brands. For big brands like Nike, it can be as easy as sharing a hashtag and encouraging other users to use it in their own posts. Luckily for them, they have a famous slogan (AKA “Just Do It”) that’s used in the majority of their marketing efforts. For smaller companies, it’s a little trickier to get the kind of response they do.

Content collaboration can include sharing how your company’s working with another. Much like how PSPINC shared how our team helped set up a site for the Johnny Cash museum. For brands that want to involve their customers (or potential customers) more, the best way to do that is either organizing a contest or giveaway. One way to do that is with the help of an influencer but you can also just do it on your own. For a giveaway, all you have to do is figure out what customers want and what you can realistically offer customers. Then, you just have to tell users how to enter (following your account, liking and commenting on the post, etc.), how long your giveaway is running for, and how the winner will be selected. If you’re looking for more of a collaboration, run some kind of contest that requires users to post something from their own account with a specific hashtag. That way, even if users don’t win, you can always look back and use some of that user-generated content (UGC) for future posts.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#audible #blog #branding #contentcreators #digitalmarketing #expedia #facebook #influencermarketing #influencers #instagram #linkedin #marketing #marketingdigital #nike #socialmedia #socialmediamarketing #trends #twitter #usergeneratedcontent #youtube

Why Branding is More Than Just a Logo

Jan

11

When you think of branding, you probably think of the big brands: Apple, Coca-Cola, Netflix, you name it. For brands as big as those, you can almost immediately picture their logos. And that’s the true testament to how successful those companies are. But branding is much more than just the logo. However, the word, branding or brand, is somewhat of an obscure concept. If you were to ask people what they think it means, everyone you ask will probably come up with something different. But the real answer is actually quite simple: A brand is a promise. The promise that your company will live up to every time someone interacts with your brand.

Apple as an Example

(from left) mac laptop, iPad, and iPhone

But what does that attribute to in practice? Well, let’s take a look at Apple, arguably one of the world’s largest brands. Steve Jobs, the man behind it all, has said in the past that Apple owes its success to keeping its core values the same. When it all comes down to it, Apple’s core values consist of building the best product for people. The company’s certainly changed and evolved as the world and technology have. But it still keeps that idea as the backbone of the company.

While almost every other tech company out there has expanded their product line, pushing them out one by one, Apple’s stayed true to its promise. They’ve certainly added more products to their lineup, but adding to it isn’t their main purpose. And it certainly isn’t what they’re known for. There’s a reason why there are over 1.65 billion Apple devices in active use in the world and why Apple’s revenue hit approximately $274.3 billion in 2020. It’s not because Apple keeps coming out with hundreds of products every year (because they don’t). It’s because Apple delivers on the promise they’ve made to their customers: they build the best devices, no matter how the world changes.

The Branding Process

But for any brand, a logo is just one part of creating a brand identity. But just because there’s more to branding than just a logo, it doesn’t mean that a logo doesn’t matter. After all, when you think of Apple, you think of its logo. It’s synonymous with what their brand stands for and how they want you to feel about their brand. And that’s not an accident. It’s not just an image they place on their products. It’s also the color palette and tone they use in everything they put out there. It’s why branding is a process.

Creating a visually appealing and effective brand identity is vital. With a strong brand identity, you’re then left with clear guidelines that set the tone for everything your brand does from that point forward. That includes everything from the images your brand shares on social media, the language you use in your content, and what your website looks like. And brands can either do all that work internally or they can outsource it. In fact, PSPINC even has design services specifically designed to help with that branding process, which includes logo design, custom website design, and marketing services.

It can be a long and involved process but if your brand can reach Apple status, it’s worth it in the end. With clear brand guidelines, your brand will be consistent in everything it does, which is the key to a successful brand.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#apple #blog #brand #brandidentity #branding #businesstips #cocacola #iphone #logo #mac #marketing #netflix #promise #stevejobs #webdesign

Online Brand Optimization and Consolidation

Dec

28

As we close out 2021, we would like to look back at a major project we undertook this year. We've referred to this as the “PSPINC brand consolidation” project.

Background

As an online technology company, we are constantly evolving. To do this, we're always looking for ways to optimize and level up our products, services, and websites. Mid-year, we discussed how we can continue to drive meaningful traffic to our sites and services.

At PSPINC, we offer a large number of products and services, each with its own unique name and domain. This has allowed us to cleanly separate one product from another. But it did introduce challenges we were looking to solve.

Brand Recognition Confusion:

With all services being uniquely branded with a product name and domain, it made it difficult for people to identify that these services were products of PSPINC.

Fragmented SEO Efforts:

With so many products, our efforts to optimize our marketing and drive traffic were very challenging. We were attempting to advertise and grow so many different domains, which made it difficult to have a singular focus.

Solution

girl wearing orange headphones looking at two large monitors with coding and typing on a smaller laptop

While we have many services that still operate independently (Bloguru, Japanese-Online, Denrei, ClockLink), we decided to consolidate all our public-facing product websites into web pages on pspinc.com.

This would solve both of these challenges by:

Clearly defining PSPINC as the company, and the product beneath that. Since all product pages would have a pspinc.com domain and the PSPINC branding in the top left.

Allowing us to focus the bulk of our marketing efforts on the domain pspinc.com. Since these product landing pages would all be on the same domain, it would make our processes much more streamlined.

How We Did It

group of people gathered closely together to look at a laptop

This was a large and ambitious undertaking. We broke this down into three phases to best ensure we could iterate and release enhancements regularly.

Phase 1 - Redesign pspinc.com

Consolidating our product sites into product pages wasn’t as easy as building out new pages in the existing PSPINC website. We went completely back to the drawing board to come up with an updated sitemap, wireframes, and mockups. This allowed us to data-mine and structure this with our goals in mind.

From there, we developed all of the existing pages for pspinc.com with the new design, linking all of our products to the existing product pages. This allowed us to release the new design while leaving the existing product sites as is. Helping us mitigate very complex deployments over 14 domains.

Phase 2 - Build product pages under the new pspinc.com

The next step was to consolidate our existing product sites down to simple product pages on pspinc.com. We did all of this on our development server, building them out one at a time. This was followed by thorough testing by our Designers and QA Testers.

Phase 3 - Deploy new product pages and redirect traffic from the old websites

The last phase of the consolidation project involved deploying these new pages. Specifically, we needed to remove the old website on the original domain and redirect traffic to the new URL.

For SEO purposes, it is extremely important that you set up permanent redirects for all old pages that no longer exist. It is a way for us to tell search engines that the old page is gone, but there is a new page with the content they are looking for. That way they can update their search results and we don’t run the risk of users not being able to find the pages.

—

Thanks to our team of extremely talented Designers, Developers, and QA Testers we were able to complete this major project this year.

If you have any work you need done on your website but don’t know where to begin, please let us know. We have the experience and knowledge to help not only make the changes but define an efficient and organized process to make your online dream a reality!

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#branding #brands #domain #domains #emailhosting #hosting #pspinc #seo #webhosting #website

Branding: Extending your personal brand into your website

Feb

4

When creating a business website, there are several things you can do to make the website feel like an extension of your company. If done correctly, your website should feel like an advertisement for your brand.

Using your logo

For this blog we’re assuming you already have a logo (if not that’s an entirely separate conversation). Do you have a brand guide? If so, there are probably specifications within that guide to let you know how your logo should and should not be displayed. If not, here are some basics:

Sizing - what is the native size of your logo? Do you have a vector or is it a fixed size? Take some time to figure out how small you can make it without looking bad or losing readability, this will be especially important when developing your mobile site.

Transparency - make sure you’re using a transparent file type, nobody wants to see a logo sitting in a white box on top of a gray background. Which brings up one more point:

File Type - the most popular file type for a logo is a PNG as it supports transparency while retaining image quality. SVG’s are a great option as well. Avoid using JPEG as it is a non-transparent file type.

Using your colors

Chances are you already have a color scheme for your business which may be reflected in your logo. How you integrate these colors into your website depends on what your company’s colors are, but here are some tips:

Use the darkest color for your text. If your logo/color scheme doesn’t include a dark color, then use black or something close to it.

Use your most eye catching color for your “Call to Action” buttons, or other areas that need a pop of color or that you want to draw attention to. Reds, blues, greens, whatever your brightest and most eye catching color is.

If your color scheme includes a light or muted color this may be a good choice for a background color for areas that need to be separated from other content.

Using your font

Another good way to extend your brand into your website is by utilizing your company’s chosen font:

The first thing you need to do is make sure you are allowed to use your font online. For certain fonts you can only use them with the right license, so check to see if your font is copyrighted and if so, what type of license you have to use it.

Ideally your company is using a web font, such as one found on Google fonts. If so then including your font will be as easy as adding a single line of code to your markup.

In the even that your font is not web based, but you do have a liscense to use it online, then you’ll likely need to use an online web font converter tool - such as the one found on Font Squirrel - to create .woff files which you can upload and call by way of the @font-face rule in your CSS.

Need some help with all of this? The PSPinc design team would love to help you create a stunning business website which showcases your brand.

Check Out PSPinc Design Solutions

Create a contact-less digital restaurant menu for your customers with ImaMenu

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPinc Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#PacificSoftwarePublishing #PSPINC #WebandEmailHosting #SeattleBellevue #SoftwareDevelopment #WebDevelopment #ApplicationDevelopment #Bloguru

#Branding #PSPinc #WebDesign #WebDevelopment

Business Communication: Be Simple and Consistent

Feb

14

image source: pixabay.com

Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” That’s great advice, especially when it comes to business communication. The only thing I would add – in respect to business – is to keep repeating a consistent message if you want it to stick with people.

With all the distractions around us, and all the information and advertisements circulating for other brands, it’s easy for even the simplest message to escape our minds. If you want your business’ message to stand out, three things need to happen. 1) Your message must be simple and the same every time. 2) You have to get it out there in front of people over and over again. 3) You have to be an authority on what your message is conveying.

Let’s use some big brand slogans as an example. Can you match the message with the brand?

Just do it.
Think different.
What’s in your wallet?
I’m lovin’ it.
There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s …
Because you’re worth it.
For life.
A diamond is forever.

These big corporations have nailed down simple slogans that are easy to repeat over and over again. Because of that, I’m betting you knew most of the answers. But they aren’t the only ones who can succeed in this type of marketing. Regardless of your size, keep repeating your message until it becomes a part of your internal business culture and a part of your public identity.

Finally, back up your message with authority and action. Your marketing message should be genuine and authentic and represent your business accurately, otherwise you risk driving people away.

So, did you guess most of them? Check your answers:

Just do it. - Nike
Think different. - Apple
What’s in your wallet? - Capital One Credit Card
I’m lovin’ it. - McDonalds
There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard. - MasterCard
Because you’re worth it. - L’Oreal
For life. - Volvo
A diamond is forever. - De Beers

#Advertising #B2B #Blog #Branding #Communication #ENnews #Marketing #OfficeTips #PSPinc #SmallBusiness

Business Communication: Building Mutual Relationships

Feb

12

image source: pixabay.com

I strongly believe relationships in business – a company and its customers, a company and its employees, a manager and team – must work like a marriage. Both parties must mutually benefit, reciprocate, and want to engage in a healthy relationship. And healthy communication in those relationships include being genuine and clear, sharing not only the goods, but sometimes the bads and the risks. It requires us to know each other pretty well.

Let’s talk about a specific example.

Let’s say you’re a salesperson at PSP, and a customer came to you to buy a computer. The customer had a budget of $1,500 but you strongly recommended the $2,000 computer which the customer bought. One week later, an issue arose and you had to deal with the repairs which took several days.

At the time of purchase, if the customer was super happy to learn about all the all the added features he/she was getting by spending the extra $500, thanking you for all the advice, the problem that came up will likely be dealt with pretty smoothly. Overall, the customer was happy with the purchase from the start.

But what if the customer felt pressured to purchase the more expensive machine? Well, if the customer never felt comfortable with their initial purchase, you can bet they won’t be happy with the new issue. Getting it sorted out might not go as smoothly since the relationship between you and the customer was never mutually beneficial.

In any relationship, unless it is mutual, you’re more likely to encounter issues sooner or later. So be honest, be genuine, and put yourself in their shoes, so you can make the relationship mutually beneficial and successful. This requires clear and honest communication to work.

#Advertising #B2B #Blog #Branding #Communication #ENnews #Marketing #OfficeTips #PSPinc #SmallBusiness

Business Communication: Getting your Point Across

Feb

7

image source: pixabay.com

Has anyone ever asked you, “So what is your point? The point we try to make to someone can easily get muddled with extra words and long explanations, or it can get confused by lack of tone over digital communication. So how do we get to the point faster and make communication more effective?

Here are some points to consider:

State your point up front.

It’s important you know what your point is before you start communicating it. What is the outcome you’d like to get after your explanation? Particularly over email, it would be great to include your point in the subject line, if possible, so people are prepped to read. You should also summarize your point and purpose for the email in the very first paragraph.

Keep it simple.

When people ask what your point is, or say get to the point, they’re asking you to be direct –in other words – simplify the message. Don’t fill your explanation with big words, slang, abbreviations, or buzz words. If you have time to prepare your communication, choose your words carefully.

Getting to the point also means “be specific.” If you state, “I need the products to be delivered fast,” what “fast” means to you may be different for someone else. You meant within one day, but by another person’s standards maybe a week is fast. Best to say things like, “I need the products to be delivered within 24 hours,” or “by 2 p.m. tomorrow.”

Don’t bury your point in too many words.

We tend to explain ourselves more when we aren’t confident or clear about our own point. People read diagonally if you have too many words in your email. Keep it short and sweet. One way to do that is by using bulleted or numbered lists. You can summarize specific points really well that way.

Give examples.

If you can include examples to get your point across, do it. And the more specific examples, the better.

Finally, re-read your email before pressing send.

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Business Communication: Setting Core Values

Feb

5

image source: pixabay.com

Communication is a very broad topic in business – it includes internal communication between staff, from management to employees, and it also includes external communication to the public through branding, advertising and PR.

One of the key elements in business communication is persuasion. How do we get people to trust us, believe our stories and get on board with what we do? A big part of doing that is getting your internal values and communication in sync so the message you put out to the public is consistent.

Since it’s the beginning of a new year and time to communicate our company goals with the team, I thought I would write down some of the key points and share them with you as well. We call these our “core values.”

At PSP, have 5 core values:

• Creativity:
We are here to be creative and innovative so we will stay ahead of our competitors.

• Professionalism:
Customers seek our advice because we are the pros. Demonstrate knowledge and professionalism.

• Simplicity:
Let’s not confuse customers or each other. Simplicity can provide efficiency.

• Consideration:
Putting ourselves in each other’s shoes should guide our response and actions.

• Excellence:
Always seek improvement. Never compromise.

Setting and sharing your internal core values is a good way to keep your employees in sync – who are coming from different departments, have different motivations, job descriptions, and even come from different generations and backgrounds.

Core values serve as a guideline for employees to follow and they should be shared and talked about within your organization all the time. It’s fine to share those core values with your customers too, as long as they’re being met internally. Have you considered your business’ core values?

#Advertising #B2B #Blog #Branding #BusinessCommunication #Communication #ENnews #Marketing #OfficeTips #PSPinc #SmallBusiness

PSPINC Official Company Blog

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What is a Customer Journey?

The Acquisition Stage

Getting Customers to the Purchasing Stage

How Loyal Customers Play a Role

Mobile App vs. Mobile-Optimized: Which One is Better for Your Business

A Mobile App

Optimizing a Site for Mobile

Which One is Better for your Business?

Rising Social Media Marketing Trends

Focusing on Brand Intent

Personalization

Using Influencers and Content Creators

Content Interaction

Content Collaboration

Why Branding is More Than Just a Logo

Apple as an Example

The Branding Process

Online Brand Optimization and Consolidation

Background

Solution