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LAST UPDATE: 1/14/2012
We hope you find this arcthve useful. A subscription to The Small Business Advisor Newsletter is free. Subscribe now - it's easy! The Small Business Advisor Newsletter for October, 2000 CONTENTSNotes, tips, etc Veteran Entrepreneur's Creating Successful Advertising Copy Ten Important Steps for Installing Software =======================
1. Not writing for
the target audience. Different plans should be submitted to banks, equity
investors, etc. 1. The likelihood a customer will buy again from your store is directly correlated (in order of importance) to the following: Customer support, On-time delivery, Product representation, Shipping/handling, and Posted privacy policy. 2. For every completed online transaction nearly 4 times as many are not completed by the customer for the following reasons: slow loading of pages, links to out-of-stock products, and high shipping costs. 3. Four of five
buyers say they are likely to purchase from the same merchant again. ======================= There are numerous specific resources available to assist veteran entrepreneurs. If you are a vet, take advantage: 1) Small Business Administration, http://www.sba.gov/vets 2) Finance and business development assistance is available from your local SBA office. Find a listing of all offices at http://www.sba.gov/regions/states.html 3) Register with PRO-NET, a search engine used by contracting officers. If you are a service disabled veteran-owned business be sure to indicate this fact when registering. Visit PRO-NET at http://pro-net.sba.gov/ to register. 4) The Department of Labor provides assistance in the areas of employment and training services. Contact the Office of Veteran's Employment and Training Services at (202) 693 4700. 5) For general information contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at 1 800 949 8387. ======================= Writing effective copy for ads, web pages, sales letters and other marketing communications isn't difficult when you know what works. After many years of trial and error I developed a checklist of 7 "rules" I follow to create successful advertising copy. These rules apply to writing copy for any type of marketing communication. 1. DEFINE THE GOAL OF YOUR MESSAGE Define what you want your message to accomplish before you begin writing. Do you want to generate inquiries (leads)? Do you want to get orders? What action do you want readers to take? How do you want them to respond? Put your goal in writing and refer to it often as you develop your message. Everything you write should directly support this goal. Get rid of anything that doesn't. 2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE AND WHAT THEY WANT Maybe everybody CAN use what you sell. But one targeted group WILL be most likely to buy it. You can discover that group by defining the characteristics of your best customers. Once you know your audience and what they want you can personalize your writing to appeal to their specific interests. TIP: Advertising copy produces the biggest response when each reader can believe the message was written specifically for them. As you write, visualize you're writing to one person instead of to a large group of people. This will help you write in a less formal and more personal style. 3. APPEAL TO THEIR SELF-INTEREST, NOT YOURS Customers don't care about you, your product, your company, or your professional qualifications. They only care about the benefit they get from buying your product or service. The only thing a customer wants to know about your 1/2 inch drill is that it's guaranteed to give them a 1/2 inch hole. Keep your ad copy focused on the benefits you provide. 4. MAKE AN EMOTIONAL APPEAL, NOT A LOGICAL ONE Your ad copy should dramatize the feeling your customers get while enjoying the benefits provided by your product or service. Get them emotionally involved so they want to start enjoying those benefits immediately. Use word pictures and real life stories to draw readers into your message. 5. DON'T GIVE THEM ANY CHOICES You may spend a lot of time writing your sales message and getting it "just right". Unfortunately, your prospects will rush through it and make a fast decision. Don't slow them down with any choices. They'll be afraid of making the wrong choice and will protect themselves by making none. You'll lose sales. EXCEPTION: Offer many different ways to respond to your ad or sales message. Customers already know whether phone, fax, online, etc. is more convenient for them. They're more likely to act immediately when their favorite way to respond is available. 6. MAKE YOUR BEST OFFER The offer is the "deal" you're promoting (free information, special price, free bonus with order, etc.). It's the only reason people respond to your advertising copy. The stronger your offer the greater the response you'll get. Always include the best offer you can afford and a reason to act fast. 7. SIMPLIFY EVERYTHING Simple, clear copy is easy to read and understand. It propels your customer to the decision point with no hesitation. After you've written your copy, edit it for simplicity and clarity. Use lots of 1 and 2 syllable words. Shorten sentences and paragraphs. This is especially important for your web site where relief is just a click away. Follow these 7 rules the next time you write new advertising copy. Use them as a checklist to evaluate your existing ads, web pages and sales letters. They're a proven formula you can use to maximize the response you get from all your marketing communications. Learn more about this topic by contacting Bob Leduc at bobleduc@aol.com. Ask about his "How to Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards" manual. ======================= Operating systems... programs... updates and upgrades! New software is being released every day. It's more important now than ever before to install new software safely and properly. Here are a few tips to help limit your chances of business interruptions or data loss disasters. 1. Backup your current system completely. Before installing any software program, operating system or upgrade, perform a complete backup of your current system. This step is extremely important when the software you're installing affects or replaces your operating system. Include everything, especially software you may not wish to install separately should the need arise. Be sure to include all system files and any work files that could become lost or damaged. 2. Install new software when you are rested and mentally refreshed. Don't try to install new programs or operating systems when you are tired from a hard day of work or play. You need to be able to concentrate on what you are doing and the effect it will have on your computer system or network. 3. At work, install software, upgrades and/or operating systems first thing in the morning. Make certain all critical files have been backed up properly. Attempt installation early and before you start conducting new business. In the event there is a problem, assistance is usually easier to obtain during regular business hours, and there is less chance of needing to reconstruct new business transactions. 4. Make certain your system meets minimum requirements. Pay close attention to the minimum equipment-space-memory requirements of the program, upgrade or operating system. Make absolutely certain your computer system meets or exceeds ALL requirements; if you're uncertain, contact a qualified technician who can verify the components and capabilities of your equipment. Many data loss disasters occur when operators or system owners think "Close enough is good enough!" 5. Practice installation on a spare, standby or test computer. If you have a standby system or spare computer, practice installing all new software here first... leaving your main system intact and operational. Any mistakes you make or problems you encounter will not affect your working system. Try different settings and installation methods. Once you are comfortable with the procedure and have "ironed out the wrinkles," go ahead with installation on your primary system. 6. Make sure your backup program is compatible with the new software. You may need to upgrade or purchase different backup program software when you install a new operating system. Make certain you can access and restore files from older backup tapes, diskettes, CD-ROMs, etc. Planning ahead may save you a lot of time and effort converting media files. 7. Uncomfortable installing software? Contact a qualified technician to assist you. Don't try to "go it alone." It's far better to seek assistance than to risk damaging or destroying equipment or files or crashing your system. 8. Understand how your older programs will function with the new software. Some of your older programs may not function properly... especially if you're installing a new operating system. Some programs may perform more slowly or not at all. Once you've installed the new software or operating system, test all aspects and features of any programs critical to your business. If you anticipate a problem with a particular program, contact the software developer or manufacturer in advance. 9. Train ALL operators on the proper use of new software. Proper training will eliminate many operator errors that can cause system crashes, scrambled data, lost files and business interruptions. Read manuals, help files and all available literature to become familiar with your new software. Don't assume everything will operate in the same fashion. If other members of your staff will be using the new software, train them, too. Either train them yourself or enroll them in a class for the software or operating system. 10. Start backing up your new software immediately! You've spent a considerable amount of time and effort setting up the program or operating system properly. Now save it... make a backup copy... protect it! It makes no sense to have to do it all over again. Make certain your backup software is including these new files and directories as well as adjustments to other system and configuration files. Visit Meredith L. Keller, Executive Director of the Disaster Prevention & Recovery Alliance, at http://www.dpra.net/index.htm. 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