4 Ways to LOVE Your Business
If you’re like me, you may have been one of the brave ones in line at DollarTree yesterday grabbing last-minute Valentine balloons. Thankfully, the store was ready for us February 13th shoppers.
When it comes to showing our love to those we love the most, a simple note or surprise gift goes a long way.
When it comes to taking care of our businesses (not just working for the business, but on the business itself), I’m convinced that a little can go a long way there, too! Here are four quick ways to show your business some LOVE.
L everage your online presence.
Leverage means using something to its maximum advantage, and when it comes to the many social media channels available to us, you want to make sure you are present. What channels does your target audience spend the most time on? Show up. Share engaging content. Be authentic.
Action Step: Actively seek reviews from your most-beloved fans. Got a client who’s raved about you? Thank them for their referrals and send them the link to leave you an online review — either on your Google Business listing or social media platforms.
O ptimize your website.
Make the best use of your website by ensuring it’s getting found and that it works for you - not against you! Have you viewed it from a mobile device or tablet to ensure everything works and the most important information about you is easy to find?
Consider re-organizing your website’s content with the most searched for items on the top.
Key factors to consider are your use of SEO, page load time, and traffic flow. Is most of your traffic being driven by key word search or direct link from social media? What gets clicked the most on your website? (How would I know this? Ask Marcus.)
Action Step: Take a minute to Google your business' name as well as the products or services you offer. Does your website come up in the top few listings? What about your social media channels? Does your Google Business page appear? If so, does it have relevant photos and the correct hours of operation, address, phone number, etc.? (Need help updating this. We can help!)
V alue your skills & experience.
I’ve shared this story before, but a few years ago Marcus realized he’d gone nearly 10 years without changing his freelance graphic design rate! He was no longer the bachelor living with roommates doing a project every now and then. He was married with one kid (at the time) and had been working full-time in the creative space. With all that experience and time on the job had his skills improved? Was he bringing more value to the table when getting hired for freelance? You bet. It was time his pricing reflected his higher skill-level.
Action Step: Do your research. Check out at least two relevant, similar businesses to yours. Scroll their website, skim their recent social media posts, making sure to notice any pricing they have posted publicly. Is the value you bring represented by the prices you charge? (You probably don’t want to be the cheapest or the most expensive in your market. Also be sure you’re communicating your value and experience to prospective clients/customers.)
E valuate your needs & priorities.
This is mostly about becoming and staying organized. I am a spiral-bound planner person, but we also use Google Calendar because we can share events and appointments across our devices. When it comes to producing/tracking projects, some of our favorite business tools are: Google Calendar, Dropbox, Trello, Wave, and Typeform.
Action Step: We’ll cut right to the chase! If you’ve set some goals and priorities for your business and you’re overwhelmed or not sure where to start, maybe it’s time to hire Marken! See samples of our work here.