Sell Global – 7 Benefits of e-Commerce for Local Business
Think local - sell global To sell global, local businesses need a well-designed website so they can benefit from potentially lucrative new markets. There is a massive amount of at-your-fingertips information to show how easy it is to go online. Ever improving software applications make it easier than ever to construct your own e-commerce solution but it’s advisable to get some help when you start out. You hear about e-commerce...
4 EOFY Stress Points and Where to Get Help
End of Financial Year (EOFY) has always been a tough time for small to medium size enterprises. A recent EOFY report published by the Bank of Queensland showed more than a third of small business owners say the end of financial year is the most stressful time of the year. Of the 520 small business owners surveyed, 37.8 per cent said this time of year is particularly stressful. There are...
3 Reasons Why You Need a Contact Form
Okay so you have your website setup and are open for online business. Use a Contact Form to fulfill your site goal. You have decided you key goal is to have site visitors contact you. You spent a lot of time, energy and money getting potential customers on your page so achieving a completion is crucial. You need to make it clear what you want them to do. Giving...
Protecting Honest Businesses – ATO
Electronic systems are in-favour with the Australia Taxation Office (ATO). They know that most business owners are honest and that running a business can be difficult. So they are looking at industry-wide patterns so they can see who may need assistance. The ATO say that, unfortunately, there are businesses that operate in the cash and hidden economy, gaining an unfair advantage over those who declare their income and do the right...
5 Ways to Save Time With FAQs
Save Time Spent Answering the Same Old Questions. Save time you and your team spend handling everyday enquiries from existing potential customers. We suggest to business operators that they implement a good FAQ page on their websites. It can be a very powerful tool. In addition to helping establish your expertise, it can boost your online sales, keep your customers satisfied and even push up your website on Google results....
Online business isn’t always simple
The following online business article is an excerpt from a recent post by Akiva Szental, Co-Founder, Ozen. It was published on the Inside Small Business site which I highly recommend. Akiva outlines some great points for any business operator who is considering the big step of taking their business online. From the outside, starting an online business seems pretty simple. Just throw up a website and then just sit back and...
Responsive Website – What It Is, Why You Need It
Everyone expects a responsive website whenever they are online. A 'responsive website' is one that delivers the visitor a pleasant visual and functional experience regardless of whether they are using a desktop, laptop, tablet or modern mobile phone. Any web designer worth hiring has the knowledge, skills and tools to produce a fully functional site to make sure users aren't immediately horrified by skewed text and images or pages that...
5 Focus Points to Grow Business in Any Market
5 Essential Focus Points To Grow Business In Any Market Small business owners can’t change the macroeconomic market conditions in any given period. However, there are ways to not just survive but thrive even in downmarket times. Financial crises come and go and the geo-political landscape may look disturbing but local businesses continue to serve their communities. Here are 5 key factors to keep an eye on in order to...
Cybercrime Awareness in Small Business
NSW Small Business Commissioner research SME attitudes and views of cybercrime awareness. The purpose was to better inform stakeholders of cyber crime awareness amongst small to medium-sized business owners in NSW. While the report only included businesses based in NSW the findings probably exist with enterprises in all states of Australia. What is cybercrime? Cybercrime is a much-used phrase these days but the Australian Government 2013, Cybercrime Act 2001 definition...
Leave your SEO to Yoast
On-page SEO - Why we use Yoast on all our client websites. From time to time we like to provide a peek behind the curtain in our web development shop by shining a light on the tools we use to build great websites for small businesses. We generally use WordPress for various reasons including how easy it is to allow clients to have just the right amount of involvement they...
Google My Business
Google My Business is Here and it's free ! Anyone in business selling products or services have probably tried many ways to attract traffic to their websites. This includes via hits from the various search engines. 'Page Rank' particularly from the Google algorithm are impacted by various paid strategies. These include Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns and social media campaigns via sites such as Facebook and other social media marketing. Have...
Brand Logo Ideas for 2017
Your logo is a key asset for your business. They may only take up a small piece of your online real estate but your logo plays a big role in your business. The team over at Wix.com have put together a great article that outlines the main considerations and goals for online branding. The main goal is to serve as a visual mark of your brand while transmitting your company’s message....
5 Things That Annoy Site Visitors
Website Annoyances Solved with the Right Booking Engine. Keeping visitors on your hotel website can be challenging, but it is an important part of your business. The more difficult it is to navigate your website, the less likely potential guests are to complete their bookings. - Jeff Hamilton from RoomKeyPMS RoomKeyPMS is cloud-powered software that lets you manage every aspect of your hotel. From rate management to housekeeping schedules tied...
6 Elements of Attractive Web Design and Why it’s Important
Attractive Web Design Tips. A Digital Influence Index report from 2012 revealed that 89% of customers searched online ahead of making a purchasing decision (Digital Influence Index 2012). Fast-forward 5 years and you can expect that percentage to be even higher. How does your website stack up in the beauty stakes? Often your website is the first impression your potential customers get of your company and its products and services....
Motel Bookings 6 Website Must Haves
Motel and B&B Website Must Haves. Accommodation providers need an effective customer-facing site. The overall look of the site needs to be professional and inviting by using modern fonts and top-quality images to encourage site visitors to stay on your page and make a reservation. While it's tempting to start a blog, it is time-consuming for you and distracting for your site visitor so it's important to consider the pros and cons. You...
SEO for Shakespeare
Wherefore art thou Romeo? If Shakespeare had a website and wanted people to find his works he, like all of us online business-people would have to understand Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). At the heart of being found online is ‘Keyword research’ which is a catchall term for the activities you undertake to create a good list of words and phrases you would like to rank for, towards the top of...
2 Options for Serving Video Content
It’s no surprise that video content is continuing to grow in popularity. The YouTube video platform is the second most used search engine after Google so it’s no surprise that creating video content and publishing it on YouTube will assist your website to gain traction with your target audience. There are two ways to get this integrated on your site so let’s explore them both to find out which method is...Every Website Should Have a Blog Right?
Should every website have a blog? Well maybe not if the time, effort and expense put into it fails to result in meeting your website goals. The chances that your blog will stand out from the rest is unlikely but that alone doesn’t mean you should decide against blogging. Personal blogs are one thing but what our businesses? Maybe standing out from the crowd is not the purpose. Proving (or...5 Reasons to Use a CRM system
Finding it hard to track your leads? Here's 5 reasons to use a CRM system. It’s a place to store all of your clients’ contact information in one place. Keeping track of customer and lead information is essential to growing your business and maintaining a healthy client base. Customer relationship management solutions, or CRM, are more than just address books; they are powerful systems that allow access to contact information from each...Women’s Online Network for Entrepreneurs
Launched in mid 2016 the Women's Online Network (WON) is kicking goals for business-savvy ladies in NSW. It is a digital platform enabling female entrepreneurs to network and share resources at any stage of the business cycle. The platform features a suite of resources including business plan templates, business viability assessment tools, an event calendar, creative design resources, grant and funding information, marketing and website options, networking opportunities amongst a growing...
Need New Staff for Christmas?
The festive season is now upon us and for some businesses that may mean a need to employ additional staff. The team at business.gov.au have released some great information and advice if it’s the first time you’ve employed short term staff, or if you haven’t had to hire staff since the last holiday period. Do an internal audit to decide which skills you’ll need It’s important to make sure you’re meeting your...How to Handle Complex Bookings
A solution for businesses which need to handle complex bookings. All service business owners know that while appointment booking may simply be using a book at the front desk next to the phone, it’s not as simple as sticking a person’s name on a calendar. There are several factors that go into scheduling appointments. You can't just assume that the average appointment will last the intended duration for a variety of reasons...3 Reasons Appointment Text Reminders Work
Let's limit the frustration from client no-shows. Okay so you have spent time, money and energy into achieving a client scheduling an appointment. You don't want to risk losing the booking but the reality is that people have to make changes to accommodate work, family or leisure activities which may mean they need to re-schedule their meeting with you. They may even decide that they can't or don't want to follow...7 Profitable Collaboration Steps
Ever thought about setting up a collaboration with another business? In a recent post written by Peta Di Palma for FlyingSolo.com.au this opportunity can "determine the business opportunities you receive, the contracts you win, new clients you get and word-of-mouth referrals you generate". Peta is a master connector and strategic collaborator. Based in Sydney her business Tribe supports entrepreneurs, soloists, start-ups and small business owners to connect and collaborate for...Common Concerns About Online Bookings
Will online booking lead to less time talking with clients and less sales as a result? Offering online booking does not have to replace phone call appointment setting. Fitness business websites can offer clients the choice of scheduling via the phone or online. Some clients are going to prefer the phone and others to schedule online. You can satisfy both types of clients. When a client books by phone, you...
The First Deadly Round of Email Roulette
Running a business is tough enough without having to deal with email roulette and telephone ping pong. While most of us just grit our teeth and carry on, Gavin Zuchlinski, Founder and CEO of Acuity Scheduling decided to solve the problem that he saw with his Mother's business. Now all of us who rely on appointments can benefit from the solution he and his team continue to develop and support. Acuity...10 Photoshop Tips for Beginners
Most Photoshop users only use a fraction of the features available. Don't let the apparent complexity of the tool put you off giving it try. Everyone with a website or needing to use visuals for social media could benefit from some basic technical knowledge of how to use the great Adobe tool that now reached a landmark of 26 years in existence. Relying on stock images can make your site...Hiring your Customer Service Team
Don't just trust your gut when hiring. If you are like most managers you probably just trust your gut-feeling when interviewing candidates for positions with your company. The quality of your customer service team is key to retaining clients, up-selling and managing your reputation so you really need to hire the best people. If you don't already know the applicants or they haven't been personally recommended you have to work through...
Acuity Scheduling Moves Into Memberships
Taking payments for memberships now integrated in Acuity Scheduling. News was released this week about a major feature enhancement from the Acuity Scheduling team. Why schedule one-off appointments when you can have a client commit to a monthly plan? Can you say hello, predictable, consistent, reliable revenue? Here’s how it works! Say you’re a coach. You go into Acuity and set up a subscription plan for two calls per month. The...Tax Basics Webinar
Avoid Unwanted Debt - understand tax basics All business operators need to understand how the tax system applies to their business in order to avoid financial 'surprises/shocks' down the track. Unknown debt is unwanted debt so it's key to make sure you have all the information you need. The Australian Tax Office ATO will be running a series of webinars in late September/October 2016 to help avoid the unwanted surprises. If you‘ve...More than Just Bookings – Sell Packages and Gift Vouchers
How do appointment packages and gift vouchers work? Acuity Scheduling is the weapon of choice for savvy business people who are looking for a competitive edge and a robust system to organise their busy operations. The development team have extended the functionality of the scheduler to also include an e-Commerce facility. Now your clients can buy products, packages and gift vouchers. Here's a detailed 'how to' taken from the Acuity Scheduling...3 Small Biz Operators winning with Online Bookings
Join the movement towards online bookings. Freeing up time to do more business is something all business owners want right? One way many savvy small business owners are turning to is offering their customer the opportunity of booking appointments, services and facilities online and in their own time - 24/7. If you didn’t think your business needed an online booking system, think again. Check out these 3 businesses that are crushing it...Get Content for your Website
You don't have to produce all your own content. Having recently completed a project for a group of Driving Schools in Melbourne it was clear that the majority of business owners struggled to find quality content for inclusion on their websites. Despite the best intentions of engaging their potential customers, attempts at written and visual content falls short of the mark on most sites. The 3 main issues are: A perception that they...Online Scheduling Aids Business Growth
Research indicates online scheduling aids business growth. Acuity Scheduling has helped millions of clients book appointments with tens of thousands of companies. In July 2014 they surveyed roughly 19,000 users to learn how they use online appointment scheduling. They also analysed the times of appointments and when they were booked of a subset of around 350,000 appointments to gain additional insights. The insights make interesting reading in particular for small...
4 companies riding the Online Booking wave
More and more online companies are offering online bookings. Freeing up time to do more business is something all business owners want right? One way many savvy small business owners are turning to is offering their customers the opportunity of booking appointments, services and facilities online and in their own time - 24/7. Swimming Lessons With summer in full swing, check out how Mermaid Aquatic School shows off the lessons...Melbourne Driving School Website Report [Infographic]
The results are in following the review of 61 Melbourne Driving School Websites. As reference points, the site visitor avatar was a learner driver (or their parent) and the site conversion goal was to achieve a booking. The analysis was limited to the websites of the 61 driving schools and their Facebook pages if applicable. The findings in no way indicate the financial efficacy or service quality of any of the businesses....Open 24 Hours 7 Days
How to have your Biz Open 24 Hours 7 Days a Week. For businesses that have an established website, offering online booking should boost appointments up to 25%. There's no comprehensive and independent study on the impact of integrating online scheduling but there are case-studies that point to evidence of benefits. According to research 35% of people prefer to book online and want to be able to schedule appointments after business hours. This doesn't mean they...
13 Signs That Indicate You Need Help
Need help maximising your productive time? Sometimes earning more income is less important than reducing your cost overheads. One of the major time-sucks in business is in getting clients in the front door. There are plenty of them phoning you, sending you emails and filling in web enquiry forms which is great for business but the time it takes to deal with them should be better spent on actually delivering...Late payers: the silent killer of small businesses
Come on people - pay your bills promptly Large companies that treat small suppliers "with contempt" by delaying payment times are under the spotlight, with Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell saying the problem has become so critical that her office is seriously considering an inquiry. Carnell says any inquiry would target the huge lags in payment times from some of Australia's biggest and best-known corporations. The Ombudsman, who took office in March, says the No.1 problem...
Why Don’t Businesses Try to Stand Out?
Business is a competition so why don't more of them try to stand out from their competitors? Running a business of any size places a range of demands on everyone from the CEO down to the employees managing customer delivery every day. It's crucial that systems and processes are in place and working efficiently to ensure administration tasks, non value-adding and non income-producing work is kept to a minimum. It's even more...3 Businesses That Use Online Bookings
Get booked and get paid - online. If there’s one thing every business owner needs, it’s a personal assistant. Whether you’re a wedding photographer or a private tutor, it can be difficult to keep track of all of your appointments while managing the everyday tasks that are required for an entrepreneur. Fortunately you can take appointments and get paid 24/7 without blinking an eye, freeing you up to work on your ever growing to-do...Clients Want Online Scheduling
People are busy - they want online scheduling for all sorts of things. Medical professionals have been offering clients the facility to make online reservations for some time. The cost for the integration is now so affordable there's nothing stopping any business from getting in on the act. Studies have shown that 90% of customers would, if offered the opportunity prefer to book meetings, appointments etc online an in their...Social media channels for small business
Love or hate social media a lot of time is used browsing various social media channels. Overall we spend more than 4 hours a day online and about 3 hours is spent browsing social media. Traditional entertainment like TV gets only 2 hours of our attention today. So if you are running a small business and social media marketing is not part of your marketing plan, you’re potentially missing a massive opportunity....
Online Scheduling on the Rise in Google
Interesting development in Online Scheduling Visibility Since the middle of 2015 Google have been testing Knowledge Panel feature and Place Actions Forms to allow scheduling via Intuit’s Demand Force with appointment based businesses. This sees Google integrating online “Make an appointment” software into local businesses’ knowledge graphs more often than it used to. The logical conclusion is that participating businesses should eventually outrank others that are not involved in the program....1 minute online vs 8 minutes on the phone
Which would your prefer - 1 minute online or 8 minutes on the phone? It may not sound as sexy as digestible sensors to for medication adherence or using telemedicine to save people unnecessary trips to the emergency room, but online self scheduling of physician appointments is likely to have an equally or bigger impact in terms of saving time and money for the healthcare industry. A report from Accenture published...Small Biz Trend Towards Online Scheduling
Can your business afford to NOT join the trend towards online scheduling? Although nearly all small business operators concede their customers are asking to be able to make online bookings there is still a low percentage take-up. What is holding them back? The cost to have online scheduling integrated into an existing site is very low when compared to the savings available via reduced downtime, freeing up staff for real...How To – Online Bookings Part 3
Online Bookings Part 3 - Getting Information from your clients. Setting Up an Intake Form Intake forms are a great way to have any questions relevant to the appointment answered before the client comes in (insurance information, allergies, etc). To create a custom form, go into the Intake Forms section and click Add Form. First, type in a Form Name and Form Description for your clients to see, then in the...Road Map to a Successful Website
Road Map to a Successful Website. Stop wasting your precious time searching through volumes of random webpages about how to build a website. Follow the Website Builder Expert's road map to find everything you need to get started. What you think you need and what you actually need can be quite different. Don’t over-complicate things with unnecessary stuff. Have a look at this great checklist and 6 step visual guide to see everything...Hello – I’d like to make a booking
Businesses that automate their scheduling save by reducing unproductive time. A study undertaken by Acuity in 2014 revealed that businesses who have integrated online bookings save 2.5 weeks per year. This is time previously used in taking phone calls from clients who can now self-serve when and where they choose. Staff can now focus on their real service delivery and not in administrative operations. How much time are you and...- 1
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