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So your business is set and is starting to flourish. Your marketing department is keeping up with the new trends - be it online or offline. But in the year 2012, your marketing focus should be on digital marketing. Here’s a lowdown of the top five reasons why and how you NEED to make digital marketing a priority in 2012:

• High Return on Investment (ROI):72% of respondents to an Econsultancy survey in early 2011 described email's ROI as excellent or good. Only organic SEO scored better. This survey, the fifth annual Email Marketing Industry Census, sponsored by Adestra is based on the largest UK survey of email marketers.
• Be a social media scout: Love it or hate it, social media plays an essential role in making or breaking a person or a business. Having a decent presence on the social media sites and sharing links to your business website and to product and promos pages of your business will help make it an instant hit amongst users. This will ensure sharing of the information of your business and products.
• Good customer service to improve online reputation: It is observed that most of the consumers consult online reviews before buying and many consumers trust the reviews they read. Therefore, monitoring your online reputation and working towards it is very essential. If the reviews and the image on the internet are positive, it will attract more and more users to your business. This will also speak volumes about your excellent customer service. If you have any negative reviews, make sure that they are addressed in a professional manner and found a solution to.
• Let photos speak about your business: The best way to put forth the personality of your business is through photos. This new digital marketing move will make the consumers go “gaga” over your website. Through the pictures on your business website or on your social media pages, people will come to know what goes on daily in your business and also it will help boost your organic web presence if you tag the photos correctly. Posting photos is a hot and growing trend and you need to tap into it.
• Make your website go mobile: Digital marketing via internet has been in usage since a long time. Now the trend is to market your products through apps. So make a presence for yourself in the mobile space and see the results yield in no time. It is observed that by 2015, the iPhones, Androids and other tablets will replace the modest home computer as the home hardware of choice. So don’t give your potential customers an excuse to buy from your rivals by not having a mobile presence. Make sure that your website is available in all formats.

Physical or offline advertising has its own benefits but online digital marketing is your today’s new game plan. So tap into it now in order to make the most of it. Visit WSI Web Applications (www.wsiwebapplications.com) to learn more about Digital Marketing.

What is QR code? Quick Response code abbreviated as QR code is a code that employs a matrix for barcode representation. Precisely it is a matrix barcode. It was, at first, designed to be put into application in the automotive industry. QR code was designed in the year 1994 by Denso Wave and was used for tracking purposes of vehicles during the process of manufacturing. QR codes represent a black and white pattern in which black modules are visible on a background that is white in color. QR codes are encoded using four types of modes which are alphanumeric, numeric, binary and Kanji. QR codes have a huge storage space and the materials of this code can be decoded at a fast rate. These are two of the main reasons for the huge usage of QR codes. Apart from automotive industry, QR codes are now used in many other popular domains.

The original use of QR codes was to track manufacturing vehicles. However owing to its advantageous features, it is now used for commercial purposes as well. Applications like transport ticketing, marketing of products etc. use this code. Another important usage of QR codes is done by governments of many countries. QR codes are used by the governments to store personal information of its citizens.

The popularity of QR codes apart from having a good amount if storage space can be owed to mobile phones. That is, with many mobile phones offering the facility for scanning a QR code, and retrieving the information, the popularity of QR codes have received a huge boost. Individuals can easily scan QR codes with the help of their cell phones and use the information that is stored in the code. Users can open an URL, or receive a Vcard by scanning the QR code. Not all mobile phones have the facility of scanning QR codes. Mobiles should be equipped with the right camera and a correct QR code reading software or application.  Once done, QR codes can be easily scanned with the press of a button. The recent invention- the Android operating system comes with QR code reading application. This has been welcomed by the mass well and good and huge numbers of QR codes are scanned daily.

Due to its large storage space QR codes are hugely used nowadays. In addition to it comes the feature of fast decoding. However there are some privacy risks with QR codes which one should take care of. In summary, QR codes are a great invention and are here to stay and will very soon be a part of everyday life.

The dawn of year 2012 has brought oodles of hopes, dreams and opportunities with it.  Every individual, every business is looking forward to have a great year ahead that proves flourishing and rewarding on every front of life. Professionals have their goals and targets for the year so have various organizations and companies. Industries are beaming with upsurge of new revenues and associations.

However, the ups and downs experienced by industries make it imperative for them to have a strong marketing plan for the coming year.  A well-researched and well-defined marketing plan struck in advance gives ample time for implementation, helping you achieve and exceed the objectives. A detailed plan encompassing all the important business aspects, considerations and trends along with the costing gives your business a needed boost that brings the business lot of revenue apart from long term beneficial associations.

Considering the rise of high technology, mobile gadgets, personalization, social media and changing expectations of customers, the blueprint of your marketing plan should reflect the  dynamism of your business which attracts new clients while sustaining your previous clients. Here are some of the potential marketing tactics that are applicable to any and every type of business. They will help you to grow effectively in 2012.

SMS Marketing

Text marketing is a huge hit today also and will be moving into 2012. Various companies have been using this tactic to announce their new launches of products and services.  Information about gift vouchers and discount sales are usually uncovered through SMS marketing. These text messages work as reminders to customers who might have noticed the scheme that skipped out of their minds, these messages also work as notifications to people about market updates. Text marketing is a favorite marketing strategy for multi-channel businesses.  Here’s something to think about – the average text message is read within 4 minutes of it being sent!!

Mobile Commerce or M-Commerce

Mobile commerce is the new revolutionary emergence gathering much curiosity with businesses. With more than 90 million smartphone users and 24 million tablet users in the United States alone, connecting with customers through mobile optimized websites becomes undeniable for businesses. Asserting a strong online presence has become the need of the day and with so many people choosing online shopping vs. traditional shopping, a mobile optimized website becomes mandatory for every business irrespective of its size.

Businesses have been working on integrating their brand identity and strengthening it further; enlarge their customer base through the following initiatives:

A Mobile-App for Your Business

Getting a mobile app to sell your products or services adds up to business value. You can be in constant touch with your customers; they can view the products, new additions at their convenience and buy it online anytime anywhere. Updating customers becomes so easy with a mobile app.

With companies offering ready-to-go mobile applications getting an app for business is now easy and cost-effective. Add an innovative initiative to your business and boost it to a higher level this year.

Optimum Use of Social Media

Use the social networking sites to the fullest. Many companies have been doing this for the last few years.  However, continuing it with same vigor and interest will surely bare its fruits. Social media offers an open platform to all and works as an effective and efficient customer care tool for your business. Organizations openly accepting criticism as well as handling complaints are the huge favorite of customers who remain loyal to these brands in the long term.

2012 provides many challenges. Nevertheless, a good marketing plan aimed at escalating customer satisfaction earns both profits and brand reputation for organizations.

For more information visit www.wsiwebapplications.com or follow me on twitter @cmappleton

Is a good presentation between you and cracking a big business deal? A successful presentation is a stepping stone for achieving great success- be it in your business or as a person. A good orator always commands a lot of attention and respect.

In the case of a presentation, the age old cliché of ‘the first impression is the last impression’ holds true. People always are in the awe of a person who makes a presentation that is sound content-wise and presentation-wise.

Keep the following tips in mind to give that applause-worthy presentation:

Check the equipment beforehand:

This is perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind before the presentation. Make sure that all the equipment to be used is in proper condition and is functioning well. An erratic projector or a mouse that refuses to click will cause trouble during presentation. Such inconveniences only cause the attention to waiver from the important issues in the speech.

Make a great start:

A good start is half the battle won. The attention of the audience peaks during the first few minutes of the talk. In these few minutes, you have to put forth the most interesting points of the presentation, which will attract their attention and make them feel that the rest of the presentation is as important. 

Don’t memorize:

If your speech looks like you have learned everything by-heart, it will make you look dull and the audience will lose their attention. Be as natural as possible and use body gestures to make the audience focus on you. Try to bring out your personality in your presentation and use plenty of real-life examples to emphasize the points you are making.

Keep your ideas concise and to the point:

Nobody likes to hear jargons and flowery words. As the attention span of the audience is very short, use of words that most of them won’t understand will lead to lose their attention. Concise and to the point ideas will receive proper attention and consideration from the audience. Easier words and simpler sentences won’t put a burden of the audience’s brains and will make the session more interactive.

Provide hand-outs:

Giving away some material like feedback forms or question and answer sheets will ensure participation of the people present in the hall. This will make it fun for those participating and they will pay more attention if there is a form to be filled or a partner activity to be done.

Be interactive:

Always involve your audience in what you do. Ask them questions randomly or tell them to jot down important points that would be discussed at the end of the session. This will not only ensure their attention but will also keep them active and enjoy your talk.

Keep it visual:

Pictures speak more than words. People remember things when a visual aid is provided. Use colourful charts, texts and graphs to make your presentation more interesting. Use of specific colour schemes such as yellow text on a dark blue background helps people to focus on it and remember it for a long time. Don’t use cluttered diagrams or graphs. Don’t go overboard with the use of colour.

Don’t make an effort to be funny, be natural:

Many a times, the speaker goes overboard by trying to be funny and win the hearts of the audiences. Unfortunately, instead of winning hearts he/she ends up losing their attention. So remember, always be natural. If humour comes naturally to you, it’s welcome. Otherwise, don’t force it!

Take questions:

One of the key traits of a good speaker is to take questions from the participants and answer them humbly. Do not speak about things you don’t know or are unaware of. Most people are okay with you saying, “I don’t know”.  Never fake it because nothing will shoot down your credibility faster!  Be honest and answer questions which you can do the most justice to.

Have a good conclusion:

A good conclusion is as necessary as a good start to make your session successful. Summarize all the key and important points at the end of the lecture. Try and cover every aspect possible in a concise way. The participants should feel that they have learnt many important things as a result of your session. This ensures participation in future presentations too.

Keep it short and simple:

Always value time and never exceed your stipulated time limit. Don’t test the patience of the audience by taking more time to finish than expected. A presentation that is short yet effective is remembered and is appreciated.

If all these things are kept in mind, you are sure to make a mark in the presentation arena!

For more information visit www.wsiwebapplications.com or follow me on twitter @cmappleton