One of the most important considerations for choosing key terms is knowing the search patterns of the audience you are trying to reach. For example, if you have an ecommerce site, you are looking for buyers—which generally means a key term with a very specific product/service description—including the model number. On the other hand, if you are selling expensive or complex products, you are targeting shoppers and that is an entirely different keyword strategy. Be

To develop a successful organization---there’s nothing more important than creating a foundation of excellence. This means knowing what you do better than anyone else and then bringing relevant products and services to a market that appreciates those unique capabilities. Paul Leinwand and Cesare Mainardi wrote the seminal work on this topic; a book called, The Essential Advantage. Although I don’t follow and/or agree with everything, it is an excellent book. And actually the

There are many differentiation experts and dozens of resources on differentiation. Many of their theories are well thought out and make sense. The disconnect comes when business owners and executives try to make the connection between theory and the real world knowing that a mistake can be disastrous—something most experts fail to grasp. 1. Base the Idea on Insight, Not Market Research Assuming that you have some experience and expertise in this particular industry and you’v

These tips are written for the benefit of both the journalist and you because the bottom line is that you are each dependent on the other for a successful outcome. You provide the best ingredients and the journalist makes the culinary masterpiece. You and the journalist are not adversaries. This article assumes a phone interview, since that’s the norm. Most journalists no longer interview sources in person unless there is some compelling reason (much of what follows also appl

Success expert John Maxwell says there are 6 basic reasons that people fail to achieve what they set out to do. These 6 reasons also apply to business failures in general. Business failure in this context doesn’t mean the end of the business, rather it means failure to complete initiatives and achieve specific goals. These 6 reasons cover almost everything and are about as simple as it gets. Caveat: These are performance-related, not environmental-related reasons. However.

9/3/18: 4 Obvious Indicators of a Quality Organization When we say that certain people have quality what we mean is that they demonstrate good taste, are well groomed, have impeccable manners, and accomplish all of this consistently---these traits are obvious. Not surprisingly, these same 4 traits that indicate obvious quality in a person also indicate quality in an organization that clients and prospects notice. 1. Good Taste Think refinement and elegance. For a while, ev

Confirmation bias is essentially the brain's shortcut, prioritizing information that reinforces existing beliefs and dismissing contradictory data, even if it’s more accurate. It poses a significant, but surmountable challenge for sales and marketing. As the volume of information increases, so does the entrenchment of confirmation bias. For well-branded companies, this bias can be a double-edged sword. On the positive side, strong brands benefit from entrenched perceptions t

More wisdom from my HBR marketing mentor-5 signs that your organization’s marketing needs some work: Declining sales. No need to elaborate here. Sales are flat and your company needs a growth strategy. Sometimes that means you need to add to your marketing team. Sometimes it means your marketing team needs to work more closely with sales. No organization can really grow without support from marketing. Why? Because effective marketing projects your company as a winner, no

This is a crucial selling point for expensive, technical, and/or complex products & services When it comes to maintaining and building customer relations in industries that involve expensive, technical, and/or complex products and services, there’s nothing more important to customers than risk reduction. The ability to understand the risk customers face and then reduce it can make a dramatic difference in the rate of sales conversions. There is always some risk to a buyer w

Every business wants to connect with and appeal to an audience of potential customers. One way to do that is with a memorable business/brand name. Here are six name trends currently popular among startups and new businesses. 1. 'This and That' Names This and That names are just what it sounds like: brand names composed of two words, usually nouns, to form a striking mental image. You may have heard of Rag and Bone or Cloth and Stone. To get in on this trend, pick two shor